Erik Wollo and Bryan Metcalf – Earth Luminous (2017) – Within this expansive hour, the listener will be transported into several worlds through the magic of crystalline synths and tribal instrumentations. Sometimes it can feel like the soundtrack to a nature documentary, but that in itself can be highly marketable. The disc is mostly ethereal, though it does contain one rather less cheery part in “Distant Future.” I suppose that despite the nature of these bright pieces, the two do not seem to feel that are best days are ahead of us. That being said, Earth Luminous makes me feel as I’m torn between two worlds – the beauty of mother nature and the lucidity of the other side.
(8 Tracks, 63:00)
9/10
Tethra – Like Crows For The Earth (2017) – If you’re looking for a great mix of doom and extreme metal, you’ll definitely find something here. Tethra always makes me think of Moonspell if they’d gone another direction and that can be heard quite convincingly in frontman Clode Tethra’s vocal performance. Though they’re compared to My Dying Bride and most likely considered a knock-off on Metal Archives, I’d highly recommend the act just on Tethra’s amazing vocal harmonies along with the stellar guitar melodies and solos that back them. In fact, the very first track on the album, “Transcending Thanatos” really hits hard with later pieces going into the territory of mid-era Rotting Christ. I do feel that there are too many instrumental moments on the album however and these take away from the performance; but at the end of the day, it’s just great doom/death.
(11 Tracks, 50:00)
9/10
Nightrage – The Venomous (2017) – If you miss the old sound of Swedish death metal, in particular that of In Flames; then this record is going to be just what the doctor ordered. Nightrage doesn’t just offer classic melodeath antics like “Metamorphosis/Day Of Wrath” oddly enough, as we have some more modern melodeath era cuts like “Affliction” which reminds me a hell of a lot of Clayman and Stabbing The Drama. As I continue to skip through songs on this one, as it has been a long time since I last heard it, I can’t literally believe how much In Flames and Soilwork worship is here. Perhaps a little bit too much, making Nightrage sound completely unauthentic, especially since they delivered a rather strong one just a few years back with The Puritan. I’m not sure what happened, but much of this one feels copy and paste, like a giant rush into the world of nostalgia that doesn’t really manage to innovate on any of the pieces that it presents.
(12 Tracks, 49:00)
7/10
Dodsengel – Interequinox (2017) – While producing a great grim atmosphere and being the kind of album that you might expect a place like The Grim Tower to cover, I’ll admit that I find the record about as frightening as the new IT film (which just dropped on today, by the way) and that doesn’t really work for me. That being said, Dodsengel never came out to make music itentionally frightening, and the clean vocals in “Emerald Earth” seem to cement that. Obviously, there is a strong occult force behind the music and they feel that they should do anything as a band to supplement that. I don’t think these guys are worried about being kvlt anymore, which is a good thing as the new disc gives them some breathing room in which to further experiment and create art rather than schlock. It must not be all that great however, because the kids aren’t shitting all over it like they did with other black metal albums that have released this year. Yes, these black metal kids exist (in the most bitter irony) and they claim to know everything about this scene having grown up with Google. But let me be honest – Dodsengel sound like black metal in the purest sense, whether that’s taking from Mayhem, Bathory, Darkthrone and Burzum or even King Diamond/Mercyful Fate. The disc sounds admittedly old, but I feel that this is what the band were going for. It is extremely underappreciated and not as praised as Mgla and Batushka, even though it really should be. Someone give these bastards some love, the disc shows that they truly give a shit about the genre and are going out of their way to make something truly unique and not as highly processed as the food I’ll be eating tonight. (RIP stomach.) In any case, I may have broke the five sentence limit on this one, but not seeing enough praise about it kind of breaks my cold black heart, just a little. Sure, the female vocals in “Illusions” might not be your thing, but at least they’re doing something different, while keeping it decidedly grim. In a better world, people would give more of a shit about Dodsengel than they do other black metal acts, like the new Watain for example. Yes, I realize that the disc just came out and this was released last year, but new isn’t always better. Dodsengel could wipe the floor with Century Media’s new play-pretty and at least the occult influence here doesn’t come from Dungeons and Dragons. Without a doubt, one of my favorite discs of the year.
