Hyperion - Seraphical Euphony (2016)

The debut album from Sweden's Hyperion is already getting some good reviews and has garnered a 93% on Metal Archives from some new reviewer I've never heard of. I just never referred to melodic black metal as a game, but I imagine it would be a pretty interesting one nonetheless. Formed from members of Mist Of Misery, Everwhere and Rest Area Effect, this act has been around since 2010, when they first decided to release a demo, which someone found to be better than this album. Considering the fact that all three of those demo tracks are here on this full-length (Blood Of The Ancients, Moral Evasion and Primal Cosmic Asendancy) there's no need for you to track it down and this nearly an hour long performance will do nicely. I could tell you that they sound like Dissection, but so do many other bands in this style and that doesn't say so much. Just know that you will definitely hear grim tremolos as well as rather bright lead melodies and even some solo sections. In addition to that, we've also a barrage of synths at time, which help to enhance the grandiosity of a couple of these tracks. Synths aren't used in every song, but they do appear here, so if you don't like synths (and some people don't) then you probably won't enjoy the entire record. We have acoustic riffs, as well as some spoken word sections quite like you'll find on melodic death metal albums. Truth be told, it's a formula that we've heard a hundred times over, and we'll be fine with hearing a hundred more times. That's because Hyperion does it right. Sure, we had to wait six years for this record, but it honestly seems like it was worth it. The reviewer over at Metal Archives tagged them as melodic black, even though there's far too much oomph in this record to fall under that kind of simplification. That's why I feel that their actual classification, “melodic black/death” fits a hell of a lot better. “Flagellum Dei” fucking pounds with the might of a steam engine, same with “Empyrean Yearning” and practically every track other than the useless intro “Remnants Of The Fallen.” I understand that it's supposed to be a buildup to “Novus Ordo Seclorum” but I honestly just see most people skipping it entirely or deleting it out of the folder once they've bought the digital from the band's Bandcamp.

That being said, the band still like to begin nearly every song on the record with an acoustic intro (except for “Novus Ordo Seclorum” and “Zephyr Of Grace”) and in doing so, we can appreciate them a little more as part of the songs. You could just go right to the heavy part on closer “Blood Of The Ancients” but it just wouldn't sound quite so damn majestic. That aforementioned in particular, which was obviously more about structure and style than merely blasting the drums and scowling incoherently, which certainly does happen. Yet we also hear something on the track that we don't hear on the rest of the album, and that is frontman Henry Laureans' clean vocal approach. It is dark, forlorn and worked to remind me just a hint of Johan Edlund. Other than those vocals, we of course hear some absolutely immense guitar solos (which shouldn't cut off, cutting off guitar solos at the end of an album is a big no-no, which means I have to wait for a YouTube performance to stream so that I can hear the whole song – he was right in the middle of an awesome melody too!) at the end of the disc of which three gentlemen can actually be accredited to! That's actually something quite rare in bands, as normally I'll either see that there's one or two guitarists in the act, but the fact that these guys have three is pretty insane. Seraphical Euphony is a record that certainly utilizes such a mass number of guitarists quite well, and features hordes of dazzling and brilliant solos on many of the other tracks (which do not get cut off by the way) which really work to decorate most of the musical matter that you'll hear on the disc.

