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Weekly rundown July 15 – 2022
Hail to the filth! This is a death and sludge week, bringing you dirty, crushing mounds of pure heaviness. There are exceptions though – dark ponds of cleansing cold – if you can make it all the way through.
Antigama – Whiteout
Genre: Death metal/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is death-tinged grindcore that seems content to exist within fairly strict bounds of stark, rhythmic industrial metal. It gives it a kind of clinical and dystopian feel, with a few standout bangers.
Anova Skyway – Reset
Genre: Progressive hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A clean and slick sounding melodic “hard” prog rock. They seem more interested in exploring the softer, longing part of their sound, but the production and quality of the performances makes it feel a bit insincere.
Ashenspire – Hostile Architecture
Genre: Avant-garde black/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5With a spoken-word, agonized quality to most of the vocals, and them being a bit detached to the instrumentals, this feels in many ways like a confession and a life falling asunder at the same time. It’s very avant-garde, so don’t expect a typical black metal experience.
Battering Ram – Second To None
Genre: Heavy metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A band with an ear for catchiness. The vibe is very rock ‘n roll, with heavy metal heft. The rhythms are very rudimentary and zaps the overall experience of energy, but I imagine it will sound a lot better live.
Behold! The Monolith – The Fathomless Deep
Genre: Sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A dark and mountainous record that, despite having threatening, beast-like vocals and a kind of lovecraftian horror-theme going on, manages to give off a mellow vibe. The riffs feel like smooth boulders rather than jagged rock, and the pace is mostly sedate. Still, mixing a doomy tone and a bit of stoner groove, it all seems to suit the intended purpose, and it doesn’t get bogged down in to o much atmosphere. Give it a go with “The Wailing Blade” and “Crown/The Immeasurable Void”.
Black Capricorn – Cult Of Blood
Genre: Psychedelic/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Major fuzz-muzzle on this one – like hearing it trough a pillow. Thematically it feels ritualistic, with a primitive approach to rhythm and instrumental extravagance, making you want to stand up and sway side to side to it.
Celestial Wizard – Winds Of The Cosmos
Genre: Power/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5On paper this might sound like an odd combo, but think of it as an extreme power metal record first and foremost and that will allow you to savor all the juicy fun stored in those folk-y melodeath chugs. Honestly, it’s not too far off the likes of Ensiferum, just with the fantasy factor dialed up. The performances on here feel playful and adventurous, even though the material they’ve come up with is not particularly original. And while they’re definitely striving for the epic feel, they’ve largely managed to shed most of the cheesiness that comes with it. Try “Eternal Scourge” and “Revenant”.
Deathbringer – It
Genre: Progressive/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A rather hostile sounding prog death project that’s got that typical tech-y, calculated approach to the rhythm and guitar work. Some of the songs are true experiences, going on twisted little journeys of their own, but mostly the whole thing feels a bit disjointed as they try to figure out exactly what they want to sound like. And then the gaps are filled in with largely unnecessary interludes. There’s undeniable talent here, though.
The Ever Living – Artificial Devices
Genre: Alternative/electronic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5An album flooded with moody electronic ambience. It’s consistently melodic and low tempo all the way through, with some harsh vocals and black metal-ish guitars forming the heavy backbone. It’s well executed but a bit monotonous.
Graveshadow – The Uncertain Hour
Genre: Power/symphonic/folk metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5An epic and soaring thing balanced out with some grit in the form of extreme folk and heavy metal. The vibrato vocals and eager guitars dominate the experience, over quite simple base riffs and synth laden melodies. It largely works vey well, but could harmonize better, and is a bit lacking in standout moments.
Hissing – Hypervirulence Architecture
Genre: Experimental death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 4/5I might be a bit influenced by the album name, but this sounds like a sped-up, horrific virus infection translated into audio waves. It’s an unsettling listening experience from start to finish – pummeling drums competing with deranged guitar work that sounds like a mix of a furious insect swarm and rock slide. It’s a maelstrom of chaos that effectively pulls you along and into it, trapping you inside a relentless nightmare world. If you’re looking for something outside the norm of blackened death metal then you’ve found it here.
Ian Blurton’s Future Now – Second Skin
Genre: Hard/stoner rock/psychedelic metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is a cool one. It’s a slightly trippy, slightly punky, classic hard rock experience leaning into stoner groove and just a laid back, creative approach to melodic exploration. It’s not hampered by any overly retro production gimmicks (there’s ample fuzz, relax), and just sounds fresh and inviting. The energy that shines through from the performances is infectious and will most likely put you in a good mood. What? It can’t all be doom and gloom, right? Treat yourself with “Like a Ghost” and “When the Storm Comes Home”.
Inhuman Condition – Fearsick
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5The classic death metal revival lives on in style. You could accuse these guys of being formulaic, but why would that be a problem if they’re following the formula for success? They have certainly struck again with this record, delivering restrained rage, extreme precision and a tone that is so fine tuned to fit their style, it’s almost too perfect. The rowdy thrash influence makes sure the tempo stays high and we’re treated some great, dexterous riffs and solos. It might not be inventive, but it’s extremely to the point and stylistically confident. Check out “Recycled Hate” and “Fencewalker”.
Lucid Grave – Cosmic Mountain
Genre: Doom/psychedelic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A dissonant, lamenting affair that also feel like ritual chanting. There’s a disconnect between the vocals and the rest of the sound that I don’t think works too well, and even though they explore some different melodic territories, it takes a little too long to get there.
Mantar – Pain Is Forever And This Is The End
Genre: Sludge/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Ready for some nihilistic groove? This honestly feels like something Lemmy could have though up if he started out a little later and got influenced by the misanthropy of black metal. It’s got the noisy rock ‘n roll attitude, a bit of punk spite and a shade of gothic gloom. The songs on here have real character and stand on their own as individual highlights depending on your taste. They’ve got the production spot on, sounding dirty in a really clean and well defined way, if that makes sense. It’ll bring out your inner hooligan, this one. Try “Grim Reaping” and “New Age Pagan”.
Manticore – Endless Scourge Of Torment
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Some gravel-y and bleak blackened death metal that’s a little short on production and musical performance, but does fairly well on unholy atmosphere.
Maul – Seraphic Punishment
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This is death metal that wants to get up and move. There’s a lively groove metal element to it, backing up the classic death metal body. Unlike many of their peers, these guys manage to go further than just deliver quality retro death – they infuse it with a style of their own. While it’s mostly quite lively all the way through, there’s an otherworldly, ritualistic flavor to it. There’s certainly uses of tribal instruments, but they don’t drag us into the claustrophobic chaos of the jungle, instead aiming for something more open and grand. It fits very well with the spirited musical performances, and makes for something macabre-epic, yet still down to earth. Definitely check out “Repulsive Intruder” and “Infatuation”.
Metalucifer – Heavy Metal Ninja
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is one of those that has the words “heavy metal” in the title of every song – on which there are only four, but in both English and Japanese versions. It’s very classic, simply produced stuff, but clearly made with enthusiasm.
Molder – Engrossed In Decay
Genre: Death/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Bring on the grime! This is one of those filthy, ragged death metal albums that just want to entertain from start to finish. Drop the serious face and just commit to the headbanging. Your neck will be sore for days. It’s got an unsettling vibe over it, but in a 90s B-horror movie kind of way. The production is crisp though, which give the guitars a real rawness but also highlights the relative simplicity of it all. Although, that doesn’t really hurt the experience in any way. Jump into “Disinhumed Carcass Revived” and “Ghastly Mutation”.
Palace – One 4 The Road
Genre: Hard rock/AOR
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Tropes and ballads for miles and miles. I’d rather walk. Not bad for what it is though. It’s bright and spritely.
Rain City Drive – Rain City Drive
Genre: Alternative hard rock
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2/5Silky smooth, teen-oriented, clichéd, pampered-emo kind of stuff. It sounds big and will probably reach a big audience, so they don’t need any endorsements from me.
Jason Richardson & Luke Holland – II
Genre: Shred/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is pure instrumental flexing. I’d say it’s predominantly a shred record, but they do rest the guitar acrobatics on a chaotic bed of extremely tangent-prone modern prog metal. Meaning it’s very much on a road to nowhere, but that probably matters little to fans of this kind of thing.
Scarcity – Aveilut
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is black metal very much matching its detailed black and white photo album art. Complex, yet stark and deliberately one-dimensional. It has an organic feel to it, but not in any sort of vivid or chaotic sort of way – more in the way that its intricate shape serves a simple, definite purpose.
Sick N’ Beautiful – Starstruck
Genre: Industrial/alternative hard rock/metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5If you like a bit of theater in your metal, but without the epic flavor it usually comes with – something like In this Moment but much more hard rock – then you’re up the right street. I’d wish for a bit more energy and attitude, but the industrial, alt/goth mix works fairly well.
Sinner – Brotherhood
Genre: Heavy metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is classic swaggering heavy metal in the vein of Accept, just with more sleaze. Song titles like “We Came to Rock” and “Refuse to Surrender” pretty much say it all.
Witnesses – The Holy Water (EP)
Genre: Atmospheric doom metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5It’s been a while since I’ve heard doom ride the line between beauty and austerity with such a gripping result. It’s soothing, spooky and at times quite powerful. The production is fairly clean, which fits the exquisite vocals and allows the subtle textures of the instrumental performances to scratch itches inside your mind that you didn’t know you had. There’s only three tracks on here, so just start at the beginning.
Xenoglyph – Spiritfraud
Genre: Progressive black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This one comes sweeping in like a gale, but carrying with it the substance of a flood. There’s a feeling of cold indifference throughout, like these are natural forces at work – which can be both graceful and awe-inspiring. That being said, it doesn’t feel down to earth, traditional or folk-influenced- neither is it overly technical or artificial. It sort of exists on its own, mystical plane. There’s melancholy in the melody, a fallen majesty in the instrumental tone, and the mostly mid-tempo rhythm matches well with the atmosphere. Check out “Spiritfraud” and “Iconocide”.
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 08 – 2022
This week feels important somehow. The extreme side of metal stirs as from each of its twisted corners emerge a beast championing the hallmarks of its realm. Let’s see who ends up the victor.
Altaria – Wisdom
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A very mellow power metal album with a classic heavy metal sound. The rhythms are simplistic and restrained, the melodies are classic sing-along and the vocals likewise. Definitely some of the tamest tuff I’ve heard in a little while.
Ardours – Anatomy Of A Moment
Genre: Gothic rock/metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5This one is all about the beautiful, mildly sad harmonies. The vocals are great and the mood throughout the album a mix between early 2000s goth and more modern electronic rock.
Begrime Exemious – Rotting In The Aftermath
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some necrotic crypt-death coming your way. It’s mostly made up of very familiar elements put in a fairly predictable order, added a bit of groove and kicked the vocals far back in the mix. It’s dry and slightly blackened, just like my toaster makes ’em. It’s not bad at all, but don’t expect any surprises.
Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters – Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5They’re trying out a bunch of styles on this one. Building on the hard rock core there’s a bit of doom, country, folk, punk and alternative. Not all at once, luckily, but they dabble in all. It makes for a slightly confusing and inconsistent listen. Pair that with a lack of energy, and you’ve got a sound that’s really going nowhere.
Blackwater Drowning – Sonder//Satori
Genre: Melodic death metal/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Daniel Cordova wrote for Metal Injection that this sounds like a combo of Black Dahlia Murder and The Agonist, and it’s too spot on for me not to steal it. The riffs have that chug-melody to it and there’s a mix of heavy, chaotic parts and classic metalcore downtempo chorus sections. Everything sound a little bit thin, but also pretty well defined. What’s lacking a bit is a sense of adventurousness. It never really takes off to the sky or around a corner. But there’s clearly a lot of talent to build on.
Blind Channel – Lifestyles Of The Sick & Dangerous
Genre: Hardcore/melodic metal/pop
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is pure sheep in wolf’s clothing. Packed to the breaking point with pop harmonies and riddled with copy-paste vocal lines. I’m calling for euthanizing.
Cleanbreak – Coming Home
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A project that sounds like it grew out of hard rock into high-flying heavy metal. This is melodic and soaring without being bombastic. They make the instrumental output work well for their purpose, so it sounds good, just lacks a little in ambition.
Crossing Rubicon – Perfect Storm
Genre: Melodic hard rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5An emotional, ballad-d hard rock album that channels a few too many of the excesses of 80s pop metal for my liking.
Dead Tired – Satan Will Follow You Home
Genre: Hardcore/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Here we have a successful marriage between hardcore harshness and bitter black metal. The two circle and cross each other, some times simply bleeding off a veneer of influence, sometimes coming together to form some dirty black ‘n roll that brings to mind the less artsy side of Satyricon. Some times it slows all the way into doom territory, some times they even manage to work in a bit of atmosphere. Some times they turn the attitude all the way up and turn into a kind of blackened hardcore reminiscent of Kvelertak. Had they also worked in a stronger, dark melodic theme this could have been something truly special, though it’s still absolutely worth your time as it is. Check out “Predatory Loans” and “Tyrants Palace”.
