It’s a fairly death metal heavy week this one, but only as a large part of a very heavy week in general, offering a variety of stellar releases across subgenres.
Blighted Eye – Agony’s Bespoke
Genre: Progressive death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
An amazingly driven progressive death metal album, propelled by currents of core-solid, tragedy-tinged melodies and given just enough of a blackened edge to flavor the experience with a pinch of sharp, delicate bitterness. This combines the best of folk-leaning melodeath and darkly epic doom into a captivating tale that needs to be taken in from start to finish to fully appreciate the full extent of the band’s style mastery. And it’s progressive in the least disruptive way possible – serving the storytelling by offering an organic progression rather than adding complexity for complexity’s sake. As a big fan of Fires in the Distance, this hits seriously close to the bullseye for me.
Highlights: “In Emnity” and “A Reverent Stillness”
BornBroken – Am I Invisible
Genre: Groove/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
If you’re just looking for an unapologetic, in-your-face serving of riff-driven, aggressive metal, then this will do the job. Each song does one job, nothing more, nothing less, and doesn’t vary greatly from each other, but they all hit hard.
Bragging Rights – Small Gods
Genre: Progressive sludge/groove metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
With more than just a slight nod to early Gojira, this album is sludgy pulses of forceful emotion conducted by an ever so slightly erratic temperament. Although there’s a certain lack of depth to the mix, and the bass drums get fairly oppressive, the grooves are impactful and the unpredictability of the progression is engaging.
Coffin Rot – Dreams Of The Disturbed
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
The graveyard’s where it’s at with Coffin Rot, which comes as no big surprise. What does impress is just how lively (pun possibly intended) their newest album is. Thoroughly intent on shaking up the tomb soil and raising the dead into a morbid wrecking crew, this puts on the pressure from the get-go, diving enthusiastically into one pummeling riff section after another, sprinkling shrieks, squeals and solos generously across the whole thing. A true heavyweight in the old school of death metal resurrection crusade.
Highlights: “Perverted Exhumation” and “Unmarked Shallow Grave”
Defiled – Horror Beyond Horror
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A dynamic, erratic approach to death metal from this Japanese band. The rhythm approach in particular is like some abomination out of hell, constantly flexing into new forms. However interesting it might be, it’s let down by a simply awful production
Dreamless Veil – Every Limb Of The Flood
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Like a herald of oblivion, this is a semi-progressive black metal album that both crawls through the shadows and rises to tower ominously over you, with a rumbling, oppressive rhythm section to shake the ground as it goes.
Dungeon Crawl – Maze Controller
Genre: Thrash/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Yes, this is in fact heavily D&D-themed thrash metal – it’s rather hard to miss looking at the cover art, band pictures and song titles. If you’re into that, it certainly adds to the experience, and if you’re not, it hardly matters when listening to it. It’s got all the speed and grit you’d expect from thrash, and then it’s elevated onto a more colorful, expansive plane by triumphant melodies and elements of epic orchestration. Other than a couple of overly long interludes, it’s an experience you’ll wish would keep going past its runtime.
Highlights: “Red Shadows” and “Wolves Beyond the Border”
Eradicator – The Paradox
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
German thrash that’s got the right, ragged attitude and tone, but overall feels sluggish, like there’s a disconnect between the different musical elements regarding how fast they want to move. And melodically, it’s a dud.
Giant Walker – Silhouettes
Genre: Progressive metal/rock
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
When a band really nails its melodic approach, it can serves as both a bedrock-solid base and driving force alike, and when it’s led by such am outstanding vocal talent as on here, it’s a powerful attractor as well. If you choose to call this metal, it’s definitely gonna be on the lighter side, but there’s an expansiveness to its scope, and heft to the guitars that certainly earns it a position partially within the sphere. Rhythmically, it’s not unique, but it’s absolutely not derivative, and the band interplay is so sublimely in tune that it’s a joy to take in.
Highlights: “Silhouettes” and “Round and Round We Go”
Glacial Tomb – Lightless Expanse
Genre: Sludge/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
In contrast to the band name, this is a restless type of sludge album carrying some old school death metal heft. It’s the kind of sound that will stop for nothing, powering forwards at varying pace, striking out here and there as the mood takes it.
Groza – Nadir
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
Depending on your inclination, and state of mind at the time of listening, this album can bring you up or down, inwards or outwards. This is black metal that’s deeply immersed in bleak melody which makes any moment at once both melancholy and majestic. There’s emotion in every part of the performances, in a cohesive and mature fashion that’s undoubtedly joined in purpose.
