BAK XII - Aut Caesar Aut Nihil (2016)

I've actually been looking forward to reviewing this one for a while now. But not because it gives me another chance to listen to the record, but because it's a rather strong electronic/industrial disc and it needs to be talked about. You can already point out the influences in this Swiss act, like KMFDM, Kraftwerk and numerous others. You can already tell that the disc is already setup in verse/chorus format, but it's catchy and done right – which is what I really care about on this kind of disc. Let's talk about it in electronic terms first. BAK XIII utilizes everything from dance club beats to chiptunes, and it all works as they’re able to structure it properly. Have you ever tried to make electronic music before? It's not exactly easy to perfect regardless of how simple some artists can make it sound. Listening to “Death Is The New Hype” as an example shows exactly how much goes into this kind of a record, guitar riffs included. While BAK XIII definitely feature guitar sections in their pieces, the music they play here is far from metal or even electronic rock. As I said, I hear an awful lot of influence here from KMFDM and definitely Kaptain K himself. But even in all that, I can hear some lighter nodes from acts like The Pet Shop Boys, who the band seem to have taken a lot of inspiration from as I’m noting with this listen. Recently, The British legends have experimented with their own dance-club friendly musings which you'll hear on their latest album Elysium, and a similar approach can be heard here. Yet as I said, chiptunes are also mixed in with that, making for an approach that I'd expect from a band that has been around for over a decade.

Though this is my first time being exposed to BAK XIII, they're certainly not a new act by any means. To electronic fans, these guys are considered veterans. Yet it's very easy to see why, as this album seems to contain just the sort of formula that makes for a commercially acceptable, yet extremely powerful electronic performance. The vocals can be harsh at times, even utilizing a bit of spoken word, but they can also bring a sort of calm clarity that makes for memorable choruses. Aut Casear Aut Nihil is the kind of record that won't just have you humming choruses, as it'll also have you in deep thought as you’re walking down the sidewalk on your way to the daily commute. Many important topics are discussed here, like religion (The Awakening) fear mongering, (Fear Is Big Business) musical integrity (Fucking Bloody Song Of Shit) escapism (Living In Video Games) and more. BAK XIII really made the sort of record that not only comes off easily accessible, but also seems to more or less be a dissertation of what is going on in today's society. If there's one song that really gelled with me, it's “We Know Nothing” which I feel is a lesson in humbleness that a great deal of people on the internet need to have shoved down their throats. There's also an unexpected oddity called “Wake Up” which explores several world music implementations. Such a piece like this might come off a bit oblong at first, but what's wrong with a song that carries a little bit of a different vibe every once in a while?

In any case, I'd highly recommend this bright and highly intelligent new release from BAK XIII who've proven that they're still just as strong as they were when they began. Aut Caesar Aut Nihil is the definition of capable electronic music in this modern age, and shows that the approach can still evolve and devour newer ideas like video game chiptunes and even (extremely light) dubstep in order to make for a disc that sounds like it belongs in 2016. Make sure you pick it up, because you'll enjoy it. I did.

(14 Tracks, 60:00)

9/10

Iniquitous Deeds - Incessant Hallucinations (2015)

Rolling in at a little more than a half an hour, we've got another dose of greasy grimy gopher guts coming our way from out of California. Some little place called Walnut Creek. Well, the people of Walnut Creek might be very well to do and prefer putting on the green while sipping from a glass of shanty, but these gentlemen are the kind who will arrive uninvited on that same course with a golf cart full of baseball bats, sledgehammers and brass knuckles, ready to pulverize any incoming meat that interferes with their plans of well... carnage. These guys have no rhyme or reason to their devastation, they just simply play the living hell out of their instruments, most notably featuring a rather prominent drum approach by Matt Kilner (Nithing) who reminds me almost of the majestic and legendary work of 7 H Target. This occurs especially to me at the end of “Merciless Disintegration” which goes out in one of the best ways that I think a song of this nature can. It's great to hear a man behind the kit that sounds like he can actually play and is having a hell of a good time with it too. While that one might only be the opener and additionally the disc's longest song, these guys prove that they don't need long songs to show what they're made of.

