Illusions Dead - Celestial Decadence (2016)

Hailing from Finland, we have the debut from death/blackers Illusions Dead, which like Enthean proves that three people is really all you need to make a great band. It's admittedly a thick record where much of the production seems to have made many of the riffs a bit tough to discern, but if you turn it up a little you'll be able to hear much more of the melody and perhaps some of the technical moments fueling this onslaught as well. Johannes Katajamaki manages to put forth a hefty scowl, which certainly works a lot better with this than I think a growl would have. It would have honestly made things sound even muddier. (A growled vocal approach does appear on “Tormentor Of The Weak” and “The Way Of The Deceiver” however.) Nevertheless, his performance can be audibly heard and is quite fierce in spite of everything else. If you've got your volume turned up at this point, then you should be able to hear some of the truly gorgeous fucking leads on this record, so unfavorably stuffed behind the mist as “Shadow and Flame” portrays.

Katajamaki and Jake Lastujoki are both on guitar duty (also like Enthean, very bizarre) which admittedly leads to a great deal of expression in that department. You won't actually be hearing as much of a vocal implement here as you will the guitars, especially on a longer piece like “Revolution (Celestial Spheres)” which rounds out to almost seven and a half minutes in length. The drums also play a large role in the instrumentation of the band, as Akseli Auralianna blasts the kit as much as he provides an unexpected doom thunder. The Finns love their doom, so it doesn't surprise me that they'd experiment with that here and it definitely adds another notch to what begins as a rather melodic, though extravagantly evil during these doom moments that the musty atmosphere works to their advantage however, as I find myself grinning from ear to ear when my foot is placed in my mouth as that very growled vocal approach that I felt would make things more muddy actually seems to set them off without a hitch. Problem is, they can't keep it up for “The Way Of The Deceiver” which sees the growls drowned out completely by everything else. But I'll be lenient, as Celestial Decadence is still a rather solid disc and it's certainly worth listening to despite the fog... and yes, I do realize that some of you out there will actually like the foggy production as well. In any case, I think that these Finns have quite a bit to offer insofar as I've heard in this forty-five minute offering and so much ground is covered (especially the unexpected doom) that I think there's a lot of promise to be had here. Celestial Decadence is an album full of great riffs, powerful vocal performances and the very spirit of black/death/doom that I feel speaks for itself. Like some of the other bands I've reviewed this week, you'll need to give a couple of tracks a listen before you fully submit to this one, but it reminds me a little of some of those rougher Amon Amarth discs like The Crusher, so I wouldn't pass it by. As I said, turn up your speakers and then give it a listen. I think you'll like it better at a loud volume and the atmosphere it conveys seems to require a high amount of decibels. It's almost akin to haring them live, which certainly isn't a bad thing. At least we know that they can pull it off on the stage just as well as they have done here. There aren't a lot of bands that can actually say that these days, much as they would like to have you believe.

(8 Tracks, 41:00)

8/10

Efpix - Evil Sides (2016)

Evil Sides is the debut album from Russian industrial/melodic death metallers Efpix and if you're a fan of Russian electronic metal as well as acts like The Monolith Deathcult or doom/death like Swallow The Sun, then you're definitely going to find something here. Efpix aren't a band that like to beat around the bush, as bright synths and heavy riffs form the background instrumentation for harsh vocal choruses like “Now it's time to die, motherfucker!” in a song with virtually the same title. What's interesting about these guys (other than the obvious electro-death metal notions) is the fact that while they're basically a groovier form of death metal, the melodies in question seem to be emanating from the electronics rather than the guitars. It's sort of like Blood Stain Child in a way, but with much less of that In Flames/Dark Tranquillity influence. Admittedly, we will hear some melodic leads in places, but none more stronger than the album's strange closer “Above My Mind” which sounds more like something from Swallow The Sun or In Mourning than much of the previous work on the disc. While some of the compositions here can be seen as quite simplistic, the band are able to utilize them to the best of their ability and really create some powerhouse numbers like the more light hearted “Don't Try To Escape” and dark-tinged “Forget Me” which shines a little more than other tracks in that style due to it's use of starry electronics and a solo piece that I would love to hear a little bit better. Evil Sides does seem to suffer a bit from a very thick and hard to discern mix, as thick grooves and electronic elements all seem to sound like they've been mushed together. If they could get a bit more clarity with the next release, then I'm sure that they could really strike gold. Compared to other Russian electro-death acts of it's type, I find that I like the musicianship and the vocal performance especially, which usually is a make or break with a majority of these kinds of bands.

The record has enough going for it to stand on it's own, as this odd mix of death metal, gloom and electronica proved to be far more palatable than what you I expected. Evil Sides has a lot of substance and depth which is clearly the result of a band more apt to exploration and I very much champion that. The album's title track alone is well worth the purchase price, and even despite the mixing and clarity problems I've noted here, I still couldn't possibly turn down such a promising release. I definitely recommend you check out Evil Sides, though I'll add that it is important to give every track a chance. These guys didn't make an album where most of the songs sound the same, so keep flipping through until you find something you like. I have a feeling that you eventually will. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes on these guys. You should do the same.

(10 Tracks, 45:00)

8/10

Sarvas - The Throne (2016)

In actuality, there are five people in this Finnish sludge/groove act, but it only sounds like there are about three or four. That's not always a good thing, but it does make for a pretty solid listen here. You're definitely getting a kind of post-metal and doom mixture, which some tend to categorize as sludge for some reason, but The Throne is not all it seems to be on the outside. Deep within the recording we'll find a more Finnish take on the performance, which includes a bit of folky acoustic guitar. There are still some electronic soundscapes to be had (at least from the intro to opener “Revelation Apparition”) as we might hear from similar acts, but these Finns haven't forgotten where they came from, nor do they overload us with so much doom that it becomes tantamount to staring at a large rock. Tatu Hutri (lead) and Tommi Blum (rhythm) actually help to offset most of the pounding riffs that Jonne Kekki (bass) brings to the table, and it keeps the listen interesting. Samuel Lindroos (vocals) is a pretty one-dimensional frontman though, which is where I think some improvement can be had. Clearly there's a lot of technicality as well as some extreme metal injections being implemented into this thick and sludgy mess, but a gritty roar seems to be all of the vocal capability that Lindroos possesses and that can make things a bit dull. Even so, he does put a lot of passion into those notes, which definitely pack more of a punch when combined with the attention to detail from Hutri and Blum that I mentioned earlier. I think the EP will still come off pretty entertaining and rather damn fierce anyway, especially for fans of the genre like myself. While Sarvas aren't the best sludge act in the world, they're extremely far from being the worst, and I'd definitely recommend The Throne to anyone looking for something more from their sludge. It's safe to say that this is a step in the right direction and it gives the genre some well needed ingenuity.

(3 Tracks, 28:00)

7/10

Putrisect/Scorched - Final State Of Existence Split (2016)

We have a two band split here, the first being an eleven minute offering from Maryland's Putrisect. Their side of the of the split offers both an intro and outro, while Scorched just give us an intro and in truth; I'd prefer that neither existed. Removing those, we're left with about nine minutes of grimy death metal, which sounds just like it came from the greats. Creepy leads? Check. Thick bass riffs that make it sound like they're playing from deep inside a crypt? Check. A drum performance that brings the right amount of heat and bravado to the record? Check. But there are also some modernisms here, maybe a little bit of technicality and whatnot to appeal to more modern death metal listeners and that's fine. In all honesty, I could do without some of the little technical whizzings on the record, but it later becomes apparent that they're trying to a make a sort of Swedish influenced tech-death and I guess I can accept that. It certainly comes off entertaining and brings more to the table than similar bands I've come across. At least these guys are trying to take the style in a different direction, and here's to hoping that they'll achieve success with it. At least there's more meat on this rotting corpse than I normally get and I can be thankful for that.

Scorched come from my home state of Delaware (born and raised there for the first sixteen years of my life) and they give us an eight minute performance with a similar style of technical death metal to Putrisect. I'm still getting the sloggy tombstones of the genre's past, but I'm also hearing some really great segues and notions of technicality than I heard with Putrisect. While I don't like the Gojira-influence in the first part of “Lust For Strangulation” the track soon moves past that and gives me a pretty interesting little death metal number. “Visceral Ascension” is even better and shows me a band that I can only recommend based on the sheer level of talent that I've heard here. These guys do classic death metal justice, but they put a spin on it that really seems to make it stand out. Putrisect are very much in the same class, and if this is something new in the scene, I'm all for it. You can dress up old death as much as you like – just make sure that it still sounds like old death!

In any case, my pick on this split would be Scorched, but both bands are highly recommended and I think even the older heads might be a little pleased with what they're hearing these young guys do. Face it, these guys could be grooving out to FFDP or whatever mainstream stuff is out there, but they decided to give those old discs a spin or two and saw where they could add on to that formula. I know, I know, If it's not broke... but there's no harm in attempting something a little different. Give this split a listen.

(8 Tracks, 20:00)

8/10

Entheos - The Infinite Nothing (2016)

Entheos is a technical death metal act made up of former members of The Faceless and Animals As Leaders. You can sort of imagine what this leads to, as the record not only contains the sort of progressive/technical influx that we'd expect from such an act, but it also seems to embrace electronic atmospheres, some of which are used in the background of certain tracks, while others become standalone pieces entirely. Those expecting a severe technical performance are certainly getting one here, complete with all the trimmings from thrash, death and even core semblances; even though I still feel the whole thing sounds like an indiscernible jumble of various ideas and extremities that sometimes work and other times simply do not. Guitar solos just seem to creep up sporadically, just as much as the electronic bits I've mentioned and there doesn't really seem to be a flow to this substance.
The Infinite Nothing can sound very ADD at times and seems like it's missing a real sense of riff-matter. I'm certainly not going to turn it away because of that, as the guys do come off rather fast and furious and what they deliver certainly comes off pretty interesting, much more than similar acts, especially in the deathcore realm of things.

If there's anything that I can really say came out to me here, it was indeed the electronic pieces and the tiny prog parts that gave the music a chance to breathe. You and I both know that there are several acts playing this kind of tech-death who've completely forgotten to give their songs air, and their records have caused me to suffocate quite a bit in the process. Yet here, I'm not getting that. While The Infinite Nothing is still a bit thick, slightly raw and mightily heavy; it does carry with it a sense of purpose and I feel that's what makes all of it's chaotic sporadity stick out. Even though you have to really dive in a bit before you start hearing some real riff-melodies (An Ever-Expanding Human) it's still worth checking out for those looking to stay in the more commercial realms of this genre. I hope that with the next album they'll branch out a little more. This is fine for now, but I want to hear something grander, possibly not so sporadic and not quite so one-dimensional in the vein of tech-death in the future. I feel that many of the same riffs and riff-structures are being used, with the band defaulting to breakdowns or little prog-parts when they're tired the speedy stuff that makes up most of this listen. Ultimately, the record is relatively solid and still worth checking out, but I'm afraid that I'm just going to have to hear a little bit more from them before I can really say I'm a believer.

(8 Tracks, 40:00)

7/10

Occult Burial - Hideous Obscure (2016)

At first listen, this record sounds like it might have come out thirty years ago, but it's actually brand new. Yeah, I know. It's hard to believe that three dudes from Canada were able to unearth the spirit of eighties black/thrash in a fucking basement somewhere, but that seems to be the case. Obviously you can already guess who inspired this band, acts like Holocausto, Venom and Sarcofago among many others – although I admit I'm hearing an awful lot of venom from this performance and that's just fine. This is actually the band's first full-length album and I'm enough of a believer in it to think that it'll even make old heads believers too. I'm just amazed by how lofi the production value on this thing sounds and how classic each track comes across. Joel Thomas is a hell of a scowler, who puts a lot of passion into his work. I'm even hearing some Mercyful Fate there when he hits the highs. You could also consider Mercyful Fate an influence here, and by all means early Bathory as well. Did I cover all the bases? Good. Dan McLoud's riffs sound literally like the very best of this genre, bringing in all the memorable thrash and gallops of the eighties roaring right back at us in all of their retro quality. Again, this record sounds like it was made in 1983, which is also why Dan Lee's drums sound like rat-tat-tats throughout the performance. The eighties weren't necessarily about destroying the kit, they were about really showing what you had on the guitar and delivering a great performance overall. You had to have riffs, because you couldn't get by with some of the other things that you can get by with in metal now. If there's one other musician that I think would dig something like this, it would be Sigh's Mirai Kawashima. He absolutely loves shit like this and posted online asking for some band requests a while back. So Mirai, if you're reading this; I can assure you that you're going to dig this one. It might be a new band, but these guys have truly captured that whole raw aesthetic that heavy metal music used to be. The songs aren't bland either, they actually have structure and purpose instead of just trying to utilize the same tempo or style for every piece. The fact that I am once again hearing real “riffs” make me very happy, in addition to some really incredible and quite audible guitar solos, despite the crackly production. If you're interested in getting your kids into metal and showing them what the music really is, and what it sounded like in it's prime, give them a copy of this. Occult Burial captures all the best of the genre's golden age in just a little more than a half an hour. I'd definitely give it a listen, even just for a history lesson. These guys show us what happened before Nu-Metal, Core, Djent and all that other stuff. Occult Burial is true heavy metal, hands down.

(9 Tracks, 31:00)

9/10

Prisoner Of War - Rot (2016)

There are two other bands by the name of Prisoner Of War/POW on Metal Archives as well, but these guys are nowhere to be found. The first band was a Jersey Groove/Thrash act, and the other is a North Carolinian Sludge/Doom act. All released EP's, which is what this record is as well. But can this New Zealand death and thrash combo do what the other POW's could not? They already released a demo back in '14 which gives them at least one more release than the other guys, and by releasing a full-length later, they'll officially be the only registered POW that managed to make it beyond demo days. Thankfully, the music here is well worth it, with a distinct war metal sound that goes equally well with the band's warlike lyrics. Yes, we can compare them to the great Bolt Thrower in that respect, but there's a bit more thrash, kick and groove here so it's not a slow trudge through the battlefield. Vocalist/Bassist Charred Remains gives us a fiendish approach here on the microphone with both his thick growls and horrendous scowls, which seem only beefed by the attention to detail offered up by Typhoid's guitar licks. This guy doesn't really mind pounding us with a little but of progressive-era Death, then rolling right into Destruction or early Venom territory right after. Sometimes they just want to take us right back into nineties death slabs with “Twisted Mass Of Burnt Decay” which is just fine, because they prove that they can pump enough song structure and musicianship into a track that's only about a minute longer than your average grindcore number. That's pretty damn impressive, as I know very few bands out there that can even come close to that. These guys sound like they've been playing for a long time, and I think that's another thing I like about the New Zealand scene. A lot of metal acts over there seem to have respect for that classic sound and production, like their peers in Monsterworks – a band that I find just as good and praise rather heavily. POW are a much different sort of act though, and they've got a harder edge that I really think people owe it to themselves to go out there and discover. Rot offers an awful lot of potential within it's short playing time and only anticipates me for the band's next release. It's death, it's thrash, it's groove, it has a little bit of doom and some creepy prog parts. Simply put, it's the kind of thing we need right now in a scene where bands are either hopping on the bandwagon, or just trying to outright copy their influences. POW are familiar, yet different – and that's where the appeal to such a terribly horrifying death metal laced experience comes in. Get your hands on it now.

(5 Tracks, 21:00)

9/10