Krepuskul – Hybrid (2017) – If you like the sounds of melodic death metal mixed in with the groove-heavy nature of Lamb Of God and a touch of clean vocal long before Randy Blythe starting doing it, then you’ll enjoy this record from Transylvania’s Krepuskul. While looking up the band’s name and album on a recent Google search, I seem to find several glaring reviews including a 5/5 review from Andy Phelps. Really, Andy? Were we listening to the same album? I’ve always respected the man as a reviewer before, but I can’t honestly see how he thought this disc a paragon of perfection on the level of such classics as “Ride The Lightning” and “Scream Bloody Gore” for example. Sure, the disc was strong – it featured a hefty mix between the melodic death metal of acts like Dark Tranquillity and In Flames along with a touch of classic Swedish death here and there, but it seemed to be too influenced by Lamb Of God for it’s own good. The frontman practically did his best to emulate Blythe, rather than do his own thing; which became awful boring by about the last cut on the disc. While it was quite interesting in the beginning, I found that I had heard all the disc had to offer by about the sixth song, wondering when it was going to end. When I have to look up from my cell to see where I’m at in the current listening process of an album, then you can already guess my thoughts on it.
I think Hybrid wore out it’s welcome around that time, but I also blame the 128k quality promo for killing a lot of the flavor (it was a bit fuzzy, that is very hard to judge) that would have been kept in a 320k version of the disc. The whole time I was listening, I knew that something had been off, which is when I noticed that the quality was downgraded heavily. I honestly don’t know why bands/labels do this. The sites that host album downloads and the Youtube pages that upload full albums are still going to post those records, regardless of quality. Instead of giving reviewers low-quality sound, it would be much better to give at least a VBR or 320 copy of the album, so that I may be able to give it a proper review. The band did their best and it was a strong enough album for Lamb Of God fans looking for a more finessed approach to that sound, but it just wasn’t the level of quality that I would have hoped in a promo. Now that Haulix has finally updated their mobile site (after nine months of me bitching and complaining) I might be able to download proper quality promos again. Despite these technical issues, (which I feel are valid and a sort of cautionary tales for bands/labels looking to submit material for review) I feel that these gentlemen do have talent, and would like to see this formula more refined. There are just too many tracks on this record that feel similar to Lamb Of God, and while I grew up with and have always enjoyed their modern-Pantera with a little bit of Acid Bath thrown into the mix sound, I don’t think it is very original or unique to copy it with slight bells and whistles. Krepuskul need more bells and whistles, they need to dig out from beneath the shadows of band emulation and become something that would really help them to stand out. Of course, I apparently know nothing compared to other seasoned reviewers that I would recommend undergo a lobotomy.
An honest opinion is what Krepuskul wanted, so that’s what I’ve given them. They don’t have to agree, but they can accept that these words are what I literally felt from the album after giving it a few good listens. I’ll admit that there’s some promise and the frontman’s clean vocals sound much better than Randy Blythe’s clean attempts, but other than that it ends up as a solid release that I don’t feel will revolutionize the genre in such astounding ways as I’m seeing posted online. So I ask again, am I listening to the same album?
(9 Tracks, 44:00)
8/10
Cold Cell – Those (2017) – Swiss black metallers Coldcell have returned with Those, a record that would feel rather comical if it wasn’t as brackish and depressing as I’ve witnessed here. The frontman seems pissed off at the whole damn world, which really works in his favor – it makes for a believable performance. Though the record explores some rather cold atmospheres aside from it’s metal meat, I feel that Coldcell create the kind of bleak black metal that actually seems to solidify the genre in this day and age. Notably, the band feature a member of Schammasch (their drummer) here titled aW and his performance is just as memorable as in any Schammasch record. Now, you might look at this review and wonder why such an occult laden act like Schammasch would spin off into something so bleak, at least as far as their drummer is concerned. Well, the lyrical content here happens to deal with “death of spirituality” and “loss of consciousness.” In fact, some of it can sound very ritualistic at times, which makes perfect sense. It’s definitely more interesting than the last Schammasch record too, despite the fact that I normally don’t mind small ritualistic EP thingies. In other words, Cold Cell brings back the heaviness that the aforementioned lacked even if it comes packed with a similar amount of light atmospheric tracks to keep the mood. But there’s nothing here that feels uplifting, nor should there be. The first sentence of this review read “Swiss black metallers” and I feel that more or less explains the attitude and performance of this release. It is not heavy with guitar solo, nor clean vocals, nor anything with even a slight glimpse of peace. Even the light acoustic melodies sound a bit grim, which works to show us that the album offers absolutely no respite within it’s dark, cruel void. Those is quite dim, ugly and deep. It requires more than a full listen to properly understand and even I haven’t fully soaked it in yet.
