Bookakee – Ignominies (2018) – A band that I feel has a moniker that might unintentionally hold them back, these guys have only shown greater skill with their sophomore debut. Not only have they transcended the slam of their earlier effort, but they’ve added in a slew of more progressive elements as well. There are even a few sections of spoken word vocal here and there, as well as some great melody sections and solo bouts mixed in with the brackish nature of such a thunderous act. You don’t really expect that from a band by the name of Bookakee, which will make you think of some kind of goregrind or pornogrind, which is absolutely not what these guys do. Though the disc still contains a metric ton of brutality, it also features some bits of piano, electronic portions and even a tribute to Super Mario World (by the way guys, your stage victory music is missing one note and it’s irked me for a while – also there’s no Bowser battle music and I feel you could’ve crushed that. Maybe you’ll play it during the live shows?) which isn’t a common medley cover for most VG Metal artists. So it was nice to hear that. Just in case you didn’t know, these guys also did a few Donkey Kong Country covers in a medley for their last album, which is definitely worth hearing. There’s no King K. Rool battle music there though, but I’m fine with that because the GaMetal cover is pretty good there. Aside from all this gamer stuff (but can you blame me? This review was written right after E3 so I can think about nothing but Mega Man 11) fans of brutal death metal who also appreciate technicality (though not in overabundance, thankfully) as well as necessary experimentation that can take a band’s style into new and unexplored areas (kinda like Metroid) should find what they’re looking for here.
I and a reviewer for Metal Injection had gotten into a sort of disagreement about this one, as he considered it “not all that great” even though I thought it was quite fantastic. So if he (who shalt not be named) decides to give the band a mediocre score, Bookakee can take pride in knowing that I not only loved the album, but that because my MP3 device somehow ended up on shuffle, I ended up listening to the disc about three or four times in one sitting and did not tire of it even after that. This is definitely how metal should be made in the modern era and I applaud these guys for leaving their comfort zone. Check it out at the link below, as you shall not regret this awesomeness.
(13 Tracks, 50:00)
9/10
Pulsar Colony – Seven Hollows (2018) – Though I admittedly was not able to get into their last release, Seven Hollows seems to put the Pulsar Colony formula back on track, as mastermind Charles Sabo works to create a fascinating alien landscape where the very atmosphere is the greatest part of the experience. Sabo’s playing is quite out of the ordinary and it’s what makes the project stand out, as it always has. It is a very slow type of metal, but the lack of speed allows the soundscapes that he creates to come off a bit better. I’m not really sure what the lyrics are about, but Sabo is a very interesting person when it comes to that and I’m sure this album is no different on that front. The interesting thing about Seven Hollows is that even though several of the songs might blend together, it equals out to a cohesive experience, which not to repeat myself again; culminates into an atmosphere which I’d consider to be quite twisted in retrospect. Sabo uses a couple of clean lines on the record here, which don’t seem to work all that well for him, but it might be the same reason I’m not using clean lines on our albums. I used to be a pretty decent vocalist until I broke my nose, even though I sounded like a choir boy. Now I sound like a nasally choir boy, so I don’t want to subject all of you to that. This being said, Sabo’s vocals actually sound much better than that, so more power to him in that regard. I particularly love the unexpected punchier notions on the album, though there aren’t all that many here. I especially love the final note on the disc though, where Charles Sabo’s clean vocal lines sound the best that I’ve ever heard them. Not bad at all. If you’re into weird soundscapes coupled with spoken word segments and bits of black and death metal, you will find something to like here. The disc has a heavy low end though, which is where I really feel that it shines. There’s still a bit of a doom notion, which Arkansas is quite known for. We like our doom, and you’d understand if you lived here. Give the disc a listen at the link below, it’s quite a treat.
