Reviews of metal albums released November 15 – November 21
In a week of serious, nefarious, heavy-blow kind of stuff, it’s the cheerful and riff-happy stuff that wins out.
Bragging Rights – Carpe Jugulum
Genre: Groove/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: Do you have a desire to immerse yourself into the turbulent, lightless currents of that “The way of all flesh”-era Gojira dark, slightly droning groove riffing, having it envelop and tenderize you by way of blunt force trauma? That’s more or less what you’re in for with “Carpe Jugulum”. Compared to the earlier mentioned inspiration, this is a less progressive, more focused kind of sound, going low and at a mostly unhurried pace, but with a feeling of unstoppable momentum. There is melody, but it’s scaled back, radiating up from the depths like a faint glow, then slicing through at times with the lead guitar. Each single song is a tad one-dimensional in scope, mostly revolving around a limited number of riff- and rhythm approaches, but overall you’re not left with a lingering feeling of repetition. More like a violent, nocturnal ocean voyage.
Highlight: “Prey”
Depravity – Bestial Possession
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Review: Semi-technical, modestly melodic, but first of all ripping a gory path with a fierce sense of urgency, these Australian death metallers’ third full-length means business. It’s a crisp, lethal kind of sound with good low-end punch and plenty of aggression to propel it at a brisk pace. It’s a decidedly modern sound, but retaining the savagery of old and not leaning too hard on technical tropes. Personally I was missing just a bit of personality. I wouldn’t say it sounds too “clean”, but having just a few too many tracks fail to really grab my attention. Still, the playing is top notch, it’s a great blend of speedy groove and morbidity, and at it’s best it’s absolutely killer.
Highlights: “Call to the Fallen” and “Rot in the Pit”
Frozen Land – Icemelter
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Review: Borrowing some heft from melodeath, riff elements from thrash and groove, with rhythms from straight heavy metal, and infusing it with a highly eager, instrument-forward, Finnish melodic sensibility, this is a power metal album that’s bursting with fun-factor and adventurous spirit. It has a whiff of the neoclassical, and just enough of a vague hint of Children of Bodom synth-guitar interplay that my heart immediately starts beating faster. Yes, there are quite a few parts that sound quite recognizable from others of its ilk, and the vocal performance doesn’t quite reach the level of the subgenre’s best, but there’s not a single track on here that doesn’t at least make me smile and nod my head without even thinking about it.
Highlight: “Chosen, Corrupt and Cancerous” and “Dead End”
Gloombound – Dreaming Delusion
Genre: Doom/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: We’ve had some pretty darn good funeral doom lately (Bell Witch/Aerial Ruin, Oromet), and this one still does enough to stand out. It manages the feat of combining the murkiness of old school, graveyard-death metal and the misty atmospheric sense of longing and overcast sadness of darkly emotional doom. It takes a while to get to the truly arresting moments, but be assured that they are there to be found, and worth your patience.
Highlight: “At the Precipice to Longinquity”
Morbikon – Lost Within The Astral Crypts
Genre: Black/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: This is blackened thrash that goes light on the groove and heavy on the un-holiness. There’s still shredding, to be sure, and the tempo is mostly high, with precise drum work and hairpin-turn rhythm transitions. But it draws heavily on the tone and feel of early, semi-melodic black metal. A fair bit of it reminds me of Abbath’s current solo project, which should be taken as a big compliment. It lacks a bit in uniqueness, but makes up for it with clear intent of creating something that’s constantly in your face and engaging.
Highlights: “Heavens That Burn and Eons Divided” and “Numeric Portal Ascendency”
Olde Throne – Megalith
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: Going strong on the pagan vibes and leaning moderately into atmosphere, New Zealand’s Olde Throne play chilling and haunting black metal that where the harshness mostly stays clearly separated from the more melodic folk elements. They do both aggression and stretched-out, melancholy calm really quite well, which makes for a balanced and layered experience. My main issue is that the instances of jungle atmosphere and tribal instruments feel a bit misplaced, as they make promises of a different kind of flavor, when, in fact, the actual black metal is not that much different to the classic, northern European variant. But there are also songs on here where the style morphs and mixes with the folk influences, and that where you really get the character of the band shining through.
Highlight: “Ail Na Mireann”
Stone Nomads – Empires Of Stone
Genre: Doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Review: A Texan bunch of low-end groove appreciators that very successfully blend old school doom with crashing stoner riffs and that bulky Southern sludge. And while the style doesn’t sound all that original, this is not a straightforward, utterly predictable sort of release. A bit like with Pantera, they have a very clear idea for the purpose of each song, and aren’t afraid to take detours and quickly skip lanes to change things up, although always heading for the same destination. Some of the riffs on here are truly massive, and they vary the tempo and intensity to an extent you probably wouldn’t have expected for a doom project. It’s produced to sound big, like it’s inflating your skull as you listen, but it’s not complicated or overly layered – quite the opposite, and in the best possible way.
Highlights: “Desolate Sands” and “Mount Aras”
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 