Somehow, the blog has amassed over 125,000 hits so far this year and I couldn't be happier! I'm not chasing numbers by any means (if I was, I'd be publishing two or three new posts every day), but it's still amazing to know that after all this time, you still appreciate what I'm trying to do.
With that in mind, I wanted to launch a consultation of sorts. I have been considering this for a while but I would appreciate the opinions of all who visit my blog before making my final decision. To cut to the chase, I want to know if you would pay to read my blog going forward or not. Please take the time to answer the survey below. Thank you.
Seven years on from their debut album Cadaverous Resurrection, German death/slam quartet Public Grave return with their second full-length Grotesque Mutations. This album features guest appearances from members of compatriots Knockdown Brutality and Taiwanese brutal death metal/grindcore band Gorepot. While I may sound like I know what I'm talking about here, Public Grave are completely new to me, such is the ever shifting (and growing) musical landscape I try to inhabit.
Here we go; the chilling hospital samples and screams that make up album opener ‘Patient Zero’ depicts a scene of horror, which is befitting of Public Grave’s imagery and sound. It immediately flows into the title track ‘Grotesque Mutations’, which is an upbeat/thrash filled slab of extreme metal. it seemed as though the intro’s volume on the recording was higher than the song that bare’s the album’s name, but I’ll reserve judgement on that.
Next up it’s ‘Lockdown Brutality’, featuring Tim Köhler from Knockdown Brutality. It leans much more towards slam and the volume is definitely higher, which puts pay to my earlier comments. Aside from the gnarly vocals delivery, it’s the percussion that really leads the way on this record, with the guitars somewhat deeper in the mix at times. There’s a subtly humorous side to Public Grave too. Naming a song ‘Faking The Cadaver’ could either be a nod to US slam/brutal death legends Waking The Cadaver or just a clever play on words, but whatever the answer, the song itself is generously filled with breakdowns and guttural vocals.
If it’s succinct death metal you’re after, ‘Walking Corpse Syndrome’ is definitely that! It’s the shortest song on Grotesque Mutations aside from the opener and because of that Public Grave are even more focused on delivering the best music they can. With the stark imagery conjured by the title ‘Forced Fed Blunt Weaponry’, the mood switches between the band’s usual up-tempo bludgeoning and more mid-tempo, old-school atmosphere. Public Grave don’t stray too far away from their characteristic sound but there’s definitely something extra going on here.
As they reach the album’s final two songs, ‘Human Organ Harvesting’ offers up more groove with added mosh sensibilities. The tempo changes led by the percussion are handled really well, while vocals and guitars compliment each other. On album closer ‘Kill Eat Resurrect Repeat’, Public Grave are joined by Larry Wang of Taiwanese band Gorepot and it’s a match made in brutal death heaven! Larry’s vocals add an extra layer of extremity to the recording and Public Grave feed off of it, loosening the reigns even further.
Grotesque Mutations is a strong death metal release that will appeal to those who already obsess over the style. Public Grave themsevles are very proficient musically and seem to mature as the album progresses. A solid performance all round.
You can stream Grotesque Mutations via all the usual outlets (except for Bandcamp curiously). They're linked up here - https://publicgrave.de. Physical records, CDs and other merch is available here - https://publicgrave.de/shop/.
Public Grave - https://www.facebook.com/publicgrave
UK high-octane sludge royalty Raging Speedhorn have just released their seventh full-length Night Wolf via Spinefarm Records. The Corby sextet have kept going though line-up changes and hiatuses to reach twenty five years, having released their self-titled debut album at the turn of the Millennium. It's great to have Raging Speedhorn firing on all cylinders again and their return will be another much needed boost for UK heavy music.
After a slightly foreboding intro, ‘Blood Red Sky’ fills the speakers with groove-laden riffs, thunderous bass/percussion and RSH’s familiar dual-vocal onslaught. Musically, their impact over the years has been notable and doesn’t need re-telling. Here, their sound is both mature and revitalised at the same time. A honed take on hardcore and sludge, Night Wolf doesn’t need lengthy songs and ‘Buzz Killa’ shows why. It retains it’s heaviness while being catchy in the right way, which is something RSH have consistently delivered.
The bass that kicks off ‘The Blood Code’ is glorious and as it’s joined by the rest of the band, you’re in for them at their heaviest. There’s a simplicity to it that’s hard to ignore and that’s why it’s so enjoyable. Sounds great at full-volume too! ‘Can’t Stop’ takes the sound of NOLA sludge and RSH inject it with a heap of UK rock n roll flair. Being one of the shorter songs on Night Wolf, it’s gone by before you know it.
With a song-title that’s a play on the famous Elton John song, ‘Every Night’s Alright For Fighting’ is… perfect for just that. Riff-fulled mayhem in the catchiest of ways. At the mid-point of the album you may be thinking that Raging Speedhorn have lost some of their more dangerous/rougher edges over the years. You’d be right, but that doesn’t mean their sound can’t evolve at the same time.
The album’s title-track drags you into it’s latter half with all the groove you’ll ever need on record. Once again, the dual-vocals provide a lot of colour (despite the harshness), while the instrumentation carries itself perfectly. I think the mixing/mastering captures a slightly more polished version of the band, which is definitely a snapshot in time.