(5 Tracks, 71:00)
7/10
Thy Catafalque – Geometria (2018) – Unexpectedly, a new Thy Catafalque album has appeared and as you might expect, it’s a bit different. They all are. The only difference here for me, is that I don’t feel it is their strongest material by any means. At least from the first listen. The first cut was a rocking little folk tune, while the second seemed a slightly industrial meandering that went nowhere and played up on djent a little bit more than I would have liked. I definitely thought the digitized vocals were a treat, but there wasn’t much here to hold my attention aside from the very end of the piece, where the guitar and synths were finally allowed a proper place in the Sun. The piece moved the synths explored in the last piece further into a sort of electronic folk song. I’m not digging the female vocals so much on this one, as this approach just isn’t what I expect from Thy Catafalque. It’s obvious that they’re changing styles, but I think that longtime fans might have a difficult time with this, especially if they loved the older, heavier sound of the band. To be honest, I would probably like this track better if it had no vocals at all, neither male or female. It feels like Qntal a little bit though, so there’s something to be said in that – but the approach kind of takes me out of this spatial landscape and that’s disappointing. I could hear the next piece in an RPG boss battle for sure, and that saxophone would’ve really hit it further. I’m thinking of a desert stage, most likely during a dungeon, even though the active technological nature would certainly work in a palace for the next Persona game. The last one used acid jazz to begin with, so this isn’t out of character. If you ever wanted to hear Thy Catafalque’s take on a Persona palace though, this is as close as we’re going to get. With the fifth piece, we finally get to the heavy stuff. Slight black metal bits are heard, but the drums are surprisingly punchy and make for a much different kind of experience than we’d expect. Combined with the native language clean vocals, this song certainly comes off as more removed from almost anything that the band have done before in regards to extreme metal. The song also contains a few sections where crunch and melody are observed – particularly within the middle-eastern instrumentation, which certainly fits the band’s avantgarde nature.
Moving to the second part of the disc, we have an electronic folk piece which actually comes off quite catchy. It feels like actual world music rather than metal, but as I’ve noted with this review; Thy Catafalque have transcended the genre completely. For some odd reason, this one makes me think of a man singing while standing on top of a small planetoid. Metal influence comes back with the next cut, which features the heaviest performance that we’re going to get here. Complete with harsh vocal, massive distortion and some unexpected acoustic to stand just behind said distortion, we wind up with something altogether different. Strong melodic leads are also utilized here, in addition to more playful synth nodes. The track becomes increasingly melodic as it ends on a rather haunting note. Black metal is influenced on the next piece as well, while spoken word vocals work to further illustrate it. I didn’t really care for this when (I believed it was Satyricon who did it as a closer for their self-titled disc) it first appeared and certainly don’t approve of it now. Though I will say that I like the fact that the approach was lengthened into something that I feel came off quite punchy and felt like black metal, much in the way that Satyricon could have learned from when they wanted to go into an avantgarde direction. Moving from black metal, we have synthwave on this ninth track, which doesn’t exactly work for me in lieu of the vocals. She’s a great singer, but the approach just doesn’t appeal that much to me. (I say this now, but the track may worm itself into my head over the next few days). The addition of guitar in synthwave is a nice touch, as well as the twinkling elements that you’ll hear. The whole thing goes Tron at one point, but that’s fine with me. This is high-quality synthwave regardless. From there, we move onto electro-folk. Not bad by any means, but much different than I expected, for sure. Thy Catafalque are heading so far into the world music category that it’s ridiculous. Not in a bad way though, because it’s obvious how talented the act is and how much potential it has as a whole. Certainly there’s more talent here than Kanye West and his ye album. Yes, it’s called ye. Why? I don’t know. Because it represents the plummeting apex of human intellect. Moving onto the final track, we have a rather large doom number that also includes slight folk-influence and stereoscopic fare. When the leads appear towards the end, I think of some great castle in the stars. Make no mistake though, as this is a Thy Catafalque shredder and I’m more than thankful for it.
Geometria is certainly a better thought out title than ye and deserves to be on the Billboard Top 100 above the Dave Matthews Band. I mean, while those guys can write the same alternative pop track twelve times with Max Martin and Dr. Luke, then call it a day and sell fifty million copies; Thy Catafalque can transcend fifty million genres over the span of just eleven tracks. Longer tracks than Dave Matthews or even Kanye (unless he gets to rambling, than there will have to be another album specifically for that) would be comfortable writing, I’m sure – but tracks like these need room to breathe. I’m almost surprised that Thy Catafalque hasn’t dipped a toe into the hip hop genre yet, but I think we all should be thankful that he hasn’t. While not my favorite Thy Catafalque disc, Geometria is certainly not one to pass by due the sheer amount of experimentation that has gone into it. Perhaps it’ll grow on me over time, if I even get the chance to listen to it again. The link below contains a record that most of you may not be ready for, but should definitely give a listen due to it’s historical genre-melding value.
