Week 3 (Sept 27,2010)

In Lingua Mortua - Salon Des Refuses (2010) The sophomore album from this experimental black metal super group is a must own. However you get your music, make sure not to pass this one up. This has to be one of the most interesting and cohesive black metals albums that I’ve heard in a very long time. There’s a little bit of everything in it. You might hear some sax on one track, weird claps in another, some keyboards on another, violins, piano, etcetera…but let’s not forget that this is still a black metal album at it’s core, and it doesn’t let you forget that. This riffs are interesting, and in some parts there’s a lot of prog, but it all works together. Black metal is getting stale, and it’s bands like this that are trying to freshen it back up. I’d like to hear more like this. It re-instills my faith in music.

OVERALL: ONE OF THE BEST OF 2010. GET IT!

ALSO TRY: IN LINGUA MORTUA (2007)

Klabautamann - Merkur (2009) - A rare little gem sees this black metal band actually balancing well between beauty and brutality. Many of the songs are very heavy, but they also have parts that are very light, and these parts are done remarkably well. There is so much life in this album, and it must be heard to be fully appreciated. There are some albums I come across that a simple review cannot justify, and I truly mean that this album is a must for anyone that likes black metal in general, but also doesn’t mind when the music can drop (via Opeth) into a nice melodic splendor, which is good for relaxing. In fact, I’m waiting for the Klabautamann relaxation album. Been having trouble getting to sleep lately.

OVERALL: BLACK METAL, AND RELAXATION MUSIC

ALSO TRY: AGALLOCH - THE MANTLE

Mechina - The Assembly Of Tyrants (2005) - Another Fear Factory knock off. This was made in 2005, but it sounds like is was made in 1995. There’s a few things going for this band, but not a whole lot - and they practically rip off Fear factory’s formula, sans a few songs. Not worth the time.

OVERALL: SKIP IT

Nox Aurea - Ascending In Triumph (2010) - Much more epic than the last doom/death band I reviewed. Other than that, the formula is still the same. The album is very long and boring, and there’s really not enough of a difference that would make people who don’t like this kind of metal, change their tune. On the other hand, if you like this kind of stuff, you can’t go wrong with it. It’s just straight-forward death / doom with female vocals here and there. It’s still not as good as the last November’s Doom album, though. I must also mention that the Swallow The Sun formula is being greatly ripped off by this band (and probably countless others.)

OVERALL: NOTHING SPECTACULAR, UNLESS YOU LIKE THE SAME RIFFS AND VOCALS USED BY SWALLOW THE SUN. BIG DEAL ABOUT THE FEMALE VOCALS BY THE WAY, IT’S AN OVERUSED TREND NOW.

INSTEAD OF THIS: SWALLOW THE SUN - THE MOURNING NEVER CAME (2003), HOPE (2007), NOVEMBER’S DOOM - THE PALE HAUNT DEPARTURE (2004), THE NOVELLA RESERVOIR (2006), INTO NIGHT’S REQUIEM INFERNAL (2009)

Return To Earth - Automata (2010) - Here’s a band to keep an eye on. What we’ve got here is a band that mixes hard rock, heavy metal, industrial, and experimental elements together, to create a what I would call “the bastard child of Queens Of The Stone Age, and Dillinger Escape Plan”. While this album is marketed for fans of Mike Patton, I see little influence from him, and much more from the following two bands that I have just named. In this day and age, where bands like to repeat themselves, it’s good to find something fresh like this. Even though their myspace has a rock/metal/screamo title, I would not consider them screamo. Any sort of aggravated vocal in this band would be more towards punk than anything else.

OVERALL: A GREAT BAND THAT GOT MARKETED WRONG. MAYBE NOT HEAVY AS HELL, BUT SOLID AND DIFFERENT.

