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Weekly rundown July 21 – 2023
This small batch week is packed with death metal both fast, filthy and clever.
Ageless Summoning – Corrupting The Entempled Plane
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Death metal seeped in abyssal atmosphere, chugging along at a doomy pace. Husky but with a full sound.
Ancestral Blood – Forgotten Myths and Legends – Chapter 1
Genre: Atmospheric/symphonic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A mix of approaches, this takes a classic technical approach to black metal and adds epic, sometimes somber melodies and a few electronic bells and whistles to elevate it beyond something not quite fully realised.
Johnny Booth – Moments Elsewhere
Genre: Hardcore/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A heavy, slick hardcore record leaning into typical metalcore-style melodic choruses but also slamming, dissonant riffing that would feel at home in any deathcore project.
Cadaver – The Age Of The Offended
Genre: Death/groove metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Sure, this is ragged death metal to the core, but it dons a host of different attires on top of that. The playful rhythms and sharp, choppy vocal style is reminiscent of recent Carcass, then all of a sudden they’ll fire off some raw groove not unlike Devil Driver, and on certain tracks they’re almost full out classic heavy metal with a bit of extra punching power. It’s full of surprises and keeps up the consistent quality all the way through.
Highlights: “Scum Of The Earth” and “Deadly Metal”.
Cultist – Slow Suicide
Genre: Deathcore/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Heavy, heavy, heavy riffs. And breakdowns. If you just want to headbang through some concrete, then this will serve nicely as inspiration.
Feuerschwanz- Fegefeuer
Genre: Folk/power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A serious mood booster of a folk festival anthem collection, with simplistic melodies and vocals ushered on by enthusiastic riffs.
Mizmor – Prosaic
Genre: Black/sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A deep dive into misery, this is a thoroughly bleak and negative experience, using sludge coarseness and black metal stark melancholy to push through a mire of sullen atmosphere.
Nuclear Winter – Seagrave
Genre: Melodic/industrial death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Heavy riffs and occasionally quite engaging melodies slightly let down by rudimentary rhythms.
Outer Heaven – Infinite Psychic Depths
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5A kind of barebones feeling death metal output. Despite the rough edges and slightly stripped down shape of everything, this isn’t really a retro thing, working in plenty of heft in the crunchy riffs and getting good and guttural with the vocals. Everything feels very to-the-point and intentional, laying bare the purpose of every single instrument. And it works impressively well. The thing oozes menace and wicked groove.
Highlights: “Pallasite Chambers” and “Unspeakable Aura”.
Rannoch – Conflagrations
Genre: Progressive/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Utilizing precise, rapid riffs with plenty of punch and a nuanced melodic approach, the only thing this progressive death metal album lacks is a few more fresh ideas.
Somnuri – Desiderium
Genre: Sludge/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Thanks in large part to the vocal style, there is a certain Soundgarden feel to this record, only far more riff-oriented, and quite a bit heavier, a bit like a less experimental Mastodon that got a good sniff of grunge and stoner. There’s a satisfying balance between heavy, driving grooves and progressive tangents, with a strong unifying tone.
Highlights: “Paramnesia” and “Flesh & Blood”.
Thunder Horse – After The Fall
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Old school doom with plenty of groove and fuzz, but a crisp production and a penchant for classic metal and hard rock riffs and solos.
Velvet Viper – Nothing Compares To Metal
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Slightly clunky genre-appreciating classic metal that gets lost in the crowd.
The Zenith Passage – Datalysium
Genre: Technical/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This one will tickle your brain. and delight your inner retro cyberpunk. Conquering the urge to bombard the listener with a constant, unrestrained landslide of instrumental frenzy, this feels unusually focused and purposeful for a tech death album. The frantic guitars, although challenging to follow, are trying to lead you somewhere, rewarding you with well-realized, synth-driven melodic passages and constantly teasing you with cheeky tempo changes.
Highlights: “Divinertia II” and “Algorithmic Salvation”.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown July 14 – 2023
This week we see a clash of light and dark, with strong forces bearing the banners of prog and retro meeting the shadowy legions of death and doom on the battlefield.
Ascend The Helix – Spiral Of Reflection
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A sound that tries to balance the dissonant aggression of djent and a dreamy, spacey atmosphere. The technique is good even as the result feels a bit hollow.
Auralayer – Thousand Petals
Genre: Progressive doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This is one of those where, halfway through the first song, you think that they can’t possibly keep up this level of fun throughout the whole thing. And yet, these guys have managed to do just that. Endless guitar shenanigans, incurably restless rhythm work, with a generous coating of vintage psychedelia. It’s not stupidly heavy, but makes up for it with that tangible thickness that you get with well-layered doom.
Highlights: “Monstrum” and “Faith To Reason”
Calligram – Position | Momentum
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A black metal album with both atmospheric and more straight up savage qualities, as it dips into deep pools of sadness as well as chugging along with the momentum of an icebreaker.
Cavern Deep – Breach
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Slow, patient doom with the slight, fuzzy crackle of stoner tastefully fraying its edges.
Cel Damage – No Volume
Genre: Experimental grindcore/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Frantic and slightly schizophrenic grind-strength hardcore that’s intent on nailing its message to the backside of your skull by way of the front side.
Chamber – A Love To Kill For
Genre: Mathcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Get ready for an onslaught of chug-loving, math-crunching metalcore with a piercing lead shrill that sounds like a hummingbird-operated dentist’s drill. The impact gets slightly diluted through repetition, but the energy lasts all the way through, and there are no unnecessary dips into momentum-killing melody.
Constant Hell – Constant Hell
Genre: Grindcore
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5There’s a point where brutality and rawness piles up to such a degree that it simply becomes impenetrable.
Crown Magnetar – Everything Bleeds
Genre: Deathcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Utterly percussion-oriented, dissonant deathcore that scores sky-high on technical brutality but to anyone not on the hype train can feel like a tedious train ride from one breakdown to the next.
A Dark Halo – Omnibus One
Genre: Progressive/melodic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Sci-fi-tinged, heavily melodic and mildly progressive metal, it has some strong melody lines, but gets a little lost in an ocean of similar-sounding projects.
Deitus – Irreversible
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5No-fuss blackened death metal that pulls a fair bit from old school melodeath, and a small measure of Slayer-like thrash as well. This is not a deep, thoughtful or doomy affair, and even though there are parts giving into atmosphere, it’s at its most impactful when eagerly rushing into the next evil riff.
Highlights: “A Scar For Serenity” and “Straight For Your Throat”.
Desekryptor – Vortex Oblivion
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Scary, noisy death metal that rumbles up from some canyon of the damned. It’s got some nice, squealy guitar work and menacing melody work when it slows down a little.