(11 Tracks, 56:00)
8/10
Graveyard – Peace (2018) – Those of you who love the sounds of Led Zeppelin, Sabbath at their lightest or even a more modern acts like Wolfmother, The Sword and current-era Mastodon will certainly find something to like in this Swedish stoner/doom. We’re getting a decidedly warm sound, with a slight screech on the vocal end, which seems to have a bluesy tint to go along with the performance. Though what’s great about these Swedes is their attention to detail on the musical end, opting for a true to form production value that doesn’t feel out of character for the age in which they’re replicating. There’s no doubt about it, Graveyard are definitely a throwback band, though back to the days where you could just chill out with an album and didn’t have to necessarily scream and yell and throw your shirt at the walls over it. Peace almost demands a joint, so be ready for that. I mean, I’d be ready to pass the grass along with this one in a heart beat. Not only that, but the feel of the music has such a positive and trippy vibe that your high will last a little longer. I’m sure that out Canadian friends will enjoy that, and hopefully the US will be right up there with you. Though I’m not sure if it’s legal in Sweden, and don’t think that these guys care anyway. Peace is feel good stoner rock for those looking for good music to get high with or to play in the background while having sex. Some of it might get a little sappy like “See The Day” however, so be ready for that. On the other hand, I could totally hear that in the background of a romance scene in a film. I’ve jammed this one quite a few times and I can’t find a real problem with it. Rock is far from dead, it just needs to be rediscovered. Bands like Graveyard might be the best catalyst for that.
(10 Tracks, 42:00)
8/10
Daniel Tidwell – Versus Video Games Vol. 4 (2018) – Guitar virtuoso Daniel Tidwell is back with another selection of video game tunes and this time without vocals, which I feel is a good thing. Included here are twenty-four songs of VG Metal goodness and I’ll break those down for you here.
First we have “Gerudo Valley” from Ocarina Of Time, a game that I still have yet to finish. Yes, I’m serious. Maybe one day I’ll get to that water temple that everyone talks about. Regardless, this is a fairly strong track, which kind of gives off a bit of Street Fighter or King Of Fighters vibe in the arrangement. In some ways, it even feels like a Final Fantasy cut. “Tournament 2” is up next from Mario Tennis, which is about as obscure as you can get. This song sounds surprisingly potent, almost reminding me of those Punch-Out theme metal covers. Daniel really lays down the melody on this one, making for an awesome performance. I actually enjoyed this one a bit more than I expected, so that’s worth noting. “JENOVA” was taken on next, and while I never got real hyped for this one (nope, could not beat final Sephiroth but have seen the ending anyway) I will say that the performance here is quite convincing. I definitely prefer The Black Mages version the most, but there are obvious reasons for that. In any case, this remains a rather strong cut and shows depth within the technicality required to get what is normally an electronic section translated into guitar. It sounds quite cool in that respect. I’ve never even heard the original track from Goldeneye, but I will say that this rendition of “Cradle” is quite enjoyable. The track is a hard-driving beast, only slightly referencing the James Bond theme. Next is the Halo theme, from the original of course; the only game in the series that I’ve played, and somewhat enjoyed. I never was a huge Halo fan, it wasn’t my kind of shooter. In any case, the theme translated into this vein of guitarmanship actually makes it come off like stage music from R-Type. It’s quite good, much better than the original, which I can barely recall. “The Price Of Freedom” from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII sounds pretty decent, being one of the few ballads here where synth decorates the guitar based tapestries that run in and out of the piece. It feels very Japanese and that’s a good thing. There’s also a rather nice solo section that works to beef up the performance further.
