Eidulon – Combustioni (2018) – His first album in eleven years, Eidulon has returned with what has been described as apocalyptic industrial. Now I may have made this comparison before, but the fuzz and synth-organs on opener “In Igne Revelabitur” remind me heavily of one of the more haunting cuts on the Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne soundtrack. Those who’ve played the game will be familiar with some of these cuts, which certainly were not commonplace for that kind of game genre. Combined with thunderous orchestral tinges that sound very close to that of Wagner’s rafter shakers, it is an album that takes electronic based music into strange new territories. Rough, death metal inspired vocals bring a sharp and certainly unexpected edge to the sound which I feel is quite different from the loud nihilistic shouts that we’re so used to with this kind of music. I’d almost call Eidulon a full on evolution of industrial music that puts it closer to that of extreme metal, though again; without the instruments. I’m getting the same feel of a SepticFlesh album here, just without even so much a hint of guitar. The use of these fearsome vocal efforts from Nordvargr (industrial/noise legend) and Luca Soi (Void Of Silence) only help to further convey the depths of despair utilized within this experience. Though it isn’t always quite so frightening as “Averni Flammas Transivi” shows us, with an almost rustic sort of meditation not unlike out of a science fiction production. That being said, when metal fans hear “The Hierarchy Of Inner Planes” they’re going to be overtaken by it, much in the way that they might be taken be highly theatrical extreme metal. Some fans of pure industrial may not like this approach however, because it might feel just a little too edgy, but I think that it has a perfect sense of creepy pomp about it that can’t be denied. “Immanence” is a little different though, feeling like a more ethereal meditation (and yes, we’re using the word again because I can find no other term to fit this particular journey) far removed from the rough-edged almost extreme metal sense of the previous cut. I actually feel that this kind of musical diversity is necessary and makes the performance stand out. The closing cut is much the same, though entertains a slight moment of harsher landscape right before it completes. Unfortunately, I cannot say that the disc is hefty, heavy metal infused industrial fright-fest; but I doubt that this was the kind of album that Eidulon wanted to make after ten years of silence. Instead, the record features a mixture of warm and rather brackish material, right alongside that of cooler, wispy atmospheres. It’s like an extreme industrial disc with a bonus of calm meditation. The best of both worlds and a perfect balance, one might say. Though not completely earth-shattering, the disc is not a wash by any means and fans of rough industrial and ethereal soundscapes should be pleased with it. More so than several other albums of it’s type. It’s been a long time, but Combustioni proves that Eidulon may very well be one of the best acts in the entire industrial genre right now. See for yourself at the link below.
(7 Tracks, 42:00)
9/10
Ripped To Shreds – Bury (2018) – Despite the fact that there are now thousands of one man bands out there, it’s nice to know that more than just a few of them have worth and merit. Take California’s Ripped To Shreds for example with their debut album Bury. The disc which as I can discern, is a quite warm and classic listen that reminds me heavily of the rough and dirty Swedish slabs of old. The disc doesn’t feel polished, nor should it. I think more polish would have ruined the performance, even though the leads are quite clear in the mix with the vocals coming off like they’ve escaped from the mouth of a ravenous beast given the chance to form his own band. I like that I’m getting more man than monster here, which seems to go well with the Swedish death and gore that I’m experiencing during this performance. I do believe the drums are programmed, but once again I am shown that technology is becoming a real beast in the fact that we may not even need drummers in the next decade. So what will drummers do? It’s essentially intriguing that one man can make a great Swedish slab all by himself, which is actually much better than the current efforts from many Swedish bands still pursuing this style. Lee manages to keep it fresh, keep it groovy and most of all to not stray too far from what made this style of music what it is. This is the kind of album that sounds so good, it might make the progenitors of this style rethink their current efforts. For fans of classic death metal, this is worth it’s weight in gold, but without a doubt, it won’t do much for the current generation and lacks the degree of technicality and genre phasing that is so heavily praised in the scene right now for some reason. While Bury is definitely bare-bones in that regard, it is a reminder that classic Swedish death metal still exists and has never sounded better than it does from, well… California. My, how the world has changed. Not to mention the fact that one guy did all of this by himself, which is a truly potent sentiment regardless.