While it's still a heavy album with thrashing black metal moments as well as those with an obviously more death metal and even groove-laced feel, there's an awful lot of beauty here and I think as a whole it's much more than we could have ever bargained for or expected this year. I'm not saying that metal is on the wane, but there are far less intriguing discs than there used to be, as dying trends struggle to survive while truly classy and thought provoking albums like this are usually pushed behind or buried in a sea of more popular and recognizable releases. I really hope that enough people will really sit down with this album as they should, and give it the time and attention it deserves. Mixing dark and light elements like this is somewhat difficult to do, and to do quite so well as these guys have done; so I'd definitely consider it worth your money. Every bit, including the track with the cut-off guitar solo because maybe your autism over it won't be quite so bad as mine. (Deep breaths, Eric.) There are some really stellar hits on this one, which I think you're going to appreciate quite a bit. I've listened to the disc twice already and still don't feel as though I've cracked the shell of it yet. Hyperion have really made a masterpiece of an album and I have no idea how they're going to top it. Some might say perhaps that they've gone a little too much into the realms of common blast-laden black metal and perhaps should step it more with the progressive/technical side, but I feel that the style here will appeal more to fans of that old Dissection style than something a bit more convoluted. I'm not really sure as to whether or not this album is a perfect 10/10 or an awesome 9/10, but I think that's the kind of answer we'll receive in time. If they can outdo themselves in the next couple of years with a new release, they'll definitely get a ten from this reviewer. But for right now, on this date and time, I'm going to consider a smashing album like this something of a nine. Should you still get it? Of course you should. Don't ask such a silly question. If you love superb melodies and solos injected into black and death metal as much as I do, then you're going to love this one. I mean, really love this one. We very well may not get anything this grandiose in the melodic black/death realms for the rest of the year... and it's still only April. I believe that truly says it all.

(9 Tracks, 52:00)

9/10

Ritual Chamber - Obscurations (To Feast Upon The Seraphim)

This Californian death metal project completely composed by a man by the name of Numinas is just one of his many, many acts. Most of these he has no longer taken a part of or has disbanded, but apparently he still plays in Krohm and Vetus Obscurum. Most will remember him for his work in New Jersey funeral doom/deathers Evoken. Ritual Chamber however, doesn't really sound anything like Evoken – well, not entirely. We're still crypt crawling on this one, as we are faced with extremely fuzzy and terribly misty atmospheres which work perfectly with the oddly eerie riff structures and horrendous vocal growls emanating from the artist. Synths are even used to paint an even darker and more mysterious portrait. I won't even beat around the bush here, this is the kind of music that I'd switch out the soundtrack of a good horror game to play in the background, because it just sounds more dreadful than the shock of angry violins at the moment of jump scare. It would also work for a horror shooter, something where you take on Lovecraftian demons. Not surprisingly, the band's demo was called The Pit Of Tentacled Screams (How do screams have tentacles?) and I feel that this kind of music fits that kind of virtual atmosphere perfectly. Though there are actually some guitar solos featured on the disc (I was actually a bit surprised by this) it's the kind of disc that you could consider more of a soundscape if only the lead riffs didn't make such a strong appearance. Granted we have an awful lot of tunneling bass nodes here, but the leads come in at times which I'd say disrupt the atmosphere he's trying to convey. There's enough structure here on the performance to keep us from lulling off into a nightmare world (the disc can be admittedly slow) and sometimes those riffs that can break the atmosphere actually work to build dread, so it's a literally “damned if you do” sort of sensibility. “A Parasitic Universe” for example, sounds like the most dreadful thing to hear at either the opening or the credits for a horror film (probably would be better without the vocals there though) but then it slowly merges it's way into becoming an unexpected death metal basher. Obscurations... definitely feels like the kind of record that you can't completely predict, with absolutely horrifying pieces trudging up out of nowhere. If Numinas' goal was to make a spine-tinglingly death metal induced atmosphere, then he's most certainly done it with this one. If feels like you're trapped in an underground tunnel with no source of light and who knows what else lying in wait. If you're looking for music to play while horrendous beasts are sucking down your entrails like Twizzlers, then you'll want to pick this one up immediately.

(9 Tracks, 59:00)

8/10

Palace Of Worms - The Ladder (2016)

