Karmanjaka - I Törnrosdalen (2016)

The debut album from this Swedish black metal quintet, there's a sort of tribal and fantasy mystique pouring out through this one. Grond's drumming sounds like a beast from ancient times, while Skallagrim reminds me of an angry troll, and with a much more frightening approach than Finntroll for sure. I'm not sure if it's Tengil or Om, but one of these guys is reponsible for some unexpected melodic leads in the title cut that add almost a melodic death touch to it. But that's nothing, because the latter portion of the track fills quickly with the sort of acid jam you might expect from Tool or King Crimson, taking it far out of the realms of black metal. When we get to the last cut on the disc, “Katla” that black metal style comes back, featuring a lead section that reminds me heavily of a classic RPG theme. As the song continues, I'm noticing quite a bit of prog riffs on the track which remind me heavily of my favorite era of Enslaved. I'll also have to admit that I really love the main leads for this one, just sounds like a great game. Karmanjaka are an act that have the bite and feel of classic black metal, yet keep things far more interesting than I would have ever dreamed. If you love melody, prog and video game themes as much as I do, then you'll find something here. I really like these guys, so I'd highly recommend them even on this short demo. Please make more of this.

(3 Tracks, 10:00)

8/10

Astrophobos - Enthroned In Flesh (2016)

Oddly enough, Sweden's Astrophobos are compared to Sweden's Dissection and even though I can see the resemblance, there's not much (at least from this EP) tying them to the Swedish greats. The disc offers up three cuts which do seem to offer a slightly modernized mix of melodic black metal, but not nearly as varied or structured as well as the act they are most compared to. Jonas Ehlin and Martin Andersson certainly have been studying early Dissection, with several similarities in melody but very little in the way of substance. In other words, these guys aren't doing much to really expand upon the formula in any way, shape of form. Sometimes they add groove sections with go rather well with Mikael Broman's scathing rasps, but if you compare the title track with the piece that follows right after it, “Tabula Rasa” you are pretty much listening to the same song. Fortunately things improve quite a bit with “Blood Libation” particularly during it's mid-section in which I'm certainly noticing something spectacular. But it's just not for very long. “The Cadaver Monarch” seems to add some solo sections to the disc along with a greater sense of texture and some unexpected vocal changes/effects from Broman. It's all nice and works fairly well, but there just isn't much about this that floors me. It just feels as though I've heard this sort of thing done before. Now the guys did come out with a full-length in '14 entitled Remnants Of Forgotten Horrors, so you may want to go check that one out in addition to this, just in case you haven't. Though as for Enthroned In Flesh, it is more or less a decent release that doesn't offer anything more than you might have already expected.

(4 Tracks, 20:00)

7/10

Endalok - Englaryk (2016)

Icelandic atmospheric black metallers Endalok will soon release this rather mysterious and unsettling release later in October. It is what you might consider close to something like Portal or the many bands that have been inspired by them, but not quite the same. First of all, there isn't any real bite here in the beginning. It seems like it embodies a brand of black or even death metal, but doesn't often resort to kit destruction or even what I would consider an angered vocal approach with the exception of the last two cuts. The enigma here deliver a sort of atmosphere that I would merely describe as something ancient. It feels like a dark ritual and with Iceland apparently reaching back into the roots of Paganism, there's a possibility that this release is a summoning to some ancient pantheon. One might think towards the realms of Hades, Loki, Persephone, or something far older and most-likely forgotten. Whatever it is, I hope it's successful in such a summoning. When the record kicks up a little more in the latter two cuts, we're introduced once again to that great sense of melody that Icelandic black metal has always been very successful with, with an added dose of ritualistic fright that feels truly unholy. Endalok are reaching into realms few traversed by atmospheric black metal, with a style and sound that will surely become greater recognized over time. There is little known about the act right now, but there will be. It's available on Bandcamp for a “Name Your Own Price” but you'll have to wait until October to hear it. It'll be worth it around that time, because I've always felt October the best month for frightening music like this. The Icelandic black metal scene has always been an awesome one at any rate, with an atmosphere all it's own. Englaryk is no exception.

