Ricardo Remedio - Natureza Morta (2016)

Portuguese artist Ricardo Remedio has created a combination of techno-industrial and synth-based atmospheres here on what is his debut album, with a much different title than what the official Facebook description offered. Natureza Morta literally translates to "Dead Nature" and although the gist of the performance is quite dim, there are some rather lighthearted nodes as well. We begin with the deep, slightly urban feel of “Banquete” which has a small section entwined within it that reminds me a little of the music in Xavier's lab for the original X-Men Genesis/Mega Drive game. Yeah, my musical cues go back that deep, folks. So am I imagining X-Men characters walking through misty urban areas at night? Well, kind of. “Ossos” feels like a filmscore that has been largely smothered by dub fuzz. It definitely makes me think of a Cyberpunk noir and could be used in a film (or game) of that sort. “Garça” offers one light node of etherealism, as it gently glides outwards towards “Caça” (which I believe is the word for feces) even though this wave influenced track is certainly not something I would consider to be of that nature. What we've got is a mixing of metallic industrial with light winds of synth and slight thumps that bring a bit more of that urban vibe to the piece. They seem to almost choke the whispering synth, yet also create a feeling of horror that I wouldn't have expected, later on in the recording.
“Suor Noturno” seems to be a bit more colorful, as it mixes rusty industrial in rather nicely with what sounds like a colorful jungle-influenced sort of sound that almost reminds me of a timpani, except a timpani from the planet Venus or suchlike.

The last track I want to discuss on this album is “Vigília” which actually sounds like it has a tinge of metal flowing through it. There are some odd shouts, as well as what sounds like a dissonant and windy guitar being utilized. This is the only time a listener will hear a performance like this on the disc, which is a bit unfortunate, as it sounds like an unnecessary one-off. Regardless of this, you're getting a rather strong mix of industrial and electronic music that seems deeply invested in what I might consider a Deus Ex friendly world, albeit with touches of crystalline synth that help to buff out some of the rougher edges. There's nothing really natural here and the cover itself is even misleading. I feel that it would have been better if they had depicted a cyberpunk scene, perhaps architecture of futuristic buildings. The cover simply doesn't illustrate the music, but the music itself is strong enough that it doesn't need to be defined by the cover. Definitely give it a listen if you're into these sorts of electronic approaches. Natureza Morta is a rather strong one in the genre.

(8 Tracks, 50:00)

8/10

Crator - The Ones Who Create: The Ones Who Destroy (2016)

The debut album from these New York based (currently unsigned, but probably not for long) tech/death/black metallers comes off without a hitch, plunging the listener face-forward into what I could consider to be an extremely violent, albeit creative storm. From the minute you push play, you're automatically greeted by Origin drummer John Longstreth (Unmerciful, Dim Mak) who pretty much pummels the kit more than half the time. But for those who aren't huge Origin fans (and I know that I'm not, even having seen them live) I can say that the addition of Beyond The Arctopus bassist Colin Marston (Byla, Dysrhythmia, Encenathrakh, Gorguts, Withered, Krallice, Indicothere) certainly adds a kickstart to the project and makes it a bit more listenable. We also have Jeff Liefer (Tentacles and a band called Satanic Sega Genesis, which upset me when I found out that it wasn't instrumental death metal covers of Genesis/Mega Drive game soundtracks) who adds the bit of technicality needed to make an act like this a bit more appealing as well.

Take “The Echo That Conquers Voice” for example, which includes a nearly godlike section of melodies which almost come across as something from the furthest reaches of outer space. It's that attention to detail that pulls interest into the act, even though the one-dimensional performance of longtime Origin frontman Jason Keyser isn't going to win any awards in my book. Because the nature of this band is very sporadic and experimental in a sense, Keyser is forced to try new things with his hum-drum style and that I'd consider a plus. Problem is, Keyser seems to want to phone in the same approach on several of these cuts, making for what sounds like a sort of guttural mush with lyrics that I couldn't understand properly if I tried. He nearly gives us the same vocal performance on every song, which is a bit disheartening. There are times when Keyser uses a scream or he is forced to use a slightly different vocal tempo because the structural nature of the song has changed in general, but these are sadly not often. I find myself growing quite tired of the same vocal stylings in death metal, regardless of the fact that they are in retrospect – pretty damn fun to perform. I wouldn't mind making a record with that Cannibal Corpse friendly approach of near-endless gutterals, but I would never market it as the greatest thing I had ever done. It would be just kind of a “for fun” ordeal. In any case, it is far more tolerable than Mike DeSalvo's gutpunch friendly vocals on the earlier released Coma Cluster Void album (Mind Cemeteries) and is quite a breath of fresh air from that.