End It – Unpleasant Living
Genre: Hardcore/punk
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A super quick, riffy, gang-vocals-touting and hard punching EP that’s over before you know i–
Greylotus – Dawnfall
Genre: Technical/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5The sonic equivalent of an excessively spiky, swirling and tangled mess of a thorn bush that also has beautiful flowers on it. This is an energetic tech death album where symphonic-quality melody is allowed to permeate all the way through, every now and then blooming into exquisite guitar solos. This is also an album that loves to run off on progressive tangents. This helps to further prove the substantial talent of the musicians behind it, but does also create holes in the progression. You might find that there’s not much of a clear path through the album, encouraging you to live in the moment, as it were, and just take one musical turn at a time.
HolyRoller – Swimming Witches
Genre: Stoner/psychedelic/hard rock
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Mid-tempo grooves, slightly spacey melodies and a nice, full mix. This is cruise-along hard rock with a chilled out, but still knowing attitude. It’s all pretty familiar if you know the type, but they do know how to write strong, characterful songs.
Kanine – Karnage
Genre: Deathcore/brutal death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A slamming, gurgling chug fest from start to finish, this is one for you who just want to bang your head loose off your spinal column. It does utilize all the most tried and tested tricks in the book of stupidly heavy, and so doesn’t exactly sound fresh. And the problem with all brutal all the time is that there’s no contrast. But it sounds good, and if you just want damn heavy, you got it.
Left To Suffer – And Dying Forever (EP)
Genre: Deathcore/nu metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A mostly monomelodic, staccato-rhythmic kind of thing reminiscent of the angrier parts of hardcore. But they also switch it up with more hip-hop-influenced beats and effects, and also slightly softer metalcore harmonies. It seems almost designed to make a small indoor venue crowd erupt into frenzied stomping at precise intervals.
The Machinist – All Is Not Well
Genre: Metalcore/groove/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This sounds more like seasoned veterans playing around with their carefully honed core sound than a young band looking to establish theirs. Which is impressive considering this only their second full-length. And it means you get all of that youthful aggression but also the mature wisdom not to stray too far in their experimentation. Their style is metalcore flexing into hardcore and deathcore, mixed with modern, groove-laden melodeath. It is more comfortable with dissonance than melody, which robs them of a little character, but they partly make up for it with strong lyrical content. Give “Monsters” and “Lysergic Lullaby” a try.
Opponent – Sentinel
Genre: Melodic groove/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Here we have some heavily riff-driven groove leaning into melodeath, but with a good bit of its melodic potential leeched by an influence of nihilistic industrial metal. Which makes it fast, aggressive, technical and fairly catchy, but also kind of soulless. Also, the production has left it sounding rather sharp and a bit tinny, further robbing in of warmth and richness.
Organectomy – Nail Below Nail
Genre: Brutal death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This one, like most of its ilk, is all about that sledgehammer rhythm, supported by a liberal use of kick drum and pummeling riffs. The vocals are surprisingly near-understandable, and the dissonance of the squealy melodies just the right pitch to take on that disturbing-evil vibe, so the whole thing doesn’t come off as overly gimmicky. There is, however, a kind of robotic feel to the structure, and I find myself sitting rather passive through the whole thing.
Pestilent Hex – The Ashen Abhorrence
Genre: Symphonic black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is pitch black metal symph-ed up in that tasteful, dark magic kind of way that only really the Finnish know how to do. And it’s not like they’ve gone nuts with the production or too technical with the instruments – most of this is that primal, mid-tempo march zazzed up with some blast beats and tremolo. The melodic backdrop is lofty in the way that a towering forest canopy envelops you in a world of dark, natural wonder. They sneak in a bit of that pagan folk vibe as well, without it clashing with the pained venom of the snarly black metal core. Give it a go with “Chapter II: Nature of the Spirit” and “Chapter VI: Banishment”.
Seep – Hymns To The Gore
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some putrid, abattoir-dwelling death metal for you. The sound is primitive both in musical execution and production, which works for the vintage gore-horror theme. There is hardly any variation to speak of across the whole album, but if you just want a hit of morbidity, it’s here for you.
Set The Sun – In Absentia
Genre: Melodic metal/alternative rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is electronica-infused, slightly atmospheric, accessible alt rock bolstered by some djent-y riffs. It’s better than what I make it sound like, but it also exist beyond my horizon of musical interest.
Sweet Freedom – According to Jörgen Schelander
Genre: Progressive/psychedelic hard rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Melodic, old-school style hard rock that, at least stylistically, has one foot on progressive turf. The melodies are strong and lively, and the whole album radiates a mature kind of optimism.
Telekinetic Yeti – Primordial
Genre: Doom/psychedelic metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Here’s one that sucks you in like a vortex with no end. Once you’re caught there’s little point resisting so you might as well lean back and enjoy the ride. There are a few twists and turns along the way as the tempo momentarily shifts, but at some point you return to that steady, slow swirl. Metaphors aside, they strike a good balance between threatening fuzz dissonance and howling, squealy guitar melody to create a semi-surreal, dark kind of sound that sees you almost surprised every time there’s any significant change to the progression. Which doesn’t mean they don’t change it up every now and then, but the strong tonal consistence ensures that the immersion is top notch. If you like otherworldly doom with some crunch and groove, this is all for you. Try “Primordial” and “Beast”.
Vomit Forth – Seething Malevolence
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Now for something that sounds like it’s straight out of the nine circles of hell. Or rather, it feels like we as the listeners are transported there to be treated to the full filthy, deranged, torturous experience. You can even imagine the jagged riffs as the chomping and gnashing of some unspeakable horror’s teeth. They also employ sound effects, instrumental or otherwise, to fill the soundscape with snarls, groans, chittering, lamentation and other unpleasantries you might expect to find echoing around the caverns of the underworld. And somehow they don’t even come close to overdoing it. It’s disturbing and brutal, but still very much purposeful and even rather catchy at times. Take a dive into the inferno with “Eucharist Intact” and “Seething Malevolence”.
Wormrot – Hiss
Genre: Grindcore
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 5/5You know you’re in for it when even the “interludes” are fucking furious. This is by far the best utilization of the typical traits of grindcore that I’ve heard all year, even as the album transcends the subgenre at any point it so pleases. I’m not going to bother listing all the other influences on display, but know that there’s more than enough to richly flavor the duration of the experience without breaking with the sonic theme. This is not your typical concept album where you embark on one continuous journey. Rather it’s like running down a corridor lined with open doors, catching glimpses of the very extremes that humanity has to offer as you pass them by. The variation on display here seems a near impossibility with the overpowering core of the sound being unbridled ire from start to finish, but somehow they pull it off. Two tracks won’t nearly give you the flavor of the whole record, but start with “Behind Closed Doors” and “Voiceless Choir”.
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 01 – 2022
A rather meager week in terms of volume, but one that makes up for it with the weight of its heavy hitters. Better brace yourself – they’re pretty hostile.
The Bearer – Chained To A Tree
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5This one’s brimming with go-nuts-energy. I can vividly imagine the broken teeth on the floor of the moshpits. This is a kind of blackened hardcore, with some cold tremolo and a taste of the occult in the theme. Mostly, though, it’s chaotic, dissonant and uncompromising.
Between The Killings – Reflection Of Murder (EP)
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5We’ve got some brutal death metal here leaning heavily on the morbid. The vocals are, as you expect, incomprehensible and the drums ping-y. The whole thing feels to be without much purpose, just a collection of heavy riffs wrapped in a disturbing tone.
Blood Command – Praise Armageddonism
Genre: Punk/hardcore/pop
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A record bursting with enthusiasm and immature spite. There is, however, more than enough maturity demonstrated in their composing skills and grasp of their stylistic direction. It’s catchy, raucous and just a bit experimental. Jump in if you like punky hard rock and the lighter side of hardcore.
Conjurer – Páthos
Genre: Experimental sludge/black metal/deathcore
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This is one of those where, while listening to it, you can’t help but feel that there’s something terribly wrong with the world. It channels a darkness that feels familiar – not something imagined or superficial. And the anger it radiates seems to be rooted in anguish. Needless to day, this is not going to put you in a good mood, but it will almost certainly move you. The transitions from brutality to tranquility are chillingly well executed, and despite keeping a fairly slow pace you rarely feel like they’re stalling. Give “It Dwells” and “Basilisk” a try.
Downfall – Behind The Curtain
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is some quick, down ‘n dirty hardcore built on raw riffs and rusty vocals. The production lets them down a bit, but the attitude shines through.
Existence Dysphoria – Minus Negative
Genre: Progressive sludge/doom
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Heavy and unyielding as a bulldozer and abyssal in tone, this one will crush you into submission. It plays around with just enough groove to make it a rewarding listen, but be prepared for a ponderous pace and fairly repetitive rhythms.
Goatriders – Traveler
Genre: Progressive/experimental hard/stoner rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5This one’s far out. The players seem to be doing pretty much what they want throughout the album with little to no coordination or guidance. It’s disharmonic and spacey. Some might find it meditative, but for me it’s too directionless.
Haunt – Windows Of Your Heart
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Retro through the roof. These guys nail the tone on capturing that old school heavy metal spirit. It’s tight, fast and just a bit gloomy. There’s plenty to love, but – and this might just be me – is it too much, or wrong, to ask that the vocals harmonize with the melodies? And while there’s no question of technical skill, I find myself missing the enthusiasm on this one.
Randy Holden – Population III
Genre: Avant-garde/psychedelic/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5If you’re type of person that find yourself spellbound by an exploratory guitar backed up by a bit of atmosphere, then this is for you. This one goes places – trippy places to be sure – but it’s pleasant and fairly immersive all the way through. The tone is nice and nostalgic and the whole thing feels liberatingly carefree.
Horizon Ignited – Towards The Dying Lands
Genre: Melodic death metal/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Let’s just get one thing out of the way to start. This is NOT for fans of that original Gothenburg melodeath sound. This is far more modern and accessible. I kind of want to describe it as contemporary In Flames meets Believe era Disturbed, which has its pros and cons. Lots of good melody, great solos and catchy riffs. My biggest reservations are a lack of energy in the rhythm section and not too strong performances in the clean side of the vocals.
Hulder – The Eternal Fanfare (EP)
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Finally, some black metal that attacks the low-fi approach in an interesting way – dishing it out where it has the right effect and largely making sure not to overuse it. There’s such an intimate control over that “genuine” sound demonstrated here – knowing just which elements to tweak – a riff here, a tremolo shred there, a tasteful reverb to the vocals, a certain tone to the melodies. The result is something that sounds like a love letter to the musical highlights of the genre while sacrificing none of the depth of a proper production. Have at it with “Sylvan Awakening” and “A Perilous Journey”.
Kings Never Die – The Good Times And The Bad (EP)
Genre: Hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some rousing, rowdy hardcore here. Lots of gang vocals, energetic rhythms and frantic riffing. It sounds just right and don’t descend into punk rock clichés. It’s fairly simple and straightforward and designed to get you out of your seat.
Massacre – Mythos (EP)
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Straight up, horror infused death metal on the menu. It sounds brilliantly spooky, but that still comes second in line to the absolute riff fest that’s allowed to dominate. It’s heavy, it’s crunchy and it’s angry. There’s not a lot more to ask for. Jump into “Behind the Serpent’s Curse” and “The Dunwich Horror”, and by that point you’re already halfway through, so just keep going.
Mexicoma – Kalpa
Genre: Hard rock/stoner
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A punchy stoner record with a hard rock kind of mentality to rhythm and lyrical content, but with a rough, groove-sludgy edge. Unfortunately they run out of steam about mid-album before picking it back up towards the end.
Municipal Waste – Electrified Brain
Genre: Thrash metal/hardcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5For all of you who are keen on thrash keeping that youthful protest attitude alive and well in the music, rejoice! This one goes from brawl to brawl like it’ can’t get enough, and doesn’t pull punches – shredding like their lives depended on it. Which is great, but they also don’t switch up their fight moves much, relying on repetition and momentum to win the day (shall we call it button mashing?). If victory by any means is fine by you, and you reward tenaciousness over innovation, then you’ve got your fighter right here.
Orthodox – Proceed
Genre: Avant-garde sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5If you listen really carefully you can hear the odd vocal line down below that avalanche of fuzz. This one feels almost mechanical in its approach, like a rhythmically churning machine. Or some organic hybrid. It’s not easy listening, that’s for sure.