In the same regard, I’ve never felt that there was anything overly uplifting about Schammasch, though I will reiterate to those outside the fence of this practice that the occult is not purely a dark, demonic or negative practice. This kind of music just represents a much bleaker side of it. If you’re looking for brighter rituals, you may find them if you choose to look for them. That being said, even Dead Can Dance can be a bit ominous and melancholy sometimes; so perhaps we occultists (or magicians, if you like) feel that the “art” is a bit more mysterious and less inviting than what is offered in religious hymns. Though, if you think about it; aren’t religious hymns and even Christmas carols a wee bit creepy in how saccharine they are? There are also ten-thousand or more of the damn things. At least with music like this, despite how unpleasant it might come off to the listener; it’s real. There isn’t the sound of a man singing happy along with a hymnal in hand after he’d beaten his wife just the night before. When Cold Cell got together to write this furious, deeply depressing and thought-provoking album, they did it to show that the outside realm (Morrison calls it “the other”) is not necessarily a welcoming place. There is a good chance that no heaven waits outside with an assortment of little chocolate donuts with cream in the middle. I feel that such an album fully demonstrates the uncertainty of life beyond the flesh and the mysterious nature of occult practice in general. I’d simply have it no other way.
(8 Tracks, 54:00)
8/10
Anima Nostra – Atraments (2017) – After looking at the track titles and observing all of the weird runes, sigils and seals on the packaging, it is quite clear that this disc from the international collective is a recorded ritual of some sorts. Nothing that I recall visited me in the stock room while I was listening to the disc and stacking boxes, but something sure could have been summoned to say “hello” if it had wanted to. I would suppose that the dust of the place was a factor, as I often sneeze in there due to the amount of junk that is being put away for next year.
The album begins with “Composition For The Shadow Self” which immediately reminds me of the Persona series from the title. Though the song is much different, as it opens with bells, industrial hymns and what can sound like death metal growls. This is a bit unusual for this genre as I mostly hear screams and shouts, but never actual vocal gravel. If I were to geek out on the ominousness of it, I’d say it was “the most badass sounding thing ever” but let’s suffice it to say that we’re more or less getting what feels like a demonic chant with a slight voice changing effect that makes it sound as if the Goetia were personally involved. Who knows? They may have been. I wasn’t there. “Naamah” seems to continue the industrial effort of the previous with a slight hum in the background, while it sounds like some sort of jingling metal or cymbal taps are being utilized. Demonic vocals soon appear and in very much the same chants as the previous. And nope, I don’t unfortunately see anything behind me after playing this. “Blameless” adds unexpected bass to the performance, almost bringing in a sort of metal atmosphere. The industrial sections are still piled on rather thick, so it never goes into a full-on metal experience, almost coming off tribal.
Moving on, we have “Tabula Smaragdina” which features the female vocal chants of Delphine Banitz who sounds like she’s on top of an ominous hill where clouds begin to gather around her. It feels like the opening to a film or the soundtrack for a trailer. “Solemn Majesty” begins with what sounds like a monk’s chant, but later turns into the same kind of industrial doom with tribal influences that now adds a creepy organ section. On second thought, there might not be a voice changer utilized here and the frontman might really be that gurgly. The piece actually invokes a dance vibe, but only for a little while. Shame, I could definitely dance to that. The band’s namesake track comes next, and it starts off as the most euphoric and pleasant sounding piece on the disc until a few minutes pass and it become a fearsome mixture of tribal industrial and hefty growls. “Intermezzo For The Double-Wanded One” (whoever in the hell he is) feels like a misty science fiction inspired piece, perfect for a film. Next we have “Yaldabaoth Doxologia” which I can actually decipher in the clean, though digitized lines. The record is beginning to sound like a mix between occult ritual and Dead Space, which is just fine for me. In all honesty, this track is the most “badass sounding” piece since the album opener; although I haven’t really found a bad track on this album. The album closes with “The Seal” which only continues it’s awesomeness, adding a bit more power electronics into the mix which only enhances this Dead Space friendly atmosphere.