Musically, I still think that Coma Cluster Void went further into the realms of sheer experimental absurdity, but that's not counting these guys out completely. They've still done a great job with this mix of technical experimentation, hefty brutality and grim black metal nodes. I can't just call that a wash, because it clearly isn't. These gentlemen came together to make a disc that combines all of their efforts into something that really matters and feels like a reflection of their skills as a whole. How could I possibly argue with that? Sure, it might drone on one after awhile in the vocal department, but at least there are pieces on the album in which one is able to collect their thoughts. I certainly enjoyed the title track as well as aforementioned cut “The Echo That Conquers Voice” but found very little to diverge from the formula as a whole. To be fair, this is the debut album from Crator and I'm sure that they will only further evolve and perfect their style with time. If nothing else, I can say that there does seem to be a type of chemistry here, and it will make for a nice holdover until the next Origin disc arrives. Even though personally, I'd much rather have The Ones Who Create: The Ones Who Destroy. Personal preference, as always.

(9 Tracks, 39:00)

7/10

Fliptop Box - Catch 22 (2016)

Recommended for fans of Alice In Chains, Danzig, Volbeat and Therapy? (Seriously? I'll provide some better influences later in the review) these Grecian metallers are about to release their sophomore disc sometime in late October. In all honesty, I would compare the sound of Fliptop Box to being a combination of Deftones as their lightest and The Cult at their most melodic. There are also some growls here and there, but they feel kind of forced. This band doesn't need growls, (but they appear on a track called “Sirens”) as there's no sense in it and it more or less weakens the performance. These guys don't have to growl to reach a metal audience, they seem to do a fine job playing their instruments as is. Maybe there's even a little bit of Sentenced's melancholy rock here, which isn't a problem either.

Frontman John P. handles the vocals here, sometimes going into a bit of a Danzig croon, but it's a bit lighter and somewhat a bit post-punk depending on the cut. Perhaps the accent is still a little bit rough, but the spirit is there. He also handles the guitars, where he composes a sort of airy, yet thunderous rock. Again, I'm thinking of the Deftones at their lightest, maybe Saturday Night Wrist or Koi No Yokan. There are also some rather notable solos on the record, but I can't tell if John or (secondary axe) Stavros is responsible for them. Additionally we'll also hear backups on the record, where drummer Captain Frikis and Christina accentuate the choruses. This is most notable on opener “Blast” even though John handles his own on “Borderline” quite well too. While the Volbeat influence may very well be there, I can say that John's vocal approach is far more spirited and much less obnoxious than that of Michael “liked you better in Dominus” Poulsen. He really knows how to bring it home and pile on the melody at the same time, which equals out to several memorable songs.

The record is extremely well written and feels like it has a bit more going for it than just some mainstream modern rock sound. There's definitely a slight feel of Goth here, but it's closer to early Goth rather than Dracula Goth. I take no preference with either, but hearing a little bit of The Sisters Of Mercy is not something I'm going to take an issue with. All in all, the Greeks have made a rather strong record and I'd certainly recommend giving it a listen. I'm a little torn between a decent seven and a solid eight, because some parts of the disc are rough while others are quite well produced. I will say that after the third time of listening to the disc, I still find it a very strong disc where anything could really be touched on and often is. The listener won't expect some of the territory that is traversed here, but it will all be worth an ear if you're willing to give these guys a shot.

Fliptop Box are a bit more inventive than what we might expect for alternative rock, and there are enough metallic elements here to interest those who might be on the fence. Even so, this is a rock band and they should be respected as such. I never claimed that Fliptop Box were one of the heaviest bands in the world, but they don't need to be either. They're doing their own thing and I think that given time, these guys will really start to grow on me. Quite refreshing.