Greg Puciato – Mirrorcell
Genre: Alternative/experimental metal/grunge
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Alright, here we’ve got an artist channeling a wealth of influences into one churning maelstrom mixing them all up inside his own bay of sensibility. Greg’s got one of the strongest signatures in heavy music today, both when it comes to vocal character and composing, and it’s all on show here. It’s trying a whole bunch of different directions out for size, but pulls them all together with a distinct ribbon of flavor. Alright, enough with the metaphors – it’s sometimes heavy, sometimes melodic in a soulful, slightly pained way, and always expressive. In the end this is going to be a very subjective experience, but whether it moves you or not there’s still plenty to objectively marvel at here.
Saint Asonia – Introvert (EP)
Genre: Hard Rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Like you might expect from the caliber of these musicians here, this sounds great. Vocal prowess, instrumental tone, richness of detail – it’s all there. As far as the actual compositions go, that’s a whole different story. And your opinion on this EP is going to depend entirely on whether you care about this or not.
Derek Sherinian – Vortex
Genre: Progressive metal/shred
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Let the keyboard shredding commence. If you like to listen to what is essentially an instrument master’s (and friends’) jam session dressed up and given vague purpose, then this is for you. It’s wild, a bit bluesy, and mostly really fun.
Shinedown – Planet Zero
Genre: (Hard) rock
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A slightly rough-edged rock album built around a pop-sensible core and then bloated to the breaking point with largely pointless interludes and single-focus soft anthems. But then this obviously wasn’t made for me.
Swim or Drown – Torment (EP)
Genre: Hardcore/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A dirty and straightforward medium portion of hardcore that delivers on aggression and that raw, primitive riffing that gets you moving in front of the stage.
Thirteen Goats – Servants of the Outer Dark
Genre: Blackened death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3/5These guys hit a sweet spot with this one as far as I’m concerned. It sounds like they’re having fun playing with the subgenre, eager to get the sound right and less concerned with establishing a good flow or song structure. And I as the listener am having fun right along with them. It’s noisy, dastardly-evil and full of infectious energy. Sure, some of the song section transitions are about as graceful as Satan’s pet on rollerblades, but they usually lead to some great headbanging. Try “Return to Ruin” and “Vacuum-Induced Head Explosion”.
Tragos – Radix Mendosus
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A work of death metal that has a touch of epic tragedy to it. Unfortunately, it’s severely let down by poor production and some really odd choices in regards to melody, meaning it exists on a half-plane between melodic and dissonant.
Tuscoma – Gu-cci
Genre: Black/experimental metal/hardcore
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5I feel like this is the musical equivalent to spending a prolonged amount of time next to a loud fire alarm. It’s unsettling all they way through and, while having no real rhythmic or melodic handles to settle on, keeps demanding your attention. If that’s the experience you’re looking for, then this is absolutely quality stuff. It’s conceptually strong and tonally consistent.
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 24 – 2022
It’s time to throw caution to the wind. This weeks highlights might be a mixed goodie bag of different subgenres, but they demonstrate supreme confidence in their chosen lane and go all-out, be it the way of aggression, brutality or melodic madness.
10,000 Years – III
Genre: Stoner/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A heavy stoner record that starts off with a bang, then unfortunately runs out of steam along the way. It’s got a great crunch/fuzz tone and some nice, groovy rhythms, and it’s not that I don’t like the atmospheric parts – I just think they’re used too much and in the wrong places.
Alestorm – Seventh Rum Of A Seventh Rum
Genre: Folk/party metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5If you’re just looking for fun background music at your party in the festival camp grounds, don’t hesitate to add this to the list. But there really isn’t much more to look for on here. Overly anthemic, hollow-sounding, with most of what makes it metal feeling like it’s added as a coating over simple, synth-driven melodies.
Aximoa – Sepsis
Genre: Black/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Here’s some sludgy black metal, of which the listening experience feels a bit like going through a meat grinder. The pace is relentless and even to the point where repetitiveness sets in. It’s dark and snarly, and should offers enough variation to satisfy a fan of the style.
Betraying The Martyrs – Silver Lining (EP)
Genre: Symphonic metalcore/deathcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5How about a medium dose of big, beat driven, chorus focused metalcore leaning heavily into its shadow side of deathcore? As a showcase this EP works very well to deliver a uniform impression of where the band is at, and if this style is your jam, then chances are good you’ll really dig it.
BongBongBeerWizards – Ampire
Genre: Atmospheric sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5This album is all atmosphere and ground shaking riffs. Listening to it conjures images of massive subterranean shapes moving through the earth. It’s definitely concise, to the point where the whole thing might as well be a single song, which works well if you just want to lean into the experience.
Candy – Heaven Is Here
Genre: Hardcore/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5If you feel like the sonic equivalent of sandpaper passing through your ears is just the ticket to scratch that special little itch that nothing else seems to get to, then here’s some medium-to-coarse grit for you. This is dissonant and hellishly aggressive stuff, but let it tap into your dark side and it’ll get your blood pumping to the rhythm of chugging riffs and gritting your teeth to hoarse roars. It’s not all punishment, though – every now and then your persistence is rewarded with headbanging-friendly beats and a slight bit of groove.
Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis II: A Window Of The Waking Mind
Genre: Progressive hard rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5I’m gonna try to be short on this one, cause it’s a little outside my realm. This is obviously a well established sound crafted by people who are very well in sync. And still they jump from base to base on this one, trying new things. The fact that I have little love some of those styles means it’s largely not for me, but it’s all excellently blended and finished.
Dali Van Gogh – New Blood, Old Wounds (EP)
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2/5I appreciate the dark tone they’re going for, but overall it feels stale and almost entirely lacking any sort of finesse.
Darkane – Inhuman Spirits
Genre: Melodic death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5The melodeath/thrash mashup isn’t one you get served every day, and perhaps with good reason? While they do make it work to a certain point on this album, there’s still a bit of a disconnect where the heavy, slightly ponderous death metal side tugs on the reigns of the punky thrash racehorse that just wants to sprint and leap hurdles all day. Still, there’s good dark melody and groove on here, so definitely give it a spin if you’re exited that these guys are back with something new.
DAWN OF DESTINY – OF SILENCE
Genre: Power/symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is one of those where, really, you’ve heard it all before, but there are just a few details lifting it clear of mediocrity. There’s a bit of folk mixed into here, and they know how to match instrumental and vocal output to whatever level of intensity they’re going for at any point.
Dying Desolation – Midnight
Genre: Alternative metal/metalcore
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A youthful outburst of moody aggression, electronic melodies and those slightly whiny, over-sincere clean vocals that makes my skin crawl. They’ve got a decently dark tone going though, and do get into a few cool riff sections.
Fallen Sanctuary – Terranova
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Some fast, extravagant and melodic power metal that is at its best when it’s all bells and whistles. Unfortunately, like you might expect, they are very ballad prone.
Final Light – Final Light
Genre: Industrial/doom/electronic metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5No matter what you might think of the mashup of subgenres I use to try and pin down the style of this album – if you like dark, slow and expansive metal, then go for it. Even if you’re not into electronic instrumentation, you really won’t mind it, cause a lot of the time it produces more or less the same effect as a low tuned guitar, with an added spookiness factor. This is a work which explores dark spaces and tells (growls) you wicked tales along the way. The immersion is fantastic and it all just sounds great. Become spellbound with “In the Void” and “Ruin to Decay”.
Guillotine A.D. – Born To Fall
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Some real sinewy death metal on the menu here. With great deliberation it grinds painfully along, sometimes letting go and skipping into higher gear. If you’re all about mid tempo then you’re in for something ominous, that uses repetition for effect and throws in subtle variations for a bit of flavor.
Hats Barn – Y.a.HW.e.H
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5We’re into some classic low-fi black metal here, with little to no bass, dry ice guitars and ragged vocals. The execution is not bad, it’s just exactly what you expect and very little more.
Horned Wolf – Become Like They Are
Genre: Melodic death/sludge/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This one has the scent of great potential. It’s not really like anything I’ve heard before – mixing dirty tone, sharp vocals and a fairly thin production with the heft, groove and dark melody of melodeath. The biggest clash comes when the vocal disharmony meets the fairly clean, melancholic instrumental melodies. As a concept it’s very interesting – what lacks so far is a little more creativity in the details and maturity in the composition.
Hush – The Pornography of Ruin
Genre: Sludge/experimental metal/funeral doom
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Let the melancholy wash over you. This is anguished sludge that transitions into these long death sighs of slow, tortured melody. Everything seems a little uncertain about where it wants to go next, which works well conceptually, but makes it a tough listening experience.
Khold – Svartsyn
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Some times it’s just such a relief to hear that old school, primitive black metal sound still alive and kicking among all the avant-garde, speed-punk, post-psychedelic darkwave noise. And these guys don’t compromise by trying to be ironic or tongue-in-cheek in any way. This is bleak, spiteful and to the point. Maybe not the most distinct sound you’ll hear in your life, and not really innovative in any way, but it’s quality. Dive into “Apostel” and “Ødslet Blod”
Knoll – Metempiric
Genre: Death metal/grindcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Ready for an all out assault from a dissonant, monstrous, unholy creation of the deep? Listening to this feels like experiencing the most harrowing part of a horror tale continuously and without letdown for the duration of the album. Which is certainly an experience to be had if you’re interested, but also quite tiring.
Limbs – Coma Year
Genre: Melodic metalcore/hardcore
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some rage-out-loud, melodic and melancholic metal/hardcore with those over-sincere choruses that I’m pretty much allergic to. The aggressive stuff is fairly technical, and the melodies are memorable, so it works well for what it is.
Mine Collapse – Delusions
Genre: Sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A noisy and rough thing that cruises on groove and embraces chaos the moment it speeds up. It’s got a nice fullness to it and a bit of melancholy in the melody, but overall it doesn’t really progress much across the record.
Mirror Queen – Inviolate
Genre: Heavy/psychedelic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Here’s a light-stepping record that manages a fusion of tranquil and gloomy atmosphere while riding on classic riffs and some understated shredding. The whole thing feels a little sedated, and doesn’t leave too much of an impact.
Mystery Dudes – Exit Through the Wormhole
Genre: Stoner metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5I don’t often call for more sophistication in a stoner record, but let this one serve as an exception to the rule. Don’t get me wrong, I like the laid back attitude that’s demonstrated here, but performance wise it feels like the equivalent of a dilapidated house with various loose materials clanging in the wind.
Our Dying World – Hymns of Blinding Darkness
Genre: Symphonic/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A superficially heavy death-ish record that just doesn’t hold up performance or composition wise.
Paganizer – Beyond The Macabre
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Some delightfully morbid crypt-death coming your way. Like you’ll probably expect, it doesn’t offer much in the way of innovation, but it’s also remarkably far from stale, in great deal thanks to some effective drum work. The tone, especially that of the guitars, is perfect for this, and the collective output comes together to create a determined beast of a thing, bulldozing its way ahead on its own terms. It’s old school in style, with all the punch afforded by a modern production. Jump into “Raving Rhymes of Rot” and “You are What You Devour”.
Pathos & Logos – Cult (EP)
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A short record so momentarily fleeting in what it’s trying to achieve at any given time that it’s near impossible to get a firm grasp. Also, the slow solo work just doesn’t hold up.
Philosophobia – Philosophobia
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A solid attempt at creating something coherent out of something wildly tangent-prone. And the consistency throughout is good, showing potential in marrying heavier and more melodic styles of prog. But the craftmanship is not quite there yet, as you’re left without any strong traits or really outstanding parts.
Profiler – Profiler (EP)
Genre: Progressive/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Some progressive, alternative hard rock infused with the heaviness of nu metal and a bit of djent. And it’s not a formulaic thing – some though went into this, crafting solid, edgy melodies and great sounding, pummeling riffs for a nice, stompy contrast to the more atmospheric cleaner sections.
Projected – Hypoxia
Genre: Alternative metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A melodic and slightly melancholic record that feels genuinely sincere. There are traces of modern melodeath on it, but for the most part it’s much more mellow than that. Maybe a little too mellow for its own good. But it’s well composed and justified in its moodiness.
Rebel Priest – Lesson In Love (EP)
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Imagine a mix of Mötorhead and Van Halen, then low-fi-stomp the production, and you’ll end up with something like this. It’s not as bizarre to listen to as it might sound, just a little… unsatisfying. Lots of great playing on here though.
RXPTRS – Living Without Death’s Permission
Genre: Hardcore/hard rock/emo
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Apart from lively heavy riffing and pretty great drum work, this is fairly standard emo rock dressed in wolf’s clothing and near-impersonating Myles Kennedy’s vocal style. Each side works well by itself, but standing on the shore of metal, this doesn’t quite cut it.