(4 Tracks, 17:00)

9/10

Fifth To Infinity - Obscure Transdimensional Soulfire (2015)

Formed in Stockholm back in 1997, this Swedish black/death act have apparently only released one album. What they were doing for the past couple of decades remains a mystery, but as of 2015 they released this groundbreaking release of which I am just now hearing via promo. These guys are on Avantgarde records, which also houses our spotlight album this year from Dagian and have since become a banner of quality in my eyes. Now the record didn't really sell me from “Reapers Wake” but when the tremendous thumping groove riffs of “Masters Unbound” came into view, I was taken from the first listen. It's quite interesting to me that Secrets Of The Moon are also tagged on the band's page, because there's a great deal to this record that reminds me of earlier Secrets Of The Moon, right before the change of style they pursued in last year's Sun. I wasn't the biggest fan of Sun despite the occasional couple of tracks, so it's quite natural that I'd look for a damn replacement for that style. Fifth To Infinity definitely seem to fill that void for me, with a definite reminder of albums like Carved In Stigmata Wounds, Privilegivm and my all-time favorite, Seven Bells. Even hearing something remotely like Seven Bells is cause for celebration in my eyes, especially when Fifth To Infinity sound like they've taken that hevaily ritualistic style of black death and made it their own.

What you might find rather interesting about this act are the players in it. For one, we've got the almighty Martin Lopez (Soen, Ex-Eternal, Ex-Amon Amarth hasn't sounded good since, Ex-Opeth might never sound that good again) on drums, along with Nader Jonas Reslan on guitars and vocals (ex-Vinterkrig – Martin Lopez was also in this band at one point) as well as David Lidh on bass, which is suprisingly loud and prominent on this record. Omnipotent Transdimensional Soulfire is the kind of record that revels in a sea of downtuned bass chugs, making them quite fearsome and less groovy, which is something I expect for a black metal record reviewed on The Grim Tower. Reslan's vocals are pleasingly volatile, with a mix between a growl and a rasp that sounds nearly threatening, matching the bleak and mystical presence of the music. If this is a magical ritual of some sort, than it definitely of the bleakest and most potent kind, truly usurping brighter efforts in the might of it's overbearing viscosity.

Perhaps certain sections of leads might become buried (Death Shall Wake Us All) within the weight of Lidh's bass riffs, but you can't deny that this record carries a sort of gelatinous evil with it, the kind that would eat a man alive in it's acidic grasp. The disc also has a long staying power and truly seems like the result of several decades of work. But if you're going to be around for more than twenty years and only release one record, then it had better be a great one. Thankfully it is, even beating Dark Funeral at their own game in this reviewer's opinion. A lot of times it does seem (and I'm borrowing from Alice Cooper here) that a lot of these black metal bands are trying to one-up one each other and see how evil that can be. While Cooper might find that silly, I find it quite interesting. I'm always ready and waiting to hear how evil an act can sound, and if they've managed to make a truly forlorn, hopeless and decidedly grim release. As long as I've been listening to this kind of music I think I've gotten the feel for how evil a record should sound, as well as for what makes a record seem evil. These gentlemen have the right idea as far as that as concerned, and if you're looking for something truly terrifying, you've come to the right place.

Depending on your listening methods, some of the leads will come out a little better than others (I remember the opening leads on “Secrets Of The Bottom” coming out much better in the mix on my headphones than here on my laptop speakers) and the device you listen to this record on can ultimately affect your enjoyment of it quite a bit. Having accidentally hit the play button twice on a few songs (I was moving appliances while listening to this one) I definitely got more of a taste for this disc than several others I listened to that day. But I didn't mind, as I was really enjoying this disc and to listen to the same song two and three times that day was certainly not an issue.

I feel that this trio completed something that should stand the test of time if enough people can get their ears on it and it doesn't fade away in the dark. It's just too damned good to get neglected in my opinion and I'd really like to hear the trio release another one if at all possible. There's even a shout out to the King Diamond style vocal approach here, so you'll need to pay attention for that. It's pretty easy for me to say that Omnipotent Transdimensional Soulfire is yet another one of my favorite releases this year (or should I say last year?) as with so many others. People who still complain that there isn't any good metal out there anymore (and yes, I hear so many comments like this online) really need to have their ears checked, because I've already highlighted three truly powerful albums this week alone, with more to come I'm quite sure. Being that I'm quite attached to this one, I'd certainly recommend it to you as well. This is black metal the way that I've always loved it, and I hope that you'll find something dark, fearsome and evil within this listen as well. If it doesn't make the hair crawl on the back of your neck, it's just not evil enough. That's what Fifth To Infinity manage to do here and I'm ever thankful for it.

(9 Tracks, 55:00)

9/10

Frozen Ocean - The Prowess Of Dormition (2016)

As I received this promo back in 2015, it had gotten dumped because there was no way at that point that I could review any more 2015 releases. These things happen, but due to his work being on a Groupees bundle, Russian multi-instrumentalist and project mastermind Vaarwel asked me to try to dig it out from the dump and review it. (He also requested Wormed, so that is featured this week as well.) So I have done that, and might I say, it's a good thing that I did. The artist's first release with Apocalyptic Witchcraft, this physical only release seems to combine his love of traditional melodic black metal with that of his more electronic and keyboard influenced work. But let's be honest, there's a bit more to it than that.

Let's take a trip through each of these four pieces, starting with the opener, “No Blizzard.” We're greeted by familiar tremolos, which certainly verge on the icy and feel worthy of the name Frozen Ocean. Vaarwel's gruff vocal approach comes in, sounding closer to death metal than black metal, but it fits the tone of the music perfectly and brings about a sense of sorrow that is even greater accentuated by the keyboard generated icicles. I like that it enters a jaunty little electronic section, which I found awesome. The next track, “Once Aglow” jumps right into sorrow, where I often find my muse in Torii. I'm reminded of Agalloch or Woods Of Ypres in the piece, which really seems to pile on the despair and makes me smile with glee. The vocal approach is still quite gruff, but it fits so well with the music here that I'm quite satisfied. There's a certain sadness here that the listener can feel and will appreciate. That being said, there's a great deal of black metal spirit here as well. It's not funerary black metal in the howls and nonsense, but it feels a bit more matured and natural. I can sense the depression, it doesn't feel like a joke.

Then we have “Det Siste Snofallet” which is an instrumental, but such a powerful piece that vocals were forming in my head just listening to it. As I've been doing this sort of thing for a long time, that just happens sometimes. I guess it's easy to say that the piece spoke to me. It definitely pays a sort of tribute to the Norwegian scene, with a nearly mantric tremolo that I can't get out of my head and have a million things to bellow forth as I listen. I've listened to this piece at least three times so far and it's definitely my favorite on a short disc with so many strong numbers. I only find myself a bit confused as to why there weren't any vocals, especially when they'd have had such a presence here. After that impressive piece, we have the finale in the album's title track. Carrying on much of the same feel as the rest of the disc, it's great to hear some vocal element fronting the tremolos again. Vaarwel knows his way around a melody, as is not only demonstrated by the composition (these are excellent) but also the vocal flow. Once again, this feels more like a funereal sort of death metal with black metal influence, but I'll most certainly allow that, just as much as I'll allow the laser lights that pop in so unexpectedly. If anyone can make a form of extreme metal that you can actually dance to a little bit, it's this guy.

The record could be a bit longer I feel, but I'm most certainly not upset with it. It feels like a good appetizer for what will be an even larger offering next time around. If you're a fan of depressingly melodic stuff that you can sometimes dance to, please give this one a listen. Frozen Ocean is a real trailblazer in the scene, trying out new things that most people would never think to do for some ridiculous reasons mostly harboring in the realm of elitism. It is 2016 and evolution needs to occur in heavy metal music, which is what acts like Frozen Ocean are certainly attempting with efforts like this one. Though it is just an EP, it is definitely worth a listen and I mean that. As I said, it inspired me and I didn't even see that coming!

(4 Tracks, 24:00)

9/10

Hyperion - Seraphical Euphony (2016)

The debut album from Sweden's Hyperion is already getting some good reviews and has garnered a 93% on Metal Archives from some new reviewer I've never heard of. I just never referred to melodic black metal as a game, but I imagine it would be a pretty interesting one nonetheless. Formed from members of Mist Of Misery, Everwhere and Rest Area Effect, this act has been around since 2010, when they first decided to release a demo, which someone found to be better than this album. Considering the fact that all three of those demo tracks are here on this full-length (Blood Of The Ancients, Moral Evasion and Primal Cosmic Asendancy) there's no need for you to track it down and this nearly an hour long performance will do nicely. I could tell you that they sound like Dissection, but so do many other bands in this style and that doesn't say so much. Just know that you will definitely hear grim tremolos as well as rather bright lead melodies and even some solo sections. In addition to that, we've also a barrage of synths at time, which help to enhance the grandiosity of a couple of these tracks. Synths aren't used in every song, but they do appear here, so if you don't like synths (and some people don't) then you probably won't enjoy the entire record. We have acoustic riffs, as well as some spoken word sections quite like you'll find on melodic death metal albums. Truth be told, it's a formula that we've heard a hundred times over, and we'll be fine with hearing a hundred more times. That's because Hyperion does it right. Sure, we had to wait six years for this record, but it honestly seems like it was worth it. The reviewer over at Metal Archives tagged them as melodic black, even though there's far too much oomph in this record to fall under that kind of simplification. That's why I feel that their actual classification, “melodic black/death” fits a hell of a lot better. “Flagellum Dei” fucking pounds with the might of a steam engine, same with “Empyrean Yearning” and practically every track other than the useless intro “Remnants Of The Fallen.” I understand that it's supposed to be a buildup to “Novus Ordo Seclorum” but I honestly just see most people skipping it entirely or deleting it out of the folder once they've bought the digital from the band's Bandcamp.

That being said, the band still like to begin nearly every song on the record with an acoustic intro (except for “Novus Ordo Seclorum” and “Zephyr Of Grace”) and in doing so, we can appreciate them a little more as part of the songs. You could just go right to the heavy part on closer “Blood Of The Ancients” but it just wouldn't sound quite so damn majestic. That aforementioned in particular, which was obviously more about structure and style than merely blasting the drums and scowling incoherently, which certainly does happen. Yet we also hear something on the track that we don't hear on the rest of the album, and that is frontman Henry Laureans' clean vocal approach. It is dark, forlorn and worked to remind me just a hint of Johan Edlund. Other than those vocals, we of course hear some absolutely immense guitar solos (which shouldn't cut off, cutting off guitar solos at the end of an album is a big no-no, which means I have to wait for a YouTube performance to stream so that I can hear the whole song – he was right in the middle of an awesome melody too!) at the end of the disc of which three gentlemen can actually be accredited to! That's actually something quite rare in bands, as normally I'll either see that there's one or two guitarists in the act, but the fact that these guys have three is pretty insane. Seraphical Euphony is a record that certainly utilizes such a mass number of guitarists quite well, and features hordes of dazzling and brilliant solos on many of the other tracks (which do not get cut off by the way) which really work to decorate most of the musical matter that you'll hear on the disc.

