Week 76.5 (April 13th, 2013)

Super73 - Untitled (What Matters) 2:51 - Yes, you haven't been fooled. Some bands are opting to send me just one song to review. Which I don't mind, it makes things much easier; but on the other hand it gives me just a one-song impression of the band which could make or break the entire experience. I could tell you that this song is amazing, but then again - it could be the only good song. Or I could tell you that the song is horrible, but the rest of the release the song was taken from might be fantastic. I've never been a "single" kind of person, I know many people however who only do like "that one song" and skip out on album listening completely.

Super73 is an alternative rock band that sort of reminds me of Rage Against The Machine/Tool in the riffs, with a little bit of core or punk influence in the vocals (usually in a sort of background yell) and a frontman with a more mature tone who sort of reminds me a little of Corey Taylor at his cleanest. The song is an odd mix of punk and proggy hard rock that left me both confused and intrigued at the same time. It's punchy but intelligent rock music that seems like it would be quite marketable. I'll also add that a little more thought was put into this than most bands of their genre, so give them a plus for that.

7/10



U.D.O. - Metal Machine 4:46 - So this will be the second time checking out the only track I've heard from German metal legend Udo. Though he's had many albums, I've only heard this track and certainly would like to hear more as I'm curious to hear anything done by a metal legend. I got the Judas Priest vibe just by looking at the album cover (for the forthcoming record Steelhammer.) It's very much in the style of Ram It Down and the music displayed here reflects that. Udo sounds like he's reaching high for Halford inspiration and I'll admit that on the second listen that damn chorus is pretty catchy. The track certainly sounds like something from Priest at their heaviest with hard-driving rhythms, a few classic solos and backup shouts that enhance the chorus, bringing a certain old-school flavor to the mix. Unfortunately, I feel that this song is too much like Judas Priest and would like to hear something that sounds more unique. I hesitate to use the word knock-off in this sense, but I feel that it very much comes across as such. But it does have a certain nostalgia value that might just resonate with the rest of the metal world.

5/10

(No Artwork Available)

Ugly Distance - Because Of You 4:55 - Posted on The Grim Tower's FB page was a set of about four or five tracks from an electro metal band called Ugly Distance. Obviously I don't have enough time to stream, so I downloaded the one track that was available and promised a review. As far as the music, I could liken it to Scream Machine, early NIN, Ministry or current electronic era Mortiis. Strong electronic-laden riffs compose most of the song along with some electronic buzzing that seems to leave the (slightly enhanced) vocals as the strong point of the music. The musician definitely has some potential (I'm guessing he's a DIY) and his angry vocals come across in the right context. The latter part of the track comes off much better than the beginning which I will admit drones a bit more than I'd like. While not completely polished, this track is a free download from the band and is worth checking out. I'd be curious to see what Ugly Distance will offer us in years to come and applaud all DIY musicians.

The band's music can be found at Myspace, ReverbNation and Facebook via a simple search. Enjoy!

7/10



Severe Mutilation - Spawn Of Hatred (2013 Band Request) - If you're looking for something to rip your fucking face off right from the beginning, look no further than Puerto Rican death metallers, Severe Mutilation. Originally under the name Bloodspill (just in case you've heard of them by that name) the band has since changed their name and with that change came the idea to incorporate more old school death metal influences into the music. Influences like "Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Vomitory, Vader, Behemoth, Napalm Death, Soltice, Decapitated, Suffocation and many more."

The drums are rife with fury, the vocals are scathing, switching between influenced gravel and scowls on the fly and it really conveys the band's "fuck you and your god" message quite well. The riffs charge into the fray with the fervor of death and thrash, albeit letting some deathcore influences in every once in a while. But if I'll say anything about the music, it's that these songs really kill. These guys aren't trying to be anyone other than themselves, they're just going out there and putting out ball smashing death metal that's well worth recognition. There was a five star rating from me on every track but the intro, showing that I enjoyed every track but will admit that I heard nothing here that reinvents the genre of death metal. Nor did I expect to hear anything of that nature. And if that sounds good to you, then chances are that you'll enjoy every blistering moment of this beast.

Severe Mutilation's Spawn Of Hatred is nothing new, but it will definitely leave a mark on you if you're a diehard fan of the genre. The core influence is still there, but it's not going to leave a bad taste in your mouth unless you really don't like the vocals. I'd recommend checking it out when it's available on May 5th, 2013.

Promo Singles: (All Respect For Life Is Lost & I Kill For God)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyyu6DpXiW4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J701FT7on7w

(10 Tracks, 29:00)

8/10



Soliloquium - The Concept Of Escape (2013 Band Request) - This short release from doom/deathers, Soliloquium (try saying that one three times fast) actually impressed me a bit more than heavy hitters in the genre like October Tide, Be'lakor, Swallow The Sun, Saturnus and others. Maybe it's because there's nothing expected of them at this point and that gives them the free reign to do what they want with this release. The guitar melodies certainly have it, as they weave through the tapestry of these dark sonnets like a chill November wind. Even if you don't think the production is as "flashy" as you'd like, at least it sounds natural. After hearing "Remnants Of Dying Dreams 7:39" I am clearly reminded of death/doom favorites Rapture - but I feel that the melodies here might even be better than theirs and that excites me greatly. The drums pound but never get too overbearing, while gravel consumes most of the vocal area. Occasional clean vocals are used and they come off quite soft for the most part, yet there are also a few background screams to add extra emotion in the music. Things are not always so heavy though as atmosphere does creep up in the vein of light yet dreary, acoustic melodies.

As for the record as a whole, I believe these guys have the potential to become as big as their influences and hopefully this will get enough promotion for them to reach that level. They are just as talented as all of the bands I named earlier and well worth checking out for fans of both those bands and the death/doom genre in general. These guys really do a lot in less than thirty minutes and I'd be curious as to what they could conjure up in a full hour's time. Each and every one of these three lengthy tracks is fully recommended.

Once again, the melodies have it for this extremely hard to pronounce band. But after you get done hearing this disc, I think you'll find that you'll be trying to pronounce (and probably misspell their name) to all of your friends and fellow band members, if that be the case. This is what the early fiddlings of future legends sounds like and I most certainly recommend it.

Highlights: Crossroads, Remnants Of Dying Dreams (3 Tracks, 24:00)

9/10



Wings Denied/As Oceans - As Oceans/Wings Denied Split EP (2013 Band Request) - This bandcamp split between two bands who do more or less the same sort of djent influenced prog/core but with different approaches comes off as both mediocre and interesting at the same time. While it is true that As Oceans' "Witness 3:48" comes off a little expectable, I do like the use of a technically influenced solo that balances out the angry core vocals that back the djent riffs and technicality. There's a clean vocal approach that's also expectable and a light atmosphere to end the song. The next track "Requiem For A Planetary Burial 3:33" contains some odd structure changes and a spacey solo - so at least they're trying.

Wings Denied starts off their half of the EP with "Signs 4:52" which is the most refreshing breath of air on the whole damn thing. True, some might see it as core going as prog as it can without reaching into the veins of screaming and hardcore grunts; but I like the fact that it doesn't feel it has to go into that territory. The vocalist doesn't feel the need to have to sound like anyone else other than himself and it has a sort of Deftones feel to it in areas. Though it would be doubtful that I would have any effect on the band's music, I think an entire record in this vein would be a refreshing change of pace for the whole genre. These guys have already showed me that they can do it with "Signs" and if they just cut the whole djent deathcore that everyone else and their mother is doing, they'll stand out. Someone will give a damn. Not only that, the blazing solo that creeps out of this corner further ensures me that I would actually care a bit more about this band if they made an entire album in this style. But then there's "Kill, Eat, Pray! 4:44" which though even contains some gravel and yells amidst the haunting djent core, (it is original in that sense) I still have to say that I really want to hear more like "Signs."

I think that both bands have something to offer, but obviously I'm more inclined to Wings Denied on this one. As Oceans' have their points, but it brings up a nostalgia value every time I see their name as it's close to one of my still favorite industrial black metal acts, the now defunct ...And Oceans. But honestly, the fact that both of these bands offered me something that didn't sound like everyone else is refreshing. Every time a new trend in metal comes out, you get 45,000 bands who want o capitalize on it. It's good when you've got some bands out there that say, let's approach this a little differently.

"Impressive." remarks Darth Vader.

Highlights: Requiem For A Planetary Burial, Signs (5 Tracks, 18:00)

As Oceans

6/10

Wings Denied

8/10

Final Score

7/10



Desiderium - Autumn Tales EP (2013 Personal Interest) - While on the download page for the previous split EP, I found an another EP from one of the band's old vocalists. He's apparently doing some sort of black metal. I said to myself, well - let's throw the guy a bone. I like black metal, so maybe this will be good.

Yet here's the thing. It wasn't black metal! But hold on, don't stop reading just yet. This odd record certainly had potential in it's Goatcraft/Ulver style flair of three different atmospheres, each one of them quite interesting in their own right. Obviously there's nothing to band your head to here, but if you've heard Mortiis's atmospheric material I think you'll quite love this. In truth, I used to fall asleep to the lovely sounds of Mortiis's atmospheric albums (and sometimes Burzum and Karl Sanders) every night and always woke up quite refreshed. I do believe that this would also be useful for lulling one into another dimension whilst they dreamt. "October Chill 5:56" actually reminds me a bit of atmosphere master Steve Roach (please get some of his great music if you've not heard it) and that is a compliment that should make this guy smile from ear to ear. It's not necessarily easy to do atmospheres. I've done some of them myself and know that it takes a great deal of time and patience to achieve the right kind of mood for the piece.

Secondly, we've got "The Golden Evening 7:38" which continues this otherworldly music (that I think needs a cover more fitting of it - the current cover doesn't match the style of music and it's misleading) into the very reaches of the stars. This is extremely gripping material, it's as if the music itself is carving a story into my conscious with sound alone. I feel as if I can see the planets, Saturn with it's mighty rings and the gaseous clouds of Neptune (maybe there's life inside of those clouds?) and the many moons of the titan Jupiter, spinning about in orbit to an fro, completely free from the parasitic man - it's a splendor unlike any I've witnessed. Aye, the sounds of the universe have been indeed captured and displayed before us in a fashion unreal. This is not just the highlight of the album, it is the highlight of most atmospheric music that I've heard in a while. On this song alone, I would give the disc a 10/10.

The disc ends with a spacey (and yes it works) cover of "Cicely 3:24" as originally performed by the Cocteau twins. This is the first and last that we'll hear of the vocals, but they certainly aren't my thing. Perhaps with time I could learn to like them though. The emotion is there, it's just not my style of vocal.

This EP is incredible nonetheless. I hope this guy just drops black metal forever and continues to follow in the footsteps of great atmospheric visionaries like Steve Roach and whatever the heck it was that he channeled in "The Golden Evening." I grabbed this on a whim and never expected to be blown away so much by that song. Labels, if you are listening (and I know that you are) please review this music yourself and determine whether or not you think this man should be signed. He should at least make some sort of deal with the darkwave/atmospheric collective that Projekt controls and maybe get his name out there to a broader audience. If Sam and his wife are still running the label, I'm sure that they'd be more than glad to have him among the roster of such incredible artists that they feature.

Music this good should not have to struggle to reach the masses. Especially when there is dire need for it.

Highlights: October Chill, THE GOLDEN EVENING (3 Tracks, 16:00)

9/10

(Remember, The Golden Evening is a 10/10 by itself.)