Eleine – We Shall Remain
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Powerful, dark symphonic metal that borrows more than a little bit from Swedish melodeath. The melodies won’t exactly wow you with their originality, but they’re solidly integrated with the songs.
End Reign – The Way Of All Flesh Is Decay
Genre: Metallic hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Intensely metallic hardcore that draws from both black, death and thrash metal into an explosive and surprisingly varied start to the album, which unfortunately falters a bit from the middle onwards.
Evile – The Unknown
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Evile steps firmly on the brakes on this one, to bring you mostly mid-to-low tempo grooves with some nice wicked solos attached. I’ve seen the Black Album comparison being made for this, and it’s not unfair. I’d even go as far as bringing Load/Reload into the vibe chart.
Exsanguination – Burial Rites
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A chugging express train ride of stylistically ultra-confident, crisp old school blackened death metal. There are clear nods to the classic Swedish death metal sound, and at its best this stuff is right up there. At a 22 min 30 sec runtime you’ll want to replay it immediately, possibly several times.
Highlights: “Coffin Dweller” and “The Pleasure To End All Pleasures”.
Inhumed – Feasted Upon Like Carrion (EP)
Genre: Melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A rager of a brutal melodeath EP that brings to mind early Amon Amarth, but throwing out the epic storytelling in favor of bloody morbidity. There’s plenty to get excited for, as they display a surprisingly wide range of instrumental approaches, leaving perhaps a little to be desired as far as melodic coherency is concerned, but delivering big on groove and rhythmic creativity.
Highlight: “A Defiance Of Faith”.
LanzerRath – Metagalactic Domination
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Intentionally incoherent and spacey, mind-wandering black metal that still incorporates all the classic elements of a thin production, shrill screams and tremolo.
The Mighty Fall – Filmed On Location
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A high energy hardcore release jamming in plenty of spicy influences, like groove metal, noise, punk and stoner. It’s a fun and engaging listen if you’re feeling riotous.
Nuclear Remains – Dawn Of Endless Suffering
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Obscenely muted and snare-happy brutal death metal that sounds like the death of everything that was ever clean or happy.
Preacher – Blur
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Young and spritely metalcore loaded with groove tricks, fairly positively toned melodies and with the aggression dialed down to a non-abrasive, yet energizing level.
Quiet Man – The Starving Lesson
Genre: Sludge/ambient metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Trippy and contemplative for log stretches of time, like all sound fading from an expansive outside scene, then broken by surges of aggressive sludge.
Radiant Knife – Pressure
Genre: Progressive/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Take some of the more chunky guitar-happy parts of Mastodon and marry them with a more technical approach to prog, and you get the general gist of this crisp, chugging sludge record.
Scream Maker – Land Of Fire
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A fresh-faced love letter to the melody-happy heavy metal of the NWOBHM era.
Tailgunner – Guns For Hire
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Tight and extremely source-aware, Tailgunner has delivered a triumph of retro-leaning heavy metal that nails everything that was impressive and joy-inducing about the best of the NWOBHM. Adventurous in a exploratory sense rather than in a cheesy sing-along way, you get solid songwriting that works on every level of musical contribution.
Highlights: “White Death” and “Rebirth”.
Vendetta – Black As Coal
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Tasty riffs and scorched grooves aside, this is rather by-the-numbers thrash with banal lyrics and stale vocals.
Voyager – Fearless In Love
Genre: Progressive/electronic metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5As a fan of predominantly extreme metal, so much of this album feels like a guilty pleasure, but the kind that you’d defend your affection for to the death. Deceivingly complex, it delivers expertly peaking waves of djent-y heaviness that are saturated with synth-backed, accessible melodies. The style of the thing is so confident and vibrant, with no heed paid to conventions but those of the band itself, with a musical maturity and sense of playfulness matching the likes of Devin Townsend.
Highlights: “Submarine” and “The Best Intentions”.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown July 07 – 2023
With summer at its peak, it’s still the darker and heavier side of the metal spectrum that seems to reign supreme.
All For Metal – Legends
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Entirely predictable chant metal, the value of which is mostly limited to live shows.
Blackbraid – Blackbraid II
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Well-produced metal is in itself far from always a sign of quality, and, when it comes to black metal, it’s not even the norm. But in the case of Blackbraid, there would be little purpose to limiting the fidelity of the performances. Their strength lies in the nuances and the cumulative fullness of the final sound. They have not gone overboard with the use of acoustic or indigenous instruments, instead trusting in their songwriting skills and technical proficiency to simply craft undeniably outstanding black metal. It’s aggressive, with tight rhythm work, raw vocals and distinct melodies.
Highlights: “The Spirit Returns” and “A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn”.
Butcher Babies – …Til The World’s Blind
Genre: Groove metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5One half of a two-part release, this is by far the most metal oriented and comprehensive album, so I will limit my review to it. Aggressive and catchy, it’s a djent-heavy, groove-leaning energy boost.
Deathroll – Japanese Extreme Metal Art
Genre: Black/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Stretching low-fi to the edge of tolerance, you still get a good sense of the enjoyment that went into making this shreddy, slightly experimental black metal record.
Demolizer – Post Necrotic Human
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Cheeky, speedy thrash with plenty of enjoyable shred, and although the riff work is catchy and appropriate, it does get a tad monotonous.
Eternity – Mundicide
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Classic black metal that sounds rather impatient to deliver its allocated riffs and beats, stuttering only occasionally but overall delivering solidly.
Gutslit – Carnal
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Indian brutal death metal that’s taken more than a few steps towards the technical end of the spectrum, sounding practiced, although lacking distinctive features.
Jaodae – Nest Of Veins
Genre: Experimental metal/progressive sludge
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Experimentation can be fun, especially when it’s a bit unhinged. You get a good sense of that on here, showcasing a lot of fresh ideas, yet lacking that cohesion that takes this clearly beyond an advanced jam session.
Lockjaw – Relentless
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A band that sounds mostly like a reimagining of classic metalcore with a sort of hard rock-y structure and penchant for thrashy, headbang-friendly riffs.
Lycanthropy – On The Verge Of Apocalypse
Genre: Grindcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Ultra-aggressive, thrashing grindcore that mostly sounds like death metal in a blender.
Mammuthus – Imperator
Genre: Stoner rock/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This one delivers smooth, fuzzy stoner goodness with the simplicity of rock and the heaviness of doom. It’s a pleasing, laid back listen that will also raise the hairs on your arms, as you get long, melodic buildups to thunderous riff crashes. There’s also a surprising amount of tempo variation, and the vocal style shifts nicely to match the overall intensity.