Saor – Origins
Genre: Folk/black/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is a prime example of how to make an atmospheric-sounding album without it feeling sluggish or overly dwelling. A spirited folk… spirit… prevails here, forcing an eager and upbeat progression, even when the sound is otherwise dark and brooding. The use of traditional instruments doesn’t at all feel gimmicky, even working over galloping rhythms, and they sprinkle character and nuance all over the record. The musicianship is outstanding, while not alienating in its technicality. Instead inviting you in with a well of enticing detail and enthusiasm. Give it a go with “Origins” and “The Ancient Ones”.
Serpent Spawn – Crypt Of Torment (EP)
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Some enjoyably evil-sounding death metal that’s a bit lacking in the composing and vocal department. A good few things to like here, though, so lots of room for improvement.
Veter Daemonaz – Muse Of The Damned
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A simultaneously aggressive and atmospheric work of black metal that sounds and feels grand in scope and level of ambition. And while it unquestionably sounds good – raspy, dry and full at the same time – the dominating harsh and heavy parts are simply too hard to tell apart. It feels like the same structure and rhythm over and over, for large sections of the album. With a bit more variation this could have been truly excellent.
Victorius – Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 – The Great Ninja War
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5As concept albums go, this has got to be as silly as they come. The lyrics and melodies are as clichéd as can be, the production is thin and the whole thing feels as organic as a twinkie. But if you find the lyrical theme entertaining, you’ll probably see past all that.
Volcandra – Border World (EP)
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5An explosion of an hyper-aggressive, technical and melodic black metal EP. It’s got some traces of sci-fi and video game inspiration sprinkled over it, which to the right audience will make it all the more interesting. With the intense riffage going on they still found room for some melody, and it manages the difficult task of riding that dark/epic edge without sounding corny. Try “Guardian” and “Tallon IV”
Werewolves – From The Cave To The Grave
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5I didn’t think it was possible for these guys to sound even more pissed off than they did on their previous record, which dropped last year by the way. But somehow they’ve outdone themselves, and their music has benefited from it. This is balls-to-the-wall aggression, with jackhammer-on-speed drums and woodchipper-from-hell guitars. It’s perfectly over-the-top and cheekily diabolical, and while it gets a little repetitive towards the end, it never loses that insane glee that for me elevates this above a lot of other tongue-in-cheek, hyper violent death metal. Give “We Are Better Than You” and “All the Better to Eat You With” a listen.
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 17 – 2022
This is a week for surprises. Power metal is leaving a real mark, and even the dark stuff isn’t all that depressive. Well… with one or two important exceptions. Definitely stick with it till the end.
Aptera – You Can’t Bury What Still Burns
Genre: Doom/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A mid-paced doom record that invokes images of dark forest ritual chanting. It’s been dirtied up by a sludgy vocal style, which works well, but also some really sour guitar solo parts that I feel clashes with the rest.
Ataraxy – The Last Mirror
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5The intention to make a full on death doom record is felt on this one, but seems like they pulled back along the way. This has left us with something that is absolutely slow and gloomy for long stretches, but also can’t help but let loose some devilish mayhem every now and then. The vocal style certainly would fit a pure death metal sound better.
Atramentum – Through Fire, Everything Is Renewed
Genre: Black/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5This record has the whiff of genius to it, but this unfortunately dissipates throughout the listening experience. There’s a touch of dark madness to the tone which lends itself really well to the black/progressive blend. Unfortunately it’s not backed up by anything really coherent, and seems to be reaching all over the place, refusing to grasp a solid melody or rhythm.
Blasphemous Creation – Beyond The Grave (EP)
Genre: Death/black/speed metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5These guys stretch the death metal sound in really fun direction. It’s fast, with straightforward riffs, a good dose of playfulness and a layer of dry black metal ash coated on top. It’s really entertaining, so you can forgive it for being fairly sloppily composed.
Brutta – Brutta
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Not the most successful attempt at a blackened death metal record you’ll hear this week. It fails to really extract any of the highlights of the two subgenres, and so the two end up diluting each other.
Caravellus – Inter Mundos
Genre: Symphonic/progressive/power metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5For all their obvious instrumental talent, it’s remarkable how unsuccessful they’ve been at locking down any decent melody lines. Which makes pairing fairly simple lyrics with on-the-heavy-side prog riffs and big effects a bit of a miss in my book. But they do try a few interesting things on here.
Chaos Magic – Emerge
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Symphonic metal with a hard-rock streak to the rhythms and slight aggression to the riffs, topped by some insistent synth mashing.
Civil War – Invaders
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5An album that reminds you that power metal can be great. While not every song on this album exhibits the same energy or grandeur, there are plenty which fire on all cylinders and give you exactly what you crave. It’s big and bold, with soaring melodies, but also enough heft to it to harken back to the classics, before the genre started choking on its on clichés. I hear Dio in the vocals, and that in itself goes a very long way. Check out “Invaders” and “Warrior Soul”.
Denouncement Pyre – Forever Burning
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Gotta love it when black metal gets too pissed not to rip out some hot-headed riffs. And when it’s as well produced as this, you know you’re in for a treat. The guitars are raw, the vocals crisp, and the tone suitably diabolical throughout. They dare to get into enough dark melody that each song stands out, and offer decent variation in tempo. Some death metal red mist rage and squealy shredding takes it up another notch. Try “Hung Like Swine” and “The Opposer of Light”.
Elektric Mistress – Chapter 99
Genre: Doom/heavy/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Get into a groove with this one. This is cheeky stoner hard rock with added heavy metal heft. It’s alive with a tongue-in-cheek desire to corrupt your innocence. While they could do with tightening up their production and performances, they show a lot of promise and are already crafting great vibes.
Exocrine – The Hybrid Suns
Genre: Technical/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5How about some death metal with all the aggression and speed of tech, with a strong injection of melodic prog along the lines of the Devin Townsend Project? Sounds like a great recipe, and the result lives up to the hype. This album assaults you in waves of staggering riff complexity and intensity, then transition into sections of grandiose and spirited melody in between. The production allows for a detailed appreciation of everything that’s going on, while still securing an awesome fullness to really boost the tidal wave of brutality. While they’re still a few steps away from truly standing out as something unique among their peers, this is about as stellar as it gets. Let “The Hybrid Suns” and “End of Time” wash over you.
Charlie Griffiths – Tiktaalika
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5There isn’t many metal styles I’d consider describing as magical without in the same breath of air throwing in words like whimsical, bloated or about as substantial as a bag of fairy dust. This one belongs among the exceptions. It’s adventurous and mystical in a kind of impatient way, bolstered by the will to top off its constant bursts of creativity with forcefulness and aggression. It glitters and shines, but it also rips. If you’re ready for a bit of a journey, you’re in for a full spectrum experience on this one. Get a taste with “Arctic Cemetery” and “Dead in the Water”.
High Castle Teleorkestra – The Egg That Never Hatched
Genre: Experimental metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Talking about going on an adventure – this one takes you to all the strange corners. It’s like the album has a mood of its own, and it’s wildly bipolar, ramping up and down in the blink of an eye and having no interest in its bearings as it speeds and stumbles off in random directions. If that sounds like fun to you, then it will be.
Inexorum – Equinox Vigil
Genre: Melodic death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Here’s some melodeath that takes me back to the classic stuff of the likes of In Flames. It’s fast and angry, but steadfast in its structure and brimming with folk-tinged melody. There’s also a definite black metal infusion, but mostly in vocal style and some instrumental choices. The tone is, for the most part, fairly upbeat. If you’re feeling nostalgic, this will hit you right in the sweet spot. If you’re just looking for some good, slightly blackened melodeath, this will equally scratch that itch. Give it a shot with “Until There’s Nothing Left” and “Such Impossible Sights”.
Infanteria – Patriarch
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2,5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A dose of thrash for you. Bit of aggression, bit of melody, bit of groove. It has moments where it all comes together, usually in the faster, angrier bits, but fails to impress overall.
Jorn – Over The Horizon Radar
Genre: Hard rock/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5I’ll give it this – it sounds good. The vocal work is great and the tone conjures up a particular kind of laid-back-party-in-space kind of atmosphere. The rhythms, however, are mind-numbingly dull.
Nova Twins – Supernova
Genre: Nu metal/electronic rock/hip-hop
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is a vibrant mix of a bunch of different things. You’ve got the bass-y, beat driven riffing of nu metal with rapping and electro-distorted singing, along with some industrial groove and shock rock flair in the vain of Rob Zombie. Sound like too much? It isn’t, really, and I actually wish they leaned even harder into their different musical influences. What bothers me is that their best melodies are reserved for their more pop-oriented tunes, and they never really take off with the energy. But flavorful, for sure.
Oni – Loathing Light
Genre: Groove/progressive metal/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Up for something melodic, angry and modern with some actual integrity? You got it here. You’ve got plenty of cool riffs, clean and harsh vocals serving each their part of the intensity scale and a bit of playfulness in the rhythm section. For me though, the production lets them down, with both guitars and drums sounding flat and slightly muted – almost… out of breath. And they fail to find the big grooves that really leave an impact – inducing nodding but not so much banging.
Seven Kingdoms – Zenith
Genre: Power/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Who knew power metal could be this gutsy? All it took was some amazing vocal talent filled to the brim with conviction, instrumental performances radiating enthusiasm and a healthy dose of heavy- and thrash metal heft and aggression. Yes, so not something you just happen upon. This is excellently crafted and serving the subgenre to its fullest by matching its high-flying theater with some actual fire and flames. They do dip into the ballad pool every now and then, which Is hardly necessary when the rest is so melodic. But it luckily doesn’t get to dominate the listening experience. Check out “Diamond Handed” and “Chasing the Mirage”.
Tungsten – Bliss
Genre: Power/folk metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5If you only heard the first song on this, you might be forgiven to mistake it for some unholy mix of power metal and deathcore. Alas, they calm down significantly after this and revert to a much more traditional power/folk path with some heavy riffs and a bit of growling every now and then. And and that point, there’s not more more you should expect from this.
Vatican – Ultra
Genre: Hardcore/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Ever wondered what Hatebreed might sound like with a swarm of wasps up their collective behind? Yeah, this is metalcore of that old school, hardcore variant, added an extra layer of umph and unable to resist the temptation to let the rhythm erratically veer off into other realms. It’s well executed, but the album ends without leaving all that much of an impact.
Vexes – Imagine What We Could Destroy (If Only Given Time)
Genre: Alternative/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5An absolute mammoth of a 24-track album delivering melodic and slightly moody material that varies between a hard, progressive direction and a much softer, cleaner parts dominated by electronic ambience. For a passive listening experience it matters less that it’s nearly two hours long, but for active listening you will more than likely end up feeling saturated about halfway through. It’s a shame, cause a selection of the best songs on here could make up a pretty great album.
Vypera – Eat Your Heart Out
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Some straight out of the eighties melodic hard rock, ballads and anthems included. If you want to get into that mood though, it’s really not bad at all.
White Ward – False Light
Genre: Experimental black/doom metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Get ready for that saaaaax. Yes, the metal saxophone renaissance is very real and absolutely prominent on here. Some might say overly prominent, but that’s a matter of taste. And in any case, don’t let it distract you from experiencing one of the best sounding records this year. Aside from the fact that each song appears infused with netherworldly life, like a collection of spirits each fluxing and surging as they see fit according to their individual nature, every sound is fine tuned to serve a specific part in the sonic landscape. They’re all as clear as they need to be (the drums sound particularly fantastic) to sublimely contrast and complement each other. And the contrasts on here are indeed striking – shifting from dark, jazzy and atmospheric folk to thundering, blackened death metal and several other states in between. My biggest problem with it is that there’s not more of it. Get a taste with “False Light” and “Silence Circles”.
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 10 – 2022
Not the most bountiful week, but with some tasty highlights indeed, ranging from the atmospheric and dark to the all-out furious. Come sate your appetite.
Above And Below – Suffer Decay Alone
Genre: Industrial metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is some creepy-sounding digital madness with your typical static industrial riffing at its core. Not bad if you want to get into the mind of a machine overlord.
Adamantis – The Daemon’s Strain (EP)
Genre: Power/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5It’s rare that I get into a power metal album, so this was a refreshing change. This one has some grit to it, and the vocals, like the rest of the production, never really go over the top, which in this case ensures a satisfyingly un-theatrical overall tone.
American Anymen – Cities Changing Names
Genre: Industrial metal/punk
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5As per the norm for punk, I get the sense that this is more about the message than the music. There are some good, crunchy industrial riffs rhythms to bob your head to, but ultimately it’s all fairly straightforward and a bit repetitive.
Berator – Elysian Inferno (EP)
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5As this one fired up I was so ready for it to explode into being a thundering beast of a thing. But while it has every bit of the fury I was hoping for they’ve decided to go for a low-fi black metal sound that robs it of a lot of punch. If that doesn’t bother you, you should absolutely check it out, cause it has some absolutely stellar playing and relentless aggression.
Bloody Heels – Rotten Romance
Genre: Heavy/glam metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Some fairly slick heavy metal with catchy groove riffs, and the next ballad-y moment never far away.