Highlights: “Equal. Silent. Cold.” and “Dysthymian Dreams”
Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe
Genre: Melodic black/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Fascinated by World War I, and can’t get enough of battle-themed metal, but Sabaton not really doing it for you? The guys in Kanonenfieber have you covered. This is melodic black metal given the near-symphonic death metal treatment of massive, chugging riffs and epic tonal quality. As befits the theme, the result is a grim juggernaut with an industrial-like, marching pace. While it’s a step away from the war-romanticizing that certain power- and folk metal bands are prone to, it’s also quite rousing, although with a bitter, tremolo-driven tone to offset it.
Highlights: “Der Maulwurf” and “Waffenbrüder”
Krilloan – Return Of The Heralds
Genre: Power/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Power metal that’s thoroughly immersed in its fantasy universe, and doing a great job of inviting you along, with heavy metal style galloping riffs and classic solos.
Kublai Khan TX – Exhibition Of Prowess
Genre: Hardcore/deathcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Take the unapologetic attitude of Pantera and relentlessness of Hatebreed, then amp it up with deathcore-level heaviness, and you’ve got this album. It’s hardcore first and foremost, and so is light enough on its feet not to get overpowered by its own breakdowns, and yet hits with devastating force.
Highlight: “Darwinism”
Mork – Syv
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Mork’s sound has never been extravagant, but on this latest offering they take a further step back from the more epic- and atmospheric-leaning style that was particularly prevalent on 2023’s “Dypet”. It’s more raw, primal, with slightly subdued guitars and drums, and pronounced bass and vocals. A bit of the impact is lost, but the musical craftmanship still secures a memorable experience.
Highlight: “Heksebål”
Nightwish – Yesterwynde
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Symphonic bands often struggle to get the right balance of depth and drive – often getting stuck on repetitive rhythms and camouflaging a conventional setup with layers upon layers of fluff. Not so with Nightwish. Although there might be an emphasis on clean melody and atmosphere, it feels like a natural part of the story, and so we keep moving forward. When they go big, they do so with authority, amplifying the impact with traditional instruments and orchestration that’ll give you goosebumps. A bit bloated, sure, but they do fire on all cylinders.
Highlight: “Perfume Of The Timeless”
Thorium – The Bastard
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Clearly wishing to branch out a little from the more straight-up, crunchy Scandinavian death metal sound delivered on 2022’s “Danmark”, Thorium takes a slight step into more melodic and atmospheric territory. The music takes on more character for sure, but a fair bit of the groove is lost, and there are not quite as many memorable moments.
Highlight: “It All Comes back To Me Now”
Typhonian – The Gate Of The Veiled Beyond
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This one will likely grow on you as you listen. It’s almost as they get bolder the further in you go, developing from fairly straightforward, sinister death metal into something that dares to reach for some spacey, doom-like melody and a few progressive tricks. It’s sharp, heavy and aggressive the whole way, but there’s an increasing sense of conviction in what makes it stand out, delivered with precision, an old school tone and a great, no-nonsense production.
Highlight: “A Glimpse at the Starless Ocean”
Untervoid – Parasite
Genre: Experimental black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A slightly sludgy, modern slice of black metal that succeeds in crafting a distinct sound, although seems a bit preoccupied with demonstrating its technical skill.
Vended – Vended
Genre: Metalcore/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Highly spirited, aggressive, young metallic hardcore with traits of nu- and groove metal. The riffs alone are worth the listen, the energy will pump you up, and the band’s dynamic capabilities will impress you.
Highlights: “Nihilism”
Vision Divine – Blood And Angels’ Tears
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Epically dressed up power metal with groggy ambitions. The vocals aren’t always completely on key, and technically it’s a bit show-off-y.
Charlotte Wessels – The Obsession
Genre: Progressive/symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Impressively diverse, this album showcases the versatility of melodic grandeur – how it can be serene when stripped down, awe-inspiring when combined with outbursts of force, and alluring when allowed to progress organically next to exploratory rhythms. It’s an inspired output topped by an outstanding vocal talent, that should appeal to fans of symphonic-, prog-, and melodic extreme metal alike, as well as those still only curious about the heavier side of the musical spectrum.
Highlights: “The Exorcism” and “The Crying Room”
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 