ALSO TRY: DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN

Shining - Black Jazz (2010) - Some have said that music is a form of art. So, as art has it’s abstract pieces, then so must music. Some pieces, which I would hardly classify as art or music, like “Diapsiquir” for example; are so abstract that they run into the realms of ridiculousness, as if a little one decided to draw all over the walls of your living room. This album almost classifies along the same level. Many who have heard it, have said that “it must be heard to be believed” with it’s absolutely irregular take on black…can we even use the term metal here? It is true that guitar riffs are used, but so is everything else. One of the songs actually got me laughing with it’s “You fucked each other, you fucked with your brother, you killed your mother!” being screamed for no apparent reason. This album does have a really “unique” cover of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” which also must be heard to be believed. And yes…There’s jazz. Saxophones are used, but yet again…so is everything else! (especially electronics)

OVERALL: FOR THE TRULY ADVENTUROUS, OR THE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY FUCKED UP.

ALSO TRY: SIGH- SCENARIO IV: DEAD DREAMS (1999), IMAGINARY SONISCAPE (2001), DHG - SUPERVILLIAN OUTCAST (2007)

Solstafir - Kold (2009) - If you’re in the mood to sit back and chill, this album will work for you. It’s supposed to be psychedelic black metal, but it seems to just be sorrowful psychedelic / stoner metal. (Think Primordial meets The Sword) It is interesting in some parts, and very long and droning in others. Some of it I think I could understand better if I was high. “World Void Of Souls” sounds like the soundtrack to a wild LSD trip, and I guess if you just turn off the lights and “zone out”, you’d probably trip out to it, regardless. I must admit that I always have liked the kind of music that makes you take a trip without leaving your house.

OVERALL: WELL CRAFTED, BLEAK PSYCHEDELIC METAL. A MUST FOR FANS OF THE GENRE.

ALSO TRY: PRIMORDIAL - THE GATHERING WILDERNESS (2005), TO THE NAMELESS DEAD (2007)

StarGazer - A Great Work Of Ages (2010) - When you leave one Cynic’s prog era albums, and one of Entombed’s classic albums out in the sun too long, you might come back and realize that you’ve got this album. It’s not a bad album really, it just seems a bit muddy and outdated by today‘s standards (which isn‘t necessarily a bad thing). A lot of people said that they enjoyed this one, and I’m not saying that you won’t, I just thought the production could be a little better. Be that as it may, you’re still left with a good album, and it’ll warrant quite a few plays, if not endless spins! The guitar playing is sharp, and the riffs are interesting, the vocals sound like classic death metal vocals, and the whole thing sounds like it could’ve been made quite some years ago, in the heyday of death metal. If you’re looking for “classic death metal” with real majesty, this is a must. For those who feel like metal has been drowned in core, this is for you. Yes, I am talking to you older metal heads out there. For you, this could be worth it’s weight in gold.

OVERALL: NOT TO BE MISSED. LIKE MANY THINGS, THEY JUST DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE!

Stone Sour - Audio Secrecy (2010) - It is immediately apparent now that Stone Sour is trying to be the more vulgar version of Nickelback. The only thing which sets them apart from their right wing radio counterparts, is the fact that Corey believes that the word “fuck” can be happily inserted into love songs as well as hate songs. Personally, I thought there were too many ballads and sing along choruses in this for my taste, despite the progressive playing style on a few tracks and a few good solos on the album. What really is kind of interesting about this one though, is that the band seemingly gets heavy for no apparent reason in a few of these mellow tracks, and Corey resorts to screaming and hollering, and then it goes back into the same mellow tune. It’s almost like if the Backstreet Boys were singing and all the sudden one of them starts screaming “fuck you, mother fuckers” as if he had turrets syndrome. Nonetheless, it’s catchy while being controversial, and that translates to album sales. Still, there’s not much here that we haven’t already heard. Save your money, unless your significant other or your kid wants it.

OVERALL: SKIP IT, EVEN THOUGH (INSERT NAME OF CO-WORKER / FRIEND / EXC.) IS GOING TO TELL YOU THAT IT’S GREAT.

System Divide - The Conscious Sedation (2010) - Here is a band that is trying to one-up Lacuna Coil. Imagine if Whitechapel and Lacuna Coil got together, and you’d have something like this. It’s brutal deathcore with female vocals. (even though it‘s labeled “melodic death metal”) If the female singer was not in the band, these guys would not be anything special at all. Of course, we’ve heard this kind of thing already from a band called Deadlock, and they do it just as well…probably better, since the screamer in this band seems to be all over the fucking place. It’s actually quite brainless, except for the parts when she sings. But then, what’s the fucking point?

OVERALL: BRAINLESS DEATHCORE WITH FEMALE VOCALS (AND LIGHTER MELODIES MADE ESPECIALLY FOR HER VOCALS) I’VE HEARD IT BEFORE, AND SO HAVE YOU.

INSTEAD OF THIS: DEADLOCK - WOLVES (2005), MANIFESTO (2007)

Aphyxion - Obliteration Of The Weak EP (2010) - This death metal band didn’t do a thing for me. I thought it was quite basic, and the only thing that was good about them was the melody change in every song, and the solo in a few of them. Other than that, it’s run of the mill death metal. Of course, it’s just a EP - so you can’t say much. But I’m not sure I would listen to a full album of this, even if it was free.

INSTEAD OF THIS: BLOODBATH - NIGHTMARES MADE FLESH, CRYPTIC VOICE - ACCESS DENIED, IMPIOUS - HELLUCINATE, THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT - TRIUMVIRATE

Atrocity - After The Storm (2010) - Don’t go thinking that this one is going to be heavy, because it’s not. If you like Dead Can Dance, you’ll like it. It’s a very neo-pagan-esque album. If you have no idea who Dead Can Dance is, it’s new age music/gothic music. But, we actually still have some metal songs thrown in here. Atrocity has been trying to figure out who the hell they are for years now. This doesn’t suit them well either, because only a few of it works, and it will turn metal fans off, unless they actually have that guilty pleasure of liking groups like Dead Can Dance, and other ethereal / goth artists. So, if you’re just trying to find good metal - skip it. There’s only one really interesting riff - solo thing in there, on a song called “Black Mountain”. You’re best off just d/loading that track. Anyone who expected heavy Atrocity, is sorely mistaken…even though I know that they still have that heaviness in them. (The song “Reich Of Phenomenon” from 2005 “Atlantis” album is a great example.)

OVERALL: A METAL BAND PUTS OUT AN ALBUM THAT IS SO DIFFERENT, THAT IT IS BARELY METAL AT ALL! THIS IS BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE NO CLUE WHO IN THE HELL THEY ARE! RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE DEAD CAN DANCE OR OTHER CHANT GROUPS…SERIOUSLY! WTF?

INSTEAD OF THIS: ATROCITY - ATLANTIS (2005) Not everything is great, but it’s heavier than this.

Therion - Sitra Ahra (2010) - For those of you who have no idea who this band is, I will enlighten you. Therion is a band that used to play death metal, but now they play gothic metal and all kinds of other shit, with choirs, and vocalists that range all gamuts. If you look on Amazon.com, most of their albums have gotten five stars, and they are also a worldwide phenomenon. Their music is largely based in paganism, and in the occult order of the dragon rouge, which is based upon the works of Swedish occult practitioner (and master magician) Tomas Karlsson. (they have a website, google “dragon rouge” if you’re interested)

Being that I am a big fan of this band, I will try very hard not to take a bias. Actually, some of the songs don’t seem to be as good this time around as compared to their older album, but this album sees a return to form for the band, with the return of the choirs that made them what they were from Vovin (Dragon). I’ll also add that this album isn’t as catchy as Gothic Kabbalah, but is instead a plethora of musical ideas, which are vibrant and refreshing in a world of “same-sounding crap” . The 8:51 “Kings Of Edom” jumps all over the place, but stays together. It’s worth it just to listen to this track. The same with 10:51 “Land Of Canaan” which is a masterpiece. All of the vocalists seem to do well, except for one of them who has a very high voice, and completely slaughters “2012”. The music which followed after his lines barely saved the song. Also, “Kali Yuga III” which I had been waiting on greatly, was not quite as good as the 2nd part, and it ended abruptly.

