Neoheresy - Potop (2016)

You know, it really says something when one guy can make an album that sounds like an entire band and orchestra composed it. Now, to be fair – it doesn't sound quite as full as a performance of that nature might, but it is definitely still able to embody the same effects with little effort. I don't know where the male and female background vocals are coming from (as they aren't credited) but composer F is quite something. My leaflet here tells me that the performance has guitar nodes similar to Bathory and I'll certainly agree there, but it also states that quite a bit of folk is in use here and I like that as well. All of the lyrics are in native Polish, but this should not come as a detriment for open-minded listeners who just plain enjoy a nice atmopshere. It's not even so much about the vocal sections for me here, nor is it about the recording. Neoheresy have a raw and organic sound that really comes across rather well in what I might describe as a rather harsh, yet rather stereoscopic production that almost sounds like something of a metallic film score.

Obviously this isn't Neoheresy's first record, but it's quite a bit for an EP release and shows that this artist isn't going away anytime soon, for he has far too much to offer us in the future. If I might recall, the record before this one (Talionis) had a bit of an industrial flair, which you aren't getting with Potop. Once again, this just goes to show listeners that one man is capable of musical miracles, with thirty-six minutes of proof to back my claim. The disc often feels ritualistic, and probably is. It also has a tinge of black metal, which early listeners might recall being a major part of the act. Maybe there's just a touch of electronics here and there, but I'm certainly not going to hold it against F and wish him the best with these works. Can't turn down a solid blackened fok metal record with experimental touches. It's just not in me.

(8 Tracks, 36:00)

8/10

Dulvitund - Huldar Slóðir (2014)

A one man Icelandic ambient project, Dulvitund have submitted to me a very impressive EP release here in Huldar Slodir. It's a bit cold, yet quite electronic. I'd almost feel that this kind of music would work in an indie-platformer, particularly in a dark space station area. At least that is what I'm getting from opener “Minningar Um Þjáningar” which is a nice place to start. There's also a bit of what sounds like rustling of leaves, perhaps making me feel that this “base” area of which I imagine myself to be in, is near a forest or jungle. “Huldar Slóðir” feels like it might be found in a cave, on another planet somewhere. The composer here could do quite well for the world of gaming, which I've said before of other similar electronics composers, because simply I'd prefer much of the to the orchestral approaches we've been getting in a lot of games. At least here, the common chiptune reference is still there, which is what I feel is missing from a lot of AAA titles. But that is a rant for another time.

The sound here is definitely of an atmosphere, invoking the ambience that I spoke about in the very first sentence of this review. It is a very kind of “chill” album, but it doesn't quite spell “relaxation.” No, this is something that still feels a bit dark, grim – you might say. Wherever you've found yourself when you start to play this album, it is definitely not a happy place. Saying little more, (as the third cut is in much the same vein as the others) it's safe to say that the soundscapes intended by the cover art have come across very well on this recording. It looked like a black metal album cover, or possibly something of black/death. But that's not what we have here, even though the same sense of dread is roughly apparent.

The artist also released a full-length (Lìfsins Þungu Spor) which you can also find by easily accessing the artist's Bandcamp page. I just purchased a copy of that particular record for a NYOP, which is the best price that I think one can have for anything. Definitely check it out if you're into positively grim electronic atmospheres.

(3 Tracks, 30:00)

8/10

Detonation - Reprisal (2011)

Netherlands based death/thrash and melodic death metallers Detonation sent me this all of the way back from 2011. It's also the last disc they released before going on a long hiatus, by which another full-length has not yet appeared. I don't think we'll hear anything else from these guys again though, especially seeing as bassist Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije is now in a very famous female fronted act by the name of Delain and guitarist/frontman Koen Romejin is is currently playing in four other bands right now. There's still a possibility, but will it ever sound this good? The best of Dark Tranquillity, Dissection and a little bit of Opeth are here, along with some groove bits that really stick. Fans of At The Gates and Nightrage will also find something here in Reprisal, as Detonation will sound like long lost friends that you never knew you had. Without question, everything that I love about melodic death metal is here, but the disc is not overly beautiful. Instead, it's main concern is to plunge your carcass directly into the ground with no remorse or even a hint of a clean vocal. Yes, this is melodic death the way we remember it, albeit with just a few injections of modernism.