Highlights: “Long Drive” and “King of the Dead”
Nuclear Dudes – Boss Blades
Genre: Industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Synth-infused industrial death metal that’s a bit too preoccupied doing its own thing to keep up any sort of coherency, but still providing a riot of an experience.
The Raven Age – Blood Omen
Genre: Heavy/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Slick, radio friendly modern metal that borrows from metalcore and hard rock, sounding more mature than a lot of peers.
Serpent Corpse – Blood Sabbath
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is death metal that hasn’t washed in centuries, and forgot its manners long before even then. What stuck, though, is a love of riffs both rousing and oppressive, and an infectious punk swagger. Surprisingly varied, but don’t expect any fooling around.
Servant – Aetas Ascensus
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Technically proficient and suitably grand melodic black metal that feels oddly tamed and rounded in the corners.
Snuffed On Sight – Smoke
Genre: Death metal/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Brutal death metal mixed with some street sensibilities that leans wholeheartedly into every stereotype and subgenre convention there is, but they do so with style, and it sure does slam pretty hard.
Voidmilker – Labyrinthical
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Raw, hostile and depressing black metal that hovers on the edge of the avant-garde. Considering what they’re trying to do melodically, they probably went a little far with the low-fi production.
Will Haven – VII
Genre: Hardcore/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5For being predominately a hardcore or noise rock sound boosted by pounding, industrial metal riffs with an alternative edge, this thing has a surprising amount of depth. Beyond the peaks of punishing heaviness, it dives into an abyss of dystopian, horror-tinged atmosphere that greatly increases the overall gravitas. And whether it’s trying to be black metal, doom, or metallic, slightly avant-garde hardcore, it impressively succeeds on all fronts.
Highlights:”5 of Fire” and “Wings of Mariposa”.
Winterage – Nekyia
Genre: Symphonic/power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Symphonic metal as theatrical as this takes an immense amount of conviction to pull off, and these guys almost have it.
Withering Scorn – Prophets Of Demise– Nekyia
Genre: Heavy/groove metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Loud, fast and fighting heavy metal pumped up on thrash and groove. It works best when they don’t hold back to focus on melody.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown June 30 – 2023
The fire and fury dies down a bit this week, to allow some time for reflection and new ideas to sprout, from gloomy and vibrant sources alike.
Avdagata – The Faceless One
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A burst of technical black metal that draws its melodic inspiration from east of the norm, without truly standing out beyond the instrumental performances.
Before The Dawn – Stormbringers
Genre: Melodic death/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Melodeath built up with rudimentary rhythms and predictable melodies, although topped off by a not-insignificant dash of Finnish epicness.
Calico Jack – Isla de la Muerte
Genre: Power/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is Italian pirate metal with an emphasis on the folk influences. It could do with some maturing, but will definitely appeal to both the comic- and epic-loving part of the fan spectrum.
Coffin Mulch – Spectral Intercession
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Rough and musty old school death metal with an undead hardcore drive that allows it to separate from the cemetery pack.
Death Ray Vision – No Mercy From Electric Eyes
Genre: Hardcore/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Thrashy hardcore with plenty of riff goodness that brings to mind the grittier, rock n’ roll side of Avenged Sevenfold, although consistently keeping it a step more punk. It does, however, tend towards the anthemic more than is probably healthy.
East Of The Wall – A Neutral Second
Genre: Progressive/avant-garde metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5A moody and cool progressive album with elements of sludge, a bit of doom and traces of grunge. Retro-synthetic, sometimes disharmonic melodic elements keeps it interesting beyond the expected instrumental haphazardness, and odd rhythms work as a sort of structure as the music shifts from different tonal landscapes.
Eiter – Gewalt
Genre: Grindcore/black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Why not introduce a bit of groove to a blackened grindcore album? It ups the fun factor without compromising the aggression.
Grafvitnir – Into The Outer Wilderness
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Like death’s whisper on the wind, this is skeletal, snarly black metal building up to strongly realized Scandinavian folk atmosphere.
Khanate – To Be Cruel
Genre: Drone/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Screeching, spoken-word vocals intermittently interrupt this near-standstill crawl through a melting, collapsing apocalypse of a soundscape.
Melted Bodies – The Inevitable Fork Vol. 2
Genre: Experimental metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Unhinged alternative metal that mostly defies all genre conventions. Lots of energy, completely devoid of focus, and bravely exploratory.
Night Legion – Fight Or Fall
Genre: Power/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Shred-happy power metal about… death and disaster? It sure doesn’t sound like that, more like amped up classic heavy metal.
None – Inevitable
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5If you’ve ever struggled with dark thoughts and a destructive mentality, this is music that will speak to you. The album title fittingly alludes to the feeling of surrender in the face of forces beyond your control, which is chillingly recreated in the melodic atmosphere on here. And there’s a sort of comfort in the recognition of this mental state that is both cathartic and unsettling. The washed out, icy guitars and hissing vocals expertly complements the rest.
Highlights: “Never Came Home” and “A Reason to Be”.
Orelisk – The Underworld Obscura
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A wailing theater of horror, this is musty black metal uncovered from the collapsed basement of a haunted house.
Raven – All Hell’s Breaking Loose
Genre: Heavy/speed metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Bringing the sensibilities of heavy metal-meets-thrash-for-the-first-time back from the 70s/80s, with all of its speedy enthusiasm (fantastic drum work on this one) and dated quirks (falsetto vocals…).
Serpent Of Old – Ensemble Under The Dark Sun
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is blackened death metal leaning into crushing doom, yet never quite content to slither about in the same space for too long, allowing prog-inspired fluctuations in the rhythm to lead the way in and out of the abyss. It’s devastatingly heavy, with a bleakness to the tone, yet pulsing with a fury that could crack bedrock.
Highlights: “Unsaturated Hunger and Esoteric Lust” and “From the Impending Dusk”.
Static Abyss – Aborted from Reality
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A batch of not-too-serious doomy death metal filth that invokes feelings of abyssal horror, but also drunken underground stop fests.
Thornafire – Leprosario Lazareto
Genre: Technical death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A rather fresh take on thrash/groove-flavored death metal, with a local flavor to the (semi)melodic approach, and some light instrumental experimentation.
Virgin Steele – The Passion Of Dionysus
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A quirkily produced, tale-telling piece of romantic, theatrical heavy metal. It’s not bombastic or cheesy, although not exactly restrained either, with a subtle progressive approach that clearly distinguishes this from most of its peers.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown June 23 – 2023
A week showcasing the versatility of dark metal, in its ability to kick your door in, set your blood ablaze or thoroughly warp your mind.
