A marathon week that’s drawn extreme metal from all ends of the spectrum, giving you everything from the morbid to the cerebral to the morbidly cerebral.
Acephalix – Theothantology
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A real grinder of a death metal album. A slightly murky production and grumbly vocals gives you that dilapidated abbatoir-feel. You get a generous serving of raw riffs, although not much in the way of surprises.
Amaurot – …To Tread the Ancient Waters
Genre: Doom/black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A folk-clad, black-leaning doom record that brings some dark winter chills. The tempo is low and overall impression fairly simplistic, but the atmosphere works very well if you’re into dark folk.
Angmodnes – The Weight of Eternity
Genre: Doom/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Slow and grim doom with a well-realized, haunting atmosphere and moments of snarling brutality, that’s also a bit too comfortable wallowing in uninterrupted misery.
Arctora – The Storm Is Over
Genre: Melodic death/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A spirited contribution from the Finnish melodeath scene, this is fast moving and aggressive, with elements of frigid black metal and a mostly guitar driven melody, as opposed to the customary heavy influx of synth elements.
Autophagy – Bacteriophage
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A somewhat chaotic, bass-heavy rumbler of a death metal album. Muted, cavern-emanating vocals are like a whisper on the wind blended with the thundering instruments. On one hand one could wish for more clarity, but it does add to the ominous atmosphere and warm, full tone.
Autopsy – Morbidity Triumphant
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Old-school death metal doesn’t get more no-nonsense than this. From the very first second there is no question that Autopsy is serving up another blood-dripping cut of malevolence. This is a refined sound – not excessive in any way. Just a thoroughly sadistic tone, drums following the rhythm of a lurking axe murderer and vocals that either gurgle in feigned agony or growl with feral hostility. It’s everything but a fresh breath, but that’s hardly what you’re looking for in this genre. Take a stab at “The Voracious One” and “Your Eyes Will Turn to Dust”.
Ceaseless Torment – Victory Or Death
Genre: Thrash/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Here’s some gritty thrash in a hell of a hurry. There’s a bit lacking in the overall tightness of the performances, and it’s not the most original thing you’ll hear, but if you like your metal fast, menacing and uncomplicated, go for it.
Cruz – Confindes de la Cordura
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This is loudly pissed off and vicious death metal with a thrashy sense of urgency. It’s easy to visualize the band shaking their fists at the sky to the barky, raw vocals, and yet it never really dips into hardcore territory. The energy level is maintained throughout the album, even in those instances where the tempo shifts into low gear for some menacing doom sections. It sounds crunchy, angry and evil. Check out “Els Murs Errants” and “Eones de Sangre”.
Darkest Era – Wither On The Vine
Genre: Progressive/folk metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A somewhat gloomy take on the usually rather uplifting ways of folk metal. With elements of black metal and shying away from tropes, it’s not what you’ll hear any day, but also fairly non-compelling in its melodies and atmosphere.
Deadly Vipers – Low City Drone
Genre: Stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A warm and slightly spacey stoner record. The riffs slither and twist, generating groove-laden vibes of travelling across dry desert plains. There is some heft and intensity, but mostly it feels like it just wants to chill out. In that regard it lacks some momentum, but still stands as a characterful listen.
Devouror – Diabolos Brigade
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
A fired-up blackened death metal output taking all the energy of thrash in order to spit its unholy messages far and wide. It brings little new to the table and rough song arrangements means fairly poor immersion.
Drowning Pool – Strike A Nerve
Genre: Alternative metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
A fairly low-key release from these alt-metalers, at least until you get towards the end of the album, where it strangely starts to pick up and deliver some heavy crunches. Overall though, it just sounds a bit tired, like they’re running on fumes and lack direction, with well-worn lyrics and uninspired arrangements. And, sorry to say, but that album cover… Just, why?
Ellende – Ellenbogengesellschaft
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
A truly nurturing experience for those of heavy mind and cynical spirit. This is monumental and forceful black metal built around melancholic, sublime melody. Each aspect grabs a hold of you and stirs emotions that are all related, but to different effects. The milder sections are like long sighs of equal release and resignation, and the heavier ones like silent, pent-up screams of bitterness. It is cathartic, and kind of soothing in a way, but also simply a rich musical experience. More variation in the vocal style might have better served the overall impression of nuance, and the tone isn’t the most expansive, but it’s nonetheless a superbly crafted album. Take a listen to “Ruelos” and “Abschied”.
Escuela Grind – Memory Theater
Genre: Grindcore/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
A supremely combative rager of a grindcore album. Constantly on the attack, it lashes out at you with howling feedback and pummeling riffs like the snapping and gnashing of giant maws. It’s not a sonic treasure trove like Wormrot’s Hiss, but more focused in purpose, trying to rile you up from start to finish.
Gonemage – Handheld Demise
Genre: Black/8-bit metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A wild 8-bit assault of cold bitterness, but also energetic beats and a good dose of whimsy. The lot doesn’t always mix that well, so should be viewed as something of a niche offering.
