Batushka - Litourgiya (2015)

An obscure Polish act (and I do mean that, as no one knows who they are) these guys revel in thick chants, thick doom riffs and blazing black metal. One might even call it black/doom metal, which it certainly seems to be from the listen. Of the tracks, they are all named “Yekteniya 1-8” so one might assume that such a piece was meant to be heard as a whole. But it's not all that long either, as it's only a little over forty minutes which seems satisfying. The beauty of this record is in the way it melds black metal atmospheres with cleaner vocal approaches, which are backed with doom elements and change up the style quite a bit. The black metal featured on the disc is quite raw and vehement, one might even say that it's very true what we know of the genre and feels natural. But the fact that the record gives us much more than just that is a thing that I think such a mysterious act will be wholly known for. While there's more than enough black metal and blast beats offered on the disc, the clean vocal sections offer more doom and melodies, which really seem to balance the formula out.

There are sections which remind me heavily of Graveworm's earlier days, especially “Yekteniya 3” which also throws in backing chants as part of some sort of mad ritual. Sometimes atmospheres are also observed, in which you'll hear the ringing of bells. These subtle but noticeable atmospheres make Batushka seem more like a spiritual project than something of a musical product to be bought and sold. These guys made this record to share with the world and I feel that the effort will be heavily respected by fans of black metal and doom atmospheres. Especially if you're into very melodic tremolos, which you'll hear en masse throughout the album. It almost feels like Rotting Christ's Rituals, but with a greater influence in memorable tremolos, harsh shrieks and machine-gun drum abrasions. Perhaps “Yekteniya 7” is a little bit different in it's slower and more doom oriented nature, but more often than not the record offers what is a truly noteworthy black metal and ritual performance that I don't think we can really compare to anything else.

Bands have certainly mixed doom with black metal before, and Batushka certainly aren't the first to use chants in their music; but they've certainly made an album that feels like pure Polish black metal as it carries with it both the spirit of their country and it's people. Litourgiya isn't just a black metal record, or a doom album. It's history in the making and a sure outreach from a country whose fantastic metal scene has gone unheard and unnoticed for far too long. Perhaps after you're done listening to this album, you'll find that the country has several other great acts of similar style and quality who you've probably never heard of and will want to check out. Please allow a fantastic performance like Litourgiya to be your gateway into the world of Polish heavy metal music. You'll even hear about some other great and relatively unknown Polish acts in some of our earlier reviews. The country has far more to offer than just Behemoth. Allow Batushka to show you how it’s done!

(8 Tracks, 41:00)

9/10

Obscura - Akroasis (2016)

Canada's Obscura are finally back with a brand new record and it shows that they've only been getting better since the release of 2011's Omnivium. I actually cannot believe it's been that long since we've had a new Obscura record, but let me tell you – the wait was ever worth it. I sure I'm going to upset a few people when I say that I thought the band's debut Cosmogenesis was simply boring, and I still think so. It wasn't until their sophomore that I started to hear a really great band, and that's only continued. But there's no use in looping what I previously said, so let's just get to the observation. We start out with “Sermon Of The Seven Suns” which is more Cynic worship than anything else, seeming surprising from a band that literally named itself after a Gorguts album. The track even changes into completely non-metal territory, observing some acoustic prog-rock. “The Monist” however finally kicks it into gear with a heaping helping of beefy death metal. I don't know about you, but it's great to hear thick death growls emanating out from frontman Steffen Kummerer instead of the harsh vocal rasp of which I think has been excessively overused. Oddly enough, even this song turns into a bit of progressive art rock, but I guess that's just the kind of style they're going for this time around. Though to be honest, when the title track opens up for axeman Rafael Trujillo to play some tasty solo sections along with Kummerer, is anyone really going to object? It certainly won't be me.

“Ten Sephiroth” and “Ode To The Sun” both feature the death growls of which I've asked for, but the latter is a much stronger piece with angelic choir vocals and some marching drums performed by Sebastian Lanzer. Problem ends, it ends just as it gets good and goes right back into that formula this band tend to lose themselves in. Gentlemen, we know that you can play technical death metal. We've known it for years now, but there's no real need to remake the same sorts of songs you've already made. Unless you're just adding more songs to Cosmogenesis or dare I say it, Focus. “Fractal Dimension” does get more interesting towards the end, but you'll have to be patient before Trujillo's obscure solo section comes into the mix and adds a bit of breath to the track, as well as the section which comes after. Sadly, it offers us another solo and fades out with that. So I guess you'll have to go see the band live in order to hear the whole song. Then we have “Perpetual Infinity” in which some folk instruments are shortly utilized as well as a nice solo and some proggy parts, but it's nothing special. Okay, I've got that one out of the way. Now here comes the real meat of the record, in the form of an EP length track by the name of “Weltseele.” I won't even kid about this one folks, as “Weltseele” is over fifteen minutes long and contains possibly one of the most grandiose tracks that this band have ever recorded and probably will ever record. Lyrically it's not much longer than any of the other songs on the record, but that's because it offers more in overall instrumentation and most of all, experimentation. Using a combination of both the harsh scowl and the deep gravel, Kummerer's skills are really put to the test on this one. Considering the length of the piece, I'd assume that Kummerer and Trujillo's guitar skills along with Sebastian Lanser's drum acrobatics and Linus Klausenitzer's bass licks are all being put to the test here. Constructing something of this length isn't nearly as difficult as it may have been years ago with the advent of technology and file transfer, but you can only imagine how much strain it would put on these guys to have to perform something like this live every night. We can't all be Opeth, you know. But the band doesn't necessarily have to kill themselves over this one, as there are also several violin, cello and double bass sections performed by various session musicians to give the guys a needed break between the heaviness. They still manage to put up a fight though, showing that they didn't bite off more than they could chew as they ultimately deliver a magnificent piece to end most copies of the album with.

There is an instrumental bonus track on the limited edition version of the disc entitled “The Origin Of Primal Expression” but it seems like a bit of an afterthought and feels like the end credits to the musical equivalent of a film that I just listened to. It's not really necessary, but I feel that it does accentuate the piece a little and makes for a fuller experience. I can't really see why one would have to pay more for what is really the shortest track here, especially when it shows the musicians doing what they do best; but perhaps that's why I'm not in music marketing. Again, it's a nice piece but not worth the extra money I feel. Should have been on there to begin with. How I hate musical DLC. When all is said and done, Akroasis serves up a very strong performance, albeit with some doctored up approaches of material they've already excelled at on prior discs. You can tell that they're trying to spruce up their old hat a little, but it's nice to see them taking on new territory as well. Three albums in and Obscura seem to be getting even better, while taking what they know onto broader horizons. Surely, there's nothing wrong with that.

(9 Tracks, 58:00)

8/10

Dissvarth - Between The Light and The Moon (2016)

It would certainly seem that I've got a mixed bag this week, with groove, death metal, electronic music and now this atmospheric release. Officially considered a mix of cosmic ambient, darkwave and neo-folk, the debut release from this two man project is most certainly a journey. Dissvarth might sound like some sort of cosmic black metal act, but that is certainly not the case here, as Dis Pater (Midnight Odyssey) and Svarthen (Aeon Winds) instead whip up atmospheres that remind me of everything from Dead Can Dance to those little known atmospheric projects that Mortiis fronted so many years ago. Elend and Arcana are also mentioned here in the leaflet, which I can certainly attest to as influences. Of course Elend always sort of took me for a loop, particularly during their early Satanism based records. Surely there's nothing wrong with beautiful and atmospheric (yet dark, as you'll find here) pieces about the devil, but I always found it a rather silly subject to make atmospheric music about. As expected, they later changed their style to something a bit more intriguing.

With Between The Light and The Moon, one can become quickly enraptured within the passages of what I'd consider an absolutely brilliant and memorable experience from literally the very first song on the album. “Into Darkness Your Spirit Flies” features a rather dark vocal croon, quite similar to that of not just Dead Can Dance and Arcana, but also Black Tape For A Blue Girl, who have been making darkwave music since there was such a thing as darkwave. A gentle and spacey piano really sets the piece off though, making for a rather beautiful trip into the stars. “Ablaze Of Solar Night” sounds a bit like Bowie (of which I've no objection to) especially when the vocals raise a little beyond their deep overtones, as the title piece seems to serve as something of a short meditation observed from sitting at the center of the universe. “Polaris” adds acoustics into the mix, which seems on track for that neo-folk vibe you might have seen tagged earlier in the review. “Halls In A Hidden Fog” is where we'll end the observation, showing that these guys excel most when they're channeling new dimensions from out of thin air by the magickal art of music. With Between The Light and The Moon, you're getting a mixture of ethereal soundscapes, passionate darkwave and shadowy folk tunes, all seeming to meld together perfectly. There's not a song here that I would consider a throwaway, so it's definitely worth a listen if you're looking for something to zone out to for a bit. It certainly delivers the kind of “chill music” that you might expect expect from such a release and would work wonders in a state of meditation. Well, most songs. I don't feel that I can personally focus on meditation when songs contain very bright and audible vocals, but they did intend on making a musical release with vocals, rather than just an instrumental. So we've got to take that into consideration. Between The Light and The Moon is a step in the right direction for this genre and shows Dissvarth as a prominent act. Just don't confuse them for black metal, as their name is very confusing in that regard.

(9 Tracks, 53:00)

8/10

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