While it's still a heavy album with thrashing black metal moments as well as those with an obviously more death metal and even groove-laced feel, there's an awful lot of beauty here and I think as a whole it's much more than we could have ever bargained for or expected this year. I'm not saying that metal is on the wane, but there are far less intriguing discs than there used to be, as dying trends struggle to survive while truly classy and thought provoking albums like this are usually pushed behind or buried in a sea of more popular and recognizable releases. I really hope that enough people will really sit down with this album as they should, and give it the time and attention it deserves. Mixing dark and light elements like this is somewhat difficult to do, and to do quite so well as these guys have done; so I'd definitely consider it worth your money. Every bit, including the track with the cut-off guitar solo because maybe your autism over it won't be quite so bad as mine. (Deep breaths, Eric.) There are some really stellar hits on this one, which I think you're going to appreciate quite a bit. I've listened to the disc twice already and still don't feel as though I've cracked the shell of it yet. Hyperion have really made a masterpiece of an album and I have no idea how they're going to top it. Some might say perhaps that they've gone a little too much into the realms of common blast-laden black metal and perhaps should step it more with the progressive/technical side, but I feel that the style here will appeal more to fans of that old Dissection style than something a bit more convoluted. I'm not really sure as to whether or not this album is a perfect 10/10 or an awesome 9/10, but I think that's the kind of answer we'll receive in time. If they can outdo themselves in the next couple of years with a new release, they'll definitely get a ten from this reviewer. But for right now, on this date and time, I'm going to consider a smashing album like this something of a nine. Should you still get it? Of course you should. Don't ask such a silly question. If you love superb melodies and solos injected into black and death metal as much as I do, then you're going to love this one. I mean, really love this one. We very well may not get anything this grandiose in the melodic black/death realms for the rest of the year... and it's still only April. I believe that truly says it all.

(9 Tracks, 52:00)

9/10

Palace Of Worms - The Ladder (2016)

The Ladder represents this Californian black metal act's first full-length effort in six years. After years of splits with Mastery (good in small doses), Botanist (good, depending on the kind of album he releases) and Thoabath (I've never heard these guys) the one man project finally decided to release something a little bit different than his work in Botanist. Yes, Balan here is also the mastermind behind Botanist and he's giving us something much different than we'd receive in said act (of course.) We start out with “The Twilight Divide” which definitely gives off that black metal atmosphere and attitude, though it also injects some actual atmosphere into the mix, as in a lengthy middle-piece in which to contemplate. Then we have “From The Ash” which seems to be a little more simpler and does it's job. After that, things begin to change and genre hopping soon begins. Death/Doom is heavily explored with “Nightworld” even though it defaults back to black metal (as well as some unexpected female chanting and vocals) yet once again goes back into the cold and forlorn tones of doom once again. An electronic piece comes in shortly thereafter, seeming a bit out of place and perhaps like something that might play during a science-fiction based FPS, but that rolls back into what I would consider an even more sullen form of metal in “Strange Constellations.” Like most compositions here, that doesn't quite stay the same and soon involves progressive sections as well as another moment of silence and some more good old doom. Then we get to “Wreath” where things start to take a major turn, which isn't black metal at all. As a matter of fact, it reminds me a little bit more of the Gothic rock of mid-era Antahema or even Sisters Of Mercy. Didn't see that one coming did you? But I certainly can't say that I'm upset with it, because finally this guy gives me something that I can really sink my teeth into. We get one more black metal cut in the form of “Ephemeral Blues” which isn't really blues at all. Despite it's length, it's pretty straight-forward, a bit bland and I could have done without it. Just sounds like a track I've heard before done by a different artist.

In any case, the performance here delivered shows a much different and far bleaker side from Balan. Apparently he's going through some rather difficult things in his life right now, or has been exposed to the very worst of Tumblr (either will drive one to insanity) but the end result has been one of presence, it feels very much alive and evokes the sort of personal sense that one can only get when they're making a record that isn't only coming from their ideology and worldview, but from their own sense to explore the medium of music in a much different way than others might expect. Those who know this gentleman by his real name know that he's an experimental black metal artist (well, some of them – I doubt his grandmother knows) and probably never would have suspected such doomful dirges to ready their approach into familiar frostbitten corridors of which most listeners are quite familiar. It's still black metal, I suppose – there's definitely the black metal/doom/experimental tags being thrown around here and that simply goes without saying. Though compared to his work in Botanist, I'd consider Palace Of Worms by and large more interesting. I hope it won't be another six years before we get another helping. Balan needs to let his plants soak in the sun lamps for a while, and tend to his, uh... worm-ridden palace. At least I tried, folks.