Now I haven’t really played much of Bad Dudes, as I never really got into all that much compared to other beat em’ ups of the day. I will say that the piece has some very interesting similarities to the opening stage theme for Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood/Dracula X/Dracula’s Kiss. Though the breakdown section is certainly a differing factor as well as the playful Contra-esque anthemic melodies. “Overworld 2/Athletic Theme” (Really, athletic theme?) from Super Mario Bros 3 is one of my all-time favorite old school jams, and it’s just a damn fun song to hum along with. I never thought that I’d ever hear a guitar composition of it, which again is kind of a fun thing. There’s nothing really brutal about it, but I really appreciate this nod to my distant childhood. While I was talking obscure before, Shatterhand’s “Area D” told me to hold it’s beer, as a game that I only faintly remember as being well worth price of admission years ago slowly faded back into view. The game had some great tunes as well, this being one of them. But at least we’re in that area where we can cover more than Mario, Zelda and Mega Man tunes. Of course, now we have another rendition of “Dracula’s Castle” from Symphony Of The Night. I did finish the game, but have admittedly never played the inverted castle, regardless of now having finished every igavania known to man. I just completed Harmony Of Dissonance and Circle Of The Moon a few months back, completing the collection. As for this cut, it’s much better than the original, as the guitars were merely emulated and certainly sound better when they’re actual instruments. The tempo is slightly faster in some areas, but it works overall. The next theme here is the “Walking Theme” from Pokemon Go. I haven’t much experience with it, as my phone at the time couldn’t really run the app. My new android can, but I have no real desire to install it. I am looking forward to the SMT version of this though, as demons and deities always appealed a bit more to me than Pokemon. The theme itself is quite memorable, it’s anthemic and works.
Now this next one was a bit controversial and unexpected for me, as it is the “Save Room” music from Resident Evil 2. I see what Daniel was trying to do here, but once I heard it, it kind of rubbed me wrong. No offense to the piece as it is, but I’m so fond of the original and just that whole damn soundtrack in general that I wasn’t really anticipating a metal version of it, regardless of the fact that this rendition is quite inventive. While I definitely prefer Powerglove’s version a bit more (the drums were bit more powerful) I can’t turn down Daniel’s version of “Gourmet Race” from Kirby Superstar. I remember when the Neskimos first covered this a few years ago, creating the first rock/metal cover for the theme. Powerglove unexpectedly did the same decades later, and now Daniel’s doing it, so I think we’re good on “Gourmet Race” VG Metal artists. I haven’t bought The Witcher 3 yet, even though most of my game purchases come from GOG. Yeah, they’ve shoved in my face every five minutes for years, but I can’t run the damn thing and haven’t played the other two really (Cyberpunk is more my thing, folks) so I never really got around to buying it. As for this theme though, it really kicks a great deal of ass and is probably an improvement on the original. I can’t say for sure, but if there aren’t guitars in the original version, Daniel’s definitely one-upped CD Projekt Red. “Home 3” from RPG Maker definitely rolls into the realms of obscurity, I have no earthly idea which version of the software this is from, but remember programming with this sucker back in the early 2000’s with a translated version of RM2K and a Windows 98 PC. As for the game… Well, we don’t talk about that. The piece is decent, but kind of forgettable.
“Guile’s Theme” was never my favorite, but this is a very good rendition and I take no issue with it. We have done Street Fighter themes to death though. “Cid’s Theme” from Final Fantasy VII is not one that I recall easily, but it isn’t a track that gets covered often in this scene and I’m quite glad to hear something a bit different. It sounds patriotic, in a sense. Of course, now we have E1M1 from Doom. This one is played to note and doesn’t feature the death metal vocals. I always thought I’d add vocals on this one and write a whole song for it, but there are others that I’ve wanted to cover from this one like E1M9 and the ending music for the first episode. It’s definitely not the best rendition I’ve heard of the cut as it lacks a solo, which I’ve heard absolutely fucking shredded on. But it’s a definitely a true to form piece that works for me and is much better than anything from the new Doom’s soundtrack. Also, the sequel should be Doom Infernal, not Doom Eternal. It’s almost like the creators forgot what kind of game they were trying to make. Next up is “Mountain Range” from Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, one of my favorite games in the series due to it’s music. I’d love to hear Daniel cover the final dungeon, if he hasn’t done so already. The cut is brisk and melodic, fitting right in with the rest of the material here. It often feels like airship music, though it is also nice to have a sort of solo mixed in. “Stage 1” from Ghosts N’ Goblins is a far speedier take on the original, but it works well enough to demonstrate the piece. The drums pick up towards the end and things take a much fiercer tone. I can say that this is one of the better renditions I’ve heard of this theme. It’s been so long since I played any of the Phoenix Wright games, but this next cover of “Confrontation” seems decent enough. Daniel plays most of these to note, so there aren’t any real surprises, but if you just wanted to hear a said track in metal, this record will work for you. But we’re not done yet – because next we have a strange cover of the “Mini Boss” theme from Sonic and Knuckles. After that, you get two complimentary Final Fantasy VII covers, one of the battle theme (Decisive Battle – If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that covered on YouTube) and “Aerith’s/Aeris Theme” which isn’t quite so common and pleasing to hear at the end.
