Band Requests (March 19th, 2013)

Pulsar Colony - Equilibrium Zone (2013 Band Request) - The third album from Arkansas' own Pulsar Colony is finally upon us, and this time it is the result of a joint effort between Charles Sabo, the original mastermind of the project as well as the mastermind of the one-man psychedelic black metal band Palantir. These two individuals who are strongly creative in their own right finally got together to create an album that shows promise, but also shows that stronger material will surely come with time. "Sky Pollution 3:02" opens the disc with an effect that recalls the chanting of monks as "Escaping The Tombs Of Stupidity 7:17" sounds very much in the classic vein of Pulsar Colony, except this time with a professional kit in the background courtesy of Palantir. He also helped with some of the keyboard effects and such that you'll hear on this record, giving it the same esoteric and somewhat trippy sense.

"Philosophy Of Death 5:49" starts next, assuring us that the clean we heard from the band's sophomore effort is nowhere to be found, fusing the trippy elements of Pulsar with Palantir's much blacker style. Palantir certainly handles the drums well enough, doing a hell of a lot more than the blast of most black metal acts and instead giving us several different percussion compositions as well as using the toms and some shakers for a slight tribal nature. One other thing that I will mention about this album is that it is a very slow-paced disc, with very little emphasis on thrash elements though some might occur in a few areas spread throughout the release. Title track "Equilibirum Zone 7:08" is one of these tracks that seems to kick up the pace just a little and it couldn't have come a moment too soon after the much slower tracks that opened the release. Again, it feels refreshing to hear an actual kit this time around and it really feels like a full band now. Experimentation and structure is what these guys inhibit with each track, like a sort of sporadity that I could only match to being thrown through several portals in the blackness of space. I do not think the bag-pipe effect worked well for the track, but the latter effects give it a sort of royal and majestic quality.

"Starlight 3:42" comes in next, reminding me of Bal Sagoth's "Hatheg-Kla" a bit - but then I hear a sort of sound that reminds me of the classic Genesis sound font in areas and makes me think I'm listening to the soundtrack of a classic Genesis science-fiction themed game. "Tearing Down The Frost Giants 11:56" is definitely one of the high water marks of the album. Most people who'll come to these guys for their black metal element will be happy with this punchier and yet still incredibly extraterrestrial track that only Pulsar Colony could accomplish. Later into the track, things seem to get even more spaced-out and make me think that the music these gentlemen have channeled might have literally been stolen from another planet. The atmospheres here are certainly wondrous, invoking the feeling of space travel - I can actually see the stars and structures of far off alien worlds flying by at light speed when I close my eyes for a few minutes and absorb the track. This one would do well in a live setting and still begs the question as to why these guys are not signed.

The next track "To Wear The Mask, To Face The Mockery 7:37" comes in and things still have not slowed down, making this one Pulsar's fiercer albums. While there are still hints of atmosphere, black metal still manages to pierce through making this a great combination of acts like Isis and Mayhem. Fans of Krallice and other such spatial black metal acts might also find something to like here, albeit it's not driven by melody in so much as atmosphere. The disc's final track "Perpetual Cynicism 8:17" adds Indian elements to the sound, as well as the whizzing of keyboards that seem to turn the entire experience into something of a trance. But this is what these two gentlemen do best and it's certainly worthy enough of a musical effort to be heard throughout the entire world. As I've listened to this album, I've noticed that the music doesn't seem to sit still, with each song giving off a metaphysical and otherworldly presence that very few bands can provide; especially in the element of black metal. Again, this isn't just music - it's a journey. As the only clean vocals on the disc are heard, it sounds as if Charles is communicating to us from Saturn instead of Earth. The disc ends with a light and trippy outro piece that leads the disc out just as oddly as it came in.

If you want your metal to sound like it didn't come from planet Earth, Pulsar Colony is going to be your best bet. Still one of the best black metal bands out there that no one's really heard about yet, it is still my opinion that as soon as these guys break out, they will have a powerful underground following in so much as several other unique black metal acts have done with experimentation and uniquity. Though the first two tracks on the disc were much slower paced and didn't offer the fury of the latter half of the album, everything that stems from the title track seems to be a sign of what future albums might bring. Or not. It truly depends on these musicians who have concocted the musical equivalent of a Lovecraftian being with this latest release. One of the more interesting albums of the year, but I am convinced that even greater things are still to come.

The release is available and fully streamed at the Pulsar Colony bandcamp page: http://pulsarcolony.bandcamp.com

Highlights: Equilibrium Zone, Starlight, Tearing Down The Frost Giants, To Wear The Mask To Face The Mockery, Perpetual Cynicism (8 Tracks, 54:00)

9/10



Ravenlands - The Frozen Tears Of Angels Pt.1 (2013 Band Request) - Ravenlands is a symphonic/gothic metal band that offers a formula quite similar to Theatre Of Tragedy, Nightwish, Sirenia or earlier Lacuna Coil among several others. The quality of the release isn't amazing, but as soon as the intro finishes and "Mother Gaia 5:51" starts you can definitely discern everything enough to be able to hear the frontwoman's vocals that certainly do remind me quite a bit of Tarja a little. She certainly has a recognizable voice and it's pleasing to the ear. The kit in the back actually does thunder in some sections and there are some heavy riffs in addition to the atmospheres that you'll hear spread about the disc. In a way, it makes me think that I'm listening to something along the lines of Angels Fall First, the debut Nightwish album.

Title track "The Frozen Tears Of Angels 5:41" shows definite promise, mixing the beauty of her vocals along with more passionate drum and guitar that certainly invoke the metal sense of the band. It's tough to hear, so I hope that maybe someone will pick them up and help to get this professionally produced. I can say the same with "Cloudy Nights Of Sorrow 4:26." You can tell what the influences in the band are and absorb the atmosphere of this disc immediately. Though I haven't been keeping up with the gothic-metal genre lately because there are too many bands in it starting to sound like carbon copies, (but this is true for most metal and several other non-musical things these days) these guys (and gal) do offer a sound worth checking out, even though this in many ways does sound very much like a demo of analog quality.

The disc ends out with a cover of The Eurhythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This 4:35" which has me curious as to whether or not the Eurhythmics had anything else to offer in the 80s', since only everyone knows just that particular song. I think I'm going to try to hunt that material down and see for myself. As for the track, I would certainly say it's a strong cover - true to the original and the guitar sounds decent enough along with the symphonics which are perfect and the vocals that really seem to pop out of the rest of the mix. Again, I'd like to hear it in better production and am curious as to why the guitars and drums on this album sound so rough in the mix. It is a good icing on the cake, however and I'd expect to hear some great things from this band just so long as they don't get too famous and give us fodder.

Worth checking out for fans of gothic metal and the bands I previously named. Definite promise here, just want to hear these guys (and gal) with a bit more sheen and polish.

The disc is available on the band's bandcamp page: http://ravenlandsband.bandcamp.com

Highlights: Mother Gaia, The Frozen Tears Of Angels, Cloudy Nights Of Sorrow, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (7 Tracks, 32:00)

7/10



Torii - Out Of Time (2013 Band Request) - Torii is an instrumental doom/sludge act with elements of black metal that sounds unfinished. I actually thought about putting some vocals on these tracks and sending them back to him to see what he thought. Sure, the atmosphere is there in very much the same way as Pulsar Colony but when you hear just the opener, "Shadow Of The Mountain 6:00" it's hard to take it without a vocal element. "Endless Glacier 4:15" pounds in the same fashion offering some wonderful melodies amidst it's sullen nature and a really interesting solo - still, I was thinking of a damn chorus when I was listening to it.

There's a bit more groove to "Inexorable 4:59" but I'll insert the same thing I've said with the last two tracks and addendum the fact that as I was listening to this one, I was actually throwing my own vocal lines on it. Torii's music is great, but I just don't think it works as an atmospheric piece - there's so much room for vocal influence throughout most of the disc. If he doesn't want me to put any vocals on it, he should at least find somebody that will work with him. It just seems like wordless emotions - the songs seem to carry such an emotional torrent of sadness and anger that should also be expressed through the vocal instrument.

"Out Of Time 4:16" however works with drone that seems more fitting to the sort of atmosphere he wanted to achieve. Very much in the vein of Pelican (a band who's music I've always used for vocal practice) it follows a jagged and haunting melody throughout the ashen sands of a devastated post-apocalypse. "The Great Hall At Dawn 2:47" follows this with a rain-filled acoustic that seems to be comprised of the very darkest of days.

More metallic elements come back into place with the death metal laden "Stone Of Sorrow 4:55" which could use some gravel along with it's punishing grooves. Slight acoustics also accompany the metal which comes back with a vengeance. The final track on the disc at first sounds rather melancholy compared to the others, but eventually reaches up into heavier territory while keeping the melodies intact.

Torii's Out Of Time is a great release for fans of melancholy instrumental bands like Pelican and several others that I can't name due to sinus pains and sheer forgetfulness on my part. But I think the release could definitely use that vocal element that would make it stand out in the first place. it's not the kind of music that works as instrumental to be honest, you can hear that something is missing. As far instrumental music is concerned, it should have a certain vibe and quality to it that would not allow for vocals. I have heard several instrumental projects and have noticed this quality in them. Not all of them, but some bands definitely elicit the "I wouldn't dare put any vocals on this" mentality. But this is nothing against Torii. He is an accomplished musician with only the best of ahead of him.

You can find the release on Torii's bandcamp page: http://torii.bandcamp.com/

(7 Tracks, 32:00)

8/10



A Thousand Shall Fall - In The Shadow Of The Mighty (2013 Band Request) - This band seems to mix elements of death, black and core metal to create something that I could only describe as modern metal. "Mourning Son 3:59" starts the album out with a little bit of melodic death and black as well as some core that is followed by a short solo and backed with a scowler that sometimes has his core moments. "Weaver 6:20" is the longest track on this disc, bashing around with the At The Gates meets metalcore approach that we've heard before from bands like Skeletonwitch but I do like the chorus here and it seems to go well with the guitar melody. There's a slight bit of instrument play and then the song changes tempo for a moment as it goes back into the chorus. This one seems like it would be fun to play. "Nights Of Gethsamane 4:28" comes next with a bit of atmosphere and scowl to open and then gets into a slightly slower-paced version of the band's style. One thing can certainly be said about the vocalist here and that thing is that he's certainly good at what he does. This is coming from a vocalist, so I know what I'm talking about. Despite the slight core influences he edged in the beginning, I'm not hearing that in the other songs and am thankful for it. The disc ends with "The Wretched 3:44" and it also follows the same formula, but again the scowls from the frontman certainly work well with the music and it bashes just right. Most of these riffs you've heard before, but I will say that these guys are a band I wouldn't mind checking out live.