There is however, many layers to this album, and it may require a few listens to soak in. But, I don’t recommend this to fans of extreme metal, because they won’t get it. Except there is one extreme song called “Din” which reminded me a bit of black metal. Plus, you get choirs singing over blast beats in it. (Who else does that?) Also, since it’s a first - they got a children’s choir to sing in the final song, 7:22 “Children Of The Stone: After The Inquisition” but this song is far from metal; and I myself, don’t get it. Guess I’ll have to wait on the lyrics.

All in all, this album sounds bombastic as hell, and there is so much going on that you might think that it begins to lose it’s core. However, I think that’s the point. It’s more of a full-on listening experience, than just another metal album. Therion have indeed bridged the gap very well between metal and non-metal in this album, and while I’d recommend it to everyone…

It’s not for everyone.

Enough of that…NEXT REVIEW!

OVERALL: ONLY FOR THERION FANS, AND FANS OF GOTHIC METAL, EVEN THOUGH IT’S NOT FULLY A METAL ALBUM. (90% of it is actually metal.)

Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini (2010) - Enslaved is becoming more and more the Pink Floyd of black metal. And that’s certainly not a bad thing. Yet this album sees them becoming much heavier than on Vertebrae, but still keeping that same progressive essence which made Vertebrae the kind of album that it was. There is much more catchiness on this album, and more clean vocals as well. The riffs and solos are what you would expect from Enslaved’s newer era, and they don’t disappoint. But, as interesting as this album is, it can get a little monotonous in the middle. Some songs just don’t work at all, and the instrumental in the center of that album is really not needed. It’s more of an atmospheric piece, and I think it’s overkill. The last song “Lightening” seems to go a bit overboard, and I really think that some of these songs are much longer than they needed to be. Nevertheless, there’s not another band out there quite like them, and I am thankful to have not heard any knock-offs. At least, not yet…

OVERALL: SOLID PROGRESSIVE BLACK METAL, JUST A TAD TOO MUCH IN PLACES, AND SOMEWHAT(?) MONOTONOUS. THE ENSLAVED WORSHIPPERS OUT THERE WILL DISAGREE WITH ME THOUGH.

Abigail Williams - In The Absence Of Light (2010) - If you like black metal at all, and you’re not too uptight about it, I can’t see why you wouldn’t like this. What used to sound like core, now sounds like traditional black metal through and through. I have a feeling that many black metal fans who have stayed away from this band because of their core roots, will embrace this album. The melodies are scarce, but interesting, and the solo work is top notch. The rest of the album is business as usual. Eerie riffs and soundscapes and lots of double bass bashing. There are some interesting parts here and there to break up the almost monotonous sound, and the longest song on the album goes out with a great solo. The production value is great, and the vocals are what you’d expect. If you’ve heard their last album, be ready for a big change. This sounds like it could’ve been made a long time ago, and I’m wondering why it wasn’t.

OVERALL: SOLID AMERICAN BLACK METAL WITH GOOD PRODUCTION, TRADITIONAL SOUND, AND GREAT GUITAR WORK IN AREAS. WORTH A LISTEN.

Altar Of Plagues - White Tomb (2009) and Tides EP (2010) - First I’m going to talk about Altar of Plagues a little. They are a black metal band from Ireland, with some doom and acoustic passages, sort of like Agalloch. Everything they’ve put out is awfully short, but it’s also awfully good. The production isn’t great on some of the earlier releases, but what you are getting in the long run is melodic and beautiful riffing, vocals with strong emotion, and brilliant, almost ethereal passages.

When I talk about White Tomb, I’m going to mention that it’s one of my favorite albums of the gamut. Why? Because the production is solid, the melodies are perfect, and the vocals - even though reminiscent of bands like Wolves Of The Throne Room (Who are also very good) work well with the whole mix. Black metal enthusiasts may not pick this up automatically, because it is much more influenced by the slowness of doom than it is black metal. But, black metal fans who appreciate doom metal (and drone) will really love this stuff. The instrumental passages of the tracks are absolutely mesmerizing, and without them, this album would be just another black metal album. What makes this band so great is it’s ability to mesh two great genres together so flawlessly. If you don’t like fast to slow, to drone, (and there‘s a lot of drone in this particular album) you won’t like this very much. Yet, it can be very relaxing at times, and that’s not a bad thing in my book. The only gripe I have with this, is that the vocals are a little too “goblin” for me in parts. You’ll hear what I’m talking about.

