With summer at its peak, it’s still the darker and heavier side of the metal spectrum that seems to reign supreme.
All For Metal – Legends
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Entirely predictable chant metal, the value of which is mostly limited to live shows.
Blackbraid – Blackbraid II
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Well-produced metal is in itself far from always a sign of quality, and, when it comes to black metal, it’s not even the norm. But in the case of Blackbraid, there would be little purpose to limiting the fidelity of the performances. Their strength lies in the nuances and the cumulative fullness of the final sound. They have not gone overboard with the use of acoustic or indigenous instruments, instead trusting in their songwriting skills and technical proficiency to simply craft undeniably outstanding black metal. It’s aggressive, with tight rhythm work, raw vocals and distinct melodies.
Highlights: “The Spirit Returns” and “A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn”.
Butcher Babies – …Til The World’s Blind
Genre: Groove metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
One half of a two-part release, this is by far the most metal oriented and comprehensive album, so I will limit my review to it. Aggressive and catchy, it’s a djent-heavy, groove-leaning energy boost.
Deathroll – Japanese Extreme Metal Art
Genre: Black/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Stretching low-fi to the edge of tolerance, you still get a good sense of the enjoyment that went into making this shreddy, slightly experimental black metal record.
Demolizer – Post Necrotic Human
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Cheeky, speedy thrash with plenty of enjoyable shred, and although the riff work is catchy and appropriate, it does get a tad monotonous.
Eternity – Mundicide
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Classic black metal that sounds rather impatient to deliver its allocated riffs and beats, stuttering only occasionally but overall delivering solidly.
Gutslit – Carnal
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Indian brutal death metal that’s taken more than a few steps towards the technical end of the spectrum, sounding practiced, although lacking distinctive features.
Jaodae – Nest Of Veins
Genre: Experimental metal/progressive sludge
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Experimentation can be fun, especially when it’s a bit unhinged. You get a good sense of that on here, showcasing a lot of fresh ideas, yet lacking that cohesion that takes this clearly beyond an advanced jam session.
Lockjaw – Relentless
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A band that sounds mostly like a reimagining of classic metalcore with a sort of hard rock-y structure and penchant for thrashy, headbang-friendly riffs.
Lycanthropy – On The Verge Of Apocalypse
Genre: Grindcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Ultra-aggressive, thrashing grindcore that mostly sounds like death metal in a blender.
Mammuthus – Imperator
Genre: Stoner rock/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This one delivers smooth, fuzzy stoner goodness with the simplicity of rock and the heaviness of doom. It’s a pleasing, laid back listen that will also raise the hairs on your arms, as you get long, melodic buildups to thunderous riff crashes. There’s also a surprising amount of tempo variation, and the vocal style shifts nicely to match the overall intensity.
Highlights: “Long Drive” and “King of the Dead”
Nuclear Dudes – Boss Blades
Genre: Industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Synth-infused industrial death metal that’s a bit too preoccupied doing its own thing to keep up any sort of coherency, but still providing a riot of an experience.
The Raven Age – Blood Omen
Genre: Heavy/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Slick, radio friendly modern metal that borrows from metalcore and hard rock, sounding more mature than a lot of peers.
Serpent Corpse – Blood Sabbath
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This is death metal that hasn’t washed in centuries, and forgot its manners long before even then. What stuck, though, is a love of riffs both rousing and oppressive, and an infectious punk swagger. Surprisingly varied, but don’t expect any fooling around.
Servant – Aetas Ascensus
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Technically proficient and suitably grand melodic black metal that feels oddly tamed and rounded in the corners.
Snuffed On Sight – Smoke
Genre: Death metal/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Brutal death metal mixed with some street sensibilities that leans wholeheartedly into every stereotype and subgenre convention there is, but they do so with style, and it sure does slam pretty hard.
Voidmilker – Labyrinthical
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Raw, hostile and depressing black metal that hovers on the edge of the avant-garde. Considering what they’re trying to do melodically, they probably went a little far with the low-fi production.
Will Haven – VII
Genre: Hardcore/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
For being predominately a hardcore or noise rock sound boosted by pounding, industrial metal riffs with an alternative edge, this thing has a surprising amount of depth. Beyond the peaks of punishing heaviness, it dives into an abyss of dystopian, horror-tinged atmosphere that greatly increases the overall gravitas. And whether it’s trying to be black metal, doom, or metallic, slightly avant-garde hardcore, it impressively succeeds on all fronts.
Highlights:”5 of Fire” and “Wings of Mariposa”.
Winterage – Nekyia
Genre: Symphonic/power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Symphonic metal as theatrical as this takes an immense amount of conviction to pull off, and these guys almost have it.
Withering Scorn – Prophets Of Demise– Nekyia
Genre: Heavy/groove metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Loud, fast and fighting heavy metal pumped up on thrash and groove. It works best when they don’t hold back to focus on melody.
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 