We return in the deep of summer with a mixed, high quality bag of dark and light,
Act Of Creation – Moments To Remain
Genre: Melodic death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is fierce, yet melodically tempered modern death metal that gets into some wicked thrash grooves. You get the feeling you’ve heard some of it before, perhaps on an Arch Enemy record, but it still does the trick.
Assemble The Chariots – Unyielding Night
Genre: Symphonic death metal/deathcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This album feels a bit like firing a minigun into a pond, with a theatrical play going on in the background, producing a lot of rousing noise, but the impact of which not really going beyond a lot of water spray.
Axamenta – Spires
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A conceptually driven, symphonic prog metal album that utilizes melody as much as brutality to tell its rather short-lived tale. Taking on a slight gothic tone, it approaches a haunted-house-type creepy vibe, without getting silly about it.
Ceremony Of Silence – Hálios
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
An assault upon your delicate senses, taking place in the murky gloom of a massive cavern, by way of dissonant, lows-favoring, raging blackened death metal. For those favoring this kind of hostile chaos in their extreme metal, it should be most welcome.
Eternal Drak – Imprisoned Souls
Genre: Heavy/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Some very simple-produced, sharp-fanged blackened heavy metal. It’s got the right kind of attitude all the way, and is a joy to listen to when it really gets going.
I, Cursed – Death Holograms
Genre: Death metal/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is one of those albums that will kick down your door before even thinking about knocking. It’s Finnish deathgrind with that delightfully ear-scratching buzzsaw guitar tone and a pummeling drum assault, with just the right amount of groove added.
Jupiter Cyclops – Age Of The UFOnaut
Genre: Heavy/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Groovy desert heavy metal that seeks to dazzle you with groovy stoner riffs and leathery vocals. It’s a bit uneven, but stylistically strong at its best.
Orange Goblin – Science, Not Fiction
Genre: Stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Bring on the gravel! Orange Goblin offers up another sizable load of crunched, stoner rock-powered old school doom, which sounds exactly as you hope it will, perhaps even better. There is a noticeable divide between single-material highlights and more hum-drum tracks, but it’s all very stylistically consistent and carries you through on a wave of energetic beats, rough vocals and cheeky riffs.
Patriarchs In Black – Visioning
Genre: Doom metal/stoner rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Slow-going, southern-styled doom and heavily groove driven rock that moves like dark syrup.
Quiescent Mantis – Here Comes the Swarm
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
A young death thrash band that’s already got the tone nailed down, delivering a crunchy and speedy kick. It’s not outstanding quite yet, but carries plenty of promise, especially when they’re at their heaviest.
Sable Hills – Odyssey
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
If you’re of the opinion that metalcore peaked in the early 2000s, then rest assured there are still bands carrying that stylistic torch high and proud. Sable Hills is a Japanese band that clearly takes their core sound from the likes of As I Lay Dying, but they also manage to blend in more modern groove chugs as heard from Kataklysm, and energetic breakdowns in the vein of Bleed From Within. The finished result oozes visceral energy, going hard on both speed and aggression.
Highlights: “Battle Cry” and “Misfortune”.
Sarajah – Sarajah
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This thing is fairly simply built around malevolent-yet-approachable doom riffs and rock rhythms. It’s got a nice, deep hit, and a very fitting preacher-like vocal style.
Seth – La France des Maudits
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
With this, Seth has created black metal that easily needs to be descried as “magnificent”, without anyone needing to suspect it of the sin of overly melodic, synth-driven theatricality. It’s still harsh, bile-spitting, needle-sharp black metal to its core, but ushered forth by melancholically majestic, tremolo-powered melody lines and orchestral chants. It feels like the sonic memory of a grand necropolis, relaying centuries-old anger, grief and pride.
Highlights: “Insurrection” and “Et Que Vive le Diable !”
Thousand Limbs – The Aurochs
Genre:Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Sullen, instrumental doom from New Zealand. Like its artwork, it’s indeed reminiscent of a walk through a grayscale landscape, although not a completely barren one.
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 