This year has been so intense release wise, that I'm still catching on loads of pre-2014 releases. This being one of them from San-Fran death metallers Vastum. Patricidal Lust was Vastum's second full-length and was released by 20 Buck Spin in late 2013.
Vastum features a collective group of musicians with many years of experience, who know how to craft a death metal album and make the genre all their own. The cover art for Patricidal Lust conjures up some pretty lucid images too and fits the mood created by Vastum perfectly.
Tracklist:-
1. Seasons In The Claustrum (The Libidinal Spring)
2. Enigma Of Disgust
3. 3 A.M. In Agony
4. Incel
5. Patricidal Lust
6. Repulsive Arousal
Vastum’s sound is one of power and heft. The riffs at the beginning of Seasons In The Claustrum… are great sludge-laden giants. Thankfully, Vastum tread an old-school path on Patricidal Lust. They steer clear of modern influence and use their experience to project an image if evil though their song-writing. They make use of occult spoken-vocals and the only light that shines through is during the lead-work.
Vastum swings in different directions on Enigma Of Disgust. They first hit you with a thrashing intro, before slowing things down to a crawl (in death metal terms anyway). The rhythm that ultimately greets you during the verse is surprisingly upbeat. That rhythm remains a bedrock of the song throughout, only being replaced with slower passages at certain intervals. Vastum write songs that are earthy and benefit from being allowed to wind to a natural conclusion.
They sound truly vicious during 3 A.M. In Agony. The urgency exhibited in it seems to be propelled by the thrash that Vastum provided a glimpse of during Enigma Of Disgust. Those big riffs are back for the opening passages of Incel. As with the majority of Patricidal Lust, Vastum keep things low and don’t throw in too much higher-pitched melody. When they do add guitar melodies though, they still fit in with the claustrophobic atmosphere that Vastum want to project.
The title-track is my standout on the album though. At first it sounds more like a conventional metal record but when Vastum slip back into the shadowy murk, they seem to take on a different persona. That initial false sense of security makes the song sound even better, as it gathers in all the different facets of their music and condenses them into one, satisfying whole.
With Repulsive Arousal, the cover art of Patricidal Lust begins to make sense. It conjures up images of necrophiliacs and all manner of demons, engorged in the throws of deathly passion. That’s my take on it anyway! The song itself is utterly absurd in the best possible way. It ends the album on a real high, full of screaming lead guitar and heavy atmosphere.
The thing I enjoyed most about Patricidal Lust was that even though it's clearly a technical body of music, Vastum has been able to make it sound simple and of a high quality. You don't often get that feel with death metal albums. To do it without relying on over-worked modern production is even better.
Stream it via 20 Buck Spin here -
You can purchase Patricidal Lust digitally from the above bandcamp page.
I hope you've all recovered from Mad Friday! I'm just starting to gee myself up for a night of socialising and drinking, so what better way to do that than with some thrash. Night Invasion is the third full-length from Canadian crossover/thrash band Bombnation. It was released earlier this year by PRC Music.
Canada's metal credentials are not to be sniffed at. Quebec itself has harboured some great bands over the years, including black metal due Monarque and death metal band Gorguts, while the thrash scene is growing all the time.
Tracklisting:-
1. Fire Of The Night
2. Slayed By Slayer
3. War Beer Warrior
4. Hops
5. Obituary
6. Kreator's Destruction Of Sodom
7. Blackout With Stout
8. Night Invasion
9. Kentucky Fried Seagulls
10. Le D-Beat De La 50
11. Forget It
12. Pissed Off To Listen To Pop
13. Reggie's Calling
14. Order666
15. Iron Whale
16. Black Cable
17. Astro Turf
18. In The Night
What’s better than a thrash metal band that like good beer and has a sense of humour? Nothing, that’s what! Bombnation spit out eighteen fast-as-hell tracks on their third full-length Night Invasion. They’re the type of band that respects the old-school but has fun with it. Album opener Fire Of The Night features screaming leads and the odd falsetto scream ala Tom Araya. Talking of Tom Araya, Slayed By Slayer is a total nod to the band themselves. Plus, it’s not the only song to feature a title that pays homage to the leading lights of the genre.
Their love for beer features heavily during the duo on War Beer Warrior and Hops! The solo during War Beer Warrior is grin-inducing, while Hops is a song about one of main ingredients of the aforementioned beverage. It’s making me thirsty that’s for sure! Obituary features a surprising amount of groove and guitar mastery, while Kreator’s Destruction Of Sodom shows off Bombnation’s flair for humorous song-titles and again mixes it with their love of German thrash! Blackout Without Stout is as thick as the beer itself and is a rare occasion where Bombnation slow their relentless attack down, but only during the verses so don’t worry! It’s still comedic as well and shows that they don’t take things too seriously when rocking out!
That newly discovered change in tempo also occurs in the title-track, with the help of some sludge-infused riffs during the verses. They poke fun at fast-food with Kentucky Fried Seagulls. Le D-Beat De La 50 takes you passed the half-way point of Night Invasion, with some crazed screaming. The band’s links to Mesrine are more obvious during Forget It, which features some hellishly fast grindcore drumming. Pissed Off To Listen To Pop goes by before you’ve realised, but the momentum that should have followed into Reggie’s Calling seems to disappear because of the brief gap between the songs. I appreciate that there has to be some distinction between the end on a song and the start of another, but sometimes those gaps are unnecessary.