(7 Tracks, 46:00)

8/10

Illusions Dead - Celestial Decadence (2016)

Hailing from Finland, we have the debut from death/blackers Illusions Dead, which like Enthean proves that three people is really all you need to make a great band. It's admittedly a thick record where much of the production seems to have made many of the riffs a bit tough to discern, but if you turn it up a little you'll be able to hear much more of the melody and perhaps some of the technical moments fueling this onslaught as well. Johannes Katajamaki manages to put forth a hefty scowl, which certainly works a lot better with this than I think a growl would have. It would have honestly made things sound even muddier. (A growled vocal approach does appear on “Tormentor Of The Weak” and “The Way Of The Deceiver” however.) Nevertheless, his performance can be audibly heard and is quite fierce in spite of everything else. If you've got your volume turned up at this point, then you should be able to hear some of the truly gorgeous fucking leads on this record, so unfavorably stuffed behind the mist as “Shadow and Flame” portrays.

Katajamaki and Jake Lastujoki are both on guitar duty (also like Enthean, very bizarre) which admittedly leads to a great deal of expression in that department. You won't actually be hearing as much of a vocal implement here as you will the guitars, especially on a longer piece like “Revolution (Celestial Spheres)” which rounds out to almost seven and a half minutes in length. The drums also play a large role in the instrumentation of the band, as Akseli Auralianna blasts the kit as much as he provides an unexpected doom thunder. The Finns love their doom, so it doesn't surprise me that they'd experiment with that here and it definitely adds another notch to what begins as a rather melodic, though extravagantly evil during these doom moments that the musty atmosphere works to their advantage however, as I find myself grinning from ear to ear when my foot is placed in my mouth as that very growled vocal approach that I felt would make things more muddy actually seems to set them off without a hitch. Problem is, they can't keep it up for “The Way Of The Deceiver” which sees the growls drowned out completely by everything else. But I'll be lenient, as Celestial Decadence is still a rather solid disc and it's certainly worth listening to despite the fog... and yes, I do realize that some of you out there will actually like the foggy production as well. In any case, I think that these Finns have quite a bit to offer insofar as I've heard in this forty-five minute offering and so much ground is covered (especially the unexpected doom) that I think there's a lot of promise to be had here. Celestial Decadence is an album full of great riffs, powerful vocal performances and the very spirit of black/death/doom that I feel speaks for itself. Like some of the other bands I've reviewed this week, you'll need to give a couple of tracks a listen before you fully submit to this one, but it reminds me a little of some of those rougher Amon Amarth discs like The Crusher, so I wouldn't pass it by. As I said, turn up your speakers and then give it a listen. I think you'll like it better at a loud volume and the atmosphere it conveys seems to require a high amount of decibels. It's almost akin to haring them live, which certainly isn't a bad thing. At least we know that they can pull it off on the stage just as well as they have done here. There aren't a lot of bands that can actually say that these days, much as they would like to have you believe.

(8 Tracks, 41:00)

8/10

Sorrow Plagues - Self-Titled (2016)

A project from the David Lovejoy, this UK based experimental depressive and melodic black metal project comes off like something a little different. Intended to be catharsis, the melodies seem to counteract his anger and are sometimes “too pretty” for their own good. There's also a piece by the name of “Awaken” that makes me think of the music that plays at the start of a J-Pop song that comes right at the end of a visual novel. Yet there's also a metallic part there as with any other cut on the disc, which only have one drawback – they're all essentially the same piece. We get blasting drums, depressing synths, scowling vocals and maybe what sounds like a guitar in the background? The synths are far higher in the mix than virtually any other instrument sans the drums, which makes me think that Sorrow Plagues doesn't even need a guitar save for the occasional solo. If anything, Sorrow Plagues is showing us how you can make a metal album without the need of a guitar at all. Some of these “riffs” are even effects, so there's as much electronic influence here as there is symphonic. It sounds like it could play during the really powerful scenes in Umineko. I'm getting the same kind of impact from the synths here that I did while reading that, and if that's the kind of sorrow that he wanted to go for, then he's hit it as there are few things in the world that will make your bawl like a child then to hear some of Ryu07's sorrowful pieces. It certainly benefits the disc to say that it is beautiful in a melancholic sort of way and maybe this review will inspire Lovejoy to listen to some of the compositions I've talked about in Umineko, Higurashi or other visual novel pieces.