On guitars we have Niko Kalajakis, who plays some rather powerful death riffs that we'd expect, yet mixed in with more progressive (Atheist/Cynic) style stuff that we wouldn't. You could even say there's some Demilich, but let's not reach too far over the hills. Vocals are regurgitated by Mike Simon, who is absolutely no stranger to this sound or style by any means. You can expect these massive gurglings to fill the entire album, regardless of what the lyrical matter may be about. But honestly, we don't care. Most listeners will come to Iniquitous Deeds by what they hear at face value, and that's just fine. I strongly doubt that someone is holding their ear up to the speakers in an attempt to identify with what Simon is gurgling about here and would be honestly very surprised if that was the case. If you could even understand so much as “I fucked a chicken” then you're doing a great job, certainly.

All jokes aside, Incessant Hallucinations offers a real beating, beyond what anyone might expect. But shouldn't we expect it? This is brutal death metal after all. If they changed to polka music, people might be a little upset by it. I can imagine hundreds of thousands of listeners all simultaneously shouting “What the fuck is this!?” all at the same time, with a force of energy that could split the Earth in half. But rest assured, you're getting nothing less than an intelligent, yet rather vile approach here and I think you're going to be happy with it. Well, you'd better be. There are far less interesting acts out there than these guys, which is one reason they stick out amongst a sea of others. If you like Brutal Death Metal, you're buying this. Chances are, you already have it and I'm late to the party. But there's nothing wrong with promoting great death metal right? Of course not.

(8 Tracks, 33:00)

9/10

The Erkonauts - I Did Something Bad (2016 Reissue)

Formed from the remains of industrial melodic death metallers Sybreed, The Erkonauts don't quite make the kind of music that you might have expected. Originally this thing was released in 2014, but I sure as hell didn't know about it and chances are, neither did you. Both of those 2014 pressings sold completely out and it's easy to see why. First of all, the label (Kaotoxin) has these guys pegged as sounding like Primus, mid-90's Suicidal Tendencies and The Offspring. But maybe someone over there must have not heard the black metal influence in “Tony 5” and the Emperor/Borknagar/Ihsahn inspirations particularly, which are painted all over it. These guys have always fucked with a bit of black metal, particularly on “Lucifer Effect” which is still one of my all-time favorite Sybreed tracks. Speaking of Sybreed, the band features former vocalist Ales Campanelli who also tackles the bass, along with their former drummer Kevin Choiral. Guitarists Sebastian Puiatti and Adrien Bornand are completely new, but are just as talented. These two definitely command catchy grooves amidst the industrial feel that still manages to exist somewhere within the confines of this formula. This being said, there is definitely some catchy blues to be found here as the leaflet claims, and it's quite like what you might expect from a band like Clutch or Down. I Did Something Bad really is a mixed bag, so you never know what to expect.

Right now I'm listening to a toe-tapper by the name of “Nola” but just before that came the rather sappy (but keep in mind this is coming from the same band who wrote “Next Day Will Never Come”) “All The Girls Should Die.” Out of most of the tracks here, that one seems to resonate with me the most and I'll no doubt add it to my personal play list. If we keep listening, we'll run into the High On Fire/Superjoint Ritual influenced “Dominium Mundi” which also seems to toy around with darker territory just a bit. It also works to remind me a lot of mid-era Gojira. Rest assured, the piece certainly doesn't sound “silly” and instead seems a little more heartfelt, albeit gut-wrenching. But that's just the kind of musical passion I'd expect from Campanelli and I'm really glad to see that that hasn't changed. When I first read the press release for this one, I almost choked a little. I was a bit worried that perhaps the guys would take it a little too comical with songs like “The Great Ass Poopery” and in the process end up killing what they really do best. Yet I am aware that this isn't Sybreed and it should stand as a replacement for what that band meant to me. Nevertheless, I'm really glad that what I remember and love most about Sybreed is still here in The Erkonauts, just flavored a bit differently. It works and I personally enjoy it.