The Anchoret – It All Began With Loneliness
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Sax-o-licious, light on its feet and not sacrificing tonal consistency for instrumental playfulness, this is an adventurous prog metal release that will brighten your day. Certain sections dip into semi-retro prog rock, so don’t expect every song to deliver the same amount of punch, but it makes for a varied and flavorful listen, from a band that sounds confident in their style, and has the obvious talent to back it up.
Highlights: “Forsaken” and “All Turns to Clay”.
Crepitation – Monstrous Eruption Of Impetuous Preposterosity
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Brutal death metal in its most parodic-and-I-know-it form, which means lots of vulgar fun and an absolute musical murder carnival.
Degrees Of Truth – Alchemists
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Offering up divine vocals and heavenly melodies, this is symphonic metal with enough instincts to veer off the formula that it stands out from the crowd.
High Priest – Invocation
Genre: Doom/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A cosmic-flavored take on melodic, classic doom that showcases a distinct vocal talent and the band’s proficiency for balancing eagerness and restraint for a full, engaging sound.
Jag Panzer – The Hallowed
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Solo-happy heavy metal that borrows a fair bit of flair from its more epic cousin, and takes us on a lofty journey of defiant struggle.
Krigsgrav – Fires in the Fall
Genre: Melodic black/death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Take the expansive and aggressive nature of melodic black metal, replace some of the coldness with the more patient and solemn tone of doom and up the impact with some melodeath riffs, and you’re honing in on the formula behind this album. And yet the result is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. It feels grand in a grim and darkly prophetic way, and flows at an organic pace that showcases the band’s aptitude for atmosphere as much as rushes of controlled fury.
Highlights: “Shadowlands” and “In Seas of Perdition”.
Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht
Genre: Deathcore/melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Infused with theatrical grandeur and pulling out every modern deathcore trick in the book, this is a successful brutality upgrade to melodic-to symphonic black metal.
Miserere Luminis – Ordalie
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Mournful melody takes front and center on this, and weaves well together with a grief-stricken, slightly atypical approach to black metal.
Perracide – Underdog
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A band that doesn’t seem sure whether they want to be thrash or death metal, as emphasis on either switches rather heavily from song to song, although they’re at their best when the two styles meld.
Persekutor – Snow Business
Genre: Heavy/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Old school heavy metal clad in black, yet still urging you to your feet with your hands in the air. The rock n’ roll is strong with this one..
Phantom Corporation – Fallout
Genre: Hardcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5While the rhythms on here are about as predictable as they come within hardcore, the drive is excellent, and you’re treated to an absolute riff galore if you stay on for the whole ride.
Pyramaze – Bloodlines
Genre: Power/pop metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Anthem-seeking, modernized power metal with Michael Bolton vibes.
Sculforge – Intergalactic Battle Tunes
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 1.5/5Less than stellar, speedy power metal thematically ripping off Warhammer 40K in ultra cringe-worthy fashion.
Seek – Kokyou De Shinu Otoko
Genre: Black metal/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5When you hear this level of resolve in blackened metal, you don’t need stabbing melodies or raging riffs to grab your attention. Especially the vocals emit an undeniable fervor, and the heavy, industrial drum work fully backs it up. There’s a lot of pain and anger in the violent yet nuanced atmosphere of this thing, and the level of hardcore harshness applied to it makes the message seem all the more urgent.
Soul Grinder – Filth Encrusted
Genre: Thrash/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Simple thrash metal bot in terms of performance and production, offering some heavy, mid-tempo groove.
Structural – Decrowned
Genre: Melodic/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Modern, technical and sort of prog-melodic death metal that makes up for a slight lack of brutality with precision and tenacity.
Tsjuder – Helvegr
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is that traditional, 90s wave of Norwegian black metal in all but actual musical approach. Sure, it’s still been produced to sound grim and frigid, but the adherence to technical precision goes far beyond its origins. It sounds like the controlled fury of a modern army assault in the form of an orchestra, with the specific purpose of getting your blood boiling.
Highlights: “Prestehammeren” and “Surtr”.
Vexed – Negative Energy
Genre: Deathcore/nu metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5If you want to get analytical about it, this sounds like djent-deathcore with the straightforward mono-aggression of hardcore, rhythm approach of hiphop-heavy nu metal and melodic sensibilities of metalcore. But don’t let all this fool you into thinking that it sounds like a mishmash. The term “nu-core” actually covers it quite well. It’s sharply honed and consistent stuff, and, unlike many of its ilk, quite mature-sounding.
Xasthur – Inevitably Dark
Genre: Experimental black/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Ready for a near 2 hour journey that sounds like the grim reaper inviting you along for an acid trip? There’s a varied host of different personalities to this music – all of them doom-laden to a certain extent, and all put together it makes for a markedly disturbing whole. You get noisy black metal, dark folk and lots of ambience, most of which with a undeniably nightmarish quality to it.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown June 16 – 2023
This is a “quality not quantity” week with a few exceptionally strong releases across the spectrum, although with a surprising emphasis on stoner.
Church Of Misery – Born Under A Mad Sign
Genre: Doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Fuzz-tone to the bone. Church of Misery takes that Paranoid-era Sabbath sound, adds a bit of Lemmy-ish rusty charm and then trusts in the artistic integrity of its members to add the necessary signature character on top of that (which they certainly do). It’s bluesy, groovy, even a bit grungy, and feels 100% genuine. A stellar doom/stoner release with a killer theme (pardon the pun).
Highlights: “Beltway Sniper (John Allen Muhammad)” and “Freeway Madness Boogie (Randy Kraft)”
Creeping Death – Boundless Domain
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is death metal so crisp and sharply honed that your can practically feel it carving unimpeded through layer upon layer of flesh. It’s right on the edge, peering over the borders of thrash and groove, without really crossing over, but perhaps picking up a whiff of an influence here and there. A little more speed, a little more flair, but apart from that this is snarling, bared-teeth death metal with the killer instinct to back it up.
Highlights: “Vitrified Earth” and “Creators Turned Into Prey”.
Elder Devil – Everything Worth Loving
Genre: Hardcore/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5hardcore occasionally ramping up into deathcore and leaning partially on a black metal “everything-will-die”-mood, although seemingly lacking a good progress plan.
Fifth Angel – When Angels Kill
Genre: Heavy metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A hard rock-riffing, shred-y modern heavy metal record with few ideas but solid vocals.
Frozen Land – Out Of The Dark
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Full-on power metal showing off some serious guitar chops and solid, fun songwriting, though lacking a bit of drive and consistency of quality.