Bombnation seem to gain focus towards the end of Night Invasion, with both Order666 and Iron Whale taking the advantage of their heavy/thrash metal song-writing. They seem to capture the band’s sound well. Any album that features this many tracks, is bound to suffer slightly due to the odd bit of filler, but the short songs make up for that and Night Invasion is by no means bad. Far from it in fact! Things definitely seem more comfortable during the closing few songs. Black Cable is rip-roaring and doesn’t stick around too long, while there’s a circle-pit going on in my head during Astro Turf. In The Night is a victorious ending to the album. High-pitched vocals, big riffs and gang-chants end it all on a high. This album is a lot of fun. Bombnation have managed to capture the sound of old-school thrash bands like Slayer and Exodus, allowing them to pay homage in a way that isn't cheesy or cliched. It may not be a new take on the genre, but who cares. It's thrash that's enjoyable and uplifting. To me, that makes it a success.
You can stream Night Invasion here:-
It's available as a name-your-price download from Bombnation's bandcamp page.
D'you ever have those days where you just want to switch off and stick on something heavy? I know that entire sentence is a massive cliche, but today was one of those days. Thankfully I had the new Napalm Christ LP to listen too. I reviewed their demo tape (released by Goatprayer Records) back in September of last year and when I saw that they were working with A389 Records, I was pretty happy. Well, almost a year later, this six-track LP was released (which, features remastered versions of the songs that appeared on the demo). It's ace to see bands like NC getting wider attention and hitting bigger audiences.
Tracklisting:-
1. Idols Of Evil
2. Life Is Dimming
3. Reclaimed By The Earth
4. Nuclear Holy War
5. Despoilment Of Will
5. Burning Away The Scourge
From their name, the uninitiated amongst you would be forgiven for thinking that Napalm Christ were a crust band. The sludgy riffs of Idols Of Evil prove otherwise. NC are typically difficult to pin down in terms of sub-genre. Idols Of Evil features grind, black metal and melodic thrash harmonies, all within it’s opening bars. There’s plenty of brooding negative atmosphere, just like there was on their demo.
NC have gathered together their collective influences and experiences for this release. They’ve honed their heaviness and rage, distilling it into a more controlled sound compared to that of the demo. Life Is Dimming is a slow-burn of a song, full of blackened soul and excellent melodic guitar. The transitions between those blackened passages and their sludgier underbelly leave no time for pondering. It’s just one head-smashing beating after the other.
At times, they threaten to morph into a trad/heavy metal band, but regain their menacing momentum right at the brink. The main bedrock of Reclaimed By The Earth is blackened thrash, but thanks to the quality of the production, it sounds clear and precise. There are moments of grand, towering sound during the song, where the low-slung growls sit deep within the instrumentation. Those cavernous sections are an absolute joy to listen to.
NC regain their earlier urgency on Nuclear Holy War. There’s tech-death and even a strange medieval feel to some of the picking going on in this song. I might be reading to much into this album, but it’s kept me guessing since I pressed play! Their urgency and rage is used to full effect on the short blast Despoilment Of Will. NC’s power doesn’t truly sink in until Burning Away The Scourge drags you down. The extended instrumental passage at the start brims with progressive guitar riffs and then dives headfirst into a pogoing punk rhythm. The song’s many lurching movements proves how adept NC are at weaving a tumultuous hymn. It’s all kinds of epic and is the perfect way to finish off this LP.
Dom himself called Blind To Faith underrated. I've been jamming this a lot recently, so though it was about time I wrote about them. Under The Heptagram was released in October 2013 via A389 and is only their third release, after an LP in 2009 and a split 7" with The Infamous...Gehenna the following year.
These dudes are a pretty elusive bunch and played their sole 2014 show at Ieperfest. I'll apologise for being to late to the party too. This 12" EP was limited to 666 copies with an etched b-side. I needed another H8000-style hit after wearing out my copy of the recent Seventh Circle 7"!
Tracklist:-
1. The Gateway
2. Under The Heptagram
3. Burial Of Mankind
Everytime I hear hardcore like this, it reminds me of why the hell I got into heavy music. The energy, the emotion, that feeling that screams out “I can be who I want to be”. Blind To Faith embody those feelings perfectly on Under The Heptagram. EP opener The Gateway is a brooding, dark guitar led instrumental that hurls itself into a bass-heavy rockin’ mass of metallic hardcore.
The title-track is nasty, in the best possible way. It’s brief yet it’s filled with pure rage. There’s some sludge in there and even some subtle powerviolence, but it’s still unmistakably heavy. Burial Of Mankind opens with a great screaming-lead and then spends the rest of the time thrashing out. There’s a characteristic thickness to BTF’s sound, both in percussion and the guitars, while the vocals are laced with vicious blackened screams.
This record my be a brief glimpse into Blind To Faith’s world, but for anyone unfamiliar or just sleeping, this is definitely worth your time. Though you didn’t need to hear that from me! Stream it here - You can download it from A389's bandcamp page above and you can purchase both standard and die hard vinyl copies from the webstore here - http://shop.a389records.com/collections/12-vinyl-a389
I'm not one for overblown hype but this debut release by Leeds based post-metal band Mausoleion has been one of my most eagerly anticipated this year. That's because Mausoleion were one of the few bands I'd seen live before hearing on record. Forming out of the ashes of fellow local band DSDNT last year, they've been a staple of the Leeds heavy scene since.
They've kept things local by recording their debut demo at Eiger Music Studios and have been organising some great gigs, featuring like-minded UK and Euro bands when time has allowed. You can't beat seeing them in the tiny upstairs of Santiago's, where their thoughtful melody and foundation shaking feedback fills the room. Their demo was released last month both digitally and on CD.
Tracklisting:-
1. Pariah
2. Scourge
Hearing Pariah coming out of the speakers provides one of those goose bump inducing moments. All the elements from the feedback at the start, to the percussion doom-like guitar and low growls envelope around you like you’re watching Mausoleion live. The smattering of rhythmic shifts and up-tempo fastness belays their slower characteristics, highlighting the variety in their song-writing.
