It’s been a week of ups and downs. Of fulfilled promises and letdowns. The results are a few surprise highlights, a few “almosts” and a couple of real opinion dividers.
Artnat – The Mirror Effect
Genre: Experimental/progressive metal/rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An altogether dizzyingly random, yet gentle affair. Spacey sounds dominate the experience, the rhythm shifts whenever it damn well pleases, and they’re at no point in any hurry to get anywhere in particular.
Balls Gone Wild – Stay Wild
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is raucous, straightforward hard rock to roar down the highway to. While not close to challenging any of the typical traits of the genre, it rides well with the groove and avoids some of the biggest clichés.
Castrator – Defiled In Oblivion
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Think “dark death metal” and you’ll probably imagine something quite close to this. In other words, it’s not the most characteristic stuff you’ll hear this week, but they have the sound down and stick to it consistently. Not brilliant craftmanship, but I’m sure they’ll get there.
Eciton – The Autocatalytic Process
Genre: Technical/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
As far as technicality goes, this is certainly a milder version of what typically springs to mind when you consider the term tech death. That is not to say that these guys aren’t extremely proficient, but it’s not the hyper fast mad-beehive-shred-fest that you might expect. Instead it borrows from groove and metalcore and focuses on precise, machine gun riffs and restrained melody. It’s aggressive, impatient and eager to deliver crushing riffs backed by an absolute drum assault. There’s not a super clear signature to their sound, but they’ve definitely got the groundwork down. Hop on with “Desperate Humans” and “Incarceration of Madness”.
Ernia – How To Deal With Life And Fail
Genre: Progressive grindcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A rumbling cascade of chugging riffs and hysterical vocals. This is one of those grindcore records where you can’t possibly predict where the songs will go next. If you’re into that sort of thing I think you’ll dig this.
Fame On Fire – Welcome To The Chaos
Genre: Hard rock/emo metal/pop
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2/5
Noooope. Edge-less, sticky, whiny, over-polished stuff. I’m out.
Fight The Fade – Apophysitis
Genre: Alternative metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
While massively over-produced and simplified, they do succeed in creating a solid mood, and display true artistic talent. I’m just way outside the target audience.
GLDN – First Blood (EP)
Genre: Industrial/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Understated and underproduced, each song picks a lane and stick with it. There are traces of Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and more, and switches from unnerving to alluring to aggression.
Hatriot – The Vale Of Shadows
Genre: Thrash/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Maybe not as strong in individual song character as Kreator, this definitely has much of the same level of aggression, vocal style and death metal-esque brutality. There are sections in here that are pure old school melodeath, and you don’t hear me complaining. Where these guys really find their groove is in the all out speed assaults that dominate the record – it gets slightly more clunky when they slow things down, but this variation is definitely still a welcome addition of contrast to the structure. If you need more fury, choppy riffs and evil guitar solos in your life, you can do a hell of a lot worse than this. Check out “Verminous and Vile” and “Horns & Halos”.
Imperial Triumphant – Spirit Of Ecstasy
Genre: Avant-garde black metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 4/5
I’ll gladly admit, I’ve not listened much to Imperial Triumphant before, so I’m throwing myself in at the deep end here. And for someone unaccustomed to their style and not being a huge fan of experimental music, this is fiendishly tough to get into. More demonic free-form jazz than actual black metal, it slithers and skips about as if intentionally trying to overwhelm you. In that regard, I’m tempted to call it a masterclass composition-wise. The soundscape is massive and terrifying, assaulting your senses with violently random impressions as you flail around in the dark. Subjectively, the biggest value I can attribute it is that I actively dislike listening to it. Objectively, it’s quite impressive.
Mosara – Only The Dead Know Our Secrets
Genre: Doom/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A slow and slightly agonizing affair – this is dark all the way through – like passing along a stone corridor of tragedy. If you don’t mind your doom dragged out, then there’s some good atmosphere on here.
Nebula – Transmissions From Mothership Earth
Genre: Psychedelic/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Fuzz and psychedelia for miles! It’s not every day you hear someone as committed to a style as this band. Everything is right, so to speak – from the vocal delay to the cushioning bass. And it makes for an immersive experience. They do lose a little punch in their dedication to authenticity, and you do have to be down with prolonged dwelling on slightly repetitive riff sections.
