Siaskel – Haruwen Aiwen (2016) – These Chilean black/deathers perform their lyrics in both Spanish and the “ona” language, which is a dialect of an indigenous people called the Selk’nam. The music here feels as largely black as it does of ripping death, melding both approaches together perfectly to make for a strong recording that comes off with a rather terrifying and furious sound. Sinn Hayek’s drums feel a major part of this performance, keeping the speedy pace as Ma’hai Jippens leads more or less decorate the dirty bits with unexpected clean melodies. Siaskel are more interested in ripping off your face than anything else though, so you already know what kind of thing to expect here. Not even one track on this recording features a different approach aside from hard-hitting brutality or that of deadly frost-bitten tremolos. I don’t even recall hearing any subtle acoustics and certainly no clean vocals, whether they be male or female. If you’re looking for some dark and heavy shit, then look no further than this record, which really speaks for itself. As I was going down the line of releases, I noticed that Siaskel actually sound like a solid enough act and were well worth promoting. The drumming here has to be better than most of the haphazard approaches I’d heard in about three or four other black metal records prior, so that’s a relief.
(7 Tracks, 40:00)
8/10
Wang Wen – Sweet Home, Go! (2016) – China’s Wang Wen have been active since ’99, this being either their ninth or tenth release. That being said, the band have not changed their approach, which is still powerfully atmospheric instrumental music, albeit this time with a heavy post-metal influence. Yes, I’m talking modern-era Pelican as a huge influence. The only real difference here, is that the disc offers much more than just a bunch of post-metal riffs and some synths. Actual atmosphere is being built within each of these tracks, allowing for a different flow and vibe to each piece. Sometimes things can get down right melancholy, while at other times things can get a bit psychedelic. It’s almost like a bit of a depressive trance, as the melody section seems to deviate between sorrow and wonder almost entwined in such a fashion that it doesn’t even make logical sense. But this is music, and music doesn’t really have to make sense, just so long as it works and sounds pleasing to the ear. This is where Wang Wen succeed, even though it might be a little too chill for some of the Tower denizens. Yet at the same time, it’s also just a little bit grim – you just have to sit down and listen to it for a while. Wang Wen really aren’t making happy music, the violins making quite sure of that. I’ve only known two things a woodwind instrument was best at, which was either turning me into a veritable sobbing mess, or scaring the living shit out of me. So that being said, is there a little bit of fright to the album? Perhaps they may have been influenced by the NES game which seems to be referenced in the title? It’s hard to say so for sure, especially when the mood can change from brooding to ethereal to earth-shattering in a matter of seconds. Though that’s what makes Wang Wen such an interesting little act, because we never really know where this journey will take us as a great sort of mystery seems to unravel itself as we keep our ears peeled to the speakers. The kind of music produced here isn’t overly happy or sad, more or less exploring the rhythm of life itself.
(7 Tracks, 73:00)
9/10
Nonexist – The New Flesh (2016) – Though I haven’t heard the previous album Throne Of Scars, I have to say that I’m not completely upset with this EP release which more or less contains some castoffs from it. There’s only a few cuts here, so I’ll just go right through them. The first one we have is “Before The Storm Takes Me” which really shines in the synth section, feeling a little black thrash with tinges of black metal and some killer leads, when used. Johan still shows that he’s a killer guitar player, but I’m just not hearing enough of it here. Next we’ve got “Dark and Tortured Universe” which seems to be a brash black/death cut with synths. I feel it’s literally all over the damn place and the drums seem to drown out the synths, as I would have expected. Thank goodness for Johan’s solo. That seems to be the best damn part of this one. The rest of it I’ve already heard about eighty times from other artists. An odd live cut of “Delirious Tongues” appears directly in the middle of the album for some reason and good luck hearing it. Aside from a few discernible At The Gates influenced melodies, I’m hearing what sounds like a hefty fog of fuzz with only Johan truly audible. At least the solo section comes off without a hitch, and that’s again – the best part. The title cut also follows a black/death formula with a great deal of black and thrash metal, replete with some robotic vocal filters and another one of Johan’s classic style solos. I think it’s “A Promise Unfulfilled” that is most interesting however, as the band decided to tone it down a bit to allow for more synths and grooves, instead of the speed-thrash that has been consistent for most of this album. There’s also a clean vocal approach, which comes off quite noteworthy. It feels more like classic melodic death, a necessary tone down to the unchecked brutality so prominent here. Nonexist prove here that they can play fierce black/death and thrash like so many other bands, but it’s obvious that these guys are capable of so much more than that.
(5 Tracks, 18:00)
6/10
Scream Machine – Rise Of The Wasps Pt I & II (2016) – Recorded just before a tragedy struck SinDelle De Morte and her family in the form of a rain-wrapped tornado where they had literally lost everything and this hypnotic piece comes off a bit different than some of the band’s previous material. I’m not quite sure what is meant lyrically here, but it’s an interesting little track that feels like a sort of appetizer to something larger. Two renditions of the track are featured here, one that feels a bit more electronic and “weird” while the other seems a bit more heavy in terms of industrial, complete with some airy synths as the piece switches heavily between hot and cold. I’ve never been more confused by a Scream Machine piece as I have here, but I have to commend the atmospheric approach attempted. It’s quite different. The band have since released another two albums, one called Savages and the other hilariously (because it’s true) titled compilation album, We Tried To Tell You. This one seems to come directly before Savages which I’ve not heard yet and will have to get to as soon as I am able.
(5 Tracks, 18:00)
6/10
Zornheym – A Silent God (2017) – A single from the yet to be released debut album, Where Hatred Dwells and Darkness Reigns, this one track is good enough to be reviewed by itself. Such a thing is a rarity, especially when the piece leaves you simply mesmerized when it’s all said and done. It’s a mixture of black, thrash and symphonics but features so much body within it’s nearly six minute playing time that you’ll notice the band stands out almost immediately. Aside from tremolo picked riffs and other familiar black metal nodes, the piece also contains large orchestral theatrics and bombastic choirs in the background. It also takes a break to add in some unexpected Middle-Eastern atmospheres and even throws in a rather potent guitar solo. In addition to that, frontman Bendler provides a chorus that fits just perfectly into all of this, making for a band that is not only beating Dimmu Borgir at their own game, but is also going for less cheese and more seriousness in the realms of an asylum for the criminally insane. Dimmu love their devil worship, but all the devil chants in history have nothing on the deranged minds of the criminally sick, which makes for more meaningful metal. The Satanic panic is long over as far as I’m concerned, so bands have to up their game in order to make for something even more frightening than what that sort of thing was back in the seventies and eighties. If one looked around at society in general, they would find that a little man named Satan is the very least of our worries. One might also compare the approach here to that of Cruach Angren, but once again, this just sounds a bit more evil than the ghost stories that those gentlemen would think up, regardless of how much I love their music. The full record was supposed to release around the winter of 2016/2017 which as you know, has long passed. I wish I knew why it was taking so long for this thing to arrive, but as they say – good things come to those who wait and if the album releases this year, it’ll be a literal contender with Dimmu Borgir and Cruach Angren who have/will release records this year. Can Zornheym stand against these two metallic goliaths? Well, from the sound of just this one little song, my money is definitely on these guys right now. You bet your ass they can.
(1 Track, 5:00)
9/10