They become next-level claustrophobic on Scourge, in a song that seems to get heavier and heavier as each element meshes into one. The subtle melody on the lead guitar provides a short glimpse though the mirk, but doesn’t dominate proceedings. For everyone who’s been looking for a UK response to Rosetta or Year of No Light, Mausoleion may well quench your thirst. Exciting times ahead! Give i a listen below:-
As I said, it's available as a name-your-price download and as a special limited CD, directly from the band via the above bandcamp page. CD's will ship in mid-December, in a special sealed envelope with accompanying art-cards. Mausoleion Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MausoleionBand
I've been knocked out with the flu for the past week, so sorry for the silence. Only now am I feeling well enough to sit in front of my laptop screen for a prolonged period of time. Anyway, enough self pit because it's time for Masochist. A death metal band from Leeds that doesn't do self-pity and one I've had the pleasure of seeing a fair few times over the last couple of years. Masochist released their second EP, Condemned To Grovel via UKEM Records earlier this year and it's the first release to feature current vocalist Danny Heaton.
Tracklist:-
1. Prologue To Prolapse
2. Forced Fornication
3. Vomit Every Dreg
4. A Peeling Flesh
5. Foetid Existence
Masochist open with a surprisingly heavy, sludgy guitar led intro on Prologues To Prolapse. I suppose that when you come from such a diverse scene as the one in Leeds, different textures and influences will find their way into your music. Forced Fornication is the opportunity on the EP to hear their deathly racket. It’s technical and is filled with deep vocal bellows. The instrumentation is thick, especially the drumming and the guitars hammer the point home during slam-laden mid section.
The sample that starts off Vomit Every Dreg shows that Masochist have good humour and don’t take things too seriously. Things seem altogether more urgent here too. The overall tempo is moved up a notch and Masochist turn to a more straight-forward structure, with hints of grind and USDM. They bring back the thick guitar sound on A Peeling Flesh. The blasts are intense and set the tone for the song. Masochist never beat around the bush and here they go straight for the jugular. The mix of death and thrash is amongst the best you’ll hear all year.
They close out with the uber fast Foetid Existence, which feels completely different with the high-pitched rasps that make up the opening verses. It’s brief playing time finishes Condemned To Grovel with a flurry of aggression and hate. This EP may be short overall. but it’s quality makes up for that. Masochist have honed their sound in a live setting, which has meant that on record they sound better than most of their contemporaries. It’s time they spewed up a full-length. Check out Forced Fornication via Youtube below:-
Another day, another review! I make it sound like such a chore, but I can guarantee you it's anything but. This time, I'm checking out the 2014 EP from Hertfordshire five-piece Alone With Wolves. They've been a band since 2011 and have already released one prior self-titled EP, in late 2012. Music-wise, they sight post-hardcore as an influence, they've played alongside blog fave's Mallory Knox and even appeared at Bloodstock Open Air this year! They're definitely on the up then.
Tracklisting:-
1. Cutting Ties
2. The End Of Nothing
3. My Life In Your Hands
4. The Change
5. With You In Mind
Alone With Wolves have the dual-screamed/clean vocals down perfectly on The End Of Nothing. They’re immediate during EP opener Cutting Ties. Add to that upbeat rhythms and melodic guitar and you’re greeted with post-hardcore that would make Funeral For A Friend blush. Both Danilo Fiocco (clean-vox) and Lewis Watson (harsh-vox) have great sets of lungs on them and put forward an assured performance right from the off.
The EP title-track has added twin-guitar harmonies and a distinctive UK feel. Alone With Wolves may be playing a modern take on post-hardcore but they don’t try and sound American, instead plumping for a clean style that befits their song-writing and musicianship. heaviness is on their side too though, with some thick riffs and the occasional breakdown to beef things up.
My Life In Your Hands features more heavy guitar throughout the song. Alone With Wolves manage to keep things catchy though and again their upbeat style keeps the momentum of the EP high. They take a slightly different path on The Change, taking things in a grander direction. They remind me a bit of short lived US post-hardcore band Spoken, which is no bad thing. This song is my standout track on The End Of Nothing. It’s with this song that their quality really becomes clear.
They close on With You In Mind, which takes you into metal territory slightly, at least in the instrumentation. It’s a focused ending and there’s no room for shakiness from anyone. Alone With Wolves are another UK band that are plying a modern sound and should appeal to larger audiences because of it. it’ll be interesting to see how they progress next year. The End Of Nothing is a really solid EP, with excellent production.
You can stream and purchase The End Of Nothing digitally here:-
Norway has a deep history when it comes to heavy music, which you'll more than likely be familiar with, but it's easy to overlook modern bands in favour of peering back nostalgically towards the originators of the countries scene. Modern bands like Trondheim's The Hate Colony, who released their debit album, Dead Or Victorious in 2011 via Trondercore Records. They've followed it up this year with their second full-length Navigate, again via Trondercore Records.
They've been getting plenty of attention recently, with Metal Hammer Norway attending and writing about their album release show, while they've also recently shared the stage with The Black Dahlia Murder in their home town. I'm certainly eager to here what these guys have to offer.
Tracklisting:-
1. Recheck
2. Trigger
3. The Letter
4. Blood Runs Black
5. Solitude
6. Domain
7. When Worlds Collide
8. Nothing Less
9. Interlude
10. Dialogue
11. Pandemonium
12. Path Of Resistance
13. Welcome To The Hate Colony
I wasn’t expecting that! Melodic guitars, syncopated rhythms and the lowest of low growls open up Navigate on the song Recheck. Add to that electronics that wouldn’t be out of place on one of In Flames’ recent albums and you’ve got a sound that’s thoroughly in the now. Thankfully, even with those modern touches, The Hate Colony retain that European sound. Trigger is full of groovy, heavy riffs and course screams. There may be a little too much electronic wizardry here for some, but it’s certainly very listenable.
They channel their inner death metal on The Letter, which even has some ace melodic leads work going on. I have to admit that I prefer this side to them, as they don’t rely too heavily on electronic effects. The drums are furious and it shows why they were chosen to support TBDM recently! Now this isn’t meant as a cliche but they have a song called Blood Runs Black (remember As Blood Runs Black?), which could give you a hint about some of their musical influences. It’s a solid song too, very focused throughout.
The bass on Solitude is coupled with some virtuoso guitar during the opening bars. They demonstrate plenty of progressive elements during the song, while ensuring that their too-the-point approach isn’t affected by any such off-kilter musings. A lot of people will say they’ve heard this all before, but they’d be missing the fact that The Hate Colony are very accomplished at what they do. They don’t profess to be anything they’re not and prefer to play something that will appeal to a large audience. Domain is the perfect example of that. They’ve chosen a path and they’ve developed their sound well.
It’s either a keyboard or a keytar that beckons in When Worlds Collide, but the song itself contains a strong political theme that darkens the atmosphere. They slickly progress into Nothing Less, which is apt because my overall impression of Navigate is that it’s slick, in both instrumentation and production. I think that slickness works for an album of this nature, so it’s no bad thing at all. They take a break after Nothing Less with a short piano and strings filled Interlude, which is good enough to find it’s way onto TV as an ad or TV trailer backing track! It’s a nice change of mood before The Hate Colony launch into Dialogue.
Pandemonium is one of the songs of the record, for all balls-out intro alone. There’s breakdowns, an undercurrent of electro and more Scandi-guitar than you can shake a stick at. Their angular side gets a more thorough workout during penultimate number Path Of Resistance. Welcome To The Hate Colony could be their Children Of Bodom moment! If they grow big enough, they could have a fan club called The Hate Colony! Jokes aside though, I think that if these guys get in enough faces and crucially ears, they could be huge. They’ve got the music to back them up and could reel in a whole new generation of metal loving fans. Quality stuff for fans of modern metal. Good job! Navigate doesn't appear to be streaming anywhere, but you can download or buy it on CD from all manner of digital outlets. Head over to The Hate Colony's Facebook page for a list - https://www.facebook.com/TheHateColony
I've got time for one more review this weekend and I thought I'd take a look at a band that contacted me via the blog just last month. Like Pigs On Embers are a hardcore band from the West Coast of France. They released a four track demo digitally in July and asked me to review it.
They're a four-piece who decided to hold off contacting people until they had music recorded and released. They didn't print a thousand t-shirt designs or start a store without a song to their name. That's how it should be. They've played a few shows around France since the demo's release but they remain in background as individuals, which adds an air of mystery.
L.P.O.E starts in noisy fashion with tonnes of feedback before Like Pigs On Embers launch into some heavy hardcore-punk. The vocals are pretty furious, in the vein of Trap Them while the riffs are everywhere. The opener doesn’t reach past two-minutes thanks to the addition of some fast grind. As I eluded to above, this is fast, but it also features the odd sludgy moment like in Roses Are Fading. That extra texture within their music makes things more edgy.
There’s a lot here that people will like, if you like a lot of modern blackened hardcore. Peaceful Knight takes more from the band’s influences, but they stay focused and weave those influences into their songs instead of just apeing them. The band themselves mentioned Ruins as a starting point, which I don’t think is too far wrong. Wood Revenge ends things in great punk style. It’s faster and contains the same energy as the demo's opener did. There are real moments of groove here and the DIY recording doesn’t let them down at all.
This is fast, loud and short. Like Pigs On Embers sound remarkably focused for such a young band (not in age terms, but length of time together). I’ve always thought that the French scene was a little detached from others in Europe, but there are some great bands there and Like Pigs On Embers are added to that list.
You can stream the first half of the Demo here:-
The demo is only available digitally. You can download both Peaceful Knight and Wood Revenge for free, but if you want the full EP, it's only 3 euros.
The New Tusk has a new EP out, I reviewed their last 7", Mine To Breathe in July and they've just capped off 2014 by releasing a new four-track EP in October called Monster Trucks via Get Into It Records. After yesterday's extended heaviness session, I needed something to ease me into Sunday and to help me forget about the new working week that's peering over my shoulder. Thankfully, The New Tusk play lo-fi punk/indie/emo or as they call it "lo-fi short attention span punk". To be fair, it's about time I featured some more punk on here.
Tracklisting:-
1. Nice Charity
2. Toystory
3. Uncomfort
4. Stones To Make It
Monster Trucks was self-recorded by the band and it’s that DIY energy and dedication that shows through here. Nice Charity features dual shouty-punk vocals and lo-fi indie clean singing. it all sits on top of melodic guitar and a noisy rhythm section. I thought Toystory was going to be about the film. Ah well, you can’t have everything! It’s more laid back than the EP opener and leans more towards the band’s indie sound. It’s got plenty of presence and danceable groove, yet is short and sharp.
The New Tusk have a keen eye for melody. Just listen to the opening riffs on Uncomfort! There’s also a slight hint of goth-rock in the song, especially in the low sung vocals. It kind of reminds me of a cross between The Velvet Underground and Franz Ferdinand in some ways. It’s really hard to pin The New Tusk down to just one genre here. They really mix things up and challenge you. EP closer Stones To Make It carries on along that exact path. It’s hard to put a tag to, which is a good thing, because it shows originality and strong musical ability.
I think that The New Tusk are starting to find their sound and identity and if they carry on like this, they’ll surely grow in stature. I recently read a quote from a big arena-playIng US punk band that read “The problem with modern rock is it’s not modern”. Bands keep taking from each other and try to create new, interesting takes of genres, but few do it properly. The New Tusk are compelling enough to buck that trend. You can stream Monster Trucks here:-
It's also available as a pay-what-you-want download.
Another tape I've been slack on is the recent two-track tape from Jotnarr. I reviewed their earlier demo quite a while ago and have had this sitting in my physical review pile staring at me for ages. Released in July, again via Vetala Productions, it's been getting Jotnarr plenty of attention. They've been "band of the day" on the Terrorizer website, been in the magazine itself and they've played alongside Fen as well as one of my fave bands Totem Skin since it's release. Scrolling through the flyers of the gigs they've played, proves that they're pretty hard to classify musically. Best let it do the talking then!
Tracklist:-
1. A Plague On Earth
2. Relics
What you’re getting here is two tracks of blackened crust essentially. A Plague On Earth is a dirty, low-slung slab of filth with abject screams buried within the instrumentation. There’s no flashy solos or uber-produced effects, just honest noise and tangible despair. Relics has more ambient melody in it’s ranks. It’s more apparent at the beginning but it then retreats back into the mix. Where A Plague On Earth was more barren and stark, Relics is a variation on a theme that shows a different side to the band. One influenced by harsh screamo and featuring actual catchiness!
Both songs here are the same length bizarrely, but they both represent different things. For band finding their way and their sound, these songs hint at a point in time and an evolution for Jotnarr. Surely and album must be on the way, but for now there’s enough to keep the hunger sated here.
You can stream Divide The Growth And Stone here:-
You can also get it as a pay-what-you-want download there as well.
The physical tapes appear to be sold out from both Jotnarr and Vetala Productions.
I've just got back from Christmas beer/whiskey shopping. I know it's a bit soon, but I hate crowds in shops and going on Black Friday would have been plain stupid. The bonus of going so early on a Saturday means that I can spend the rest of the day listening to music. I'm starting with something that more than matches the wet, dank day that greeted me this morning. The third full-length Solace For The Condemned, by black/death band Abomnium.
It was released in July via UKEM Records (whom also released the Ulfarr/Hrafnblod split CD, which I love) and is the third record in four years to come from sole member Sapient. It has one of best covers I've seen for a while. I like simplicity and art that matches the music, so this is perfect. I'm just sorry it's taken me this long to write about it.
Tracklisting:-
1. Condemned
2. Yad Al Jauza
3. Crown Of Feathers
4. The Walking Man
5. Witchlight
6. The Paths Of The Dead
7. Purpose Of The Flesh
8. Solace
Opening with swirling, haunting atmosphere and ambience, Abomnium sets the scene and bursts into Condemned, which is filled with fast drumming and blackened guitar harmonies. Sapient’s vocals are ice-cold as well, but it’s his guitar playing that really stands out for me, even this early on. The melodic lead-work throughout the song is very assured and helps create a really engaging sound. There’s a industrial feel to the start of Yad Al Jauza, but it’s quickly overtaken by angular guitar melodies. The bursts of thrash that pepper the song keep it’s momentum strong, while musical virtuosity keeps you hooked right in. For me, it’s the instrumental sections that set this album apart from those of Abomnium’s peers.
There’s more of the aforementioned thrash in the crushing Crown Of Feathers. It’s a real pity that Abomnium isn’t a live entity, because this would go down so well in an intimate live setting or at a DIY festival, especially at a future edition of ‘Kin Hell Fest (if that were to happen again). Sapient’s death metal influences really start to come to the fore during The Walking Man. It’s blackened atmosphere is enough to turn you to stone, only to then be re-awoken by the siren-like guitar solos. The progressive nature of mid-section to The Walking Man is especially breathtaking.
It’s not until the you’re passed the mid-point of Solace For The Condemned and settling into Witchlight, that you realise just how majestic the album is. There is a lot going on in each song, but instead of the song-writing and structure being all over the place, things are split into obvious and classy movements. Transitions between time-changes and moods are seamless and the album’s production is such that no quality is lost. The Paths Of The Dead is just one massive thrash attack from start to finish. It’s infectious pace and groove leaves no time for standing still. Listening to Purpose Of The Flesh, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a straight-up metal chugger, but it soon reveals itself to be anything but. Sapient’s frosty, blackened-rasps drag the song down into darker depths and the intense double-bass sweeps through the song like wave after wave of battle-ready infantry. Terrifyingly good!
Album closer Solace sums up the entire album in one final burst of majesty. Since I started writing this blog’ I’ve listened to more and more one-member bands and I can honestly say that the quality of said bands keeps getting better. It’s in part down to the control that the members have and here, Sapient has created an album that will live long in the memory and be repeated aplenty.
You can listen to album closer Solace on Youtube below:-
Part of what I enjoy so much about writing this blog, is that I'm my own boss (so to speak). I have the freedom to write about stuff when I want to write about it. That's not to say that I don't take it seriously, it's just like many of the bands I review, I have a life outside of this. I'd love to spend more time on it but work, friends and family also get my attention. There's a point to this, believe me!
Music is freedom. Being in and touring with a band is freedom. Obstacle are a band discovering that freedom for themselves. These four lads from Ireland released their self-titled EP this July through new UK label Footloose Records and it's already helped them to get support slots with Madball, amongst others.
Tracklist:-
1. Intro
2. Certain Death
3. Terraforming
4. Nothing
5. The Fissure
6. Malaise
7. Monarchy
8. Revulsion
Ireland has been on the map for a while thanks to it’s ability to spit out scathing, heavy bands. Bands like Crows and Altar Of Plagues (RIP) have helped to shape it and more recent arrivals like Raum Kingdom have done it’s reputation no harm at all. Obstacle’s metallic hardcore gets an airing straight away in the brief intro, before they launch into Certain Death. The religious sample at the start rallies against rock music, but thankfully Obstacle don’t take it to heart. Their brand of hardcore is energetic and full of stomp, especially on Terraforming, with the vocals leaning towards powerviolence-esque screams.
Nothing is an interlude featuring a haunting sample with another religious slant to it. Religion seems to the theme running through the band’s S/T EP. The Fissure is brimming with pounding drums, cymbal crashes and high-pitched guitar harmonics. The second half of the song bleeds into sludge territory. Malaise has a real skate-punk feel to it thanks to it’s up-beat tempo. It’s also one of the maddest songs on the entire EP. That chaos follows immediately with penultimate song Monarchy. Closing song Revulsion is the only number that nudges passed two-minutes and it’s were the band’s crossover appeal really breaks loose. It’s just damn good punk that doesn’t let up.
You can download the EP free directly from Obstacle here -
Few people could believe it when The Body and Thou said they were collaborating. Thou's last record Heathen was mightily good, but the thought of them not just sharing a split, let alone writing four songs together with The Body was too exciting. Well they did and it surfaced in April via Vinyl Rites.
The Body have been going since 1999 and could be considered veterans of the US sludge scene, while Thou have been hugely productive since their inception in 2005. Both bands played at this years Gilead Fest. They performed separately and together. Released From Love contains three original collaborations plus a cover of Coward by American folk singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt.
Tracklist:-
1. The Wheel Weaves As The Wheel Wills
2. Manifest Alchemy
3. In Meetings Hearts Beat Closer
4. Coward (Vic Chesnutt Cover)
The Body’s electronic infused sludge should be at odds with Thou’s more traditional doom approach, but this meeting of minds ends up making both bands sound even heavier (if possible). Opener, The Wheel Weaves As The Wheel Wills fills your ears with rumbling and sprawling bass, while the dual-low and high screams fill you with unease. So far, so very good.
Now while the opener was heavy, Manifest Alchemy that follows takes things a bit further. It’s more claustrophobic and slower, but shifts it’s weight when the electronics kick in, turning strangely minimalist at times. This is not a quiet Sunday evening listen by any means, but if you persevere it’ll leave grinning menacingly.
Their final original collaboration, In Meetings Hearts Bear Closer is the longest offering on Released From Love. Seeing both bands play this live must have been pretty amazing. It’s huge and even the eerie atmospherics don’t detract from the sheer heft that both bands present. The sprawling feedback that winds away to the songs conclusion, pretty much says all you need to know about the heaving mass of this record.
Their cover of Coward by Vic Chesnutt provides a warming embrace thanks to gentle acoustic guitar, that is until Chip King’s curdling howls enter the fray. Re-imagining a country song in this manner is bound to raise a few eyebrows, but neither band cares. This is their art and it’s for themselves. I’d go as far as to say that four songs are not enough here. Both The Body and Thou create a head-spinning cacophony of spell-binding noise. It’s this kind of progression and brevity that is rarely seen, but when it is, it blows normality out of the window. This EP may be short in the grand scheme, but is glorious when it’s here. You can stream the opening song via Vinyl Rites on Soundcloud below:-
Over the years, Bridgend has been somewhat of a breeding ground for great UK hardcore and metal. Bullet For My Valentine helped to introduce a whole generation of kids to metal and Funeral For A Friend (still one of my favourite bands) were able to take post-hardcore by the scruff of it's neck and turn it into something really meaningful and honest. It's no surprise then that the town in producing more bands, hoping to follow in their footsteps.
From Her Eyes are a new metalcore band that formed in 2012 and released their debut EP "No Place Like Home" a year later. Since then, they've been honing their sound and playing live as part of a bustling local scene, sharing stages with the likes of A Skylit Drive and Continents. From Her Eyes released their second EP "Demons" in August and are starting to build a pretty big buzz.
Tracklisting:-
1. Decay
2. Comatose
3. Porcelain
4. Disillutionist
5. Elysium
6. Demons (Ft. Lucas Woodland of Falling With Style)
From Her Eyes are very much influenced by modern metal and hardcore, as the atmospheric opener Decay shows. It features great, dramatic drumming that is matched with melodic guitar. Comatose follows the instrumental opener with technical guitar and death-esque screams. From Her Eyes add something extra to the current modern-metal formula and sound really assured in their delivery, even this early on into the EP.
They show that their song-writing can be both sensitive and strong during Porcelain. From the measured intro to the barrage of riffs that greet you, there’s melody and dissonance in equal measure. The rest of song follows in similar fashion, with epic verses and introspective passages that keep the intensity going. They’re helped out by the solid mixing and mastering job on Demons. The volume helps Disillusionist leap out at you and there’s not a heavy reliance of breakdowns in the song either, so From Her Eyes don’t sound bloated.
Elysium is an interlude of sorts, though it still carries enough momentum leading into the closing title-track. They welcome vocalist Lucas Woodland from fellow Welsh post-hardcore band Falling With Style for this one. Demons is probably the strongest song on the EP for me. It features the same amount of melody and rhythm but seems to have a grittier and more majestic edge. Woodland’s clean singing contributes to that edge.
From Her Eyes have written a very strong EP here and sound more mature and assured than I was certainly expecting. They’ve got a big future ahead of them if they can maintain this energy and focus. It’s a pretty competitive part of the genre they’re in, especially with the number of similar bands in UK at the moment, so From Her Eyes have to get out there and show people they can work hard and do it themselves, if they’re to get signed and reach the next level. On this showing though, that will happen.