(11 Tracks, 56:00)
10/10
Ecorche – Inferno (2017) – A trip through Dante’s Inferno, the heftily static-laden performance that composes Ecorche’s latest record is definitely more up to your speed if you’re looking for an extremely raw approach. This is their fourth output, fronted by a man by the name of JGW whose Metal Archives picture looks eerily like my own profile picture on Facebook right now. (I found that very strange). In any case, it goes to show you that harmless looking people like to create extremely harmful music (in the very greatest of oddities). Much like some of our discs however, Inferno seems to suffer a bit from it’s level of raw static which makes sections quite difficult to hear. I also want to know how in the hell a guy from a major city in the east coast ended up sounding like he’d walked out of the 1600’s with that kind of thick British accent. The album also features programmed drums, much like our own records (too many similarities here for a proper review, I probably should have skipped it) and several voice clips which I might be mistaking for JGW’s vocals. It’s quite difficult to tell. The album is quite lengthy however and features a great deal of atmopshere and experimental sheen, which gives it an interesting quality. I actually like the portions where raw black metal is not utilized the most and feel that there’s a great atmospheric act to be found in the midst of this. Truly, there’s a skilled artist at the helm here, but maybe its time to trim back the black metal rasps as the static can be a bit overkill for me and takes me out of the wonderful atmosphere that he’s creating.
(7 Tracks, 57:00)
7/10
Firesphere – Requiem (2017) – Let me ask you a question. Do you like theatrical power metal in the vein of Kamelot, Avantasia or Nightwish? Okay, well do you also like electronic pop music and hard rock? Not so much? Well, this odd act decided to throw both of them on the same album, so you get a heavy Kamelot inspired number called “Behind These Eyes” only to follow up with some weird industrial pop track by the name of “Silent Darkness” which lasts around eight minutes and should really throw listeners off balance. Then we have another slightly heavy moment on “In The Silence” which rolls into “Tonight” a full-on ballad. Now if this formula sounds familiar, it should. The band cite that they’re going for the cinematic performance nature of X-Japan, but I just don’t think there’s anything out there that can compete with such an act. One of the characters even goes by the name of Tsukime, even though I keep thinking that it is supposed to be Tsukihime which would go with the Type Moon title of the same name. In truth, it’s not a terrible idea and would work well on the stage if done with the all the props and costuming required of such a performance, but I just don’t think that the album itself sells the concept as well as something like X-Japan. I’m surprised that something like BabyMetal made it over here to be honest, but to sell people a western version of X-Japan is just going to be so difficult. I guess I could compare it to the western live action anime adaptations that have been getting so much praise from the anime community as of late (sarcasm). Even some of the composition seems to look to the east, which is a bit striking. Again, there’s nothing wrong with this concept, I just don’t expect it to work as well as X-Japan did over there. Though those were much different times. X-Japan struck when the iron was hot and I just don’t feel that the iron is hot anymore, especially considering how otakus and weebs feel about western approaches to Japanese culture.
(12 Tracks, 54:00)
7/10
The Eden House – Songs For The Broken Ones (2017) – Coming in like a mix between The Gathering and The Dreamside, we have The Eden House. There’s even more than a little darkwave influence here, which I’m certainly not going to turn away. The act was initiated by Stephen Carey and later featured Tony Petitt of Fields Of The Nephilim. You also might hear a little bit of Faith and The Muse influence here (I know that I did) because they’re also a part of it – including The Mission, who are just fantastic. If you’re looking for Goth music in it’s purest, yet most modern form, you’re bound to find it here. The very spirit of the ethereal realm of this music can be found within opener “Verdades (I Have Chosen You)” which takes me lovingly back to Dead Can Dance, music I’m listening to when I’m practicing magick/mag!c in order to calm the mind and get into the mood. Though it isn’t completely occult with “One Heart” a cross between The Cure and The Gathering. Yes, I’m going to keep saying that because Monica Richards sounds so much like Anneke Van Giersbergen that it gives me goosebumps. It only begins there however, as guitars creep in and out along with all of the darkwave goodness that we know and love from this genre. I really wish that I could sit down with you and break this one apart piece by piece, but that would also be disservice to you. Records like this are very deep and meant to be explored and impressioned upon in one’s own mind. Some tie a very deep spiritual connection to them, which my critique couldn’t possibly hold a candle to. The only thing about Songs For The Broken Ones that I regret, is not being able to spend as much time with it as I’d like for review. Albums as great as this one are what make my job more of a curse than a blessing, but that comes with the territory. I honestly didn’t remember this one at first, but after hearing it now I’m quite convinced that it is one of the best of very few Gothic releases that have come out this year. Added with Black Tape For A Blue Girl and Voltaire, Gothic/darkwave music seems to remain as strong as it ever has. It gives me hope for the future too.