(8 Tracks, 38:00)

7/10

Svartidaudi - Hideous Silouhettes of Lynched Gods (2016)

Iceland's Svartidaudi are about to release yet another EP, and this one is unfortunately much shorter than the band's previous (The Synthesis of Whore and Beast) released back in 2014. I know what you're saying, but some new Svartidaudi is better than none, right? In any case, we've two tracks on the EP and twelve minutes between the two of them. I should note that the production quality has actually changed a bit here, there's more that one can discern of the vocals and they seem to have an almost death metal mentality to them. But the rest of the disc still manages to bring forth the same ominously dissonant black metal, albeit with a heavier punch that nearly pushes the band into a blackened/death territory. After hearing this EP, it's a bit tougher to call these guys black metal and aside from tremolos, I've always felt that the vocal approach had a great deal to do with whether or band is black or death metal to begin with. But if the band chooses to move into this more barbarous vocal direction, I suppose I'll support it.

Svartidaudi have really put Icelandic black metal on the map and they're going from being whispered about in niche black metal circles to a possible widespread acclaim which could see the band eventually reaching a height of commercial popularity. Time will tell. Listeners are getting a slew of dissonant tremolos peppered with an vocal style reminiscent of Entombed's L-G Petrov, something I never would have expected from the genre, yet am glad is being attempted. Perhaps some of the icy melodies have been chipped away, and it's not all that very cold, but there's not an awful lot of ice in Iceland to begin with. Fans shouldn't be dissapointed with this one if they're open to a modicum of change. The rest on the other hand, will be plenty happy with the band's previous outputs. Sometimes, that is just how things go.

(2 Tracks, 12:00)

7/10

Brutally Deceased - Satanic Corpse (2016)

Brutally Deceased are a death metal act hailing from the Czech Republic, named after a Grave song. This marks their third release and I'd consider a bit more comparable to modern Kataklysm than something like Grave, even though there are tinges of classic death metal acts the world over in their music. It's obviously a chunky sort of death metal, but it really delivers in the guitar area courtesy of dual axe tag-team Tomas Halama and Stembus and that's where it caught my attention. Throughout the disc there are loads of great melodies and terrific guitar solos, which really help this band from standing out and not going too far into what seems to be a modern, core-influenced direction. The record contains a couple of breakdowns and even features a frontman (Zlababa) who seems to be pushing as far as he can with the cookie monster style. This can't be said for all the tracks, but some of the growls rumble close to a gut-punch which can make parts of the record a turn off for me. However, the melodic element of the band is just so strong that even the most core-laden approaches imaginable couldn't detract me from it. Which thankfully, there aren't.

These guys do manage to get close to melodic death metal in general a few times, but I have no problem with placing them right in the center of brutal death and melodic death metal. Maybe closer to Dissection in that sense, but not in the sense of black metal. Things seem a little bit more brutal here, which is going to make them a bit more accessible to fans of that simplistic deathcore style, but Brutally Deceased have a bit more going for them than many similar modern death metal acts. Satanic Corpse isn't an amazing record, but it is well worth a listen if you're looking to cross over into the realms of traditional death metal without losing what you love about it's more modern incarnations. It'll be hit or miss for some, but a demonsend for others.

(9 Tracks, 29:00)

7/10

Mechanik War III Talk Influences, Robot Rebellions and Transhumanism!

Interview with Massaker (Vocals) 

Mechanik War III are originally from Europe, but have since migrated to the states and now play a brand of blackened industrial metal in Los Angeles. If you enjoy Gothic acts like Deathstars, mid-era Septic Flesh and Moonspell, as well as hard-hitting industrial metal acts like Fear Factory, Ministry and Front Line Assembly then you might find something here. 

You mention that you had originally come from Europe before you moved to the states and began forming this band. What had you done in Europe prior to this act?

Massaker: Yes, the band started in Europe under a different name. We released two CD’s. I would say they were more like demos. We toured a lot all over Europe. When I moved to the states, I decided to restart the band under a different name. I wanted to add some new elements to the music. I was looking for more black metal atmospheres and heaviness compared to what we used to be.

From listening to the record, I hear a lot of influences from bands like The Kovenant, Ministry and the Deathstars among others. What are some of the bands that you’d consider most inspirational to the music that you’ve written here?