You can stream and purchase Demons digitally below:-
Today's been a pretty frustrating day, as only now (at 7.30pm GMT) am I able to sit and immerse myself in some heavy music. I had been meaning to write a few reviews today but reality bites, so this time is all the more sweet.
Tonight's chosen tonic (apart from a pint of real ale) is this split 7" between USBM institutions Wolvhammer and Krieg. It was released earlier in the year by Broken Limbs Recordings and features two tracks. Much like BLR, both Wolvhammer and Krieg have been very productive in 2014. Wolvhammer released their third full-length as well as tour the US with Mortals amongst others, whilst Krieg managed to find time to release four splits, two EPs and their seventh long-player!
Tracklisting:-
1. Side A - Wolvhammer - Slaves To The Grime
2. Side B - Krieg - Eternal Victim
For this split, Wolvhammer have recorded an alternate version of Slaves To The Grime, which appeared on their 2014 Profound Lore full-length Crawling into Black Sun. The thing I like about Wolvhammer is their ability to weave real groove into their black metal. The riffs on this version of Slaves To The Grime really accentuate that.
They do harness atmosphere though. They slow their tempos down and then hit back with blast beats, which back up the rasping growls. The melody hidden within the song is subtle and Wolvhammer never allow it to take centre stage. The odd hit of metallic guitar shines through towards the end, leaving crackling feedback.
Krieg follow with a hugely engaging soundstage on Eternal Victim. They sound meatier and while they share some of the mid-paced rhythm with Wolvhammer, they inject it with guitar effects that add urgency and cold blackened images. Song-writing wise, it’s hard to separate both bands due to their extensive experience and instrumental prowess, but for me Krieg hit the spot.
This split is by no means a competition though, as it acts as a bridge for both bands as they move into exciting stages in their evolution. While Krieg are more deeply rooted in USBM and show that twenty years within the scene has helped them to hone their sound and to push themselves forward, Wolvhammer demonstrate the breathe of variation and freedom of thought that exists within black metal. This partnership is as addictive as it is inspiring. You can stream the whole split via Broken Limbs Recordings here:-
It's mid-week and I already feel whacked. Now seems as good a time as any then, to check out some fast stuff I've not had chance to write about yet. I'm starting with a 7" that came out right at the start of the year and was the first physical release to come from Moshpit Tragedy Records, in 7 years! It's a four-track EP by Canadian crust band Corrupt Leaders.
Since forming in late 2013, Corrupt Leaders have released this and a split with Dogma, which I'm also reviewing here. In August, they played Don't Call It A Fest (which was headlined by Magrudergind and Young And In The Way).
Tracklist:-
1. Dig Their Own Graves
2. Breathe
3. Backward To Death
4. Traditions Of Abuse
Yeah, this hits the spot! It’s groovy, d-beat filled crust with huge guitars. The vocals are raspy, angry screams and opener Dig Their Own Graves has immediate impact, much like a kick in the face!
The punk influence is also strong. Breathe spins CL’s crust out and features riffs that could (loosely) be described as danceable, at least until the sludge kicks in anyway. The sludgy riffs actually give this an extra dimension.
I’m not leaving the bass out of this either. To match the big sound and Audiosiege mastering, the bass is turned right up. It hits hardest during Backward To Death, where it juxtaposes the metallic lead guitar. The mid-section is full of more mid-paced sludge groove and a menacing introspective instrumental passage, which features distant birdsong to quell the mood. CL close out with one final fast blast. Traditions Of Abuse takes you back to their crusty beginnings but distills some Southern groove into the mix for good measure.
Stream and grab it as a name-your-price-download below:-
Fast-forward to September and Corrupt Leaders released this split 7" with US cohorts Dogma, whom they toured with the previous year. It was again released through Moshpit Tragedy and features two tracks from Dogma and three from CL. Dogma are just one of a huge number of US bands that I'm only just discovering!
Tracklisting:-
1. Dogma - Premeditated Obsolescence
2. Dogma - Wolf
3. Corrupt Leaders - Power Lines
4. Corrupt Leaders - Patterns
5. Corrupt Leaders - Antennas
Dogma start us of with Premeditated Obsolescence that plunges headfirst into grinding punk territory. It’s raw and fast, with some great lead guitar. Wolf is where Dogma lose their shit. They flit between punk and groove with ease and drag a million circle-pitting goons along for the ride. I may be building this up too much, but what they heck. The mix of punk and stoner groove is pretty damn infectious.
Corrupt Leaders follow up in the same fashion and with a more gutter-drenched sound than on their self-titled 7”. Power Lines is a furious minute of squalid crust. CL thrash on Patterns. The opening riffs and drum-blasts are great and their later forays into sludge during the song’s second half, provides a bit of relief (though it’s not light by any means). Their closing tome, Antennas, is stop/start and features dual high/low growls for added bite. Like their previous contributions above, CL manage to weave so many different styles into their crust.
Stream Dogma's side here:-
Stream CL's side here:-
You can get both sides a pay-what-you-want downloads from the above bandcamp pages.
Finland and doom are two words that fit together like Cheese and Toast. They're just meant to be! Both Frogskin and Lahdon Aika are completely new to me, but when an e-mail appeared in my inbox with a promo for this split attached, I was a little more than curious. I've been enjoying a lot of Svart/Ektro Records releases of late (when I've found the time to just sit and listen to stuff) and so was more than ready for this two-track record.
Frogskin started releasing music in 2005 and are nearly at the ten-year mark, as are Lahdon Aika, who released their first self-titled CD a year earlier. This split was released by three unknown (to me anyway) labels - Ramekuukkeli, 82-Records and Rusto-Osiris. Anyway, less talk and more doom!
