A short ‘n sweet week as we head into summer, with both veterans, relative newcomers and underground-dwellers dishing out treats.
Boneripper – World Ablaze
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is pretty much exactly what you expect, and hope for, when the term “metallic hardcore” is used. It’s like some sort of rabidly destructive machine that’s glowing red-hot from being in constant use.
Dark Affliction – Five Stages Of Grief
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Black metal with a good bit of atmospheric and melodic elements, spinning a theme around the five stages of grief, although the mood of the songs don’t really seem to match the emotions they are named after.
Defects – Modern Error
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Bringing obvious technical talent to the table, this is tight, precise and measured modern metalcore. But there’s nothing truly outstanding on here.
Eregion – Non Omnis Moriar
Genre: Hardcore/modern metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An eclectic mix of hardcore, melodeath, a bit of melodic metalcore and industrial. It’s varied, for sure, but lacks a clear direction, and at nearly 54 minutes it feels fairly bloated for this musical style.
Evildead – Toxic Grace
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Veterans Evildead have clearly made an effort to create a varied album here, and that sentiment in itself is absolutely welcome, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling fairly tired.
Moral Putrefaction – Moral Putrefaction
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A take on old school death metal from this young band out of India. When they hit the mark, it’s a thundering apocalypse with just the right amount of unease and warning in the tone, although overall it’s a little uneven.
Puya – Potencial
Genre: Experimental nu/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A clash of nu metal and traditional Latino music from, I’ll freely admit, a band that until now was unknown to me, even though they’ve been at it since the early 90s. It’s not meant to be a seamless fusion of the two musical styles, as they roughly interweave much more than blend together. But that’s kind of what makes it exciting. It’s bright and upbeat, but also thrashy and pretty darn heavy at times.
Red Handed Denial – A Journey Through Virtual Dystopia
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Not that they weren’t flirting with it on 2022’s “I’d Rather Be Asleep”, but on their latest release, Red Handed Denial seems to have taken a sharp turn towards pop-oriented accessibility. Which is not to say that it isn’t well crafted, but with two interludes and a very mellow last two songs on a 10 song album, it lacks a lot of the creative energy and urgency found on its predecessor.
Rotting Christ – Pro Xristou
Genre: Melodic black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Rotting Christ’s newest offering is one that requires, above all else, time and attention. A casual listen will only expose you to the slow and rather repetitive rhythms, and the broad strokes of the epic melodies, and might trick you into thinking you’ve stumbled upon a pure folk metal record. And the album does take a long time to get properly started – not really reaching a peak of intensity until about halfway through. But if you accept the slow burn, there’s a lot to grab on to on the way. The melodies really are solid, and the tone exists in an optimal place between dark grandeur and menace.
Semuta – Glacial Erratic
Genre: Progressive/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is one for the people who don’t really care where an album takes them. The rhythms are incredibly mercurial, giving you very little to hold on to but the tone and consistent vocal style.
Summoner’s Circle – Cult
Genre: Symphonic black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Mixing the dark majesty of symphonic black metal with the punch and unpredictability of progressive death, this album scores high on theatricality, although the nature of the songwriting does not consistently leave a lasting impression.
Teramaze – Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace
Genre: Melodic progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A catchy, bright and modern prog metal sound from a band that appears strongly united in purpose. Although not terribly original, the lyrics and melodies fit the feel of the album perfectly, and, although you’ll find more vibrantly varied offerings in the same tonal vein, it delivers pleasingly from start to finish.
Vale Of Pnath – Between The Worlds Of Life And Death
Genre: Symphonic/technical black/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
If you feel that adding a symphonic quality to blackened death metal should lower it into the cavernous abyss rather than elevate it to the highest mountaintop, then this should be right up your alley. Thanks to a vicious technicality, a thunderous low end and constantly feeling like it’s on the attack, this is one of those “big” sounds that only strengthens its impact by allowing for an epic scope. It’s energetic, varied, satisfyingly melodic and theatrical, and plenty brutal.
Highlights: “Soul Offering” and “Burning light”.
Valfreya – Dawn Of Reckoning
Genre: Melodic black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A blackened folk metal album that works best when leaning into the former of the two subgenres. The upbeat tempos feel like they promise more instrumental extravagance than what is actually delivered, and the harmonies don’t always work, but there’s also plenty to enjoy.
Vredehammer – God Slayer
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
I’ve been a big fan of this band since I discovered their first full-length, and every release since then has continued to impress, offering an increasingly refined sound and a subtly different feel tied to a changing thematic each time around. “God Slayer” might be their most tonally epic album yet, and they’re certainly not skimping on the aggression. While there are remnants of the spooky synth that was fairly prevalent on 2020’s “Viperous”, it doesn’t take part in defining the overall sound, which is very direct and to the point. The songs aren’t all allowed to shift and evolve as much as might have suited them, but the thrash- and groove-influences on the riff style mostly make up for it in sheer, engaging ferociousness.
Highlights: “Blood of Wolves” and “Obliterator”
Vulgaris – Seat Of The Fire
Genre: Black/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is not the kind of album where you can go in expecting quite the scorched shred of blackened speed, or the epic whimsy of classic heavy metal. It’s aggressive black metal with upbeat, mostly straightforward rhythms, a few, well-placed tempo shifts, some instrumental playfulness, and a decent dose of rock n’ roll groove. It’s not exactly melodically inclined, but takes a bit of that grand folk-inspired atmosphere from melodic death metal. It all adds up to a surprisingly engaging listen that doesn’t sound like a ton of other bands,
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, why not pop a comment down below?
The Metal Dispatch 