Ghost B.C. - Infestissumam (2013) - However you pronounce that title, (and spell it) this is Ghost's... I'm sorry, Ghost B.C.'s (WTF?) second album and is a complete departure from their beloved debut, Opus Eponymous. So, what the fuck happened here? First of all, let's just observe if you will; the "B" and the "C" in the band's new moniker and the changing of Papa's. (He's now simply Papa II.) This is merely to let the fans know that Ghost has changed into something that has been identified with the letters "B" which stands for Became and "C" which stands for Corporate. So the new name for the band is, Ghost Became Corporate. Who can we thank for that? Phil Anselmo and Metallica. Dave Grohl even plays drums on one of the bonus tracks, an Abba cover of "I'm A Marionette."

Are the King Diamond/Mercyful Fate influenced odes to the horny one downstairs still intact? Yes. They actually get rather blatant with this one, if you couldn't already tell that these guys either worship or want to worship or want to make people believe that they worship Satan. Of course, the singer has a slight pronunciation problem, so I'm not sure whether or not they're singing about Satan or the color satin, as in bed sheets. There's one track in particular "Year Zero 5:50" that goes "hail satin, welcome year zero" and all of the sudden I'm thinking about them singing in some kind of department store (because remember, they're corporate now) about the color satin, each one of them holding those little paint cards and influencing people to paint their houses that color. So if they intended on brainwashing people with their music to buy satin carpets, bed sheets, curtains and paint for their homes among other things - then they've succeeded.

But if you're not a satin carpet and you don't sell them, you probably won't like this album as much as the last one. It is true that vocally it has the same style, but the band decided to kind of kick things up a notch and make things a bit heavier than they really needed to be. The album opens with "Infestissumam 1:42" which has a choir chanting in the beginning with some nice riffs, but it's just an intro piece with some indie rock melodies. Good indie rock melodies, but still indie rock melodies. Guys, did we really need the choir? Less is more. Next, there's "Per Aspera Ad Inferi 4:09" which has a dirty but heavy prog sense and a very strong chorus. It's certainly catchy and you can hear the 70's influence for miles. My only problem, is that they should have just found a place in "Per Aspera Ad Inferi" for what composed the intro to the disc. Mainly those indie rock melodies, which would have gone great in the back of that final chorus section. The whole fucking intro should have been scrapped to back that last part of the chorus. If the guitar melodies were playing in the same style but matching the riffs in "Per Aspera" I think it really would have brought the track out. To tell you the truth, the fucking keyboard should have been scrapped in the background of that track and the guitar melodies should have been used instead. There. That's how it should have been done.

Alright. What the fuck is "Secular Haze 5:11." Makes me think I'm on a goddamn ferris wheel funhouse that's on the back of an elephant taking a shit. Decent prog riffs but now I know why I didn't like this one that much. Haven't I heard this kind of stuff from Opeth already? Oh wow... you tried to scowl. Goodness, I guess I can start typing "black metal influence" now. On second thought, I'll scratch that out because I know better. Couple of good riffs towards the end and a solo... huh? What happened? I heard couple riffs in a solo motion and then all of a sudden some strange man in a long overcoat says "No" and the guitarist just kind of frowns. He keeps playing, but frowns.

Well, now we've got bluesy, jazzy stuff going on in the form of "Jigolo Har Megiddo 3:58." As a matter of fact it sounds like the evil Beatles. After the keyboards take a break, the guitarist finally says "Fuck you, I'm gonna play a solo this time!" and he does to a great extent. The middle part of the song sounds like Tommy in the background until it goes back to the chorus. But you know what's funny about this? It's marketable enough to be put on the radio. Like you'll have people who are religious listening to it and saying "I want to hear more from this band called Ghost and they mention Megiddo, where the battle between God and the devil takes place so they must be Christian right?" Oh yeah. It's that kind of marketable. I could play this for my mother and she'd like it. It's that kind of prog rock stuff that appealed to most of the generation who grew up with the Who and The Beatles.

The whole "I'm a Satanist thing" dies after hearing "Ghuleh/Zombie Queen 7:29" it's more horror themed, so that means that all this is SCHLOCK. But even so, I will certainly say that I like the spacey keyboards in this one. Heard them before, they were ripped right out of 70's prog album X but they work. Guitars come in nice and mellow - again, prog album X. More keyboard before the riffs kick up into something that sounds like traveling prog rock. Again, an attempted scowl. Should I hesitate and put "black metal influence" now? Nope. Not going to do it now either. The chorus hits well and goes into surfer music. It really reminds me of a grindhouse film (and the shit that Rob Zombie did this year, which I will get to next.) I kind of dig this one, in all actuality. But maybe that's because it doesn't take itself so seriously and the chorus is catchy.

When you pre-order the album, you'll get "Year Zero 5:50" as a free download, which in all actuality is a good song that mentions both the names of Lucifer and satin carpets. It's also electronic influenced which is a first for the band. Yes here's the one where he says "Hail satin!" in appreciation of the color. I've always thought it was decent enough, but to each their own. Maybe on the next album they'll sing about burgundy or fucking periwinkle. Maybe in year zero, everyone will have satin carpets. Oh. There's a really great solo portion here too, but it's short. Those who don't notice that the band appreciates satin might get the feeling that this is a highly evil song capable of brainwashing the mind and that's why it's being offered to usher in the forthcoming new world order and the dark seed behind it. In the big fucking ziggurat they're going to build in the middle east (Dubai) that I just learned about a few days ago. Yes, a ziggurat.

That's why the next song is about Jesus. But it's certainly not praising him. In an interview, Papa II (in one of the many interviews I've read from him) describes the track as what happens later in the body after you've tasted his body and blood (defecation if you didn't get it.) It's about shitting out the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Not very nice, I'll add - but these guys could care less. They're going to live in a big fucking ziggurat full of beautiful whores and I'll be dead and forgotten. At any rate, the chorus of this one is quite good. It's a strong song with healthy repetition and a heavy portion (there goes that scowl again) that leads into the solo.

"Idolatrine 4:23" is a radio ready track. It's essentially The Beatles at their most evil. Little bit of questionable keyboards going on, but as far as the chorus goes, that's about as close as you're going to get to The Beatles ever singing anything in the vile category. There's a nice solo portion in the end. You know what? This also kind of sounds like The Beach Boys. I'm serious. Yes. I do like the track, it's catchy as most of these have been in the latter portion of the album.

"Depth Of Satan's Eyes 5:26" comes next, bringing back the proggy nature of the first album. The only other thing about this one is that it brings a little bit of a sinister flair to it with the chorus and features a couple more heavy riffs than the others. Little bit of vocalizing and then some keyboards that enhance the weak riffing here - vocals are truly the main point of this one. I don't think these guys could do it without their current vocalist (who of course hasn't been revealed to the public.)

The final track on the album is "Monstrance Clock 5:53" which, and let me describe this to you; the word "monstrance" means "a container for sacred bread. To Christians, this would hold the bread of Jesus Christ. To Satanists or whatever kind of Satan Worshipers these guys are, that would hold the bread of their Christ - the son of Satan. IE: The Antichrist. Now, the clock portion relates mainly as it's almost time for the monstrance, for the container that holds the bread of Satan to arrive onto the Earth. Which doesn't surprise me, as things already suck enough as it is. See? That was easy. Now when someone asks you what the hell a monstrance is, you'll know. It's kind of hard for me to listen to this one to be perfectly honest. It's definitely a good track when the chorus lights it up with the great guitar melodies and keyboards in the right place but damn, should I really be singing along to "Come together, together as one - Come together for Lucifer's son"? Again, I guess that things can't get any worse. They've also got a choir singing it for extra effect. Pulls at my strings a bit, guess it's my religious upbringing taking hold - but yeah, if that means microchips and martial law and war and all that other fucking stuff; I'm not probably going to be entirely accepting of that - all religion aside. You know, if I don't actually have to believe in this stuff for it to affect me, then it's quite deplorable. Of course, some people will love it. But they'll all be in that ziggurat (wait, it only holds a couple thousand people - so maybe not) and I'll be a bunch of forgotten bones in the desert.

Additionally, even if this is as I've noted - SCHLOCK but may have some sort of agenda push (hence the fact that the ghost is seen hidden behind the antichrist's infant body and you should also take notice of the masquerade mask on his face) it could signal the rise of a such individual. Not actually having to do with Satan, you can always use religion to purport something onto another person or groups of people and a tyrant can always use a belief to back him (Hitler and his beliefs in Germanic paganism and occultism for example) so it's very possible that this heralding could be to a man drenched in the ideals of a new world order. A charismatic individual (one of the Rothschild's looks just like Jesus Christ) who would steer people towards these new ideals and then have them wipe out... everyone else. He does say that the band's cover of Abba's "I'm A Marionette" goes along with the idea that he is a puppet for the devil. Or whatever agenda the industry wants them to push. Remember, these guys were admittedly broke on Opus Eponymous and now have the industry backing, which always comes with some red tape.

Finally, there's the simple fact that these guys might just have wanted to piggyback on a marketing scheme and bring back occult rock as pioneered by Witchcraft in the 70's. There's nothing to the lyrics or the message, it's a storybook as they come. It's just a bunch of guys playing music with no intention whatsoever but just to pay respect to their influences in their own style. Even if the vocalist does really worship the devil, that doesn't mean that the other members do and even then - he's been known to crack a lot of jokes.

So there's Option A: Satan is real and the music is about the arrival of the antichrist which leaves everyone of merit to live in this ziggurat and me to be a forgotten pile of bones in desert.

Or B: Satan is not real, but they're using the music to purport an agenda that declares this individual to be one to follow, like a Christ. But in reality he represents the new corporate age and wants to control my mind and body with his machines. They'll all live in this ziggurat and I'll be a forgotten pile of bones in the desert (again.)

Or C: These guys are just capitalizing off a cult trend of occult rock back in the 70's. The whole Satan thing is schlock and it holds no bearing on their actual beliefs. These guys are probably atheist, agnostic, nihilist, pastafarian or worship the great chicken lord of Kulokas. They're just playing music. In that case, they won't be going to live in a ziggurat and I won't be a forgotten pile of bones in the desert.

Proof: "The idea has, all along, been to be a theatrical horror-rock band with a grand stage-show." the album concept is (other than birth of the devil's son) "...how mankind chooses to tag things either as works of the devil or as something else, something that she feels shouldn't be confused with human ambition and her will to progress."

- Nameless Ghoul, Revolver

So option C is correct. But I have no idea why he is referring to this in the feminine. But that's probably because he prefers satin carpeting.

No matter what's really true about these guys, the new Ghost album is a definite departure from the band's last record but with some experimentation that at sometimes enhances and other times completely ruins the music. The vocals on the record are great either way and whoever the hell Papa is, he could sing the goddamned phone book and I'd listen to it. These songs are catchy long after the first listen and even catchier after the second. I hesitate to listen to this album again, because after doing this review I had most of the choruses from the album stuck in my head as they played around in random constant repetition... if that's not the devil's work, then I don't know what is!

...And that's the new Ghost B.C. album in a nutshell.

Highlights: Per Aspera Ad Inferi, Ghuleh/Zombie Queen, Year Zero, Body And Blood, Idolatrine, Depth Of Satan's Eyes, Monstrance Clock

8/10

What The Fuck is This?

Now, as most of you know - I love metal. As in really love metal. As in, if metal was some extremely hot chick clad in black leather and lace and spikes (which it fucking is) I would marry it. Now, as I went about browsing the inter-webs I stumbled upon this picture of the pop star Rhianna at a Clipper's Game. I know next to nothing about basketball, but a hell of a lot about metal. Can someone please tell me what in the living fuck a pop star is doing wearing the all black pentagram and goat head laden attire that I see here? Am I really supposed to believe that while doing her hair and listening to Venom's Welcome To Hell album, she said to herself "Well, I think I'm going to dress like a metalhead today."

What the fuck? What did the basketball players think? Ah, she's Jay-Z's bitch and he'll break my fucking nose if I say that his woman is just fucking nuts? Some of those basketball players were probably religious guys and they're thinking "WTF? I thought she loved Jesus? That looks like Satan to me!"

What the hell does Jay Z think? I mean, maybe somewhere in the house he's got a shitload of black metal records? "I'm a black man, so I thought black metal was for black people and it turns out that I really like it." Is that what I'm supposed to believe? I'm not trying to be racist, but how in the world does a man who is known for his beats and rhymes all the sudden decide to cross over into the boundaries of metal?

Does he say, "I got tired of listening to rap music and decided to try rock music, but I want something deep and heavy, so I got into Venom and Mayhem."

Sure you did. Sure you did, Mr. Z. What's gonna happen next? Are we finally going to hear black metal destroyed when Jay Z decides to mix it in with rap? What about Rhianna's new pop black metal album?

Well... here's my response to all of this in the form of a country song. And I'm sure you'll agree. Now, it goes a leetle sometin' like this...

"If Black Metal Ever Becomes A Thing"

Well I've heard those people talking
Bout how the media's always changing
First we're talking bout hip hop and now we're talking bout going to the clubs
Well I ain't never been to one, and I don't think that I ever want to go
Wish the radio would quit with all this nonsense
It's only a matter of time before they make everything their own

Someone told me maybe, that they could get a hold of metal too
But not old hair and leather, I'm talking Satan and his buddies too
You might see Bieber wearing, a bullet belt or two, you might see ol' Lady Gaga
Painted up like some corpse painted old fool
Well if that ever happened, let me tell you what I'd do.
Now I'll make it nice and easy, so that you can follow along too

(Well I'm gonna get)
Rip roaring drunk, if black metal ever becomes a thing
I'll strip off all my clothing and jump right into a ravine
(and then I'll get)
Rip roaring drunk
If black metal ever becomes a thing
I tell you that I'll climb the highest mountain, and then see if I can fly

Those same people keep on talking
Bout these pop stars and their love of metal
Heard Demi Lovato's growling but she only did it for a little while
It seems that the media don't take too kind to black metal or the devil's name
They sure don't like church burnings, but I never though that vampires would become a thang

Never thought in my wildest dreams
That people would be cheering and shouting
For damn near naked women, who don't have any kind of damned brains
Don't have to work a day in their life, yeah that's who you wanna be
Because Uncle Sam, well he done fucked us - with his rough economy

(Well I'm gonna get)
Rip roaring drunk, if black metal ever becomes a thing
I'll strip off all my clothing and jump right into a ravine
(and then I'll get)
Rip roaring drunk
If black metal ever becomes a thing
I tell you that I'll climb the highest mountain, and then see if I can fly

But I'll probably die
Oh yeah, I'll probably die

Seeing all those kids dressed up in corpse pain and bullet belts, and then they're wearing the little goddamned spiked bracelets. Then they'll carry around those little plastic battle axes and Wal-Mart will start selling  pentagrams. Man, it's all over then. The world's done gone and fucked itself right in the asshole.

But I'll probably die
Oh yeah, I'll probably die
Cause black metal wasn't made for children
And man, well he wasn't made to fly

Oh yeah, I'll die
But I'll probably be better off
Because black metal wasn't made for children
And it might just be better off to die

I can't sit around and cry. Hell, it'd probably be anarchy in the streets by then.
Sure enough. Just tell the old man, "I didn't kill myself! I just slipped on a rock and fell off, you see."
But then he'd shake his head and probably banish me.

But not to hell, it'd already be on earth. And if that was the case,

(Then I'm gonna get)
Rip roaring drunk, if black metal ever becomes a thing
I'll strip off all my clothing and jump right into a ravine
(and then I'll get)
Rip roaring drunk
If black metal ever becomes a thing
I tell you that I'll climb the highest mountain, and then see if I can fly

Then I'll see, Oh then I'll see, if I can fly!

Geronimo!

Week 76 (April 07, 2013)

Echtra - Sky Burial (PR2013) - Echtra's Sky Burial (Not to be confused with the Inter Arma disc of the same name) is a two track piece focusing on the "dissolution of our mortal coil" or in other words, death. Which for me isn't the worst thing that can happen. At any rate, the disc is composed of two parts "Sky Burial I 23:00" and "Sky Burial II 23:00" which each coincide with the other, so it is integral to listen to both pieces as one whole. There isn't much of a difference between the two pieces either as they are both instrumental - let's use the term "atmospheric" and feature the same use of foggy acoustics with light hints of black metal riffs that help to purvey the subject matter. Atmospheric effects are also used on the disc, making it sort of a transcendental experience. This was actually displayed live once and only once, back in December of 2008 and is available to watch in a visual format (perhaps on youtube) at your leisure. But as far as I cam concerned, I care less about watching the music be performed right in front of my eyes as I do listening to it in the format that I believe was originally meant for it.

There are almost no vocal utterances on either part of Sky Burial, but the enlightening sounds of synths combined with the raw spirit of black metal and almost tribal sense of drumming certainly conveys a rather grim, but unique sense of one's finality. It is very hard for me to actually explain this one, but I could liken it to acts like Nechochwen, as it gives off a sense of mysticism that lingers long after you've listened to it. Sometimes electronics are employed on the disc, sometimes you'll hear the sweeping of guitars and sometimes you'll hear drone. But other times... well, you have the melancholy voice of the acoustic accompanied by the brooding voice of the musician behind the experience. There is a portion on the second track however that really does thrash things up a bit - I'm curious as to why, but it doesn't last long enough to serve as a disruption.

I do say experience, as Sky Burial is not just an album you put on and enjoy for any sort of fun or amusement. It is the kind of music that you listen to when you want to reflect on your inner being. Perhaps it's a meditation as it does cause you to reflect and think on your life, decisions you've made, perhaps goals you have set for the future and other such ideas that run through the labyrinths of the human psyche. A meditation on one's death might sound quite grim, but I am also hearing something else on this album - a sense of hope. I'm hearing not the sounds of forlorn misery, but the sounds of rebirth, reincarnation and a furtherance of existence.

Some might say this is a sort of black/drone, but I have to say that this isn't anything like the crap I've heard from SunnO. It's a ritualistic meditation that I'm just glad to have heard and would certainly recommend to those here on the tower who revel in musical experiences - not just those who "listen to music." I would consider myself in all honesty to be the kind of person who "feels music" and this is certainly the kind of music that you can literally reach out and touch - feel the emotion and the sense of arcanism behind it.

I've never heard an Echtra album before and I do not know if I will ever hear one again or what that album will sound like, but I will tell you that I highly recommend that you take this journey and get the album from Temple Of Torturous.

Highlights: Once again, you can't highlight certain parts of a journey. It is the highlight. (2 Tracks, 46:00)

10/10



Total Negation - Zur Späten Stunde / Zeiträume (PR2013) - This is a collection of two EP's placed on one disc, courtesy of Temple Of Torturous. According to the flyer information "Nightly trips and dreams crossing the line between Black Metal and Krautrock." Of course, surprisingly I don't think I've ever heard Krautrock and am curious to who plays that kind of music (though I've probably heard it before and called it something else.)

As for the music, I described it on the first listen as "black metal going on several trips throughout the world." "EinKehr 7:38" certainly conveys that message as the start of the journey with melodic post-metal tinged (Krautrock?) meets raw black metal stylings that continue into the industrial and tribal sensations (yes, shakers and all) of "Abstieg 6:27." Still continuing on our journey, we encounter a militant black metal march that goes into something that sounds very inorganic, robotic and in some ways; quite evil. "Freilauf 3:29" continues that vibe with an exercise in drone that opens "Geist 4:31" which sounds like a jazzier black metal with some unconventionalities that remind me a bit of Japanese black metallers, Sigh. Seeing as how much I love the Japanese experimentalists, this track also peaked as a highlight for me. Though I must admit that the screechy vocal tone is questionable (albeit unique?) on a track of this nature that ends with a pronounced black metal assault. "Zeit 4:46" sees things a little rockier with slight intrudes into black metal blasting that separate with light keyboard work. "Raum 4:05" comes in just the same way, sounding like a black metal band in a crystalline cavern trying to play along with the miners who are playing harmonicas as they toil in their labors. It has a slight slowdown before it plays with rock, black metal and harmonicas - which I never thought would sound so awesome in black metal until now. "Traum 6:06" ends our experience with a turn into the industrial that reminds me a bit of Aborym with some harmonica presence thrown in. The song finally takes a turn into the jungle - yes, it sounds like jungle beats or island rhythms before playing black metal harmonica - and yes folks, that is a good thing.

You know, Total Negation is made up of just one guy. But this guy's got some fucking amazing ideas and that's what keeps underground music preserved. That's what keeps real music fresh. I'm still waiting for the day when Mr. Corporate decides to unleash some do everything band in this fashion, but fail miserably. Total Negation is the kind of shit I live for, it's why I spend so much time downloading and reviewing albums - I want to hear something that's worth something and when I do, I want everyone to know about it. There's a sea of metal, a whole fucking sea of it that grows larger by the day, by the hour - but deep within the ocean there lurks hidden treasure. And I'm a diver, swimming to the bottom of that sea, looking for timeless albums that people will remember years from now.

Though I didn't like every single track on the first half of the disc which was taken from the first EP, the second EP is nothing less than ingenious. If this is what we can expect from future releases, I'm more than ready to hear what comes next. Yet another band from Temple Of Torturous that I'm keeping my eyes on.

Highlights: Einkehr, Absteig, Geist, Zeit, Raum, Traum (8 Tracks, 44:00)

9/10



The New Black - III: Cut Loose (PR2013) - The third album from these rock/metallers sees them trying all sorts of things and as expected, making several hits and misses in the process. The first track "Innocence & Time 2:47" did come off as the PR info stated with the Motorhead influence, but I think the Nickleback rock of "Count Me In 4:05" and "Muzzle & Blinkers 3:31" was a little weak and mediocre. Any band could've hammered out these tracks really, so there was little to interest me there. "Superhuman Mission 3:21" adds a bit of thump to the formula and makes me think it might be good playing in the intro movie for a popular video game. Then we have the title track, "Cut Loose 4:25" which has a blues vibe to it. There's also a harmonica solo utilized, but the song seems to be more concerned with the chorus, which is fine - because it's strong enough to keep the focus of the listener.

At first "Any Colour You Like (As Long As It's Black) 4:04" left me thinking I was about to get a ballad, but that's when the groove kicked up with the blues and left me with another strong chorus, but it's certainly something I could hear in professional wrestling entertainment as it has that "same vibe" as most of the tracks they promote. These guys should give the WWE a call and get it licensed. But that's not the only licensing deal. There's a track called "Burning D 3:33" which sounds like southern hard rock theme to a superhero. I'm not sure who this about, but the name sounds like it might refer to some sort of anime character or something by the title. After that, we've got the thrashing rock of "Not Quite That Simple 3:12" which isn't anything you haven't heard before, but I fucking love the chorus. "Sharkpool 3:33" continues the southern hard rock grooves, but this one didn't hook me - not even with the solo.

