This week you can choose if you want your aggression and bitterness straight-faced, weird, expanded upon or as an afterthought.
Admire The Grim – Resist
Genre: Melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Imagine a blend of Children of Bodom and Arch Enemy, and you won’t be too far off this band’s sound. It’s energetic, riff- and solo-minded and not overly complicated. What they do less well is the balance between aggression and playfulness. The drums and lead guitar are on a happy-go-lucky, fun loving charge (very much in the vein of COB) from the start, while the vocals, rhythm guitar and bass tone pull in a markedly more “serious” direction, at least on repeated occasions. Aside from this, and with a bit more work on their melodies, I see this band going far.
All That Remains – Antifragile
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Classic, mid-2000s-style metalcore? Yes, at least partially. Like As I Lay Dying, these guys are sticking to their roots, but certainly not ignoring the current trends, and so it feels a bit like a facelift – the vital components are the same but outwardly it’s been upgraded to better suit modern sensibilities. The aggressive side to the music hits very hard, to the point where you can feel a magnetic pull towards an imaginary moshpit. The transitions over to the melodic bits are a bit forced, and in that department it feels fairly unimaginative. Also, a slight point deduction for that abomination of an album cover.
Confess – Destination Addiction
Genre: Groove/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
I feel like every single review of this album is going to feature the band’s history, but until the novelty of it wears off I guess it’s something these guys will just have to live with. The core members of Confess escaped their home country of Iran after being persecuted and severely punished by the government for the “blasphemous” and politically charged messages in their music, and are now living in Norway, unapologetically continuing to produce harsh, death-infused groove metal with elements of thrash and hardcore. I get a bit of Kataklysm and a tad Cavalera Conspiracy, with some pummeling death metal drum work courtesy of Nile’s George Kollias. It’s mean, stark and angry, with plenty of tasty riff sections to sink your teeth into. It’s less good with variation and expanding on the core ideas of the songs, so it’s not the most distinct stuff you’ll come across. But absolutely worth your time.
Highlight: “Expedition”
Grief Ritual – Collapse
Genre: Hardcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Violence! This thing thrives on stupidly heavy, jagged breakdowns, like massive pieces of a coastal cliff edge being hurled forcefully into the ground by some irate deity. The vocals are piercing and coarse, the riffs Swedish death metal-level crunchy, and the rhythms specifically designed to have an entire room full-body-banging like they’re possessed. Personally, the recipe is a bit to rigid and repetitive, but if you’re looking for furious hardcore brutality, then this will shake your world.
Kilmara – Journey To The Sun
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Going in, my expectations were raised by the really rather excellent album art, which very much extends to the singles as well. Unfortunately, the contents do not quite match the packaging. It’s mid-tempo melodic heavy metal with cliché, power metal lyrics and simple rhythms. If you’re in the right mindset, you could still have some good fun with it, I just wish they went harder with the spacey vibe.
Lunar – Tempora Mutantur
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Did you like the latest Opeth album but wish it was markedly more unhinged? Then you might want to look into this one. The switches between clean and harsh vocals, and even the vocal style, are quite similar, as is the mildly gloomy melodic approach. But the mood changes are far more radical, and the tonal spectrum much wider. If you skip your way through, only listening to certain sections, you could be excused for mistaking it for a pure prog rock release. A different set of sections will give you vigorous progressive death metal. The balance between calm, stripped down melodic sections and all-out fury are decently done on an individual song level, but considering the full album experience it’s more uneven. Some tracks are much easier to like than others, and some will be more subject to taste. There’s a good amount of really great moments on here and there’s plenty of talent involved, so anyone who likes their metal varied should not skip this one.
Highlight: “Weakening Winter Touch”
Maceration – Serpent Devourment
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
These Danes released their first album in 1992, and didn’t follow it up until 30 years later, in 2022. Luckily, the gap was a tad shorter this time around, and the guys are still very much on form. This is old school Scandinavian death metal that leans into eldritch horror, producing a profoundly threatening, crunchy and brutal, but not particularly visceral or raw sound. It relies on tried and tested techniques and elements, delivering few surprises, but a highly consistent collection of solid, sinister death metal with about a 50/50 balance between groove and savagery. While there aren’t really any huge highlights, there’s nothing weak, and it doesn’t let up.