OVERALL: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR FANS OF BLACK/DOOM METAL, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LIKE AGALLOCH, AND OTHER BANDS OF THAT STYLE.

Tides is the band’s first EP, which spans longer than two of their albums. With two tracks at a total of 35:00, there’s a lot of slow instrumental passages. That’s not to say that there isn’t any heaviness here, it’s just more in tune with the doom sound that was heavy but scattered on the last album. Here, we see it almost completely influencing the band. This isn’t a bad thing, as it seems that the band’s sound has completely changed from Sol (2008). Some cleaner vocals make it in this time as well, even though they are yelled. (kind of in the vein of Primordial)

At times, I think that this band is trying to compete with Primordial - even though it’s hard to one up Nemtheanga. Ireland has always been famous for it’s doom metal, and it seems to come so natural to people there. While there isn’t so much black metal on this album, it’s still worth a listen, or a buy - if you like your doom and black together. Again, the instrumental passages are strong, and for many fans of post-metal even, this is going to be a worthwhile listen. If you like Isis, Minsk, Boris, Neurosis…You get the idea.

OVERALL: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR FANS OF BLACK/DOOM METAL.

ALSO TRY: ALTAR OF PLAGUES - THROUGH THE CRACKS IN THE EARTH (2007), SOL (2008). YES, THEY’VE PUT OUT SOMETHING EVERY YEAR, SINCE 2007.

Volbeat - Beyond Hell, Above Heaven (2010) - I don’t know what to say here. I didn’t like these guys before, and I don’t like them now. This isn’t a bad album, and I’ll admit that there’s about 3 songs which I found tolerable, and one that I actually liked. This song in particular was the hearken back to the death metal era, “Evelyn”. I have to admit, the band sounds better as a death metal band, and I can tolerate the clean vocals better, when they’re backup vocals. The band is pretty solid, going through the genres of rock, metal, and punk, but this album is mostly dominated by punk music. There’s very little metal here, and compared to the last album, it kind of falls short. Of course, with a rare sort of act like Volbeat, there are the fans who are quite rabid, and they’ll buy it anyway. The best thing I can say about this album is, if you didn’t like the vocals before, you won’t like them here either. This album is just about a huge sellout for the band. Thank you, Metallica.

OVERALL: ONLY FOR VOLBEAT FANS, AND PUNK FANS, AND ROCK FANS. BARELY A METAL ALBUM.

October Tide - A Thin Shell (2010) - Well, I know that I dogged heavily on Nox Aurea’s style of doom/death, and that’s because it was bland and awful. But, let me clue you in some information regarding this band. It consists of ex-Katatonia members, and the vocalist for the band is also the same vocalist for In Mourning, who is an up and comer that up and came. If you haven’t heard that one yet…(I’ll review it later.) Anyway, what we’ve got here is beautiful melodies, passionate vocals, (“Blackness Devours” for example) and a hell of a lot more form and function than Nox Aurea had. If you like doom/death at all, you owe it to yourself to pick up this album. Even if you don’t like doom/death, you owe it to yourself to pick up this album. Even at a short 42:00, it can be played again and again. It’s pure and awesome blackness through and through. You’re an idiot not to get this one. Between this and the new In Mourning album, (which both released in 2010) I’m at an odds as to what the best doom/death album is this year.

OVERALL: GREAT MELODIC DEATH/DOOM. GO GET IT!

ALSO TRY: IN MOURNING - MONOLITH (2010)

Soul Cycle - Soul Cycle (2010) - What we have here is a solid “Instru-Metal” band. Yes, I said “Instru-Metal”. It pretty much tells you what you’re going to get… Great riffs, good solo work, virtuoso shit, solid drum work, and no vocals. If that sounds good to you, then here’s 10 more tracks to add to your list of “cool sounding shit”. The only difference here is that it’s no “Behold The Arctopus”, and more in the vein of an instru-metal early version of In Flames, or some other melodic death metal band. I hate to say it, but I really don’t get this kind of stuff. Being a vocalist, I always thought that the instrumental bands were always missing that integral part of music, which is the lyrics. On the other hand it’s good to practice vocals with. But, that’s not what it’s for.

OVERALL: TEN GREAT INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS THAT IN FLAMES OR (INSERT NAME HERE) SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN YEARS AGO. WOULD BE BETTER WITH VOCALS IMHO.

Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra (2010) Those of you who know what this word means, should be familiar with the words of Aleister Crowley. This is an album with lyrics steeped in high magic, and I’d like to read them - except that I doubt that I’d really learn anything that I couldn’t already learn from the works of Crowley, Spare, and Carroll. It seems to be telling a message of “practice magic” rebel, and such. Just what the youth of our already disenfranchised age fucking needs. Now, the album…

Many of you would think that after a tremendous release like their last album, that this one would be a step in the right direction…that it would be a Dimmu that we haven’t already heard before…

WRONG!

What we’ve got here, is quite simply…horse shit.

I say that with all politeness, but I am extremely disappointed in what I hope marks an end to the Dimmu Borgir project. It is time to hang it up, throw in the fucking towel, so to speak.

Why is it so bad? Well, the riffs are very simple, the orchestra pretty much takes over everything, and while I admit that there are good tracks, (“Dimmu Borgir” which is the only really good one) the whole album is clearly lacking something. Some of you may think that I am wrong, and I am okay with that - but when you add deathcore style vocals in one of the songs “The Demiurge Molecule” , not to mention what almost reminded me of “breakdowns”, and a clear lack of full black metal throughout the album, (it’s a 360 from the last album, trust me. Not much thrash here) it’s no good. Plus, I believe that Shagrath is singing - and this is a complete disservice to mankind. His vocals are dreadful, and I really wish that they had dropped the project after Vortex left. I’ve listened to this twice, just reviewing the tracks, and trying to find something on here decent, and the only thing that I find half-ass decent on this shit-storm is the beginning solo of a song called “Renewal”.

Nonetheless, you get an awful lot of bombastic music, and fans of orchestral pieces might consider this “their best orchestral work”…except for the fact that “Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia came out in 2001”, and it’s multitudes better than this. This is by far the worse release that I have ever heard from the band. It doesn’t grow on you, it’s just ridiculousness through and through! Are they even trying anymore?

I might as well add, that the female who is well known for “Gateways” is actually only featured on that song!

One more thing - The two bonus tracks consist of an orchestral version of “Gateways” sans the band and vocals, and the second is a cover song, of which I am unsure of the title. (Mine just says “Track 12”) I have to ammend this, it is an awful cover of "Perfect Strangers" By Deep Purple. Yeah, there's nothing more black metal than Deep Purple...

OVERALL: BARELY EVEN BLACK METAL…SO MANY OTHER GOOD RELEASES HAVE COME OUT SINCE THIS ONE…GET THOSE INSTEAD! (ENSLAVED, IN LINGUA MORTUA, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS (YES, EVEN THEM!) FOR EXAMPLE) I AM DISGUSTED, AND SO SHALL YOU ALSO BE…

Nokturnicon - Archetype Ov Darkness (2010) - Since this band has personally asked me to review and has sent me some pre-final master recordings, I will give them the honor of a track by track review. I also went through the trouble of naming, numbering and what-not, as well as mastering the thing in 320 kbps, even though I can barely hear a difference.

1. As The Windows Of The Soul Turn Black - I’m not much of an intro guy. Some intros I like, but very few. I thought this one was too short to leave an impression, but it opened the album up the way that they wanted. It’s just an intro, after all.

2. Consider This - I thought that the vocals strayed a bit from the melody, but this is normal with demo work, so I ignored it. I’ve been there before, so I know how things can sound when you start out.(Plus there’s my awful album, that you can d/load just to see.)
Still, I thought the song was solid.