Deathwhite – Grey Everlasting
Genre: Atmospheric/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Here we have some bleak, doomy goth metal without any of the major tropes you’d normally associate with that subgenre. This is slow and meditative, only occasionally broken up by heavier, aggressive sections. Because the rhythms are so lulling, they do dampen the progression, so large sections can unfortunately feel fairly forgettable.
Downset – Maintain
Genre: Rap metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is kind of exactly what you’d expect if you’d never listened to rap metal before. Not being an expert on rap, I would still classify this as pretty unremarkable seen from both camps. It has enough attitude to get some heads nodding.
Dragged Under – Upright Animals
Genre: Hardcore/pop punk
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This does get overly anthemic, and a bit too soft for my taste, but still present some very strong melodies and excellent melding of musical talent.
The Eating Cave – Ingurgitate
Genre: Technical deathcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Some monstrous deathcore with lots of technical beeps and bops. The riffs are meaty and furious and the drums pounding, while the tech flourishes feel a bit forced and show-off-y. Still, if you’re hungry for deathcore and don’t mind the death metal influence, you should jump on this.
Emberthrone – Godless Wonder
Genre: Technical/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is tech death blackened enough to instill a bit of hopelessness into the tone. They do the technical side right, not just adding a cacophony of beepy solo tangents but actually allowing slight variations in riffs and rhythms play out fully and transforming the songs as they go along.
Future Palace – Run
Genre: Hardcore/alternative/melodic metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5While this has some infectious youthful energy to it, it remains a fairly run-of-the-mill mix of hardcore and more anthemic, pop-oriented modern metal.
Gräce – Hope
Genre: Heavy/pop metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is some spacey heavy metal pretty much straight out of Eurovision. The tone and melodies are very light and soft, but still well composed. So if you’re looking for a bit of light hearted, romantic stuff, you could do a lot worse.
Heart Attack – Negative Sun
Genre: Thrash/groove metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Time to rip. This is a straight up thrash banger that expands upon the core subgenre sound with complexity and fury from the more aggressive end of groove metal, not unlike Decapitated and Misery Index. There’s just a pinch of black metal darkness in there also, most notably in the parts when they break out of the groove and go all out with death screams, nicely contrasting their warmer melodic parts. For me the weakest moments are when they embrace the more punky side of thrash, as the more simplistic attitude doesn’t match up with the advanced instrumentation all that well. It’s still a nice flavor for the overall mix though, and so not at all a big complaint. Check out “Wings of Judgement” and “Twisted Sacrifice”.
Inanimate Existence – The Masquerade
Genre: Technical/progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5This goes beyond tech death, and could be said to exist in at least two realms simultaneously, as it explores atmospheric, slightly whimsical and strange soundscapes parallel to absolutely ripping through complex riff patterns and belting out guttural roars. It’s got a progressive tendency of tempo shifts and solo guitar tangents, so you have to be in the kind of mindset to let it take you wherever it wants. You do that and you will be rewarded – this is not for a casual listen. For me the duality of their sound is a bit hit and miss – it’s awesome when it works and a bit jarring when it doesn’t.
Kardashev – Liminal Rite
Genre: Atmospheric deathcore/black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 5/5Ready yourself for a breathtaking journey through the dark. Monstrous presences and haunted depths will pass you by as you traverse the blackness of a vast, unfathomable emptiness. This is a dark record that manages the monumental task of balancing extreme, brutal aggression with black nihilism and silky soft melancholy. As long as you don’t expect an all-out in any particular direction, you should be able to appreciate the hell out of this one. Treat yourself to “Silvered Shadows” and “Compost Grave-Song”.
Kreator – Hate Über Alles
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5These titans of thrash are back , and they’re bringing the melody on this one. And the riffs, of course the riffs, but that’s a given. There seems to be a real effort involved in trying to create memorable tunes, and for the most part this is beneficial. This album is packed full of strong melody lines that function well as hooks as well as providing clear pathways of progression though the songs. But they also have a tendency of wanting to slow everything down for the choruses so that the vocal lines here can land as clearly as possible, which can be a serious momentum killer. You get numerous demonstrations of just how fast and furious this band can be on here, and compared to these parts everything else seems to be stuck in 3rd gear, like they’re just cruising along at a pace where the theme of the song can be effectively flaunted, allowing the listener to easily learn the lyrics so that they can be chanted live. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy on here, like the title track and “Pride Comes Before the Fall”.
Moodring – Stargazer
Genre: Alternative/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Some moody alternative stuff here that moves very much at its own pace. It manages to be heavy without really feeling heavy, and vice versa. The rhythms are nice and loose and they have a great, muted tone. Large portions of the songs do end up sounding pretty similar though, as the tone is maybe overly consistent throughout.
Motionless In White – Scoring The End Of The World
Genre: Metalcore/electronic/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde thing that might work very well for the younger end of the fan spectrum. It’s a set of songs written to be accessible from the bottom up. Some of them end up as very conventional sing-alongs, while others morph into monstrous bangers with roars and massive distortion.
Pre-Human Vaults – Allegiance Divine (EP)
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Imagine a blend of modern death- and thrash metal, and that’s pretty much all it takes to imagine this. It’s angry and brutal in a straightforward kind of way, with few surprises on the way.
Secrets – The Collapse
Genre: Metal/deathcore
Subjective rating: 2.5.5
Objective rating: 3/5This is a band operating with a massive contrast in the harshness of their output – from thundering deathcore breakdowns to ultra soft, fragile and sugar sweet sections, often all in one song. To me the two sides are too far apart, but others will probably disagree.
Seventh Wonder – The Testament
Genre: Power/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some undeniable instrumental skill aside, this is bright power metal with very simple lyrics and more boyband tendencies than I’d like to look into.
Silent Drive – Fairhaven
Genre: Hardcore/alternative/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A band that seems a little uncertain which path they’re most comfortable following. They have some decent hardcore aggression going on, then slips into alt-rock with melodies that remain fairly disharmonic, even when they’re not supposed to, I suspect.
Soreption – Jord
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This thing is brimming with energy, and releases it in bursts of instrumental assaults. The tone and overall approach to the subgenre is not really characteristic enough for it to stand out, but if you’re jst looking for a fix this will certainly do the job.
Venus 5 – Venus 5
Genre: Hard rock/power metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A rather simple recipe of big sounding heavy metal and hard rock with soaring choruses and chugging riffs trying their best not to distract too much from the sing-along lyrics.
Vulnificus – Invocation (EP)
Genre: Brutal death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5An absolute mulch of undiscernible riffs and gurgling pushed miles back in the mix, leaving the snare drum the only well-defined sound on here. It sounds disturbingly dark and insane, and very deliberate.
Wind Rose – Warfront
Genre: Power metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5An altogether fun, entertaining and mildly epic listen. These guys absolutely know what they’re all about, and that is loud, theatrical, anthemic, fantasy-themed power metal. And it has enough of a punk-rock-y rough edge that it doesn’t feel overly polished. A bit simple, sure, but enjoyable.
Yatra – Born Into Chaos
Genre: Death/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Ready for a delicious mix of old school death metal and dirty, dirty sludge? It stakes out a course and then just goes rampaging ahead, not looking back for even a second. The rhythm shifts between galloping, groove and grinding, and the balance between them has been tastefully managed. The tone is evil, slightly muted and coarse, which suits it near perfectly. The tempo is on the doomy side, and can at times become a tad monotonous, but it does allow you to gorge on the sonic meat of this animal at a more leisurely pace. Dig into “Death Cantation” and “Reign of Terror”.
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 03 – 2022
This turned out to be the week of metalcore – showing off its brutal, melodic, catchy and progressive sides across a slew of strong releases. There’s other stuff too, but let the young bloods enjoy the spotlight a little, eh?
The Algorithm – Data Renaissance
Genre: Electronic/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5I almost wanted to classify this as psychedelic, cause this stuff is trippy. It’s almost entirely synth driven, and you get a lot of that 80s cyberpunk vibe. There’s some guitar and drums in there I’m sure, but they’re mostly too processed to notice. It’s delightfully varied and melodic, but don’t expect the heavy.
All Things Fallen – Shadow Way
Genre: Heavy/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5To me, this only really qualifies as prog metal courtesy of its tone, cause I don’t really think it’s contributing to the progression of anything. That’s not saying it’s bad or anything, but it’s fairly straightforward modern sounding heavy metal with a few folky elements, a solo happy guitarist and that tone.
Artificial Brain – Artificial Brain
Genre: Technical/experimental death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad stuff like this exists, but I’m not gonna pretend to understand or like it. The tone they’re going for is obviously disturbing, with three guitars creating a near-impenetrable web of riffs, tremolo and dissonant melody, and the vocals sort of mutedly gurgling in from the bottom. I’m sure there’s a method to the madness, and hats off to the people taking the time to crack the code.
Astronoid – Radiant Bloom
Genre: Ambient metal/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is metal wrapped in a cushion of feather-light, bright matter to induce the sweetest dreams as you fall, nodding to the catchy riffs, into a deep trance of utter bliss. Okay, that’s probably stretching it, but if you don’t mind the sugary vocals or ambient nature of the melodies, this is absolutely something to get lost in in between all the spikes, gore and screaming rage. It’s a little too tonally monotonous for me though.
Battlelore – The Return of The Shadow
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5We’ve got some Lord of the Rings-themed, epic symphonic metal coming in here. It’s got a strong bass bottom and a steady rhythm that underpins the melody really well. You get a very proficient meld of different vocal talents both clean and harsh, and the production is laudable, not going too airy or clean. However, in my opinion, for such a melody driven concept, the melodies simply aren’t strong enough, and aren’t delivered with enough inflection by the vocalists.
Bleed From Within – Shrine
Genre: Metalcore/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Pedal to the metal, baby. No effort saved here, and it’s so fucking fantastic to see bands just getting heavier as they gain popularity, rather than the other way around. It genuinely sounds like they’re venting their rage on this record, and the energy is infectious. This is brutal metalcore edging on melodeath, strutting with enthusiastic and highly competent musicianship. Only now and then do they get a bit anthemic, but with the aggression they’ve got backing it up, I’d say it’s well deserved. Check out “Temple of Lunacy” and “Stand Down”.
Crobot – Feel This
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Loud and bold hard rock, incoming. A suitable amount of sleeze and attitude on top of excellent production and lyrics causing a minimum of cringe. It’s quality genre stuff, and feels genuine enough. It’s too clean and straightforward for my taste.
DAMPF – The Arrival
Genre: Heavy/symphonic/pop metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5At first a tantalizing mix of dark, crisp and ultra catchy riffs with a modern, darkened heavy metal style. Then the full weight of the pop production kicks in and sort of make a mockery of the rest. But that completely depends on which would you enter from. This might very well work as a gateway to the dark side.
Druids – Shadow Work
Genre: Doom/psychedelic metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5These guys have definitely got a tone going here that’s really working for them. A strong, driving bass propels the songs forward, with some crunchy riffs and meditative melody lines seizing the moments. It feels contemplative, dark and a bit trippy.
Encephalon – Echoes
Genre: Electronic metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5As far as I can tell an entirely synth-driven record that seeks to capture the mood of dark, industrial metal, but can’t help slipping into disco.
Fortis Ventus – Vertalia
Genre: Cinematic/symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Some ultra grandiose, operatic metal to provide the soundtrack for something so theatrically glorious that it’s hard to imagine.
Grave Infestation – Persecution Of The Living
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A modern sounding death metal record leaning into an old school style. It’s quite competent, with a nice, doom-y tone. It would score higher if not for the fact that the progression is kind of laggy, with the momentum getting lost in rigid start-stop rhythms.
Gwar – The New Dark Ages
Genre: Heavy/thrash/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Time for some fuck-you-thrash of the good old half-serious kind. It’s a bit janky, it’s rowdy and puts the message before the melody. Which is exactly how it should be, but this doesn’t quite hit hard enough to make it worth it for a non-fan.
Hypermass – Empyrean
Genre: Melodic/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5A very eager-sounding melodeath band with technical and progressive tendencies. They definitely are at their best when they really go for it and pour on the aggression and tempo, as some of the slower parts aren’t as well utilized. But they do a fantastic job of creating a vibrant soundscape with every instrument working to expand it in different directions. All the members seem to play different roles, yet still work to tell the same, unified story. It does fall a little in between subgenres, and lacks a little bit in character, but it’s nevertheless highly competent and a delightfully engaging listen. Give it a go with “The Degenerate Strain” and “Hivemind”.
Las Cruces – Cosmic Tears
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5A very classic, moody doom sound slightly mismatched with expressive vocals that distract from the rest with their intensity.
