Posthuman Abomination – Transcending Embodiment (2018) – From the unmistakable pounding of the drumkit in the beginning, I can already tell that this is a fine example of potent brutal death. This time we have Posthuman Abomination, a new act formed from members of several other Italian death metal acts, to play more Italian death metal. Suits me just fine, especially considering the electrifying performance and Devangelic drummer Marco Coghe in particular. As one might expect for haywire drumming acrobatics, the guitars get drowned out just a bit – but surprisingly not enough to become completely buried. The vocal approach is just as furious here as the drumming, amounting to a performance that literally caused me to stop writing the review for a minute in order to stop and play on an imaginary drumkit. Transcending Embodiment is one of those no-bullshit BDM experiences that offers such a fantastic display of skinsmanship that it almost became euphoric to play along with. Though not only that, because Posthuman Abomination offer such a dynamic approach to what is often seen as a mere backbone in most bands – and it’s literally what my ears and following along with the whole way through. If there’s any major qualms that I have here, it is that the performance is slightly marred with opening sound clips, which seem to take me out of the action. There’s a definite degree of technicality in the not only the drumwork as I’ve noted several times already, but in the unconventional guitar work; something I just happen to find fucking brilliant. The whole album sounds like some sort of well-oiled machine, but it doesn’t come without purpose. There are so many acts out there seeking to merely throw paint against the wall and see what sticks, but this record is definitely a product of creativity and is not afraid to shift the tempo when absolutely necessary to keep listeners engaged – just in case you weren’t already by it’s jaw-dropping approach to artistic brutality. Transcending Embodiment won’t reinvent the wheel for the genre, but it’s a damn fine listen. After jamming everything from Malevolent Creation in order to pay respects to what I’d consider to be an amazing frontman in Brett Hoffman, it’s not unusual to hear some influence here. These guys definitely carry that formula to a whole new level and BDM at least, is doing quite well in this day and age. What an amazing debut, and I can only hope for another great series of performances in the future. There’s really something here and you’d have to be a fool not to notice it. Check the disc out at the link below.
(9 Tracks, 31:00)
9/10
Kill Everything – Scorched Earth (2018) – From the very start of this one, I like the fact that I can actually discern the vocals. I’m not really sure why that is, but the first few lines of the band’s opener and namesake cut “Kill Everything” were extremely audible. I have to say, this music breathes on a whole new level when you can actually understand it. That being said, this kind of vocal edge also kind of sounds like it’s coming from grumpy old Grandpa Stu, who got woken up out of sound sleep and just starting grumbling along with a death metal band that was playing on the stereo. Maybe it was the loud thump of that stereo that woke him up! In any case, this effect doesn’t make for the most memorable vocal performance, even though the rest of the band provides a good kick in which to deliver these lines. I also have to say that from what I’ve heard this far in (on the re-listen) I’m discovering that Kill Everything are a rather slow act. If you like a bit more pace to your brutal death metal, you may find something here and that’s perfectly fine. The drumming is also not nearly as frantic as most bands in this genre, which is actually kind of refreshing. There’s not much going on in the guitar department though and perhaps Kill Everything might be a bit too slow. Every once in a while something seems to spark up, but not nearly enough to keep me entertained. It isn’t that the drummer isn’t showing his chops, but perhaps there’s just not enough here for me to chew on proper. One of the problems with this genre is that so many acts seem to sound the same. I mean, I just covered Posthuman Abomination which floored me, so when I hear Kill Everything, I feel like their style of brutal death metal is just sort of watered down from that. The band focuses on more of a groove-oriented mesh of slowdowns, so I guess I could say that this makes them a standout from their peers, but I’m not sure how many people are going to be in the mood for a slow kill these days. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it though and I’m sure that these guys will only get better with time. Right now though, I’m just not hearing anything that makes me willing to drop anchor. That being said, you may find something in it and the link for further observance will be provided below.
(8 Tracks, 30:00)
6/10
Aborted Fetus – The Ancient Spirits Of Decay (2018) – Here we have Aborted Fetus with yet another slab of death and this one actually has some structure that goes beyond the normal blast and gurgle. Why, I was actually a bit excited to hear strong grooves and a solo right at the very start, which is not something you get with a lot of these kinds of bands. As we continue, we see that the guys are dedicated to a classic death metal experience here, rather than just pure brutal death metal. That’s a good thing, as Comatose could use more death metal bands in addition to it’s roster of blast and gurgle. That isn’t to say that Aborted Fetus doesn’t blast, they just don’t feel the need to bury the guitar in blasts to the point where as a listener I can hear nothing other than the drums and vocals. So it’s definitely more of a Dying Fetus, Deicide or Cannibal Corpse style sound, rather than technicality all over the place. This is the kind of thing I’d like to hear live, because there’s just so much to like. Even if the guitar solos don’t quite seem to be perfected yet (there’s a lot of rawness in areas) I still think that the band have enough within the killer grooves and death growls to make their point known. Aborted Fetus are far from frantic here, with vocals raised to the front and the rest of the act thrown into the back, but if you blast it as loud as you’re going to then I’m sure that you won’t have a problem with what’s been offered here. I don’t want to say that the record is full-on groove, but that really does seem to be the rule of law aside from a few moments of speed within the occasional drum blasts. That works out fine for me, though as The Ancient Spirits Of Decay turns out to be a pretty fun album in the end that doesn’t forsake song structure for insanity at 1000 BPM. Yes, it might be pretty slow to modern listeners, but this is the old style of death metal and you don’t have to have the attention span of a goldfish to get it. As the record goes on, the solo sections get a little better but they’re really not an issue for me and I’m just kind of glad that they’ve decided to add them. The record actually sounds like a tribute to the fathers of this genre and I can’t complain with a sound that seeks to emulate that which this entire style of music was based on. I’m sure there’s a band out there with some complex medical procedure for a moniker that you’d rather be jamming, but this will do for me. The Ancient Spirits Of Decay certainly isn’t an approach that I’ve never heard before, but it comes off like an old hooker who hasn’t quite lost her beauty and is still good at what she does. You’re not going to kick her out of bed anytime soon. These guys are still good at what they do and there are more than enough tracks to illustrate that, whether you get your jollies off with “Nailed To The Cross”, “Rack Of Torment” or my personal favorite “Genital Torture By The Alligator Tongs.” I’m going to have to Google “alligator tongs” now to see what they’re referring to in that one. But maybe it’s those alligator tongs that make this old hooker so good at her job. We’ll never know until we try. Anyway, if The Ancient Spirits Of Decay sounds like something you’d dig, then you can give it a listen at the link below.
(13 Tracks, 48:00)
8/10
Abhorrent Deformity – Slaughter Monolith (2018) – Abhorrent Deformity definitely took a different approach to death metal with this one, as there are some very modern core elements to be had here. Believe it or not, the record actually contains a hefty amount of breakdowns and what can almost be construed as hardcore gut punch vocals. Though not a bad approach, and certainly rather passionate, I feel that the band are trying very hard to appeal to both the brutal death metal crowd and people who dig bands like Oceano. Not that Oceano were ever bad, but this is clearly littered with every kind of trendy gimmick that tech-death and deathcore heads have masturbated over since the mid to late two-thousands. It is is very difficult for me to consider this death metal. I mean, I guess it is – and while I appreciate the amount of energy in the vocals once again, it just seems to leap right over my age bracket apparently. I guess they can hand me the “aging metalhead” card after this one. The guitar solos are pretty decent on it, the sound is quite clear and it doesn’t have the raw edge that Aborted Fetus did. The band also tries a couple of obscurities, like the creepy riff patterns on “The 2016 Esoteric Model” but I keep thinking that I might not be the intended audience for this one. So if you didn’t dig the Aborted Fetus disc I covered yesterday, than maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for here. I can say that the disc is inventive, but it sounds like a whole of nothing in retrospect. Even though there are some rather intriguing riff-lines, I find that the deathcore approach to vocals here just kind of rubs me wrong. Passionate, but a bit overbearing and maybe a little too much “bro” for me. Like, I feel that I need to be lifting at the gym (which really, I should be doing that anyway with my scrawny ass) in order to appreciate this album fully. There needs to be a forty-five pound bar with weights attached to it in order for me to get this one. If you are on Athlean-X however and somehow reading this review while benching three or four-hundred pounds like Charles Atlas, then maybe you’ll find something in this at the link below.
(12 Tracks, 30:00)
5.8/10
Flesh Hoarder – Homicidal Necrophile (2018) – Though admittedly a bit soft for death metal and extremely raw by most counts, these guys definitely carry the classic sound of brutal death with them. It’s not as polished as Aborted Fetus and doesn’t sound as mainstream and trendy as Abhorrent Deformity did. The guitars seem a dull roar, but the drums are quite active for the most part the vocals seem to keep up the pace pretty well. The bass buries much of the sound, but it is also where the band is at it’s most thunderous. At least these guys attempted a trippy sort of instrumental cut with “Abuse Of Corpse” that shows a potential for greater things down the road. Even though the guitar doesn’t really seem that memorable, there are more than a few nodes of prog and technicality that might make the band stand out if they weren’t so buried in the back. This record is so warm with bass that it could be used as a space heater. The rawness of the performance actually sounds a mere step up from a demo, which isn’t really saying much in hindsight. While I don’t dislike what is offered here, it is not really all that memorable and just feels like toast with a bit of jelly. Homicidal Necrophile is mostly dry bread, but it has a touch of flavor here and there to keep it from becoming a total slog. The audio clips are the only other segment of the listen that manage to keep it interesting. If you still want to check out the effort that has been offered here however, you can give it a listen at the link below.
(11 Tracks, 38:00)
6/10
Drakhar – The Endless Howling Abyss (2018) – An extremely raw offering of doom and death, Drakhar sent this one personally (it was marked “Grim”) for my observation. I honestly have to say though, I haven’t heard a production value like this since the early nineties and that doesn’t actually bother me any, as I can tell that the band were going for that kind of bass heavy sound, in which the bass can be felt even more than the drums in some instances. “Traversing The Abyss” sounds like a cavernous mist of black smog, although there are some touchy melody nodes here and there to perk it up from the caverns. Those can be discerned surprisingly well in the mix too, which astounds me. “Swallowed By The Dark” is next, offering a more straight-forward style of crypt-friendly death metal, complete with a slight “umph!” before rolling into groove. Groove is a word that I’ve said quite often at The Grim Tower and I’d guess I would be pretty guilty of overusing it. Though I can’t help what fits and here groove is definitely the name of the game. “Eternal Disintegration” starts out weirdly, but it is this weird riff that permeates the piece and really adds some uniqueness to what would otherwise be a straight-forward cut of death metal. That same sense of weirdness also makes up the album closer, “Fading Into Emptiness” which later becomes an almost punk-influenced bit of death until some quite unexpected vocals come in later on the piece. What kind, you ask? Well, after it observes what seems to be a surf rock influence and touches back into the weird, some clean howls appear right before a few nodes of Sabbathy doom to end the whole thing out on a good note. I can’t say that I’m a fan of the clean howls and commend him for attempting that, but he’s no Messiah Marcolin. In any case, I’m quite pleased with that I’ve heard here and despite the dungeon-like production quality, there’s some real merit to be found on this one. I can only expect the band’s sound to become further refined with the next one. Just no more of those crazy howls, please. I wasn’t sure what to think of that. If this kind of cavernous death/doom gone experimental sounds like it would be your thing, then give the disc a listen at the link below.
(4 Tracks, 19:00)
7/10
Shroud Of Despondency – Decimation and Introspection EP (2018) – This EP is what remains of a split that didn’t quite occur, yet offers an extra four songs in addition to the band’s latest disc Cull, which I may review at some point. Though I couldn’t get into this one after first glancing over it via my cell speakers (which really are shit and now this I know) I definitely find my interests a bit more peaked by the piece. A strong black metal performance begins in “With Malice” which carries fair amount of frost in addition to it’s highly calculated song structures. What keeps my interest, is the fact that song keeps moving and doesn’t stick to just one approach. The six minute playing time allows more than enough room for the song to breathe properly and explore even more territory throughout. “Swarms” overflows with melody as potent rasps work to decorate the chilling riffs in just the way that klvtists would fellate themselves over. A solo then comes in unexpectedly to later become a major backbone in the song. After a few thundery bits, we have what I might describe as light, acoustic tremolos to build atmosphere right before the next big blast. Ultimately, it is another strong piece and creates nearly a formidable EP at this point. Gothic organs come in with “Removal Of The Head” which changes the whole style to something more like classic Graveworm, a sound that excites me greatly. With trudging doom riffs melding together with piano and a mixture of death growls and blackened rasps, I’m almost reminded of the band’s funereal album, a disc that I’m glad did not truly mean the end for this project. I must state that “Removal Of The Head” is simply more than just creepy Gothic organs though, as several song structures are utilized and the piece almost reminds me of early Cradle Of Filth. This is a sound I’ve quite missed, bands just aren’t doing it anymore in favor of all the 1000 BPM technical shit. Unfortunately, the whole Goth trend has pretty much phased out and the underground isn’t allowing this kind of music to thrive proper. Choirs can be heard later in the piece, which almost seem to distort the sound a little for me. They could have been shoved to the back a little bit, but this is a minor nitpick. Those same choirs begin the final track on the disc, “Before The Lamentations” which sees a major uptick in instrumentalism as it makes it’s presence known as a rather massive instrumental. This heavily folk-inspired piece is certainly not something I would have expected for the denouement, but it seems to fit perfectly well and quite a bit of thought was put into it. Aside from folky, acoustic tremolo riffs, I can also discern some rather fierce piano playing in addition to tribal drums. With Shroud Of Despondency, I truly never know what to expect and they’ve given us a treasure of sounds within this powerful extended play. Whatever band missed out on this opportunity, they should feel pretty upset right now. It would have been great promotion to be put alongside this. Hell, we would have done it. In any case, if you are indeed interested in this EP (and I’m sure you are) then please check it out at the link below.
(4 Tracks, 28:00)
8.5/10
Battleroar – Codex Epicus (2018) – Manilla Road may have lost their key guitarist and prime architect Matt Shelton, but Greece’s Battleroar prove that the spirit that lied within their brand of epic heavy/power metal continues on through the ages. With their fifth full-length Codex Epicus, there is definitely an air of Manilla Road worship and all the greatest parts of it. With a decidedly crisp, yet classic feel in the production value; this hour-long mixture of bombastically epic soundscapes and thundering heavy metal entwined with slight acoustic moments proves that this genre is far from faltering. The album is comprised of nine tracks, most of them being over the five minute mark and sometimes encroaching a bit over the seven-minute mark, which is common for what many would say is a doom influence. Yet in this time, much is explored in the way of texture and listeners are getting far more than a simple verse/chorus from much of the album. Opener “We Shall Conquer” does a phenomenal job of showcasing that, with it’s might being displayed to the listener right from the start. “Sword Of The Flame” might not be the most punchy, but it comes with a pulse-pounding solo effort that listeners will surely remember. “Chronicles Of Might” is a bit more pompous, particularly in the chorus; but we should expect nothing less. I didn’t expect a solo section to hit there to be honest, but it certainly beefs up and already monumental piece, especially when the choir backs the solo. How much more epic can you get? Where are those classic D&D comic reprints I bought last month? This record would be a great to jam while reading them.
Then we get to “The Doom Of Medusa” which is by far one of the fiercest tracks here, further embodying the “epic” nature of this album. In life, few things are as grandiose. “Palace Of The Martyrs” keeps the mood along with “Kings Of Old” which shows that Codex Epicus doesn’t intend to pull any punches – or does it? As we continue listening, an unexpected bit of flute playing opens up arguably one of the greatest epics here, “Enchanting Threnody” which is a phenomenal way to top it all off. But Battleroar didn’t want to leave us with just seven tracks and an instrumental intro, because they manage to pull off one more killer cut with “Stronghold” which ends the album on just an epic note as it began. If you’re looking for the sound of true to form classic heavy metal majesty without a sign of core to be had, then you need look no further than Codex Epicus. I would say “they don’t make them like this anymore” but with this record and a few others I’ve been jamming over the past few weeks, I beg to differ in the most thankful of ways. Sure, modern sounds will continue to mutate in order to fit modern trends, but there’s nothing trendy or modern about this one. Battleroar have crafted a classic epic heavy metal record with all the trimmings of doom in an era that has long since passed the monstrosity that was dubstep. To me, that is monolithic. The fact that classic sounds can still be performed with as much merit and precision as the originals released nearly three decades ago. While it is still unclear as to whether or not Manilla Road will continue (and I do not think they should considering all the releases that they’ve given us, as well as the fact that the progenitor died and I’d hate to see them end up like GWAR, which is still arguably missing the politically incorrect wit and humor of David Brockie) we still have acts like Battleroar to show us that the classic sound is far from being vanquished by the barbarian hordes.