The Ladder represents this Californian black metal act's first full-length effort in six years. After years of splits with Mastery (good in small doses), Botanist (good, depending on the kind of album he releases) and Thoabath (I've never heard these guys) the one man project finally decided to release something a little bit different than his work in Botanist. Yes, Balan here is also the mastermind behind Botanist and he's giving us something much different than we'd receive in said act (of course.) We start out with “The Twilight Divide” which definitely gives off that black metal atmosphere and attitude, though it also injects some actual atmosphere into the mix, as in a lengthy middle-piece in which to contemplate. Then we have “From The Ash” which seems to be a little more simpler and does it's job. After that, things begin to change and genre hopping soon begins. Death/Doom is heavily explored with “Nightworld” even though it defaults back to black metal (as well as some unexpected female chanting and vocals) yet once again goes back into the cold and forlorn tones of doom once again. An electronic piece comes in shortly thereafter, seeming a bit out of place and perhaps like something that might play during a science-fiction based FPS, but that rolls back into what I would consider an even more sullen form of metal in “Strange Constellations.” Like most compositions here, that doesn't quite stay the same and soon involves progressive sections as well as another moment of silence and some more good old doom. Then we get to “Wreath” where things start to take a major turn, which isn't black metal at all. As a matter of fact, it reminds me a little bit more of the Gothic rock of mid-era Antahema or even Sisters Of Mercy. Didn't see that one coming did you? But I certainly can't say that I'm upset with it, because finally this guy gives me something that I can really sink my teeth into. We get one more black metal cut in the form of “Ephemeral Blues” which isn't really blues at all. Despite it's length, it's pretty straight-forward, a bit bland and I could have done without it. Just sounds like a track I've heard before done by a different artist.

In any case, the performance here delivered shows a much different and far bleaker side from Balan. Apparently he's going through some rather difficult things in his life right now, or has been exposed to the very worst of Tumblr (either will drive one to insanity) but the end result has been one of presence, it feels very much alive and evokes the sort of personal sense that one can only get when they're making a record that isn't only coming from their ideology and worldview, but from their own sense to explore the medium of music in a much different way than others might expect. Those who know this gentleman by his real name know that he's an experimental black metal artist (well, some of them – I doubt his grandmother knows) and probably never would have suspected such doomful dirges to ready their approach into familiar frostbitten corridors of which most listeners are quite familiar. It's still black metal, I suppose – there's definitely the black metal/doom/experimental tags being thrown around here and that simply goes without saying. Though compared to his work in Botanist, I'd consider Palace Of Worms by and large more interesting. I hope it won't be another six years before we get another helping. Balan needs to let his plants soak in the sun lamps for a while, and tend to his, uh... worm-ridden palace. At least I tried, folks.

(7 Tracks, 46:00)

8/10

Ragestorm - The Thin Line Between Hope and Ruin (2016)

Italy's Ragestorm originally started out as a joke back in 2004, but the band have been going on for more than a decade now. In all that time, they've never released a major debut and we finally have that here in the raw, but meaningful The Thin Line Between Hope and Ruin. The lyrics are based on various conspiracies, some of which I believe are possible, while others are truly science fiction. (I believe that Reptilians are a joke that Icke personally uses to discredit and not draw too much attention to some of the other more considerable things he mentions, yes – regardless of the books he's written. You'll do a lot when you're trying to government agencies off your back.) In any case, we get a mixture of melodic death and groove metal, which still sounds at a bit of an infantile stage, yet still manages to make a dent. “Acid Tears” sounds like one of the better mid-era Hypcorsy tracks, while closer “Reaching The Impossible” reminds me a little more of Insomnium. You'll also hear Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and At The Gates references here, there's no getting around that.

My only problem with the record is that there simply isn't enough here to really differentiate them from other melodic death metal acts of both the past and present. I'm hearing some nice leads here and there, some sweet guitar solos every once in a while and whatnot – but aside from a little electronic piece in “Hari Sheldon's Speech Feat. The Boylerz” there's not much here that really distinguishes these guys from other acts. They're just kind of run of the mill melodic death metal, and they'll need to really step it up a notch before I can really take notice of them. Granted, the record is a solid listen that has it's share of memorable bells and whistles, but I don't think it's anything to write home about yet.

