A bit of a turbulent week with numerous ups and downs, including a handful of seriously strong peaks poking out beyond the rest.
Angerot – The Profound Recreant
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Death metal with dark, symphonic qualities. You get a real crunch to the guitars and rusty vocals that are surprisingly easy to understand. It’s still aggressive though – feels a bit like a more brutal version of Deserted Fear.
Aphotic – Abyssgazer
Genre: Doom/death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is indeed abyss-dwelling stuff, raging from the deep with death metal brutality and a dark, black metal tone. It gets a bit hard to distinguish individual songs, but the overall experience is solid.
August Burns Red – Death Below
Genre: Technical metalcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A precise, melodic and modestly exploratory metalcore offering from these mainstays. There’s groove, plenty of shred, and a pleasing lack of soft, emotional sections. It does come up a bit short on energy though, with the rhythms feeling a bit unengaging. Still very enjoyable.
Babymetal – the Other One
Genre: Pop metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2/5
Mildly cosmic in tone, this is otherwise a largely by-the-numbers affair with interchangeable melodies and the odd instrumental flourish.
Blind Oath – Blind Oath
Genre: Heavy/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Perhaps slightly mismatched as far as vocal vs instrument style is concerned, this is still one to keep in mind for those who can’t get enough of dark, classic heavy metal.
Catacomb – When The Stars Are Right
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
An attempt at massive, apocalyptic death metal that suffers from a messy mix and incohesive production. There are some great riffs in there, but they largely get lost in the noise.
Category VI – Firecry
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Riff-alicious, slightly rowdy heavy metal with an Accept feel about it. The vocals don’t harmonize very well with the instruments, and the production lacks some power, but it’s still a good time.
Cruachan – The Living And The Dead
Genre: Folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
If optimistic-toned, Celtic-style folk is your thing, then you’re getting bucket loads here. It’s also not the silly kind, instead leaning heavily into the acoustic instrumentals and backing it up with surges of metal aggression.
Dawn Ray’d – To Know The Light
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
A refreshing take on atmosphere-tinged black metal that isn’t utterly steeped in medieval gothic mysticism and mostly sticks to 4-6 minute runtimes. Sure, there are some instrumental interludes, and sure, the tone is properly sullen, but it’s based around modern, non-Scandinavian folk with political themes, which feels like the band going their own way in expressing their message. There is still a classic, fairly low-fi black metal approach to the overall sound, which works well as the most forceful extreme of their output.
Highlights: “The Battle of Sudden Flame” and “Go as Free Companions”.
Excalion – Once Upon A Time
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Finnish melodic power metal that’s about as shreddy as you’d expect, and with slight progressive tendencies and decent songwriting, it doesn’t become utterly predictable.
Forcefed Horsehead – Monoceros
Genre: Hardcore/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Furious, grindcore-fueled, punk-styled hardcore that hardly lets up from start to finish. With a death metal morbidity to it, they could very well be successful in carving out a niche of their own. For now, there isn’t quite enough character to the meat of the experience to really propel it to unknown heights, but there’s potential.
Gabestok – Med Freden Kommer Hadet
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
With a taste of classic doom, this is a slightly mellow black metal offering with a punky occult kind of feel. If that makes sense at all.
Gatekeeper – From Western Shores
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
Classic heavy metal records hardly come richer sounding than this. This is all the gallop, virtuosity and bravado of the old school, flirting with the medieval-tinged playfulness of power metal, and each aspect is performed flawlessly. There is such verve and precision behind it all that even the most traditional instrumental approaches come off as fresh and brimming with life. There is also enough tempo and tonal variation to keep it engaging throughout.
Highlights: “Death on Black Wings” and “Twisted Towers”.
Hatesphere – Hatred Reborn
Genre: Groove/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Highly aggressive, yet instrumentally playful groove metal with a thrashy directness. The tone is malicious and vocals barky, making for a lot of intense moments and a fairly dark feel to it all. Great if you’re looking for a raw adrenaline rush.
Hellcrash – Demonic Assassination
Genre: Speed/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A very Venom-like, all-out low-fi, dark speed metal experience. For a release of today it should be considered strictly for a niche audience.
The HIRS Collective – We’re Still Here
Genre: Grindcore/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A frantically paced, repeating face punch of a grindcore record, loaded with political punk attitude. There is the makings of something truly outstanding on here, which gets a bit lost in instrumental repetition, but the potency shines through at frequent intervals.
Keep Of Kalessin – Katharsis
Genre: Melodic/symphonic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Keep of Kalessin was always the band you could count on to serve up relentless drum barrages on song after song, but they seem to be taking it to a new level on this one. It commands your attention and goes well with the overwhelming nature of their epic themes, but can also get a bit repetitive, and some times drown out other, more characterful elements. It’s still a solid records that fans will absolutely enjoy.
Kuoleman Galleria – Pedon Synty
Genre: Black metal/black n’ roll
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An album that can’t quite decide whether it wants to be doomy and sinister or rock n’ roll. When they get the balance right your get some nice blackened groove. The rest of the time it can feel a little indecisive.
Marianas Rest – Auer
Genre: Melodic death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A grand, prolonged affair not all too different from what you’d expect from Insomnium. This one has a bleakness to it, and yet some of the melodies carry the ghost of hope on wings of solemnity.
Maze Of Sothoth – Extirpated Light
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Sinister and hostile sounding tech death that has its instrumental skills in order, but not quite the idea how to utilize them to a coherent, thematically sound effect.
Metasphæra – Metasphæra
Genre: Progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Feel like some aggressive prog metal? This is melodic, moderately complex, and mostly pretty fast extreme metal that also has a mellow side to it.
No Spill Blood – Eye Of Night
Genre: Doom/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A darkly atmospheric sludge metal record where the guitar is replaced with spooky-toned synth. It feels very much like the intended effect on the sound is achieved, and it very effectively transports you to a gloomy, unfriendly place. It sounds heavy, but not particularly harsh, so definitely for those who value atmosphere over groove.
Mork – Dypet
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
A surprisingly moody and layered black metal release from a band where you’d normally expect a much more straightforward approach. You’ll find this one knocking on the door of the atmospheric niche of the subgenre, as well as dark folk. It’s less heavy in an instrumental sense, but more so thematically, with a sound weighed down by gloom and sadness, and a tempo leaning towards the slow crawl of doom. Contrasting this with raw, primitive riffing and a bit of black n’ roll groove makes for a pleasingly balanced result that brings exquisite darkness without having to pile on the rage and chaotic technicality.
Highlights: “Forført Av Kulden” and “Bortgang”.
Ne Obliviscaris – Exul
Genre: Progressive extreme metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
A richly garnished fusion of progressive, technical and melodic death metal, with some strong traditional- and folk elements. There’s something new going on about every 10 seconds, and yet they don’t go crazy with the rhythm work to the point where it all gets too busy. The contrasts are big on here, going from classic, acoustic and orchestral music to brutal riff assaults. The progression tends to float around a bit without too much of an aim, but if you don’t mind this, then you’re in for a non-stop conveyor belt of creative treats.
Highlights: “Graal” and “Equus”.
Ov Sulfur – The Burden Ov Faith
Genre: Deathcore/symphonic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Blackened, epic deathcore that’s certainly not too shy to pull out all the bells and whistles. You find pretty much all the trademark elements of the subgenre employed on here, boosted by a massive symphonic grandeur. This does kill a bit of the instrumental rawness and gut-punch power, but adds a melodic richness as compensation.
Project 86 – OMNI, Part 1
Genre: Progressive metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A kind of on/off-rhythm and -intensity affair with an ominous, industrial feel. There are quite a few ambient sections and interludes, effectively building a theme but not really pushing any sort of progression. Production- and precision-wise it’s well honed though.
Purveyor Of Chaos – Purveyor Of Chaos
Genre: Heavy/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2/5
This thrashy, groove-oriented heavy metal album has some ideas about rhythm shifts that probably work better on paper than in reality.
Tragedian – Master Of Illusions
Genre: Speed metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Speed metal with power-influences that doesn’t lack enthusiasm, but still comes up lacking a bit of impact.
Whore Of Bethlehem – Ritual Of Homicide
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A brutal, in-your-face death metal riff fest with a blackened touch. It’s quite reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse in a few different ways, but goes for a bigger, puncher sound with less raw aggression. It’s not particularly distinct, but a good time all around.
Woe Unto Me – Along The Meandering Ordeals, Reshape The Pivot Of Harmony
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Woe, indeed. This is a slow, melancholic affair that feels like a mix of gothic rock and funeral doom influences. It does end up feeling a bit divided cohesion-wise, but the mood is well set up to get yourself lost in.
Xalpen – The Curse Of Kwányep
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
An aggressive and raw black metal output that still offers up some somber, tremolo-driven atmosphere. The approach feels classic, almost a bit safe, but it’s very competently performed and hits all the right spots.
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 