An undeniably strong week with releases once again spanning the full metal spectrum. Maybe not the richest bounty for the extreme metal enthusiasts, but apply a smidge of liberalism and you might find a couple of new favorites.
Audrey Horne – Devil’s Bell
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
I just gotta give this an extra push cause these guys are from my home town, but it’s not like this record doesn’t deserve it. This is some dirty, groovy hard rock with obvious heavy metal influences. If I’m to critique something it’s that the flow could be better at times, and certain riffs or melody lines should have been highlighted more in order to strengthen the identity of the songs. But there’s a lot to like on here, especially if you’re into guitars leading the charge and going on a trotting journey with just the right amount of tangents. Check out “Danse Macabre” and “From Darkness”.
Bodysnatcher – Bleed–Abide
Genre: Deathcore/nu metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Want some stompy deathcore that sound a bit like it was made with that “brutal hip hop” sensibility of those heaviest of the early nu metal bands? You sure gotta love a dominant rhythm section, cause this is one of those where the guitars are being used as percussive instruments. That ain’t my cup of tea, but I’m probably in the minority there. When the groove is allowed to shine through, that’s when I can dig this stuff, which is just often enough to hold on to my attention.
Caliban – Dystopia
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This is aggressive, modern metalcore that makes up for some slightly poppy melodies around the cleaner parts with some heavy, djenty, deathcore-like riffing that isn’t too dissonant to kill the melodic progression. In other words, there’s plenty of headbang-ability on here, and the riffs actually serve as high points of the melody lines, rather than interruptions. It’s a fairly dark record without getting particularly moody, managing to keep the energy up mostly all the way though. The first half of the album is definitely stronger, but there are parts to enjoy all the way through. “Dystopia” and “Phantom Pain” would be two of my recommendations.
Coma Hole – Coma Hole
Genre: Stoner metal/sludge
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
These guys sound like they intended to break out of the box with this one, and they kind of succeed, but only just. There’s some great atmosphere on here, generated by long-stretched melodies, but for the most part they seem to cling too heavily to familiar subgenre traits, almost as if being tethered by a lifeline of familiarity was a way for them to not run too far astray. And it’s had a pretty limiting effect on the result.
Corpsessed – Succumb To Rot
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A pile of fresh, nasty death metal here. As far as instrumental quality goes, it’s excellent. But the dark melodies should have been allowed to come a bit more forward more of the time, and some of the riff progressions are a bit formulaic. If you’re just looking for a hit of brutality, you won’t go wrong with this one.
Cultic – Of Fire and Sorcery
Genre: Doom/death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
If you don’t mind the basement-production sound quality and every other song being an interlude, then you could definitely do worse than this looking for some mid-tempo death doom. A fairly distinct sound to go with the mystic theme – I just find it too monotonous.
Deathcave – II (EP)
Genre: Doom/black metal/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A little difficult to get a good impression from two songs (even though the runtime ends up at over twenty minutes), but they’ve got some good things going on here. It’s cold, intense, crushing, angry. I definitely prefer the higher tempo to go with the hardcore attitude rather than the doomy crawl that bogs down much of the first half.
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – Wilde Kinder
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Some festival ready, head-bangable, modern heavy metal here. The songs vary quite a bit in heaviness – all the way from growling to ballads. The playing is solid, it just isn’t fresh or distinct enough to interest me.
Domkraft/Slomatics – Ascend/Descend (EP)
Genre: Doom metal/psychedelic
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is one for those who don’t mind their doom being a bit drawn out, with emphasis on atmosphere. Out of the two bands on this split, Domkraft is definitely more up my alley, producing more variation in speed and tone, and having more punch in their riffs.
Dorothy – Gifts From The Holy Ghost
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Hey, all you people out there who want to make catchy, uncomplicated hard rock – here’s proof you can still make it sound fresh. Granted, having a highly talented vocalist does help, but they also do a good job delivering hooks and melodies that don’t sound like they’ve just been recycled from their earlier releases. The rhythm work is tight, and ties everything together very neatly. It’s a little too poppy in tone and lyrical content for me, though.
False Church – Dystopian Dissent
Genre: Hardcore/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
With a sub 20 minutes runtime and pretty much exactly the same beat on every song, this feels like one continuous bludgeoning, only occasionally and briefly interrupted. It’s solid though, with enough strategically placed breakdowns to keep your interest up.