When we get into “Hamster's Ghosthouse” which also takes on a slightly darker approach, I'm again reminded of the power in such an act like this. Take the use of the thick Gothic organs mixed in with the proggy Pink Floyd inspired blues on this same track, and you've got a noteworthy act from the start. I don't think it's necessary to discuss the entire album and spoil it for those who haven't heard it, but I will talk a little about the bonus tracks, as they are exclusive to this version of the album. The first one of these we have definitely feels a little more robotic, as such it is titled “Machine.” There will also be a video for this one upon release of the album. As for the song, it almost feels like a Sybreed cast-off with a much different vocal approach. We could compare it to something from Fear Factory or Gojira. The second song is actually quite long and feels like maybe something from Godflesh with a cleaner vocal approach. You could compare it to Killing Joke, but I think it's too slow of a number to tie it to Fear Factory again. But when I even utter the words, “Killing” and “Joke” that should be enough to already get you interested. In the end, both tracks are actually really good. They both stand out on the disc and are not mere filler. I actually feel kind of bad for those who bought the earlier version of this record, because these tracks are very good and it seems a little unfortunate that they have to buy the record again to get a copy of them. The band really should have just held out to put these on another record. It would have been worth the wait. If you don't already have the DIY pressings, then please go pick up this album, especially if you like Sybreed, sludge, post metal, groove and acts like Fear Factory, Gojira and The Killing Joke. As the leaflet said, there are some silly moments here, but there's more passion and conviction than comedy. I like the sound of that. It almost feels like ending Sybreed was the best thing these guys could have done, because The Erkonauts just feels far more inventive and tasteful. I felt that the final Sybreed album, God Is An Automaton really said it all and that The Erknonauts are a necessary evolution. Let me know what you think.

(11 Tracks, 54:00)

9/10

Exumer - The Raging Tides (2016)

Let me be brutally honest here. Exumer's a thrash act and you'll catch that from the moment you put this record on. But at the core, there's just way too much fucking Slayer worship here for me. I get it, you really dig that early Slayer and that punk attitude that they had, but for the love of all that's metal, differentiate it up a little bit. I listened to the entire album from front to back and only a small bonus cut called “Forever My Queen” managed to actually change the tempo a little. Which means I literally sat through almost forty minutes of what sounded like the same damn song. Granted these guys definitely have the Slayer formula down and they certainly deliver in the solo department with the utmost care and concern, but as far as the meat of these cuts, it doesn't really seem to go too far beyond Hanneman's legacy. It would be nice to hear them do some groovier cuts, some slower cuts, or maybe just utilize more than the same old sets of riff patterns that I've already heard in the opener. But don't take my word for it, listen to the record itself. Granted I can hear the hardcore influence here, but I'd much prefer something like Pro-Pain or Prong's thrashier stuff. It's noting against the guys, as they're doing a great job with what they're doing, I'm just not getting anything I haven't heard before and it is a bit bland. Aside from the solos, of course. One again, the band really did put a lot of thought into the album's solo sections and those are at least memorable. If you're looking for speed-thrash that pulls no punches, give the record a listen. But know what you're getting here, which is approximately forty minutes of classic Slayer worship with some punk and hardcore influence.