(12 Tracks, 69:00)
10/10
Opticleft – Step Aside (2017) – The debut album from tech-deathers Opticleft is starting to sound like the problem I’m noticing with all modern tech-death. This stuff used to be great in the beginning, but now it’s all about wankery and brutality, which the kids love but are eating up like a box of Mike and Ike’s. This is just one of the several albums that I see decorated on their spotify playlists, most looking like alien landscapes. I guess it’s hear that I’m also going to announce my displeasure with this genre as of late and I’ll be letting Jake Butler and his team over at Metal Purgatory Media cover it, since the guy goes nuts for this kind of stuff. The affiliate banner’s on our wall, so maybe he’ll be able to give a better description. I won’t say that the performance is bad, but it just reminds me of a lot of acts like Necrophagist, Gorguts and Quo Vadis, who I’d rather jam out instead. The vocal performance is quite strong and the guitars seems to move from one structure to the next, as if there’s powdered adderall on the strings. The disc is quite short and it has already moved to the fifth cut like Super Sonic on amphetamines. I feel like a huffing and puffing old man Mario when I cover this kind of stuff, and it seems to me that Opticleft and all of these other modern tech-bands have taken all the elements of heavy metal and thrown them into a giant blender to be easily digested by today’s generation of short-attention spans, created entirely by social media (as recently explained by the creators of all this crazy stuff, Google the interviews). I haven’t reallly heard these guys discussed in any circles, but I’m quite sure that they have fans and put on a heck of a performance regardless. I don’t think there’s any topping of Gorguts’ Obscura for me and consider that the peak of this music, as the record just felt like some sort of audial Gordian knot. I still can’t wrap my head around it, it’s beyond me. Maybe these guys can, so more power to them. Again, this isn’t a well informed opinion this time around, so definitely check Metal Purgatory Media when it comes to modern tech-death. Anyone want to send some Grandpa’s guitars music?
(11 Tracks, 36:00)
6/10
Jute Gyte – Oviri (2017) – For those unaware of Jute Gyte’s music, one might wonder from the first few notes of “Democritus Laughing” why a man would ever record himself playing the guitar badly and out of tune. Though what’s interesting about that, is Adam Kalmbach is actually quite an experienced compositionist and many of the songs are outright experiments in that field, as well as various tributes to novels he’s read over the past few years. This has been true of many of his albums, which are just now getting proper exposure in the scene after all these years. In fact, one of the commenters on his Bandcamp claims that this is the next evolution of metal, which I hope is not true as it is already oversaturated with wank and technicality to the point where the music itself is making less sense than it ever has. Though with Jute Gyte, he intentionally crafts albums to come off as they do and there’s nothing quite like what he does – nor should there be. Please don’t let me wake up tomorrow morning and find that everyone threw away the tech-death resurgence gimmick to begin making half-assed attempts at the experience that Jute Gyte has created with this and other albums. As we might expect with a Jute Gyte album, electronics and extreme technicality make up the rule of law in this half black metal/half atmosphere release that dazzles as much as it puzzles. Jute Gyte is about as close as one can get to the Gordian Knot of Gorguts’ Obscura, which means that he’s approaching this in the best possible way. The end of “Democritus Laughing” can even sound like some sort of weird horror theme,I keep thinking about a demon creeping into a child’s room in one of those old eighties horror films, while a sadistic lullaby plays. You’ll find the same sort of oblong weirdness in “Mice Eating Gold” which even enters into slightly perverted Middle-Eastern inspired territory. I feel as though I’m in a ritual by the end of it. As for “Yarinareth, Yarinareth, Yarinareth” I’ve said the name about three times and it has not yet appeared before me. For shame, as I just purchased a Super Retrocade and needed someone to grab the second controller on beat em’ ups. It doesn’t really matter how fearsome, terrible or