3. Intercede - This one has the blast beats and such that we get from black metal. I thought the vocals went much better here, except that there wasn’t anything really interesting. Although, it’s a solid piece overall.

4. I Cease and Wither - This one has a lot of potential. I really like the riffs, and even though the vocals sound lower, it has enough to interest my sporadic mind. So far, best of the album. Really feeling the emotion on the vocals.

5. Premonition Oblivion - I really feel that too much of the “scowl” is being used. The vocalist has great lows, but too much of the high vocal makes the thing seem laughable. In this song, it is being overused. I still think it’s good musically.

6. We Are Legion - The vocal mix is far too high in the beginning, but when the song warms up, it doesn’t sound too bad. Again, I have to stress that the scowl is too much, but I’m trying to figure out what in the mix is causing that scowl, because this could be much better if that scowl was lowered. The song as a whole could be good with a bit more mastering. I still think it’s a good song though.

7. Wickedness Of A Euphoric Nature - This song sounds pretty solid, and the vocals are much more in check. The whole thing sounds much stronger when the vocals are not as high in the mix, and you can hear that in here. There’s some promise in this song, and the piano I thought was well utilized.

8. Beyond The Mist - In this song, we have the opposite effect - the vocals are too low in the mix. Overall, this song sounds pretty solid as well. Nice use of the sound effects and voice clips.

9. Bleeding Effigy (These Are The Last Days) - The quote fits well with the title of the song, and when the band kicks in, I think things sound good, but the symphonics are a little loud, and it’s hard to hear the guitars. Overall, I still think it’s a good song. One of my favorites. The vocals also aren’t biting at me on this one, and that I like.

10. Frost - Wow. Good use of symphonics in this one. This song should introduce the album. Not to mention that the mix is good, and the whole thing sounds solid as hell. The vocals sound great here. This song could be great with the right production, I am really digging this. Best song on the album! This should be a single.

11. Aetheral Ascendance - Yet another great use of symphonics here. This instrumental piece could be an opener, or a closer, and yes - I’m right about this, it’s better than the one I heard from Enslaved, on their new album. This is what an instrumental piece should be, not just a slight sound effect.

12. To The Throne Room - The lyrics sound like they were being rapped at beginning, but the song itself sounds good. Again with the scowls, but the musicality of this piece is better than the opening pieces. Although, I hate to say it - unless they are trying to go for an urban audience, this one might need to be left off. I can kind of imagine some sort of black metal rap thing with this one. Definitely for the adventurous listener. But, I will say it’s unique.

13. SixSixSick - I was told this was a Dio tribute, and even though I am a big Dio fan, I’ve never heard this song. I’m opened by a movie quote from a film I have not seen, but then I am greeted with some interesting riffs. Still, the scowl was much higher here. I think it was the mix or the program, because parts of this album do not sound like that. Please fix this problem, it will help a multitude. As for the song, I think it’s a decent black metal rendition of a heavy metal song. I know that this is tribute, and it sounds fitting, so that should be all for that.

OVERALL: I think that Nokturnicon is a promising local black metal act, who I have respect for regardless. There’s not a lot of black metal in Arkansas, and to hear some is refreshing. Although I feel that the scowl was too high on the newer mixes, I’m sure they’ll fix and polish the whole thing a few more times before it goes out to the public. What I can say is that this is a solid black metal band, with a large underground following and a good vocalist. There’s no reason why they can’t ascend to higher rungs in the black metal ladder, so to speak. Yet I’ve heard several bands try, and it takes a hell of a lot to make it. I actually own plenty of demos from bands who went nowhere. Including my own previous band, “Unholy Sacrifice”.L (Still bitter about that.)

If you want your band reviewed, just send me a link to grab your album.(all songs should be numbered, put into a folder, and then zipped or rar-ed please) and mediafire is appreciated when you upload, though I will use any. (In case you’ve already uploaded your album to site X.)

Not seeing something up here? If you want it reviewed, just post it - and if I can find it, I’ll review it for you next week.

I must apologize for the length of some of these reviews. Some releases do need a few paragraphs, but not many.