Hexed – Pagans Rising
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Brimming with lofty melody and semi-progressive instrumental extravagance, this Swedish symphonic metal album comes very short on originality, but might have enough bells and whistles to satisfy a casual listener.
Internal Organs External – The Brutality of Tomorrow
Genre: Brutal death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Death metal doesn’t get more gurgle-y and chompy than this. Taking the slam and stomp up to 11, this is like a meatgrinder being used as a blunt force instrument. Unfortunately, there’s nothing particularly interesting about that.
Krankheit – Gargantua
Genre: Gothic/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Sounding like a mix of Rammstein and Cradle of Filth, this is gloomy gothic tone set to the steady march of, heavy, steadfast riffs. The rhythm gets a little messy now and then trying to accommodate groove, catchiness and a bit of chaos, but overall this album is a pretty good time.
Labyrinth of Stars – Spectrum Xenomorph
Genre: Progressive deathcore/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Listening to this you get a strong impression of the same kind of near-zealous conviction that radiates from a Behemoth album. This is something else though, looking to the cold, empty vastness of alien space. And you get the distinct impression that the black abyss stares back. This is unsettling and stark, but at the same time brings the heaviness of deathcore, which at times feels like an effort to rage at the void in order not to go insane. It’s not a varied experience, but certainly a stylistically coherent one.
The Lord – Devotional
Genre: Experimental/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This feels like a dark hymn of sorts, with clean, chanting vocals overlaying what seems like single, unbroken guitar riffs shifting slightly in pitch like the swells of and ocean. As a contemplative closed-eyes listen it might be just the thing you’ve been looking for to soothe your mind.
Lord Of Confusion – Evil Mystery
Genre: Stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Creepy, sluggish disharmony is the name of the game here. A bit of heavy, a bit of crunch, a bit of organ.
Lost Society – If The Sky Came Down
Genre: Metalcore/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A hard-rock-y, yet heavy metalcore record with a bit of that early 2000s alternative edge mixed in. There are some genuinely arresting moments of aggression and melody, but mostly it feels like relying on old tricks.
Mamaleek – Diner Coffee
Genre: Experimental metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
An oddity for sure, this feels like an extended peek into someone’s disturbed daydream gazing out onto a grey, bustling and uncaring world. The mix of blues, jazz and dreamy lounge tangents with abrasive cuts into hardcore and noise makes for a fascinating pit stop to a schizophrenic’s point of view. It’ll take you places, for sure.
Rage – Spreading The Plague (EP)
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A moderate dose of angry heavy metal from these German veterans. There should be enough grooves and evident energy on display to please those who are already fans, but as a sales pitch for outsiders it might just be a tad too bland.
Rick Massie – Guided To An Imperfect Light
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An experimental dive into trying to marry different ends of the progressive metal spectrum. There’s a bit of Enslaved, bit of Opeth and a few others, while not fully embracing any. It’s a bit directionless, but offers up a decent array of flavors.
Pestlegion – Sathanas Grand Victoria
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Snarly, fairly sharp and gothic-tinged black metal that allows a fitting measure of chaos, but fails to properly stand out in the cvlt crowd.
Power from Hell – Shadows Devouring Light
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is black metal barely touching on death metal and going for a slightly muted, slightly atmospheric approach. It’s the kind that revels in its in-your-face blasphemy and doesn’t care too much about taking the purist route.
Regulate – Regulate
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 2,5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Straightforward, modern sounding hardcore borrowing a bit too much from metalcore and pop-punk to retain any real street cred, but should please the more hard rock-leaning fans looking for something slightly more gritty.
Septic – Nailed to Ignorance
Genre: Progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A slightly erratic death metal album that doesn’t go all the way into tech territory, but plays around enough to land in the progressive camp. It’s not all as elegantly executed, but it feels alive and like they’re trying to do their own thing, adding elements of melodeath and a bit of black metal. for an entertaining whole.
SilentLie – Equilibrium
Genre: Heavy/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Catchy and well executed, this definitely works as a lighter foray into gothic metal without hardly any of the cringe factor that usually comes with it. It has much of the energy of spirited traditional metal, and channels it through a modern and fairly accessible sensibility, without sacrificing the artistry.
Slipknot – The End, So Far
Genre: Nu/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
You both do and don’t really know what’s in store whenever Slipknot drops a new album. They’ve never truly deviated from what makes them instantly recognizable, merely adopted new elements and subtly allowed themselves to change with the times. On The End, So Far they take another slight step forward, while adding in a bit of the delusional chaos of their early releases, and then some new stuff. Certainly, they’ve made some choices radical enough to give you Slipknot like you’ve never heard them before, giving the album a slightly experimental flair. While not revolutionary, it’s a really cool deviation from their slightly over-polished We are Not Your Kind. And then you get some straight up bangers, perhaps not enough for everyone but sufficient to offer impatient listeners a handful of treats. As always, it’s solid craftmanship and shows a band eager to remain a monumental, if not particularly progressive, force in modern metal. Dig into “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” and “Hive Mind”.