Massaker: I know of those three bands that you mentioned, I was mostly a fan of Ministry back in the day. I would not name those bands as influence in my music, but I can see why some people would think that and that’s cool, those bands are great. For example, when it comes to my dark Gothic voice, it's more inspired by the early albums of Moonspell and some Laibach records. If I had to mention some bands that were a source of inspiration, I would say; Frontline Assembly, Marduk, Dimmu Borgir and Septic Flesh.

Describe the writing and recording process for Xtermination. You mention that this is essentially a demo recording, yet I feel that much of the music here sounds good enough to stand out on it’s own.

Massaker: I also think that this record stands on its own. (Laughs) Because this is the record, the previous was a demo. So it’s good to hear that it sounds like it stands on its own from you, The Grim Lord! The recording process took quite a while because we took a different artistic direction in the middle of the recording. If you listen to anything we did in the past, my voice is completely different. My screams now are more black metallish, but so is everything else on the record. The guitars are heavier, the drums are heavier and the whole experience is just darker, harder and more brutal, incorporating other metal genre influences. The mixing and mastering process took longer than expected, but those are the kinds of problems that you deal with when you are still in the underground and doing everything yourself.

Much of the material seems to be based upon a post-apocalyptic futureworld, perhaps something like that of Fallout or Shadowrun. Where do your lyrics come from, and would you consider some of them to be veiled commentaries on society?

Massaker: Most of my lyrics are inspired from what's going on in my head. Sometimes from the graphic design that I do for the band, I will create an illustration and write a song around that. It is a very uncommon writing process. But there is always a connection between this imaginary world and reality, things that are happening now in this world or could eventually happen in the future.

Yes,“Cyber Chemical Warfare” is definitely about that subject, as well as “Flesh Reich”. But “Cyber” is definitely more related to the matter and yes of course, it's a literal possibility. It happens when we never learn from our mistakes done in the past. History keeps repeating itself when it comes to religion, politics and war. Just take a look at what's going on in America right now. We might have a dictator in disguise running the country within the next few months.

There’s an interesting track at the very end of the disc called “In Memoriam.” It has a much different tone than the rest of the album and is quite melancholic and very melodic. It doesn’t even sound like the same band. Tell me a little bit about this track.

Massaker: I agree with you. “In Memoriam” is a very particular song and it sounds like a whole different band. I wrote this song in memory of my grandmother. I grew up with her and she was to me, like a mother. Since this band was the only band that I had at that time, this song could only be on a Mechanik War III record. Originally it was supposed to be an instrumental. One day I started to sing on top of it and it sounded pretty good, so it ended up being what you hear on the record.

Since we’re talking about the future here, there are about three things I can see a possibility. The first one in nuclear war, which I believe could occur depending on the right situations. Some might say that our failed peace talks in Russia is a major red flag. Obviously there’s a song called “Cyber Chemical Warfare” where the sub-chorus is “We surivive in the underground.” Do you see that as a literal possibility?

Massaker: Well, mankind is already addicted to technology. Now the possibility of the man creating the machine and at some point the machine dominating the man could be a possibility. At this point it's still a theory, but companies are making huge advancements in AI (artificial intelligence). Which of course, points to movies like The Terminator. The time travel aspect may be still out of reach, but machines dominating the human race is not too far-fetched.

The second one I see is robots built to serve mankind. There’s already a lot of discourse regarding the issue, with some experts believing that people might literally become addicted to sexual intercourse with robotic lifeforms. An article just came out yesterday regarding that. The flipside of this, is of course the possibility of a robot rebellion? Should we exercise a bit of caution in regards to artificial intelligence and humanity? Why or why not?

Massaker: This is a very good and interesting question and at the same time very hard to answer. Fear Factory would probably do a better job answering that one!  (Laughs) Seriously though, no matter what good creations come of technology, there will always be an equal or greater negative side as well. A robot rebellion is not so much science fiction as it was only ten years ago. Mankind has always had this “God” complex. This will inevitably be its undoing. It’s unstoppable. The only question really, is how much time do we have until the ManGod’s destroy us all?

The final point I see is transhumanism, which is becoming literally “one with a machine.” I always found it a bit frightening, because what will one do as soon as the lights go out? All that data simply freezes or ceases to exist. Should we upload our minds into machines or a server so that we could live forever?

Massaker: I would imagine something like we could transfer the data that we have in our brain to a different body. By doing that over and over, we could be living forever in different bodies with the same mind and memories. At this point we are not even close to that, but it could be something totally normal in a hundred years from now. To a lesser extent, transhumanism already exists today in artificial hearts and limbs. Electronic brain, ear and eye implants, etc. We are already going in that direction. It’s just a matter of time.

Originally having been European, what do you guys think of the states? Are there things about Europe that you miss compared to living here? What are some of the great things about the states?

Massaker: When it comes to Europe, at least the part of Europe where I lived, I don't miss it that much. I do miss the good food and the architecture of the cities. It’s a beautiful place. Now if I compare the main American cities to the main European cities, I would say that the lifestyle is definitely better here in the States and the people seem to be way more open-minded.

When you’re not writing music, what sort of leisurely activities do you enjoy? Do you have day jobs outside of Mechanic War III?

Massaker: Well as you probably already know, the only bands that can survive with music are the bands that made it twenty years ago. Any band from this new generation will never be able to live off of their music, unless you chose to play radio music, so of course we all have jobs besides the band. In my case, I'm a music teacher and I also mix music for other local artists and sometimes I do recording sessions too. Those are the moments when it becomes handy to be able to play several instruments.

Thanks for answering my questions, and I wish you the best of luck with this extremely proficient recording. It’s definitely one of the best debuts I’ve ever heard.

Massaker: Thank you so much for doing this interview with us.

Ad Nauseam - Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est (2015)

Originally known as Death Heaven, these Italian technical death metallers have rebranded themselves with a new moniker and a new style of playing as well. '07's Viral Apocalypse was considered a pure death metal record, whereas this disc is far more artistic. There's nothing wrong with traditional death metal, but this is an album which certainly took a great deal of time to acomplish and the structures within it are nothing short of amazing. It's not even about the heavy sections of the disc, as those really don't seem to sell it for me. Instead, I think I'm getting a more abstract and unique perfomance here, similar to Ephel Duath except a little easier to follow. Andrea and Matteo more or less decorate these songs in the most obscure almost Dali-esque fashion, making this record almost a literal musical interpretation of surrealism. There are certainly burly moments to be found and the drumming can get a little fiery at times, but for the most part you are going to be exposed to the kind of performance that demands multiple listens. There are even sections on this record that I can't even describe in a sane manner, they seem to remind me of horror film scores and have a great deal of what I'd say are cello/violin influence. For some odd reason, the screech of a cello still works to send shivers down my spine and that doesn't change with this album. Gorguts fans will definitely want to get their hands on this, and I'll add that I've certainly enjoyed this record a fair bit more than anything from Gorguts as of late. It feels as if you're swirling through a void at times, which make the experience something of a hallucination.

Towards the latter half of the record, the performance becomes a bit more rough-edged and perhaps doesn't appeal to me as much as the first couple of cuts, but this might be the kind of material that death metal fans were expecting. After all, not everyone wants Picasso or Escher from a death metal act and that I can understand. Personally though, I think that these unexpected references are what makes the music so interesting to me as a whole. I use the term “atmosphere” quite a bit, but that is definitely the feeling I'm getting from this one. Perhaps I can't quite understand the harsh vocal elements, but it's about being immersed inside of this awesome atmosphere that seems to go every which way possible, branching outwards into several different directions all at once as it seeks to nearly transcend the boundaries of death metal. It's nearly avant-garde in some instances, yet stays grounded in the death metal world thanks to the machine-gun drumming and pounding bass riffs. Ad Nauseam still play by the rules, but they have no problem coloring far out of the lines and even creating a completely different picture on the other side of the page. Say what you want, but there just aren't many bands out there quite like this and I'd definitely consider giving a couple of tracks a listen here, so that you can see for yourself just what an awesomely unique act this is. It is true that they wear some of their influences on their sleeves, but even so, it all comes together to make an impressive death metal album. If you haven't hear this one yet, then you probably need to.

(8 Tracks, 55:00)

9/10