One man managed to do in his own home what used to require several men and expensive studio equipment, which equates the digital music production of today to Eli Whitney’s famous cotton gin, a device that pioneered manufacturing in the United States. Listening to this album isn’t just a sheer pleasure, it’s a shocking reminder of how far we’ve come in art production processes. That being said, I offer this challenge to listeners: After you’ve heard the album, go back and listen to some of the classics that inspired it, perhaps early Entombed or Dismembered. Do you feel that the digital production on this album sounds as crisp as the analog-based performances found on those older albums? Do we truly have the ability to emulate a classic style at peak efficiency? It’s definitely a question worth pondering over. In spite of all this, be sure to give this monstrosity a listen from the link below, because it definitely sounds like all of your favorite Swe-death acts, particularly during their prime eras. What better a recommendation could you need than that?
(8 Tracks, 36:00)
8/10
Killing Addiction – Omega Factor (2018) – Originally released in ’93 this debut album from the Floridian death metallers still comes in strong, with a fresh remastering and some bonus EP and demo stuff just for good measure. Now the bonus material is only available with a physical copy, but I don’t know if it has also been remastered along with the main course. Judging from these early grimy demo tracks that I’m currently jamming, I wouldn’t say so – though I may be wrong and it could have sounded even more lo-fi than it does here. The mind boggles on that one. As for the banquet of death metal that listeners will receive here, I can say that it is quite fearsome, particularly within the drum and vocal efforts. I love an album where the drums really kick, and that’s what I’m getting here. There’s also a mixture of scowls and growls in the vocal section, which are so inaudible as to be unintelligible as far as the lyrics go – but that’s fine with me, this was old school death metal and it was all about the atmosphere, just banging your head and really getting into that whole aura of death and destruction. The grooves run thick here also, which is a total plus for me. In addition to that, these guys show off their technical skills in more than a few areas along with a couple of well-placed solos where solos can commonly be found. All in all, the disc is a welcome reintroduction to the classic death metal scene of the nineties, and it comes packed with more than a couple of bells and whistles to keep listeners hooked. I think this is the kind of album that will appeal as much to fans of classic death just as much as it will to fans of the tech-death resurgence that we’ve been experiencing lately. I also think that fans of early Cryptopsy will find something to love in it, but it isn’t going to replace None So Vile any time soon. That being said, I’m quite happy with the remaster, because it doesn’t just raise the roof on everything and instead provides a necessary clarity needed heavily in this kind of music. If you’ve got to have that classic sound, certainly give the disc a listen at the link below. Not bad, guys. This record still kicks a great deal of ass, even decades later.
(15 Tracks, 71:00)
8/10
Royal Orphan – Self Titled (2018) – A great deal of potential looms in from this debut six-track EP from power, progressive and punk rockers Royal Orphan. The record comes in with an amazing sense of depth and clarity, with influences ranging from Iron Maiden and Helloween to Blue Oyster Cult and Thin Lizzy. Brendan’s vocal approach is amazing, with his highs intoxicating enough to transport the listener into a world crafted by top-notch progressive elements that almost threaten to drown out everything else. That’s not a problem for me though, as prog seems to be the backbone for this impressive act. Opener “In Requiem” comes in mightily with a high production value that feels crisp and ultimately melodic, aside from some slight thrashy moments which are a bit dirty. Yet these dirty bits make the cleaner sections shine even brighter, adding real character to the piece. “Lost In Time” might have a few slip-ups in the beginning, though it really picks up in the chorus. The song incorporates some brilliant sections in instrumentalism, even though once again I’m hearing just a few sections where I’m not sure if an error was made in the playing, or they were intended to sound slightly off. “Lights, Camera, Nothing” isn’t the strongest here, but it does manage to leave a slight mark. “Citizens Of Nowhereville” is a bit of a ballad, yet makes me think a little bit of early Dream Theater. There’s also a bit of Skyclad that I’m picking up here, which is completely unexpected. “Fondest Wish” is by far my favorite cut here though, sounding a bit like ocean water as it rolls into a wonderful chorus that actually managed to get stuck in my head. Make no mistake, this is the one where everything works in tandem, making the performance nearly perfect. The disc ends with “Bought and Sold” a punk-inspired number which seems to mix in just a tad of Rush where I certainly wouldn’t have expected it. Yet another strong cut, though right near the end where you would hardly expect it. Though Royal Orphan still have a little bit of fine-tuning ahead of them, this EP is good enough for a label to take notice. I’m quite sure that after the release of their first full-length debut, even more interest will spark in the band and I’m pretty sure that something great could become of this project as a whole in the future. Give it a listen at the link below.