Tracklisting:-
1. Frogskin - ITSE
2. Lahdon Aika - Hiljaisuus Kaikkialla
Begin with Frogskin and you’re greeted with some of the slowest/heaviest doom/sludge this side of Profetus! ITSE is a sprawling eight-minute slab of slithering, crawling noise that features deep riffs and hellish growls. Even the occasional flourishes of trebly guitar and organ can’t drag Frogskin up from their deep-water grave!
Lahdon Aika are not as suffocating as Frogskin and their contribution, Hiljaisuus Kaikkialla is more mid-paced. There’s stoner groove and a punk backbone to the song, while the lyrics are in Finnish. When they do break out the doom, they do so in a subtle way. It reminds me a little bit of fellow Finns Terveyskeskus (punk/hc) at times.
Both bands are portray their own ideas of doom/sludge in a unique way. Both bands are well worth hunting down and checking out if you like heavy music with character. Good stuff! You can stream Lahdon Aika's side of the split via their bandcamp page here:-
You can buy the 7" in physical or digital form from the above page as well.
Also available from the labels via the links below:-
Acrania is a UK death metal band who released their debut album via Unique Leader earlier this year. They're pretty extreme and that extremity has seen them crossover and cross-pollinate with the beatdown scene, just like Ingested and Tintagel have. They're even off out with Desolated in December on a UK tour and then in Jan 2015, they're playing alongside US bands Within The Ruins and I Declare War. Both tours include dates in Leeds, which is handy.
Acrania have been playing their brand of political death metal since 2012, when they released a split with Californian grind band Blue Waffle and a single. Their debut EP, The Beginning Of The End came out a year later and helped them catch the attention of Unique Leader. I should probably stop telling you what you already know now and get on with the review!
Tracklist:-
1. Hollow
2. Festering With Dishonesty
3. Totalitarian Dystopia
4. Servants Of Hypocrisy
5. Survival Sequence
6. A Gluttonous Abomination
7. Susceptible To Retinal Reprogrammability
8. Lobotomise, Dehumanise, Negate (LDN)
9. Messiah Of Manipulation
10. Disillusion In A Discordant System
I think the last slam/death bands I feature on here were Engorgement and Dutch band Kraanium, which was quite some time ago now. Acrania are pretty heavy from the get-go. Their intro song Hollow is full of breakdowns and insanely fast double-bass, which is definitely a sign of things to come. They kick into gear with Festering With Dishonesty, which features more of that double-bass. They use dual-screams and the guitar sound is thick, with solid production. Acrania’s death metal is pretty technical and isn’t just made up of breakdowns. The title-track sees the band railing against authority and the tax system. It suddenly becomes clear why these guys are so angry and why they channel in this way.
While the title-track seemed like a bit of a long-player at nearly five minutes, Servants Of Hypocrisy is totally the opposite. It sounds crazy and Acrania don’t take their feet of the loud pedal, meaning their momentum is carried right through the song. They show a more varied side on Survival Sequence, which features some awesome lead work and even some piano. This is the sort of thing I was hoping to hear amongst all the slams and Acrania didn’t let me down. I appreciate that it’s an instrumental song, but that doesn’t matter.
A Gluttonous Abomination is a beast of a song. It’s lengthy, so don’t expect an easy ride. The signatures changes and the transitions are done really well, which isn’t a surprise when you consider the band’s technicality. The closing two-minutes of A Gluttonous Abomination share some of the melodic grandeur from Survival Sequence and it breaks up the brutality. They ratchet the heaviness up again with Susceptible To Retinal Reprogrammability. From here on in, the song-writing and the delivery pulls no punches whatsoever. Their urgency is back to full speed and Lobotomise, Dehumanise, Negate (LDN) threatens to smash your head in.
There’s no time for breath during the final numbers of Totalitarian Dystopia. Messiah Of Manipulation features some great off-kilter sections that are sandwiched between more warp-speed drumming. The guitars retain their thickness and the whole package is intense. The juggernaut ends with Disillusion In A Discordant System. Acrania vent their anger one last time and it dawns you exactly what’s just happened. It’s not often that the true meaning of the word extreme actually comes through on a record. This is one such record that defines the term. Acrania should be proud that they’ve managed to make it so. Unique Leader doesn't have a bandcamp page and Totalitarian Dystopia isn't up on Acrania's page yet, but you can stream the whole album vie Youtube below:-
It's hammer time! I'm not sorry for the pun either. I have drunken memories of seeing Swedish hardcore band The Hammer playing with Agent Attitude in Harrogate earlier this year. It was a hot day and I was drinking scrumpy, which looking back was a pretty bad idea. They played at a matinee show along with Clocked Out, Dog Eggs and newish local band Mother Culture, which was really good fun.
I picked up their three-track demo from Headless Guru Records, who were responsible for it's release. The tape is now sold out. The Hammer only formed at the back end of last year, but thankfully had enough material to fill a reasonable live set. They've got a 7" coming out at some point too.
Tracklist:-
1. Intro/Is This Life?
2. Comprehension
3. Born To Lose
This is fast, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it punk. Demo opener Intro/Is This Life? doesn’t even reach a minute. It’s not until the final twenty-seconds of the song that The Hammer's punk kicks in. After that, it’s full steam ahead.
Comprehension is raw and The Hammer’s old-school leanings are more obvious. They kick out fast hardcore mixed with moments of mid-paced thrash-laden punk. There’s no pretence or modern trickery here, just honest noise.
Born To Lose closes out the demo in typical infectious fashion. It’s hard to write a lot about a demo that barely reaches four-minutes, but to be honest, demos shouldn’t be too long or they lose their impact. The Hammer make a short-sharp impression that leaves a definite imprint. You can stream the demo and grab it as a name-you-price-download from The Hammer's bandcamp page below:- The Hammer Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hammerhc Headless Guru Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeadlessGuruRecords
