What is is about the approach of summer to make all the corpse-paint bands come creeping out from beneath the melting snow? An amazing week for black metal without the need of any of the tentpole bands leading the charge.
Aara – Triade III: Nyx
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This isn’t quite what you’d normally expect from an atmospheric black metal record. It sounds massive and majestic, without any of the bombast you’d get from a symphonic approach. The vocals are pulled far back in the mix, sounding almost like they’re being swept up by the storm of the instruments. The melodies are melancholic, and yet ascending, and so the whole thing feels more like a climb towards a golden dawn than a crawl into the gloom. There is aggression and plenty of force, but it’s not a chaotic or particularly brutal affair, and offers up several mellow variations without breaking the progression.
Ad Infinitum – Chapter III – Downfall
Genre: Symphonic/pop metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Pop-rhythms and simple melodies apart, this one offers up a decent variety of influences from across the metal spectrum. The production is, of course, also impeccable.
Angelic Desolation – Orchestrionic Abortion
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Rather silly-themed death metal with good thrash energy. It never really gets to a point where it goes beyond the expected, but it’s good fun nonetheless.
Bury Tomorrow – The Seventh Sun
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Finger-on-the-pulse metalcore with elements of deathcore aggression, electronic elements and fairly soft melodic sections. The rhythm work is exceptionally tight though, and if you’re here for the energy, you won’t be disappointed.
Dai-ichi – Dai-ichi
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Japanese (?) raw black metal with a sound like the record is passing over sharkskin while playing. However, the riff work is extremely effective in creating atmospheric moods that conjure up mental images of dark and desolate settings. There is lots of aggression, but it’s expertly measured, and overall it strikes a great balance between diabolic and somber.
Dead End Finland – Victory
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Heavily synth-infused melodeath with a mostly fairly anthemic approach.
Decorpsetated – Human Words
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Stark, slightly industrial semi-tech death metal with a brutal vocal approach.
Demonstealer – The Propaganda Machine
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Relentless yet symphonically melodic tech death with a massive sound, plenty of guest appearances and lots of shredding.
Derhead – The Grey Zone Phobia
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Hostile, slightly introspective black metal that feels on the cusp of crossing over into avant-garde.
Desert Storm – Death Rattle
Genre: Progressive sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Sludge with some southern groove, warm and slow melodies and a progressive attitude to structure and tempo.
Diablation – Par Le Feu
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
French black metal with a slightly melodic and symphonic approach while retaining plenty of hostility and a cold tone.
End – Hunter
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Bleak, focused black metal of the second wave old school with a tendency towards doom.
The Evil – Seven Acts To Apocalypse
Genre: Doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Demonic doom metal with stoner leanings themed towards the seven deadly sins.
Gel – Only Constant
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Highly aggressive and focused hardcore that retains good energy and a real sting without having to pour on the intensity with every passing second. There are moments of crunchy, groove-infused riffing and enjoyable stompy sections that really lets you get into the music and the mindset behind it. At less than 17 minutes long, it’s over before you know it, but certainly makes its time count.
Highlights: “Dicey” and “Composure”.
Gyredleah – Spellbinder
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Morbid black metal with a malicious tone and influxes of tasteful, morose atmosphere,
Haliphron – Prey
Genre: Symphonic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Rather catchy symphonic black metal with some death metal heft and a coherent feel,
Invicta – Triumph And Torment
Genre: Thrash/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Heavy and forceful thrash with some tasty melodeath lead guitar work, which lacks just enough substance to enter the big leagues.
Kingsmen – Bones Don’t Lie
Genre: Industrial metal/post-grunge
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Straightforward riffy, hard-rocky metal with strong post grunge vibes.
Kommand – Death Age
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Husky, crypt-dwelling death metal with some old school breakdowns and a dark, threatening tone.
Lamp of Murmuur – Saturnian Bloodstorm
Genre: Progressive black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
How black metal can sound this exploratory and traditional at the same time is a bit of a head-scratcher. The instrumental work is intricate and relentless in its pursuit of new musical avenues along which to travel on the way to its fairly set-in-stone objective, which is to deliver misanthropy-tinged black metal. All the conventional elements are there, but layer upon layer of variations in tempo, melodic approach and levels of atmosphere has been added to achieve a truly impressive and surprisingly approachable package.
Lotan – Lotan
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Raw-sounding, uncomplicated, snarly black metal with a hint of dark melodic death metal.
Mammon’s Throne – Mammon’s Throne
Genre: Black/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This feels like black metal slowed down to a doomy crawl, including some heavy, fuzz-laden riffs yet retaining all the crusty aggression,
Nervochaos – Chthonic Wrath
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Back-to-basics, fast-paced death metal that oozes aggression yet stumbles a bit in its otherwise fairly enthusiastic instrumental approach.
Netherlands – Severance
Genre: Progressive/industrial/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Playful, at times rather fun progressive metal with industrial and indie sensibilities and a sludgy tonal approach to the heavier stuff.
Of Spite – Riddle Redemption
Genre: Melodic black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Finnish mix of melodic black and death metal with appropriate amounts of folk melody, but lacking the variation and ambition to properly stand out.
Outlaw – Reaching Beyond Assiah
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This is Brazilian black metal taking a melodic approach to the subgenre that sits somewhere in between atmospheric and gothic. It sounds a bit like if Emperor decided to relax the technicality and go more the way of bands like Kampfar, upping the mystic-factor and introducing sweeping, longing melodies with a touch of folk. Refreshingly though, this doesn’t sound distinctly Scandinavian, or even European. Instead, in the nuances of it all, it carves out a small, dark realm of its own.
Rotten Sound – Apocalypse
Genre: Grindcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Kick-your-eardrums-in, crusty-toned grindcore that sounds like they’re out with a point to prove. The vocal and rhythm approach have a stompy, hardcore attitude to them, and they work in just enough groove to bring to mind bands like Endseeker and Misery Index. It’s an adrenaline ride with enough variation to make the 20-ish minute runtime feel like an experience.
Sermon – Of Golden Verse
Genre: Gothic/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
There’s something about a band that manages to go confidently in their own direction, and the result is something that sounds like it was always meant to be. Sure, you clearly hear a lot of gothic/progres influences on this one, but the combination of them all feels unique and is performed with verve and a strong underlying vision. It’s slightly doom-laden, non-show-off progressive metal that very effectively paints a clean, cohesive soundscape. There might be a bit too much atmosphere for some, but it does add to the immersion.
Spirit Possession – Of The Sign…
Genre: Black/speed metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A dizzying display of virtuose-as-if-possessed guitar work and inspired rhythm work, topped by classic black metal snarly aggression and speedy groove.
Thron – Dust
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Perfectly in line with expectations from their last release, this is rock solid, tremolo-led black metal with some riffs and rhythms borrowed from classic thrash and old school death metal. The production is just-so, and even though it’s fairly narrow-laned as far as the melodic approach goes, there’s enough happening in the nuances to stop it from going stale.
Unpure – Prophecies Ablaze
Genre: Black/speed metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A fairly straightforward, speedy, rock n’ roll-y, black metal march to war.
VileDriver – The Rest Are Prey
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A dissonant, avant-garde-like approach to technical death metal that probably sounds better on paper than in practice.
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 