Prog metal has a big surge this week, and isn’t so weird or smug that it’s can’t co-exist with a good bunch of more straightforward and predictable stuff.
Between The Buried And Me – The Blue Nowhere
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
I’m all for prog metal feeling a bit bonkers, but not when it results in complete aimlessness. I don’t think that’s the case with “The Blue Nowhere”, but it’s also far from the most coherent thing you’ll ever hear. I think the aim with this album was to have fun. To seriously stretch some creative muscles, not just technically but also in terms of songwriting. To push the limits of flavor while still remaining, unmistakably, Between The Buried And Me. And to me, the prog masters most definitely succeed in their experiment. Yes, it’s wild, and by stuffing it full of jazzy, cabaret-like musical elements it will inevitably stretch some listeners’ tonal tolerance past the breaking point. If you call it over-indulgent, I totally see what your mean. But, critically, to me the variety doesn’t feel random for the sake of randomness. I get slightly different iteration of the band with every song, and a new surprise at almost every turn. It’s got heaviness, aggression, dazzling instrumentality, excellent interplay, impactful melody and a good dose of catchiness. And because it doesn’t get lost in atmosphere or repetition, I don’t actually notice that it’s well over an hour long, which a feat in itself.
Highlights: “Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark” and “Absent Thereafter”
Demon Hunter – There Was a Light Here
Genre: Metalcore/groove metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
If what you’re looking for is emotionally anchored, riff-based, groove-focused metalcore, Demon Hunter is a safe bet, and this hasn’t changed with their latest release… the key word here definitely being “safe”. There are some genuine feelings being dealt with on this album, which is probably its strongest suit, but songwriting wise there’s a LOT of interchangeability. It doesn’t necessarily feel repetitive, but it all sort of blends together, with very little to distinguish it.
Der Weg Einer Freiheit – Innern
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Black metal that takes the atmospheric and/or melodic direction can, I think, broadly be divided into two groups – the “thin”, focused and stripped down bunch and the “full-bodied”, layered and expansive one. This definitely belongs in the latter group, and that’s not at all saying that it’s some ostentatious, overproduced thing. It’s soaked in dusk-tone melody and builds and fades with complementing layers of instrumentality and atmospheric elements. It can be harsh and aggressive, and peaks with plenty of force, but it’s not an overwhelmingly negative minded thing. There’s wonder and constructive thought mixed in with the bleakness, making for a fuller spectrum of tonality than you might expect. In that regard, it’s not as convincingly dark or hostile as a lot of other black metal, but also far from tame, and offering far more than just one, narrow-minded approach.
Highlights: “Eos” and “Marter”
Electromancy – Visions of Utopia
Genre: Robotic black/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Is this the only trve industrial black metal? Electromancy is a duo that, despite chronic disability, plays avant-garde, experimental black metal with touches of doom and death, assisted by robotics as means of performing. Does that make the music sound… robotic? Of course, but instead of trying to mask this, they lean into it. It’s odd, but strangely not as experimental as you might expect.
Exelerate – Hell For The Helpless
Genre: Power/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A cheeky Danish classic metal band that soars for the power stars on thrashing wings. So to speak. The vocals and solos speak epic, and the riffs speak “razorblade between the teeth”. It all melds together pretty well into something half-seriously adventurous, although in need of keeping a good flow in mind.
Helstar – The Devil’s Masquerade
Genre: Heavy/speed metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Try to imagine Judas Priest falling head over heels in love with the sound of Merciful Fate, but deciding that it needs to be faster and thrashier. This album might very well have been the result. I’m tempted to call it occult, guitar-happy power metal. It’s lofty, but instrumentally very direct, jumping straight into racing riffs and licks the moment the short intro track is over, and clearly realizing that the target audience will be happy with them keeping this up till the end. You do get tempo variation, but the guys don’t slow down for long, and only at a point in the runtime when even the most riff-starved listener will be satisfied. I would say that it’s an album you remember as a whole rather than for a set out outstanding tracks, and it’s not in any way revolutionary, but it’s committed, and above all else highly entertaining.
Highlight: “Seek Out Your Sins”
Heruvim – Mercator
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Here’s a Ukrainian debut old school death metal album that sounds like it’s traveled all the way from the late 80s and picked up traits from some of the more influential bands along the way. Beginning with that mildly progressive Death technicality, and then adding to it with some early Swedish groove, and then coating it all in a very light layer of grime. It’s a sound that knows how to get you going, but also sets higher goals for itself, like this is the start of building its own little world where it has total control, and can subject you to whatever it so desires. For now, the world is quite small, but radiates all the charm it needs to pull you in and keep you there, and once you’re in you’re completely enveloped. I get the feeling that when this this evolves, it’ll take a turn for the uglier… which is exactly what you want. And it might very well be magnificent.