Helleruin – Devils, Death And Dark Arts
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Straight black metal leaning tastefully on the melancholy tremolo, and although definitely in the “raw”-territory, not hiding the result behind a wall of low-fi noise.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation
Genre: Stoner metal/progressive hard rock
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 5/5King Gizzard’s escapades can be a little confusing at times – effortlessly and deliberately steering clear of expectations and doing whatever the heck (it seems) they feel like in the moment. A new season of the year – a new Lizard Wizard. Which makes it all the more of an event when they release an album like this, with a stylistic consistency as solid as bedrock. This is stoner through and through, but with a supercharger attached, and a stunt driver behind the wheel. Some of the riffs are pure thrash metal, and it seems the band has unlocked the secret recipe to the perfect amount of prog digression. Putting this record on will feel like an event over and over and over again.
Highlights: “Gila Monster” and “Converge”.
Memorrhage – Memorrhage
Genre: Nu/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Mixing hardcore, hip-hop, industrial electronica and a bit of grindcore might sound like an overload, but it’s actually surprisingly straightforward.
Methedras – Human Deception
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Thrash metal flirting with modern melodeath, and it’s aptly aggressive, although not quite landing the big, lasting punches.
Rise To The Sky – Two Years Of Grief
Genre: Melodic doom/death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A combination of classic, funeral-like death doom and solemn, melancholy melodic sections that function a bit more as a backdrop than they probably should.
Sammath – Grebbeberg
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Violent and intense, rough-around the edges black metal, just as ordered. They certainly go at it with purpose, although it feels like something you’ll have heard before somewhere.
Saturnus – The Storm Within
Genre: Melodic death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5These guys are obviously experienced in the meld of epic death doom and sweeping melodies, and if their style is something you have come to love, then this is the stuff you’ve been craving. They do take their sweet time though…
Thy Catafalque – Alföld
Genre: Avant-garde/folk metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5For those of us who are fans of metal music that refuses to stay within set boundaries, or even those limits created by your own expectations from listening to the first few minutes of the album, Thy Catafalque know how to deliver. To my memory this is a slightly darker and more black metal-influenced than their last album, Vadak, and the start of the album leads you to thing that it’ll be heavy from start to finish. But no, further in, the atmospheric breaks become wilder, longer and more frequent, which, by contrast, makes the returns to extreme metal riffing feel all the more impactful. It’s playful, melancholy, bright, aggressive, straightforward and mysterious all at different points in time, which feels just a bit like life, really.
Highlights: “A földdel egyenlo” and “Néma vermek”.
Varmia – nie nas widzę
Genre: Black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A raw and aggressive take on blackened folk metal, with several elements that bring to mind bands like Behemoth. It’s not quite pitch black, with several traditional folk interludes, but also a bit heavy handed when the two styles meet.
Vile Ritual – Caverns Of Occultic Hatred
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Brutal, cavernous, monstrous death metal that like to settle into a slow, doomy pace and a really dark mood.
Witchskull – The Serpent Tide
Genre: Stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A heavy, galloping stoner trot allies with a doom tone and a distinct vocal style to create something that’s both groovy and feels a bit occult.
Wooden Shadow – Eternal Land Of Wrath And Mourn
Genre: Melodic black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Finnish melodic black metal that, surprising no one, has a lot of lively guitar work and a certain forest-y feeling to it, but, along those lines, also suffers a bit from lack of originality.
World Eater – An Insidious Remedy
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Sinister-toned, young death metal that’s trying to achieve some of that horror factor without getting corny or retro about it along the way. It works well while lively and aggressive, but still needs a bit more work to keep the slower sections interesting.
Highlights: “Gridworm” and “Scorched Quadrant”
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown June 09 – 2023
The riff is king this week, with a slew of releases vying for your utmost appreciation of their guitar-based escapades.
The Arcane Order – Distortions From Cosmogony
Genre: Technical/symphonic death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5An apocalyptic barrage of technicality and drama, not wholly unlike Fleshgod Apocalypse, but more taken with progressive instrumental approaches.
Aodon – Portraits
Genre: Atmospheric/melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Thoroughly downer-toned, yet instrumentally rather intense, this is highly competent, although not particularly original atmospheric black metal.
Avarice – Avarice
Genre: Thrash/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Enjoyable for sure, there’s a lot of evident inspiration on this one, and not a lot of noticeable innovation.
The Bleeding – Monokrator
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5If you’re just looking for some high-speed, relentless death metal with the good ‘ol headbang-ability that only thrash can deliver, then this is most definitely for you. Throat-rending vocals, chainsaw riffs, razor-sharp solos and very busy drums all make for a pleasingly aggressive and precise cacophony.
Highlights: “Screams of Torment” and “Mutation Chamber”.
Brahmashiras – Brahmashiras
Genre: Blackened hardcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Pleasingly simple, and with the right sort of occult-y measures in place to make this a successful black metal/hardcore crossover.
Carry the Torch – Delusion
Genre: Melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A decent attempt at slightly epic, slightly thrashy melodeath that doesn’t lean too much into the path.
Dead Quiet – IV
Genre: Doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is doom driven by stoner groove, and sprinkled with psychedelia-flavored prog playfulness.
Ekrom – Uten Nådigst Formildelse
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5An album, and band, that’s definitely looking to the past, yet realizing it could do with some improvements, this is classic Norwegian black metal with some tasteful melodic and technical buffs.
Max Enix – Far From Home
Genre: Symphonic/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2/5Pretentiously conceptual, with vocals more than occasionally out of tune, you must have a particular penchant for storytelling symphonic metal to enjoy this.
False Memories – Hybrid Ego System
Genre: Symphonic/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A vocal-centric, bummer-toned symphonic-ish album with some aggressive elements, but unfortunately very little drive.
Geld – Currency // Castration
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5A highly abrasive hardcore album, with raspy vocals and insistent guitars leading a persistent attack on your eardrums, it’s tempered by some rock ‘n roll swagger and the occasional alien, experimental ambience, which gives it an unexpected depth.
Glass Casket – Glass Casket (EP)
Genre: Groove/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Four songs packed with aggressive groove bad-assery. The instruments never seem content to stick to one section longer than a few seconds before a few twists and turns take you to the next one. It results in an eager energy that keeps on producing memorable parts scattered all over.
Highlight: “For the Living”.
Godflesh – Purge
Genre: Industrial/experimental metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 4/5A plunge into utter darkness, which speaks in a detached, mechanical language, immersed in nightmarish ambience. It’s an album of subtle nuances, crafted very deliberately, and the effect is both hypnotic and disturbing at the same time.
Johnny The Boy – You
Genre: Black/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is black metal riding a doomy wave of sludge, though infused with a morbid rock n’ roll spirit which whips up the mood every now and then.
Legion Of The Damned – The Poison Chalice
Genre: Thrash/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is nothing but non-stop tremolo-happy thrash metal. Whatever hellish motor is driving this unstoppable riff train seems like it could keep going without pause for years – hissing fiendish vocals and spitting licks like captivating curses. If this doesn’t get your head banging you’ve sure to have some frozen joints.
Highlights: “Beheading of the Godhead” and “Savage Intent”
Rise To Fall – The Fifth Dimension
Genre: Melodic death/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Exquisite melodic work over songwriting that treads very familiar paths dominate this mild melodeath album.
Scar Symmetry – The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph)
Genre: Melodic/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Time to dive into the shifting and rather hectic cosmic landscape that is the brand of melodeath of Scar Symmetry. It’s as adventurous as ever, with the instrumental technicality on full display, and presented with crystal clarity. The aggression of the most intense parts stand in significant contrast to the near-power metal clean approach typically seen around the choruses, and certain sections are allowed to strike out on expeditions of progressive playfulness. The result is great variation, although, perhaps, a slight lack of dedication to a cohesive style.
Highlights: “Gridworm” and “Scorched Quadrant”
Slow Fall – Obsidian Waves
Genre: Progressive/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Mid-paced progressive metal see-sawing on the border between aggression and drawn-out dramatic melody.
Torture Rack – Primeval Onslaught
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Quick and dirty, with a Motörhead-like approach to death metal, it’s stone carved bad-assery that you can rely on.
Vortex – The Future Remains In Oblivion
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Fairly heavy-handed even as symphonic extreme metal goes, this still delivers a decent amount of semi-technical brutality in a forceful manner.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown June 02 – 2023
A week of surprises, this one offers up a blend of the traditional and the experimental, with little adherence to boring conventions.
Anubis Gate – Interference
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Mild mannered and melodic progressive metal with electronic elements.
Atlases – Between The Day & I
Genre: Progressive metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Somewhat dark and stylistically clean metalcore with artistic ambitions.
Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream
Genre: Heavy/experimental metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5The question to be asked is what isn’t A7X trying to do on this latest, experimental record. Sure, it’s still recognizably them, but nodding into progressive and industrial styles and getting completely carried away into conceptual avant-gardism towards the end. Props for trying, but it’s neither bold nor stylistically coherent enough.
Bongzilla – Dab City
Genre: Stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5If there was such a thing as funeral stoner (and heck, why not?) this would be well on the way to qualifying as such. Dazed, fuzzy and heavy, with occasional sludge-style gurgle-vocals.
Buggin – Concrete Cowboys
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is the most fun 19 minutes you’ll have all week. What you get is youthful hardcore brimming with punk- and garage rock energy. It’s absolutely riff-centric and doesn’t shy from a bit of dynamic rhythm work and groove on top. Your mind immediately goes to a tight-packed, sweaty basement venue where the band members spend more time stomping around with the audience than up on stage.
Highlights: “All Eyes On You” and “Hard 2 kill”.
Cosmic Burial – Far Away From Home
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Skygazing, chilling instrumental black metal that’s too caught up with weaving a vivid, melodic tapestry out of infinity to care about being particularly dark.
Dieth – To Hell And Back
Genre: Death/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Solid death metal-light, focusing on melody, groove and a more inviting, polished overall soundscape.
Gloryhammer – Return To The Kingdom Of Fife
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Utterly unashamed, all-out epic power metal, filling you with warm fuzzy feelings, perhaps a biproduct of the overall sound being overly cushioned.
Halflighted – Obloquy
Genre: Death/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Ragged, disharmonious and slightly disturbing death sludge that could do with a stronger drive.
Hemplifier – The Stoner Side of the Doom
Genre: Stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Dragging, dark-toned stoner that sounds like a threatening murmur from within a dark alley.
Koningsor – Death Process (EP)
Genre: Mathcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A melodic mathcore EP that takes you weird places if you let it. Plenty og aggression, but also a decent amount of atmosphere.
The Kryptik – A Journey To The Darkest Kingdom
Genre: Symphonic/atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Atmospheric black metal that’s a bit overloaded with gothic-tinged symphonic elements, robbing the songs of identity.
Necrofier – Burning Shadows In The Southern Night
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This one treads the line between traditional and distinctive, and manages the balancing act quite well. You get most of the hallmarks of the old school style – slightly rusty production, lots of tremolo and a coherently grim tone, but there’s a fullness to it, and a clear desire to add character to every step of the process. As a result, it will satisfy the urge for no-frills darkness, with a flavor that makes you remember it.
Highlights: “Burnt by the Sacred Flame” and “Total Southern Darkness”.
OK Goodnight – The Fox and the Bird
Genre: Progressive/experimental metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5A concept album through and through, this is mild, though highly experimental, prog metal teeming with indie energy. Though there’s a good bit of shredding in here, don’t expect any sort of no-holds-barred instrumental pummeling. This one takes its time in telling a tale of many nuances, and it’s reflected in every part of the music. The good news is that it feels organic and purposeful, as opposed to a jam session interspersed with artsy interludes.
Highlights: “The Bear” and “The Falcon”.
Pupil Slicer – Blossom
Genre: Progressive metalcore/math metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5At least instrumentally, this has a drop of that unpredictable, gleeful madness that makes bands like Avatar so unique, and I’m digging it. If you come here expecting pure mathcore, you might be slightly disappointed, although you shouldn’t be, cause you’re getting that and more. It’s got a good balance between melody and spit-in-your-face hardcore harshness, insane drum work, surprising tonal variation and overall feels like a mature musical statement.
Highlights: “Momentary Actuality” and “No Temple”
Red Cain – Nae’bliss
Genre: Progressive/electronic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Melodic and modern progressive metal leaning into heavy metal loftiness.
Thantifaxath – Hive Mind Narcosis
Genre: Avant-garde black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This is black metal that goes well out of its way to transport you to a sonic nightmare realm. A symphony of black lunacy, it serves up bone-chilling dissonance, hateful instrumental intensity and an atmosphere that brings to mind rampaging, malicious spirits. Definitely something you need to be in the right head space for.
World I Hate – Years Of Lead
Genre: Hardcore/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A heavy, heavy, heavy hardcore album spitting bile and fire. It goes over the grindcore-top every now and then, further adding to the intensity.
Wytch Hazel – IV: Sacrament
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This one oozes style. A band that has found its niche, supporting the members’ abilities to the fullest and syncing perfectly with their creativity. It’s medieval themed heavy metal with a taste of old school prog rock, without any of the gaudiness you might expect to come with it. The tone is melancholy-tinged, almost doomy, but also elegantly groovy, like Ghost at their absolute best. There may not be any big surprises, other than the fact that the quality is as damn consistent as it is, and the lingering feeling is one of nostalgic comfort mixed with admiration for the thematic dedication.
Highlights: “The Fire’s Control” and “Digging Deeper”.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown May 26 – 2023
Turn that cross upside-down and light a few torches – this week is a triumph of black metal, both in its purest form and hand-in-hand with its extreme brethren.
Arrival Of Autumn – Kingdom Undone
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Aggressive and leaning towards the same kind of harsh-ish groove that bands like Kataklysm employs, it’s quite satisfying technically.
Balance Breach – Abyzmal
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Although overproduced to the point of anthemic EDM-music, this one’s steeped in a dark atmosphere and offers enough moments of intensity to remain vigorous and exciting.
:BOLVERK: – Svarte Sekunder
Genre: Progressive black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Retaining some rough edges and light uncertainty of approach, this is still a very promising mix of Darkthrone-ish primitive-rhythm black metal and measured progressive experimentation.
Carry The Torch – Delusion
Genre: Thrash/death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Comfortable with both groove, catchiness and even a bit of atmosphere, this lack the punching power to knock your socks even halfway off.
Cloak – Black Flame Eternal
Genre: Black/gothic/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Mixing Witchery’s wicked black ‘n roll riffs with Tribulation-levels of gothic groove and a bit of Satyricon loftiness proves a successful recipe when executed like on this album. There’s something to like for pretty much any fan of dark metal. It’s mostly energetic, but delivers some solid graveyard atmosphere as well, at not-too regular intervals. It feels like a very complete package that invites repeated listens.
Highlights: “The Holy Dark” and “Black Flame Eternal”.
dEMOTIONAL – Scandinavian Aftermath
Genre: Electronic/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Catchiness and modern, big production above all, this is reminiscent of a fairly well executed marriage of alternative- and pop-oriented metal.
Elegant Weapons – Horns For A Halo
Genre: Heavy metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Mixing hard rock sleaze with 80s heavy metal and adding some sting to the riff approach works really quite well for these guys and will absolutely please fans of old school groove.
Ethereal Void – Gods Of A Dead World
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A very headbanger-friendly death metal album that goes all out on working catchy riffs around a slightly to insistent wicked-toned lead guitar.
Hate Manifesto – ΑΠΟΣΤΑΤΗΣ
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Blackened death metal that’s got charred brutality in spades, but perhaps not too much else to contrast it.
Immortal – War Against All
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Successfully tapping into the rousing qualities of the glorious past, the identity of Immortal remains strong, taking the march-to-war blackened melodeath approach to a new, enthusiastic level that doesn’t quite drown out the feeling of predictability.
Inherus – Beholden
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Ominous and at times quite forceful doom metal with a blackened flair.
Kostnatení– Úpal
Genre: Experimental black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Dissonant and hostile in its lack of approachability, this taps into the chaos and “ugly” sound of the original second wave of black metal while taking the technicality and experimentation a good step further in search of a unnerving expression.
Legion Of The Damned – The Poison Chalice
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A thrash/death record that utilizes the best of each camp to deliver an unstoppable pummeling of raw-toned riffs, steadfast rhythms and scorching solos.
Metal Church – Congregation Of Annihilation
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5There’s not much to say about this record, other than you get what you expect, with a noticeable and laudable energy behind it.
Mournful Congregation – The Exuviae of Gods – Part II
Genre: Funeral doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Melodic and mournful with some driving lead guitar work, this is slightly ptempo funeral doom that moves on many levels, but doesn’t quite reach the peaks of dramatic atmosphere that would’ve taken it to the next level.
Nattverd – I Helvetes Forakt
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A meaty and well-controlled take on the classic Norwegian black metal sound, that’s at it’s best when laying into the aggression and incorporating energetic thrash elements.
Olkoth – At The Eye Of Chaos
Genre: Technical death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5An impressive blend of brutality and ferocious technicality that isn’t out to overwhelm you. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t feel like a momentous assault on your eardrums, but it’s a relatively measured one, with rhythms that normal humans can actually comprehend. The unholy tone to the riffs is somewhat reminiscent of Behemoth, although this is quite a bit more death metal oriented. The riffs land hard, and the raspy vocals keep the overall impact from feeling polished.
Highlights: “Incendiary prayers” and “To Eat of the Lotus”
Phlebotomized – Clouds Of Confusion
Genre: Progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A (mildly) melodically experimental death metal album that interrupts its otherwise old school approach with synth elements and alternative rhythmic interludes.
Reasons Behind – Architecture Of An Ego
Genre: Symphonic/electronic metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A very run-of-the-mill female fronted symphonic/power metal album that feels more like techno half of the time.
RUÏM – Black Royal Spiritism – I.O Sino Da Igreja
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5An album that rekindles that early black metal sense of containing something forbidden – something that you really shouldn’t be listening to if you want to keep the purity of your soul intact. The level of dissonance in the tone is cranked to a level beyond melancholy – to something that can only be the sound of damnation incarnate. There is a writhing, malevolent aggression to the riff work, the lyrics are spat as dark incantations, and the drums rumble and snap slightly below the rest, as if emanating from the deep. An extremely well crafted record.
Highlights: “The Triumph (Of Night & Fire)” and “Black Royal Spiritism”.
Sarvekas – Woven Dark Paths
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Cold and hissing Finnish black metal with Nordic melancholy dripping from its melodic work.
The Silent Rage – Nuances Of Life
Genre: Power/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Power metal with a clean production and tight, almost thrashy riff and rhythm work.
Sirenia – 1977
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5As expected, this is gothic-tinged, epic and melodic symphonic metal with an industrial quality to the guitars and rhythms.
Suffering Quota – Collide
Genre: Grindcore/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Attacking the instruments with maniacal purpose, this is mostly a shake-you-by-the-cuffs, harsh riff and rhythm assault.
Trespass – Wolf At The Door
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A really rather mellow old school metal experience bringing a bit of stoner groove.
Trold – Der Var Engang…
Genre: Folk metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Much in the vein of Finntroll, this is jolly, low-brow storytelling in the guise of extreme folk metal, and it’s quite enjoyable if you like that sort of thing.
Under Attack – Fury Of The Thunder God
Genre: Heavy/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Barebones, rather predictable thrash metal with lofty traditional metal themes.
Usnea – Bathed In Light
Genre: Doom/black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Ominous is taken to a new level on this one. With a crushing depth to the bass end, a crackling ambient noise in the background and vocals shifting between dragged-out roars and snarls overlaying threatening riffs and hope-deprived melodies, this is a purposeful, all-consuming wave of darkness.
Vexing – Grand Reproach
Genre: Progressive sludge/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A busy interpretaion of a progressive sludge/death metal and grindcore collision, that isn’t as brutal as that might sound, and quite interesting in its experimentation.