(9 Tracks, 54:00)
8/10
King Heavy – Guardian Demons (2018) – As has already been mentioned at Indy Metal Vault, I find myself having the same concerns with this disc after the very first listen – rather, the very first song – rather, the very first line of vocal. Putting it bluntly, I feel that I have to ask frontman Luther Veldmark, “What in the hell were you thinking?” It honestly sounds like the man was singing a completely different song than what’s being performed on the album more often than not and it comes off with a decidedly amateurish flair that I wouldn’t expect from an act like this one. Musically, it sounds like Candlemass more than I could ever imagine and that’s fine, but with vocals as incredibly off-key as this, it feels like I’m getting a foreign knock-off of a great doom band, rather than a Chilean rendition of doom that can actually compete with the Swedish heavyweights. It even comes off laughably comical, in ways that made me pine greatly for an end to the piece. I can’t say much for the music as a whole as it didn’t leave a real mark on me, (but would have been a little better with a vocalist on-key) but I do know that when the “I’m sinking/I’m drowning!” line kept repeating, I started to crack up and even began to mimic it mockingly. This will probably go down as one of the worst vocal performances that I’ve heard on a doom record in my entire life. Guardian Demons is everything not to do when making a doom album and is recommended listening for all budding doom bands around the world. I haven’t given this rough of a score in a long time, but there’s very little to recommend here and I wouldn’t have released it without at least re-recording the vocals with another frontman. I definitely can’t recommend this for listening purposes, but it is a great educational work in what not to do.
(6 Tracks, 43:00)
4/10
Velvet Viper – Respice Finem (2018) – I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this female fronted heavy metal act, but I found myself quite entertained by the effort and would easily compare it to the work of German heavy metal goddess, Doro. Though in all actuality, this is the first album that the German act have released since ’92 and that’s quite intriguing. Fans of the prior two records will notice that aside from frontwoman Jutta Weinhold, the entire band lineup is new aside from guitar virtuoso Holger Marx and bassist Fabian Ranft who have been playing a mix of hard and classic rock previously, in Weinhold’s solo act.
Though the album begins with a rather light note at the beginning of “Don’t Leave Before Wintertime” the piece heats up in a vein that certainly works for this exploration of classic heavy metal. “Shadow Ryche” features a full choir in the background, in addition to some wonderful solos performed by Marx. These solos are so ridiculously intricate that they make my mouth water. I will admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Weinhold’s vocal approach, but she does a pretty respectable job of it, despite a few sections of rust creeping in here and there. Then we have the album’s title cut which features what I believe to be at least a three to five minute instrumentation featuring not only impressive guitar work, but some fantastic keyboard playing. I feel like I’m jamming to Vitalij Kuprij here and that’s saying something. The formula rolls on a little bit until the band switch gears with the doomy “Ogaydez” and eventually work towards an anthemic number in “Law Of Rock” to close the disc off with “Loherangrin-Loherangrin” which is mostly what we’d consider to be an epic of sorts. Said epic also features yet another duel of guitar and keyboards. The keyboardist is never credited, though an integral part of the performance. In any case, while Respice Finem might not be one of my personal favorites of the year, it is certainly a solid release with some electrifying musical performances. Marx is an amazing guitarist and whoever that keyboardist is, he or she really deserves some credit. Check it out at the link below.
(11 Tracks, 60:00)
7/10
Prezir – As Rats Devour Lions (2018) – Somehow or another these gentlemen got into some shit regarding a venue where post-hipster Antifa members decided to call them Nazis. This resulted in frontman Luka having to type up a gargantuan defense behind the band’s lyrics and imagery. I swear that we’re in the second half of the Satanic Panic, but this time it’s called the Nazi Panic. Actually, that’s a good name for this madness and I think I’ll use it. You know, back in the old days, metal got flack for being Satanic. Now it’s getting flack for promoting Nazism. Lemmy had a collection of memorabilia because he was a World War II buff, but he was no Nazi. Neither are these guys. Luka had to admit also that he was from Serbia, which was a determining point in Hitler losing the war. You know, the war that we fought a little over five decades ago. Most of the people bitching about this weren’t even born in the era, they’re just being brainwashed by social media algorithms and would function better in life without their cellphones as an appendage. I could actually prove that too. I’ll bet they don’t even wash behind their ears anymore. We’re really in a shitshow. But ranting over, this is a review.
Not surprisingly, Prezir have delivered another great offering of classic black, death and thrash metal. Thrash riffs open the title track, which rolls right into powerful black metal. The scowls are thick and fierce, with tremolos loud enough to discern over the slightly raw production value. This is a good thing though, as I wouldn’t want the album to sound any more crisp than it does. There is a great sense of warmth here that I enjoy. Death growls roll into the mix also, duetting perfectly with the razor-sharp scowls that I’ve already mentioned. “Ideologue Alchemy” reaches for more frostbitten territory, though works in a fierce section of classic influenced death metal near the mid-point for good measure. A solo is also thrown into the mix, which caught me off-guard. “Janicari” rolls out that great classic heavy metal feel right out of the gate with an unexpected thrash vibe that includes a sample of shredding. It mutates into classic black metal before later finishing what it started in what soon becomes black/thrash, with more than a few solo nodes here and there. Great stuff, I’m impressed. Equally great territory explored in the middle-eastern influenced riffing of “Dar Al-Harab” which before the Antifa shit would have probably got these guys classified as members of ISIS (what ever happened to them?) or before that, some other kind of Bush-era terrorist. In any case, I love the punk influence utilized in “Serpents In The House Of Ra” which says to me that there’s no shortage of inspirations on this record and that only helps to make it more palatable and easily listenable. “Hamatsa Death Ritual” is literal solo madness, coupling with pounding death metal to make what I’d consider to be yet another great cut. Even though black metal is featured throughout the album, Prezir aren’t glued to it and that’s what I feel is most memorable. Yet another band that have made a better go at it than Immortal this year.
Without going through the whole thing, I can say easily that there’s a real winner here in Prezir. I know this is going to sound incredibly silly, but I think that the controversy was a good thing for these guys because it helped to get them known. Also, Luka’s response to that made a lot of people change their mind on what they’d thought about the band (because you don’t get paid for thinking) and it definitely brought more fans than they might have had, were this issue not to happen. It’s a promotion game and I’ve said this before – if you want your band to become famous in this genre you have to appeal to the thing that society doesn’t like, because our genre is all about rebellion. In this case, that’s Nazism, white supremacy and a whole lot of other ridiculous shit. No one is telling you to actually believe this stuff, but bands can manipulate it in order to piss off people who can’t put down their cellphones for five minutes and wait for the algorithms to tell what thing they’re supposed to be angry about next. These people are such a mob that if you rile them up, you’re most certainly going to be known around the world. Of course, the biggest trick that a band could ever pull right now (and I probably shouldn’t be saying this, because it is really good marketing advice that might be utilized in the future) is to play up everything that these people do not like and get them completely one-hundred percent ready to hate your band. Then at the last moment, tell them that the only reason you did it was because you needed the popularity and know that controversy is the only way to get a band popular these days in a sea of thousands of online acts. Make sure they know that they’ve been swindled and played for fools completely. This will not only cause them to probably consider you the biggest assholes on earth, but it will also make them rethink their own judgements in a way that needs to be done right now. If these people start to realize that they’re being manipulated by so many bands with this false aesthetic, they’ll literally quit these social justice charades and look for something else to bitch about in the music scene. I think that many bands should start trying to satirically adopt this stuff in the way that Satanism took off in early black and death metal years ago. But instead of religious virtues, it is social justice virtues that will ban and decry your album. Instead of being a devil-worshipper, you’re now a Nazi. This is the same thing that happened in the nineties, coming back like an unsavory form of bell-bottoms. But as I think about it, if this brand of virtue based censorship has returned to media, then maybe there’s still a possibility of disco returning. At least, I can be hopeful for that. Prezir have crafted a truly awesome album and you can check it out at the link below.
(8 Tracks, 40:00)
9/10
ArcticCircle – Where Ice Meets Ocean (2018) – I know this won’t surprise anyone, but ArticCircle certainly have changed from the days of Witchfire Whirlpool. They changed from black metal to post-doom, sounding very different from anything I had previously expected, but I may have mentioned this before. It’s obvious that these guys have gone a new direction and it’s not all that bad. The band sound quite thick here, with a mostly hefty bass end that backs a rather loud and slightly obnoxious shout. That seems to be the only part of the record that I don’t like though, as I would have rather the frontman utilized those harsh grunts more than his shouts on the disc. Slight sections of what the band used to be do appear here and there, but it seems like this mixture of early post metal and hardcore are the rule of law for these guys in 2018 and that’s fine. We’ve all matured over the years and changing musical styles in sometimes apart of that journey. Hell, I considered doing a dark hip hop recording just a week ago. I was listening to an Arathgoth release in which the medieval synths sounded to me like they would have gone great with a couple of beats added to them. Then lyrics started rolling into my head. Pretty quickly, I might say. Getting back to the album, I noticed that within this mix of hardcore and thunderous post/doom we also have some rather trippy moments here and there, as well as few solos that can’t quite be denied. The record is admittedly pretty short and could be mistaken for an EP, but it still feels like a rough effort that could use a bit of polish here and there. I’m sure that some other reviewers are going to criticize the record for being a bit haphazard in areas and sounding mostly like a man buried under fuzz, but I’ve noticed that there’s actually something to this and they might be able to branch out a bit more if they somehow incorporated that early black metal sound into it. I’m not sure how, but it would definitely be rather intriguing to hear black metal flowing into this mix of trippy post/doom and hardcore. Check it out at the link below.
(8 Tracks, 25:00)
6/10
Mantar – The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze (2018) – Mantar play an erratic version of metal, which I’d consider to straddle the lines between hardcore, post-metal, black metal and even art-house rock, even though it is difficult to even use the black metal terminology as I’ve yet to hear a tremolo section and to be honest; the horrendous scowl inhibited by the frontman probably doesn’t classify either. So in all actuality, let me take “black metal” back. What I’m hearing mainly is a groove-laden brand of post-metal with a ferocious vocal bite that can be felt throughout your body, an effort I greatly praise. These are the kinds of blood-curdling scowls that I’d consider a prime factor in the recording, melding greatly with the thunderous post-doom bellows in the background. One thing that Mantar attempts here is a willingness to evolve the post-metal genre in terms of heavy song structure, in which some experimental approaches are tried. In some ways, even my black metal classification could be applied; though not in quite as many as the band would like. If you’re expecting some kind of weird arthouse black metal from this, you’re probably not going to be very happy with it as this is definitely a more doom, blues and post affair – it’s even quite jazzy. That being said, The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is not a black metal disc and would feature more along the lines of Remission era Mastodon, which I love personally; so I found merit to this. If you miss Remission era Mastodon, than you might find something to like here. It’s not incredible and can get a little bit monotonous, but if you’re in the mood to hit something; this could do the trick. I’m quite sure that this album would be great for exercise music, and it’ll definitely be a move up from the normal Five Finger Death Punch Bro-core music that a lot of your local Tapout guys are listening to in the gym right now. That being said, it isn’t too dissimilar. And to be honest, that’s not a bad thing. The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is a step in the right direction for these guys, but we can’t even dare consider it black metal until I’ve heard a tremolo riff. So if this is the direction that they’re going in (and I’d doubt it, judging from the whole of this record) than they’d better accidentally throw a few in along this post-metal path. Check it out at the link below, but don’t get out your corpse paint just yet.
(12 Tracks, 49:00)
7/10
Raum Kingdom – Everything & Nothing (2018) – Irish post-metallers Raum Kingdom have returned with a record that surprisingly doesn’t sound quite as Toolish as their EP. Employing hard-hitting elements of doom, mixed in with ferocious screams and chants (of which there are a lot on this) we have something of a decidedly ritualistic flair. It’s not too dissimilar from SubRosa, but definitely straddles between a fiery heat and a cool breeze, not to mention a few of the trippy effects utilized on the piece in order to give it a sense of grandeur. “Winter” which features Mia Govoni adds a nice alternative rock approach to what would otherwise be a face-melter. With this album, I sense that Raum Kingdom wants to show fans that they can do more than emulate your favorite post-metal act and throw in some Tool here and there for good measure. Everything & Nothing is a far more vibrant listen that takes what could be considered “chill music” and throws in angry shouting man backed with hefty guitars. It works though, bringing in as I said before – a fierce sense of ritual. Surprisingly, the frontman doesn’t sing so much on this album, he’d rather scream his guts out and that’s perfectly fine, but if I could sing like this guy, I probably wouldn’t be screaming my guts out on our albums. (I wouldn’t be trying out for American Idol either, because that’s a bunch of bullshit). If by any chance you missed Raum Kingdom as a heavy metal band, a loud, fearsome monster at that; then you’re going to appreciate this disc more than you realize. “Hidden Pain” immediately begins with angry screaming man, which will sound killer on stage too, because blood-curdling outpours of throat tissue sound fucking great with backed with the threatening thunderstorm of doom in the background. Obviously you could make many comparisons here to acts like Cult Of Luna and even early Mastodon, but it is obvious that Raum Kingdom have come into their own unique sound with this release which certainly feels like a great deal of effort was put into it. Hopefully the fans and newcomers will discover that as well. They’ve shed off the slight Tool comparisons to become something completely unexpected, although welcomed at the same time. There’s a real sense of passion and soul to this album and I personally loved jamming it. It spoke to me. If you think that the record might speak to you, then you can check it out at the link below.
(7 Tracks, 61:00)
8/10
Khorada – Salt (2018) – One of the weirder things that have come out of Agalloch, we have Khorada. The first time I’d heard this album, I wasn’t exactly feeling it – but this second listen seems to elicit a slightly different impression. “Edeste” opens the disc with a little bit of everything and that might be where my mind collapsed into a black hole, as if I was pondering Graham’s Number. Vocals seem shoved to the back, and aside from the bass I’ll admit that it can be awfully hard to hear the melodies. I’d like this record a bit better if I could actually discern it. There are sections of doom and post-metal, pieces that may sound a bit Goth and then we have about ten million avantgarde trappings fronted by a halfway decent clean vocal approach. Again, maybe if I could hear the performance a little better, I could properly discern it. Maybe Audacity to raise some of the vocals? I mean, seriously? Why is the guitar louder than the clean vocal? Why are the drums overpowering the harsh vocals? Why are the instruments drowning out all sense of vocal on this album? These vocal raises would have taken two seconds. You’re about a four, you need to be about a six. It isn’t ’96 anymore, we have the technology to make ye olde garage band sound like they’d recorded their shit in a million dollar studio. I’m on the 8:29 mark of “Seasons Of Salt.” Listener, tell me. Can you hear the cleans for the first part of that? I can’t. I’m only hearing drums. There’s a section a few seconds after that I catch, but I can’t discern the lyrics at all. So why even bother if I can’t understand what he’s saying? The man may as well be singing about a purple elephant. Whatever powerful message you had in the vocals is completely fucking buried in the mix. Of course, some people are going to like the raw sound and I can understand that. But if I have to personally attune my ear to catch the vocals on this record, than something is wrong. Khorada would have been a great mix of melancholic avantgarde and post/doom extreme metal if I could actually understand them. There’s a slightly heavier Lycia thing going on here and it could be cool, but for some odd reason these guys wanted to record in a box. As with most records recorded this way, it isn’t until the instruments slow that I can actually hear the vocals. Once again, I would have raised all the vocal sections on this record about an octave or so higher. Just so that I could discern these cleans. My volume meter is on 68, which is what should be suitable for most albums.
Now I could understand the early days when bands that didn’t have a ton of money basically had to go with whatever kind of production value they could afford, but in this new modern era we have bands with literal pennies to their name creating high-dollar performances just because of the software. Not everyone in this industry is using Pro-Tools and there are a lot of great free alternatives to expensive recording software that are equal to, if not better than some of the commercial stuff. This is because of an open source community that continues to update and compete with the big names and hefty price tags. In my honest opinion, unless it is a top-grade recording studio, there is no sense in paying someone hundreds or even thousands of dollars to mix an album anymore. There are many times where I’ve talked to older musicians and they don’t understand this stuff. They’re luddites in most cases and understandably so. But I urge every musician that wants a quality production to go with their quality performance (because the album here is structurally quite brilliant) to simply research this stuff. I know many of us have side jobs and families, but if you just take a few minutes out of your day to learn how to work with these programs, over time you’ll be able to mix and master records yourself. And what’s really cool about this generation is that if the directions are too complicated in software manuals, you can always watch tutorial videos on YouTube. You don’t have to pay to watch these videos, there’s no special classes to attend and you can virtually learn how to do anything in a step by step manner. Some are even arguing that college itself is unnecessary, since you can practically learn any skill or trade you want simply by watching YouTube videos. As an example, there was a man who recently built an entire house from the ground up simply by watching YouTube videos. Now I know that the place is getting crazy with free-speech bans and such, but there are a number of alternatives like D-Tube on the Steemit network that will probably become more beneficial to content creators. Though I’m getting away from the point of this review, which is mainly that while I do enjoy this performance and will give it a fairly strong score as I respect the time and effort required to make something brilliant; but with the proper mixing and mastering; this could have sounded much better. If Khorada paid anyone hundreds or thousands to mix this album, then said person is absolutely horrible at their job, needs to quit doing what they’re doing and the band should ask for their money back – with interest, because this kind of shoddy production job could effect sales revenue. For a performance as strong as this, it shouldn’t have been limited by production and I really hope they decide to work on that level of the album recording process a bit more with the next one. Folks, there are entire sections of the record that I can’t even hear. I won’t say that I have an amazing sense of hearing, but these are more than just small nitpicks. If you really like your weird experimental avantgarde music completely unbalanced and more raw than uncooked potatoes, then feel free to check the album out at the link below. Unfortunately, all I hear is a great idea that needs a touch or more of Mr. Clean.
(7 Tracks, 55:00)
7/10
Back To Eden – Blackened Heart EP (2018) – There’s just five cuts on this EP, but I think that fans of alternative hard rock music and classic heavy metal will find something to like here. Alterbridge-esque cut “Temptation” comes in with a rather approachable series of thumps, complete with an anthemic chorus and a decent little solo number. I won’t say that vocals are perfect, but they do have some promise on this particular cut. “Twin Flame” actually changes gears a little bit and throws us into classic heavy metal territory, whether that’s Priest, Saxon, Loudness and many others. I’m hearing a bit of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” here as well. The solo section is also a bit more grand than the previous number. “Back To Eden” features more of a Motley Crue vibe, with a bit of blues here and there and fantastic rock solo in addition to yet another catchy chorus. The title cut is the album’s ballad, but it isn’t quite as soft as you’d expect and being that the cut is nearly seven-minutes long, it will of course contain a massively drawn out solo in much the familiar Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” style. The song is alright, but it’s not nearly as interesting to me as some of the previous numbers. Just not my cup of coffee, I suppose. The disc ends with “Devil In Disguise” which is more or less a continuation of the alternative hard/rock style that fans of Alterbridge or should I even say Mob Rules, will dig. Again, I’m not completely sold on the vocal tone here, but I will say that the sense of harmony and dynamics are enough to convince me that something could definitely further arise out of Back To Eden. If this mixture of hard rock with a touch of classic hair sounds like it would suit you, then I think you’ll find something to like here. Though I hadn’t mentioned it earlier, I think that fans of the previous couple of Stryper albums will dig this one as well and that seems to be a large influence in Back To Eden’s sound.
(5 Tracks, 27:00)
7/10
Omnium Gatherum – The Burning Cold (2018) – Omnium Gatherum have returned with another melodeath number to throw in the bucket, but this one actually has some merit and features a sound that I personally enjoy from melodic death metal – melody. Maybe that doesn’t come directly from the guitars, but keyboard melodies like those that open “Gods Go First” are more than enough for me. Obviously the cut isn’t that amazing structurally until it rolls in with some proggy-techy stuff, but that’s also where the guitar solo arrives in as it accentuates the piece almost in the same vein that Japanese power metal bands like Galneryus are known for. I also now caught where the vocal filters are applied to the cleans, as a commenter noted on a post for their latest video. Truly though, that isn’t such a bad thing. It’s not as if the frontman here is an autotuned rapper, he just wanted things to sound a bit more ethereal, and with guitar work like this; I’m nearly unconcerned with any vocal effect techniques. “Refining Fire” manages the same height of power, bringing back the days when In Flames were still a memorable act. It’s funny that I’d be reminded of them here. You know, it’s almost like Omnium Gatherum made this record to show the rest of the world that melodic death is still valid in western companies, especially since they are now neck and neck competing with Japanese virtuosos raised on Zun’s orgasmic Touhou compositions. And nearly every song is going to have a solo, which doesn’t exclude this number. But it doesn’t need a clean vocal effect every time either. Stick with the bark, it’s enough. If I wanted singing, I can find that in other bands. Just the growls and melodies are fine with me.
Of course, the band felt different and said, “Well, what about some electronic effects?” with “Rest In Your Heart” which strikes me as a bit bizarre with it’s opening vocal approach. Thankfully, the crunch comes in and that makes the piece thirty percent better. It’s not quite my favorite though, reminding me a bit too much of Kalmah and not really coming off like an Ominium Gatherum cut due to the folk influence. There’s no massive solo here, as piano and air seem to take that spot, as well as some crashing waves. I can do crashing waves, no issue there. As “Over The Battlefield” starts, I have to scratch my head and bit and wonder what is up with that odd sound effect used in the very beginning. Playful keyboards seem to decorate this haphazard number, which straddles between traditional melodic death and hardcore crunch. A solo section comes into play, but the vocals soon tell it to fuck off as this guy seems really confident about his repeating chorus. Of course, the song has some breathing room in which to explore more territory with the guitar and to give the keyboards a break. “The Fearless Entity” seems to feature a much longer guitar solo this time, as a sort of vengeance for being told to fuck off earlier. “Be The Sky” is decent enough, but they aren’t really deviating much from the formula here. Just a couple more prog elements, some acoustics, some keyboard nodes – you can pretty much understand where I’m coming from at this point. Still, the chorus here kicks because it’s accentuated with an awesome lead melody. “Driven By Conflict” is fine, but “The Frontline”, “Planet Scale” and finale “Cold” offer some of their best moments. I particularly like the closer because of it’s melancholic nature, which sounds a bit more passionate to me and less inorganic. It doesn’t feel like they’re playing by the numbers on this one, even if the deep-throated vocals here can sound like mumbling.