Highlights: “A Corrosive Heart Fell Below” and “Serpent Devourment”
Naked Whipper – Chapel Defilement
Genre: Grindcore/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
These guys get their sound just right – slightly muted, grainy riffs, trashy drums and gargle-snarl vocals. It’s obscene, blasphemous black metal with a distinctly grindcore engine. Unfortunately, even for grindcore, the songs are so damn similar that only a few moments of ambience really remind you that you’ve progressed down the track list.
Pentagram – Lightning In A Bottle
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Looking away from the history and current status of the band, let’s appreciate this release for what it is, which is a super groovy, old school hard rock-leaning classic doom album that feels chilled out, playful, well-considered, and just the right amount like it’s practicing black magic. This is not one of those records that set off with a locked-in tone, tempo and level of heaviness and religiously sticks to it for the duration. This one dips into both slow doom and rock ‘n’ roll, serves up riffs both pounding and light-hearted, and spoils you with cool solos. Sure, I could have wished for some more umph and drive, but setting aside expectations, it’s a clear subgenre highlight so far this year.
Highlights: “Thundercrest” and “In The Panic Room”
Rats Of Gommorrah – Infectious Vermin
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Semi-modern, German death metal that’s got traces of thrash, grindcore, and a bit of melodeath. It’s heavy, eager to try new things, and not taking itself too seriously. Some of the riff sections are super headbanging-friendly, but it’s got a few problems with rhythm precision and style consistency.
Selvans – Saturnalia
Genre: Avant-garde black/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Welcome to the theatre of the damned. It will spook you, move you, amuse you and bewitch you, and you will likely not come out the other end with your soul still in your possession. This Italian one man project expands on a blend of black- and heavy metal with orchestration, a bit of prog rock, epic and sometimes doom-laden melody, and plenty of folk-tinged drama. While this may sound too much, it feels like it’s all part of the plan/play, perhaps allowing for just a bit of improvisation, which is handled beautifully. This is not at all a polished type of sound. It’s alive with personality, a tad of jankiness, and a love for storytelling. It’s guided by an exploratory vision that prioritizes panache, variation and an organic, “what feels right” approach to structure. In the end, it’s one for the black metal crowd, but also something I will urge prog-, classic metal and even epic doom fans to give a serious shot.
Highlights: “Il Mio Maleficio V’incalzerà!” and “Fonte dei Diavoli”
Shrieking Demons – The Festering Dwellers
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Crypt-dwelling, musty old school death metal all the way, with rusty vocals and a spot-on menacing tone. It seems like its base mood is that of a ponderous, shadow-dwelling doom creature, that will decide to chase you if you get too close. In which case it breaks out into hungry gallops, letting out chilling snarls and seductive guitar solo calls. If you’re of the mind that this kind of stuff all sounds the same, this one will certainly not change your mind, but if you’re already in favor, you’ll very likely dig it fully.
Highlight: “Abstract Hallucinating”
Skaldr – Saṃsṛ
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A Virginia, USA-based black metal band that’s more than one person for once. They incorporate epic, sorrowful, sky-gazing melodies in their otherwise fairly run-of-the-mill, snarling approach, which to my ears elevate their expression significantly. They do tend to dwell a bit on the same passages, not fully justifying some of the song runtimes, but if you, like me, find the melodies captivating, then you won\t mind sticking around.
Highlights: “Heal Me” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”
Void Of Hope – Proof Of Existence
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This album is a powerful surge of anguish, resounding through cold, shadowy Finnish forests. Heartbreaking, depressive melodies are delivered with force and definition – this isn’t your typical understated, low-fi atmospheric approach, but it is an album that takes its time. Ironically, you understand what it’s about thematically and tonally almost instantly, but the nuances of its mood and message must be discovered along the way. While I find myself both moved, fired up and impressed throughout, easily immersing myself in the epic misery, I won’t deny that it drags on just a bit, almost as if it’s trying to achieve a certain length to match its nature. If it speaks to you though, this won’t be a concern.
Highlight: “Proof of Existence”
Weed Demon – The Doom Scroll
Genre: Doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A potent mix of doom, stoner and sludge that calls upon malevolent spirits, although it might be too high to accomplish anything remarkable. The production is woolen, but letting in enough crunch and low end rumble that it makes its intended impact.
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 