That being said, these guys should definitely keep going and hopefully the next record will offer a little bit more or even a great deal more than this one. You know, it could be the fact that the vocals are so damn loud and the guitars are pushed so close to the back that the whole listen just rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps the frontman just needs to turn himself down a notch or two and see how it sounds. Go back and listen to some of those early melodic death records – I never remembered the vocals being that high in the mix. As a matter of fact, I'd rather it if I could barely hear the vocals among the instruments because that's how it used to be. The vocals were there, but they were just a different instrument. Think of In Flames Whoracle for example. That's a favorite of mine and I'm sure it's one of yours too. Never were Anders' vocals that loud in the mix. Let's even go to Japanese melodeath like Veiled In Scarlet. You can't really hear the vocals that much, but they're there. What you do notice is the melodies, the leads. I know it's too late to repress the record, but these vocals have just got to come down. I want to hear more of the guitars, more of the drums, more of the performance – not blaring vocals in my ear. If they'd fix this, maybe I could even come to give this record a better score. When one element is louder than the others, it kills the performance as a whole and I learned that while mixing our third album. Less is more.

All this being said and noted, The Thin Line Between Hope and Ruin is still just a first step for these guys, and it shows that they definitely want to be a serious melodic death metal act. They just need a little bit more work and we'll see where they go from there. It's a bit tough to recommend the disc, but I wouldn't shy you away from it if you were interested.

(11 Tracks, 52:00)

7/10

Imperium - Titanomachy (2016)

Formed from members of Trigger The Bloodshed and Cenotaph as well as former members of Boodshot Dawn and Prostitute Disfigurement (that would be the band's new vocalist, Doug Anderson) we have what is the first record from these guys since the Mayans predicted an apocalypse that never came. In any case, fans of Hate Eternal and The Black Dahlia Murder will probably enjoy this sophomore effort quite a bit, but there are just a ton of bands playing in this style and I feel that's one of the main weaknesses here in Titanomachy. A similar style might be fine for some, but I've heard this already and own several albums that sound very much the same. Just in flipping through these cuts a second time, I've noticed that no matter how killer these guitar solos are, they always seem to appear in the same spot for practically every song. That's completely fine too, but it doesn't really give me the listener anything new to chew on. Other than a lot of technicality and some rather engaging solos by the twin-guitar team of Mike Alexander and Rob Purnell, there's not much more to engage yourself with. I will admit that the playing certainly sticks out in the mix, but the base matter of the act just seems like a vehicle for these two to simply shred the hell out of their guitars. They could have just as well done this in any type of band, but it just happens to be this modern death metal act where they've chosen to do so. It's the kind of record where many things seem shoveled in despite their obvious brutality and aside from what I'd consider rather tasteful guitar engagements, I'm just getting a big heavy block of metal. You can definitely pick up this record for the shredding, but the rest of it really doesn't offer that much unless you like run of the mill modern death outputs. It just doesn't have quite enough of a bite for me, but I probably would have dug it years ago, especially if I hadn't listened to many other bands of this style before.

Having said this, I am by know means shoveling waste upon the guitar compositions here. I love my solos and could absolutely recommend the record based on those alone, but that seems to be all that it really offers. Take something like Whitechapel and add tons of solos, tons and tons of solos – and that's what you're getting with this one. Once again, there's nothing wrong with that and I know that some people are really going to dig it, but it's just not quite my bag. Maybe with a couple more listens it could grow on me, but as of right now I'm not getting the best second impression. If you've got to have your technical riffs and more solos than you can fit in a Greyhound bus, then go for it. I just need a little more substance, possibly not so much of the same style or tempo used in practically every song. That leans me to boredom, as not everything should just be ungodly hard and fast. Slow it down a bit gentlemen, you're not going to a fire.

(12 Tracks, 44:00)

7/10

Ferium - Behind The Black Eyes (2016)