All in all, I feel that the removal of vocal outings ended up in a better recording for Daniel Tidwell this time around. It was great to hear “E1M1” without the vocalization, as well as more obscure games being referenced like Shatterhand, for example. The inclusion of more obscure themes like those from Mario Tennis, Goldeneye and Resident Evil 2 also added extra depth to the performance. Again, we’re not just getting the same old tunes. VG Metal is no longer a niche these days, it is a very popular thing. The days of The Neskimos and Minibosses have long past, leaving hundreds if not thousands of artists to cover their favorite songs from gaming’s past and present. That being said, I feel this is a rather strong presentation and fans of VG Metal will be quite happy with it. It’s not amazing, and offers very little that I haven’t heard before in some variation – but, what it does offer new to my ears is more than enough reason to check it out. I just hope that in the future, more VG Metal artists will start digging deep into the catalogues of gaming history in order to pull out some underappreciated gems, or even a few memorable themes from less popular indie titles. This style of music is far from dead, so there will always be a plethora of tunes past and present for coverage. If this collection of gaming tunes peaks your interest, you can grab a copy of the disc at the link below.
(24 Tracks, 62:00)
8/10
Tantal – Ruin (2018) – I wasn’t sure what kind of sound to expect from Tantal and judging by the cover, I was expecting some kind of neoclassical power/thrash, kind of like Kamelot. It just seemed like the kind of cover that would entail a dark sort of metal with thrash and deathy bits, which was almost what opener “Constant Failure” lead up to with it’s mixture of electronica, groove riffs and female fronted vocals. The deathy bits were more or less a short couple of bursts related to harsh vocal, which I thought would have been spread throughout the album, but that isn’t the kind of band that Tantal are. Instead, what I’m getting here is essentially a type of modern groove metal with electronic bits, more comparable to Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, rather than the kind of neoclassical pomp I was expecting. It’s not bad, with “Denial” coming off as a radio ready cut right out of the park, showing exactly what they’re here to achieve and how they can definitely meld with the western market, if the western market actually cared (it doesn’t, at least as far as mainstream mags are concerned). “Torn Inside” allows for a brush of heaviness coupled with some nice leads, and I think fans of Tremonti/Alterbridge might like the kind of thump going on here as it certainly has that modern downtuned feel we’re all aware of by this time. However, something needs to be said about the solo quality on this album, as first of all – it does feature solo guitar solos (albeit short) and they’re actually worth noting. “Drained” is another great example of this, apart from it’s catchy nature throughout. “Torpid” is almost like a ballad, though there are touches of technicality here and there within the guitar playing that might make a few tech-death heads twitch their ears in interest, but the guitar solo section here is much better than anything going on in the background. Of the band’s two axemen, one of these guys is quite fucking skilled and that seems to show with each cut on this album. “A Hopeful Lie” may as well have the same descriptor, because once again the listener is being faced with some fantastic fretwork, the kind that might move this act out of “girlfriend band” territory and into something that might actually attract a barrage of listeners, which is always a good thing. After all, we make music so that people can listen to it, and not just certain niches (even though that’s what happens).
More or less, fans of modern hard rock with slight metal infusions will find something to like here. If you’re more into Lacuna Coil than Nightwish and prefer thick, downtuned grooves with the occasional harsh vocal effort and some unexpectedly mind-bending solos, then you might just find something to like here. If you’ve got to have extreme metal, I would have to recommend passing on this one, but Tantal will certainly appeal to those looking for accessible music with saccharine choruses and more punch than I might have expected. It’s a good mixture of metal and hard rock, so I will definitely give it credit where credit’s due. If you’re still on the fence, you can give it a listen at the link below.
(10 Tracks, 48:00)
7/10
Gravecoven – Coughing Blood (2018) – We have another strong two-man project here, proving that all you really need to make an awesome band is one guy to the vocals, and another to do everything else (laughs). Not saying I would know anything about that, (of course you would, you egotistical bastard) but I will say that what I’m hearing here is just as meaty, grim and perfectly evil as I would like. The vocals come off like utter torture, the sound a man might make if his back is being cut into and slowly ripped apart to throw onto the ground in order to sacrifice to some great demon the other guy summoned. Which is exactly how it works with these guys, right? “Summoning Vengeance” is the perfect example of thick death with heavy tufts of atmosphere, making it sound even more volatile than those Swedish slabs of old. A tiny bit of black metal finds it way into “Furious Fires” except for the fact that the other guy sounds like he’s been caught in a windstorm. There’s this monstrous growl in the foreground, and then this tiny yell that almost sounds like “help me!” which kind of makes me chuckle and takes me out of the performance just a little bit. Towards the end of the piece, it sounds like both men are begging for their lives, so that suits my palette pretty well. Someone is apparently trying to take them to a concentration camp in order to concentrate on concentrated orange juice. Which might happen one day for all of us, especially considering Tay.AI and the AI created Olive Garden commercial. Our future robot overlords might consider it comedy along with the infinite breadstick. As we keep going, I notice that one of the musicians has now been replaced with a howling wolf on “Spiritual Violence” and also, some monks decided to walk into the building. They might be ghost monks though, as the wolf keeps howling as the drums continue to blast and the deathly thick growls continue to hold my interest amongst the ferocious bass pounding that such an album encompasses. This guy sounds like the coyotes outside, so he’s definitely been practicing. Though what really hooks me here are the damn thumps. I know that’s its not technologically efficient to consider them “thumps” but how else can you describe pounding grooves, especially when that’s how they feel? “The Ecstasy Of Hatred” closes the performance, definitely with more of a black metal feel than ever (which is a shame, as “Summoning Vengeance” really left a mark on me) apart from what might be overdoing it just a bit as I can’t discern one ounce of vocal other than the howls and growls. There can’t be words in those growls, there just fucking can’t. Then the monks come back in to assess what’s going on within this concoction, and surely I can’t blame them when it comes down to this. I’d have to say that there is a somewhat early Wolves In The Throne Room vibe here, albeit with better production value than some of their earlier releases and that might appeal. Throw in the Grave influence of course, and you’ve got a neat little band trying to break the mold. These guys don’t know if they want to be thundering death, raw black or DSBM and I couldn’t be happier. Now I can actually hear a couple of words within the growls, so it doesn’t sound quite so animalistic. Once again, the monks come back to help illustrate the slight melodies offered here. It’s odd, but this record can sound quite tribal and animalistic, almost like caveman music if we’d had electricity in prehistory.
Gravecoven offer a great deal of promise in twenty minutes, as they mix together what might come off as bizarre (traditional death metal and DSBM) and manage to mold it well enough that it doesn’t come off as a gimmick in a scene so filled to brim with them. I definitely look forward to more of what this band has to offer, because this is rather interesting and it’s far more interesting than the accessible hard rock they’re playing on the commercial radio. Five Finger Death Punch might be catchy, but Gravecoven actually offer an experience that goes far beyond verse/chorus, even if those groove riffs can be relatively catchy in their own right. Definitely give this experience a chance, even if you don’t like DSBM like myself, because this is one of the very few approaches (in possibly thousands of albums) where I actually don’t seem to mind the wolf howls. The death metal elements and deep growls seem to offset those remarkably well. I’m shocked and astonished. Check this anomaly of extremity out at the link below.
(4 Tracks, 20:00)
7/10
Lykhaeon – Ominous Eradication Of Anguished Souls (2018) – Even though it is awfully odd to talk about a disc by way of it’s packaging, this one stands out quite a bit. First of all, the digipack is black with dark writing, so it essentially looks like black on black on black. You can imagine how difficult that is to read. However, when I used my phone’s flashlight, I noticed that I was actually able to see the cover now, and it was actually pretty cool. The writing on the inside of the digipack was equally dark, but when I shined the flashlight on it, I was able to see everything quite clearly as well, and noticed it was a sort of dark blue. I think this was all done intentionally, and is a pretty awesome little gimmick for advertising how grim one’s band can be. That’s got to be the most grim packaging I’ve ever seen.