The disc is only 4 tracks but if you're curious you can get it from the band's bandcamp page: http://athousandshallfall.bandcamp.com

(4 Tracks, 18:00)

6/10



The Odious - Joint Ventures (2012 Band Request) - The Odious is a progressive/technical/deathcore band that uses slight experimentation from also right here in the USA. Though you can immediately draw comparisons to prog-core bands like Between The Buried And Me and Periphery, I'm here to tell you that I like these guys a whole lot more than current era BTBAM and more than I'll ever care for Periphery. Musically, comparisons can be made to bands such as Animals As Leaders but there are fierce vocals here which I can describe as being on the same level as Skeletonwitch with the core sensibilities intact. The lyrics came with this album as upon reading them all, I'm kind of puzzled admittedly and would like to interview these gentlemen to find out just when in the hell some of these songs are about.

Without a doubt, the music is sporadic but it is also performed with a certain degree of skill and apt to oddities that in most instances help the variety of tracks displayed here. Older heads who might feel that this band is just rattling off a bunch of dumb shit that makes no sense might be surprised to find that the lyrical nature of this band is quite interning and I would consider them to be astute in a sense. The first track after the Alice In Chains meets prog intro "Nuchal Chord 1:58" that whizzed and whammed and blammed and everything in between was actually called "Ancestral Perplexities 7:46" an interesting observation of human and Martian similarities. Something I've always pondered on and part of a concept that I had planned to write a novel on, except far broader than Mars. The next track "The Gynecic Curse 3:42" which is much more in the vein of proggier deathcore (with the addition of a hardcore style vocal) is about a whore.

There's also a lighter (almost) instrumental piece called "Mer/ka/ba 5:09" which has to do with either Kabbalah or chakras (I can't remember which) that has a rock solo featured in it that sounds like a blast from the past, making the band's list of influences even larger. That is followed by "Fail Science! 1:49" which features slight electronic influence adding even more to the mix.

I don't want to spoil all of the album's grandeur though, but will tell you that it's composed of a variety of topics leaving me completely stonefaced with the disc's title track, unless it is a metaphor for something. At any rate, you can hear the influence of Mike Patton's legacy in this band as well, as I'm even apt to thinking that the clean vocal approach has his clear inspiration. You'll also hear bits of djent here and there - but don't call The Odious djent, because they have so much more to offer than "djent band x" which puts an ill taste in my mouth because just that term reminds me of Megaman X. Nevertheless, you'll going to get some memorable riffs and melodies here in addition to the prog and tech and djent and other such oddities that exist on this album.

The Odious does in many ways sound like the variety of progressive deathcore bands that you've heard before - but they have much more to offer than many bands that are easier to choke down and are more marketable. I was actually quite impressed with not only the musical factor of this disc, but with the lyrical content as well. I would certainly recommend those who are a bit bored with most djent, technical, and prog deathcore bands to check them out. Before, I was only under the belief that Rings of Saturn and The Faceless were the standouts of this genre, but The Odious certainly sets themselves apart from the clones here and hopefully they will continue to do that with future releases.

The disc is available on The Odious' bandcamp page. It's a "Name Your Own Price" so check it out: http://theodious.com/

(11 Tracks, 55:00)

8.5/10


Note to all bands: If you see your material reviewed and want to link others to where they might find it, you are free to leave links in the comment section. Most of the stuff I get is from a cacophony of sources, so I don't know what is a bandcamp and whatnot. Also, I cannot email each and every label/band personally, so please keep checking back to the site and know that everything you've given me I will review!

SPOTLIGHT: SUPURATION (French Prog. Death Metal)

SUPURATION

Country of origin: France
Location: Wallers, Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Status: Active
Formed in: 1990

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Lyrical themes: Death, Abstract Themes
Current label: Listenable Records
Years active: 1989-1990 (as Etsicroxe), 1990-present, 1995-present (as S.U.P.)

MEMBERS

Thierry Berger: Drums (1990-1995) See also: S.U.P., ex-Etsicroxe
Fabrice Loez: Guitars (1990-1995) See also: S.U.P., ex-Etsicroxe
Ludovic Loez: Guitars, Vocals (1990-1995) See also: S.U.P., ex-M.Pheral, ex-Etsicroxe, ex-Carnival in Coal, ex-Krhoma Death, ex-Putrid Offal
Frédéric Fievez: Bass (1997-present) See also: S.U.P., ex-Forlorn Emotion

THE INTERVIEW (WITH LUDOVIC LOEZ (GUITARS/VOCALS)

1. I'm sure that I can speak for many who have never heard of your band or it's legacy that has lasted for a little over thirty years now. Could you share with us some brief history about your band, where it began and how you got to where you are today? I'm also curious about the split between Supuration which seems more towards death metal judging by the release titles; and S.U.P. which seems to be more in the vein of progressive or experimental metal.

Well, we started the band in early 90's, we were quite young at that time, quickly we recorded a rehearsal called official rehearsal 90 in june 90 and a mxi cd called « sultry obsession »(october90) , ( reissued on x treemmusic spain last year). In august 1991, we recorded a promotape in order to find a label ( with these songs several 7 'eps had been out throughout usa, germany, mexico). We were into death metal but with some different influences like industrial music or sometimes new wave. During september 1992 we recorded our first real album called « the cube » (reincarnate records), we had a really good response with it, « the cube » had been realised in february 1993. We didn't want to realease a second album of SUPURATION, so we recorded a maxi cd called « still in the sphere » (pias france 1994). After several rehearsals, our music changed and wasn't so into a death style, so SUPURATION became SPHERICAL UNIT PROVIDED with its first album « ANOMALY » (pias 1995), and then « TRANSFER » (maxi cd remixes and acoustic versions from the « ANOMALY » songs). 1997, we found a new label and we recorded « ROOM SEVEN » (h records97), a reissue of « the cube » (under the name of S.U.P...in 1998), « CHRONOPHOBIA » (1999), « ANOMALY2000 » ( re recording of the album and reissue of the first version 2000), « ANGELUS » (2002). And during autumn 2002 we decided to record a prequel of the album « THE CUBE » which would be « INCUBATION » (february2003). All of our albums are telling stories ( as far as S.U.P albums are concerned), but with SUPURATION, at that time we decided that it would be nice to make a trilogy with the story « THE CUBE », we thought about a third album for 2013...During that time we recorded « IMAGO » (2005) and « HEGEMONY » (2008) several dvds, bootlegs etc...We've been working slowly on « CUBE 3 » and we succeed in put it out 20 years after the first volume « THE CUBE » in february 2013. The split between the two projects is quite simple, we didn't want to create a « cube 2 » too fast after the first one, we took our time, and at that time we really wanted to make another kind of music , colder , darker and experimental, so we created S.U.P.

1a. What does Supuration mean and what does S.U.P. stand for? Who came up with these titles?

SUPURATION was a title of the song on the first CARCASS album, it was written with two « p », we decided to write it with only one « p », because at that time a polish grind core band was called « suppuration »as far as S.U.P is concerned it's more enigmatic, we kept the root « sup » to remind SUPURATION, but the concept is quite different, i mean it's more « open minded » .

3. Now that Cube 3 has seen an overseas release, is there any chance of your earlier albums getting reissued? The material on Cube 3 is stellar and I'd certainly like to see the older material getting reissued, so I could see what led to this release.

We hope so, I heard that a whole packaging including the three volumes of the trilogy would be out before the end of the year. Of course we will reissue the whole story....

4. Let's discuss Cube 3. Where did you record it, how long did it take and what was the process of the recording like? Did you run into any issues, or did it all go quite well? What was your aim for the disc and do you believe you've done what you set out to do with Cube 3?

First we rehearsed, recorded demos and when we were ready we recorded the drums in a studio in summer 2011 . The process of recording is simple, I usually record all instruments and the vocals, (for all of our albums since the begining), My brother wrote the lyrics for SUPURATION because he wrote the prequel « INCUBATION » and as far as the lyrics are concerned i'm more into S.U.P albums. All guitars , bass and voices are recording at home. Then we found a new record company (listenable records) and we 've been waiting for february 2013, in accord with the record company, to put « CUBE 3 » out.

5. I'm a sci-fi buff and a novelist who has used more than a few elements of the genre in my books and short stories. Can you talk to me a little about the Cube mythos and how it lead up into this third piece of the saga? Are there any underlying messages or ideas hidden within these albums that you would like to express?

« THE CUBE » is dealing with the strange and enigmatic journey of a tormented soul which is finally reincarnated in « CUBE 3 ». On the album « INCUBATION » which is the story before « THE CUBE » we have the reasons of the suicide of a young girl, on « THE CUBE » we have the travel of its soul throughout strange places and geometric forms, trapped in a crystal cube, then a sphere enter the cube to catch the soul in order to be reincarnated , a second chance in a way, and the soul is reincarnated in « CUBE 3 » in outer space , in the future, and the young boy is educated by machines and robots. In each of these albums we find cubes and spheres (« incubation » with the room of the young girl which is a square and her pregnant body, in « the cube » with amazing crystal cubes and spheres , judges of her soul, in « cube 3 » with the spaceship and the machines and robots inside which are in cubic and spheric forms. In a way the whole trilogy is dealing with the fact that a soul nerver dies, anyway, that's not the case for our trilogy, at the end of « CUBE 3 » we don't know what is happening to the soul of the main character....

6. What do you believe in? Are you religious, spiritual or neither? Is there a certain life after death, or are we just destined to the ground? What are some things in the realm of belief that you have a qualm with?

We're not into religion, we don't know if there's a life after death, we're just telling stories throughout our albums, S.U.P albums are more into science fiction or fantastic stories.

7. Do you believe in the existence of extra-terrestrial life? If so, do you think that we'll ever make contact? Or might they already be here?

I do believe in ET life, i think that we are in contact since the very beginning of human kind.

8. How is Cube 3 different from your other material? What would you consider an inspiration to the sound of Cube 3?

SUPURATION has is own style , I mean, in each of the album of the trilogy, you can hear some parts of riffs or lyrics which remind another album of the trilogy, each album is linked to the other. « CUBE3 » is a little bit different because it's more into science fiction, « INCUBATION » is more into psychology and « THE CUBE » into metaphysic.

9. What bands would you accredit to being influences of Supuration and S.U.P? What was it that kindled your interest in making music?

I would say for SUPURATION, we've been influenced during the early 90's by bands like CARCASS, PESTILENCE , VOIVOD, ENTOMBED, BOLTTHROWER, PINK FLOYD...and for S.U.P i would say, the same bands including THE SISTERS OF MERCY, DEPECHE MODE, industrial musics

10. The nature of Cube 3 seems to deal with technology. What are your feelings on technology as it is today, and do you think we should be careful about how it progresses? Are there things that we just shouldn't be doing right now?

We need technology, it's progression is sometimes dangerous....it depends...It's fine when you can replace an arm or a leg of a person, I think computers are dangerous and robots will be....

11. Let's talk tech. What kinds of guitars, drums, pedals and other types of equipment do you use? What brands do you prefer, if any?

I have an American warlock BC rich and a fender bass amp 60w, my brother fabrice uses GIBSON SG guitars with a 2x50w peavy pre amp, Frederic uses a LTD bass in line , all detuned in B and thierry the drummer uses a PREMIER drums, pearl pedals and PAISTE cymbals. We like our equipment, it's simple, we also have some BOSS pedals for delays, chorus, hushes...