These guys are ill-reviewed on Metal Archives, almost as if someone completely forgot that they made two records in 2005 (Portals to Uphobia) and Emission Phase (2007). Their debut (An Epic Defiance) has an astonishing 90% however, which makes me think that it must be even better than the disc I'm reviewing, which only has a 70%. That being said, only one person reviewed each album, so that's a very biased opinion to judge I feel. Autothrall did provide the review for this one however, but he can be a bit biased towards some of the discs I like, himself preferring a much different quality of metal than myself, apparently. I can guarantee that if I sat down with the guy and listened to some of the records he gave 100% to, I'd probably find something wrong with them, or that they aren't quite so good. The likewise could be said about some of my favorite albums as well, because reviews are merely opinions and only resonate with listeners that feel the same. This is just my opinion, it is just my observation. I always encourage people to listen to the discs themselves.

This disc is pretty damn old and from what I can tell, it's certainly not a reissue. Hell, the sound quality is low for this promo, so it's awful fuzzy to begin with. Too bad, because these guys are good and they don't even have a proper Bandcamp. They have a Facebook and ReverbNation as well as a home page, where two of their records have been sold out for quite a while. (They're also the two that have not been reviewed on Metal Archives, strangely. Does anyone have these fucking records?) Apparently, you can buy this disc for thirteen euros along with the debut which only sells for eight. If you don't want to do all that, you'll probably just listen to the damn thing on YouTube. The band's home page hasn't even been updated since 2013 and that was just a “we're not dead” update, so go figure. Anyway, these are a great bunch of tunes in the old school style of melodic death metal and maybe they'll make some more of them in another ten years or so. If you want to hear what the frontman/guitarist is up to now though, you can check out Apophys which released their debut album Prime Incursion last year. They play tech-death, so it's a little bit different than this record though. Give them both a listen, I'm sure they're worth it.

(8 Tracks, 35:00)

8/10

Mare Infinitum Talks Eternity of Space, Lovecraft, Gaming and Tips for Russian Travel!

Interview with Georgiy (Guitars, bass, programming) and Ivan (Vocals)

I have no idea what happened here and how this one got lost, but here is my interview with Russian experimental death/doom duo Mare Infinitum, originally planned for post in July of 2015. In it, we discuss the album, the background of the musicians, thoughts on America and things to explore if you ever choose to travel to Russia. Great interview, it upsets me greatly to see that it fell behind. 

For those who aren’t familiar with the band, tell us a little about yourselves.

Georgiy: Thanks for the opportunity to answer your questions! We are the band Mare Infinitum from Moscow, Russia formed in 2010 and we play doom/death metal. Our debut album called Sea of Infinity was realized in 2011 and the second album, Alien Monolith God came out this spring. Our current studio line up is a duet that includes Ivan Guskov on clean vocals and Georgiy Bykov handling guitars, bass and programing. Our former growler and lyricist Andrei Karpuhin left the band in 2014.

Ivan: Hello, everybody! My name is Ivan Guskov. I am the voice of Mare Infinitum and a few other bands from Moscow. I am also working as an actor in Moscow Music & Drama theater.

The new record is called Alien Monolith God, which sounds truly intriguing. Tell me a little bit about the concept behind this.

Georgiy: Our new album doesn't have any concept at all in terms of lyrical ideas. Each song has it's own different story behind it. There are lyrics about madness, horror, solitude and apocalypse on the album. My personal associations with Alien Monolith God deal with the eternity of space, stars and galaxies.

Tell us a little bit about the recording process for the disc. How long did that take and are you pleased with the final result? Because I know I am.

Georgiy: The recording process begun at the end of December, in 2013. We choose Primordial Studio to work with as we did with the first album. Drums were recorded first. I offered session drummer Vladimir Lyashkov and he did a great job. Rhythm guitars, clean guitars and bass were recorded second by me and then our producer Michael, who also recorded solos. Vocal tracks were done at the end of the process around April 2014. Unfortunately, the mixing process was a bit long because of some technical problems in studio so we finished the album in October of 2014. I have to say that I’m very happy with the result.