Violent Sin – Serpent’s Call
Genre: Speed metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5An aggressive, blades-out take on thrashy speed metal, that’s first of all playful, invoking Kill ‘Em All-era Metallica.
Vomitory – All Heads Are Gonna Roll
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Invoking the raw groove of early Swedish death metal and supercharging it with a modern production and brutal technicality, this is pretty much everything you want in a straightforward, non-doom death metal album today. The riffs never end, the vocals sound like they’re ripping flesh, and the energy behind it all just doesn’t let up.
Highlights: “Piece by Stinking Piece” and “Ode to the meat Saw”.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
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Weekly rundown May 19 – 2023
A week for the progressive and slightly different – pushing tried and tested recipes beyond the comfort zone.
Alcatrazz – Take No Prisoners
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Heavy metal that sounds pretty much unchanged from the glory days of NWOBHM, in that its creators probably haven’t have an original idea since then.
Arjen Lucassen’s Supersonic Revolution – Golden Age Of Music
Genre: Progressive/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5It’s no surprise with Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) that the storytelling gets to take precedence over the instrumentation, but even as there are no surprises on here, it’s more balanced than you might expect.
Blindfolded And Led To The Woods – Rejecting Obliteration
Genre: Progressive death metal/deathcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5A head spinner of an exploratory and technical death metal album, without the need for piling on alienating dissonance. It’s aggressive as hell, and extremely versatile, as the instrumentation changes on the spot at any given time to best serve the mood of the current part of the song. And somehow it’s not jarring at all, certainly not if you’re partial to any sort of progressive or technical extreme metal at all. With elements of deathcore, mathcore and even some nu metal styled riffs in there, it feels like a creative maelstrom that keeps turning interesting shades of brutality and darkness.
Highlights: “Methlehem” and “Funeral Smiles”.
Botanist – VIII: Selenotrope
Genre: Avant-garde black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5You might at first struggle to identify the cause of why you would naturally place this in the black metal category. There are no harsh vocals, tremolo or even noticeable distorted riffing. And yet you HEAR it, somehow, as if on an inaudible frequency. Part of it is because the drum and bass work is very much following a black metal approach, an there is a darkness to the tone that goes beyond the harmonious, even hopeful melodies. It’s like fixing your gaze on the sun through a partial opening in the forest canopy and letting it distract you from the cold darkness of the woods that surround you.
Highlights: “Epidendrum Nocturnum” and “Angel’s Trumpet”.
Chronicle – Where Chaos Thrives
Genre: Melodic black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Black metal pouring on the brutality, as well as some vaguely eastern folk melody into something satisfyingly dark, if not terribly outstanding.
Frozen Soul – Glacial Domination
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Frozen soul are back with more frigid, horror- and violence-themed semi-melodic death metal, and once again it’s a heaven-in-hell of a sinister-toned jagged-riff extravaganza. While not building up to the most jaw dropping moments, the good stuff keeps on rolling song after song, with no real weak moments throughout.
Highlights: “Arsenal of War” and “Frozen Soul”.
Henget – Beyond North Star
Genre: Progressive black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is a dark progressive album that plays around with your expectations in really satisfying ways. The style swings between black metal and recognizably Finnish folk metal, but refuses to settle with any sort of conventional approach in either direction. Sometimes you’re convinced that this is serious blackened death metal, and some times it’s a mad amalgamation of cackilng laughter, gothic piano tunes and playful folk rock riffs. The rhythm goes from complex to catchy to whimsical, and while it can feel a bit random at times, it all adds up to a really flavorful experience.
Highlights: “The Chalice of Life and Death” and “Henkivallat”.
Inferion – Inequity
Genre: Melodic black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A slightly clinical but still pretty great sounding modern melodic black/death metal album with plenty of enjoyable riffs and a uniform, warm tone.
Mystic Prophecy – Hellriot
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Very catchy, heavy-riffed power metal about epic battles and, well… metal.
Nexorum – Tongue Of Thorns
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A darkly melodic yet aggressive blackened death metal album with an ominous, cavernous feel, although with clear and rich production.
The Ocean – Holocene
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Thematically on point, this is a patiently unfolding listening experience that dives deep as much as it crashes up through the surface. There’s a bigger emphasis on electronic atmosphere this time around, but it’s not overstated and feels organically aligned with the rest of the instrumentation. The immersion is, perhaps unsurprisingly, sublime, and highly rewarding. From trickling melancholy to tempestuous triumph, this easily meets the expectations of being one of the most outstanding prog metal releases of the year.
Highlights: “Parabiosis” and “Boreal”.
Omen Astra – The End Of Everything
Genre: Hardcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This sounds like alternative hardcore that’s harnessed a bit more death metal power than it’s fully capable of handling.
Radien – Unissa Palaneet
Genre: Doom/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Strong on atmosphere, fortunately, as there’s a lot of it, and then a bit of dissonant sludge rage.
Shadows – Out For Blood
Genre: Heavy/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is ghost meets merciful fate meets old school heavy metal. Although the instruments speak catchy, playful traditional riffs and solos, there’s a lot of tasteful, horror-gothic atmosphere.
Sporae Autem Yuggoth – …However It Still Moves
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A gloomy, earth-encrusted death doom record that’s a bit too sluggish for its own good.
Thulcandra – Hail The Abyss
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: /5
Objective rating: /5This is melodic black metal with a flair for the epic, without dipping into the symphonic well like Dimmu Borgir, and that’s also pretty riff happy, without edging into thrash like Thron. You’ll find more similarities to Immortal/Abbath and Volcano-era Satyricon, with plenty of tremolo chills and some fairly crisp technicality, and melodic sections that bear more than a little relation to melodeath, Apart from letting the intensity fade out a bit towards the end, it’s a black-cloaked pleaser through and through.
Highlights: “Hail the Abyss” and “On the Wings of Cosmic Fire”.
VHS – Quest For The Mighty Riff
Genre: Death/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Imagine a dedicated and fun-loving, retro-oriented traditional metal band with a power metal penchant for medieval tales of swords and chivalry… only it’s a death metal band. That’s what this is, in a nutshell, with some thrash riffs thrown in there to make sure they keep it nice and lively. There’s lots of sound bites from old VHS-era cult classics to go with the theme, and the song length and rhythm complexity are way down, making this an album you can jump in and enjoy the hell out of at any mental state,
Highlights: “The Fighting Eagle” and “Adventurers, Heroes, Brothers”.
Yakuza – Sutra
Genre: Progressive/experimental metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A restless, constantly shifting grunge-like progressive metal album with traces of Rivers of Nihil.
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, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
The Metal Dispatch 