"The Unexpected Truth 3:47" makes me feel about the same. From this point, the album sounds very much like American hard rock and could probably hit a couple of singles on American radio (AFM, if you're listening - you should looking into this) but it doesn't appeal to my metal sense as much as it does my rock sense. The next song "One Thing I Know 3:50" starts out like a ballad, but gets stronger and has a pummeling chorus. As in, it'll get stuck in your head. Finally, l we have "Antidote 3:23" which has some harsh vocal influence but I'm not sure why. It is a good note to leave the disc on however and I think that these guys should certainly find fame with this album. It's nothing unique, but it is very marketable. I know for sure that if I played this album for some friends of mine who usually listen to rock and hard rock (and occasionally metal) they would probably find a few songs that they liked from it, if not more. It's for fans of bands like Stonesour, Skillet and maybe Nickleback at their heaviest. I don't listen to much hard rock these days, so I don't really know what's popular in that scene right now. But these are some of the bands that come to mind with the grooves and southern rock influence (which I've noticed in Stonesour and Nickleback in particular.)

If you want a decent hard rock record, The New Black have crafted just that. But if you're looking for something heavier, this isn't going to make you a convert. Still, it's definitely not bad and worth checking out for hard rockers. The Digipack version of the album comes with five bonus tracks that I didn't even get the privilege to hear, so grab that version of the disc from AFM Records if you're interested.

Highlights: Any Colour You Like (As Long As It's Black), Burning D, Not Quite That Simple, One Thing I Know (12 Tracks, 43:38)

7/10



Svart Crown - Profane (PR2013) - Svart Crown is back and if you'll remember I considered their first disc to be either decent or solid. That was 2010 when we first started and my memory isn't as good as it used to be (I'm sorry to say, but that's the bullfuckery of getting old) and now they're back three years later, with a brand new disc that features a nude pregnant woman (yes, there are "boobs" on the cover for the 1.337% of album buyers that only buy discs because of naked women on them) with a tidal wave of people in her stomach (I had to zoom in to really see the cover art - clever on their part.)

The disc is more or less a showcase of the fall of humanity and it succeeds by bringing an extremely dark helping of black metal tinged death metal complete with every shade of malice that can be captured on a disc, save for destroying their instruments, which they might as well have done on this album. Something about today's society really pissed these guys off and they're not going to stop until they've bludgeoned you over the head with their vision of this extremely sick and sad world. This is the disc you go and listen to if you want everyone to literally "just fuck off and die" for a while. That's putting it rather bluntly, but it's true.

Yes, there are some light moments on the disc in which to catch your breath, but that intro "Manifestatio Symptons 1:32" and the calm beginning of "In Utero: A Place Of Hatred And Threat 5:12" is just the calm before the storm, which pounds with a fervor unlike few bands can unleash. The band also plays some slower numbers like "Until The Last Breath 5:01" and the closer "Revelatio: Down Here Stillborn 5:22 " but I can assure you that they are not any less crushing than their faster numbers, which litter about the disc and as noted, contain slight moments of atmosphere just so that you have enough time to recover from the onslaught of their composition. Although if I may point out one oddity in the disc, it would be "Venomous Ritual 3:43" which takes a break from the onslaught for just a few minutes. Despite it's tribal and ritualistic nature that separates itself from the rest of the album, it still comes off as uneasy as the rest of this soundtrack to our demise.

This is by all means an extreme disc. Some might notice a little bit of core influence mixed in with the black and death, but in all honesty this is core in it's very neck-cracking, venom spitting sense. The drum work is fantastic, providing most of the beating, while the black metal and core on meth riffs provide enough uncomfortable confusion to make you insane. The vocals are the perfect topping to this unhealthy mixture of hatred, as they seethe and spit acid with every word and sentence of this nail in the coffin for humanity. This album would make the perfect soundtrack to the world after we've fucked up royally - after a major nuclear war or the effects of climate change (or whatever you believe) have taken their toll, leaving us with the same amount of devastation. It is the soundtrack to the masses who will beg for a death that never comes.

Svart Crown might not have broken ground for me with their sophomore disc, but this one proves that third time's the charm and I'm hearing a maturity in musicianship and an enhanced focus and level of chaos unlike I've heard from a band in quite some time. If you're looking for intelligent music to express your own anger, this one might just be the record to do that. When you grab this disc from Listenable and I know that you're going to... tell them that The Grim Tower sent you.

Highlights: The whole album is a great work in anger portrayed as art. (10 Tracks, 44:00)

9/10



Bovine - The Sun Never Sets On The British Empire (PR2013) - Bovine are four-piece metal act influenced by bands like Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age, early Soundgarden and Baroness and yes, I can hear it. I'm also going to throw Deftones in there, because I can certainly hear that influence among other post metal acts like Cult Of Luna. The album might start up calmly, but the drummer pounds the fuck out of the kit when he's not reaching for the technicalities of prog. The same could be said about the spacey riffs which seem to ebb and flow about the piece and provide not only the backing for the onslaught, (these guys love to bash your skull in with the most artful sense) but they also build up the atmosphere. The frontman's got an unmistakable sound that certainly reminds me of the Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age material which I ate for breakfast years ago and would love another helping. But he also lets loose with a scream or two that really accentuates the ferocity that these guys can inhibit. In my honest opinion, these guys have a future - and I'm not talking about just playing underground shows. These guys can really be the next big thing if someone markets them right and I'm going to help to do that in the best way I know how - promotion.

Everything that made rock interesting and unique is here. Remember why it is that you still like the Deftones? Remember why it is that you still dig Queens and Soundgarden even though everyone else only knows "No One Knows" and "Black Hole Sun?" because there are some fucking incredible rock/metal songs in every one of those band's catalogues and that's what I fucking hear here. There's no question about it, this one grabbed me and didn't let go for a minute. If I got the choice of what to put on the radio, I'd sneak one of these songs into my local rock radio station and say, "Here. Just play "Battle Of The Sinkhole 4:01" or "The Sun Never Sets On The British Empire 5:41" and see what people will do." I don't get excited for rock bands that much, but these guys are a rock band that I truly want to give a fuck about - every riff is worth hearing, the song structures are perplexing and intriguing all at the same time and the frontman's vocals sound like they were made for this fucking band. How often do you hear that?

It might sound like I'm too enthusiastic about these guys, but I honestly can't help it when I know that I really enjoyed the living hell out of this record. On my second listen, I'm still getting carried away and I hope that you will discover Bovine and begin to restore your faith in hard/alternative rock music.

Highlights: All (10 Tracks, 37:00)

10/10



Revel In Flesh - Manifested Darkness (PR2013) - It's only been a year, but Swe-death metallers Revel In Flesh are already about to release their next album Manifested Darkness and even though I loved Deathevokation, I think that this one needed just a little more time before it went to press. Opener "Revel In Flesh 4:09" sounds great and all, but it just doesn't really bring much new to the table and I think that Revolting could have served it up a little better in the grim melodies department. But that same statement could be applied for the track that immediately follows "Dominate The Rotten 4:32." By about the third track, we've got something that bashes a bit more in the vein of "Deathmarch 6:10" which I would certainly consider a highlight on the album.

The title track sounds way too much like a Revolting tribute and I guess that's what puts it off for me. As I said, I'm a huge fan of Revolting but I feel for the most part that this track plays a little too much to their style, despite the fact that an added heaviness does creep into it and some groove sections that you probably wouldn't find in Revolting. Then we go to "Torment In Fire 5:17" which didn't impress me much either. I just don't remember them like this on the last album and I feel that playing too much along the lines of established acts could be their death knell. However, not everything on this record is regurgitated Revolting and I find that "The Maggot Colony 2:48" while short, comes on fast and heavy making it a surefire must for the stage shows. Just hearing this guy growl "MAGGOTS!" puts a smile on my face from ear-to-ear.

There's also the carefully crafted "Operation Citadel 6:54" which seems to trudge a little slower than the others, but it invokes some maturity and shows that Revel In Flesh isn't a one trick pony. This song is killer throughout and really should have composed the cover idea and title of the album. It really feels like the unspoken title cut of the disc, as so much work was put it into it that it almost comes off as timeless. "Warmaster 4:02" continues this trend, seeing the band bludgeon in with a Bolt Thrower and Deicide like quality. But my favorite track on this album is the closer "Rotting In The Void 6:10" which starts out with the piano and then thumps into death metal while keeping the piano keys intact until those notes are transferred to the guitars which really gives me the sense of dread that I was looking to hear from the first half of the album. It ends the disc out on the same unwelcoming piano keys that began the song.

BONUS TRACK:

Twisted Mass Of Burnt Decay 2:24 - Hey guys, why is this a bonus? This is the kind of stuff I praised from your last disc. It has the eerie quality sure, but there's a hell of a lot more death metal to be had here. It's got the brutality factor, something that I just don't feel that I was getting from the first half of this disc.

Revel In Flesh are back, but with hits and misses and I think they might have just gotten a little too much influence from Rogga and company. Those guys are great, but when your styles sound almost identical, it's time for a slight change of plans. That's why I'm glad that even though it took almost the entire album to reach some work that differentiated from the Revolting influencza that the seemed to be suffering from, it finally came and was well worth the wait. Songs like "Operation Citadel" and "Rotting In The Void" showcase the very best of these guys and hopefully we'll hear even greater things to come on album three. Until then, I'm just going to have to call it a decent effort and recommend the first album Deathevokation, if you don't already have it.

Highlights: Deathmarch, The Maggot Colony, Operation Citadel, Rotting In The Void, Twisted Mass Of Burnt Decay (10 Tracks, 46:00)

7/10



Satan - Life Sentence (PR2013) - It's probably been more years than I've been alive since these guys have split up, but here in 2013 they've come back together. As a matter of fact, the only Satan track I've ever heard wasn't even done by Satan. It was a Blind Guardian cover of "Trial By Fire" from their 92' album Somewhere Far Beyond (And you can get all those wonderful albums remastered as part of A Traveler's Guide To Space In Time.) But the cover gave me a good sense that Satan was and is all about thrash. Good old thrash metal, the way that mother used to make back in the good old days.

However, Satan has changed things up just a little bit on this triumphant return. Now don't lose your mind and start throwing things at the computer screen while thinking about setting all of your old Satan LP's on fire due to the crime of "metal blasphemy." Because this is most certainly not the case. Though Satan has added the p-word into their mix of thrash, it still sounds pretty fucking remarkable. And yes, it does still thrash. Normally, a review would end here. But you came to the Tower to get the whole story, not just half of it. So here's my full verdict on this disc:

First of all, Steve Ramsey and Graeme English of Skyclad (the band who started the entire folk metal genre - prove me wrong, I dare you) have rejoined the band along with the original vocalist, Brian Ross. And let me tell you something, these guys have never sounded better. They alluded to thrash in the last Skyclad album, but it really comes to fruition in tracks like "Twenty Five Twenty Five 4:59", "Cenotaph 4:13" and "Incantations 5:29" for starters. I'll also have to admit that Ross's vocals and Hansi Kursch's vocals sound much alike, I guess that's why the cover worked so well - but Ross doesn't have quite so much of an operatic emphasis that Hansi has which might appeal more to some people who are turned off from Blind Guardian due to Hansi's vocals.

Unfortunately, the band might have the name Satan but there is nothing here that would even reference the dark lord's namesake. Satan's lyrics deal with the stuff out of my books actually, fantasy and sci-fi topics with some metaphysical afterthoughts ("Another Universe 6:29") so don't be fooled by the name or album cover. But even so, this is classic prog power/thrash that I would recommend to almost anyone. This is the album that these guys wanted to make for twenty years now and they finally got together and did it.

As for the musicality on the disc, the riffs are absolutely breathtaking and I literally mean that. Yes, you've got your classic heavy metal crunch here and there but these melodies are spectacular and I can't compare them to anything else out there. When these guys wanted to make a comeback, they really meant it with this one. It doesn't even sound like these guys are one bit rusty. It literally comes off as if these gentlemen have been playing together for years - but they haven't!

Whatever the fuck you want to call this miracle of absolute earth-shaking awesomeness, I just call it metal. Metal the way it was before core and such happened, before people started throwing tech and djent and all those other nuances we have nowadays. Sure, I'm grown to like many of these things, but Satan's Life Sentence is a time capsule that lays a testament to the power of heavy metal music in it's purest form. Yes, there's a lot of prog, but that really helps to make this album what it is - and it's an album that you can really just sit back and do what you used to do on old Iron Maiden records way back when... sit and listen to the guitar. Don't tell me you didn't do that, you're lying.

You know what? I would even give this album to a child. Yes, really. If I wanted to expose my future children (if there will ever be any) to metal, I would definitely play this one along with Sabbath, Judas Priest, Maiden, early Metallica, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian and anything else that's not too rough for them (sorry, but there's just some shit out there that I don't want to expose young children to, even though I've heard about a guy that puts his kid to sleep with black metal.) That's the stuff I started out on and really grew to like. Satan gives me the same feel here with a perfect masterpiece of an album. This might even be my pick for the best album of the year so far. It's definitely on the list.

So you really want to know whether or not you should buy this disc? First of all, just check out a track or two on youtube. It's got a classic production value, not too overproduced and sounds just right. All the instruments are discernible and sound amazing, from the drums to the dual guitars - the vocals are the icing on the cake. I think I've explained this one well enough. Yes, it's that good - especially if you like to hear the sound of a guitar carrying out it's true purpose.

Go buy Satan's Life Sentence and keep the spirit of real metal alive. I definitely want to get an interview with these guys to appear soon in the Tower!

Highlights: ALL. GO BUY THIS DISC. (10 Tracks, 45:00)

10/10



Six Feet Under - Unborn (2013) - I really don't know why, but Six Feet Under thought that they just had to release another record right after Undead. And the sad fucking about it, is that this record offers almost nothing interesting beyond the first track "Neuro Osmosis 3:10." Sure, "Prophecy 3:19" is alright, but I've already heard the same approach on Bringer Of Blood and a couple of new riffs don't help things any. This sounds like a band that's prolonging it's own death. A half ass record like this deserves a half-ass review.

Let's see:

"Zombie Blood Curse 4:08" - Yep. Heard that before.
"Decapitate 2:50" - Has potential, but it sounds like death metal vocals fronting deathcore.
"Incision 2:48" - Quite boring.
"Fragment 2:56" - What's with the core? Seriously? There's a nice melody here, kinda trippy, then there's a little solo. Cute.
"Alive To Kill You 3:17" - I wanna be in Cannibal Corpse again guys!
"The Sinister Craving 2:16" - You can do more with that guitar, can't you? Yes. Those ARE breakdowns.
"Inferno 2:53" - Extremely lifeless.
"Psychosis 3:47" - Nothing I haven't heard before, groove-death.

Then we end with "The Curse Of Ancients 4:37" which actually has some merit to it. just as long as you don't call it a death metal song. Never thought that Chris Barnes would go back to making schlock after the masterpiece that was Undead. I still stand by that album as enjoyable, but can someone please tell me what in the fuck this is? I've checked some other reviews for the disc and people consider this one better than a couple of their other albums, but I honestly don't see how much better this is. Should I give it a 5? or a 4? Most of these songs are just glimpses and they all seem to run into each other and it just seems that it was sloshed together like a suicide drink that I used to make when I went to a restaurant by pressing mixing every flavor in the machine together to create something that would be mixture of Coke, Dr. Pepper, Tea, Orange Juice, Sprite and whatever the hell they called their fruit punch.

It's a big mess and we didn't need it. Wait a couple years before putting out another one, Chris. Please! Or go back to covering rock songs in death metal. I'd rather hear Graveyard Classics 4 than this. Or have you run out of ACDC?

Highlights: Neuro Osmosis, Alive To Kill You, The Curse Of Ancients (11 Tracks, 36:00)

4/10



Torture Killer - Phobia (2013) - After washing the Six Feet Under out of my mouth, I needed a good death metal palette cleanser and that's where the new Torture Killer came in. Now as you know, I fucking loved last year's EP I Chose Death, but I think that they should have waited and left those songs on this LP which sadly doesn't hit quite as hard. But first off, it's not even hear as bad as the new Six Feet Under. Yes, Chris sang vocals for this band for a few albums and that's how I discovered them, but I will certainly say that these guys have far evolved beyond the level that SFU is at right now. Hell, they're in a whole other world of musicianship. From the very first note of "Devil's Reject 4:02" you can already tell that you're in for a pounding torrent of brutality that only these guys can deliver. "Devil's Reject" isn't even vocal laden, the first verse doesn't even creep up until a little more than halfway in the song, and it still has more to offer than just about the entire new release from Six Feet Under.

But the title cut "Phobia 2:29" takes a while to warm up, however. So that's a little disappointing. "Await His Third Arrival 4:17" thunders in a little better - but it's still nothing close to the material unleashed on the EP. "Written In Blood 4:54" starts out with atmosphere but also features Chris Barnes on vocals as a guest, not helping his or the band's reputation any. However, there's an interesting solo piece on the track that livens it up quite a bit. Think you can play a couple more solos next time guys? "Faces Of My Victims 3:31" leaves me indifferent but also makes me think that these guys are trying to be Six Feet Under. Not Cannibal Corpse, not Deicide - Six Feet Under. And I'm just kind of wondering why.

"March Of Death 4:25" finally breathes some life into this dead husk and lets loose with an impeccable solo. I will not lie, my ears perked up on that one. There's also a hint of experimentation that certainly couldn't hurt at this point, but some might say that it's just a mess of riffs with no structural integrity. "The Book Of A Dying World 5:09" sees a little more experimentation in it's almost droning sense (a few good bits of groove here and there) but I'm also left unmoved by it. "Epitaph 2:04" is a short instrumental that displays good guitar work, but seems misplaced on the album. This is more of an intro piece if anything else. But if that is the case, it's an intro piece to something that sounds 900% like something other than death metal - until the growls come in. To be honest, even with them, it just sounds like Torture Killer is becoming something far different than their namesake might imply. I don't know what these evolutions are, but they aren't death metal... at least in terms of what we'd normally expect from the band.

Definitely different. But I would still recommend I Chose Death over this.

Highlights: Devil's Reject, March Of Death (9 Tracks, 35:00)

6/10



Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal (2013 Deluxe Edition) - No, we've never done Bring Me The Horizon before. I usually review bands like this to poke fun and let you guys in on what's making a buzz in the diet metal scene, but this time I'm reviewing these guys because I'm extremely confused. Perhaps the same rules that apply in the trailer for Shadows Of Liberty (as I have not yet seen the film) might also apply to the journalism in metal magazines these days. This record has received an outstanding score from Decibel, Outburn and Revolver magazine. Now I can see the handsomely paid Revolver writers not having a problem calling this the best album they've ever been sold, but when it comes to Outburn and of course, Decibel - I start to wonder how true my words might be. Sempiternal has gotten such high marks and I'm scratching my head and wondering why. I skipped a few of the band's releases, only hearing one of their older ones and likening it to "Cradle Of Filth gone core" but years have passed and metalcore has become more a part of their repertoire, as well as a sound that might be found more pleasing to the ears of mainstream listeners. I literally just heard this album today, which is unusual because most records I review I've heard weeks beforehand and throw on a second time during the review as a refresher.

But in this case, I had to get this one a verdict as quickly as possible. I'm going to start by saying that calling this even a diet metal album is erroneous. It's a hard rockcore album that I could liken to the band's earlier metalcore related material meeting Linkin Park's current electronic material in style and sound. Yes, even in vocals, there is a serious Chester Bennington impression going on here and it's unmistakable in opener "Can You Feel My Heart 3:47" and "Sleepwalking." I will say that Bring Me The Horizon have in some ways written one of the best Linkin Park albums that the band never actually wrote, mixing the heavy core sound well with electronics that actually don't sound all that bad. As a matter of fact, I found "Sleepwalking 3:50" to be quite catchy and did like some of the band's experimenting on the disc. But I do recognized this as a hard or alternative rock disc that I would still recommend Bovine's debut over as it still retains the spacey riffs that compose this album, but the effort is done with more dignity and less of the plastic that I get from this album.

"The House Of Wolves 3:25" lets loose with fake thrash, while "Antivist 3:13" deliberately steals the riff arrangements from Hatebreed, whose new record was actually worth a damn. However, I can see what the critics say about the chunk in the middle of the record "Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake 4:02", "Shadow Moses 4:03" and "And The Snakes Start To Sing 5:02" as all these songs offer some potential in their multi-structural arrangements and experimentation - but as for the rest of the disc just seems scripted despite the fact that I like the ideas implemented in the last two tracks "Crooked Young 3:35" (orchestral metalcore) and "Hospital Of Souls 6:44" (uneasy atmospheres) but mixed in with all the Linkin Park, it's kind of hard to not see this disc as one big youth caterer. It's more like a product than a work of art... and again, it's not metal.

This also brings me to the question, "If someone screams in the song, is it metal?" which is what society has been led to believe. Sure, some people believe metal music to be nothing but relentless screaming (and sometimes, it very much is) but there are bands and labels and radio stations out there that think a band is metal because the vocalist screams every once in a while. This should not be a qualifier for metal and I do believe that if we took this out, we'd have a hard rock album indefinitely. As a reviewer of music, it is very hard for me to see this disc as a metal album. If I had the chance to sit fellow Englishmen (Bring me The Horizon are from the UK) Graeme English (Skyclad/Satan) and Rob Halford (Judas Priest/Halford/Two) down and tell them to just listen to about one or two tracks from this record and describe what you hear, I don't think they'd be rather harsh about it, but I think that both of these hardworking gentlemen would agree that there is a considerable difference in the music that is being made here and the aspect of the music coined heavy metal.

Calling this "prog" also does not sit well with me. I haven't heard any. Trust me, I opened my ears to listen. A couple djent riffs and some atmospheres do not equal progressive metal or progressive rock music even. Sempiternal is nothing more than an experimental hard/alt rock album for the new generation. I will certainly say that some songs are interesting enough, but couldn't see me playing this one quite as much as I might enjoy Bovine's approach and admittance that they are alternative hard rock or alternative metal if you will.

The deluxe edition of this album comes packaged with an EP containing three extra tracks. It's entitled Deathbeds and has some merit in all actuality. The band sounds much different on this EP than they do on Sempiternal and this could have been made before the Sempiternal sessions when the label wanted x product from the band. "Join The Club 3:04" sticks out to me from the first listen, as it's a product of the band's punk roots and would make a great English punk track if performed in the style of punk. The lyrics do not go with this odd musical interpretation however, but I do like the fact that the punk in the frontman comes out, and the screaming emo sense is left behind for a few minutes. I can also hear the British inflection, making it more authentic and less American. "Chasing Rainbows 4:00" seems like a group of gentlemen trying to chase after a song in all honesty. But they don't ever catch it. Then we have the haunting "Deathbeds 4:57" which features odd symbolic lyrics that some might want to further research (but I won't pull out the Illuminati card, because I think this is just a poetic "love lost" song and those have been written for ages) on, but the coupling of sullen atmospheres and female backing vocals make this one a little darker than Linkin Park, but not completely out of their current musical repertoire of work.

