Reviews of metal albums released November 29 – December 05
As most of the metal world shies away into its various caves as we head into December, there are always a few, brave stragglers that dare contend with the Christmas hits.
Bläkken – Swiatowstret
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: You might think “yawn, yet another Polish blackened death metal band”, but this one’s a little bit different. Sure, the vocalist snarls at you like you’re the scum of the earth and the melodic and atmospheric parts drip with bitterness. But then it suddenly changes gears and roar off on neck-breaking thrashy riffs, or shuffle unexpectedly into Gojira-like prog grooves. There’s enough of it that it doesn’t feel random, and not so much that it emerges completely from the blackened death metal pit. It’s got no less than five interludes, as well as an intro, which feels like an unnecessary attempt to add depth, but at least the main tracks usually get straight to business, and when they do they hit hard.
Highlight: “Słowa zatrute goryczą”
Blood Red Throne – Siltskin
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Review: Didn’t expect Blood Red Throne to be back with new stuff this soon, although technically it’s been nearly two years since their January 2024 release “Nonagon” (which was a banger), but I’m sure as hell not complaining. This will be no less than their 12th full-length, and while there are definitely traces of the old school in the tone, feel and technical execution, this is very much up to date, leaning into tech death and aggressive melodeath in the vein of Black Dahlia Murder. If you’re here for riffs (no surprise if you are) then you’ll get stuffed to bursting point and beyond. Every track feels tight and purposeful, delivering heaps of punishing groove. Conceptually there’s not much to talk about, but there’s been a shift away from apocalyptic fury to the slightly darker and more sinister, which makes for a welcome, if slight, change of flavor.
Highlights: “Beneath The Means” and “Husk In The Grain”
Death Obvious – Death Obvious
Genre: Experimental death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Review: Delving into the vast emptiness expecting nothing but hardship and calamity, this album will be the soundtrack to your suffering. It’s the debut album of this Finnish duo, and it’s clear that they’re trying to carve out a niche of their own. They do a lot of carving, but never really land anywhere, remaining floating and relatively undefined as the album comes to a close. They go a lot of interesting places on the way, but the question remains if there was any plan at all from the get-go.
Enthroned – Ashspawn
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: Long-going Belgian black metallers Enthroned are not here to entertain you. While not piercingly dissonant or overly chaotic, hardly anything of the “Ashspawn” listening experience can be described as pleasant, catchy or harmonious. There’s very little in the way of melodic flow, it scores high on hostility, and the song structures feel ever so slightly disorienting. Personally I find just a tad too little to hold on to, but it stands out in the kvlt crowd and is undoubtedly well crafted, with a really cool album cover.
Ghoulhouse – Realm Of Ghouls
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Review: Very nearly on the day 1 year after their last album, Sweden’s Ghoulhouse dumps another truckload of zombie-horror, brittle-bone-crunchy death metal on your twinkly-lights-festooned doorway. For a death metal junkie it’s not all that much more than empty calories, but it’s tasty calories, and it hits the sweet spot. The vocals are ragged, the bass is meaty and the rhythms quite agile, just as it should be.
Hexjakt – Blessing Of The Damned
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: A bass-heavy, steady-moving caravan of Swedish classic doom. It borrows a bit of stoner groove and adds a lot of sludge roughness to its vocals, then explores both darkly epic, open expanses and the sinister shadows of buried ruins. It tends to get a little too comfortable grinding out the same kind of riffs for long periods of time, but manages both enveloping atmosphere and head-on confrontations to great effect.
Sepulchral – Beneath The Shroud
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: I don’t think I’ve actually come across Spanish old school death metal before, so this’ll be a first. It’s the kind that sounds both mad and kind of happy-go-lucky at the same time, as it hops along on eager, predictable rhythms, riding on warm, blunt riffs like a steadily revving engine. And yet the vocals and tone spell nothing but doom and suffering. This style of death metal feels old, like the notes were found in musty, ancient tomes. It doesn’t get lost in ritualistic atmosphere or experiment with the formula like the Veilburner album from a couple of weeks ago, but somehow seems like it comes from the same, forbidden place.
Highlight: “Blood, Phlegm, Black bile”
Skogskult – Skogskult
Genre: Stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Review: Out from the Swedish woods rumble a compact behemoth of a doomy stoner record, dragging the parts of the forest spirit caught in its chunky tires with it. That’s not to say, like the band’s name might suggest, that this is some endlessly atmospheric, folk-stuffed kind of thing. Old school doom and heavy rock ‘n’ roll form the very center of its workings, and its patient groove pairs perfectly with the phenomenal, powerful vocals. The tempo varies from a slow trudge to enthusiastic chugging, matching the mood of the given song perfectly. The album starts a bit too slow for its own good, but picks up significantly, and manages a surprisingly wide range of melodic and emotional flavors throughout. And the best part is that it doesn’t quite sound like anything else.
Highlights: “Pakten” and “Jag Ger Mig Av”
Upon A Burning Body – Blood Of The Bull
Genre: Deathcore/metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Review: I was not familiar with the band prior to discovering their 2022 album “Fury”, but the album plays regularly in my earbuds at the gym. It was a great mix of driving groove and metalcore aggression, with a moderate melodic dimension. With “Blood of the Bull”, the band throw themselves headlong into the current metalcore and deathcore trends, with staccato riffs and rhythms, nu-metal stomps and rapping, and poppy melodic choruses. Losing a ton of character in the process. It’s not badly made at all, but also not the slightest bit distinct.
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?
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