Soul Dissolution – SORA
Genre: Atmospheric black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An album that goes on winding, life-gazing trips and doesn’t deviate much from its set course, meaning it ends up a little too limited in scope. If you’re looking for a slight break from the more intense end of the black metal spectrum though, it can feel pretty serene.
Spectrum Mortis – Bit Meseri
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Here’s some moldy, dusty death doom with a slight ritualistic feel. These guys hit the nail on the head with the tone – it sounds like something haunting the halls of a long forgotten temple – although it starts to feel a bit monotone as round the halfway point.
Stormland – The Human Cost
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Sounding all the way like a basement project (which I suppose it is), it’s hard to get past the highly compressed mix, and even then the technical skill of the performances is partly lost in the jank of the arrangements.
Strangle Wire – Shaped By Human Frailty
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Despite a fairly thin sound that strips a bit of meat off the punches it throws, there is more than enough left to appreciate with this semi-technical death metal release. This is mostly very restless, with pumping drums pushing the momentum and propelling the slightly unnerving tone of the guitars at you in wave after wave. Truly outstanding it is not, but probably worth your time.
Strigoi – Viscera
Genre: Death/doom metal/black ‘n roll
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
A pitch black death doom offering that wants to punch you in the gut with leaden misery as much as fire you up with primal, rock ‘n roll energy. With the roar of crisp, full-bodied vocals, hammering drums and flesh rending guitar riffs, it sounds like the heralding of some great, unholy terror. The production is stellar, allowing the darkness to penetrate that much deeper. It does fizz out a bit towards the end, but keeps up the enveloping atmosphere to the very end, clinging on with the clammy hands of death. Get in on it with “King of All Terror” and “An Ocean of Blood”.
Syn Ze Şase Tri – Ultimul Lup
Genre: Symphonic/black metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
A mix of bold, epic symphony an cold, snarly black metal with only moderate success. None of the parts feel fulfilled or well molded together, instead detracting from the other’s potental.
Tankard – Pavlov’s Dawgs
Genre: Heavy/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Despite what the album title might lead you to believe, no, Tankard hasn’t gone hip-hop. This is still thrashy, beer-raising traditional metal. In that regard, long time fans will not be disappointed, and, admirably, they radiate enough force to hold their own among fresher iterations of the genre.
Terra – Für Dich Existiert Das Alles Nicht
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Murky black metal that is so steeped in atmosphere that only really echoes of all the rest manages to surface. The tone might be just your thing, but if not, then nothing will work for you.
Thulsa Doom – A Fate Worse Than Death
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Horror-death that throws it all in there – chugging riffs, wild drums and animalistic vocals. However, the production is murky to the point that interesting details gets lost, and the rhythm is unfortunately not quite on point.
Tons – Hashension
Genre: Sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This album has a lot of heavy to offer – crunchy riffs and elephant stomp drums, set to a slow, crushing tempo. The doomy side definitely adds an unsettling factor, but also does leech some of the force out of what could have been a sledgehammer blow experience.
Trauma – Awakening
Genre: Melodic thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
While offering up some solid riffs and all of the rebellious tone and tempo you’d expect from a thrash album, it veers off into pockets of melodic traditional metal that just clashes with the rest, both intensity- and harmony-wise.
Vånda – Covenant of Death
Genre: Black/thrash/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A debut LP with all the right tools to carve a name for itself in the world of blackened death. It has the energy of thrash, tone of black metal and attitude of death doom, with some nice gothic melodies reminiscent of Tribulation. Unfortunately, it pulls in too many different directions, and ends up excelling at none of them.
VoidOath – Ascension Beyond Kokytus
Genre: Death/sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A doomy death sludge album that takes the creepy factor and just runs with it. It feels like being lost in the blackness of a labyrinthine cave system with some unspeakable horror moaning along the corridors. The vocals are bestial, the drums like rushing strides, the bass like a churning torrent in the deep, and the riffs like massive paws thrashing at the walls. There is nothing pleasant on here, but it also doesn’t get overly chaotic – grabbing a hold of you rather than pushing you away. Also – that album cover. Major “The Thing” vibes. “Try “Orion-Cygnus Descent” or “From Gods To Morsels”, if you dare.
Within Destruction – Lotus
Genre: Deathcore/electronic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Talk about pouring it on. You get everything in spades on this album – aggression, speed, melody and effects – it all rushes at you in a multicolored tide. It’s definitely on the artificial and anthemic side, but the performances do get their moments to shine through every now and then, and talent is nothing short of impressive. If you’re into the more accessible, metalcore-y side of deathcore, then this likely has everything you want and more. It’s not unique, but it’s still a fireworks display.
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 