The Silverblack - Self-Titled (Remixed and Remastered) (2016)

This very short remastered and remixed version of the industrial goth rockers debut album feels more like an EP release than a debut. Even though there are ten songs featured here, it feels more like a smattering of ideas that was further realized on the group's next effort. There are obvious references to The Deathstars here, especially right in the vocal tone of album opener “Chimera.” Throughout the album we are introduced to a very dark vocal croon in the background, which would definitely have to be Disarmonia Mundi's Claudio Ravinale and could carry the weight of the record completely on it's own. Unfortunately, this is technically Neroargento's main band with him performing the leads, samples and the majority of the vocals, which are a bit more focused towards lighter and more fragile territory which doesn't work as well for me. For instance, there's a section in “Dandelion” where a clean vocal is used, which feels a bit closer to Manson and far from that deep tongued Bloody Kisses Pete Steele vibe that Ravinale is going for. Aside from that, you're going to find a very interesting mix of guitar and electronica here, which is often as bouncy as it is gothic. It often feels like both vocalists are struggling for supremacy here, as one fellow prefers a harsh approach to the clean approach of the other – you can only imagine how this comes off on the recording, sounding not unlike an utter mess. Less is more, and there is just too much going on as far as the record is concerned. The Silverblack need to find a way to separate vocal duties in this act, or someone needs to go. That's not to say that heartwrenching number “Someone like you” or the catchy “Once Again” (by which the harsh/clean approach is used effectively) are not worthy of merit, but there are definitely some slips and slides here. The most aggravating track on the record is called “B.B.N.C.” which quite literally feels ruined by it's gimmick of a cellphone scammer. I will say that if you're looking for a mix of goth rock and heavy industrial with an almost melodic death metal flair to the vocals, you can't really go wrong with this. It reminds me a little of early Blood Stain Child (are they even still a band?) and that's a good thing. I also need to mention that this disc sounds a bit different from The Grand Turmoil and comes across with more of a bite.

Remember that this version of the band's debut is different from the initial release and may come off better or worse than that version, depending on taste. Some of you might feel that the original mix was better, but I can't confirm or deny that, not having heard it. I will say that even though the record is pretty short, it does feel a bit longer than it does due to all of the different ideas utilized within each track. As the record literally overflows with differing structures, there exists a brand of substance that you just won't hear in similar bands. Perhaps this might even come across as a heavier version of industrial era Linkin Park, which is not a problem for me, because even if Neroargento is going for something like Chester Bennington with the cleans (who actually always wanted to emulate Ministry during their With Sympathy days – did you know?) the rest of the album features so much more bite than anything I've heard from the experimental alternative pop rockers in years. I'd definitely recommend this one over that style of music, even though I am admittedly a fan of some of their music as well and do not recognize boundaries when it comes to music. Perhaps one of my favorite tracks on the album would be it's closer “Blessed By A Curse” where we get a nice bit helping of frightening dark vocal tones, something that I feel could have been utilized better on the album as a whole. Even so, you're never going to hear anything like that on a Linkin Park album. Speaking of, the band just jumped the shark and is getting hammered by people for putting out a very lackluster track and this might be just what you need to cleanse your palette and get the fucking taste out of your mouth. As a secondary defense, I'll also state that NeroArgento's clean lines are not as whiny as Chester Bennington's often come off. We can be rather thankful for that. I was on the fence during the first listen of this recording, but sometimes it's the second listen that really allows the material to sink in. I would certainly recommend it to those looking for a good mix of many genres, set to a bouncy and brackish musical backbone.

(10 Tracks, 34:00)

7/10

Carved - Kyrie Eleison (2016)

I have been meaning to cover this one for a while now and I knew that I couldn't simply hold off any longer. When I first saw that Italian metallers Carved were described as “melodic death metal” I didn't really expect much seeing as many melodeath acts just seem to copy each other these days, but this one really blew me away. According to Metal Archives, Carved are actually considered symphonic death metal and the SepticFlesh and Fleshgod Apocalypse similarities are certainly here, making this act seem like a bit more than just a normal melodeath act. There's also a bit of a folk element here, which brings up obvious nods to Amorphis. Symphonics obviously lie heavy on the record, combining with folk elements to make it seem as if some sort of monumental war is being waged through each of the tracks. This is also produced with such a clarity that Carved do not feel like some bottom of the barrel underground act that you simply forgot about, instead they're the kind of metal act that has the ability to rise to the very summit of the mountain. What I like most about this record is how bombastic they've made it, almost reminding me of early Battlelore. But that bombast doesn't seem to come into blandness like Ex Deo for example, and it instead measures a sort of satisfaction in it's attention to detail. Carved aren't necessarily trying to be the most brutal act that ever smashed you in the face, and would prefer to dazzle your ears with many different shades of color and flavor. The guitar solos on this one are simply astounding at times, and when they double with the piano as in “Malice Striker” you can certainly feel the very passion on this album. That's not to say that they've completely stripped out pummeling sections of death metal, there's just a bit more offered here in lieu of bands who seem to only know how to do one or two things on an album. Yes, I know that a drum kit can be played realitively quickly to sound uncompromising. But there's more that can be done with a kit than that. There's also more that can be done with a bass guitar than to creat thick, heavy grooves, but some bands just want to throw everything into downtune and seem to forget that people love to hear the sound of a guitar simply played well. I get that with this album. Damiano Terzoni and Alex Ross (Souldeceiver) perform the dual-axe wield that decorates that point to me, and it decorates it beautifully. Unlike some reviewers out there, I haven't forgotten that a big part of heavy metal still lies in riffs melodies and leads, which Carved have not forgotten about.