massive this being is, if it can hold a controller – that works for me. Maybe it’s taking a shower and I’ll try again later. I think the worst thing in the world is when you summon a great ancient being, only to find it draped in a towel because you’ve summoned it while in the bath. I will say that the intriguing use of melody and (is that the sound of a tape recorder fast-forwarding?) definitely make this odd song stand out. As for “Fauna Of Mirrors” it seems to go into realms that I can’t even describe. Kalmbach had better watch out, or he’s going to end up bringing some kind of other-world invasion to our planet with these kinds of weird inhuman melodies. For all I know, he’s already done so and the sounds I’m hearing are indeed not of this world. I’d definitely believe that, judging from the performance that is going through my eardrums right now. As for the harsh vocal stuff, it’s definitely there and ravenous as it should be, but him screaming like a banshee just isn’t all that important compared to what is going on in the background. I don’t think it would be a good idea to send this stuff up into space on a satellite, we might wake up tomorrow and realize we’d called Z18823’s mother a foul term in their world and that means enslavement. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like chiseling great statues to alien overlords for the rest of my days. There’s absolutely nothing like this on the planet right now, so please take note of it and don’t decide that your band has to sound like it too, as well as the bands of your neighbors and their neighbors and practically everyone else in the metal scene. Let’s allow Jute Gyte to reach great stardom on their own merits – or maybe not, as somewhere in the back of my head, I do think that some of these compositions may literally be the key to opening up another dimension. Apparently, Phillip K. Dick believed that Valis was real, though I can’t say I’m interested in visiting. Okay, unless the female specimens are green and have four breasts. I have a thing for green women, but can’t seem to find any on this planet.
(6 Tracks, 74:00)
9/10
Atropos Wrath – Where Gods Lay Down To Die (2017) – Barely covered anywhere else, I suppose that I’m one of the only people who noticed this one. Metal Archives considers them “melodic death metal” but not so much in the sense of In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium and others. The record actually contains more and thicker grooves than we’d expect, showing that ther Germans wanted a disc with more grit than much cleaner discs, which this is certainly not. The vocals also lean on black metal at times, even though thick growls are also utilized on the disc. Though I will not deny that it has melodies and great ones at that, this disc seems to be a bit bleaker than what we expect from the melodeath genre and nearly hits the tone of dark/depressive melodeath if we’re being honest. Listen to the vocal approach and overall composition on “For Dawns To Come” where a scowl very close to anything you’ll hear in black metal is surely present, as well as the devastating blasts and tremolos of such a genre. If Atropos Wrath are indeed melodeath, they are an intensely darker version of the genre that you absolutely should not be looking over. The band are texturally brilliant as well, with no fear of changing up sections to add more groove, acoustics, tremolos, drum blasts and even female vocal sections when necessary. I’ve always loved this kind of stuff no matter how it’s been dressed, but it’s good to see an act taking more from Graveworm than Insomnium or In Flames for once. Yes, I name-dropped Graveworm here and that’s definitely how I would describe them. For those of you who havent’d heard of an act like Graveworm (who aren’t quite as good as they used to be, unfortunately) I highly recommend digging through their discography as they craft some of the best darker-tinged melodic death metal I’ve ever heard, with definite black metal tinges as has been referenced on this album. I don’t think that Atropos Wrath are the next Graveworm, but I definitely enjoy what they’re doing here. If I could coin this genre, I’d call it grim melodeath and feel that it pretty much describes this impressive beast well enough. If you’re even remotely a fan of dark atmospheres, melody and groove when necessary, give this act a try. It’s their sophomore album, so they must be doing something right.