Israel's Ferium are back again with their “ain't quite death metal” style of death and core, which doesn't seem to have changed all that much on this second outing, surprisingly. I'm almost shocked to see the band on Metal Archives, but I'm sure it was hesitantly. I guess like Heaven Shall Burn, Ferium seem to straddle the boundary between death metal and deathcore so well that they deserve a place among the halls of the mighty. That being said, I've always loved Heaven Shall Burn and still do. Though it is there that I notice a glaring problem, which is that I”m being exposed to a thirty-six minute deathcore album with only a few bells and whistles to make things interesting. Tiran Ezra's vocal style here is one step away from a gut-punch, and all of the breakdowns being hit on this record aren't helping matters any. There are some thrashy moments to be had here, but I feel that I have to literally skim through this thing in order to find something of merit. Case in point, “She Feels Like Home” which is the disc's interlude of sorts. For once, I'm actually hearing melodies and something that isn't a fucking breakdown or a gang-vocal. Following that we have “Seven Years Of Seven Level” which seems to continue the mood continued in the previous song with added piano and electronic influence. I hate to say it, but these might be the two most entertaining tracks on the whole album. Interestingly, there's a nearly eight minute cut here called “A Free Man” which seems to add the spoken word elements we heard during the interludes into a full track. The disc does end with a very good melody section, which proves that at least it manages to do something right on the metallic side. Though after my listen, I only have to ask myself the mere question; “What in the hell happened here?” I honestly didn't think these guys could do any worse than their debut Reflections, which actually had some merit. There were some good moments on the disc in spite of things. Yet what I've been exposed to here is nothing more than angry deathcore with little rhyme or reason. There is NO SUBSTANCE on this album period. It is literally the same song over and over again, sans the interludes and the disc's closer perhaps. The same angry grunts, the same basic breakdowns and the same djent, djent, djent, djent, djent. What am I supposed to do with this? I believe I passed this by until I received a physical copy for review, which now meant that I had to give it a full write-up as I'm doing right now. I know I have a friend that tends to enjoy this kind of stuff, so I think I'll pass it to them when I see them in a few months. That being said, there are people like him that will actually enjoy this one so I can't just completely tear the band apart. They made the kind of record they wanted to make, made a worse record than what they started with and gave me an utterly bland performance. I'm almost insulted. Even so, the interludes show that there is still “something” here and maybe they'll build from this in the future. It certainly can't be much worse than this. Anyone could have made this, so I wouldn't recommend it and there are much better acts out there. Even so, if you like deathcore, you certainly could do worse.

(9 Tracks, 36:00)

5/10

Enthean - Priests Of Annihilation (2016)

Coming out of South Carolina, fans of Dissection, Frosthelm, Dimmu Borgir and Emperor need to take notice of technical black metallers Enthean. Priests Of Annihilation is their debut release, coming three years after the band's demo Tombs Of Desecration back in 2013. The album is a thunderous, yet rather grim and evil affair that utilizes as much of the keyboards as it does clean vocals and thrash riffs. There are also some symphonic nodes of atmosphere here, which sort of purvey the whole “epic” feeling such a band wants to embody. From the eerie synths and the blackened melodies, we can tell that these guys really love their symphonic black as much as they like their melodic blackened death. Yet there's also that groove/death kick, which none of us might be expecting, as well as some really tasteful and quite plentiful solo cuts that show a band not afraid to do some technical shredding. Brian Kingsland and Adam Broome make up the guitar and vocal section of the act, while Mitch Moore handles the drums and it's more or less a twin guitar solo frenzy akin to the Amott brothers on a couple of these tracks. We also get some rather tasteful progressive rock influence on longer tracks like “Before You, I Am” and the album's closer “Invalesc De Profundis” which injects a classic rock solo into the mix, just before we're pounded with a hefty triumphant march. I'll admit that it's a bit odd to hear more of a growl vocal on this record and I think I might have personally liked it more with a scowling black metal touch. That being said, I certainly think there's a lot of talent to be had here and that's in the playing in general. When the record sounds this good on an instrumental level, the vocals really aren't so important in the long run. Many people like to ask the question, “Well, how well can they play?” and my answer to that is “Very well.” Enthean play on this record as if they've been playing for decades, even if there are still some kinks to be worked out in all the symphonic stuff. This is the kind of band that's all about substance, regardless of the whole “epic synth” thing. Even if you removed all of that influence from the record, it will still perform just as strong as it does with the orchestral flair. There's quite a few symphonic death metal acts that I don't think would be as strong without their synths and orchestras, but these guys aren't one of them. Priests Of Annihilation is still a bit rough around the edges, but it's still worth picking up and certainly worth supporting. These guys don't even have a label yet, but after a performance like this one, they should soon. If you like technicality and orchestral flair in your black/death metal, then you owe it to yourself to embark on this musical adventure.

(8 Tracks, 46:00)

9/10