(6 Tracks, 26:00)
7/10
Sanhedrin – A Funeral For The World (2017) – If there’s anyone that New Yorkers Sanhedrin remind me of, it’s Iron Maiden. Though that isn’t a bad thing by any means, especially when opener “Riding On The Dawn” sounds like a golden-age cut. As soon as the chorus hits, I’m already hooked and that’s a great sign. First track, first chorus and you’ve already got my attention? Not to mention a rather brilliant solo that goes above and beyond the call of duty? Put this one the radio right now and you’ll have people jumping at the bit for more of it. The production value here also sounds great, reminding me quite a bit of the first two Maiden discs. Yet that’s when things change. The title cut comes next and that’s a full-on doom number with grooves as thick as Black Sabbath’s namesake track. What’s more, is that female vocals take the center stage here, which shows that the band doesn’t just use male and female vocal stylings interchangeably, but that they allow each vocalist to have their own place in the Sun. That’s a very cool thing, and not quite common for this scene at all. Furthermore, it’s not quite common for music in general. The next cut, “Demoness” comes in with a punk-inspired vibe. It’s definitely a hearty little jam number, once again showing the versatility of this band. We’ve heard classic heavy metal, doom and now a bit of a punk flavoring in the mix, so I can’t wait to hear what’s next. Though I don’t have to, because the song in question morphs into something much different in show of structure that I never expected. Sanhedrin can actually write riffs, and damned good ones at that. Then an earth-shattering solo comes in to sweeten the deal a little before the punk comes in to finish it out. “Collateral Damage” seems to return back to the heftily textured Maiden-esque territory of the opener, though to a much grander level. There’s a real sense of structure here, and you get that with great heavy metal. Sanhedrin have no need to be overly technical or to play a five-hundred thousand miles an hour. Without spoiling the rest of the album, I can honestly say that fans of the genre are in for a completely awesome time with this one. It isn’t anything ultimately new, but it does manage to package the best of golden-age metal into a form that should still fit well with purists of all types. The record feels like it would have come out during the eighties heyday and that works for me. Check out this seismic blast from the past at the link below.
(8 Tracks, 45:00)
8/10
Kingdom – Putrescent Remains Of The Dead Ground (2018) – Another short, but rather blistering release from Polish black/death metallers Kingdom, the guys decided to make a less streamlined offering that offers much more diversity than their previous output. Opener “Walls Of Askalon” might have pounded with classic death metal, though black metal begins to creep up in “Putrescent Remains” as it rolls into atmosphere on the third. Then we have a rather dissonant, yet punchy instrumental right in the middle of all that. Vocals could have been featured, though they were not and I’m sure the band have a good reason for that. Though the shortest cut on the album, “Black Light To The Rotten Womb” is by far the most punishing as it balances death metal, thrash and even some elements of grind in a fashion that just feels like a giant metal fist to the face. Fierce grooves embody the next piece, as it works towards a necessary slow-kill as well as an equally unexpected moment of silent dread before a noteworthy drum display that shines for just a few minutes. I have a feeling that the drummer here is far better than they’re letting on and hopefully he’ll be given a chance to really show his chops during the next one. I do love an album where the kit matters though, and on this one, that seems to be the case. “Karma Slayer” brings us back to death metal, as the drumming returns with a vengeance that I don’t quite remember being as potent on the first half of the album. Black metal and a bit more atmosphere is visited on closer “Blashyrkh” which finishes the album out purely with the drum aesthetics. Perhaps I didn’t quite pay to the drumming earlier on the record, but I can definitely discern it now and I have a feeling that you will too. Though just to be sure, you can check out the album over at the link below.
(8 Tracks, 30:00)
8/10
Misanthropic Rage – Igne Natura Renovatur Integra (2018) – Misanthropic Rage have released yet another pristine offering, the Polish duo showing that they’ve got more talent throwing through them than the opener of Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods, Parkway Drive. Listen, if one of the guys in Parkway Drive became ill for some reason and these guys could be flown all of the way from Poland to play that stage, I would be floored. As for the record, other than just being a melodic masterpiece, as the second cut and massively awesome “I.N.R.I.” showcase, the album also has a great deal of texture. Harsh vocals are utilized, clean vocals are featured and even some saxophone appears in a few places. Considered avant-black metal, this one definitely sees them playing to the very namesake of that term as they weave several different webs of sound and style within this nearly an hour’s worth of playing time. The album Is certainly heavy, and certainly volatile as all great black metal should be, but when we get to a cut like “Abstrakt” where both clean and harsh vocals flow directly into a Krallice-influenced post-metal melody, listeners are already aware that this isn’t their father’s black metal disc. It’s something much more than that, as each song retains it’s own identity and furthermore, it’s own riff structures. Misanthropic Rage aren’t merely copying and pasting the same song nine times over, and I’m thankful for that. For instance, we have the unexpectedly crunchy and down-tuned sense of “The Hammer and The Nails” which almost sounds like the Painkiller soundtrack, except with some unexpectedly grand sections of thrash and clean vocal, all fronted with a truly memorable selection of lead guitar. The guitar work on this album truly stands out, and despite some spotty production moments, I’m not going to ignore what I feel to be the largest backbone in this performance aside from the drums. When we get to “The Agony Of Breath” there are slight moments of djent, though those are even offset by the incredible tremolos in the background, which almost sound like a sort of rushing water. When you’re handed an album that comes off as beautiful and abstract, yet so fierce and in no way technical to the point of insanity as this; you find it very hard to classify and want to leave almost everything to the listener’s experience. I will say that Misanthropic Rage sound absolutely fantastic here though, and they’ve more than left their mark on my cranium with this one. Maybe not so much with the Metal Archives scribes who’ve only given this album an eighty percent, but that is probably because it doesn’t run at five-hundred miles per hour nor sound as much like a mathematical equation as they would like. In my opinion, Misanthropic Rage are continuing to do what I feel that they do best and I truly hope that more great releases will manifest in the future. Definitely one of Poland’s finest exports, I would love to see these guys get more mainstream coverage. They’re worthy of it, and if you don’t believe me, check the link below. This is quite simply, one of the best albums I’ve heard all year. I’m listening to it right now, because it’s just that damn notable.
(9 Tracks, 52:00)
10/10
Arallu – Desert Battles 2018 (2018) – Originally released in 2009, Arallu’s Desert Battles – Descending To The Sands album made quite a splash for the Jerusalem based blackened death thrashers. So several years later, they’ve decided to revisit the disc with new vocal recordings and a new mix and master; something that I would like to do for a few of our previous albums (but we won’t touch Shadow Of The Mountain, so no worries there). For those of you who haven’t heard it yet, Arallu are a little bit Behemoth, a little bit Melechesh and generally quite intriguing. I specifically enjoy the record for it’s non-metal, middle-eastern instrumentations, which really make me feel like I am in the desert, exploring that culture and the battles of which are illustrated directly into my ears. A bonus version of “Desert Genii Storm” is included, which is a nice touch for those who purchased the digital version, which also comes with several unreleased tracks from the band’s EP. I’m quite happy with the performance and find it a solid death/thrash effort, with a noteworthy set of bells and whistles taking place within the middle-eastern instrumentation sections. These probably aren’t so unique today, but for the time they weren’t being used quite often and seem to fit very much here. The disc might feel a bit raw in areas, but that is all part of the atmosphere. You can no longer buy the original version of this album anymore, as it has been sold out – but you can get the digital version of this recording and all of their material at the link below.
(9 Tracks, 46:00)
7/10