I stress that fans of extreme metal might actually find something in this and Anima Nostra are a great gateway into this genre for metal fans. As a matter of fact, some of the ideas utilized here have been featured on extreme metal albums, though in a less atmospheric sense. You may have heard several intros or interludes on those records that sound similar to this and at the same time might have been wondering if there are acts that purely create that kind of sound. In that regard, I have good news as Anima Nostra (despite sounding harmless) make some of the most ferocious industrial/power electronics that I’ve heard in this genre. It actually feels like a true mix of death/doom, power/electronics and industrial soundscapes. Without a doubt, this is one of the most pleasing albums I’ve heard on Malignant Records so far. The Grim Tower highly recommends Anima Nostra’s Atraments, as it just might be that one album with enough of a foothold in extreme metal to bring you into this level of atmospheric music.
(9 Tracks, 43:00)
10/10
Atrexial – Sourvein (2017) – Spain’s Atrexial create a mixture of black and death metal, yet incorporate a great deal of dissonance and melody into their music. The record actually contains three foreboding soundscapes, all of which seem to fit the performance and don’t feel a waste of the disc’s fifty-five minute running time. Some pieces, like “Under The Scourge Of Lamishtu” feel more based in the grooves of death metal, yet still add in tremolos to keep up with the style. What’s more, is the band actually perform a great deal of guitar solos on the disc, there’s nearly one on every song. While some might feel that a moment of shredding can take away from the atmosphere laden within the performance, it feels as if Atrexial want to rock out more than they want to make some sort of grand ritual statement. The frontman is clearly versed in both a scowl and growl vocal, making for something that can sound at times like Behemoth and others like Mephorash or Deathspell Omega. It’s this level of variety that really gives the album a sense of itself, rather than being glued into one single genre constraint. I think one of the last things that my colleague said before he left, was that black metal felt too tied down by dissonance. Every band at the time was trying to use a dissonant riff or two, and even though Deathspell Omega more or less pioneered it, that doesn’t mean that everyone in the genre needs to copy them. As with any industry trend, there were ten and twenty thousand black metal acts that adopted both occult mysticism and dissonant riffs in order to jump on the magick school bus. Though the album seems a bit raw in some of it’s production quality, I’ll forgive it for sounding just a little tinny as that seems to be the aim of the recording. Obviously Atrexial wanted something that wasn’t only raw, but polished and this is where we end up with a very glossy sound. Sourvein isn’t quite the “when you’ve heard one track, you’ve heard them all” sort of deal, but it certainly seems to edge that way towards the end. I heard less and less variation in the album, which isn’t uncommon; but certainly unfortunate. It isn’t as if these gentlemen didn’t have any fuel left after a certain middle point in the album, but feels more like a fault of genre constraint. They may play outside the lines, though not enough for me. That being said, if you like this kind of black/death, you’ll more than likely find something here. I’ll even given them an extra point just for playing outside the lines and giving me something a little different to explore than what I’ve heard in countless other dissonant black/death acts, but once again; they still need to work their way out of that box.
(12 Tracks, 55:00)
8/10
Persecutory – Towards The Ultimate Extinction (2017) – Hailing from Turkey, where the situation is a bit grim (and that’s not a pun, look up the execution videos from the country’s military coup if you can find them – I still can’t get over those) we have a black/thrash act that sounds very much as you’d expect for the genre, with drums that pummel as loud as the bass and a raspy frontman that feels right at home with the style. Sometimes that goes into a tremolo backed section of atmosphere and shouts of protest or adoration (I’m not sure which) which you’ll hear prominently on the nearly twelve-minute title track. Additionally, said title cut is placed as the second track on the disc, so you won’t have to wait until the end of it to hear the band in full-force. Sometimes the bass can drown out the tremolo riffs and even the vocals, but that gives a very organic quality that doesn’t feel overproduced and matches what you might get with a Persecutory stage show. There are clear thrash riffs on “Till Relentless Salvation Comes” which balance nicely with the loud shouts and blasts that also find themselves a part of this conglomeration. Though the record is quite brutal and filled with the rage of ten thousand black and unholy Suns, the record as a whole doesn’t really do much more than what you see here. Maybe that isn’t a problem for you, but I’ve heard so many similar approaches that I can’t really see the sense in having three cuts towards the end that nearly mimic each other aside from some slight variations here and there. If you’re in need of letting off some steam though, this disc of Turkish rage and hatred might be just what you’re looking for. Simply put, Persecutory make black/thrash and it sounds like the kind of black thrash that carries this approach right into it’s most extreme and unwelcoming formats. The disc is so engorged with black metal mentality that it’s thrash senses are nearly buried within all of the blasts and tremolos. That being said, it matches the kind of anger you might expect from a country where I’ve seen a great deal of oppression. It’s the sound of being generally pissed off, and you can’t really mimic that. It’s one of the reasons that this kind of metal exists to begin with, even if some of the subject matter might be a little bit corny in all of it’s satanic leanings. But that’s also kind of black metal, right?