12. I've heard talk of "mesmerizing shows" in regards to touring. What are your stage shows like and what bands have you had an opportunity to perform with? Have you ever gotten the chance to meet any of your personal idols? If so, what was that like? Lastly, what is one of the funniest things that you've had happen while on tour?

We've been touring with SUPURATION with CARCASS , SUFFOCATION, BENEDICTION, CANNIBAL CORPSE, LOUDBLAST, and with S.U.P with ANATHEMA, CORONER, THE GATHERING....It was nice to discuss with the guys from CARCASS or the guys from CORONER... The funniest thing???The tour with SUFFOCATION is a great souvenir, really professional and funny things too numerous....

13. Finally, where do you see mankind in the next few years? More importantly, do you see mankind at all in the next few years? What do you think of society right now? Are we heading to our demise, or to some sort of glorious new age?

I think changes will arrive but mankind will stay right down here for a long long moment ...thanks to technology (…) I don't think about a demise, I'd prefer a glorious new age....As far as the society is concerned that depends, we are too much in a « consummation way of living » that sucks...

Thanks a lot for the interview !!!

Cheers,

LUDOVIC LOEZ for SUPURATION/S.U.P

March 2013

Thanks so much gentlemen, for your answers. I feel as if I've missed an entire legacy of great music and will try to hear as much of it as I can in the future. I had no idea an act like yours ever existed and hope that you will receive the praise that you deserve for such an interesting and unique approach towards death metal. The very best of luck to you in the future. Horns!

Week 74.5 (March 12th, 2013)

Voodoo Circle - More Than One Way Home (PR2013) - Voodoo circle are a classic/hard rock band from Germany with definite potential. In their native, they are considered to be the very "epitome of quality in the Classic Hard Rock Genre." The album booms at the very beginning with the opener "Graveyard City" with it's extremely catchy melodies and vocal hooks that might end up getting stuck in your head for days. Influences abound in this band, citing everyone from Foreigner to The Scorpions and Blue Oyster Cult among progressive groups like Pink Floyd and Yes. Many of these influences came slightly before my time, so it's hard to place them exactly; but I can certainly hear the amalgamation of these influences in Alex Beyrodt's (Silent Force, Sinner, Primal Fear) rich guitar soundscapes replete with magnificent solos, David Readman's impressive vocal work and Jimmy Kresic's keyboard antics that have the potential to make this band even larger of an act than they already are. The band has a video for the strong ballad "Cry For Love" which is available on their official Youtube account, so check that out. Though this is the only band I've ever heard write a song for a woman named "Alissa 4:40" they pronounce it as "Alisa" and I'll have nothing to do with it; citing a bad personal breakup as the response. But I can't take that out on Voodoo Circle and I will certainly give them the benefit of the doubt here, because this is great classic/hard rock that is not to be missed on any level. The special edition release features even more rock goodness in the form of extra bonus tracks that I wasn't given the privilege to hear, so grab that version on the 26th of March and tell me how they are!

(12 Tracks, 54:00)

9/10



Botanist - IV Mandragora (2013) - It is uncertain to me what exactly Botanist mastermind Otrebor was up to this time, but Mandragora is a huge leap from the territory of his last album which was more of a melodic drone/doom combo with black metal vocals. That album I thought was passable; but certainly not my thing - hence I decided to give the man another chance and decided to check out this final chapter of the plant people saga which would be far better material for a novel than a musical album quite frankly; I can certainly say that I would rather read about this than listen to it. The plant human idea is quite intriguing and definitely original.

However, I could not absorb even one of these tracks into my body through the act of photosynthesis. Otrebor was simply tapping into the electronic black metal side, which is a complete turn around from what I heard just one year ago. Though it wasn't my cup of tea, I could at least make it through that album; while this one sounds rushed and incomprehensible. While the disc has the same erratic feel of the last album, I have no idea why in the hell Otrebor decided to release this album with an electronic filter used on his vocals in some instances which just rubs me 900 different ways of wrong.

The album is filled with uncommon riff ideas, odd melodies and a sort of trance-vibe, but the speed of the drums and the vocal approach make this just seem a little weird for my taste. Perhaps too weird, and I usually like weird shit. I just don't like the use of programmed drums here and the riffs stay in the same style for so long that it becomes annoying, almost robotic. It's quite comparable to the music of a far-distant future - the very thing that generations to come will enjoy, long after I'm dead. Maybe this is what black metal will sound like in the year 4052, but I don't think it will catch on well for the year 2013.

Mandragora is not a long release, but it was a pain to listen to. I just don't think that I was ready for it, like it was a level above me; from a conscious plane that I have not had the honor of ascending to yet. But I will say that the final track on the album, "Rhyncholaelia Glauca 9:40" might be worth checking out and provides a great sense of closure to the saga.

If you like your black metal weird and robotic, this one's for you.

Highlights: To Amass An Army, Rhyncholaelia Glauca (7 Tracks, 32:00)

5/10



Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell (Limited Edition 2013) - Helloween is back and if you think I'd actually forget them this time, then you're wrong. Coming on the heels of an already fantastic release in the form of Seven Sinners, I don't think that the band has sounded better in years and cite this new release as further proof for that claim. The album opens with the soon to be classic "Nabataea 7:03" and introduces us to "Far From The Stars 4:44" which sounds just in parts just like the most classic era of power metal with slight modern influence. The band personally seems to highlight "Burning Sun 5:35" as they feature a special "Hammond Version 5:34" on this special edition that I have. But as for the song, it's got quite a bit of structure mixing orchestral elements that remind of Blind Guardian and neoclassical guitar antics that go duet with proggy keyboards and introduce us to a fantastic solo all in the same song, reminding me why it is that I love power metal in the first place.

We also get the ballad "Hold Me In Your Arms 5:12" which at first I thought was going to be a snoozefest, but I guess I'm getting older and found myself really captivated by the chorus portion. The only problem I have with the track, is that a small solo should have accentuated the final repetition of the chorus before the final verse of the song. Yes, there was orchestration; but guitar crept up a little during the track and would have really hammered this. In many Japanese power metal ballads or even J-rock songs, you will hear the guitar solos accentuating that final chorus and it really does the song well.

I'm also rather upset with "Wanna Be God 2:02." It has a sort of sports anthem feel to it, like with Queen's "We Will Rock You" but comes off as nothing more than an intro. Even at that length, it seems like an intro to the album's title track; but that never happens. As a matter of fact, the album's title track "Straight Of Hell 4:35" sounds like it came off another album entirely. I'm really confused as to the layout of the album, since some of these songs sound like they were recorded at varying production values and it makes the whole trip a bit awkward. Nevertheless, "Straight Out Of Hell" is a powerful title track that shows the band's resilience after all these years.

I'll also have to point out probably one of the band's most vulgar tunes in their history, "Asshole 4:11." I'm a little curious as to why this electronic power thrasher got included but the fact that the band actually uses enough foul words on this one to warrant the "Parental Advisory" here in the states, using the words "asshole" "motherfucker" and "shit" in the chorus. Nevertheless, it's one of my favorite Helloween tracks in the band's history as it's catchy and useful in describing certain people in one's life.

The last track I'll discuss here will be another one of my favorites, and they seemed to have gone all out on this one with the use of gothic organs and church bells. That envelops into power metal and brings us a great argument against modern religion in the form of "Church Breaks Down 6:09." It deals with religion suppressing knowledge, which is in reality a terrible disservice to the whole of mankind. Not getting too deep into the subject, I believe that the story of the garden of Eden was written down by the wealthy who thought that the attainment of knowledge was not something that the rest of should have. Ill-educated people are easy to manipulate and by equating the attainment of knowledge with the "enemy of mankind" in the form of a serpent, (which in ancient cultures is actually a symbol of wisdom) it makes them fear the unknown which is exactly what these men in power would like. None of these men want to see a slave rebel from the false comforts of media and combat their forces of control, so these religious standards are put into place to keep individuals silent and obedient. In a word... "asleep." However, I have nothing against the entirety of the Bible, nor any other religious text; citing that there are moral and philosophical values to be found.

All in all, Helloween's newest opus shows that they are still capable of making great power metal. But I scratch my head at some of these tracks, wondering if something went wrong somewhere along the recording, because some of this should have been scrapped. The album offers 14 songs in it's retail version and seems awful cluttered with varying production values and different ideas just sprinkled all over the damned place. Maybe they want to make this their final opus and just give us everything that they had, but I really don't think we needed it all. Still a solid release with plenty to offer for even the most adamant of power metal fans.

Highlights: Nabataea, Far From The Stars, Burning Sun, Hold Me In Your Arms, Straight Out Of Hell, Asshole, Church Breaks Down, Another Shot Of Life
(15 Tracks, 71:00)

8/10



The Fall Of Every Season - Amends (2013) - I never got the chance to review the last album from TFOAS, From Below; but would consider it mandatory listening for fans of death/doom that is not only sorrowful, but beautiful in many regards. This formula is continued with the band's new release, Amends which offers us the greatness of "Sole Passenger 11:44" which not only gives us the very best of depression laden riffs and vocal gravel that echo the lyrics (much in the vein of Rapture and Swallow The Sun) with extreme emotional prowess; but also tickles the ears with soft melodies backed with calming clean vocals. Soft acoustic passages pop up in "The Mammoth 13:26" as well in the instrumental, "The Portrayal 2:22" and also start up the ethereal melodies of "Aurelia 11:37" so nothing has really changed in regards to the band's style. There are no keyboards, as they only utilize the riffs and fantastic drum work to illustrate the atmospheres that they seem to excel so well at. A good way to describe this album is to look at the album's Asian inspired cover art, in all honesty. Not only is it some of the more interesting of cover art pieces that I've seen, but the colors and sense of waves illustrate the album's nature as being both a massive tsunami and calming stream where may dance the sprites and fairies of another realm.

There's nothing really new here and it's very much in the vein of From Below. These gentlemen opted not to reinvent the wheel and have crated an overwhelming bipolarity of soundscapes that not only highlight the dreariest of death metal, but also the most beautiful elements of post or even shoegaze in some respects. It is not a disc that constantly bashes, nor do the drums thunder with great revelry. Rather, the disc relies on it's slow soundscapes and succeeds with each one of these five tracks. Yes, even the instrumental piece "The Portrayal" is worth hearing as it is simply one part of the journey that well encompasses it's playing time of just a few minutes shy of an hour. A time that will be well remembered.

(5 Tracks, 53:00)

10/10



The Phantom Carriage - Falls (2013) - The new album from Black/Hardcore experimentalists The Phantom Carriage is finally upon us and this is no short release like 2011's New Thing. A full forty minutes of playing time with several long experiments in sporadity are displayed here, but it still will not be enough to convert the kvlt black metal hordes to hardcore. Though I like the progressive melodies on "Today We Stand 5:30" the clean vocals don't seem to work for me and the approach is slightly more one of hardcore than black metal. Yet again, there are moments of sludge that also pepper the disc in addition to the blast beats that the band does utilize in their mission to mix fully these two unlikely genres. But these hardcore shouts might have sealed their fate, it would certainly depend on the metal fan who's willing to ignore these light-toned vocal shouts that could "buzz-kill" and "bree" the album for them.