The bottom line here is that Omnium Gatherum haven’t really changed much. They still offer the same experience that great melodeath acts do, complete with powerful leads and solo sections, as well as the airy atmosphere, keyboard theatrics and sound effects of many similar acts. The clean vocal effects were probably not as necessary as they thought, nor were the weird deep-throated vocal sections which reminded me a dying Dracula. I mean, I can’t discern these very well and they don’t work the same way that they did when Anders Frieden used them on some of In Flames more contemporary cuts. Feels more emo than funeral doom, so I wouldn’t advise mixing them in. Just stick to what you’re good at gentlemen, and we’ll have no problems. If you’re interested in another strong offering by Omnium Gatherum, you can check out the album at the link below.
(11 Tracks, 51:00)
8/10
The Lion’s Daughter – Future Cult (2018) – I’m not really sure what to think about this one, regardless of the fact that I praised The Lion’s Daughter before. It just feels like they wanted to make their own version of Cult Of Luna’s Vertikal I&II, which I just don’t think anyone in the post-metal/doom category should be attempting to touch right now. Additionally, The Lion’s Daughter utilize more modern core elements, which take a masterpiece and slightly smear it with mud. In a word, the record is heavily influenced by electronics and attempts the same “we’re kind of a mix of core and black metal” style as before, albeit with the pretentious node of electronic flair that rubbed me the wrong way. An interesting thing is that this band’s name is The Lion’s Daughter and there’s a live-action remake of The Lion King coming out in a year or so, so it would be really intriguing if these guys sat down and wrote a concept album based on The Lion King. Not covering the Disney songs, obviously – but just focusing on the story itself. There’s actually a great deal of psychology to that story also, like the Elephant Graveyard representing the subconscious mind. Even so, it would probably make these gentleman a household name if they had made a record like that. Could you just imagine “The Lion’s Daughter – The Lion King” coming out in 2020? They would be all over the internet in a matter of minutes, especially if the record wasn’t made to be satire or some sort of joke, but a well-thought out release with it’s own unique vibe. People would be so shocked by the quality of the performance given the nature of the material that they’d be running to the bathroom while at the same time on the verge of spontaneously combusting.
Though getting to the album, I notice immediately on this second listen that electronic effects ebb and flow throughout sections of doom fronted angry man screams, which soon fill with more electronic stuff and maybe even some chiptune and disco. It’s interesting when “Die Into Us” throws in a nice solo to fit nicely over the top of Disco Stu. “Suicide Market” utilizes some horror melodies that don’t sound too far removed from the Michael Myers film (20th Century Fox, are you listening? I mean, House Of Mouse? But of course, the great ears of our rodent savior are always observing the actions of tiny human worms). “The Gown” definitely intrigued me, but that was up until the point where the guitars began and the incoherent angry man shouts arrived onto the scene. Not that the riffs didn’t serve as a nice decoration piece, but the shouts felt unnecessary. This would have made a fine, creepy little instrumental. Not every song needs vocals, you know. As a matter of fact, I wonder if the whole record would have worked without vocals? There’s definitely enough in the way of soundscapes and effects to make that point known as the vocals often feel one-dimensional. I almost want to ask the frontman if he can do more than angry grunts. I can. (smiles) Honestly, I think the vocals are what offset these performance the most for me, because it just comes off like a disgruntled customer with a hair in his soup or “man who had bad day at work” kind of thing. I get it, you can shout loud and heavily with incoherent lines about nothing. The man could be shouting about that bullshit final battle in Ys Seven where the developers force you to use your entire party to fight a boss battle, including those who aren’t leveled up and don’t have the right equipment, and are just second-tier characters at best. Now that’s something worth shouting about. I mean, you’re looking at an extra thirty hours of grind, just to finish a final boss and get an ending to a game you’ve already sunk hours into. Biggest bullshit Falcom ever pulled. So if one of the lyrics here is “Fuck you Falcom, for the final battle of Ys Seven!” then he has every right to be angry. Another thing he could be angry about is that jump in Donkey Long Land for the Game Boy Color, by far one of the most bullshit designs I’ve ever seen in a platformer. My former colleague and I used to refer to this jump as “The Jesus Jump” which means that you would literally have to be Jesus to perform it. And what’s more, is that you can’t actually finish the game by skipping it. It’s intentional. I’m sure if I handed the man a copy of that game, he’d have the same issue and roil with so much seething anger that an entire album could be made from it. A record called, “The Lion’s Daughter – Fuck That Jump” which I’d support immensely.
Getting back to the album, we’re now faced with a closer in “In The Flesh” which actually seems to invite some grindcore territory and a slightly differing vocal tone in the beginning, I’d say it’s a bit more raspy. The vocals don’t completely overpower it this time though, making for what I’d consider a very intriguing synth atmosphere in the middle and at the end of it. I just don’t think that the guitar feedback should have been a section here, as it would have been far creepier to end with the synths. You had a good thing going already, why ruin it? If this intriguing mix of synth, chiptune and admittedly rather bland post-metal (mainly in the vocals, but there are definitely people who won’t mind it) with some rather punchy elements for good measure interests you, then you can give it a listen at the link below.
(10 Tracks, 37:00)
7/10