(7 Tracks, 41:00)
7/10
Pig’s Blood – Pig’s Blood (2017) – A death metal (I didn’t even have to look that up) act from Wisconsin, Pigs Blood prove that there’s more to their fine state than cheese. I have an uncle who lives up there and can’t recall if I’ve ever been there. Apparently, I’ve also got a relative in some sort of what seems to be a weird gothic act. I’ve tried to get in touch with him as the man is a musician and we do work with gothic acts, but it was to no avail. In any case, Pig’s Blood are far from gothic and deliver the kind of death metal that we might expect from the gamut. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but features the sort of approach that Pepperidge Farm remembers (Does Pepperidge Farm remember?) in it’s level of gore-soaked animosity, driving bass riffs and frightening vocals. Only the heftiest of growls have been featured here along with rasps that feel like they’re a product of being stabbed in the throat with only a single harsh node remaining. The drums pile on as thick as ten pounds of Swiss cheese, with slight doom bits to keep up with the horror influenced nature of the piece. The record contains not so much an ounce of clean vocal or keyboard, and we like it that way. This is after all, the original sound of death metal at it’s most virulent. I honestly think that the vocals are the best part of this album, with Chris Ellis (Protestant) being responsible for that. Seeing the name Protestant seems to have jarred something in my mind and I can’t remember if they are the same band that I felt was quite awesome or just mediocre. Whatever the case, the drummer (who also plays in Prezir) and guitarist seem to have come from Abaddon, while the other guitarist seems to have come from his house. Alright, let me be fair here. Prezir drummer Brian Serzynski and ex-Abaddon guitarist Bubba Nitz are featured here, while this is Nick’s first outing in the metal community. But it sure beats Minecraft, right?
I’ll be honest though, as I am really enjoying this one. Sometimes you need a huge fist of heaviness right to the face and that’s exactly what this album does. It doesn’t pull punches, it’s like taking five knuckles to the mouth and then counting your teeth afterwards to make sure they’re all still there. Of course, whoever Nick is; he probably wants to knock the hell out of me for that Minecraft joke. Still, that punch would feel like this album and I think that’s a good thing. Not the physical abuse rather, but that album itself. So if you’re looking for an album that will rip your head directly off and flush it down the toilet, Pig’s Blood is definitely the way to go. These men sound like ravenous cannibals with a taste for human flesh (and Minecraft) which will undoubtedly translate well into the scene. The reviewer over at Metal Observer gave these guys a 77% but I’ll give them a little more as I really seem to dig the approach here. Maybe it’s because I haven’t heard it in a long time, especially with as much attention to gore as has been done here. It’s nearly gore metal, which I’d sooner equate with death. I mean seriously, how do you kids tell the different between death and gore metal? Don’t both deal with the same damn subjects? The approach here might sound a bit outdated to some of the newer heads, but that’s okay because it works for me. The disc actually sounds a bit longer than it is too, but I’d consider that a good thing as it sticks with you and is a sort of slow kill. If you haven’t heard extreme or gore or brutal death or (insert sub-genre here) metal sound like this in a long time, then you might want to go with this one. It tickled my funny bone in the most obscene of ways. I should note that although tough to decipher, the lyrical content of this one seems a little deep, even political in some aspects. Though the lyrics to Dying Fetus’ “Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog” was also a serious track about selling yourself to the industry. You’d never guess that by listening to it, however. In this kind of metal, those things always seem to get lost in translation.