"Dreamers Will Never Stop Dreaming 7:35" adds a little bit of atmosphere to the disc, amidst the sporadity and use of the odd vocal approach that sounds like a :black metal growl" instead of a "black metal scowl." Lights begin to illuminate the track however, as melodic guitar soundscapes make us believe that all is well until a hardcore assault begins.

But it's not until the closer, "Gods, Devils, Us 7:25" that I start hearing something more than the formula of black metal infused hardcore with frantic screams and slight does of melody and drone. Even if it's just an amp reverb with a few acoustic licks - it's still more than the band has brought in 16 minutes of playtime. I'm not quite sure what the band was thinking here, but it's just too much of the same sporadity for me - like if someone threw the same black and grey paint splatters on every piece of canvas. Sure, it's an experiment; but it all just sounds bland. I expected much more from this one.

Maybe this could get hardcore fans into black metal, but I don't think it can get black metal fans into hardcore. I want to like this one, especially after how much promise New Thing brought to the table.

Alas, I fear that I've expected too much.

(8 Tracks, 40:00)

7/10



The Project Hate MCMXCIX - The Cadaverous Retaliation Agenda (2012) - Because a legendary interview still sits up in the air, (it's done, I'm just waiting on clearance and will release it here if New Noise decides not to use it) I had also held off reviewing this album. Some of you bought it. I did and got the instrumentals which I would also recommend in addition to the original album and they're worth the 15 Euros that the band is charging for the release. However, Judas Iscariot apparently leaked it, having gotten up out of his grave just to get onto a computer to buy the disc so that he could put it online as he walked back into his grave and fell lifeless, back to death. So whether or not you got the original version of the disc, or the one that was leaked by a man who became reanimated, (would that make him a zombie?) I'm sure that most of you already have this disc by now.

Paid for by the fans and not the fiends, TPH's new disc is monumental. I won't even lie and I know that Lord K himself will be reading this, but I thought the band's last album was absolutely awful and filled to the brim with too much female vocal. I also felt that the band's last female vocalist was taking over the band, turning them into some kind of death metal version of Nightwish. Introduced to this act by a friend years ago and having loved When We Are Done Your Flesh Will Be Ours, Hate Dominate Congregate Eliminate and Armageddon March Eternal; I have continued to check out the band's releases hoping for the same greatness to return. There were glimpses in In Hora Morits Nostrae and The Lustrate Process; but things were becoming far too much of the same and I wasn't the only one who noticed. The same friend I ran into a few days before buying the release sent me a text saying "they really need to change their style." And he'd be right, because things were getting stale and that's what I equate the failure of that album on, not just the act of piracy; as they have claimed. I think that fact that someone like me, who used to listen to these guys religiously would have anything bad to say about them in a review should be a sign to change things up a little...

And that's just what they did. I've given this album a perfect score as well; and that's out of no sort of ass kissing - I would have definitely let you know if this was a piece of shit, regardless if any of the band members were reading it or not. Perhaps I've lightened up in later years; but anything that's a six or lower is nothing worth checking out in my opinion and if it's lower than four, it's absolute garbage; taking a cue from Metal Storm.

Thankfully, The Cadaverous Retaliation Agenda is the band's best work in years. Perhaps after all that repetition, Lord K decided that it was time to do something different and that's exactly what he's done here along with many special guests. This was an album that was recorded in many different areas with the band never actually physically being in the same studio - but I think the fact that everyone had their ability to breathe helped things. First of all, the band's new female vocalist Ruby Roque recorded all of her vocals in Libson Portugal, and Jorgen Sandstrom recorded his growls in Stockholm, while Lord K recorded his guitars in Ostansjo and the band's drummer Dirk Verbeuren recorded his drums in a separate studio as well as Peter Dolving and Tobben Gustafsson recorded vocals and acoustic guitars respectively. Lars Johansson, Magnus Soderman and Danny Tunker and Petter S. Freed also recorded their solo/s in separate areas, making this whole thing a real testament to the power of technology and the way that we make music as human beings. I would personally love to record vocals in this fashion for any acts that'll have my venom.

TCRA consists of six main tracks, with the very shortest being the finale "Welcome To The Judas Agenda" at just one second over nine minutes. The other The other six tracks are short instrumental interludes that tie the songs together.

The first track "DCLXI 0:42" is a short orchestral instrumental that opens "I Feed You The Flesh of Your Poisonous Christ 14:58" which at first might sound like the same sort of bass lines we've heard a bazillion times now, but that's when it transforms. First of all, I'm glad to hear that the electronics are back in the mix and at full force. That is what made me really separate the band from other death metal bands that were out there at the time. Obviously The Monolith Deathcult and The Amenta might have found influences here as well as acts like The Berserker; but it's good to see Lord K utilizing what made the band so great in the first place. But not only that - huge solos like this one encompass the record along with transformative structural changes that help it to sound monumental. There's a middle eastern section towards the end of the track that really surprised me and showed me that the band does have much more to offer, despite their long tenure.

The next instrumental I will discuss, "DCLXII 1:13" because it's in reality a great electronic piece mixing some nice effects along with foreboding piano work that goes into "We Watch In Silence As The Earth Turns To Blood 10:36." It begins with a female vocal and envelops into furious death metal, featuring Ruby's vocal much more than the other track so far, but not being afraid to include some more electronic influence and atmosphere (notice the guitar work in the background around the 2:30 mark) and that's when the guitar solo kicks in, just as breathtaking as the last one. Electronic laden metal backed with Ruby's vocals takes over after another death metal onslaught and then is followed up with another guitar solo. Yes, another guitar solo. If one great solo wasn't enough already. I really like the guitar riffs at this point in the song where a chorus is repeated by Ruby (the first time it's a little rough in the mix but the second time it comes out better) as a death metal portion comes back in and the chorus is once again repeated.

An electronic piece "DCLXII 1:05" that sounds like it might be used in a futurist racing game comes next, but it feels good here - I like it. I think I'd actually like to hear a disc that fully mixes the electronics and the death metal together in a way that we've never heard from the band; but it's uncertain whether or not that will happen. "Conquering The Throne Of The Cadaverous 13:55" comes in with both a female vocal and death growl as we're beaten senseless with bass riffs that will later encapsulate Ruby's vocals and Jorgen's growls. A slight mid-era Ulver-esque soundscape then plays for a while (but I wish longer) when the guitars come screaming back into the mix. There's some great guitar work in the background during Jorgen's vocals here A duet ensues for a while as the electronic fuzz opens for Jorgen's vocals and crushing bass lines. A solo eventually comes into the mix and slaughters when it does - these are tremendous folks - then Dirk's drumming comes in and blasts away all further expectations - look how it flows with the guitar work! Song slows as bass lines creep and the death growls come back as a light symphonic piece plays (again almost like Ulver) a little further on, an acoustic plays for a while as the bass lines pummel again (in the back there's an electronic piece) that opens up for some mind-blowing solo work later in the album. There's an interesting duet piece short after with some interesting vocal techniques by Ruby that get chopped up in line with the electronic sense of the band. A new riff structure opens up Jorgen's growl fest and then blasting drums continue while Ruby belts out some strong vocal lines as the song cools down to make way for some electronics and riffery that leads into some unique melodies and some oddities that I can't explain in words. It sounds like a submarine in the background!

The next track "DCLXIV 1:08" features an electrified sound clip mixed in with some great electronic work that would do well on a disc by itself. If Lord K ever gets tired of metal, I'll definitely buy an electronic album from him! When the metal resumes, "The Great Retaliation Is Upon Them 11:57" opens up with a solo and features some oozy electronics that sound like Ruby and some sort of slime monster are fighting for vocal time. Jorgen comes back into the mix as aliens abduct Ruby (you can hear the beeping from the ship's controls) and then Jorgen jumps in as the song winds down and the bass sounds like the buzzes of a damaged computer terminal that one of the band members accidentally fried while trying to save Ruby from the aliens. Jorgen comes in and belts out rough gravel as the riffs decorate Dirk's awesome drumming while Ruby belts out another verse and returns to Jorgen and a new riff structure that leans into another great solo. Eletronics and horns (was that a belch?) open up the next portion of the song as I hear some other odd effects. There's a nice riff melody here about 5:10 into the song and Ruby comes back in as she jumps through a portal. Jorgen comes back in with even more gravel as another awesome riff melody at 6:40 comes in along with another at 6:50 that opens up for another phenomenal solo and Jorgen's demonic growl as Dirk blasts the drums and Ruby manages to belt through it, even though things get unbearable at points. It sounds like the whole track is about ready to explode at this point, but things slow down with bass riffs Things warm up as Jorgen comes back in and another fucking solo plays after that. Wow. Electronics come in and you can still hear Ruby on the other side of the portal, calling out from an alternate dimension. Bass riffs continue as Jorgen belts out more death metal and I'm sure the more that I say this, the happier that most of you will be. Ruby sticks her head out of the portal and is able to belt out another line as Jorgen lets loose a powerful growl that goes into a solo. Yeah, another solo that goes into a fierce drum workout and ends with a furious vocal line.

The next instrumental "DCLXV 1:12" sounds like a murmur with some blasphemy and the background orchestration for an apocalyptic film. This goes into the catchy riff melodies of "Carving Out The Tongues Which Speak Of Salvation 11:15" which has Jorgen's vocals at the forefront until Ruby comes in, but she may be overzealous with this one. Orchestration is also used here as well as what sounds like the opening of the portal that Ruby was trapped in, as it comes out and encapsulates the entire band. You can hear the sound of the portal as they find themselves in some sort of future world where the sounds of damaged robots beg for salvation but cannot find it. Ruby's vocals continue as Jorgen comes in and I like the effect she uses on this duet. A light acoustic plays for a while with a little bit of electronic influence that almost sounds a little flamenco. This is when the horns are heard and the guitar riffs warm up the rest of the track as a solo comes in as drums highlight Ruby's vocals, bringing the guitar back into the mix shortly afterwards. Jorgen comes back in to do what he does best as the song quiets, save for a few bass riffs that escalate into a new portion where death metal is the standpoint. Orchestration can now be heard as violins accompany Ruby's vocals. Guitars come back into the mix as ruby vocalizes once again, leading into something that sounds like it's about to thrash like Slayer. Well, it does just this with a guitar solo portion that certainly wakes up the track a bit and Dirk's drumming emphasizes that of course. Things slow down a bit as bass riffs and some light drumming finish what is bound to be the last part of the song. When it finally comes, a choir accentuates Jorgen's vocals and then Ruby comes back in, but just a little overzealous.

"DCLXVI 1:30" comes in so damn fast that you don't even know the last song has ended. It literally sounds like part of that track and if this is all taken to be one piece; then it is. Nevertheless, it is the last instrumental backed with orchestration and more distorted sound clips that sound like they're floating in space as they repeat endlessly into the final track, "Welcome To The Judas Agenda 9:10." this track features no vocals of any kind, but features seven solos - at least one from every guest. Tour-De-Force is the word here, folks. It starts out light, just as the last Tour-De-Force I explored (see Oceans Of Slumber review) and features some light electronics as Lars comes in with the first solo piece that just sounds breathtaking. Drums blast heavily as Danny's solo comes in and then Petter's only contribution to the album. A march is heard as the solo continues and explodes again making this definitely one of the best metal tracks in the history of all mankind. A spacecraft comes down as the drums thunder in a black metal sense as Lars's next solo comes in. Orchestration builds as Magnus's solo is heard next. On odd sort of riff structure comes next (I'm not sure if this is a solo, but if it is, we'll give it to Danny Tunker) and then there would be one solo portion left, which would have to be Lars' last solo which thunders for a few seconds and then fades out with the end of the disc.

...And there you have it! TCRA in a nutshell.

When you order TCRA directly from the band, you have the option of getting the disc in whatever format you could possibly want (even FLAC and .ISO) as well as the option to download and print out your own booklet or poster in several various formats. Yes, the instrumental cut of the album is also available and is definitely worth listening to. Some might even think it's better.

Nevertheless, TCRA is a monster of a release that shouldn't be missed. Since the band will never tour again for the entirety of the history of mankind and then some; the only place you'll be able to hear these songs is from this album. It also means that in 2013 they plan to start work on another album, which they hope will be even better than this. I see ways that that could be possible, but I also see ways that might make that really fucking hard. As I said, I'd personally like to hear a greater mix of electronics and death metal, something in the death metal vein of bands like Velvet Acid Christ and KMFDM. Some of you might not feel the same way though, and we all have our dream of what "the perfect album" from "band x" might sound like. Nevertheless, the band knocked it out of the park with this latest opus and I'm sure if they eventually decide to make it a physical form (the labels have certainly been talking to these guys, but Lord K is still reluctant) it will sell a great deal of copies.

As far as production value on the thing goes, it's top notch - the best that modern technology can offer. Not everything is mixed perfectly, but from experience I can tell you that nothing ever is mixed perfectly. I would rather pull out each hair on my head individually than have to mix. It's never good enough for me. Never! Even the shit I've mixed is not mixed good enough.

Psychotics aside, definitely grab TCRA and support the band. I guess if you're hardcore religious you may not like the album, but chances are that you're not going to be here at the Tower to begin with. You'll be in the Church.

TCRA is a monument for 2012 that might have skipped your radars. Go get it!

Highlights: All (12 Tracks, 78:00)

10/10

Hello There, My Name Is Spambot And I'm Here To Fuck Up All Your Hard Work!

To all bands and labels:

If you got a message from me that sounds just odd and features some kind of weird link which may refer to this:

 It would be a Malaysian spambot. Now I don't know what's different from a Malaysian spambot and a spambot from Egypt, but chances are I might end up writing about it in a short story. The message was headed with "Breaking News" and was sent to damn near everyone on my contact list, including literary agents which now has me just a little pissed and convinced that I will have to use my other email address to query them for the complete Will's Downfall.

So if you saw any funny business, just delete it and know that I've changed my password. 

Week 74 (March 09, 2013)

Monobrow - Bennington Triangle Blues (2013 Band Request) - Monobrow is a blast from the past, in all respects. These guys make the very sounds that you'd expect to hear while exponentially high on LSD at a 70's hippie camp-out. The band is purely instrumental, but doesn't in any way get boring and I really do insist that the best place to play these guys is when you're passing around the bong with your buddies. The only thing missing here is some tripped out multi-colored soundscapes. There is definitely a strong sense of classic doom here, but mixed in with lysergic riffs and stoner drumming which makes the whole album a literal soundscape.

As far as the whole experience of it, I'd consider it uncanny. When these guys solo, they solo hard. When these guys change direction, they do it frequently; leading you into all sorts of undiscovered territory if you're really high and tripping through your own phantasmal subconscious. This album is like a drug itself, I really don't think you need to be high to experience it's effects like with the Zulik album I spotlighted earlier, and that is really a testament to the power of music on the human mind and the harmful effects that one can receive through the current brainwashing effects of party-pop music. When one is exposed for several hours to the same mish-mash of songs on the radio of one's workplace "an attempt at building employee morale" (nonetheless, I suspect brainwashing) their mind becomes crowded with these "cancers" I would call them, cancers that need to be flushed out and I would highly suggest clearing your mind with Monobrow for that.

Sometimes all that the mind needs a good trip, a good cleansing (you wouldn't believe the effects of fluoridation on the pineal by the way) to get rid of all the harmful manifestations absorbed in through the ears by mindless muzakal (yes, I just turned that into an adjective) garbage. Not to be confused with the term, music which you'll find described here in Monobrow. At any rate, it's a damned good trip and I highly recommend taking this instrumental trip, especially if you like bands such as High On Fire or The Sword. These guys really do have a lot to offer and this full-length assures me that they're a band to watch out for.

Definitely some of the best instrumental stoner/doom that I've ever fucking heard. Bravo, gentlemen!

Highlights: The entire journey is a highlight. (8 Tracks, 55:00)

10/10



Lago - Tyranny (Demo 2012 Band Request) - Lago is an old school death metal band from Arizona that pride themselves on brutality and the traditional spirit of death metal. You can hear many influences here including Nile, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, The Monolith Deathcult, Suffocation, Vader and many more. Though this demo only offers two tracks and the full album will feature more, what I've heard here is plenty to wet your palette for the full album to come later this year. Oddly enough, I'm hearing a few black metal riffs in the package the seem to sit well in turn with the machine gun drumming. But that could possibly be the black to death influence that Behemoth used upon their transformation and was inspiration to Lago's sound. The band's frontman offers the gravel that you expect and there are also occasional shrieks that feel welcome in these tracks. Nothing here seems over-played or boring and I think they've got a surefire shot to create some buzz when the full release drops.

Though not the most unique act I've ever heard in the death metal genre, Lago aren't trying to be. There's no clean vocals or synths or keys - it's just 100% death metal of the highest caliber and I'd certainly recommend it to death metal heads everywhere. But don't fucking take my word for it. The demo is streaming right here:

http://lagometal.bandcamp.com

Now when I say demo, you might expect rough and hard to hear music and that's not what you're getting here. These tracks were produced well enough as on any other death metal release I've heard and it doesn't sound like they were recorded in some guy's garage. Definitely check out some great death metal from these guys, as a good part of their state probably thinks that they're going to hell. But if so many metal musicians are supposedly headed there, it must not be that bad of a place after all. Lago prove that they've got some merit to add to the current death metal scene and this release showcases that effort. Definitely listenable, but I need more than two tracks to go on. Hopefully I'll have a review of the full album soon.

(2 Tracks, 8:00)

6/10



Extirpation - Reverse The Reality (PR2013) - This black/thrash band from Italy has one of the most interesting intros I've heard on an album and that's because it's actually Goblin's "Suspiria" taken from the Dario Argento film of the same name. I also state that this song is the very precursor to black metal, (or at least the scowl approach) considering that it was written in the 70's, long before King Diamond started Mercyful Fate and Venom decided to add elements of darker punk to thrash, first coining the phrase "Black Metal" on their sophomore debut. At first I got excited and thought that finally a band decided to cover this song in a heavier format (and not the Daemonia version) until it switched over to the black thrash metal of the band's nature, almost making the intro seem out of place as it didn't even match the style of the record from that point on.

At any rate, the other thirty-six minutes of the album offer some great black metal infused thrash complete with the scowl vocal approach that you'd expect, and an overall style that sounds like it was recorded back in the 80's or early 90's but with added clarity. According to the press info, this band (composed of memebrs of Terror Saw) is worth checking out for fans of Sarcofago, Sepultura, Buldozer and Necrodeath. But what about Bathory? Surely I'm hearing a little bit of that early Bathory style on this record and it's welcomed. I'd also recommend this to fans of Venom - it's blackened thrash, quite simply and if you liked the first couple of Venom albums, I don't see why you wouldn't like this one.

The songs lengths on this disc vary completely, with the opener "The Door Of Madness 5:46" being one of the longer numbers but definitely utilizing it's time to add slight structural changes and instrumental portions that keep the track fresh. Shorter numbers like "Claustrophobia 2:57" and "Dawn Of Ignorance 3:06" rely on much quicker thrashy punches, and seem to deliver with the latter's portion of background shouts and the former's slight drum theatrics. Background shouts can also be heard on the disc's title track, "Reverse The Reality 6:35" which adds a very unique to the style portion of light atmosphere that might have a few thrashers scratching their heads, but to me it shows a sense of experimentation which I always welcome. But not only that, there's a slight prog portion that follows this and then resumes the thrash. "The Memory 6:46" is a slightly slower track on the disc that almost sounds like a blackened prog then a blackened thrash, but it works and shows the potential of this band. After all, they could have made this a blackened thrash album with very few differentiations and I'm glad that they didn't. To add to the differentiation, there is "SL 3:11" which consists of a mild atmosphere created by the bass that allows slight riffs to accentuate it and produce an sense of ominousity.

Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time hearing some of the solos in the mix and complained that if I were in the studio, I would have told Eros to turn his amp up to the level of Daras' PA - since Daras is heard more than any other member in the band. On a couple of these tracks, Eros always seems like he's playing the solos in the background somewhere and I don't like that. I've heard this one both on my earbuds and on my laptop speakers and can attest to the same problem. Other than that, the production is fine. Perhaps I'm just nitpicking, but the opener track "The Door Of Madness" seems to be the worst about this.

Extirpation are a blackened thrash act of a different, more experimental kind. Even Daras' bass seems to have more black/prog sensibilities to it than just thrash riffs. I guess I could recall Cynic as to the tone's exact nature. As a matter of fact, the progressive era Death might also link up to this band's style a bit. There are a cavalcade of influences here and I'm sure you'll be able to pick them out when the album drops shortly, along with it's equally unique album cover. Yes, even the cover isn't quite what you expect. This is an old school sound with a new school approach that is well worth hearing. However, I wish they did more experimenting on the album as a whole and not just with a few of it's tracks.

Highlights: Intro, The Door Of Madness, Reverse The Reality, The Memory, SL (9 Tracks, 37:00)

7/10



Oceans Of Slumber - Aetherial (PR2013) - To describe this band properly, I think I'd need to discharge about ten paragraphs. But I don't think I'm going to do that to you with this debut album from this Texan five-piece that contains the drummer of grind act Insect Warfare, a jazz guitarist and other individuals who have come together to form this unique sound. I'm sorry folks, but I'm just going to have to go song by song on this one to be able to explain it. So maybe it will be ten paragraphs after all.

The first track is called "God In Skin 5:13" which for the most part sounds like a type of melodic post metal complete with the sort of grunts expected for the genre coupled with strong melodies and powerful clean vocals. "Coffins Like Kites 7:33" begins with a solo and continues with the same post-metal sensibilities of the opener. Death metal growls come into the mix later on, backed by scowls adding a certain depth to the track amidst the several thousand structural changes that occur in the track, each of them seeming warranted, including the brief slow down portion which leads into a sort of etheric piece that sees the vocals coupled with the effect of a watercolor painting. This goes into the thunder of post metal and plays with death metal at it's most extreme before going full-force into a prog solo. Yes, this is how music is made, kiddies - please observe. The post metal sense of the song comes back, and throws some groove into the mix recalling Pantera with more playful drums and then there's a slight death metal growl and a scowl and one last grunt before it ends.

"Memoriam 5:36" comes in with stellar riffs and a southern clean approach, that would fit on the radio for hard rock. A female joins the mix, but it sounds like she's enveloped into a cloud as the acoustics come in and bring a very tasteful sense as it's all ripped away with post metal grunts laden thrash complete with background scowls. A solo melody breaks through this madness for a second before it goes into a sort of black thrash with death metal vocals now being the standpoint. The clean comes back, reminiscent of Dillinger Escape Plan as the guitarist breaks through with that solo he wanted to have at the beginning, while the vocals come back in as radio quality as would be acceptable. but I wouldn't mind hearing this on the radio.

"Remedy 4:55" started off with a sort of hardcore/post metal grunt fury and then went right in, yes right in - to light prog. Then it went right back into fury with scowls being highlighted as the prog gets laid on quite heavy and the clean comes back. An acoustic joins in the background as things get a little chunkier before they envelop into progressive death metal with gravel. There's a slight instrumental groove as the post metal style comes back accented by the still proggy nature and then a scowl appears for a short while as a post metal grunt comes back into the fold. Playful experimentation follows as it sounds like the band is now moving slowly down a waterfall as the post-metal takes over as the drums and guitar wind down for an atmospheric. That's when the solo guy says, "Alright, it's my turn." and he does his job well there, along with that drummer. You sure that guy's big into grind? I've been hearing a lot of prog drumming from him. Clean comes back as the solo continues. Dillinger might need to quit after these guys release their disc. A prog portion ends the track out.

The more melodic "Only A Corpse 5:50" and this one stuck out for me on the first listen. It starts light and goes into thunderous post metal. The clean comes in and it's really quite good as the light comes in and after a slight low toned statement (think Phil Anselmo) the clean comes in powerfully and highlights the strong melody giving me a feeling of Tool when Maynard's hit a strong portion of a song. The post vocals come back as the same style continues. Prog comes back into the mix as the light vocals come back and continue what is truly a rather beautiful piece. This track is another radio worthy piece. Then that's when the death metal growl is heard in the background of the prog. Solo comes in and it's what we'd expect for the song and much longer than any of the previous solos. It goes into light atmosphere and clean vocal that continues with prog riffs and prog drumming - scowl comes in here - there's a slight effect and then the song fades out.

From the start of "Aetherial 8:01" the album's title track, you already might think that you're listening to another band. But that's because it comes in with pummeling death metal. There's still melody, but yeah - this is death metal. Until it makes an abrupt change into a light atmosphere and clean vocal. The band picks up as the clean verse comes in amidst thundering drumming and death/clean interchange as the toms create a tribal effect between the guitars making this certainly the kind of song you'd expect - there's a slight extreme portion in between every prog break - until the prog break continues for much longer and goes into a strong Neurosis influence that goes into blast beats. The song calms down as light atmospheres an ethereal clean comes in to highlight them. Death metal revs up again and it's definite death metal. Yes, you can headbang here. Do so. Then the music gets a little sludgier as the extremities continue making a killer fucking song. The prog comes back, lightening things up as the solo guy comes back and does a terrific job that coupled with everything else, would make a listener's head spin off. The drums have their fun for a moment as some spatial effects are heard. Things get heavier again with the Neurosis approach and some more guitar solo work that ends out the track.

"Primordial 6:46" which starts out with post metal (insert scowl) and finally envelops into full on black metal in it's base sense - yes, this is the only song that does that - goes into a light atmospheric and then back into post metal. Groove kicks in a bit as the post metal continues and then there's a slight bit of gravel as the guitar melodies come in wake up another clean and the beast returns with a growl, clean and scowl. A bit of western influence comes in as the prog drum work comes back and goes into another atmosphere. The clean comes back ala post metal. Insert another scowl. Post metal influence, then another scowl. Drums seem to go crazy at this point as the drums thunder amidst a long scowl and short solo that leads into a foreboding atmospheric piece which seems to end out the track.

"Blackest Cloud 6:54" apparently invokes King Crimson and I can very well hear it. I also hear a vocal style that reminds me a bit of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden.) A slight prog atmosphere flows as the vocals lighten to go with the prog sense of this track. It sounds very uninviting however, not the calming sort of prog and that eventually flows into a heavier portion that really highlights the slight uneasiness I felt about the track. Black metal scowls come in and lead to something more akin to hardcore/post metal vocals. Clean vocals are heard as death metal growls come in leading right into a prog atmosphere that plays with the guitar. Now things start to sound middle eastern oddly enough, but I welcome the Melechesh drum style and riffs. That's really fucking great, guys. There's also a solo here that highlights the middle eastern parts. Listen closely and you'll hear a few notes of the "Star Spangled Banner" which leads me to believe this track is about war in the middle east. The song returns back to it's King Crimson sense with it's powerful chorus. Damn. Definitely one of my favorite tracks.

The disc's final track is the epic "Great Divide 9:29" which you can already tell is going to be a tour-de-force. So like most tour-de-force's, it starts out light. The chorus portion is first as the song goes into a big post metal feast filled with different vocal styles. The clean comes in as the track thunders - a light pause - a instrumental highlight - then a light atmospheric and clean vocal. Acoustics come in as the song reaches it's chorus portion and really hammers hard on that. After that chorus, you get some real firepower amidst tinkering that works well. Then we've got a powerful post metal portion that comes in with buzzsaw bass lines. That goes into some prog melody as the chorus comes back and leads into a beautiful prog portion that leads into some acoustics. Light riff there as a verse comes back in with the guitars back at full-force. This is the heavy melodic part of the track which leads right back into the chorus. Then we get a solo portion, sounds very otherworldly, but fucking amazing nonetheless. This the real solo showcase here. Best solo on the disc by far. Then you'll hear a scowl portion highlighted by some technicality. Groove comes back in as the clean vocals come in highlighted by the melody. The song ends off on a slow atmospheric, but I'll admit that I would've loved to hear that chorus one more time. With that being said, this is the end of the album.

If you've made it this far, I fucking commend you. Describing this thing is work in of itself, as it's literally some of the most sporadic metal I've heard since Sculptured. It definitely has for the most part a feel of post metal and would like to see them highlight more of the other styles on future albums. Which I certainly hope there will be. This is a band who has more than just a little potential and I think that every metalhead should give them a try, just to hear something that's incredibly fucking different. I'm wondering if that Adrien Begrand guy got a copy of this one and is now posting "check this out" on his twitter feed, only to listen to it again with a clear head and say "this band lacks an identity."

And again, I don't feel that way. This is the future of music - experimentation. There's no use in making the same kind of music as others, and in the end we can all be accused of plagiarism at some point as there are so many fucking bands out there who borrow from this and that. But we could say the same for writers, directors and even game designers. Oceans Of Slumber is what heavy metal music should sound like in 2013, being a cacophony of sounds and styles that all seem to meld together into an awesome and unforgettable trip.

Definitely get your hands on this one. Sorry about the ten paragraphs, by the way.

(9 Tracks 60:00)

10/10



Necrocurse - Grip Of The Dead (PR2013) - Necrocurse is a death metal band which one can quickly draw many comparisons, such as Morbid Angel and Grave. Whether it be the opener "Necrocurse 3:51" (which would be the band's namesake) or the clever "The Devil Cobra 4:01" (which makes me think of a fiery red serpent with horns) these guys lay on the vile as thick as I lay on the peanut butter when I'm making sandwiches. Nice and chunky and evil. Nevertheless, I don't think that one member in this band actually follows and worships the dark one and even if they did, this music wouldn't reflect their beliefs. It's nothing more than an old school tribute and that's fine with me. These guys know exactly how to play death metal the old fashioned way and do so with as much spite and fire as you would expect it to sound at it's unholiest. The vocal style of the approach is closer related to the scowls of black metal and that does help it to give some form, rather than all of this being done in standard gravel.

With tracks titles like "Death Metal Rebels 3:47", "Morbid Maniacs 3:40" and "Coffin Breakers 3:15" these guys definitely aren't trying to go for anything profound and succeed in their approach of meaty drums, raucous guitars and an overall sense of dread with some moments of extreme thrash. I guess I could also compare them to The Crown at their earliest (Hell Is Here, Deathrace King) but a little more vile in the sense that the approach is more horrific then the balls-out stuff that The Crown have done. Nevertheless, Necrocurse bring us the very best of death metal's past and come in fully swinging with the best of it's solos, riffs, drum work and scowls that come from the very fucking abyss. Add to that album closer, "Infernal Rebellion 4:50" which starts out on one of my favorite riffs of all time and features a couple of classic high pitch vocals in the vein of King Diamond. This is old school death metal at it's most preserved.

There's not a single thing wrong with this album, other than the fact that you haven't listened to it yet.

(11 Tracks, 41:00)

9/10



Goatcraft - All For Naught (PR2013) - Upon getting this promo, I must admit that I was rather smitten with the cover. Sure, it looked just as dark and dreadful as any other black metal cover, but for some odd reason it just didn't seem that harmful. There's a goat on the front of it, appearing to be just "chillin" as it were, overlooking a full moon. I got so enamored with this cover, that I decided that I would actually speak to this goat.

So I asked the goat, "What are you doing on that hill?" and the goat replied; "Nothing, brah. Just chillin."

Confused at this response, I sat there dumbfounded as the goat said, "I'll bet you think I'm on the cover of a rough, raw black metal album. Right, brah?"

And I replied, "Yeah. That's how it would appear."

Then the goat replied, "Well, I bet you'd shit yourself if you found out that I wasn't on the cover of a black metal album, brah."

"And what do you mean by this?" I asked.

"It's classical, brah. Baroque period. You remember Castlevania, brah? That's what it sounds like."

So without a word further, I pressed play on the album to hear just that - the kind of ominous music I would expect to play in Dracula's castle, if I were really in there - not the rock/metal infused classical stuff that played in the games. This is in all actuality, an album of dark classical music; and I'm going to be digging up buried treasure with my comparisons, but I could easily compare it to the 1997 Xytras side project of Samael, right before they hit their new era.

Truly, there's nothing wrong with this though - I'd love to have a copy of it, it's something that comes around once every blue moon, to be honest. Few people actually have the gumption to do something like this, which is essentially black metal stripped down to it's most primitive and root element - classical music. It is true that the devil himself was said to have come and visited famous composers in their sleep and teach them various compositions as they themselves had claimed; so it's only right that this sounds as grim as humanly possible. Probably about as grim as this tower, really. But at any rate, this is by far some of the best classical I've heard in a long time. I really enjoy the darker approach of classical music, like Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" for example, being one of my favorite compositions in the history of classical music. It is true that the same level of darkness is echoed here, in such songs as "Infinite Death 7:52", "Isolation Ripens 7:52" and "Goats Will Riot 3:08" for example.

To say that this album is not for the metalhead, would be an insult - some of you have no idea where the darkness and thunder of black metal or heavy metal in general even came from and have dismissed the entire genre of classical due to popular, happy compositions. But let me tell you that some utterly vile pieces lie in the world of classical music, pieces that will shake you to the very core with fright and wonder - and that is what Lonegoat has been able to do here.

Every once in a while, there's that one guy that shows up and does something altogether different - the man who decides to put little rocks on a piece of meat, when everyone else just ate it plain. These small rocks turned out to be salt crystals and others also found them to be good. Then a man decided to ground peppercorns and he also sprinkled them on a piece of meat and found it delicious. Years later, we've got people sailing all over the fucking ocean looking for more of these spices and killing any tribes that got in their way.

Now I'm not saying that some monarch is going to start requesting dark classical music and people will go flying around the world looking for it, abducting any composers they may find - but in a world where everyone else wants to play black metal, Lonegoat decides that he wants to be that one guy who plays dark classical music with the spirit of black metal intact. As a matter of fact, I am certain that Ihsahn or Mortiis would enjoy this work as would Gaahl or Silenoz, perhaps even Galder and most certainly ICS Vortex. This is the symphonic part of black metal without the metal, and let me tell you something... it's fantastic. I'd be an idiot to give this anything less than perfection.

And for all those naysayer's who are upset because there are no guitars, drums or even vocals on the disc, I'll just tell you this. It doesn't need them. If it did, it would be just like any other symphonic black metal album. True, there are slight atmospheric interludes; but this is for the most part a wonderful masterwork of neoclassical piano work that will sound great in any dungeon.

It is wonderful music to play when the moon is high in the night and a fog can be seen, still creeping through the air...

Highlights: All (12 Tracks, 46:00)

10/10



A Transylvanian Funeral - Gorgos Goetia (PR2013) - Sleepwalker is back, and this time he's shed the skin of melodies that I previously enjoyed. Why, I don't know exactly; but "Moonchild 7:17" is still here and I will again say that the track is a masterpiece. According to my PR info, Sleepwalker handles everything and he does so with a live kit, live guitars and minimal production value; as well as the scowls of course. The disc is actually 74 minutes of black metal mayhem (two more than indicated in the PR info) and offers many different sides to Sleepwalker's work.

However, some of these songs were definitely recorded at different time periods and you can tell from the production value on some of them. The opener, "Cold Blood And Darkness 3:39" actually sounds much higher in production value than the tracks released on the EP like "The Supreme Rite Of Transformation 5:35." But that's really no big deal, since everything is done to the best of his ability and nothing on here really sounds like a filler track. It's definitely a black metal disc of the rawest, but still listenable quality and I enjoyed every track on it; but I still didn't find anything better than "Moonchild."

As far as Sleepwalker's talent goes, he definitely does utilize the kit well enough and the riffs are full of just as much seething venom as they need to be. If this is a rite to a Gorgon, he's certainly done her justice as I imagine that the Medusa might fancy this album in her chamber, surrounded by all of the brave warriors of whom she's turned to stone. This is certainly American black metal at it's most pure and should even get the kvltists who think that the only good black metal is Norwegian black metal, to change their tune - albeit slightly.

Not everything on here sounds the same, for one thing - "Fear 6:25" has a sort of melodic black style to it, where as the eight minute epic of "Mars Exiled In Capricorn 8:05" features more thrash, thunder and overall spite. Then we've got "Percival In Black Armour 8:07" which is not only a clever title, it's also a rather clever track that features some more wonderful words from The Great Beast 666. Don't quote me on this, but I believe it is an excerpt from Crowley's "The Pentagram." What? You didn't know that Crowley made an album? Yes, it was made on old wax and it's amazing that we still have his words preserved; considering that music could not be well recorded back in his day.

I especially like "Hymn To A Gorgon 7:32" which is much slower in nature, but has a great deal of emotion in it, that makes it worth checking out. Sleepwalker belts out these scowls with such fury and passion that it certainly must mean something to him, as it switches to a thrasher where the instruments continue the passage.

I did say that I was curious as to what a full album would sound like from A Transylvanian Funeral, and I got my wish. Though there isn't as much melody as I hoped, it is there to balance out the punchy drums and furious riffs that this extremely long ritual encompasses. If you're a fan of black metal in it's truest sense and don't mind a bit of melody in addition to the raw thrashy nature of the genre; I would certainly recommend picking this disc up for 6.66 from Forbidden Records, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Rhapsody and other online retailers when it is available on March 20th, 2013. Since it's damn near everywhere, you've got no reason not to check it out!

Highlights: Burning Astral Hunger, The Supreme Rite Of Transmutation, Fear, Moonchild, Night Hags, Percival In Black Armour, Hymn To A Gorgon
(12 Tracks, 74:00)

8/10



Expurgate - Dementia Tremens (PR2013) - The debut album from these Colorado brutal death metallers had better satiate you, because they're now on hiatus. The first time I listened to this album, I was sitting in my living room early in the morning blasting this disc while eating a bowl of Cheerios. True story. So as I lowered spoon to bowl and from bowl to mouth, I heard what sounded like rather generic death metal to be honest. I'm just going to say it. I didn't like this album, because it's just not my thing. I love death metal, but I don't like it when the vocalist doesn't actually encapsulate a word in the vocal effect and what I'm hearing is essentially the sound of a demon from Doom. If I gave one of the demons from that game (the gray ones with the horns that run around the maps) the microphone and allowed it to grunt and grumble, I would get the same effect. If you like your death metal to sound like there's a literal monster on the end of the microphone, this might be for you. There's also what sounds like the appearance of the brown imps (sounds just like them) on the microphone.

As far as the music itself goes, the riffs are kind of bland but the drum work is certainly up to par. If you like bands like Disgorge, Digested Flesh, Dysentery and other bands of that genre, you'll like this. I just don't think it's the best brutal death album I've ever heard and the vocals are so off the wall that it doesn't even make sense to me. But if this sounds like your idea of a good time, then you'll probably like it. There's no piggie squeal here, but the sound of demons and imps on the same microphone to me comes off as comical. Occasionally, you will hear some actual death metal gravel mixed in - let's call this the voice of the undead space marine.

The disc is only a little over twenty minutes long, but being that the display of the vocals are so unreal, (this guy should voice monsters for games) it's definitely worth checking out; even though I'll admit that the asking price for the disc is a bit much.

(9 Tracks, 23:00)

3.5/10



The Modern Age Slavery - Requiem For Us All (PR2013) - Half an hour of brutality that hits hard and takes absolutely no prisoners, is how I an best describe the sophomore album from Italian brutal death metallers, The Modern Age Slavery. Track by track, this disc hits hard with each and every song and hits it's pint very clear. The New World Order is coming and we must fight to take this generation back from those bastards. One thing I need to point out that hits this home and I'm not sure if the cover artist designed this to be subliminal to only those who are "awake" but the tentacled monster in the background of the cover is literally in the shape of the pyramid and eye combo that our "friends" in the <(o)> use. This shit's coming upon us, so you'd better heed these words.

Requiem For Us All comes packaged with tracks like "Obedience 3:18", "Ivory Cage 4:10" and "Icon Of A Dead World 4:42" that offer plenty of technicality, brutality and overall fury. This album is certainly full of piss and vinegar and then some. There's some djent influence and core influence to be found, but at the forefront is the frustration of men enraged. If a world where your every action is tracked and your every thought monitored sounds like a good idea, then ignore these words and have fun in the cage. But as these gentlemen are trying to tell you - things are about to get much worse. And they do so with some of the most uncompromising and dread-laden death metal that you'll probably hear this year, that is; if you still have your own mind before 2014.

At any rate, I definitely recommend that you check out this half an hour display of complete devastation. Only the heaviest of metal is here and while laden with some modern influences that you might not like so much, they do what they do well enough. Take it as a bullhorn of a sign. A brutal fucking sign that things are about to get rough. As rough as this fucking album.

Blast this shit as loud as possible.

(10 Tracks, 34:00)

8/10



Krypts - Unending Degradation (PR2013) - These Finns have done something pretty spectacular here and in the realms of death metal; that must mean that the disc is going to be chock full of awesomeness.... which it is. Krypts take absolutely no fucking prisoners with this beast of an album that features such classics as "Open The Crypt" with it's absolutely pummeling bass lines, concrete vocals and thundering drums. Yes, this is how death metal should sound. This album made quite a good atmosphere piece while cleaning one of the most brutal rooms in the house - the bathroom. While I was cleaning the muck from the sink and the toilet, this album helped provide me with that extra adrenaline dose I needed to keep scrubbing the hell out of the bathtub. Tracks filled with both doom and ferocity like "Dormancy Of The Ancients 7:42" which sounds anything but dormant and the best evil march I've heard in my fucking life - "Inhale 4:00" remind me why it is that I even like death metal in the first place. If you've ever seen a film or played a game where something evil marches in some way or another, this is the background music for that march. When I play this song, I literally think of fear and dread, total devastation and chaos. It's that fucking wonderful. Instead of inhale, it could have been called "Death March" or "March of Venom" but other than that, it's perfect. This is "evil" with a capital "E."

Then we've got the black smoke that rises because they haven't chosen a new Pope yet. Whoops, wrong blog. But yes, songs like "The Black Smoke 3:25" and brutal death basher "Day Of Reckoning 4:41" remind me once again, what it is that I love about death metal. I'm actually hearing a lot of Vader influence in "Day Of Reckoning" along with a short solo that definitely found it's way in there along with other sporadity in the track that just seems to work.

For the most part, Krypts combines the very best of dreadful, foreboding doom metal with the unrelenting viciousness of death metal. It's an unholy combination that certainly works on all levels. I loved every single track on this disc and recommend it to fans of bands like Desolate Shrine, but will add that this disc pummels much more than their latest one did. It's dreadful, that's for sure - but it also packs a fucking punch.

Highlights: Open The Crypt, Dormancy Of The Ancients, Inhale..., The Black Smoke, Day Of Reckoning, Beneath The Archaic (8 Tracks, 39:00)

9/10



Lifeless - Godconstruct (PR2013) - The sophomore album from German death metallers Lifeless is now upon us and crushing, it most certainly is. The album might start out with the calm chanting of monks, but when "Godconstruct 5:32" rolls in, it makes me think that the fury of the oncoming wave of death was too great for the monks and they are now no longer with us, unless you count the ashes. "Towards Damnation 3:46" is a by the numbers basher which features a classic solo and does it's job well enough, until "Moribund 4:27" comes in and shakes things up a little bit. This one probably features the solo that you expected from "Towards Damnation."

"Blood For The Gods 5:47" starts off a little slower, but with some slight folk influence and features a torrential downpour of drum savagery. The next song is actually quite interesting and unexpected, especially for an album that has dealt with death metal mainstays. Yes, like The Modern Age Slavery; this track is also about the coming NWO and begins with George Bush (the first one, not "dubya") infamous quote referencing "the new world order." This is definitely one of the album's best tracks, being a definite basher and featuring a great solo along with a lot of fury. These guys seem to be rather upset about the oncoming threat of the microchips and enslavement (Whoops! Did I say that out loud?) and I can't say that I fucking blame them. The next track goes in line with it, featuring an excerpt from Nietzche.

When the metal returns, we are one again bashed over the fucking head with the next track, "Seething With Rage 5:31" that begins with a slightly long intro and then envelops into the monster you'd expect. "Sworn To Death 4:01" however does little for me, other than the solo. The power comes back with "Reconquering The Soul 4:08" which is about taking your life back from those who control it.

"Blindead 5:18" features some slight atmosphere and the use of an almost middle eastern effect (I really like the guitars here) but I have no idea what the keyboard part that comes after is supposed to be and it throws me off track. Couldn't that have just been a riff? Finally, "Perdition Of The Whore 3:46" bludgeons you one last time, with everything that you would want from the end of an album - the finale; if you will. The track pummels more than anything else here has and it's got a great melody in between the pummeling, almost like a man who's holding you by the head and drowning you in a bucket of water, but lifting your head up every few minutes to get some air before you get dunked back into the bucket. There's also a tremendous fucking solo and powerful reprise to the track, ending out a very strong death metal album... with piano.
Eh? Go figure.

Regardless, the new album from Lifeless is well worth checking out for death metal fans worldwide. The band brought a great deal to the table and for the most part, it delivers. There are some oddities and tracks that don't offer as much substance as others - but it's definitely solid melodic death metal with an emphasis on the death and not so much on the melody. You'll get a beating here, for sure. Hell, you might even like it.

I did.

Highlights: Godconstruct, Moribund, The Truth Concealed, Seething With Rage Reconquering The Soul, Perdition Of The Whore (12 Tracks, 49:00)

8/10



Suffocation - Pinnacle Of Bedlam (2013) - Suffocation is back and it's about damned time. Their last album was released in 2009 and that was four years ago, folks. Yeah, I'm rubbing it in - you're getting OLD. So while you think about geriatrics and death metal, I'll just let you know that these old dudes (and they call themselves that) really blew it out of the water this time. Pinnacle is truly a fucking pinnacle of death metal this year, it's without a doubt one of the best death metal albums of 2013 and shouldn't be matched for a while, at least. The disc comes out pummeling - no bullshit intros, no spoken word vocals, just 100% fucking death metal. They definitely turned up the technicality this time, but it's been turned to insane amounts - "Eminent Wrath 3:40" opens on one of the craziest, choppiest solos that I've ever heard.

Even though "Sullen Days 4:57" starts off a little acoustic, the track heats up and thunders through into something fucking unmentionable and ultimately electrifying. Listen to the drumming at the beginning of "Pinnacle Of Bedlam 3:43" folks. Just the drumming there. That is the kind of effort that I'm talking about. But if that's not enough for you, listen to the fucking solo here. I have nothing more to say other than expletives when hearing work this deep.

As good as this album sounds, it literally sounds like it took six years to make. Though the disc is short, I would rather hear thirty eight minutes of complete perfection; then an fucking hour of half and half. No, this is goddamned perfect. I'm not even going to continue lining this album out for you. There's no use in it. If what I've said isn't good enough, then you're clearly just not fucking interested in this masterwork. These days, there are a lot of clones out there. But Suffocation proves that the originals do it the best.

One of the best death metal releases of the human era. Get your hands on it today. If you were on the fence, now is the time to jump over and cross into the promised fucking land.

I repeat myself: "Pinnacle is truly a pinnacle of death metal."

Highlights: You're still reading? Go get this album already! (10 tracks, 38:00)

10/10



Wednesday 13 - The Dixie Dead (2013) - The full length album from Wednesday 13 is just as I've said in my review for the EP last week. It's more along the lines of heavy rock than it is punk. And when I say heavy rock, I literally mean a scrunch of hard rock and heavy metal. Think Rob Zombie and Dope mixed with Motley Crue and you've got it. The first track "Blood Sucker 4:07" certainly does have that whole party metal theme to it and features a good enough riff melody. "Get Your Grave On 4:10" is a stickler for early Rob Zombie, but without the strong vocal tone that he could have better provided to the track. Think Hellbilly Deluxe with vocals that don't match.

"Curse The Living 4:28" is a groove thrash track in the vein of Exodus or Testament, but Wednesday is the wrong vocalist for this. "Too Fast For Blood 3:48" sounds like a heavier Crue, but it doesn't work anyway. I like "Hail Ming 3:44" with it's march-like quality, but again - it's the wrong vocalist for a track like this. "The Dixie Dead 3:32" is just southern rock laden metal that I'd expect on the credits to a b grade horror movie. "Ghost Stories" is as I said, very much in the vein of the acoustic "Curse Of Me" from the EP. It's actually a good song and should warrant a few plays - he's done a decent job with the melody and does seem to be the right vocalist for this track. Although, I can think of better.

The Misfits come out in "Fuck You (In Memory Of.) 4:31" which I could direct to a certain person. Quite a few, actually. Not sure what the fuck is going on with "Carol Anne... They're Here 3:40" but the chorus is plenty strong and it's listenable. The last track is "Hands Of The Ripper 3:05" which is decent enough, but nothing special. Of course, there's an outro and it's an atmospheric which is also decent enough.

But that sums up the whole album. Well, maybe it doesn't. True, there are listenable songs on this one; but I just don't know what Wednesday was trying to do. Very little punk and grabs for every other style of music but what his voice was suited for make for an odd sounding release.

No thanks. I'll just listen to "Rambo" from the EP.

Highlights: Blood Sucker, Curse The Living, Ghost Stories, Fuck You (In Memory Of.), Carol Anne... They're Here (13 Tracks, 45:00)

5/10



KMFDM - Kunst (2013) - Damn. What the hell happened? Honestly, what the fuck happened to the ultra heavy beat? After Blitz in 2009, everything just seemed to go downhill. Granted, this new release is better than 2011's WTF, but there are quite a few tracks here that go nowhere. But before we get to those, let's talk about what they do right. The album begins with the title track "Kunst" which is German for "art." At any rate, the song is just about the massive 29 year legacy of KMFDM and uses the fake title "Kill Motherfucking Depeche Mode" in the song - even though the band's name translates to No Pity For The Majority. After that, the album's best track, "Ave Maria 5:06" begins in the retro style and truly symbolizes exactly what the very meaning of industrial is, with it's mix of classic synths and groove rock riffs and Lucia's angelic, but rough vocals. "Quake" is one of the heaviest tracks here, but it's still quite electronic influenced. The chorus however, really kills and makes me think of classic KMFDM. But that is the purpose of this album.

Forgive me, I'm mistaken. The next track on the disc, "Hello 4:25" comes out thrashing. But it mixes light electro-pop and thrash together in a way that I've never heard before. Lucia sings lightly for most of the track, but when the thrash comes in, she screams like a fucking banshee. Damn, how I've missed this!

Unfortunately, "Next Big Thing 4:41", "Pussy Riot 4:10" and "Pseudocide 3:36" failed to keep my attention, even though I love the vocal approach to "Next big Thing" and wish it could've been more. It was just a little off for me. Lucia actually fails a little bit in her approach of "Pussy Riot" and it doesn't come out as good as it could, but I do like her clean approach on the track. Maybe it'll come in time - I dunno. I just think the vocals are a little obnoxious for it. "Pseudocide 3:36" has a good riff style, mixing some thrash in - but I hate the chorus. Just a little weak.

"Animal Out 5:06" is another one of those tracks that might come to me in time. I'm sure that if I listened to this album like I used to listen to albums (the same one, over and over) eventually It'll grow on me. Lucia's vocals sound good, the electronics are strong and the riffs sound classic - it really sounds like 90's KMFDM and some people are going to fucking love that. Maybe I'll give this another star. Got to give it something for that end effect. That's the band at their best.

"The Mess You Made 6:05" is a longer track with a little more atmosphere than the band has previously had. The song is certainly a dance-rock track and it's got it's use of guitar (and solo) so I think that it's another grower. Sometimes, KMFDM is like that though. You don't just soak up their music. It's the opposite of pop muzak that is made to be easily chewed. KMFDM takes a while to absorb and that's a good thing.

The very last song on this disc kind of struck me as intriguing however. If you've studied MK Ultra, the song seems like it could be about the effects of MK Ultra mind control. It has that duality nature and a strange hypnotic sense to it, especially when he says "you need to comprehend, who's in control" which sounds like a master and puppet relationship. I think that KMFDM want fans and listeners to dig into this one further. It's also the first time they've mentioned a subject like this. But people are waking up and this is a great thought to leave someone with. The song itself is called "I <3 Not 4:32" which is pretty damned bizarre to begin with and the fact that he says "I heart you, I heart you not" is just a little peculiar. An interesting observation from a band who's taught me to look deeper into things and discover the true nature of the powers that we put into control.

KMFDM has returned to their roots. It's not an easy disc to get into, but if you set it aside for a while and come back to it, it'll eventually grow on you. Again, look further into that last track. I want to think it's about the concept of God, but those lyrics don't seem to fully calcify that idea.

Highlights: Kunst, Ave Maria, Quake, Hello, Animal Out, The Mess You Made, I <3 Not

7/10



Subterranean Masquerade - Home EP (2013) - Don't cry. It's only twelve minutes from a band that we've wanted to hear a new recording from for years now. I'm sure there will be a full release at some point, and from the sound of "Home" it will be worth it. "Home 5:40" isn't very long, but it's use of middle eastern elements, operatic and death metal vocals as well as saxophones and other odd and uncanny styles prove it to be a very strong track that's just as strong as anything else that the band has done. Yet I definitely sense some November's Doom influence put into this band more now then ever. November's Doom fans can actually check this band out now (but you idiots, you should have in the first place!)

The next track is "Beyond The Pale 6:25" and it's not as great. Well, it does sound like it was recorded back in the 70's and doesn't feature any death metal influence. Perhaps it is a cover? I will have to check that and make the appropriate edit. It does feature the same middle eastern instrumentations though and is definitely prog.

So we've got two songs here. One of them is definitely death metal influenced and the other is definitely weird prog. Yep. This is Subterranean Masquerade. I have no worries about the new album now. It'll sound just as it should.

(2 Tracks, 12:00)

8/10 (At least hear "Home." You can probably stream it somewhere, if nothing else.)