If I can say anything about Sempiternal, it is that it is a hodgepodge of ideas with some proving to be effective and others proving to be as marketable as they were created. It is a package and an image that I am sure the band will wear upon their sleeve, perhaps they will be hailed for it come 2014 when the album of the year conversation comes up. Either way, I will stand by my score. This disc is little more than mediocre, but has a few charms here and there. I do not think that current fans of the band will be upset by this one, but I do know that some would like the band to hearken back to it's earlier time when they were much more extreme and yes - metal.

It is up to you as to whether or not you choose to take this trip, but I do believe that I've experienced better trips that are less marketable and more enjoyable to the ears.

Highlights: Sleepwalking, Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake, Shadow Moses, And The Snakes Start To Sing, Crooked Young, Join The Club (2 Discs, 14 Tracks, 57:00)

6/10



Clutch - Earth Rocker (2013) - It has been a while since I've heard the voice of ol' Neil Fallon and let me tell you that it's just as unforgettable as always. I don't believe there's a Clutch album out there that I haven't liked and Earth Rocker is no different. A big departure from the slow-natured 2009's Strange Cousins From The West (and one of my favorite songs in "Abraham Lincoln") the boys thought that it might be a good idea to kick it up a notch and go back to the grooves of Blast Tyrant and even Transnational... which should put many a smile on the faces of fans who have been wanting to hear a little but more metal in Clutch and these guys have delivered in the best way possible. Title cut and opener "Earth Rocker 3:31" comes rip-roaring with fury and soul that's already worthy of that awesome space Indian album cover. "Crucial Velocity 3:59" has a jazz groove with a chorus section that sounds like it was made for the highway. "Mr. Freedom incorporates a sort of proggy funk that makes me think of tracks like "Sinkemlow" and "D.C. Sound Attack! 4:37" exerts only the best of Clutch.

Do I really need to go through this whole disc? Well, maybe I'll go ahead and explain the light thrash notion of "Unto The Breach 3:29" (Seriously guys, this one's great.) and my confusion with "Gone Cold 4:20" which is a little slower than I'd expect but I think it's not one you can just get from first listen. You might just have to sit down and listen to this atmospheric twangy blueser as it doesn't make it's intentions known as quickly as the others.

"The Face 4:22" is another strong one. It's got some good lyrics to it, I suggest you give them a listen. "Book, Saddle, And Go 3:43" is a great bit of blues that you just can't deny and the groove kicks in right where it counts. "Cyborg Bette 3:13" is great track about an ice-cold woman being compared to a robot. It's actually a clever take on those "that no good woman" blues songs that have been the genre staple for years. Love this one. "Oh, Isabella 5:17" might take a while to congeal, but it's got some awesome instrumental masterwork woven in that's going to make it worth a full listen. But the disc's final gasp is "The Wolf Man Kindly Requests... 5:02" which starts up slow but builds up with a thunder that exudes right into a solo - little bit of prog riffs here too, so look for them. These guys clearly went out with a bang and I'm glad they did.

The bottom line, is that Clutch is still here and they're going strong. It took them a few years to get off DRT and settle their business with the label, but this was worth all that - and the reissues (the band wants to get all that old stuff back out there to the people) are going to be too. For some young'uns, this will be the first Clutch album they've ever heard in their lives and they're going to want to get all that old shit. So the band's going to make them all available again. By the way, Clutch knows that people download and stuff - they aren't raising the roof about it. But they're on their own label now, so every bit of money you shell out to these guys for the disc, goes right in their own pockets. They even support whatever the hell this "concert trading" mess is I've been hearing about. Apparently, people record shows and put them up online through P2P. Clutch doesn't mind people watching their shows in this manner and even lets them know when new ones are out. I won't jump on that bandwagon anytime soon, don't even have time to watch the concerts I bought.

Oh, and I bought a Clutch shirt a long time ago. It had a pretty awesome graphic on the front, but I had to move from the house before the shirt came in so I was never actually able to wear it. I really did want to wear that shirt, but whoever moved into that place must've discovered and wore my Clutch shirt. Probably didn't even know who Clutch was. But yeah, it's safe to say that I'm a big fan of these guys and being a fan, I'd say that this album proves these guys are worth that fan support.

So go out there and pick up Earth Rocker and get your groove on!

Highlights: Earth Rocker, Mr. Freedom, Unto The Breach, The Face, Book, Saddle, And Go, Cyborg Bette, The Wolfman Kindly Requests... (11 Tracks, 44:00)

8/10



Lordi - To Beast, Or Not To Beast (2013) - Oh, Lordi - where in the hell did you go wrong? Or rather, why are you still making music? By this time, Finnish rockers Lordi (who even have a drink with their images on it) have gotten tired of their anthemic rock tracks and have decided to mix some metal elements into their haphazard formula. But how bad does it get? Simply listen to marshmallow thrasher "I Luv Ugly 3:47" and "Candy For The Cannibal 4:42" which sounds like a bad 80's hair metal outtake. But there's a few tracks here that might be worth a damn to the right ear like "The Riff 3:44" which makes fun of hip hop in the lyrics (but what in the fuck is that effect?) and has a decent power metal-esque chorus.

"Horrorfiction 3:28" is some odd track that seems to be pointed at parents (are kids really listening to this shit in Finland?) and tries to tell them that "movies cannot make you a killer, it's horror fiction." Are people over there really worried about their kids turning into killers because Lordi sparked up an 80's horror movie revival for the youth? (If that's the case, who knows what kind of metal we'll get out of Finland in ten or twenty more years.)

"Happy New Fear 4:45" is another song that seems to be targeted toward kids. Wow. These guys have really changed. Though I hate the intro to "Schizo Doll 4:34" I really like the track and would consider it the album's only highlight. But maybe that's because actual power/thrash is kind of sorta being attempted here. I would also add "Sincerely With Love 3:14" which isn't targeted to the kids and goes "Fuck you, asshole - sincerely with love." That one I guess I can also consider a highlight, just because it's useful in some situations. The disc ends on an odd electronic piece that includes a drum solo from the band's drummer, "Otus" (Or that might be his real name, I dunno.) and it's a decent enough gift for the end of the disc, the production on the live session is done well - I think fans will like it. There's also a lot of cheering so these guys are quite popular somewhere.

Needless to say, I don't recommend this one. I do like the Arockalypse and Deadache but after that, don't even bother. Lordi is just going through the motions now, getting old and writing both kid songs and adult content on the same album. I'm just confused at this point.

If we're going to go Shakespeare, I say "Not to beast. Definitely not to beast."

Highlights: Schizo Doll, Sincerely With Love (11 Tracks 43:00)

3/10



Looks pretty badass, right?



Not so much now, eh? This describes the music too.

MORE TO COME! 

Spotlight: Savage Annihilation

Savage Annihilation

Country of origin: France
Location: Montargis, Centre
Status: Active
Formed in: 2002
Genre: Death Metal
Lyrical themes: Zombies, Cannibals, Heresy, Doom
Current label: Kaotoxin Records
Years active: 2002-present

Members:

Aara: Bass See also: Behind the Hill
Mike: Drums See also: Brennkelt, Defecal of Gerbe
Dave: Vocals, Guitars See also: Brennkelt, Defecal of Gerbe

(THE INTERVIEW - WITH THE WHOLE BAND)

1. Let's talk about your debut album "Cannibalisme, Hérésie Et Autres Sauvageries" which translates to "Cannibalism, Heresy And Other Savageries." What was the recording process like for the disc? Where did you record it? What was the hardest part of that process?

MIKE: Our first album « Cannibalisme, Hérésie et Autre Sauvageries » was recorded in « Garage » at Sens (Fr) by means of Alesk engineering (Darknation’s Guitarist). Everything was recorded from A to Z, sounds, master and mastering at his home, with no problems and quite easy.
As the intro and the interlude, the feminine passage was made at Rv’s home (Defecal of Gerbe’s drummer). We’re really satisfied by the work brought on our music for this first opus, except that we can change few little things.

2. Since I don't understand French very well, I'm not aware of the lyrical content. What I got from rough a rough personal translation would be "The Catacombs Of Abomination, Devouring Of Humanity, The March Of The Dead" and a few that I can only guess to. What inspires these lyrics?

DAVE: I like this evil side, devilish and gore tha we can find in Death Metal, I wanted to send this atmosphere in our words, our music. Our words speaks about the Devil coming on Earth, he’s called by a population disgusted by human race, bringing with him a zombies’ army, ripping any form of life on Earth. We talking about several scenes of this holocaust according to this story. We decided to write in French because it feels much more comfortable and easy, we write these words faster and have more facilities to assimilate them.

3. The musicality of this album is great and it shows that you've gained plenty of experience from playing in other bands. What kind of instruments do you use and how long have you been playing them for? Are there any specific brands or styles of instruments that you swear by?

MIKE: S.A is formed since 2002, it hasn’t been much more time we play together with Dave and we especially turned a lot. Dave and I also played in Defecal of Gerbe (I’m the bassist) and Brennkelt (I’m the drummer) who turned too. We have recorded the first Brennkelt autoprod and the Defecal of Gerbe ‘s album is in preparation. By the way, we play a lot! In my case, I’m using Yamaha Mapple’s drum, “maple is life” for barrel .

DAVE: As said my brother Mike, we play together since our childhood. I think that it created a good alchemy through all this year. In my case, I’m playing guitar on an ESP Horizon (89) tuned in A. I love it, it sounds good and it’s very pleasant to play with it, and I have a Peavey Plus’ head.

AARA: I have to play since I had 14 years old. I began with a group, I’d never held a guitar and I made my first gig one year after. It was rooted and horrible as much for the audience as for me. By the way, I’m playing on Warwick Corvette’s bass, with a small Ashdown Little Giant and an effect processor.

4. How has the album been received since it's release? I personally thought it was a great
 piece of work and gave it high marks. What do you guys think of the debut? Do you think
there are things that could be improved, or do you like it just as it is?

MIKE: We are satisfied with the work made on “ Cannibalisme, Hérésie et Autres Sauvageries”. We had more than 30 columns, more still now, all were quite positive and rather noted well. I think it was rather receive and hope it always be. For the defects, we find always there, we realize it with time and not at the beginning. As for myself, I ‘d push this singing which is too decreasing.

5. What other bands are you guys listening to? Are there any acts out there in France that
you think we should check out?

MIKE: I listen various Metal style: Hard-Rock, Heavy, Thrash, Death, Grind! In France, I deeply recommend you to listen our friends of Impureza (Flamenco brutal death) and Disgraseed who signs their first album soon.

AARA: I wouldn’t like to make advertising for Kaotoxin, it would be out-of-place! But listen Antropofago, Adpatres,Insain, Dehuman, Infected Society, etc. … Bombshell…, but my musical taste and me wants to talk you about Genital Grinder, Disgraseed, Deep Show, Pulmonary Fibrosis, The Bottle Doom Lazy band, A Storm of Light, Omega Masif, Circle take the square, Disembowelment, Hangman’s Chair and so many others…

6. What are the earliest bands you can remember being inspired by? Were there any concerts
that you saw in your youth that made you want to play death metal? And Mike, who inspired
your amazing drumwork?

MIKE: I think that S.A is inspired by a lot of Metal “style”, we are big fans of Morbid Angel, Centurian, Deeds Of Flesh and others, we grabs the “Evil style”. These groups tempted me to blast my barrels! Thank them! My main drummers’influence are George Kollias, Steve Asheim, Trey Williams and many others, it comes from here. Then, each drummer have their style and according to their game and evolution: “we like or we don’t like”.