(10 Tracks, 36:00)
8/10
Saarkoth – 2017 Demo (2017) – This black metal demo is actually quite well-produced, saying something about the time in which we live. I still remember looking in those old Metal Maniacs mags and seeing all the lo-fi demos that were offered back then. I’d be curious as to how many of those bands actually continued, are still going strong and which ones had become famous. In any case, we have a fair offering of black metal here with powerful scowls and rather catchy melodic sections. I’d additionally add that “Awake In Eternal Sleep” shows real promise for the band in it’s non-black metal excursions, mainly in it’s use of synth and piano. That expands the formula bit beyond the standard tremolo/scowl/blast formula that we’ve heard umpteen thousand times. I know what black metal sounds like. I just want to hear something in the genre that utilizes the formula in a way that makes it stand out. Of course, guitar solos and orchestration to back those solos helps too. There’s quite a bit of notable work here, if I may be honest. “Beyond in The Horizon” seems to show a little bit of the opposite however, it seems to pull a little bit of focus towards how the band can utilize common core mechanics (and no, I’m not talking about math – I’m referring to common metalcore mechanics) in order to sellout to the mainstream. Maybe a little bit too much of that core influence in the beginning for me. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t deviate from the formula, but perhaps reaching out to genre trends is not the way to go. The programmed drums also have something to be desired as well, but they can prove a bit potent when the guitar and vocal presence is equally powerful. I tend to like the latter half of this piece more than it’s beginning, which shows that it too has potential; but not as much as the previous. Yet I’ll say the same about some of my own songs. There are a few that absolutely kill in the latter sections but take a while to get going. That’s just writing an album in general though. There will always be parts that we like and parts that we don’t. In any case, Saarkoth seems to be a talented enough act and this demo certainly proves their worth. I think it’s a solid effort, and have heard far worse demos in the black metal spectrum. There’s definitely something here, but don’t quit your day jobs just yet. It still needs some polish. I recommend a little Pledge and Barkeeper’s Friend.
(2 Tracks, 12:00)
7/10
Alien Invasion Defence System (AIDS) – Demo 2017 (2017) – Here we have an experimental brutal death metal demo from Arkansas. It was actually submitted to me by a guy that I remembered going to school with. So yeah, this goes way back. Not the demo though, it’s quite new. When I went to the Arkansas Deathfest a few years back, I noticed that the scene was full of brutal death and slam acts, something I never would have expected to become so popular. AIDS is a little bit along those lines, and it’s mastermind Clayton Haynes has been at work with so many different projects and ideas over the years that it is good to see he’s finally got one off the ground. Most of this demo is instrumental, which is fine as it shows the kind of acrobatics the guitarist is capable of, heavily inspired by tech-death acts like The Faceless, Beyond Creation, Rings Of Saturn and Obscura. “First Wave: Disintegration” might not have offered so much that I hadn’t heard, but I was quite taken with “Dissected By Dark Matter Entities” and it’s level of intergalactic shred. “Credulous Species” finished off the first half of the demo, where I’ve noticed more of a bass groove influence and less of the shred-factor. There are some breakdown sections here that also would well on the stage. One might even call it slam-influenced. The second part of the disc brings this song back, but this time with vocals. The vocal approach is quite odd, but engaging. I’m hearing Dying Fetus or Wormed, but if they were transported into another galaxy. It has promise, but I feel the low end isn’t as impactful during the verse as it should be. This is incredibly hard during verse though, as the death metal vocal in general is often rather coarse and difficult to bring emotion from. The louder it gets, the more thunderous it becomes. This is done better on “First Wave: Disintegration” which is mostly slam and works very well in that regard. With vocals, the song stands out a little better than without. It makes me wonder why the band didn’t put the vocal tracks on the EP first. I’ve never been the biggest fan of slam, but my former colleague sure was. I don’t know what he would have though of this, but would have been a much better judge of the genre as he was simply fucking infatuated with it. That being said, I find the performance quite interesting and rather solid. I’d like to see what they’ll offer in the future and would consider it a different approach than what we’re used to from the genre, even in similar alien themed bands.
(5 Tracks, 14:00)
7/10