Ivan: For me it was a great experience. Not as difficult as it was for Georgiy and the other musicians. I had two sessions in studio. One with our growler, Andrey and one with my good friend Olesya Levina, who did all of the female vocals on this record. I am very happy with results. Feedback from foreign countries tells us that we did something special this time.

Let me tell you, there are some really odd things here that I’d never thought I’d ever hear on a doom death record, like the Dead Can Dance influenced stuff, for example. How did you come up with these ideas?

Georgiy: That was very natural. I always try to do things I like. I never thought that because something wasn't in the doom/death genre, that I wouldn't use it. I don't think this way at all! I try to listen to my songs in general and always ask myself if they are good enough. Did I say everything that I needed to say in the song? If some parts work together well I use them. It doesn't matter if it would be natural for the doom genre or not. I feel that you have to do something unusual instead of just doing the same thing as others around you. 

Lovecraft’s ancient ones still hold sway on the public nearly a hundred years after his death. What do you think was so monolithic about H.P. Lovecraft and the way that he wrote?

Ivan: I think, it's all about an unexpected fear that lives inside us. Fear, that you can't explain or describe. Fear of the unknown.

Seeing that you’re fans of horror and sci-fi novels, what are some other authors or perhaps even some films that you’d recommend we check out? One of the best Lovecraftian films I’ve ever seen was Dagon, but that was particularly due to the ending. Can’t help but think that there’s a better one that I’m forgetting here…

Ivan: I am not a fan of horror movies. When I was younger, of course I saw “Nightmare on Elm street”, “Hellraiser” and other classic horror movies. But now I prefer cartoons. I think the world itself has enough pain, anger, fear and other negative emotions to spend my time watching these on the big screen.  

I know a few horror video games that have a good atmosphere. Like “Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth”, “Dead Space” or “The Suffering."

What are some interesting things that you gentlemen do for a hobby that people here in the states really wouldn’t be able to do? What are some parts of Russia that you think we need to visit and experience for ourselves?

Georgiy: I don't think there are any activities here that you are unable to do in the US. I used to do quite simple things like meet my friends, go to rehearsals, go to the gym, go to the hot bath (Russian sauna) and travel sometimes. If you want to visit Russia, there are lots of places you could explore. You could find very interesting things everywhere from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. If you are interested in seeing more civilized (and more "classical" I would say) places, your could go to Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Vyborg, Yarolavl, Vladimir, Suzdal etc. If you prefer more wild and silent places, you have choices everywhere from Ural to Far East, Kamchatka and Chukotka. As far as I know, James Hetfield of Metallica visited Kamchatka for hunting.

Ivan: I like to travel around the world, spend time with my girlfriend, play video games, eat and of course, I like to make and listen music. I am a huge music fan! And it doesn't matter where I am – singing on stage or in the crowd with other fans. I like to go to the gigs and festivals here in Russia and around the world. Nothing special. I think we are very boring people.

Being Russians, what are your thoughts on the culture and political ideologies of the United States? Do you think that we’ve all gone crazy, or do you just shrug your shoulders and say, “Silly Americans?”

Georgiy. I think that if Americans were able to launch The New Horizons and the Voyagers 1 and 2, and if they reached the Moon and have about four-hundred Nobel Prizes as well as Hollywood, Walt Disney, Elvis Presley, Gibson guitars etc. how could I say they are silly? I think people in USA live their own lives, have their own problems and dreams as well as we do in Russia. I don’t think we have such large differences between us. Some Americans become Russian citizens, like Olympic champion Vic Ivan Wild or Jeff Monson (he is going to become a citizen of Russia). Both of them are very popular in Russia. If you ask me about the political aspects of the US as well as about politics in general, I don’t think this is right place to discuss such things. I think politics is something that divides people and music is something unites them. Thus, I prefer music.

Ivan: I was working with Americans in 1999 when we were doing Russian version of hippie-love-rock musical “Hair” in Moscow. In 2006 I was in LA with the show. I have friends in the US. I  don't think that people are so different around the world. Most of us have the same problems. It's all about culture and education, I think. If you want to discuss political problems, you should visit my Facebook page. In this direction, I think that we Russians need to think about our own political problems now. Not about America. 