Fer De Lance – The Hyperborean
Genre: Doom/folk/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
While there are some really good moments on here, the overall impression I get of this album is one of stylistic confusion. It’s rousing, then gloomy, mixes operatic vocals with blast beasts and tremolo, goes full folk ballad, then melodic black metal. Which could be entertaining, if they’d just had more success binding the different pieces together.
Freja – Tides
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is definitely black metal of the atmospheric variant, but it’s far from a sluggish thing. Even for the subgenre at large, this must be considered at least mid-tempo, and the fact that they still manage to load the sound so full of haunting melody is impressive, and much appreciated. Not revolutionary, but definitely high quality. Give “Cloaks of Valor” and “Scattered Shields” a listen.
Gadgets Sons – Gadgets Sons
Genre: Sludge/groove metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This is my idea of a fun album. Not fun as in funny, but as in entertaining. They’ve got that Pantera love of groove and a strong, driving riff, with dirty vocals and a bit of hardcore attitude, then a bit of death metal brutality added. This isn’t quite Pantera level of songwriting, but I’ll take the spirit any day. If you’re a riff guy like me, I don’t see how you couldn’t like this. I recommend “Blasted” and “Perrrlka”.
A Good Rogering – Systematic Paralysis
Genre: Heavy metal/grunge/doom
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Ever wondered what kind of collaborations we’d get if just grunge and metal got along better? This one might hint at it. Okay, I might be exaggerating the whole grunge bit a smidge, but there are definitely traits in there, along with rock ‘n roll and a bit of doom. Sounds good on paper and does pretty well in reality too. I particularly like “Systematic Paralysis” and “Clones for Death”.
Kirk Hammett – Portals (EP)
Genre: Shred/folk/experimental
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is the kind of shred that I can get behind. Okay, nearly, but still. This is about more than just the guitar playing, though. It feels like storytelling. With guitar solos, of course. But it doesn’t get too lofty or bombastic.
Huntsmen – The Dying Pines (EP)
Genre: Doom metal/folk rock
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A very short EP for a quick fire review, but sticking to the one actual metal song on here, it’s a fireworks display of great riffs and rhythms, showcasing a band that works very well together. In that regard it brings to mind the likes of Mastodon. The rest is serene and acoustic.
Junction 28 – Before You Drown
Genre: Hard rock/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Too polished and sugar frosted for my taste, it still has a dark streak and some aggressive riffing every now and then.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Omnium Gatherum
Genre: Psychedelic hard/indie rock
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Groovy, baby! This is a beautifully alive album that ebbs and flows, mixing lots of genres and tonal flavors. It’s a mammoth though, at 1 hour 20 minutes, and does kind of fizz out towards the end. If they’d just kept up the momentum all the way through, it would be approaching top score for me. As it is, there’s really not enough heavy on here to recommend it as a metal/hard rock album, but if you just want to chill and/or jump around to some spacey, upbeat psychedelic rock, have at it.
Märvel – Graces Came With Malice
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Some high energy, retro hard rock. Vocal style very much in the vein of Kiss, with some eagerly creative playing to go with it, that still feels pretty traditional. It’s undeniably fun, maybe a little one-dimensional in tone for my taste, but filled to the brim with great playing.
Mein Kopf ist ein Brutaler Ort – Ton Steine Sterben
Genre: Thrash/metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Some pretty straightforward un-melodic metalcore with thrash leanings. Uncomplicated headbanging material that I’m sure would be fun at a festival.
Mirror – The Day Bastard Leaders Die
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A theatrical vocal performance and thin, overly galloping overall sound brings this one low for me, even as I appreciate some great solos and the occult theme.
Miseration – Black Miracles and Dark Wonders
Genre: Melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
As much as I’d like to give this a recommendation, it falls just short for me for one main reason: they too rarely seem to find a good, raw riff to settle on for a bit of good old headbang-ability. The brutal parts always seem to be frantic, and when they do settle on a steady pace, it’s usually on the slow, grandiose, melodic bits, which just kills the momentum. If they learn to combine the melody and brutality a little better I have huge hope for these guys, cause pretty much everything else works great.
Mosiac – Heimatspuk
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
If it wasn’t for the guitars sounding like they were recorded through a phone call, I might be able to appreciate this a lot more, cause they really have something interesting going on with the German folk elements on here.