Electric Mountain – Valley Giant
Genre: Grindcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5I could probably get behind this extremely short, extremely violent and abrasive piece of grindcore if not for the cassette-straight-from-the-toaster-sounding production.
Memphis May Fire – Remade In Misery
Genre: Metalcore/alternative metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5The overt trend-leaning and pop sensibility of his stuff makes it barely listenable to me, but I’ll set that aside for the objective rating. They’ve got good energy going, catchy and fairly strong melodies, and a good bit of heavy to balance it out. Should get some heads banging both from inside and outside the genre.
My Diligence – The Matter, Form And Power
Genre: Progressive/stoner metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5A record that takes you to colorful, weird and wonderful places riding on a wave of heavy, crunchy riffs with just the right amount of fuzz added to it. I would have loved it to go even heavier at parts, but that might honestly be outside their realm. Stay inside, and you get treated to characterful songs that balances power and groove with melody and atmosphere in an immersive way. If you don’t mind a bit of lower tempo and musical exploration, knowing that you’ll be rewarded with standout moments and a cohesive whole, I highly recommend you give it a go. Start with “On the Wire” and “Embers”.
The Oklahoma Kid – Tangerine Tragic
Genre: Progressive/experimental metal/djent
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A moody, screamy mix of djent and elements of modern prog. They’ve got a decently consistent tone going, but the melding of the other elements seem a bit uninspired – more formulaic with the intention of ticking certain boxes. There are still some good melodies on here, and enough atmosphere to float along with it.
Origin – Chaosmos
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5Here we go with a slightly different take on the tech death subgenre from what you typically expect. Sure, it’s still fast as fast-forward hell, but they’re working with a rawer riff tone and less of the robot bumblebee-sounding solos. It’s dark and furious and slightly muted, which takes a bit of that sharp edge off and makes you listen intently for all the instrumental details zipping past your eardrums. Check out “Chaosmos” and “Decolonizer”.
Orphantwin – Future Classic (EP)
Genre: Experimental metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Now for something that sounds personal, in stark contrast to its alienating use of highly processed, harsh instrumentation and disturbing sound effects. There’s a clear message underneath, and a strong idea for how to deliver it in an unconventional way. It loses a bit of cohesion in the exploration, and gets a little over-sincere for my taste, but will still be enjoyable to many.
Red Handed Denial – I’d Rather Be Asleep
Genre: Progressive metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is some vibrant, energetic metalcore that manages to be progressive without simply adding a few strings to the guitars and introducing odd rhythms. It’s a churning maelstrom of melody, riffs, rasps, bangs and puffs of softness. The vocals go from angelic to growling and deliver soaring, fairly pop-oriented lyrics. The choruses can slow down and get pretty conventional, but the next burst of tempo, interesting tangent or catchy riff section is rarely far away.
Seeking Sirens – Departing Ways (EP)
Genre: Metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Here’s some more conventional metalcore leaning into typical, modern tropes and a fairly emo sensibility. The heavy stuff hits hard, but doesn’t challenge in any way.
Sijjeel – Salvation Within Insanity
Genre: Brutal death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This one delivers a feeling of being constantly attacked. It claws and stabs and bludgeons you, and every pause is but a momentary respite from the onslaught. Tonally it’s great, but it does get old after a while.
Somnus Throne – Nemesis Later
Genre: Psychedelic stoner metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5These guys lay it on thick with the fuzz and spacey, reverb-y vocals. In the end they don’t really distinguish themselves in the subgenre, but works well as something to sit and nod slowly to while staring at nothing.
Temple Of Void – Summoning The Slayer
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Here’s some heavy doom that can’t fully decide whether it wants to be atmospheric or crushingly brutal. You get a fair bit of both on here, and the two complement each other rather well thanks to a unifying tone that’s both evil, lamenting and gothic in nature. The vocal style remains the same throughout, which functions as a binding seam, but also adds an element of monotony. Personally I would have liked an even more pronounced contrast in intensity, but with a bit of patience you do get rewarded with a fair bit of variation for a death doom record. And production wise it sounds fantastic. Listen to “Behind the Eye” and “Hex, Curse & Conjuration”.
Thornhill – Heroine
Genre: Progressive metal/metalcore
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Here we have a band with a vice grip on their style of sonic expression. This entire album sounds incredibly cohesive and organic in its progression. It revels in its melancholic melodies but has plenty of punch and instrumental spice to dole out. And it manages to be soft without getting sappy or sugary. It’s not one you go to for a pure adrenaline rush, but settle in and you’re treated to a real experience. Delve into “Leather Wings” and “Casanova”.
Witchfinder – Endless Garden
Genre: Doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A two song EP to get lost in. This is some deep, bass-y, darkly melodic doom with a good crunch to the riffs. The sound is so immersive that you forget that it’s a bit monotonous, and you learn to appreciate the subtle changes. Check out both songs, why not? That’s all there is to it.
Wrang – De Vaendrig
Genre: Black/folk metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Gotta love some snarly, melancholy black metal with a bit of groove and riding on a wave of rousing folk melody. The rhythm and vocal style follow the ebb and flow of the melody beautifully, whether it sounds gloomy or triumphant. And there’s room for headbanging to spare, with a selection of thundering riff sections that’ll get your blood pumping. Check out “Jachttijd” and “Afgunst”.
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 27 – 2022
A truly strong week for death metal, with black metal coming in second. While none of the highlights are truly pure incarnations of their respective subgenres, that’s also a big part of their strength. Expect groove, melody and crushing aggression. Let’s dive in.
Baest – Justitia (EP)
Genre: Melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5Did these guys just perfect their sound with this EP? This is one of those where you can tell it’s gonna be a blast from the first 10 seconds of the first song. Sure, okay, I still think they could work on getting their slow, grindy parts more interesting, but the rest is so stupidly riffalicious and riotously melodic in the best death metal-menacing way possible that minor flaws are all but overshadowed. Fire up “Justitia” and “Gargoyles”.
Bekmork – The Path Nocturnal
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Come on guys… There’s low-fi production and then there’s this, which is bordering on parodic.
Belushi Speed Ball – What, Us Worry?
Genre: Hardcore/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5An energetic album that’s first and foremost about having fun. There’s comedic little interludes at the end of all the songs, so if you don’t mind some goofing around it does add to the overall concept. Makes you feel like you’re part of the creative process.
Besvärjelsen – Atlas
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Now for some melancholy doom. This is perfect if you want to relax with something somber. There are no jarring elements to take you out of the experience, and the technical execution is quite good. There is, however, not a lot to differentiate them from a bunch of others in the same genre.
Black Lung – Dark Waves
Genre: Psychedelic doom metal/rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some more moody doom here, this one a good notch more acidy. It’s the of the somewhat sluggish type, with dirty sounding guitars and slightly unhinged vocals. It’s a strong, characterful expression, but a little too lacking in variation for my taste.
Black Void – Antithesis
Genre: Punk/hardcore/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is the kind of low-fi I can get behind. The sound here is sharp, stripped down, to the point where everything sounds raw and the focus in entirely on the actual performances. As for the music, this isn’t too far off Kvelertak gone black metal, but they’ve thankfully steered away from the worst tropes and concentrated on implementing the elements that complements the aggression of the punky hard rock base and adds on another dimension of richness and scope. There are plenty of strong songs on here, but why not start with “It’s Not Surgery, It’s a Knife Fight” and “Dadaist Disgust”.
Brutality – Sempiternity (EP)
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Only two new songs on here among re-recordings and live recordings, so I’m gonna call it an EP. But what’s actually new is also promising. Angry, yet controlled enough to get into some great grooves.
Cadaveria – Emptiness
Genre: Melodic death/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Here we’ve got some slightly blackened melodeath that skips into an industrial sort of personality every now and then. The production leaves a bit to be desired, and the performances are overall less than stellar, but there’s potential.
Church Of Disgust – Weakest Is The Flesh
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some (probably) intentionally low-fi death metal next. This is grindy, fairly cumbersome stuff with a consistently cave-y tone throughout. Well performed, but not exactly a standout.
Clayshaper – Vampiric
Genre: Gothic/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5An album doing its best to create a spooky-melodic tone that goes well with a bit of death metal influence. The melodies are definitely the strongest part here – there are some strong moments on here and tis talent is what ties it all together. But much of the heaviness is lost in the production, which makes the harsh vocals a bit of a mismatch for me.
Crematory – Inglorious Darkness
Genre: Melodic gothic/industrial metal
Subjective rating: 2
Objective rating: 2.5This is a band leaning heavily on the catchiest aspects of neue Deutche Härte, so much so that the gothic theme becomes little more than a thin veneer.
Cult Of The Night – Dance of the Witches
Genre: Thrash/speed metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is one where you can really hear the artists being into their own stuff. They clearly have a good grip on what they like and want to make, and seem to enjoy creating little spaces in the songs where they hang on to the moment. It’s rowdy, speedy stuff that checks all the hallmarks of the subgenre, without really challenging any of them either.
Decapitated – Cancer Culture
Genre: Groove/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5FUCK. YEAH. This one pretty much has it all. Ferocious speed, headbanging-inducing groove, virtuosic melody. And an unchecked aggression – particularly from behind the drum kit and mic – just keeps powering it all forward with staggering momentum. The whole thing feels like a continuous effort of unparalleled endurance and in-the moment creativity, occupying every inch of room that the subgenre has to offer and beyond, without really breaking down its restraints. It’s a full score for me, what little critique I have is really just nitpicking. Dig into “Iconoclast” and “Cancer Culture” and enjoy.
Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos
Genre: Hard rock/glam
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5It’s always a bit difficult to review stuff from bands with a status like Def Leppard. Cause they obviously made their fame on the kind of music you’re supposed to critique. Still, I’ll ignore all that and treat it like everything else. So what can I say, it’s fun! The production is awesome, they’ve got some solid melodies and hooks on here. Everything just sounds… good. But then they stray into ballad territory and it all crumbles a little, sounding like five dozen others of their ilk. Other than that, thumbs up.
Deos – Furor Belli
Genre: Death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5I really like the idea of ancient Rome-inspired death metal, and this serves as a decent example of what that should sound like. There is an epic quality to it courtesy of the tremolo riffing, and it has the right kind of atmosphere. Unfortunately, it’s let down by less-than-great production and performances, and the actual musical compositions are just a bit rudimentary.
Electric Mountain – Valley Giant
Genre: Stoner metal/rock
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Bring on the fuzz! There’s miles of it one here, backed up by some dry rock ‘n roll groove. The bass work on here is prominent and works really well. It moves and varies. and lives up to the expectations you get from the very first few seconds.
Evil – Book Of Evil
Genre: Heavy/groove metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is classic , high-flying heavy metal on the verge of edging into power metal, bolstered by heavy riffs and the occasional harsh vocal line. It might sound like a blatant attempt at drawing in fans from the more extreme corners of the genre, but it works really well regardless. It’s catchy as hell and the clean vocals have a nice rasp to them to mark this as something willfully unpolished. There are sections of fairly classic melodies and choruses, and the rhythms are fairly straightforward, but there are also plenty of examples of instrumental skill. A palate cleanser that also works as a banger. Try “Divine Conspiracy” and “Storm Warning”.
Fireproven – Epilogue
Genre: Symphonic/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is the kind of mix of genres you hardly get from anywhere else than Finland. Big, soaring synth-driven melodies married with some prog flair and a bit of aggressive melodeath. While this isn’t amazingly executed, you get a bit of everything on here, and if you’re willing to pick and choose you can sort out some solid standalone songs from here.
Healing Magic – Volume I: Fire
Genre: Sludge/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Some perfectly good stoner-y hard rock with a crunchy tone that also insists upon being fairly abrasive. There are moments of genuine melodic exploration that takes this thing to real characterful places, only to then contrast it with disharmony and rattle-y vocals. Doesn’t work to well for me.
Hollow Front – The Price Of Dreaming
Genre: Technical metalcore
Subjective rating: 2.5.5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Hey, if you’re all about the traits of modern, trendy metal you get the lot on here. While I personally can’t stand the sugar-sweet melodic parts and obligatory heaviness-alibi djent riffs, there can be no doubts about these guys’ instrumental chops. The playing is very tight and the vocals display a good range of styles. The tone is also consistent throughout, so overall the craftmanship is definitely not lacking.
IATT – Magnum Opus
Genre: Progressive/experimental/black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This very much sounds like something Ihsahn would be involved in, and if you know and appreciate what that entails then you should enjoy this album. Clearly grounded in black metal, this harbors a truly adventurous spirit, and the songs seem to take shape as they go along. This involves going on a few tangents, and only loosely sticking to traditional composing structure, but it’s not like they’re stalling the progress just to show off their skills. What happens along the way all feels very much integral to the overall experience. Sure, you need a little bit of patience and open-mindedness to keep up, but if you’re so inclined you will be awarded. Check out “Elixir of Immortality” and “Ouroboros”.
