Extreme- and traditional metal show off some of their very best attributes this week, making it hard to determine which side has the greenest grass.
The 7th Guild – Triumviro
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Happy-glorious, anthemic power metal with operatic qualities is what you’re in store for here. Nothing is held back in terms of performances, but it sounds like they’re trying to achieve almost the exact same thing on every song.
Abduction – Existentialismus
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Thank the powers below there are black metal bands out there that are still trying to intimidate its audience. Abduction play with Behemoth-level conviction, and do also border on blackened death metal heaviness at times. The vocals are those of a heretic zealot who’s been screaming till his vocal cords are raw. There is also deep chanting and croaking to go with the rumbling low end. They keep you on your toes with the same, semi-chaotic, hateful approach for just the right amount of time before releasing into either visceral riff sections or abyssal-melodic atmosphere. The range of the total experience is perhaps not massive, but each track hits in a different way and earns its memorable status by never slacking – always trying to make the most of any given moment.
Highlights: “Blau ist die Farbe der Ewigkeit” and “A Legacy of Sores”
Fractured Insanity – Age Of Manipulation
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is “modern” death metal with a half-foot in both technical and brutal territory. It’s groove-oriented more than anything else, although the tracks rarely build into any steady, memorable highlight moments. The playing is great though, and it sounds like they’re on the verge on some pretty good ideas.
Gràb – Kremess
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Yes, the Germans also know how to make icy cold, traditional black metal, and evidently also give it a melodic dimension without completely copying Scandinavian folk vibes. That being said, when it’s at its least inventive there is little but the sheer quality of the performances that differentiates this from a hundred others of its ilk. But, thankfully, it doesn’t sound like the band is interested in being locked into conventions, and so they add moments of gentle, traditional instrumentation, a touch of the epic here and there, and, generally, despite the “dark and “blizzard in the night” soundscape, it sounds like they’ve really enjoyed making this album. Which makes it enjoyable to listen to.
Highlight: “Vom Gråb im Moos (A Weihraz-Gschicht, Kapitel Zwoa)
Killswitch Engage – This Consequence
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
If you’ve listened to Killswitch Engage a fair bit before, it doesn’t take many seconds into the first song of “This Consequence” before you get the vibe of the whole album. It’s going to be generally aggressive, precise, extremely groove-oriented, and anthemic-melodic in the way that KSE manages without it turning cheesy or utterly deflating the heavy drive. It’s not really a “heavy” album though. The production is too skinny – there’s lots of hits, but nothing that lands with any real force. There are lots of great moments, and some really cool tracks, but the difference between those songs that really work and those that are just okay is quite noticeable. As a fan though, I’m not disappointed, as it’s a really satisfying listen overall.
Highlight: “Discordant Nation”.
Mean Mistreater – Do Or Die
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
This is classic metal revival done right, at least if you’re partial to the “heavy”, riff-oriented, no-nonsense, tough guy (gal) stuff. Not the kind where the singer shrieks the lyrics in falsetto and the guitar solos last for 2 minutes (although there certainly are guitar solos). Much closer to Motörhead than Saxon, just with galloping riffs. It’s got some melody, but the tone is close to Candlemass-style doom, which serves to further the badass quality to the thing. All that being said, you need to be a fan of this particular style in order to fully enjoy it, as a lot of the lyrics and structures will seem a bit trite on a casual listen. Still, it’s consistent, confident, and stylistically it’s a bullseye, fierce female vocals included.
Highlight: “Do or Die”
Morax – The Amulet
Genre: Heavy/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
“Occult” heavy metal, when done tastefully, can embody pretty much everything of what metal is about outside the “extreme” sphere. The Norwegian one-man project that is Morax does exactly this. It’s mildly blackened, with elements of doom and speed, aside from the traditional, epic heavy metal core. The rhythm varies from slow and morose to upbeat and eager, always accompanied by a very fitting melody line, the tonality of which ranges from tongue-in-cheek evil to outright tragic. The instrumental performances are darkly vivid, never complacent – playful but always serving the theme. The vocals are dirty-clean and semi-melodic, not demonstrating the greatest range, perhaps with some room to improve, or maybe it’s just a matter of taste. For me, it’s got so many engaging elements I feel like every song is a treat, and at a little over 40 minutes it certainly doesn’t run too long.
Highlights: “The Descent” and “A Thousand Names”
Nachtblut – Todschick
Genre: Gothic/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
This is probably one of the more inconsistent albums from a big band you’ll hear this year. The question is whether the fans will care. You get ultra-catchy heavy rock riffs, dirt-simple rhythms and a mix between anthems, dark ballads and bangers. The middle of the album is a near-complete dud, so by extracting the worthwhile stuff they might have had a pretty cool EP.