Northlane – Obsidian
Genre: Progressive/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 4/5
While this really isn’t my kind of thing, I wonder if this isn’t one the best gateway albums for modern extreme progressive (djent) metal that I’ve heard. It’s got a dark streak to it, a catchy electronic groove, and doesn’t get too soft and sugary in the clean parts. It sounds matured, and well thought out.
Novarupta – Carrion Movements
Genre: Instrumental doom metal/ambient
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
These kind of albums lend themselves terribly to my review style, but here goes. This isn’t quite funeral doom, cause it’s not that gloomy. More grandiose and cinematic while still retaining a somber tone throughout. It’s still very slow though, and I don’t really find it interesting enough for an active listening experience. You might very well disagree.
Ocean Grove – Up In The Air Forever
Genre: Hard rock/modern heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Some fairly accessible hard rock with a shot of metal heaviness and some LA punk sensibility running throughout.
Primus – Conspiranoid (EP)
Genre: Experimental (hard) rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
What do you want from me? It’s weird. The bass is great. It’s just like I expect you want it to be.
Pyreship – Light Is A Barrier
Genre: Progressive doom/sludge
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A doom record that tries a few things instrumentally, but ends up feeling gloomy in an entirely joyless way no matter which way it pulls or flows.
Radiant – Written By Life
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2/5
Ballady hard rock with, generic, anthemic lyrics? I shall politely decline.
Serpentshrine – Allegiance To The Myth
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Very clear-cut black metal of the thin, cold, intentionally-badly-produced kind that dares to be a little vulnerable and dreamlike in its melodies. Wouldn’t have minded more of that.
Skull Fist – Paid In Full
Genre: Heavy/speed metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Speedy heavy metal brimming with enthusiasm and musical skill. The vocals are just right for me, and the guitars strike a great balance between playful and gritty. I’d have loved a bit more heft and rawness, but it’s also pretty clear that these guys know what they like, and I’m not gonna mess with that. Cause man, do they do it in style – unashamedly riding that knife’s edge between cliché and utter genre confidence, and with a glint in their eyes at that. I’m seriously having problems picking just two songs to recommend, but why not “Blackout” and “Long Live the Fist”.
Somali Yacht Club – The Space
Genre: Atmospheric doom/stoner
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Now for something serene. Slow down and flow along with the moody, beautiful melodies. The production allows the instruments to drive the music, making it feel stripped down and honest. It seems to me that you can drop in at pretty much any moment and enjoy it equally. Which speaks to the strong songwriting. Give “Obscurum” and “Pulsar” a shot.
Speckmann Project – Fiends Of Emptiness
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A real piece of caveman death metal here, which I usually can get wholeheartedly behind, but I’m not a big fan of this one. Fairly weak production, the riffs feel mostly uninspired and the vocals are not great. There are some tasty moments here and there, though.
Static Abyss – Labyrinth Of Veins
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Now this is more like it. This is sullen, grimy death metal that still has some anger to it. The songs slip in and out of a doom tempo, and every now and then kicks into high gear with chugging riffs and pummeling drums. It’s pretty cool, but could also need a bit of tonal variation.
Stone Broken – Revelation
Genre: Melodic metal
Subjective rating: 0.5/5
Objective rating: 1/5
The best part of this is certainly the band name, cause it does make me want to break a stone on the head of whoever wrote these songs. I usually try to be at least a little diplomatic, but this really is ultra generic drivel.
Tygers Of Pan Tang – A New Heartbeat
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
They don’t really try hard enough for this to be much more than a trip down memory lane, I’m afraid. I guess the production is nice and modern.
Tyrannus – Unslayable
Genre: Black/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
What I first figured to be pretty straighforward blackened thrash, but they take these trips into spacey, progressive territory every now and then. It’s interesting, and makes them stand out, but doesn’t blend as well as it could with the more traditional parts.
Undeath – It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
This is very straight-to-the-point, morbid death metal. And while I don’t think it gets off to the best of starts with the first two songs on here, the guys really hit their stride from there on out. Their big strength in my opinion is being able to balance the more chaotic parts (of which there are plenty) well with the parts where they settle down to more of a chugging grind, and making the transitions between the two seamless. I would want the guitars to be even clearer and crisper in the mix, but that’s a stylistic choice that I can’t really blame anyone for. Check out “Rise From the Grave” and “Bone Wrought”.
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 section below.
The Metal Dispatch 