AARA: This question was for Mike no? ok!Out of joke, for my gigs, I didn’t seems tall. The biggest thing which kicked me to plau music was my cousin. I was 12 or 13 year old and I had attended one Blosius’rehearsal (I’m playing Blosius now), they played in a cellar (9 m²) in 5 with a double drum kit 4°C. Brief a slap in my face and it was what I wanted to make and become. He was clearly the brother who replaced the one who bears his name! He “stuck” me my first albums in hands: Deicide, Cryto, Death,… By the way, here we are, thanks to him and Blosius if I am what I am today, even except music.

7. You planning on touring or playing any shows with this album? If so, with who? What are
 some bands that you would like to share the stage with or just to meet in general?

DAVE: Yes, many gigs are planned in February, March, April with our friends of Disgraseed (Brutal death, Fr). We’re waiting for answers from some European Festival and we works on some dates in Germany, we would like to make a tour in Germany, the Metal scene is really interesting. We’ve tried to make some dates with Hour of Penance and Natron (from Italy), but it didn’t become reality. We would like to play on tour with so many groups: Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Krisiun, Deeds of Flesh, Nile, we shall see if it can be true in the future.

AARA: Yes, before some of them dies ^^. My ultimate dream of stage to be shared tightened with Dissection; Mhaaaaa, I would be shitting above the backstage, I probably will be afraid to meet Jon Nödtveidt.

8. What do you guys do when you're not making music? Have you seen any good movies or read
 any good books? What about computer/video games?

DAVE: I like very much watching movies, it inspires me. There are so many good movies I can watch 100 times without getting tired of it. I listen a lot of music too, listening Metal is that I really prefer.
AARA: When I was younger, I read a lot, I spend my time to reading books which I didn’t still understand to be honest. Today, I ‘m lazy, I prefer watching dvd instead of reading a book. I’m a great fan of horror movies, thriller.. Tarantino, Nacho Cerdà and many others. And after watching dvds during 12h, I need to go to the skin of the killer or the monster, I light on my console (my wife cries), take a pack of red bull and it is left to make other 12h on Dead Island, Fear, Far Cry, Doom.

MIKE: Hahaha, except the music, I really have no passion, I don’t play to video games a lot, outside the Metal press, I don’t almost read! My way: listen brutal music, go on concert, play with my groups.

9. I've heard that for the most part, France is a very healthy country. You guys don't eat
the kind of junk food that we have around here, because they don't sell it over there. In
America, we're a country faced with obesity because of junk and fast food. I've also heard
that people are more active and vibrant over there. Is that true? Are people over there
 healthier?

AARA: this question belongs to me!! I like the food, the maid! To be honest I cannot compare with the American food but in France, we begin to see more and more people eating in the streets, more fastfood, more “kebab”. It exist, but not lying, I eat Mc Donald’s or KFC front time to time, it’s fast, not boring. We have so many different cooking in France, a various panel of regional produce, if you can, eat an “andouillette” from Troyes, with real chips and a pepper sauce ;). If you accustoms people to sitting down, eating, watching shitty broadcast on TV, don’t thinking, eating again, sleeping and begin again and again all days, they are not active anymore; And there are sportsmen, no more than somewhere else. Bitter, there are false sportsmen who do sport to lose their weight before holidays ;).

10. What is the definition of metal to you? What is the definition of extreme? Do you think
that when one hears the music of Savage Annihilation, they are getting both those things?
Would you consider your band to be an extreme metal act?

MIKE: For me, Metal is a universe, if you’re not inside a minimum, all groups even most flabby like “neo metal” seems extreme. I think S.A brings brutal musicality to metal people. S.A is an extreme metal group according to his musical brutality and words.

AARA: for me, it’s a way to exteriorizing all that I accumulate (feelings, …) day by day. The Extreme is: You, your thoughts, yours desires, your guts without caring of what the others think about you. The extreme is the nature and the freedom too, the abstraction of social hypocrisy, the essence of all things. S.A is an extreme metal group, in his domain and in the one that people wish to give him. It’s clearly not grind, but doom or sludge can be also violent and extreme as grind group, it’s an extreme as on other one.

11. What do you guys hope for the future of your band? Are you working on new material?

MIKE: We hope to make a maximum date everywhere in France and Europe to promote “Cannibalisme, Hérésie et Autres Sauvageries” as it necessary. Mke discover has all those who don’t know us and broadcast a maximum of t-shirts and cds. We are already composing new titles for the next opus! S.A is thrown and will bring the Apocalypse everywhere.

AARA: as for myself, I would like groupies, no? or more drugs, I hesitate !!

12. Finally, if you could look ten or twenty years into the future; what do you think you'd
 see? You think we'll still be here, or do you think we'll all have been annihilated by
then?

MIKE: I think we shall always be there. It will be harder and harder to move forward in the music world, but we shall be there, and I don’t think the world collapses, unless S.A spreads the apocalypse.
AARA: I hope I can’t drag around with these 2 brothers! Out of laugh, you don’t know what I lived with on concert and on tour with them. They get out the hair for whom will rise in a front in car, wants no eating the same things, on take coke and the other take hash (ooh Sorry, they’re both in Hash ^^). I don’t already know what we shall make in 6 months, if I would still bear with them, so imagine in 20 years.

Thanks for making such brutal music and I hope to hear more of it in years to come. If you
haven't heard this disc, I urge you get it. One of the best death metal discs of 2012,
hands down!

DAVE / MIKE / AARA: Thank you very much for this magnificent and interesting interview, thank you for supporting us and the metal scene all around the world.
AND THE ANNIHILATION BEGINS !!!

(THE REVIEW)



Savage Annihilation - Cannibalisme, Hérésie Et Outres Sauvageries (PR2012) - This experimental death metal album from French two piece Savage Annihilation is translated as "Cannibalism, Heresy, And Other Savageries." I don't even know much French, but I was able to translate some of the song titles relatively easy. But you could care less about my French. You're more worried about the album.

Well, it is death metal in the most extreme form. Being that many of the words in the song titles translate to "mound of vermin, The Catacombs Of Abomination Pt.1 & II, The March Of The Dead, Ocean Of Putridity, something Decomposition, and I think I can get the words "tomb" and "blood" from the last track" you soon get the idea that this is blood and guts, brutal death metal. But it's done surprisingly well, with some unique melodies, wonderful drumming and some unforeseen catchiness. "The Catacombs Of Abomination Pt.1 3:33" for example, has this great vocal chorus at the end that stands out rather well, and might make you want to go check out the track again.

The riffs are grisly, the drums are bolstered with blood, and the dual vocal approach of gravel and scowls are just perfect. Yes, we've heard this sort of thing before, but this band does it very well. This is one of those discs that people who were upset with the new Cryptopsy might find some hope in. I'm actually hearing a lot of Flo's style here, but some of you might think that you can hear a little too much of the drums. At times, it sounds like he's pounding on tin drums.

Whatever these guys crafted in 40 minutes, it's put a lot of other death metal bands of the same ilk to shame. I also really like that these guys sound like they're completely insane on the vocals. Sometimes it's that amount of fierce maliciousness on the record that really makes it stick out. You could be sitting in a room with your buddies and all the sudden, you'll say to them, "you want to hear some guys that sound like they're absolutely fucking insane?"

Oh yeah. This is that band. There are definitely bands that fake this type of insanity, but combined with the precision and ADD sense that this death metal has, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck. Even though I'm going to try to promote these guys as best I can, I have a feeling that it'll be awhile before these guys really hit with the rest of the metal scene.

At least give "Dévoré par l'humanité 7:29" a chance. I think that translates to "Devouring Of Humanity 7:29" but whatever the fuck it is, it's absolutely great. They stuffed about a billion different tempos into that one track, and it's fearless on delivery. That's the kind of sheer resilience that I want to hear in death metal. These guys set out to make something that sounds different from the rest of the pack. Not everything is fucking perfect, (Could you speak up on "The March Of The Dead 5:35?) but these two are definitely trying, and are succeeding where bands with more members have failed.

I'm also going to tell you that the production on this release is quite good. I mean, it's not crystal clear, but you'll be able to hear everything perfectly and the mix is great, overall. If you really like drums and originality, I think you'll definitely dig this, and I seriously have to recommend this to fans of Cryptopsy. To tell you the truth, I recommend that Cryptopsy check out these guys.

There's room for improvement, but again... this is just two musicians. Can you and your buddy pull this off? Didn't think so.

You know what? This is a perfect gift. Give this to a teenager in your school who's obsessed with Black Veil Brides, or Asking Alexandria. I think I saw a young man with a shirt of theirs at the mall while I was enjoying a meal on my lunch break. I was tempted to holler in loud retort, "Asking Alexandria is NOT metal!" but I refrained from such childishness.

Regardless, I feel that we have a mission as true metal fans to give this type of music to those who desperately need to hear it. Whitechapel? That's not death metal, is it? Hand them one of these. There you go. Just changed somebody's life.

Highlights: Tracks 3-8 (10 Tracks, 40:00)

9/10

In The Battlefield: Celtachor Vs. Cnoc An Tursa (Folk Metal)

Throughout my tenure of reviewing there has always been the occasion when I'll listen to something great and then listen to something not as great in the same genre in the same day. Most of the time, this depends on my MP3 Player (since it selects albums in whatever order it chooses, no matter how I set them up via the computer - I'm beginning to think it's been possessed by the metal gods in all honesty.) but other times, it's my decision. This time it was the debut album from Dubliners Celtachor, entitled Nine Waves From The Shore followed by the latest release from Scotsmen Cnoc An Tursa, entitled The Giants Of Auld.

Listening to Celtachor's debut reminded me only of the best Ireland has to offer. Bands like Waylander, Primordial, Cruachan, Gaesa... and the list goes on. After finishing the epic opener "The Landing: Amergin's Conquest 10:11" I was already well under the assumption that the spirit of great Celtic blackened folk metal was indeed strong with this one. The production wasn't very high, nor would I have wanted it to be. I've always preferred my Irish metal to be a little raw and that's exactly what I got here. You could also hear that the band incorporated many real world folk instruments on this one, not a bunch of funny keys that merely emulate the Celtic spirit of folk music. At times the album was crushing with drumwork that sounded like thunder crashing down on the Irish plains as the riffs followed the same style as the band's obvious influences in Primordial, Waylander, Gaesa, exc. The album also had it's acoustic moments (and some awesome solos) which felt necessary to the music, not as if they were something merely thrown in for means of structure. Everything flowed together as a cohesive whole and illustrated these Celtic myths beautifully. Of course, the real topping on the cake for me was the completely unconventional and unexpected "Tar Eis An Sidhe 6:05" which blew me away completely as one of the most soft and soothing instrumental pieces that I've ever heard from the genre. It makes me think of the Celtic afterworld and the beauty found within it's lush valleys and calming rivers filled with ancient spirits. There is a real spirit to this analog sense of music, as you can hear the whistler taking a breath because he's actually playing the instrument with his own mouth. I also feel that the sense of doom from "Sorrow Of The Dagda 10:26" is immensely carried well as the song bashes with an intense sorrow and fury that is unlike anything else on this disc, topping off with a breathtaking solo. This debut makes me think that these guys are more than just worth keeping my eye on. They're one of my favorite new folk metal acts right now and it's been a while since I've heard a new one worth giving a shit about, save for the genre staples.