Now, let’s get to the album. Atmosphere is the name of the game here, and that can take the form of thick mounds of death and doom, slight iterations of black metal and even some spoken word portions. The disc is especially thick, sometimes rolling completely into amp feedback which in some cases offsets the performance. When “Chthonios I” merges directly into “Chthonios II” it doesn’t quite hit the mark and they should have stripped just a few more seconds from the first cut to make it flow better into the second. It’s just kind of an abrupt transfer right after said feedback, which we probably shouldn’t be hearing at all; unless live of course. As far as the music is concerned, I don’t feel there’s much variation aside from just a few sections. Most of what the listener is getting here is a sort of atmospheric brutal death, which doesn’t really undergo changes until later on in the second part of the experience with what I can tell are some actual lead melodies. No offense guys, but it’s not overly difficult to blasts on the kit with a bunch of bass fuzz in order to make it sound like you’re in a dark cavern somewhere. Honestly, I think that even the occult entities the ritual here is performed for would get a bit tired of it. “Again?” says one entity to another, as the other remarks, “Well, it’s better than mumble rap.” And yes, they would be right. I would much rather hear this dark and somewhat tortured soundscape than that of Childish Gambino. While I can’t lyrically discern either approach, whether that be the fierce growls and screams here or Donald Glover’s incoherent mumblings I still think that there’s more depth to be had here, especially when the sound turns to something resembling an actual ritual, in which the entities may now be pleased. I have no idea who he’s chanting and what the hell the result of this is, but if some entity decides to appear before me, then I might have someone to start a conversation with today. Ah, I especially like the alien-vocal effect here, which I think is quite interesting. This is beginning to turn into a noise album and I don’t mind that. I just think that now it means that Lykhaeon have a lot more to prove. Okay guys, we know that you can do atmospheric death metal and noise a great deal of justice, so let’s see you combine the both of them on a full-length. You’ll find it fairly difficult to do and I marvel at those who do manage to get the two to work together in perfect disharmony. That being said, the effect would be worth it.
I can’t say that I’m thrilled with this disc, but I can’t say that I didn’t like it either. It sounds very similar to a lot of acts in this atmospheric dungeon death metal style, but it does come with a few nice quirks within the ending ritual, the powerful gusts of wind and the alien vocal effect shift. That’s pretty cool, I just wish that there was a way they could have added this to the metallic structures within the piece. Unfortunately, I like the packaging far better than the album itself and that’s the truth. Though if you’re still interested in checking out this mixture of atmospheric death metal with some intriguing samples of noise here and there, you may find something in it. Lykhaeon sounds too much like their peers with this one though, which might make it very difficult for them to stand out. I could have also done without a few of the tiny shouts in the background, not out of character for DSBM which hopefully doesn’t become a thing that we start incorporating into darker forms of extreme metal as a whole. Give it a listen at the link below and let me know if I’m being too harsh.
(2 Tracks, 26:00)
6/10
Truchlo Strzygi – Pora Umierac (2018) – What starts out with a surprisingly cheery Polish folk song, Pora Umierac changes into an atmosphere that concerns itself with equal elements of punk, thrash, death and even some elements of black metal, which all seem to work together in order to make for a rough and incredibly in-your-face assault that you’re going to feel regardless of the language barrier. The traditional punk feel of this album really works for it, in a way that more extreme forms of metal can fail to reach. The vocals are quite audible as well, with hefty shouts sometimes giving way to harsh, but well-meant grunts. Sometimes there are even a few background shouts, which again seem to relive the early days of punk, where conformity and censorship were not the sorts of things that people wanted to promote. Only the most vile and filth splattered strains of punk and metal are being offered on this one, along with a bit of doom here and there and even some vocalizations which show a band with far more potential than the punk-influenced offering they’ve given here. I might have been handed a full-length album, but I feel that this just a step towards the kind of band that Truchlo Strzygi could be and certainly will embody in the future. We might even consider the performance a little bit crusty, which I think appeal to many of those in the modern punk scene.
Though as I said, these guys didn’t forget the metal equation of that and it’s one reason I’m definitely considering this a rather solid and forward-thinking release. I’ve already talked up Poland more than necessary and rest assured I’ll be blowing more money at GOG tonight when I get paid, so that will be even more money given to their economy (laughs). But aside from Behemoth, CD Projekt Red and The Witcher, I don’t think there are a lot of people aware of the great creative efforts happening in this country. I’m really thankful for the work I do with Polish bands, because they’re not doing the kind of boring artsy post-metal shit that the majority of western acts are dipping their hands into these days, which might mean that the country is almost completely devoid of hipsters. One could hope, anyway. In any case, acts like this one and several others show me in spades that there is an active and diverse Polish music scene with the primary goal of evolving extreme music in a far less comfortable direction than what we have had here for what feels like ages now. Poland isn’t trying to make metal safe. They’re trying to make metal grimy, dirty, filthy, and even demonic in some circumstances. When I press the play button on Pora Umierac, I know for a fact that it is an experience unlike anything that we’d be capable of here in the states and not just because of it’s folk-influence, but because of how many things were thrown into this bucket and stuck, without being glued to artsy harmonies. If you’re interested in what Poland is capable of as far as loud and unruly music is concerned, definitely pick this one up at the link.
(8 Tracks, 41:00)
8/10
Architect Of Disease – The Eerie Glow Of Darkness (2017) – Even though this album was released in 2018, no one was aware of it’s existence. Not even Batman. In fact, the record was just recently updated on Metal Archives list following a 2018 review by StormIRide, a long time contributor. We’re also around the same age buddy, so you can’t really call yourself an “old metal goat” yet. Thirty is the new twenty, and if I believed that bullshit, I’d probably be better off.
Anyway, let’s get to the disc. These Polish dudes sent me one way back when and I remember enjoying it quite a bit for it’s melodic elements – which is much different than what I’m getting here. By and large, I’d say. There are still touches of melody here, but the disc is far more groove-oriented here, a thing that StormIRide noted. Somehow it’s still classified as black metal, though I can’t see how with all the experimentation laden within. There’s a bit of death, groove and even some prog interlaced within this mist, but it could be slight tremolo instances and the blood-curdling vocal approach that makes this sound what it is. As such, we have a couple of chants here and there too, definitely touching on the Polish occult aspect of black metal. The French seemed to have went theatrical with that, while the Polish actually seem to mimic the ritual nature in a way that feels genuine. Maybe this will come off a bit silly to those who don’t believe in or practice the occult, but it certainly works for this kind of band and their image. I do feel that perhaps the album is a bit too muddy compared to the last one, and it feels a bit monotonous on the vocal approach after awhile. I also have to state that new frontman Martinous just isn’t as good as their previous vocalist, Wilku and his nearly one-dimensional approach can get in the way of some of the riffs. It’s a great thing when Martinous chooses to alter his approach slightly, but the problem is that most of the time I feel that I’m being distracted by his voice more often not and that can really take me out of the performance. It just doesn’t feel cohesive in that sense. I know this is probably a horrible thing to say to any musician who has put a great amount of time into his lines (as we all do) but I think that in this case, the vocals may have just been a tad bit overkill and it often feels one-dimensional in that respect. Guitarist and mastermind Markiz might have assembled a slightly new crew of musicians to resurrect an act that I wasn’t sure that I’d ever hear from again, but this definitely isn’t the same kind of sound that I remember hearing half a decade ago. In fact, Eerie Glow Of Darkness nearly sounds like a completely different kind of band altogether.
I think I would have liked it better if the guitars were raised a bit higher in the mix, even though I definitely understand where the vocals fit on this album and wouldn’t be upset with anyone who dug them. Martinous definitely possesses that kind of goblin-like black metal scowl that most fans of the genre will love, but it might be the slight overuse that has me a bit tuned out. I won’t say that Architect Of Disease aren’t experimenting here as they have before, as they most certainly are; but aside from a notable exception in closer “Chant Of Lord” I feel that I’m being asked to endure a bit more than I can take when it comes to that vocal end. It just doesn’t work for me and again, different people will like different things. Architect Of Disease are still worth a listen nonetheless, even though I’d recommend the previous album a bit more. You can check both of them out at the link below.
(8 Tracks, 45:00)
7/10