Highlights” “Gnosis” and “Mercator”
Lorna Shore – I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me
Genre: Technical/symphonic deathcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
With a band like Lorna Shore, there’s little surprise that the prevailing philosophy for evolution is MORE. More, more, more. More melody, larger scope, deeper darkness, bigger contrasts. And despite all this, it’s immediately recognizable. Even borderline formulaic. That’s not to say that it’s remotely boring, but I also can’t say that I sense any risks being taken. “Well, would they?”, I hear you say. Don’t change a winning team, and all that. And yes, this is still very, very high quality deathcore. But, as a non-diehard fan, if it wasn’t for the Fleshgod-like boost of piano-led drama infused into proceedings, I would struggle to tell a good handful of these songs apart from earlier material. This is also the band at its most accessible and cinematic, which explains a lot of the things I’ve just pointed out. Technically though, you can’t help but grin and shake your head appreciatively at the excellence. And there is, indeed variation to be had. You can tell that the guys are trying. Maybe not exactly new things, but slightly different things, and it’s more than enough to notice. And god damn is this thing majestic.
Highlights” “Forevermore” and “War Machine”
Mortal Scepter – Ethereal Dominance
Genre: Blackened thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
If you’re looking for the opposite of bombastic, thickly layered and overproduced, then this will scour your palate clean from fluff in a heartbeat. French thrash isn’t exactly something you stumble across every day, but here it is, and it’s in a very Spanish mood. Meaning that it hurls itself at you at breakneck pace, brimming with enthusiasm and lacking any intention of letting up. But while it’s clearly not some cerebral or deeply conceptual thing, it’s also not completely straightforward. There’s an air of prestige, and a tendency of wanting to flesh things out beyond the dagger-storm of riffs and hyperactive drums. There’s darkness, but in that cosmic, uncaring universe sort of way rather than demonic, and it’s not without a sense of adventure. It’s accompanied by very fitting, barking vocals, and offers technical showmanship in spades while keeping it solidly integrated in the song structures, so it’s not flow-breaking or in your face. I never stopped enjoying myself, and if you’re a thrash fan I don’t think you will either.
Highlights: “Ethereal Dominance” and “Into the Wolves Den”
Motherless – Do You Feel Safe?
Genre: Sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Deep, crushing riffs and sharp, strained-throat vocals with heavy hardcore rhythms and dark doom groove is the recipe for this Chicago sludge project. It feels raw and coarse, but at the same time well-rounded and with plenty of low-end stopping power. You don’t feel like you’ve been miles away coming out the other side, more like spending some quality time in a closed-down, restricted area where everything takes on the same, distinct, overwhelming flavor. Despite its heft, it moves well and has the energy to get your heart going, not getting lost in exaggerated use of noise, miserable tonality or oppressive atmosphere.
Highlight: “Reptile Dysfunction”
Nicolas Cage Fighter – I Watched You Burn
Genre: Hardcore/metalcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This Nick Cage-approved metallic hardcore project is back to shake your skull off the spinal chord and have the rest of the audience pass it around like a beach ball. It’s a fighter for sure, with boundless energy, unrelenting fury, and the muscle to make it all land with bruising effect. It’s not inventive, but it keeps on giving and giving, even picking up the savagery factor towards the end, creeping into death metal borderlands. These are not the kind of moshpits you emerge unscathed from. There’s not a ton more to say about it, other than that I enjoyed the hell out of it.
Highlights: “Death in Bloom” and “I Watched You Burn”
Revelator – Light The Devil’s Fire
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A slice of peppy Canadian black metal with a thrashy death engine. The production is not great, and it’s a bit uneven in how rewarding the songs are, but at it’s best it’s a big charmer, mixing rowdy groove with raw, cutthroat determination.
Schreigarm – Mara Comes and Darkness Shall Reign
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
As black metal goes, this is a fairly vibrant kind of sound. Deeply infused with melody and folk-leaning atmosphere, the harshness feels almost insincere. It’s got the right tone, some great riffs and proper, aggressive vocals. But it seems to prefer to slow down and soak in emotion, which takes the edge off a bit. Sounds good though.
Unaligned – A Form Beyond
Genre: Technical/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A lot of tech death debuts that I’ve listened to are typically preoccupied with instrumental precision, speed and complexity above all – including any sort of artistic traits that might imprint a bit of personality. I understand why they do this though. A tech death album simply can’t be sloppy. Unaligned must therefore be patient enough to have honed their sound over long enough time, or simply talented enough to hit the ground running, all guns out and with a clear plan in mind. I won’t say that they avoid bringing to mind a good number of their peers, but “A Form Beyond” is neither trying too hard nor lacking in terms of craftsmanship. The technicality has been utilized in enabling a moderately progressive approach to structure, and this has been executed tastefully. It’s not a wild album, but it’s certainly dynamic. Aggressive yet melodic, and avoiding an impressive number of tropes, it’s not instantly memorable, but will grow on you, and oozes potential.
Highlight: “Ruins of Lunacy”
Yotuma – The Final Void
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A brutal-ish, energetic death metal project that incorporates modest amounts of a few different styles, like groove and hardcore, but mostly staying on bloodthirsty, pummeling course. It’s feels a bit muddled and indecisive at times, but delivers big on riff satisfaction and filthy tone.
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 