The latter-half of Night Wolf is way more to-the-point and ‘DOA’ proves that in a succinct three-minute blast of sludgy hardcore that has all the tempos covered. Destined to be a live favourite for sure. The sound of feedback during the intro to ‘Comin’ In Hard’ is something that’s been missed so far. It subsides, giving way to yet more Southern drawl and dixie-esque influence. Everything’s definitely “comin’ in fast” here.
Penultimate rager ‘Dead Men Can’t Dance’ dials up both the heaviness and the upbeat nature of RSH’s song-writing just when you thought things might slow down. Absolutely brilliant! Ending with ‘Dead Reckoning, the reckless punk nature of early Speedhorn comes back to roost. The fact that they pack as much music into this final song as they do into all the rest is testament to their love for what they craft.
I needed this tonight but I didn’t appreciate how much until Night Wolf finished. While I’m more familiar with the Speedhorn of old, I can’t ignore what they have become now. Twenty five years into a career that’s helped shape the UK underground, they’re bound to reach new ears with this album. Long may they continue to cause chaos!
You can watch the hilarious video for 'Every Night's Alright For Fighting' via Youtube below:-
Physical copies of the album, as well as merch, can be purchased via Spinefarm Records here:-
6. Someone Half-Assed It or An Idiot Tried Too Hard
7. Uneven Exchange
8. I Will Become Turbo Man
9. Graphs of Trez
10. More Than Just Lost
11. Dozing Past Decency
It's been eleven days since my last post here but it feels like eleven weeks (or even years!). So much has happened globally recently that this kind of falls into insignificance. Obviously, I'm talking about what's been going on in the United States and what's been coming out of the elected "President's" mouth. I think that's also why Coma of Eris came into being.
A coming together of Coma Regalia and Apostles of Eris, alongside members of Saetia, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow and Deracine (amongst others). Their self-titled record was released (digitally) merely a couple of weeks ago via Middle-Man Records and Zegema Beach Records. with tape copies due in late March/early April.
‘You’re Trying To Save A Skeleton’ opens up the album from this brand new skramz supergroup (if I’m allowed to call it that!) and it’s exactly what you’d want to come from Coma Regalia, Apostles of Eris, et al. Emoviolence-like explosions greet you through the vocals of both Dave Norman and Edie Quinn, while the instumentation from Edie, Jesse Mowery, Tom Schlatter and Jason Wolpert provide an equally heavy backdrop of guitars and percussion. ’Expectance’ follows with a lot more guitar melody that mainly comes to the fore during the song’s quieter moments, in between layers of feedback and screamed/sung dual-vocals that add heaps of humanity. The mixing and mastering from Edie helps to bring that same feeling out of the recordings as well.
Almost half of the songs here barely surpass ninety seconds but in the case of ‘Cloud City Demolition Company’, things hit a bit differently. The guitar work is a lot more mathy and technical here, though that leads to a more engrossing song in the end. The panic-chord harmonics and skittish time-signatures will appeal if you’re craving that right now. ’A Dip In Lake Drowning’ is not only a cleverly worded song title but also a brilliantly delivered song, as Coma of Eris show their more downtempo emo side (if there’s such a thing!). It sounds a lot more old-school to my ears anyway. That old-school nostalgia lasts mere seconds as they launch into ‘Archers Take Aim’ with yet more screamo abandon. With that being said, the clean vocals that hover over the harsh screams don’t banish that feeling altogether.
Given what I wrote in my opening paragraph above, ‘Someone Half-Assed It or An Idiot Tried Too Hard’ pretty much describes the current political climate better than I ever could. It’s also a damn good song that embodies the rage that the collective members feel right now.m ’Uneven Exchange’ is a much more brooding song, as it’s intense opening gives way to a sound that’s a lot more atmospheric. I’d go as far as to say that it’s probably my favourite song on the album. Going from brooding atmosphere back to more familiar screamo territory on ‘I Will Become Turbo Man’, Coma of Eris once again show their class with a whole heap of everything that makes the sub-genre so great. When you listen to it you’ll know what I mean.
There’s an unexpected groove/funk layer to ‘Graphs of Trez’ that’s completely welcome. I often feel that bands seem to forget about the latter few songs of an album and in doing so, they come across as a bit formulaic. That’s not the case here. It reminds me of when members of Glassjaw formed Head Automatica. Moving into penultimate song ‘More Than Just Lost’, Coma of Eris strip things back to a simpler approach before another explosive ending. The record’s final song ‘Dozing Past Decency’ is an amalgamation of everything that’s made this album so good. From uptempo highs to atmospheric lows and downtempo realism.
This record is made up of great musicians and even greater people. It’s hard to put into words how strange things are politically right now but at least we have music to get us through. Coma of Eris are here to remind us that there’s another way. Make America Less Reliant On MAGAlomaniacs Again.
You can stream and purchase the album digitally from both labels below:-
News on physical tape copies will be available from both Middle-Man Records and Zegema Beach Records below:-
Middle-Man Records -https://www.facebook.com/middlemanrecords
Zegema Beach Records -https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords
