Ellipse - A Nos Traitres (2016)

France's Ellipse are a metalcore act with hints of djent that I wouldn't be reviewing if I hadn't been commissioned to. They definitely aren't my sort of thing and all that damn hollering and yelling on the record just hurts my ears, to be honest. But I will say that there are some intriguing nodes in terms of structure, and the record definitely contains as much of a familiar post metal sound as it does one of screamy metalcore. The record actually contains several instrumental interludes to which an air of slightly depressing atmosphere is entered. A couple notable leads are uttered, with some forays into melodic death metal which definitely spices things up a little – but for more than a few people, the unchanging screams of the frontman will literally kill this listening experience for them. He grunts a little and there's a section with humongous breakdowns along with a very amateur attempt at a growl, but you can tell that these guys are still just getting started and have a lot of work ahead of them. It's obvious that they're plugging into the common modernisms of the age, but you can hear signs of purpose here and I think that could translate to something not so processed on the next record. Ellipse are showing me glimpses that they can indeed do more with this style than ten thousand other similar acts, but they'll need to step it up a little more before they can get the attention of this old head. I will say that they're definitely geared to the current generation of metal listeners and they'll find something in this record that I won't. I feel that all the senseless screaming works to give me a headache and my sinuses are already wreaking havoc on me tonight. Thank goodness for the solo sections, as they give me a break from all that erratic screaming. Can't say I'd recommend it, but Ellipse does musically a better job than a lot of signed acts I've heard performing this same style of music.

(11 Tracks, 36:00)

6/10

Old Forest - Dagian (2016)

The UK's Old Forest are back at it again, with another disc of symphonic and rather folky black metal. This would be their third full-length, showing that the steadfast ambitions of James “Mr. Fog” Fogarty (In The Woods..., Jaldaboath, Ewigkeit and several other awesome bands) still hold up just as well as always. Fogarty handles those crystalline synth nodes, as well as some static and other instances that stretch the work of Old Forest far beyond that of other bands. He also handles the vocals, which don't stray too far from the menacing scowl of which we'd expect, even though the cleans when used are quite pleasant. Beleth plays some rather melodic notes, which seem to bring Dagian an almost mesmerizing feel, compared to the darker atmospheres invoked by some of the band's previous records. With the enchanting folk melodies of “Non” and the whirlwinds of symphonic beauty that have been captured in “Tweoneleoht” there's no doubt in my mind that Dagian might be one of the most pleasant black metal records that you'll hear this year. While tremolos and icy cold riff structures still exist here, there's just so much more to be found within this record and I'd recommend it purely to someone who feels that they're tired of the same old thing when it comes to the black metal sound. While still raw, it feels organic even with the symphonic effects. This is the kind of record that really allows one to sit back and explore the atmosphere, see the worlds by which Fogarty has here imagined and put into song. The four tracks that makeup Dagian are very long, but you want them to be. I want them to be. What's the use in making such a mesmerizing atmospheric release if the songs are forgettable due to not being fully fleshed out? These tracks need time to breathe, and they are definitely given it. Now I know that atmospheric pieces like you'll find placed on the disc's final track “Neaht” might be a little too much for some, but if that's the case, then you're merely looking in the wrong category. I'd be a fool to say that this wasn't an experimental effort and a fool to stand against it. Dagian fully embraces black metal, viking/folk metal and atmospheric music all in the same less than an hour listen – and it does it seamlessly. I regret that I don't have enough time to explore this masterpiece as I would have liked, but you are free to do that when you pick up a copy, turn off the lights and drift off into another world entirely. There are other worlds beyond these, and I daresay that Dagian might just be the gateway to one of them.

(4 Tracks, 48:00)

10/10

The Black Queen - Fever Daydream (2016)

Fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan might be a little surprised by this electronic side project from frontman Greg Puciato. While I've always known him to have a rather pleasant clean vocal approach during some of the band's more lighter numbers, this sees Puciato traveling back the eighties – yes, if you remember GTA: Vice City, you might start to understand exactly what I'm talking about. The music here is a definite throwback to the days of wave music, and is a perfect addition to New Wave revivalism. I always felt that New Wave was very much the music of the future, much more than the electro-pop of which we're bombarded and though it shares a distant cousin, it is definitely nothing you could ever compared to the junk that's coming out of the Hollywood music industry. The record itself is actually quite intimate, and the lyrics quite passionate. I'm reminded heavily of Depeche Mode during their prime, as well as The Pet Shop Boys and possibly even The Cure in some instances. True, there aren't any guitars to be found here, but Fever Daydream is a different kind of album. It's a sort of romantic, industrial experience that many of you probably thought would never come out of Dillinger. You're also be surprised at some of the high notes that Puciato hits, showing that he could very well have been in a pop band if he'd wanted to. The man's purely a great singer and this different medium shows a very different side from him then we're used to. I believe that the screaming and rough stuff that makes up Dillinger will be back to throw us over a cliff later in the year, but for fans of classic electronic music, New Wave and most certainly even darkwave, you'll find something inside of this rather intriguing and truly intimate experience. It's not for everyone, but not everything is. I rather enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it. It's not everyday that such an approach like this is done justice. Surely, I'd consider it a perfect album that only gets better with each listen. Once again, the heavy stuff will be back later – but for now, you can sink your teeth into this unexpected and appreciated piece of music. Greg has already started this project on such a high note that I have no earthly idea as to how he'll top it with the next disc, which hopefully we won't have to wait long for.

(10 Tracks, 42:00)

10/10

The Slayerking - Sanatana Dharma (2016)

You might expect some kind of black metal to appear here on this Grecian outfit's debut album, but such is not the case and I'm quite glad for it. Considered “Doom/Gothic Metal” by MA, there's a bit more going on here than you'd expect and my ears were quite happy to hear it. When I say doom/Gothic, you should immediately gravitate towards acts like early Paradise Lost as well as fellow Greeks SepticFlesh and Rotting Christ. That's the kind of doom/Gothic you're getting. The Slayerking delivers the kinds of thunderous riffs that we'd expect for virtually any type of doom metal, so that part of the formula is covered. They also add in some really interesting solo sections that add real heft to the material and make it stand out. Frontman and bassist Efthimis K. sometimes uses a rather grainy clean vocal (that works, by the way) as well as a sadistic scowl approach that works just as well as you might imagine for the material. It's horrific, which really adds even further detail to songs with titles like “Black Mother of The Lord of Light” and “Magnificent Desolation.” Even “Sargon Of Akkad” (not about the YouTube guy) manages to really pound with a venom that reminds me heavily of what Paradise Lost used to do and what they're doing again. Now Efthimis K. doesn't have the same kind of calm clean vocal approach that Nick Holmes does, but he makes up for that with what can often sound like a fist raised to your gullet... and I say, yes. That is exactly what I want to hear in this kind of metal.

Sometimes Kostas K.'s guitar compositions will get a little trippy and psychedelic, which is hardly what we'd ever expect from a band of this nature, as it might let up the breaks a little on the goth and gloom we'd expect. But that being said, The Slayerking are definitely not a trippy sort of prog band. They're still doom, it's still very dark and I'd consider it as mere influence from the progenitors of this kind of music, who were also big into progressive rock. I feel that the trippiness of prog rock had much to do with the dark overtones of doom, which Sanatana Dharma does a great job in showcasing. Now there are a few missteps, like the confusing and a bit repetitive “My Lai” but you've got a great closer in “Southern Gate Of The Sun” which utilizes repetition in a way that you'll actually appreciate. It actually comes off pretty catchy and you'll probably end up singing along by the end of it. At the end of the day, it's pretty obvious that these guys are just getting started here, but considering that there are members of Nightfall here, you should probably take note. The scores over on MA for those later Nightfall discs aren't so good, but I fucking loved them and this new sound is just as memorable to me. It's a pretty solid disc, so give it a listen.

(8 Tracks, 39:00)

8/10

Black Sleep - The Whales Of The Grey Sea (2016)

Black Sleep are one of the most interesting new bands that I've heard in years. Why I say that, is because they've mixed together two styles of music that you just wouldn't think would ever worked. Quite simply, this EP sounds like Arcturus if they had a run-in with the groove metal of Fear Factory. You can obviously hear both influences in the music, and it's admittedly very odd – but oddly catchy as well. They're a four-piece from out of Finland, and this is obviously their debut release even though it's short enough to be placed in with our demos and EP's over at New Noise. Comically, I'm also seeing several other review blogs mentioning the band as Black Sheep, which I also thought was their name until I really took a look at it. The frontman has a very similar tone to Garm, which I thought was very unexpected, especially from a Finnish act where that sort of Norwegian influence would have to be a learned one. But even if the guy did stay up all night trying to imitate Garm's performance on records like The Sham Mirrors, I can certainly say that he's done it justice. “Tiny Pieces” gives a heavy dose of chunk and synth, but paired with that unusual vocal approach, it comes out as something altogether different. But that's just the icing on the cake compared to “Soulcatcher” which is definitely one of the best cuts on the release. This is where more of the slightly operatic avantgarde elements come into play, along with the clean chorus, which reminds me of Burton C. Bell a little bit. Now there's obviously some angry grunts used here along with the new metal crunch, but it's definitely a change in styles that I can get into. Another one I liked was “Moonsick” for the same reasons, which would be a strong clean vocal and symphonic element. The disc's closer “Animal Puppets” also stands out, ending the record on a promising note. Again, there is definitely an avantgarde sense to Black Sleep and I think that it's strong enough here to get your attention over the more groove-oriented and nu-metal elements laden within. But I also really enjoy these sections, so the band works as a solid whole for me. But with as many intriguing pieces as The Whales Of The Grey Sea contains, it still feels like a good first step that needs further exploration and evolution. I really hope that such an uncanny act continues to make music like this, as it's something very fresh that we truly need in the metal scene today. I really hope that these guys continue, because they're one of the few acts that actually caught my attention out of the hundreds I receive on a weekly basis.

(6 Tracks, 32:00)

8/10

War Inside - S.U.T U.R.E. (2016)

Coming in with a more modern approach than you might have been expecting, the sophomore effort from these French black/deathers still sounds surprisingly traditional. Considered by MA to be a sort of blackened death metal, I think I'm hearing more black metal here than I am death, as well as some breakdowns which give it a bit of a core influence that probably a couple of people won't go for. But that's fine, these guys are obviously listening to a lot of different stuff right now and they're more or less playing what they like. “The Miligram Whore” for example almost takes a Mayhem approach to things, while “Body Bones” seems to take an Unleashed, almost Dismembered style of melodic yet still threatening death metal. Just sitting here and trying to analyze these songs can be a bit of a headache, because now I'm hearing something that could be as much Satyricon as it is Lamb Of God and then of course we'll have the heavily melodic overtones that come right out of nowhere. Then why not? Let's add a nice little solo into the mix as well, and make it nice and beefy so that it stands out. All of this being considered, I can't really say too many bad things about the band, because just having some modern core influences isn't really a crime. Especially when you've got your chops down insofar as the base material is concerned. War Inside really don't go too far beyond these elements though and I think the style of vocal yelling might really turn off some metal fans completely. I noticed that later on in the album there is very little differentiation between songs and it begins to sound like a slightly more intricate hodgepodge of extremity, which I feel will attract younger fans more than the old heads. But I have a feeling that's the idea.

(9 Tracks, 42:00)

6.5/10

Casket Robbery - Evolution Of Evil (2016)

Wisconsin's Casket Robbery are back at it again with another taste of melodic groovy death slop that's recommended for fans of Jungle Rot, Gojira and Pantera. But I'm hearing other acts in there, like Australia's Eight Foot Sativa and even Walking Corpse Syndrome, who you already know are one of my favorites. The record features a guest solo from John Laux of Warbringer as well as a guest speaking role from horror filmmaker Cory Udler (who I'm oddly not aware of for some reason, even though I'm very particular about my horror films after having seen so many sub-par efforts that didn't manage to come off either funny or scary). In any case, the disc delivers as far as I'm concerned and I was quite happy with it the first time I heard it. There are many times where I'd more or less consider myself “The Groove Lord” and this is just the kind of album where that proves to be true. You're not getting a very long record, but you're getting a very thick one, which also contains slight instances of technicality, or what some might also call song structure. These guys just don't load the album with grooves, and due to the know-how of Cory Scheider (Luna Mortis, Epicurean, Echoterra) you're actually hearing some memorable leads in each song. I also like that while all of the songs still carry the same groove mentality, they don't all sound the same. As a matter of fact, these guys seem to pride themselves on every song sounding different from the rest, which I think is a good attitude to have. Grunts are being carried out Dustin Foesch still, who proves his mettle on tracks like “Undead Living Hell” and the amazingly badass “Curse Of The Nightstalker” which are just some examples of this formula done right. As I said, there's a little bit of technicality in the riffs and you might hear some of Atheist/Gorguts/Cynic influence, but that's the not the whole of this. I'm getting a real old sense of death metal here, like you'd expect with Grave, Entombed, Bloodbath and Revolting. There's actually more than a few creepy riffs to be had within this mixture and that's something I really look forward to. Sure, play around with all the technical wizzums you want, but make it sound evil. It is death metal after all. That being said, I think some of the heads expecting a pure old school style might be turned off a bit. But to them I'd say, give it a chance anyway. While it's definitely a more modern approach, I'm still hearing what I know to be death metal and that's more than enough for me to recommend it. It actually feels like a gateway drug to those old cemetery slabs some of you have sitting on your shelves (or in constant rotation) right now. The kids could be listening to far worse shit than this as far as I'm concerned and I truly embrace this kind of experimenting. It keeps our genre fresh and accessible. If you don't like accessible records, that's fine. There's plenty of other shit out there that you'll find intriguing. But if you don't mind seeing an old dog learn some new tricks, check out Casket Robbery. I could play this thing ten times right now and not get tired of it, but you might if you're not a fan of all the grooves or modernisms I mentioned.

(10 Tracks, 36:00)

9/10