Pissgrave – Malignant Worthlessness
Genre: Death/black/war metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
The sonic equivalent to being hit in the face by a fire hose connected to a tank of offal – maggots included. To a faithful old school death metal fan, it’s not completely inaccessible, as it’s got some pretty steady rhythms and decently discernible, stupidly heavy riff sections behind the hissing vocals and noisy production. In fact, compared to a straight-up grindcore or war metal album, it’s actually pretty varied, although you gotta be willing to take in the nuances. Which is a filthy, soul-crushing undertaking, but also highly rewarding. Because once you accept that you’re probably not gonna look at your dinner the same for a while, it’s a rewarding kind of punishment that knows how to push the right buttons and ride the line between utterly extreme and fucking awesome.
Highlights: “Dissident Amputator” and “Ignomity of Putrefaction”
Retromorphosis – Psalmus Mortis
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Rising from the remains of Spawn of Possession, this Swedish veteran-comprised project plays dark, brutal tech death. Even with an ex-Obscura member in the mix, it never really treads the melodic path, even though there’s plenty of intricate lead guitar work. For me, the rhythms are needlessly complicated, killing the flow and simply serving to demonstrate the instrumental talent of the players. But as a concept, it will definitely find its audience, and can absolutely be built on.
Sacrifice – Volume Six
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
As comeback albums go, this is pretty high up there. Not just on a this-year basis, but on an all-time basis. It’s the first by these Canadian thrash metal greats in 16 years, but there’s certainly no cobwebs to be found on here. It’s got an aggressive, blackened edge, and radiates confident, energetic malice, in a “let’s show ’em how it’s done” kind of way. The speed is there, the galloping riffs are there, the solos are there and the snarly Obituary-like vocals are certainly there. Sure, there are blackened thrash bands that go even faster and fiercer, and there are straight thrash bands that are even more fun, but Sacrifice strikes a great balance between the two. Welcome back!
Highlights: “Missile” and “Explode”
Scour – Gold
Genre: Black metal/grindcore
Subjective rating: 5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
The achievement of this album can be compared to the effort of mounting a chainsaw as a bayonet to a rotary cannon and somehow employing it as a precision weapon. The combination of frigid-toned, razor-edge ferocity and raw brutality on here might be the best I’ve ever heard. To me, this is everything that extreme metal is about and more. The harsh vocals do the whole range from high-pitched snarls to deep roars, and does it so well it should be studied. And somehow, in between the relentless assaults of saw-toothed, ice pick-tipped riffs, there’s unsettling atmosphere, wild solos and spine-tingling melody lines. The rhythms are fast-paced and highly precise, but not in a way that actively brings to attention the technicality behind them. And yet you’re still left in awe over the effort of expelling this amount of chaotic energy in such a controlled fashion, without losing the inherent savagery. Sure, there are more “underground” sounds out there, but if that’s the thing that’s going to turn you off this album, you need to seriously broaden your horizon.
Highlights: “Infusorium” and “Coin” (and many more)
Scumripper – For A Few Fixes More
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Murky, grindy thrash from this fairly fresh Finnish gang. There’s not actually a ton of good dirty thrash out there these days, so if that’s your oddly specific jam, then you should be all over this thing. The tone is that of half-serious, morbid old school death metal mixed with punky abandon and a grindcore-like disdain for absolute control. It’s not super consistent, but it feels more like the band experimenting than some misguided attempt at forced variation or a conceptual album structure. It’s wild, it’s rough and it’s pretty damn cool.
Highlight: “Early Embittered Twilight”
Sin of God – Blood Bound
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Aggressive, modern death metal out of Hungary. It’s on the technical side, but certainly not interested in any overly nerdy instrumental escapades. Minus points for an ugly, very likely AI-generated album cover.
Traitors – Phobias
Genre: Deathcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Slamming deathcore that’s all about that “DUNNNNNNNN” bass drop, hip hop beats, staccato rhythms and breakdowns.
Twins Crew – Chapter IV
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Power metal that’s like a mix of Accept and Dragonforce, which works only moderately well. The guitar work is great, but some of the rhythm transitions are messy, and overall it’s highly unoriginal.
Vultures Vengeance – Dust Age
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
An all-out retro heavy metal band that seems utterly-style obsessed. The plus side is a wave of nostalgia. My subjective take is that it sounds ridiculously clenched and fairly forced.
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 