Lord Belial – Rapture
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is one of those records that can leave you feeling sympathetically exhausted from the sheer effort of the instrumental performances. What we have here is mildly caricatured black metal (as evidenced by the slightly cheesy album cover) taking form as a grand, melodic and aggressive undertaking. It’s excellently produced to bring out the crispness of the instruments and vocals together with the more symphonic elements that build the darkly majestic atmosphere. While it’s not exactly a fresh breath of air in the subgenre, it’s still a very strong and varied offering. Give “On a Throne of Souls” and “Lux Luciferi” a try.
Mournful Congregation – The Exuviae Of Gods – Part I
Genre: Funeral doom
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Now for some very, very protracted doom with a bit of death aggression thrown in. While there are some beautiful melodies on here, the heavy parts contrast the somber ones really well, and it all sounds great production wise, it also just sounds needlessly slowed down. I find that the ponderous pace doesn’t really create an atmosphere of its own as much as prolonging the listening experience for the sake of it. Others might disagree.
Orochen – Anthroposcenic
Genre: Atmospheric doom metal/indie rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A well-blended mix of melancholy doom and melodic indie. There are many beautifully frail and earnest moments on here, contrasted by heavier riffs and the odd burst of aggression. The craftmanship is on point, and I don’t see fans of this kind of thing not liking it, but for me it’s simply too dour.
Peth – Merchant of Death
Genre: Stoner/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some fuzzed-up classic metal with an old school doom vibe reminiscent of Black Sabbath or Ozzy solo. It sounds good, and has all the right ingredients, but ends up being a bit overly simple in its approach.
Sacrifizer – Le Diamant De Lucifer
Genre: Black/speed metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5How about some black metal in a hurry? This is pretty much the recipe for blackened speed metal, and if that’s your thing then you’re getting exactly what you ask for on here, no more, no less.
Sarayasign – Throne of Gold
Genre: Power/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is power metal with elements of folk, and enough classic prog to set it slightly aside from the straight shooters of the genre. It ends up in a kind of limbo in between , where a chunk of that power energy and enthusiasm is lost, and the prog elements are limited to elevating the rhythms and melodies above the cliched.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids – Out Of Light
Genre: Pop punk/melodic metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5I have very little to say about this, really. It meets a bare minimum of requirements to qualify as being related to metal, but it’s much too pop oriented for me to properly judge its merits. I can barely stand it, though.
Michael Schenker Group – Universal
Genre: Heavy metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Let’s face it, this was always gonna lean heavily on nostalgia. But to be fair, the nostalgic parts of this is actually really quite good. If you’re in the right mood and crave old school guitar licks and solos, this is the right stuff.
Sensory Amusia – Breed Death
Genre: Deathcore/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is deathcore with some fire under it, meaning it moves fast. Real fast. The riffs vary between thundering brutality and complex technicality, only occasionally sounding a bit over-processed and artificial. They’ve not extinguished all sense of melody from said riffs though, which I certainly appreciate, and it allows them to drive home a tone and atmosphere without having to rely too much on non-instrumental sources. The variety on here is decent too, allowing in some groove and melodeath without compromising any of the heaviness. Try “Vermin” and “Bind, Torture, Kill”.
Shed The Skin – Thaumogenesis
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Goddamn, this has been a good week for death metal. This is some of the blackened variant, but really only in theme. Sound wise it’s more in the old school melodeath region, but with the melody pushed back slightly to allow the sullen, bludgeoning riffs ad thundering bass to take the lead and be the main contributors to the ominous atmosphere. Which is nicely complemented by a slightly muted production, I might add, and it works really quite well. Check out “She of Ungarit” and “Quenched from Kapala”.
Trollfest – Flamingo Overlord
Genre: Folk/comedy/party metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5While I’m notoriously uninterested in comedy- or party metal, as long as something has musical merit I can still get into it. This record is seriously unhinged, but still thematically on point all the way through. There’s classic Scandinavian folk metal on here, and then all kinds of different silliness mixed in, creating a drunken metalhead poolside party kind of vibe. Which makes me want to go on a metal cruise. So I guess good job?
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 20 – 2022
Ready to get carried away? We’ve got a good dose of atmospheric and symphonic music this week to expand upon the heavy. Some of it superbly immersive, some not quite getting it right. Let’s see if we can sort them apart.
Anvil – Impact Is Imminent
Genre: Heavy metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5We set off with some heavy, rowdy rock n’ roll from these veterans. Long story short, it’s decent fun, but sounds a bit stale – lacking in energy and relying on old tricks.
Assumption – Hadean Tides
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Here we got some fairly understated death metal of the dark, slow paced variant. Their approach is somewhat in line with funeral doom – trying to conjure an eerie, solemn atmosphere. Which they do, but unfortunately lacks any real standout features for the subgenre.
Blut Aus Nord – Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5This album is an experience. You’re taking a deep dive into a dark and harrowing world, like consciously exploring a nightmare. It almost feels interactive, as the soundscape sucks you in and inspires you to visualize your own version of this frightening journey that you unwittingly embarked on by pressing play. While the immersion is sublime, I find myself wishing for a little more variation, broadening the spectrum of emotions I get to tackle throughout the duration of the album. Jump into “That Cannot Be Dreamed” and “Chants of the Deep Ones” and see where they take you.
Bog Body – Cryonic Crevasse Cult
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5An absolutely bass-dominated experience, so much so it’s almost comical. Which is a shame, because it drowns out some otherwise stand out moments of raw riffing and frigid atmosphere.
Brandy And The Butcher – Lucky Foot
Genre: Stoner/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some punky stoner rock that I feel is let down slightly by its production, sacrificing instrumental power for vocal clarity. I like the attitude on this one, but it’s not quite matched by the overall intensity, instead turning to more groove-oriented rock riffs.
Cave In – Heavy Pendulum
Genre: Progressive/expansive sludge metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This feels like what could be if Mastodon went in a slightly different direction. There is definitely a lot of the same tone and level of creativity on here. The album feels spacey in theme and ambitious in scope – perhaps a little over-ambitious. I don’t strictly think the 70 minute runtime was necessary, and some trimming might have made it more focused. That being said, they manage to cover a wide array of approaches to describing an impressively cohesive vision of a sonic landscape. The riffs are nice and sludgy and there is great variation in intensity from both vocals and instruments. Check out “Searchers of Hell” and “Blood Spiller”.
Come To Grief – When The World Dies
Genre: Sludge/doom/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5A hostile and gloomy album to go with the end of the world. It’s heavy, with raspy, fierce vocals and slow, steady beats. It’s pretty right on theme, and I like the tone and production of it all, but once you’ve heard a couple of songs you’ve kind of heard it all.
The Dark AlamortÉ – Lunacrium Thepsis
Genre: Atmospheric/melodic death/black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5After the most typical atmospheric black metal opening you can imagine, this thing gradually expands into full bloom to reveal its true, bleak colors – exploding with haunted grandeur and anguished fury, tempered only by moments of mournful melodies. There’s a definite black metal darkness permeating the entire listening experience, but especially the second half of this 77 minute behemoth is almost purely melodic, atmospheric death metal. And they visit a range of styles – groove, technical, industrial, deathcore, and more. It all sounds modern without trying to be trendy. The vocals remind me of Fleshgod Apocalypse, and so does some of the more symphonic parts in the way that they’re so well molded in with the brutality. I also hear influences like Rivers of Nihil and a bit of the Gothenburg sound on here, but in the end they’ve managed to make it all their own. It might be a little longer than necessary and it might not be ideally structured, which is two of only a very few things keeping me from giving it top marks, cause there are so many songs on here I freaking love. Do yourself a favor and listen to “Tempest Barren Furor” and the title track “Lunacrium Thepsis”.
Evergrey – A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament)
Genre: Progressive/symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A larger than life record bursting at the seams with grand melodies, wicked solos and chugging prog riffs. There’s a bit of aggression backing up the slightly Michael Bolton-y vocals, chanting and soaring synth harmonies, which suits it rather well. It’s massively overproduced in order to sound big, muting the riffs, processing the vocals and adding all sorts of digital glitter. Which bothers me, but probably not the fan base.
Geezer – Stoned Blues Machine
Genre: Stoner/psychedelic metal/rock
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Here’s a bit of cool, heavy stoner rock for you with a slight touch of Rob Zombie to it. It gets a bit spacey now and then, which is to be expected, and is made by people who are very clearly comfortable with the genre.
Gronibard – Regarde Les Hommes Sucer
Genre: Goregrind/comedy
Subjective rating: 3
Objective rating: 3A record that pairs grindcore with comedic vocals and basing it all around immature humor. It has some real musical merit though, with some pretty sweet, heavy riffs. If you don’t mind you extreme metal very, very silly, then go for it.
Helsott – Will And The Witch
Genre: Folk/melodic death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5A very firmly folk metal oriented sound that’s built around fairly straight hard rock rhythms. It leans into the rousing melodeath territory of the likes of Amon Amarth every now and then, but doesn’t seem to aspire to the same heaviness. The theme is clearly supposed to be the wild west, but that really doesn’t become apparent in anything but the lyrics.
Lucer – The New World
Genre: Progressive/symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 1/5
Objective rating: 2/5Some very simple, anthemic hard rock with few other apparent ambitions than to achieve commercial success.
Luminous Vault – Animate The Emptiness
Genre: Industrial/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Here’s some black metal where it seems a computer has been put in charge of setting the rhythm, and the humans fill inn with tremolo riffs, hoarse screaming and a bit of atmospheric melody. The potential for something more listener friendly is there, as they tease some great black n’ roll riffs every now and then, but never really keep it up.
Malevolence – Malicious Intent
Genre: Groove metal/hard/metalcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 4/5A valiant effort at marrying groove metal and hardcore, while adding some metalcore harmonies for a smidge more accessibility. And while they’ve thankfully not gone for the type of sugar-sweet choruses you get in the more baby-faced end of the metalcore spectrum, these clean parts still remind me of the likes of Five Finger Death Punch, which I don’t think works too well for them. As far as the heavy parts go, it’s a constant back-and-forth between bangin’ grooves and riffs specifically designed to start circle pits or stompy breakdowns. Some might find that this works well together, I think they leech energy off of each other, leaving a slightly schizophrenic result. The execution is great though.
MNRVA – Hollow
Genre: Doom/stoner metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Another band this week channeling a bit of that Rob Zombie punky madman-vibe. Unfortunately it’s not really matched my any sort of antics on the instrumental side. It’s nice and fuzzy-heavy, but a bit predictable.
Mortal Thrall – A Path To Fire
Genre: Atmospheric/avant-garde black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A record where every song seems to take on a slightly different variation of the same overall tone, which makes for a very consistent sounding result. The melodies are of the atmospheric, slow-burn variant, and most of the time backed up by the staccato drums and tremolo picking you expect from the subgenre. Some of it does end up feeling a bit repetitive. The vocal style hits a very suitable level of harshness and they do mix it up with some rhythm variations.
OPHE – Somnium Nocte Mendaciis
Genre: Noise/avant-garde black metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Some dissonant, fairly low-fi black metal with a vocal style that sounds mid-regurgitation, working with protracted, disturbing melodies and a good bit of spoken-word parts.
Organ Trail – Appetite For Dissection
Genre: Grindcore/death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is a fast and furious, classic pairing of grindcore and death leaning heavily into tongue-in-cheek morbid territory. That’s pretty much all you need to know, really.
Predatory Light – Death And The Twilight Hours
Genre: Black/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3.5.5
Objective rating: 3/5A somewhat subdued, slightly doomy black metal album of four songs, channeling a bit of Tribulation spookiness. They’re on to something here, but even with some solid ingredients they don’t quite manage to conjure up something larger than the sum of its part.
Rod Rodrigues – Tales Of A Changing Life, Part.1
Genre: Instrumental progressive metal/shred
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5What I imagine must be a total chill album for prog enthusiasts. This is pure guitar wanking, but done to mostly upbeat, carefree rhythms and melodies that gets you in a good mood.
Sadist – Firescorched
Genre: Progressive death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5A death metal record that gets up to all kinds of instrumental antics, with kinds of an 80s spooky-synth theme running throughout. It’s genuinely adventurous, and even though some of the prog tangents are a little distracting, it makes for a varied listening experience. Unfortunately, it’s quite badly produced, robbing it of most all of its beefiness.
Sadistic Ritual – The Enigma, Boundless
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is thrash with elements of early black metal, and just a bit of grindcore relentlessness. It still retains a decent bit of melody, which is one of its strong suits, as well as delivering riff focused sections with enough of a hook to get your head moving. It’s pretty aggressive all the way through, with a vocal style that wouldn’t be out of place in classic death metal, but they contrast it with a slightly melancholy tone that even works its way into the lively guitar solos. Check out “Murmur” and “Area Denial”.
Septicflesh – Modern Primitive
Genre: Symphonic death/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Septicflesh is golden proof that symphonic and gothic-tinged metal can still be brutal. This is music for dark, cavernous halls covered in tapestries and frescoes depicting unholy scenes of death and damnation. It’s almost over-the-top grandiose and ceremonious, but grounds it in some solid death metal riffing and demon-roar vocals. It’s an ambitious effort, trying to blend the majestic symphonies and raging brutality, and to me they only partially succeed. The melding of the two, and transitions from parts where one side dominates over the other, could be a lot smoother. One side wants to flow, the other wants to stomp, and the resulting dance is a little unbalanced.
Space Of Variations – Imago (EP)
Genre: Metalcore/nu-metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some fairly heavily processed metalcore varying between hiphop beats, synthetic melodies and deathcore heaviness. It definitely feels like an attempt at making standalone hits rather than a cohesive EP.
Spheric Universe Experience – Back Home
Genre: Progressive/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is classic, spacey prog metal with a strong tendency to slip into ballad-y realms. The obligatory instrumental antics are in place, but it’s traditional, uncomplicated melodies driving the music.
Texas Murder Crew – Wrapped in Their Blood
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Here we got some heavy-for-the-sake-of-it death metal that’s all about slamming guitars and staccato rhythms. There’s hardly any variation on here, so this is solely for those looking for a fix.
Thy Kingdom Will Burn – The Void And The Vengeance
Genre: Melodic death/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Calling this death metal is a bit of a stretch, even though it bears a lot of the hallmarks of the melodic side of the genre. What it lacks is heaviness, which might very well be a conscious choice, but the melodies alone are not strong enough to carry it, and also aren’t a good match for the harsh vocal style.
Vaamatar – Medievalgeist
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Some black metal that sounds like it takes at least part of its inspiration from classic horror movies. You get your typical frantic drumming and tremolo in here, and a fairly muted production, but also moments of levity with rock n’ roll rhythms and more protracted, doomy parts with somber melodies.
Zinny Zan – Lullabies For The Masses
Genre: Hard Rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5This is slightly blues-y, rusty hard rock that’s much more cruising than pedal to the metal. It has a bit too much ballad-y material, and doesn’t exactly radiate energy, but has just enough hooks and attitude to make it worthwhile for the right listener.
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 13 – 2022
A bit of a break from the doom and gloom this week, but still offering up plenty of aggression and a few quirky palate cleansers that stand testament to the creativity abound in heavy music today.
Aara – Triade II: Hemera
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Alright, starting off with some atmospheric black metal that actually feels misleadingly fast and intense because they frantically play their drums and guitars at high frequency over slow, lamenting melodies. The vocals are pushed way back in the mix, and the lead guitar play these repetitive metalcore-y tremolo melody lines that I feel is a failed attempt at giving the songs character. The atmosphere is good though, but drowns slightly under the rest.
Anniken – Climb Out Of Hell
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5Some promising sounding instrumental work unfortunately paired up with vocals that don’t really match up with the energy of the playing, and fail to deliver anything but fairly clichéd lyrics.
The Big Deal – First Bite
Genre: Symphonic/power metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Slickly produced, edge-devoid, poppy… The only redeeming quality for me is some genuine enthusiasm behind it all, which gives it good energy.
Cage Fight – Cage Fight
Genre: Hardcore/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Been a while since I heard some good thrash, and this one scratches the itch. It’s definitely got a strong hardcore… core, which suits it quite well, but the meat on those bones is made up tasty, tasty riffs. It doesn’t stray much outside of uncharted territory, but it works great for what it is. It’s high energy and suitably aggressive without going over the top. “Hope Castrated” and “Respect Ends” serve as good representatives of the rest.
Cartilage – The Deader The Better
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5If you’re into the nastier side of death metal but can still appreciate a good dose of irreverence, this is for you. These guys clearly don’t take their image too seriously, and have honed in on a musical style that fits this attitude like a glove. It’s heavy, fast and loose, and they get up to all kinds of antics with changing rhythm, dissonant guitar licks and fun little melody lines. It’s a bit too chaotic for me to get really into it, but I think this will definitely find its fans.
Cavernlight – As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw
Genre: Doom/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5It’s a sluggish affair this one, even as moody doom records go. I found it rather tedious, with the anguished-angry harsh vocals landing ineffectively as they feel mismatched with the rest of the soundscape.
Demiricous – III: Chaotic Lethal
Genre: Thrash/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5Some ominous thrash here for you, lending some brutality from the death end of the spectrum. This is solid stuff, serving up great riffs, good variation in speed, and a kind of Sabbath-y take on an evil tone. Unfortunately, it’s also a bit predictable, with too few standout parts.
Ecstatic Vision – Elusive Mojo
Genre: Psychedelic sludge metal/hard rock
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good, silly psychedelic record with some real groove, but this one is a bit too far out there. Not that it’s weird, it’s just a little too… staggering. Like it’s improvising, and I’m just not feeling the jam. Other than that, it’s actually pretty straightforward.
Everlust – The Tale Of The Noble Knight
Genre: Goth/symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5The best I can say abut this is that I quite like the melodies they shape their songs around. The rest is just a tad lackluster when it comes to execution.
Glassbone – Spirals: A Safe Place to Self-Destruct (EP)
Genre: Hardcore/industrial/nu-metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5This is an interesting one, mixing a nu-metal approach with lots of electronic, industrial elements and layering it with a hardcore attitude, especially in the vocal style. There’s also some metalcore melody and a bit of djent to be found on here. Still, for all that, I feel like they’re lacking in real standout moments. Also, the dissonance of some of the more harsh parts don’t mix all too well with the melodic ones. I sense great potential though.
Gonemage – Master of Disgust… (EP)
Genre: 8-bit death/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5No, this isn’t full-on 8-bit game-boy soundtrack music, but it certainly has elements of it. It’s apparently themed around the Nintendo character Wario, but I feel like that matters little when it gets started, cause in essence it’s some pretty chaotic, dissonant death metal with a veneer of blackness draped over it. It has some whacky moments for sure, but I feel like much of the fun drowns in the harshness of it all.
Graham Bonnet Band – Day Out In Nowhere
Genre: Hard rock
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5As melodic hard rock albums go, I supposed this isn’t too shabby, but it’s still very run of the mill. It has some moments of nice grooves and uplifting melodies, and if you’re already into this then I don’t see you being disappointed.
Heterochrome – From The Ashes
Genre: Progressive/symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is another group I’d be excited to see keep evolving their sound, cause they’re on to something here. The vocalists work their voices well to the rhythm and melodies, I appreciate the subtle folk-y elements in there, and they definitely don’t shy away from variation, making this a colorful listen. The melodies definitely need some work though, as they fall a bit flat in the middle of all the prog antics.
J.B.O. – Planet Pink
Genre: Comedy metal
Subjective rating: 1.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5For the record, this kind of metal – when it’s more about the comedy than the music – is completely lost on me. I’m not gonna dismiss it as bad, but judging it purely on its musical merits it’s about as fresh as a fossil. Which, to its target audience, probably doesn’t matter one bit.
Jungle Rot – A Call To Arms
Genre: Death/groove metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5This is death metal that turns to the old school for its musical approach but also settles for no less than a stellar, modern production. While this isn’t quite as heavy as you typical contemporary brutal death metal, it doesn’t need to be. The tone is sinister, the riffs threatening and the vocals rusty. They also know how to get a groove going, and most every song has parts to inspire some serious headbanging. It’s not pioneering a new style, but it’s damn solid. Try “Total Extinction” and “Maggot Infested”.
Katharos – Of Lineages Long Forgotten
Genre: Symphonic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5If you’re ready for some cold, aggressive black metal infused with a healthy dose of grandeur, look no further. At its core it reminds me of Dimmu Borgir, but without the over-the-top-elements that makes said band a bit of fun as well. This is more serious and hateful, while still refraining from low-fi production or a ridiculous overuse of blast beats. I will say it’s fairly predictable though, but that doesn’t necessarily have to bother you.
Master Boot Record – Personal Computer
Genre: Electronic/industrial/heavy metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5I honestly didn’t expect this album to be this good when first reading about it. I usually don’t mind a bit of dark synth in my rock and metal, but not when it compromises all the other musical instruments by being too overpowering. The songs on here somehow manage to feel like industrial metal with a bit of a lighthearted streak to it, even though the entire sound seems to be synth driven. It’s adventurous, dark yet uplifting, and has some genuinely strong melodic sequences derived from classic heavy metal. It’s a little hard to tell the songs apart though…
Misery Index – Complete Control
Genre: Death/groove metal/grindcore
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5Okay, here we go. I’m a big fan of this band, so expectations going into this new release were definitely high. On a speedy first listen I was certainly impressed, but not entirely convinced. But I quickly realized that the level of craftmanship behind these songs couldn’t really be appreciated in bits and pieces. There’s so much going on, without it ever losing control and becoming chaotic. The riffs and rhythms are ultra tight, and they seem to want to turn a new corner all the time, evolving each song as they go. While I might miss some of the absolute monster tunes from their last album, the level across the entire album is uncommonly high, with “The Eaters and the Eaten” and “Infiltrators” being my picks for the best of the bunch.
Moon Tooth – Phototroph
Genre: Progressive hard rock
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5This one hits a pretty sweet spot between hard rock catchiness and prog playfulness. It’s like what would normally be pretty bland riffs and melody lines have been mutated into something significantly more vibrant, without becoming too complex. It’s altogether surprisingly accessible for the level of pure musicianship on display. Maybe not as successful on every single song, there is still a rich selection of strong, characterful tunes on here, with “Back Burner” and “Nymphaeaceae” being two I’d like to recommend.
Natjager – At Kende Bølge Fra Hav
Genre: Electronic/pop/metalcore
Subjective rating: 1.5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Let’s get this one over with quickly. With excessive use of autotune and leaning heavily on contemporary, poppy electronica and hiphop, what there is of heaviness on here feels fairly tacked on. Not for me.
Nechochwen – Kanawha Black
Genre: Black/folk/progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5It’s one of big contrasts, this. I feel like it’s a folk album in essence, that turns into black metal as a means to crank up the intensity. Sort of a Jekyll and Hyde thing. There’s also a few prog twists and turns, and a the odd section of rad melodeath riffing. What they lack is a better sense of cohesion, both in the way the vocals and instruments play together and the way the transitions between the different musical approaches work.
Outshine – The Awakening
Genre: Gothic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Nothing particularly wrong with this one. It just… stands still. The rhythms are very plain and the overall output un-dynamic. The tone isn’t bad, but the performances and melodies are a bit bland.
Primitive Man – Insurmountable
Genre: Atmospheric doom/death/black metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5Now for something that sounds like it’s emerging from a deep, black chasm. If you’re looking for something ominous, this is your best offering of the week. For the rest of us, there’s not really much else apart atmosphere on there. The progression is dirt slow and offers very little in terms of musical variation. The production is great though, and they obviously nail the tone that they’re going for.
Sacred Son – The Foul Deth of Engelond
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5We’ve got some wistful, epic-leaning black metal coming in. The melodies, which are fairly typical yet still somehow strong and distinct, lean into folk-y, medieval territory, and the vocals are suitably solemn, yet snarly. The overall mood it conjures up is unified and well defined. The progression does get sluggish at times, and it doesn’t quite offer as much to keep your attention in the slow parts. But It still manages to stand out in a subgenre relying heavily on old tricks.
Steaksauce Mustache – All Juice No Noise
Genre: Experimental/comedic hardcore
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5These guys know how to wrestle the music to their cause. This is slightly chaotic, versatile hardcore where it’s pretty clear that the music serves the message. The former is still stimulating though, with lots of variation between disharmonic and melodic parts. If you pay attention to the lyrics, you’re in for a treat. The rest works decently to a more passive listener, but will reveal parts that tend to get repetitive.
Visions Of Atlantis – Pirates
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5Up for some rousing symphonic metal that won’t make you actively cringe? This is lively and bombastic, but manages to avoid a lot of the pitfalls of the genre. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not exactly challenging music. But they know how to balance the soft and heavier parts to achieve a very pleasing progression that rarely becomes monotonous.
Woorms – Fatalismo
Genre: Experimental sludge metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 3/5This is a difficult one to listen to for someone not into experimental, dissonant stuff. I feel like you really need to know what you’re looking for when going for something like this. There’s a lot of repetition, sluggish progression and much of the groove gets killed off by disharmony. Tone is strong though, and I’m sure these guys know what they’re about.
Zero Hour – Agenda 21
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5Closing the week with some technically competent, classic progressive metal that I can’t help but describe as a little stale. There are very few surprises for a prog record, and they have a tendency to get bogged down with slow, loopy, mellow parts with focus on vocals, which just kills the momentum.
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 