We march steadily towards the end of the month and greet the last batch of heavy releases. Onwards!
8 Kalacas – Fronteras
Genre: Hardcore/ska/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
At its worst, this is just run of the mill ska with Spanish lyrics, but at its best it’s a fantastic fusion of celebration and aggression as the upbeat brass meets chugging strings. It’s not your average listening experience, and if you like hardcore and thrash you should definitely check this out. “Pudrete” and “Garras” are two good samples.
Abbath – Dread Reaver
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
For some reason it seems unnatural to expect something this fresh from someone as established as Abbath. And yet. This can best be described as a massive record, both in terms of the sheer relentlessness and confidence it projects and also in terms of it being packed to the brim with… sound. There’s just so much of it – layers upon layers, and yet the wall of sound never becomes overwhelming. Everything is clear and distinct, allowing all of the solidly composed shifts and turns to shine in all their grim glory. This is a masterclass in balancing tradition, variation, aggression and playfulness. Pretty much everything on here is excellent, but I will pick “Septentrion” and “Dream Cull” as my favorites.
Absent In Body – Plague God
Genre: Sludge/atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This one nails the crypt mood. It’s grim, musky, and mostly sets a crawling pace. It’s too slow and subdued for me, but should strike a good balance for death doom and black metal fans.
Animals As Leaders – Parrhesia
Genre: Instrumental progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
If you’re the type of person who likes to surrender to the apparent wild whims of technical progressive musicianship, then this is one for you. It’s a very kind of elastic, vivid kind of listening experience, with something new happening every few seconds. To me it’s just a tad too soulless to really get into on a long term basis.
Bâ’a – Egrégore
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Some chilly black metal with epic leanings. I think they could have gone further down the melancholic, epic path, but they still have a fairly distinct tone and vocal style. I would love to see these guys evolving their sound further.
BillyBio – Leaders And Liars
Genre: Heavy/groove metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
These guys would be great at a tiny, sweaty venue with a suitably inebriated crowd. For everything else I think this is a bit too rudimentary.
Black-Out Arises – Oneself
Genre: Grunge/rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
I think these guys have the right idea for a sometimes garage-, sometimes arena oriented rock and grunge meld. Unfortunately, most of it it feels too uninspired to leave a lasting mark for me.
Bloodgate – Solace In Mourning
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
These guys have a great tone going that reminds me of both Black Dahlia Murder and thrashy Slayer. It starts off really well, then unfortunately turns into a bit of a shambles for the main body of the album, killing much of the crushing groove I feel like it was building up to.
Bomber – Nocturnal Creatures
Genre: Heavy metal/classic hard rock
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This one charmed me just enough to sneak in for a recommendation. It usually takes quite a bit to convince me that a retro hard rock/heavy metal sound is worthwhile, but these guys pretty much nail it tone wise. I will say, however that particularly the mid-album songs are a little bland and ballad-y, but the likes of “Zarathustra” and “Fever Eyes” make up for it.
Crown Of Madness – The Void EP
Genre: Technical death/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A blackened variant of technical death metal sounds like a good idea, and I think these guys are on to something here. They’re definitely competent enough to handle the technical bit, but unfortunately, the music feels pretty stagnant to me, like it’s lacking direction. Keep working on it.
Crown Magnetar – Alone In Death EP
Genre: Deathcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Feel like a medium dose of serious deathcore brutality? I’d check out this EP. It has enough of a death metal twin personality to attract people of that camp (like me), and doesn’t get too silly with the gutter growls or breakdowns. It has some serious technicality to it, while also being rooted in a modicum of sinister melody. I highly enjoy “Pain of Existence” and “Graverot”.
Crystal Viper – The Last Axeman
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Nothing wrong with the sound on this one if you really dig the classic power/heavy/speed niche. For me it’s too formulaic.
Day of Departure – Day of Departure
Genre: Ambient/gothic/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This album feels experimental in the sense that .the band is searching for a coherent path to take. There are some beautiful melodies and compositions on here for a laid back experience, but it could be better matched with the vocals and heavier guitar based parts.
Desert Clouds – Planexit
Genre: Grunge/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A pretty solid full length debut, this is a good mix of Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, and a few others of their ilk. They sound best when they’re at their most unique, like on the title track, and they deal well with tempo and mood shifts. Some more maturing, and this gang could get seriously interesting.
Desolate Shrine – Fires Of The Dying World
Genre: Blackened death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is some mostly low tempo, grim death metal for when you want a wash of hopelessness. There are some more typical, angry death metal parts on here, but they’re not allowed to last for long.
Dream Widow (Foo Fighters) – Dream Widow
Genre: Death metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This is one tasty bag of mixed treats from Dave Grohl and the other Fighters. And yes, I’d say it qualifies as a full-on death metal album. There’s more than enough personality behind this that even the most straightforward death metal songs on here don’t end up formulaic. There’s absolutely a sense of the creator(s) looking in on the genre from the outside, but that doesn’t stop them from making all the right moves, and very successfully blending the brutal stuff with groovy hard rock, grunge, and even some old school industrial metal. Entertaining through and through. “Cold” and “Lacrimus dei Ebrius” might be my favorites.
Eucharist – I Am The Void
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
There are some solid, somber melodies lurking in the background, but the rest feels repetitive and stubborn to me, and not in a good way.
Falls Of Rauros – Key to a Vanishing Future
Genre: Black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is a solemn one, without getting all out depressing. The melodies are big and haunting, and get balanced out well by the harsh vocals and more intense musical bits. What doesn’t work for me are the parts where they (seem to) experiment with disharmony and odd rhythms. It’s like the music suddenly takes a stumble and takes some time to correct itself.
Hardcore Superstar – Abrakadabra
Genre: Hard rock/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2/5
This is pretty damn cookie-cutter. I might even go so far as to call it square, but that would distinguish it from the classic cookie cutter shapes, and it really isn’t that special.
Heltekvad – Morgenrødens Helvedesherre
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
As miserable black metal albums go, this is pretty anguished. The sound is fairly traditional, and should go down well with black metal purists, but they slow things down every now and then for some tremolo melodies that drapes a layer of lamenting over all the aggression.
Hilltops Are For Dreamers – In Disbelief
Genre: Progressive gothic/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This one has a good balance between melody, aggressiveness and odd tempo shifts. It feels emotionally driven, which secures an overall coherence, but it can get a bit much at times, when the vocal style drifts into emo-metalcore territory.
Ignite – Ignite
Genre: Hardcore/punk rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Clearly inspired by the likes of Rise Against, calling this hardcore is a bit of a stretch. There’s plenty of energy, but largely trades aggression for accessibility.
Kontusion – Kontusion (EP)
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Some dirty, cavernous death metal where the vocals really only function as a mood booster. Some spooky synth adds to the atmosphere, which I think is this EP’s strongest suit.
Lucifer’s Child/Mystifier – Under Satan’s Wrath (Split)
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
You get a good mix of flavors on this split, without the whole thing feeling too disjointed when we switch bands halfway through. They both meet at melodic, modern black metal, but each offer a confident, distinguishable variant to the core subgenre. Lucifer’s Child adds death and a bit of doom, while Mystifier has chosen a colder, more speed-influenced path. The end result is entertaining and varied, with some great melodies and enough successful subgenre blending to appease fans across a relatively broad spectrum. Check out “Under Inhumane Evil Spells” and “Nova Tenebris” for a sample of each band.
Luzifer – Iron Shackles
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
If you like medieval-inspired, classic heavy metal with emphasis on fun, and with a splash of occultism, this is one for you. I find the vocals a bit lackluster, but this is a great palate cleanser if your usual music consumption consists of the more extreme.
Nightwraith – Offering
Genre: Black/death/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
You get pretty much the whole spectrum of dark metal on this one. Black, gothic, classic melodic death, folk and doom, and it’s all tied together with fairly straightforward heavy metal rhythms and structures. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it fun, but it’s definitely entertaining, and doesn’t feel nearly as schizophrenic as I’m probably making it sound here. The vocals are perhaps a little one-dimensional compared to the instrumental output, even thought they do shift between black metal high and death metal low. “Hedonic Adaptation” and “The Great Acceleration” are two highlights among several.
Nite – Voices Of The Kronian Moon
Genre: Black/heavy/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This one is not too far removed from the Nightwraith album, but leans more heavily on the classic heavy metal side. The vocals are raspy, yet has some depth behind them, and fit the mood very well. Even though this is fairly lively for a blackened record, it retains a definite air of austerity throughout, which makes the melodies seem all the more sincere. “Acheron” and “The Trident” are two highlights, but I could have easily picked two more.
Paleface – Fear And Dagger
Genre: Hard-/deathcore/nu metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Fucking hell this sounds pissed off. This is early Slipknot downtuned and leaning all the way into simplistic, stomping rhythms. Which stops them going all-out chaotic, and rather embracing the pounding, full-body-headbanging hardcore style of the likes of Hatebreed. If you missed Corey Taylor scream-rapping and manically heaving for breath in between every other word, then this should bring you tons of nostalgic joy. There are quite a few songs on here, and they don’t sound all that dissimilar, but check out “Dead Man’s Diary” for a good summation of what this is all about.
Pist.On – Cold World (EP)
Genre: Doom/atmospheric black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Some groovy riffs and licks here and there, unfortunately undermined by some odd melodic and vocal choices.
Reckless Love – Turborider
Genre: Heavy/glam metal/electronic pop
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
This is very poppy and polished stuff, but also undeniably fun. I can see this sliding neatly into a lot of people’s guilty pleasures list. The retro electronica and extremely playful solos raise the experience significantly.
Michael Romeo – War Of The Worlds, Part 2
Genre: Symphonic/alternative metal/shred
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Some dark symphonic metal with a strong “Avenged Sevenfold goes power metal” kind of vibe. If that sounds like something for you, then this probably is. There are elements of shred and prog on here as well, which makes the overall impression a bit oversaturated.
Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems
Genre: Hardcore/experimental
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is way too all over the place for my taste, but these guys clearly have a strong idea of their sound and concept. If batshit nutty with attitude sounds like music to you, then dig in.
Spiral Skies – Death Is But A Door
Genre: Psychedelic/doom
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A mild mannered, moody collection of psychedelic hard rock. The vocals are absolutely competent, but fairly typical for the genre, and the guitarwork muted. If understated is what you’re looking for in your doomy retro hard rock, then I’d recommend this.
Stricken – From A Well Of Emptiness, A Stygian Serpent Born
Genre: Blackened sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
If you like your sludge tough and with an air of the occult, this one’s for you. Not for me though, too slow and repetitive.
Sundowning – In The Light Of Defeat, I Cease To Exist
Genre: Atmospheric hardcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
An album that’s heavy with despair and melancholy. It shifts between melodic and dissonant, heavy and soft(ish). It doesn’t float my boat, but will surely a lot of others’.
Svartsot – Kumbi
Genre: Folk/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is full-on Scandinavian folk metal with playful, upbeat melodies, but with enough of a melodeath edge to keep it from getting too silly. It gets me in a good mood and has me nodding my head, but has enough depth that it can’t be dismissed as “drinking metal”.
Witchpit – The Weight Of Death
Genre: Stoner/sludge
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Some real rowdy stoner stuff with enough of a doom vibe to bring to mind classic Sabbath. The flow isn’t too great, but then I don’t think it’s really supposed to be. It’s unpolished and probably quite proud of it.
As always, if you think I’m completely off on an observation, unfairly dissed your favorite band or need to give an album another shot, do feel free to express yourself in the comments below.
The Metal Dispatch 