Nicolas Cage Fighter – The Bones That Grew From Pain
Genre: Hardcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
The real question here is: Do you find yourself staring at the album cover trying to determine whether the face-shape there is modeled on Nicolas Cage? This profound insight aside, if you’re looking for something hostile, you found it. This one’s strutting with fighting spirit and doesn’t let down, but there’s also a clear desire to entertain. You can pretty much headbang your way through the entire runtime, and yet they never allow the rhythm to grow stale. There’s a bit of nihilistic melody as well, which adds character. The production leaves a little depth and clarity to be desired, but there’s enough punch to deliver that energy. Try “Coughing Nails” and “Shrine of Wire”.
Northless – A Path Beyond Grief
Genre: Progressive sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An agonized and nihilistic listening experience brought to you by deep, pounding riffs and anguished vocals, contrasted by moments of acoustic tenderness.
Oceans Of Slumber – Starlight and Ash
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
There’s been a substantial shift towards the non-metallic since these guys’ last record. And while that in itself might disappoint a portion of the fanbase (me included), there’s certainly no lack of musical prowess on display. The way melodies are massaged, stirred and electrified on here is exquisite, and the vocal talent that backs it up truly staggering. If you’re looking for a bit of reprieve, some rejuvenating balm for your mind an eardrums alike – this is it, and it does carry enough weight to give you a rush every now and then.
Palisades – Reaching Hypercritical
Genre: Alternative metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
While the vocal quality gives me strong Chester Bennington feels, and the overall tone of the album follows in the same vein, this certainly a different beast to Linking Park. Softer, more sensitive and aiming for a much bigger and more accessibly sound, it shows off strong melodic songwriting but lacks real edge.
Source Of Rage – Witness The Mess
Genre: Groove metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Fast, melodic groove metal displaying some excellent guitar playing dexterity, but unfortunately also a rather mediocre level of songwriting. The production is also rather lackluster.
Teethgrinder – Dystopia
Genre: Hardcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is vicious! It sounds like hardcore that’s employed a death metal boost to push it clear off the pissed-off-scale. Sure, you have to get/skip past a 4+ minute(!) intro track, but from then on a near-grindcore pummeling awaits. There are a few more atmospheric and spoken-word parts, and they do slow things down a bit, but they also contribute to the feeling of doom and collapse.
Trog – Of Vomit Reborn (EP)
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Here we have some mock-spooky, classic crypt-death with hoarse growls and a top-notch evil quality to the riffs. It’s silly and primitive, but that’s what you want from something like this.
Villain of the Story – Divided
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
It’s a bit fascinating to see something this pop-core and accessible get away with the level of aggression on display here. Some parts are sniffing on deathcore levels of intensity, and then you round a corner and it’s all rose petals and broken high school dreams.
Void Rot – Telluric Dismemberment (EP)
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is two new songs and some live stuff, so not a full meal by a long shot, but what’s there is good. Slow and atmospheric, but not dragged out, and everything feels geared towards achieving a very particular sound. Sounds pretty infernal.
Voluntary Mortification – Suffer To Rise
Genre: Death metal/deathcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is an absolute knife twister. The hammer blow drum beats and guitar chugs rush at you in mechanical waves and the vocals gurgle bile straight in your face. There isn’t all too much substance to speak of – more of an all out shock assault to your senses. But it’s certainly thorough.
Wake – Thought Form Descent
Genre: Atmospheric death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
Brace for the incoming tidal wave. This is massive, towering death metal that has embraced atmosphere like a colossus allowing an ecosystem of plants and animals to grow and live on it. There’s a definite blackened streak to the brutality, and while they get bleak and lamenting in places, it still feels natural, like they’re describing life at an abstract level and don’t shy away from the dark parts. The production is fantastic and really allows for the full spectrum of noise to triumph. They’re a little short on the truly unique, but overall it makes for a highly engaging listen. Go for it with “Swallow the light” and “Mourning Dirge (Repose of the Dead)”.
Witchery – Nightside
Genre: Black/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Bring on the bewitching black n’ roll! Witchery is back with some delicious, crispy wickedness to get your head moving. It’s exactly what you’d hope for, with a few twists here and there. Sometimes it’s blisteringly fast, sometimes it’s slow and sinister. But it never gets bogged down or skimps on the riffs or licks. I find that it’s a small step back on production from earlier releases, creating a more muted and contained instrumental sound, but it’s not a big issue. You feel like they’re calling you home to the very core of dark metal with this one. Smash on “Popecrusher” and “Crucifix and Candle”.
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 