(12 Tracks, 41:00)

6/10

Mesmur - Mesmur (2015)

Mesmur is a sort of symphonic doom/death project, which utilizes some elements of electronic music within it's forlorn compositions. This act is formed from members of Dalla Nebbia, but it's definitely a different can of beans as far as I'm concerned. The most interesting thing for me here was how much electronic influence was sampled right at the very beginning of the disc, but after that it really starts to plod. Plodding is quite normal for doom/death in the My Dying Bride, November's Doom and Saturnus style (among others) but at least these guys round it out with strong, memorable lead melodies. These leads help to accentuate the piece, making it far easier to feel as an atmosphere and not just a bunch of slow doom riffs. There are ten and twenty bands that utilize that style, and even we're guilty of it at times – but that's why I feel it is essential to achieve more than everyone else. Aside from the metallic side of things, the vocal end is still very powerful and heavily memorable. If you remember what I said about Dalla Nebbia, the same can be said for Mesmur, where there is a definite focus on the deep growls, yet there's a bit more passion behind them. It very much sounds like classic doom/death, but with an added aspect in once again, the electronics. Yes, I know that electronics in such music are sometimes seen as a detriment, but here is where they deliver. Mesmur are definitely symphonic and these songs rely as heavily on synthscapes as they do on dreary, melodic riff melodies. As you can start to imagine, these synths eventually move into a sort of wave, which takes over the sound completely and makes it something new. The final cut on the disc, “Osmosis” seems to deliver this the best, as it sounds like “doom in space” and really resonates with me. While the band are still playing a very staple style as far as doom and death have been concerned, with this added synth element, it almost feels as if the band are hurtling through the stars, with the bass thumps on the record being likened to the pounding of asteroids on nearby planets. It's all very fascinating and like very few other acts out there is the genre, Mesmur is giving doom a facelift.

When Pallbearer came out of Arkansas with a sound in doom that no one's ever heard before, doom purists were quick to tear it apart. They called it everything from “hipster doom” to “poser doom” to whatever else they could utilize in an attempt to demonize something different. But the problem was, Pallbearer was actually a terrific doom act. It wouldn't have mattered how much the small community of doom elitists condemned the record, it was receiving a lot of praise and publicity. Mesmur are in that same boat, but the metalllions at large haven't really heard them yet. So I don't know how that small circle-jerk of doom elitists will actually respond to these guys. At any rate, this self-titled release is a good place to start for these guys and I'm sure that things will only receive more definition and clarity in the future, as they discover what kind of band they really want to be. I still feel that it needs a bit of work, but I feel that it will definitely be a built-upon approach. Even so, I'd still recommend it, but more to fans of the doom/death style than anyone else. Even the doom/deathers might not get it so much, so it is a tough little classification. But there's still no doubt in my mind that Mesmur are delivering just the kind of doom/death that we need right now.

(5 Tracks, 58:00)

7/10

The Lumberjack Feedback - Blackened Visions (2016)

If you're a fan of acts like Neurosis, Pelican and a slew of other post metal acts, then you're going to want to give this one a spin immediately. If you don't remember my reviews of this French acts previous EP's (though I'm not sure if I covered all of them) then you know that I've been waiting quite a while for this debut album. The guys finally decided that it was time to put everything they had together for a full-length, even though we know full well that they aren't afraid to make a forty minute disc and call it an EP. The band, which features two drummers, is still wholly instrumental as they should be. I think they're doing an excellent enough job with these dark and sludgy atmospheres and the hard-hitting bass riffs will speak louder here than any vocal approaches ever could. That being said, I can't literally tell you how much I agree with the Pelican comparisons, as this is the kind of record that sounds almost just like Australasia and that makes me smile with glee. I actually used Australasia quite a bit as vocal practice, which definitely helped my chops and showed me where vocals can go on these types of records. Once again, not that they need it. Nor would I say to buy this kind of disc so that you can practice vocals to it – even though yes, instrumental music approaches do help very much for that sort of thing. But let's not take this too far out of context, because I'm not heading down that road with Blackened Visions. What I really mean to say here, is that like Australasia; you'll find the disc to be just as crunchy as it is melodic, just not in the pretty kind of way. Instead, the melodies here seem to allow for a larger flow, which keeps the record far beyond that of just simple doom and sludge, which we can all map out. There's even a few lighter sections in “Salvation” and closer “Mah Song (Horses Of God)” which allow for slight breaks and even slight psychedelics in the formula (unfortunately, where most of these really begin to take off is where the album ends.) Said closer also contains the album's only solo, but it is ever so awesome. This is actually a guest solo from Agressor (formely Loudblast) axeman Colin Tocquaine.

