A beefy week to mark the end of January, where progressive and technical extreme metal leads the way. We’re in the thick of it now.
Almost Dead – Destruction Is All We Know
Genre: Groove metal/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Aggressive, street-hardened groove metal with a thrash directness and some melodeath-leaning melodic sections.
Any Given Day – Limitless
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Slick and well-produced modern metalcore with nods to Killswitch Engage and some good punch in those riffs.
Blood Red Throne – Nonagon
Genre: Death/groove metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
The Norwegian death metallers of Blood Red Throne are back with another ripping riff fest of a heavily groove-leaning record. This time the production is more crisp, and they’ve employed a few tricks from up the sleeve of modern brutal death metal. It feels slightly less organic in that regard, but the blood-boiling rage and all-out headbang-ability is very much still there.
Highlight: “Blade Eulogy”
Byron – Chapter II: The Lotus Covenant
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Doom-toned traditional metal out of Finland, boasting some tasty solos and all round good-sullen vibes.
Caligula’s Horse – Charcoal Grace
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
With the first major prog metal release of the year, Caligula’s Horse bring an expansive and varied soundscape with their signature gentle tone. Certain sections throughout do feel fairly recognizable, and you’re in for several dips in intensity to go on mild-mannered tangents. Whether or not you’re into this, you also get songs that are so unbelievably well crafted from start to finish that you’re left shaking your head in disbelief.
Carnal Savagery – Into The Abysmal Void
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Nasty, oldschool Swedish death metal-sounding stuff that treks along the graveyard doing its own thing.
Cognizance – Phantazein
Genre: Technical/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A tech death outfit that’s come a long way towards establishing a distinct sound within a realm of music where technical proficiency tends to overwhelm other concerns. The instrumental playfulness marries well with the emphasis on groove-laden melody, and while it could have benefited from a couple more notches of drive and forcefulness, it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen.
Highlight: “Shadowgraph”
Command – Resver
Genre: Heavy/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A low-fi traditional metal album that leans far into the gloom of gothic and black metal, achieving some of the tragic tone that works so well for Tribulation.
Corax B.M. – Pagana
Genre: Black/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Uncharacteristically well-produced black metal that manages an aura of hopelessness without stripping its sound of all other emotion.
Cosmic Void – Subterranean Rivers
Genre: Doom/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Earthy, tranquil and ponderous blackened doom metal.
Dipygus – Dipygus
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Death metal creeping out of the crypt to grind out its dusty curses to the world.
Dissimulator – Lower Form Resistance
Genre: Technical thrash/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A speedy, aggressive death thrash extravaganza that’s at its best when sticking to dazzling technicality, and not experimenting with spacey progressive variations.
Drowned – Procul His
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Real ominous, doom-laden death metal that feels as unstoppable and rumbly as an earthquake, without the need for exaggerated brutality.
Exocrine – Legend
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Following up their excellent “The Hybrid Suns” from 2022, Exocrine are back to prove that they’re still very much a force to be reckoned with in the tech death realm. Yet again this seems to be an attempt to push the envelope for how many notes it is possible to put out without completely overwhelming the listener, and yet again they succeed in not pushing it too far. Some fun, progressive twists and turns also provide a nice respite every now and then.
Highlights: “Legend” and “By The Light Of The Pyre”
Hiraes – Dormant
Genre: Melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Hiraes plays modern, fairly anthemic melodeath very much in the vein of current Arch Enemy, so if you’re into that style, then you’ll dig this. And vice versa.
Hyloxalus – Make Me The Heart Of The Black Hole
Genre: Progressive/power metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Offering a refreshing blend of styles, this album feels like a result of the band successfully exploring both what they know and what they like. Operatic vocals lead a solemn-yet-energetic power metal foray into uncharted territory, shifting into different stylistic shapes along the way.
The Infernal Sea – Hellfenlic
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
In the mood for some snarly, in-your-face, slightly tongue in cheek black metal in the vein of witchery? These guys employ a few more classic black metal bells and whistles compared to their Swedish peers, which removes it slightly more from the realm of black ‘n roll, allowing for a deeper, unholy immersion. They strike a remarkably good balance between nihilistic harshness and groove-laden aggression, mostly abstaining from influxes of folk-tinged atmosphere.
Highlights: “Bastard of The East” and “Messenger of God”.
Jenner – Prove Them Wrong
Genre: Heavy/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An all-female, Serbian heavy metal band that know how to spice tings up with thrashy groove and speed.
Kalt Vindur – Magna Mater
Genre: Black/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Heavy, full-bodied black metal that rolls over you like dark tidal waves. The feel is clearly non-Scandinavian, which is a welcome change, and while borrowing many stylistic traits from the like of Behemoth, they very much manage an expression of their own.
Knoll – As Spoken
Genre: Death metal/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Like an incredibly violent nightmare, this album seeks to utterly overwhelm you with hostility and powerful rushes of unease. As relentless as a mad god of the abyss set on tearing our world apart, it leaves you with a feeling of powerlessness, like being crushed into submission by an immense weight.
Luciferian Rites – Oath Of Midnight Ashes
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Cult-y, haunted black metal with howling vocals and a purposefully muddled mix.
Manticora – Mycelium
Genre: Power/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Grandiose, progressive power metal that manages both an epic traditional metal approach as well as more heavy, aggressive symphonic outbursts.
Mega Colossus – Showdown
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Fun, uncomplicated heavy metal for the pure enjoyment of classic riffing and solos.
Metalite – Expedition One
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Slightly spacey, electronica-driven, anthemic power metal that will sound massive live.
Olhava – Sacrifice
Genre: Atmospheric black/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
If you like atmosphere, you’re getting an overload of it on this near-hour and a half long album. The rhythm patterns and melodies stretch out, giving the effect of dwelling on the same thoughts and emotions.
Rhun – Conveyance in Death
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A black metal album that employs stark, dissonant bleakness, marching riffs and cold melodies in equal measure to achieve a varied, distinct expression.
Rituals of the Dead Hand – The Wretched and the Vile
Genre: Doom/black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A lead-heavy, doom-paced, blackened death metal album that seems towering in stature.
Stone Horns – Chimaira
Genre: Groove metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Young and energetic groove metal with some room for maturation as far as songwriting goes.
Stuporous – Asylum’s Lament
Genre: Avant-garde black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Black metal layered into calm, haunting melodies, where the jarring juxtaposition often feels like a madman’s lament.
Tanin’iver – Dark Evils Desecrate
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Energetic blackened death metal boasting an assortment of strong riffs, although losing some force through the mix.
Vipassi – Lightless
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
As far as modern, technical, instrumental prog metal goes, this is more or less what you’d expect it to sound like, which isn’t to say that it’s not very well made. It feels experimental in an explorative way, and manages the contrast between serene melody and rushes of aggression well.
Vitriol – Suffer & Become
Genre: Progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
Vitriol’s latest beast of a progressive death record feels like the unrelenting forces of growth and decay in nature, scaled- and sped up to cataclysmic proportions and unleashed upon the world. Dazzlingly technical and astonishingly forceful, it takes a listener well versed in modern extreme metal to manage the sonic onslaught, but however long it takes for you to grasp onto the details of the controlled chaos, it will be so very worth it. Examples of such a complete package of infernal complexity, raw groove, relentless energy and utter fury are few and far between.
Highlights: “Shame and its Afterbirth” and “Flood of Predation”.
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 