Where can we pick up the album and see you guys live? Would you ever be open to playing here in the US?

Georgiy: We would be very happy to visit the US and play for our listeners! If you know some local promoters who would be interested in us, just let us know!

Ivan: You can pick our records from our label Solitude Productions, Bandcamp and maybe iTunes, but i'm not sure about this service. Of course we want to play around the world. Not only in the US. We are just waiting for a call from the local promoters.

What are some other projects that you are working on, which we might be able to check out in the future?

Georgiy: I have numerous ideas for the next album from Mare Infinitum. I have no idea when it will be realized but we will try to do it as soon as possible. Also, I play in the post-rock band A Young Man’s Funeral that is a project of a friend of mine.

Ivan: I have a few bands here in Moscow, with albums that will be released later this year. First is the southern rock-blues band called Red River Hog. You can check it on Soundcloud. And other one – it's my sludge-doom project with Andrey from Mare Infinitum. It's called Dopehaze. It was recorded in 2013, but because of many problems it will be released later this year.

Thanks for making one of the single best death/doom albums I’ve ever heard in my entire life. This is thing is absolutely astounding. There’s nothing quite like it, and nothing quite like your band. I thank you for taking the time to answer this interview and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Georgiy: Thanks for such great support!! I hope we will face all of you live someday! Big hug.

Ivan: Thank you for your support! I hope that someday we will meet! Keep on rockin'!

https://mareinfinitum.bandcamp.com

https://dopehaze.bandcamp.com

Dakhma - Passageways To Daena (2015)

Swiss blackened death metallers Dakhma are part of something called the Helvetic Underground Committee, which seems to be an underground religious movement dedicated to bringing back pre-Judaic belief in the form of Zoroastrianism. It seems that old Ahura Mazda's coming back after all! Although the music here definitely seems closer to that of his counterpart Angra Mainyu, which is where we eventually found the building blocks for the devil. Setting mythology aside, we have a rather interesting and quite foggy mix of progressive death metal with some black metal elements, as described.
The band is made up of just two people, with Kerberos handling everything but the drums, which H.A.T.T. manages to perform rather well. Seeing as the drumming is a huge part of the record, H.A.T.T. seems to have just as an important a job as Kerberos, especially in the atmospheric cuts which can change the nature of the band entirely and work to slowly chip away the genre tag thrown to these guys by the scribes at Metal Archives. “Ascension II” is definitely more of an atmosphere than a sort of death metal song, even making me wonder how much of it is song and how much of it is an actual ritual. Kerberos's droning mix of growls and scowls actually enrich such a performance even more, making me truly feel witness to something rather awesome and unique. They aren't attempting to be an act like Portal, Aevangelist or Teitanblood even though semblances can be drawn if one wants to look far enough. We could even compare some of the riff melodies here to something like Deathspell Omega and the hordes of other acts in the French black metal scene. The production is raw here, at times very raw – but I feel that this organic approach makes for an absolute inferno that will surely require quite a bit out of listeners.

I happened to read an older review of the disc just before I wrote this one, where the listener claimed the record was too long, but when you have a piece like “Chinvat” which requires you to sit and meditate (no death metal, or any metal to be found on that one, folks – it is a literal soundscape) such a thing can be expected. After all, this is really not a “jam album.” It doesn't really make me want to bang my head or anything similar. Instead, I feel that I am being thrown into something ancient (as I've referenced earlier) and it will require a lot more out of me than throwing up an air-guitar. This is something that nearly transcends the boundaries of music entirely, which is why I feel that it is nearly an essential listen. There are oddly enough, guitar solos in use here, but anything that I'd really consider “metal” just sort of takes a backseat to what is something that you can tell the musicians take very seriously. It's not that “Of Charred Flesh” doesn't have a fiery little guitar solo and flaming hot tremolo riffs, it's that it also contains several elements that might seem just a little out of place for a heavy metal performance. I see nothing wrong with that however, as it shows that Dakhma just want to do more. Even “The Silent Tower” takes a break for atmosphere and melody, showing that the record has much more to offer than what you might expect from the first couple of tracks. There are some rather bizarre occurences here and I hope Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu are happy with this, as I would quite be had I been of their stature. An interesting bonus feature in “Call From The Grave” also appears, which of course is a Bathory cover performed in a slightly different style than Quorthon might have intended. It still has the spirit of the original, but is a little bland as far as the lead riffs are concerned. Another bonus cut for the disc is “Ritual Of Daebaaman” which is literally half metal and half ritual, depending on where you arrive in the piece. If metal music can be used as a ritual tool for religion, then such has been demonstrated here on Passageways To Daena. It came out last year, but it's definitely worth tracking down. I'm sure Godz Of War still has some left if you're interested!

(10 Tracks, 67:00)

9/10

Eteritus - Following The Ancient Path (2016)

Hailing from Poland, we have death metallers Eteritus here with their debut album. It's not all that long and it's definitely rough around the edges, but it seems to have the right idea, which is classic death metal. The production is definitely a bit thin though, which is my biggest issue with the album. It feels like all of the instruments have been constricted to a very tiny room, by which there are only slight bursts from the kit and vocal end by which to strengthen the performance. Greg's bass is pushed far to the back, which I think is a very noticeable issue here and takes away from the warmth that such a performance should have. It's just too cool for me, folks and that's where I find that I'm having a tough time getting into it. It's not that Nitro isn't pummeling the kit to literal death, or that frontman/guitarist Liam Tailor isn't belting out some of the most venomous barks I've heard in quite a while (because I'll give him that) as well as some rather capable melodies entwined within the mix. It's just that there's a constricting grain throughout this performance that is making it very hard for me to keep focused.

That being said, there's a definite effort being displayed here and I can't ignore that. This is only their first album after all and I can understand if it doesn't sound exactly perfect. These guys have the amount of skill needed for proper death metal and display that well enough here. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but it is definitely something that I would recommend giving a listen as there are those who will not be as anal rententive about the mix as I am. If we ignore the mix completely, there's a pretty solid death metal disc here that is representitive of that classic Swedish sound and that's what is most important. Eteritus have brought another slab of powerful death metal to old school heads and I'm sure they'll eat it up regardless.

(9 Tracks, 32:00)

7/10

Profanal - Supreme Fire (2016)

Profanal sounded to me like a type of medication and if that's to be the case, then these Italian death metallers have made a pill that will burn immensely as it heads down your throat, resulting in severe convultions and heavy bouts of vomiting. According to Metal Archives, Profanal can be compared to the likes of Dismembered, Entombed a little defunct band called Nirvana 2002 (now Under The Church) and Funeral Whore. They're closely related to Sweden's Dismember however, with the Entombed influence being their earliest work. They definitely know how to play revolting death metal, with all the heat and warmth of yesteryear, jam-packed with guitar solos and literal riffs that you'll actually remember. Supreme Fire sounds like it came out during the heyday of death metal and is definitely a disc you want to get your hands on, just for the sheer amount of work put into the performance. The frontwoman's vocals are absolutely scathing, coupled with pounding drums and bass, along with dozens of bloodcurdling riffs that simply reek of this stuff. The only issue that I had with this disc is going to surprise most of you, being that it is the less than a minute acoustic instrumental “Across Death's Path.” It is literally just a small acoustic number that does nothing more than to take away from such a fearsome performance. I feel that a lot of heads are going to be upset that there's a slight break in the slaughter and I'd definitely skip that cut every chance I got. Maybe they should have placed it at the end, where it wouldn't have taken away from the classic feel they were going for. When you're listening to a cohesive and absolutely unrelenting experience like this, (it's just plain classic) you don't want any frilly pieces getting in the way. If they were going for more experimentation, I could understand – but I'm just not getting that from Profanal right now. Cutting that piece out of the mix, you still have a solid thirty-five minutes of solid death metal and I'm not going to complain about that. Still worth a listen, and I think you'll enjoy it regardless of the acoustic hiccup.

(9 Tracks, 36:00)

8/10