Reviews of metal albums released July 18 – July 24
While most of the metal world is either busy touring or working up a tan on some beach, there is still a hunger for new material to be sated.
Faustian – Parable Of The Sewer
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: The Aussies in Werewolves clearly aren’t content with releasing an album under that moniker every year. Aside from them being in a bunch of other bands, sometimes two-and-two together and sometimes not, all three guys decided to form (mostly) black metal band Faustian in 2023. “Parable of the Sewer” is their first full-length, and while there certainly are lycanthropic elements to it (werewolf pun intended), it’s fully committed to the business of light-snuffing and hope-throttling bitterness.
No one familiar with Werewolves will be surprised at the high levels of aggressive intensity on here, but while it supplies great drive and plenty of precise, adrenaline-boosting riffs, it doesn’t completely dominate the experience. They know how to slow things down, load on the atmosphere, escalate and de-escalate. While they do many things right, it doesn’t quite succeed in forging a crystal clear identity of its own, nor convince me 100% that they wouldn’t rather be playing full-on death metal. It’s a solid, blackened alternative to the mainline morbidity, that might grow more distinct with further experimentation.
Highlight: “I Curse You”
The Hu – Hun
Genre: Folk rock/metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Review: The Hu continue their distinct fusion of traditional Mongolian musical techniques and modern rock and heavy metal, for probably their most diverse album to date. They sound big and confident, with storytelling elements that don’t distract from the easy-to-like grooves and epic melodies.
The main issue with this album is the poorly structured first third, with an energy building, chant-y intro leading into a horribly misplaced collab track with Nothing More that sounds nothing like the rest of the album and sticks out like a Cybertruck driving onto the stage and doing donuts in the middle of a Wardruna show. This is followed by the fairly flat “The Men” and the tender clean track “Echoes of My Father”, leaving you completely baffeled as to what you’re actually in for. The last two thirds make up for it with some truly standout tracks and skyrocketing quality towards the end, although as a full album experience “Hun” is still seriously off balance.
Highlight: “Grey Hun”
Rezn – Cycles in the Infinite Dream
Genre: Psychedelic stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Review: Chicago’s Rezn introduced themselves to me with their companion albums Solace (2023) and Burden (2024), and, although their style of psychedelic doom is certainly not what you’d called speedy, they won me over in record time. These are albums to get lost in, where, despite fairly modest runtimes, you feel like you’ve taken part in something profound at the end. This feeling is rekindled with “Cycles in the Infinite Dream”, although the band’s musical approach has shifted somewhat.
The majority of the tracks feature stoner style riffs and rhythms, with more rock-oriented drum work overall, and mid-level tempos. It’s still heavy, but not in the same cavernous, mountain-shifting sense that we experienced last time around. Is that a deal-breaker? Not at all. Rezn still know how to sound massive and implacable when the mood calls for it, so the benefit of the stylistic shift is bigger contrasts. It’s an album that moves more actively around in its space. There are sections that fight the momentum and can feel a bit repetitive if you’re not in the flow, but they are easily swallowed up by the overall impression of being transported into an alternate reality where the abstract takes wonderful and imposing shape.
Highlights: “Cloudfall” and “The Vessel”
Ripper – Towards Rebirth
Genre: Thrash/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: Chilean band Ripper are one of those that have no problem convincing you that they do, if fact, want to play fast – all the time. True to their band name, this stuff will rip its way through your ear canals and throw itself at your brain like an endless tide of mindless undead strapped up with explosives.
Summing up this album, the term “one-dimensional” does come to mind, as every track seems to follow the same formula of head-over-heels guitars and drums, screaming solos and hoarse-grunting vocals. And yet the effort behind pumping out so much wicked, relentless riffage with loads of semi-memorable moments, and coming out the other end of nearly 42 minutes without completely desensitizing the listener, is a feat that I’m more than happy to commend.
Highlight: “The Secret Dawn” and “The Source Exterminator”
Sallow Moth – Hydrophilous Brood
Genre: Progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Review: Get ready to be snatched by your ankles and yanked into a maddening jungle of screaming trees, dancing earth and water moving in steps to a hundred different heartbeats. Yes, this is progressive death metal of the dissonant and experimental variant, which, as regular readers will know, means that I’m either all in or all out. In this case, consider me thrown unceremoniously overboard.
This is the kind of album that I feel actively tries to unsettle you with its insane rhythm changes and listener-hostile, melody-averse guitar antics. Paired with a muddled production and overall lack of groove, I just feel myself lost and unmoved throughout. That’s not to say that I don’t recognize the control and playfulness behind the performances, and those looking to be snatched out of their comfort zone should be all over this.
Highlight: “Distended in Panglacial Advent”
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 