For the most part, you're getting hefty sludge and doom with a level of theatrics that is just intriguing enough to keep you entertained. They don't go into black metal, or death metal or anything other than what you see described before you – but we didn't ask them to either. These guys got together to play the kind of music that they wanted to make and after finally releasing this debut we can see that they're still just as good at it as when they started. Blackened Visions is not without it's little experiments, which keep our ears glued and ready for the next section to come into play. I don't really think of it as a series of songs so much as one large piece that exercises several different layers within it. It's like a dark and musty old cake with a lot of sludge in the middle and maybe some sugar in the melody section. At times the album can even be a bit haunting, even ominous as “Dra Till Helvete” displays right before an unexpected face-pounding. Dark, ominous, experimental and likely to cause earthquakes, Blackened Visions is truly top notch. These guys are definitely doing a better job with this style than their worn out peers, who've done very little to impress me in recent years. Yes, The Lumberjack Feedback are the ones to beat this year, so to all of the other instrumental sludge, post doom experiments out there, I say to you – bring it.

(8 Tracks, 44:00)

8/10

Ravensire - The Cycle Never Ends (2016)

Portugal's Ravensire bring to mind herculean marches of manly metal might like those from Manowar as illustrated by Frank Frazetta and written by Robert E. Howard. While I don't recall if such a thing ever happened in the world of heavy metal, I definitely feel such a statement applies here. Rick Thor's thunderous bass riffs doubled with F's drumming bring about that mighty feeling of doom, yet there's also a great deal of classic heavy metal here; which is basically the kind of act that it boils down to. I'm also a bit reminded of Hansi Kursch in early Blind Guardian when it comes to the vocal approach here, which makes Thor's performance feel ancient, even legendary. The band also employ two guitarists, Nuno Mordred and more recently Mario Figueira who just joined the act as of this album. It's Figueria's first record and from what I can tell, it's a fine performance that seems to emulate everything that this genre of metal stands for. It is the fire and the dragon, it is the titan and the column, the sword and the spell, the battles between gods, demons and mighty men. It is filled with pounding solos, just the way your mother used to make in the warmth and fire of eighties metal. I'm not sure if the current generation of metalheads will get into what they call “dad rock” but don't even let me get started on that again. I should have had kids years ago and would probably end up being a stepfather in any case, so maybe this stuff is for me after all. But scratch that – children should grow up with Howard and Lovecraft, I think. I'd have treasured them far more than the stories I was reading at such an age, not having known of either man prior.

In any case, this is the kind of record that comes with might. It's like picking up an album and gaining immense strength just from holding it. It's like Conan's sword, which is far too heavy for you to pick up. These gentlemen even have a three-piece epic about the majesty of architecture and ancient temples called “The White Pillars” which seems to further cement their awesomeness as it shows what they're really capable of instrumentally. In particular, the solo section in “Temple At The End Of The World” is absolutely fascinating as it demonstrates the kind of awesome solos that I remember hearing from this genre. Altogether, The Cycle Never Ends is filled with monstrous doom riffs, a powerful vocal performance and about fifteen hundred pounds of testosterone. This is man's metal, for men by men. I'm just glad to see that it's an approach not lost and I wish Ravensire the best with this one and future efforts. I definitely think that fans of Manowar, Manilla Road, classic Blind Guardian and even Iron Maiden will find something to like here and you're sure to hold your axe highly to this one. Speaking of axes, I'm also reminded of Golden Axe with this one, which again describes the atmosphere perfectly. Not only is it mighty, but it's finely crafted and has the spirit of the metal gods looking over it from high above the horizon.

(8 Tracks, 43:00)

7/10