The record also has several moments in which an atmosphere is achieved without the use of metal, especially near the end of “Redemption.” While it also reminds me of a truly powerful Japanese piece, (does this guy even realize he's making this kind of music?) I think that the vocals on the very end of the track just aren't needed. There is already a lengthy atmosphere utilized with synths and electronics, where we're later serenaded by some powerful guitar melodies (which also sound like the kind you'd hear from Japanese melodic metal acts) and at that point, it probably would have been better to leave that part of the song alone. It worked as a strong breakdown and what was needed to be said, should have been said before the long break. Sorrow Plagues is a rather difficult album to completely describe, as sometimes it wants to focus on guitar melodies, and others would have the guitars completely reduced to the background by the synths. The vocals are just kind of there. I really hate to say it, but they don't provide half as much intrigue as the rest of the package here, other than the fact of it being “Rah! Rah!” black metal. The blasts and the scowls are just a bit overused, with no real rhyme or reason. I understand what he's going for, but perhaps a little more than just blasts would suffice in the drum department. It's powerfully melodic and tear-jerking enough to move you for sure, but there's still a lot of work to be done here. Three EP's proceeded this record, but it's still a debut full-length and by no means a final exam. Lovejoy is young and he'll get better if he sticks with it. Still, I never thought that anything would remind me of some of the saddest music I've ever heard in my life, so that's saying something. On the plus side, at least Lovejoy decided not to howl like some kind of brain-dead werewolf, an approach that I'm more than tired of hearing from various depressive black metal artists. That's just enough for me to recommend it to you.

(7 Tracks, 40:00)

7/10

FT-17 – Marcellin S'en Va-t'en Guerre (2016)

France's FT-17 really have a lot of promise. I guess we could call them war metal, but they don't really seem to stick to one basic thing. They're actually considered “melodic black metal” by the scribes over at Metal Archives, which I suppose sticks well enough, as we're definitely hearing colorful piano pieces as well heavily melodic riffs. The whole performance does feel very classical in a sense, which fits the source material of a school teacher who was drafted to serve as part of the military during the first World War. The record (English translated: Marcellin Goes To War) reads like his diary and is probably quite passionate, but I can't get over that part of the language barrier. As you might expect, the lyrics are all in the band's native so you would need some education in that department to understand them properly. Though I'd simply have it no other way. I feel that bands should be able to perform in their native and respect their mother tongue. Let us not lose that along the way. I feel that it is worth mentioning that FT-17 is made up of current members of depressive black metal outfit Ad Extirpenda, yet I much prefer this approach to that of the other band. What I really like about this record is that the disc sounds just as grim as you might expect it as Misein's vocals are just as raspy and full of venom as we'd imagine. Yet the duet of piano (yes, not a keyboard – they have a real piano player here by the name of Khorto) and guitar (performed by Hrothulf) truly work to provide a rather Gothic, or at least gloomy overtone that only comes up in the oddly rocking solo sections. Despite the record being rather depressing, these incredibly powerful solo sections feature nothing but some of the best noodling I've heard, even though their very presence is somewhat astounding for such a disc. But I'm certainly not going to knock a good solo – I never have.

The record is spaced with a few spoken word moments in which the diary is read. These add to the story, but won't do much for you if the language is in the way. Once again, that isn't a reason for you to not pick up this album and I'm quite surprised to see that no one else is promoting what I found to be quite an appealing piece of work. The disc is a bit raw, but it's the kind of raw we want. The piano pieces are well mixed, and don't feel forced by any means. I do think that listeners might be taken aback a bit by the use of female vocals in the album's closer, but it is 2016 and people need to start opening their minds a little more to unexpected approaches in their music. She certainly does a good job mixing with the band's style, but let us hope that FT-17 doesn't become more of a female-fronted symphonic metal act than the wonderful mix of dreary melodic black metal and classical piano that we have here. In any case, if you are looking for something different and perhaps with a bit more class and intelligence than you'll find in the devil worshiping antics of other black metal bands, I believe that you'll find something here in FT-17.

(11 Tracks, 43:00)

8/10