That brings us to the competition in the form of Cnoc An Tursa a band from Scotland who's had more time to congeal than Celtachor, but doesn't seem to be breaking any ground. I also believe that they have a certain degree of popularity and a need to (cough) sell out (cough) to the core kids. My genre tag exclaims "folk/black metal" but I just listened to that in Celtachor and am now hearing something that reminds me of Suidakra's middle of the road period where thrash and core predominated much of their music. Yes, there are a handful of black metal riffs on the album; but also enhanced production value. You couldn't hear everything on Celtachor's disc, but at least you knew it wasn't processed. Yes, there are keyboards abound with Suidakra's middle road/I like In Flames and want to mix that with thrash and core vocals approach which rub me eight hundred and fifty wrong ways. And that's a lot of fucking wrong ways. All the folk on this disc is synthesized and despite the melodies being halfway decent and the fact that they do borrow at times from some of the same influences that inspired Celtachor, it almost sounds like they took a shit directly on those influences and played an Eluveitie. Sure, this is a way to sell records and sound like "core/folk band but we're black metal but actually not black metal hehe" but in the end, there's little originality. If I wanted to hear core labeled as black metal, I would go live on planet Saturn. Because on planet Saturn, they listen to core as black metal. But here on planet Earth, I want to listen to core labeled as core and black metal labeled as black metal. Again, there are some decent stabs at black metal and worthwhile tracks on "The Spellbound Knight 6:46" and "Culloden Moor 4:03" and I would say that the latter might just make you think that they are black metal... but only if you heard that song. Now I don't mind when you get core in my peanut butter and peanut butter in my core, but I don't want to buy a jar of core that says peanut butter on it and I feel that this is how it is being sold. To finish it all up, they throw on a synth influenced whistler called "Blar Na H-Eaglaise Brice 3:11" that doesn't leave me with the same authenticity as Celtachor's instrumental ode to the Sidhe.

To say that Cnoc An Tursa lost this battle to Celtachor is an understatement. They got completely eviscerated, butchered, slaughtered and left unrecognizable. It's literally the sound of corporate process vs. the sound of handmade originality. I might have a devil of a time finding the Celtachor record, but I know it would be worth it - instead of the Cnoc An Tursa which I can probably find at FYE or Amazon. I still to this day don't know how core sells as well as it does these days, but I remember the early core bands like Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Lamb Of God, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between The Buried And Me, God Forbid and As I Lay Dying before anyone knew who they were. Some of these bands might be up to deliberation, but for the most part - these were the meat of that genre. Do I still like them? Yes. Of course. I fully embraced the core movement and most of these bands, still liking their new releases every now and again. But now there are eighty million bands springing from those bands that are mixing other genres with core and in a sense, watering down metal. Not every band is guilty of this, but between core and metal I'll take metal. I knew it was only a matter of time before core and folk metal would become bedfellows and it wasn't much longer before Suidakra pulled that 180 after releasing two of the best albums of their career (The Arcanum and Emprise To Avalon) and released Signs For The Fallen and Command To Charge. These albums, while not terrible changed the band from blackened folk metal to thrashcore/folk due to the retro-thrash movement (bands like Trivium) and the ongoing tenure of core. You might not need the history lesson, but I feel that it's important to know what's becoming marketable and what's still art.

Celtachor proves that genuine folk metal from the heart and soul of Ireland defeats processed Scottish Celt-core like Cnoc An Tursa any day of the week, month or year.

Celtachor - Nine Waves From The Shore (2012)



Highlights: All (7 Tracks, 49:00)

10/10

Cnoc An Tursa - The Giants Of Auld (2013)


Highlights: The Spellbound Knight, Culloden Moor (10 Tracks, 40:00)

6/10

Thoughts On The Illuminati And Musical Symbolism

Thoughts On The Illuminati And Musical Symbolism
In Regards To Metal

Those of you who come to the Tower for my reviews and interviews might notice that I talk a lot about mind control, Illuminati symbolism and various other conspiracies. While it is true that I seem to be fond of these conspiracies (and a great deal of past conspiracies were proven to be true years later) I need to discuss my true thoughts on this Illuminati stuff.

First of all, I do believe that there may not just be one; but are rather many clandestine orders that may be in charge of the guidance of world events and might manipulate world leaders and whatnot. However, I also believe that these orders are responsible for this whole Illuminati thing - in the fact that it IS NOT an actual organization, but a product created by these unnamed parties. A product created to sell merchandise and manipulate other methods of thinking. In other words, the idea of just one society inspired by Crowleyian thought with a dash of Satanism and freemasonry seems just too damned simple to me. In all that I've studied in recent years, I would rather entertain the thought that several different orders and sects composed of only the wealthiest individuals do indeed exist with the purpose of these ideas. I do believe that mind control is still in effect in even the smallest places and that the internet itself has been tainted with the belief in just this one organization who is as responsible for all the illnesses in the world as a religious man might place on his devil. It can't be that simple.

I do believe that there is a sort of slow-kill going on, as one might gather with the recently passed Monsanto Protection Act which is something you need not shy away from if you have any intelligence at all in your head. If you would like to know all of the things that Monsanto has done to harm other countries, you need only to search for it on the internet. The company wrote their own protection act by the way, just as like if Wal-Mart wrote their own rules for business, which would only serve to benefit the needs of that corporation. Do you remember hearing about the factories of the early 1900's before employees had rights and children worked and maimed themselves? This is part of the corporate machine and they'd have their way again if we'd let them. I need not tell you the conditions of my workplace, as I can already see these old ghosts coming back to haunt us as we keep giving them more power over us as workers.

But as far as metal music goes, I can't say that I didn't expect to see this kind of symbolism, but I can see that it is very blatant and so easy to point out in it's blatancy that it's being clearly marketed for being "Illuminati Influenced." Most of this is in the artwork however and in the artist image - I would point out In This Moment, Black Veil Brides, Amaranthe and Motionless In White. But the most blatant crap is on the In This Moment, which makes me wonder if Maria Brink is really that damned daft and never thought for a second that putting blatant symbolism in her band's album covers and music since the very beginning (especially the Masquerade ball shit on the latest disc Blood) was just something she thought was fun. On the other hand, let us take in the last symbol for Revolver's Golden Gods logo. Yep, it's there.

But when you see all these things by now, you realize that at least 50% of people realize that they are there and what they stand for - but you also realize that 30% of these people don't care and aren't interested. Everything else is too important. In these days, we live on our phones and computers. We're all constantly connected by social networking websites and there are seldom things that can be kept a secret. In America, we're connected to psuedo-reality shows - more people vote for American Idols, than they do for public office. We spend the rest of that time in the latest MMO craze or on our game consoles - still connected to everyone else in the world. We browse youtube for memes and other clips from people all over the globe. This is life. Sure we've seen the signs, but don't care.

Also, people like Jesse Ventura who tell me to beware of the "super monkey soldiers" and Alex "nutcase" Jones spread disillusion and create the idea that people who actually believe in conspiracies are naive. But that's because each of these people are paid to do so. Alex makes money from his work, just as Jesse as it's "entertainment" and nothing more. As much as I want to believe that Dave Mustaine is not following the same ideas - he's also making plenty of money from them. Conspiracy sells.

And that's where metal comes in. It's not that I don't want to believe in the message, but when it's blatant and being promoted out there by the biggest bands (Megadeth, Hypocrisy now and hopefully not in the new Slayer but I have a strong feeling that will be the topic of their new disc) it's hard for me to not believe that people aren't trying to cash in on these ideas. It's becoming too blatant and spreading itself thin into mockery, which is what any secret organization would really want in the first place.

I unpack clothing for children and notice the oddest things in the form of monarchs and skulls. There was one shirt in fact that had a skull made of monarch butterflies and this is at a retail store and can be purchased for your little girl. Wow. That's fucked up.

I can go on and on, but I do believe that while there is an agenda being pushed; as of right now it's becoming too blatant and is only there for the purpose of making money. If any secret organization wanted to take over tomorrow, they could without the use of all this crap. They'd have every bit of military defense and nukes at their disposal to ensure victory while they stay in some secret underground city. I clearly think that this Illuminati symbolism is nothing more than a cash grab as more people become aware of it and even Yahoo! helped to promote it with a headline that appeared shortly after the last Super Bowl Halftime. As with anything else, it's there for money. Illuminati is pop. But it's a good distraction, like something right out of a novel -

"We'll make the public think that they know what's behind the curtain, but leave them clueless about what's on the other side of the wall."

Sure, I'll hammer out the Illuminati symbolism here when I see it (Amaranthe, MSI) but I want you to pay attention to this site in a few years and see that it will all die down with time. As soon as people tire of it, something new will come along. It always does.

- The Fallen Alchemist

Carcass - Surgical Steel (Official Promo Review!)

Carcass - Surgical Steel (PR2013) - I was so excited to get the promo for Carcass's brand new album, Surgical Steel. I never thought that Swansong would have been followed up in all actuality and I couldn't wait for it to finally come in the mail. But that's where the problem lied.

It didn't come in the mail. Instead, a UPS delivery truck came to the house and the gentleman knocked on my door telling me that the package was extremely heavy. It was so heavy in fact, that he was going to need help getting it out of the truck. But that's when I began thinking, "how could a CD be so damned heavy?" Anyway, I go over to the truck and the guy opens the door to reveal this massive package. You would've thought that the entire Carcass library was in there, plus a stack of encyclopedias that Jeff Walker had laying around the house. Still, I wasn't familiar with the band's early works so I thought it would be great to be able to check them out as well now.

As I said, the package was heavy. It took the two of us to get it into the house, where I signed for it. I was going to put it on the table, but was afraid that the table might buckle under the weight. Again, this thing was fucking heavy. As soon as I put it on the floor and shut the door behind me, I immediately got to opening the package. But when I opened it, I found that instead of an album; it was some kind of large steel ball with the Carcass logo and the album's title etched across it. This is the kind of ball that you would attach to a wrecker and it was probably strong enough to topple over a building. It was metal alright. Heavy metal alright, in the fact that I was actually going to have to roll it into my room and even that was a task. I work in a stockroom and lifting heavy shit is just part of what we do, but this thing was just so fucking massive that it took about half an hour just to roll it in.

Damn, this was more trouble than it was worth. But I knew that if I could be one of the first to get this one reviewed, maybe even get it into a magazine - it would be worth it. When I finally wheeled the bastard into my room, I spent the next couple of minutes looking for means to play it. I mean, how in the fuck do you play a steel ball? I tapped at it in several different areas and it clanged in recognition. But there was no metal to be heard. Not the kind of metal I was looking for anyway.

After about an hour, I decided to give it a break. There was no way in hell that I was ever going to get this big ball of metal to do anything more than clink and clank with the sounds of a steel reserve. I thought about trying to break it open, thinking that the album might be somewhere inside, but I didn't own anything strong enough to break it open. If you've got a jackhammer, send it to me and I might be able to break this thing open and give you a review.

As far as I can tell, the new Carcass album is definitely heavy and it's metal. Most certainly metal. Every time I hit it, it sounds like I'm tempering steel. Which is what it is - surgical steel. I could probably make medical grade surgery tools with this thing, if I had the right equipment. I'll bet it would fetch a good amount of money online too, considering that companies could probably use this Carcass branded lump of metal for something more useful that what I was using it for. I don't recommend sitting on it, but I also don't recommend putting drinks on it because every time I do that, the drink would fall off and crash to the floor. There's not really much you can do with this large hunk of metal and I have no idea why Carcass decided to give it to me. Are you guys fucking nuts?

Seriously, thanks a lot Carcass for the large ball of metal. I have no fucking idea what I'm going to do with it. If it plays metal, you'd better let me know how. All I can get it to do is clink and clang.

Highlights: Some clinks sound better than some clangs. It also dings. (? Tracks, ?:??)

APRIL FOOLS!/10

New Review Set Coming Soon!