(7 Tracks, 47:00)
8/10
Ewigkeit – The Cosmic Man (2017) – Don’t you just love when you’re listening to the sixth album of an act you’ve never heard? You know, especially when you’re a major fan of the previous act from which this one spawned? Before I end up getting you confused, let me explain something. Mr. Fog AKA James Fogarty was known for his work in The Meads Of Asphodel, one of the best and most decorative forms of musical satire that I’ve ever heard. Not surprisingly, the band also worked with one of my other favorite bands of all time – Sigh. Mirai handled keyboards. Anyhoo, there had been some sort of discrepancy between Mr. Fog and The Metatron, causing Fogarty to devote all of his focus to a project that I didn’t actually know was around during his lengthy stint in The Meads Of Asphodel. The Cosmic Man is a fairly recent album, but he also released a new version of the band debut, Battle Furies which is more in line with the historical nature of The Meads Of Asphodel. Though we aren’t here to talk about either of those things. We’re here to talk about the monument that is Cosmic Man. I don’t actually remember how I obtained this one, all I know is that I was listening to it one day and thought to myself – this IS INCREDIBLE. WHO IS THIS? So I looked up the information and wasn’t even shocked. Of course, it has to be someone related to the Meads/Sigh circle of bands that I can’t get enough of. This is almost my proof of some bizarre divine plan setup by some weird deities or perhaps some egregores that I created while stoned in ritual years ago. Not surprisingly, that allegory isn’t far from this album as The Cosmic Man does begin to sound like a stoned ritual, where even though Fogarty’s vocals aren’t very loud in the mix, (I’d love it if they were raised a bit, but will just turn the album up to full blast in order to put a band-aid on that) I find myself thrown directly into a psychedelic world of heavy metal melody. Some black metal influence is featured here and there, though it is not a major necessity. If “Death Is The Portal” doesn’t get you, then “Neon Ghoul Ride” will. (The name makes me think of Ghouls and Ghosts too, so that works.) By and large, this is an album for people who love the sounds of melodic guitar and keyboards, and nearly come to a feeling of orgasm when they come together to make musical love. Additionally, Fogarty decided to go with a much warmer production on this one in order to obtain that classic feel of the albums that he grew up with and that’s perfectly fine. I’d even say that it benefits the performance, making it sound from that golden era of heavy metal and prog rock, which as I’ve said; are lovingly embraced on this disc. With so many great cuts coming one after another, I’m surprised that more people aren’t praising this disc. It also seems like Fogarty himself might have pushed it aside a bit for the re-recording of Battle Furies, which I just don’t like as much The Cosmic Man. I also feel that I can identify more with the bizarre metaphysical and occult-laden content of this one than I can with the other. It’s a bit raw, but it’s the kind of music that would go great while reading something like Alan Moore’s Promethea or Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles. Especially the first issue of the series, (Dead Beatles) which features the psychedelic god that Lennon might have become after he’d died. If you like this album, chances are that you’ll like the others and I’ll be checking them out as well, on the very same Bandcamp page that I’m linking here for you. Let’s discover the magic of James Fogarty together.
(10 Tracks, 60:00)
10/10
Afterbirth – The Time Traveler’s Dilemma (2017) – After releasing a slew of demos in the early nineties, this New York based brutal death act came together to release a more diverse and slightly more technical recording than what composes much of this genre, aside from an act like Demilich which is now praised but was passed by several decades ago. Simply put, it is now time for these guys to strike while the technical iron is hot and I’d certainly consider that to be the case when it comes to a disc like this one. I’m taken on a journey through a multitude of intriguing soundscapes, with only a heftily belching man to guide me. Hold on, let me rephrase that. With only a mutant swine man to guide me. Sometimes Will Smith (and not that Will Smith, though I would love to see them do a collaboration) does offer a bit of a growl, though for the most part I’m hearing what sounds like his digestive system. It’s quite interesting as the approach almost seems to flow into the diverse song structures in place here, which move from thick breakdowns to massive progressive movements. It feels like technical death metal, though without the wank. The album actually features a few moments in which it can breathe and allows for some more traditional approaches in the mix aside from Cynic, Gorguts and Cryptopsy references. I suppose if Dying Fetus opted for a more intelligent and less groove-heavy (even though there are a few grooves lurking here) approach, The Time Traveler’s Dilemma would certainly come out of that. There’s also a section in “Discarded Astral Body” that sounds like it may have some inspiration in Super Metroid, though one cannot say for sure. In addition to mind-boggling brutality, the band also offer a few instrumental performances, which certainly can only further beef up such an impressive performance as this one. Some of you might not feel the same way as they can take away from the uncompromising technical brutality, though they do add to the atmosphere being created here for your audial entertainment. For a band who has been around for decades though never had the chance to release a proper full-length, it’s good to see that The Time Traveler’s Dilemma is certainly far from a dud.
(11 Tracks, 44:00)
8/10