Christian Guzzon performs both the harsh and clean vocals, with bassist Lorenzo Nicoli performing the backing growls. Their style is definitely more tinged to death metal, but that doesn't mean that Guzzon doesn't get a full-on clean moment in “Heart Of Gaia” which offers a much different side to the band than we might have expected judging on the previous cuts. Some bands would be content to continue the metallic onslaught throughout, but giving us a little more as Carved tend to do, is just what separates them from so many of their peers, even the more popular of those. The band also manages to mix saxophones together with djent riffs and hefty growls on “Swamp” which comes off as something else I wouldn't expect. Another thing I wouldn't have expected is the band's cover of The Bloodhound Gang's “The Bad Touch” which is going right on my phone playlist right after this review. Not only does it have the Carved touch to symphonics, but the death growls actually translate well into the rapped vocals, and the guitars actually emulate the keyboard sections in the original piece quite well also. It's definitely folkier than we expected, but much more interesting than some of the out of touch covers Andy Rehfeldt has done lately. It follows the tone of the original, which I love.

It's safe to say that Carved have much to offer to fans of symphonic death metal, folk instrumentation and unexpected pop covers. There is an increasingly large amount of bands jumping on the symphonic death metal bandwagon, but these guys actually know what they're doing. As with most records of it's type, it could use a bit more differentiation and is certainly no Mystic Places Of Dawn, but what is these days? Kyrie Eleison is a disc that gives us more than most bands in this genre, at least those I've heard for the past couple of decades – and that's a good thing in my book. It's the band's sophomore album and shows that they're still going strong. It would be great if someone recognized them or even decided to review them (reviews are a bit scarce for this one) but often acts, even of a great caliber get left behind for more popular or more heavily publicized acts. Don't worry though, as Carved are just as good as any of those bands, if not even better.

(12 Tracks, 63:00)

8/10

Precipitation - The Power Of... (2016)

The debut from this uncanny German melodic death/metalcore act definitely surprised me. But that's because Precipitation simply don't follow the rules. It's not always melodic death metal, it's not always core and it's not always metal, period. As a matter of fact, the record begins with blues and doesn't shy away from that. The Power Of... is simply a mixture of different styles that all culminate together to make a pretty interesting experience. It goes without saying that all of these guys are new blood, even though the band have been together since 2013. Sometimes it takes awhile to craft a record and this one is definitely the result of fine craftsmanship beyond anything that I would have ever expected. I asked for quite a bit of physical submissions to review over the past week and don't even remember this being one of them. That wasn't a problem though, as it actually turned out to be my favorite of the three.

If you listen to “Unavoidable” for example, it's basically crunchy melodic rock with some proggy touches, yet fronted with a hefty growl that you might not expect for the genre. There's also a clean vocal moment, which isn't the only one to appear and to be honest – they get better. There are some very strong clean vocal moments on the disc, which I'll mention later on in this review. Precipitation also take on a seven-minute monster called “Dazzled” which is pretty unexpected for a record like this, even though it is a re-recorded cut from their 2014 demo. You can hear as much classic melodeath as you can hear it retooled through the American incarnations of the genre. Yet as I stated in the genre description, you are getting some core moments as well as some breakdowns and whatnot. Though you should expect that, as these guys don't really play by the rules and in some places can come off with an unexpected amount of intricacy. The sound veers into almost progressive metal at times, though can also feature the kind of bluesy-solos that you might expect on a Zakk Wylde album (but are nowhere near as good as Zakk himself, of course.) One of my personal favorite cuts comes right after, called “Cosmic.” The band also tries very hard for some sort of space-faring sound as well which features a very strong clean vocal chorus as well as what almost looks to be a Devin Townsend inspired take on metalcore. Keep in mind, this song is a little over six minutes long and comes pretty early on by which point the song lengths start to normalize. I don't know why they decided to put some of their longest and most-textured tracks at the beginning of the record. This one would have made a great centerpiece and “Dazzled” would have done well to replace album clunker “Insane.”

As we move into the album, we start to notice even more progressive leanings of which I'm quite a fan – I would just have never expected it. “Alone” even tries for a slightly gloomier approach, but nothing like album closer “Last Breath” which is kind of rough to listen to. “Hideout” pounds out hard rock with hefty growls, while “Philosopher's Stoned” sounds like progressive death with a little bit of hard rock influence to it as well. I'd definitely consider it one of the disc's best tracks, as well as several others here. Once again, these guys just popped out of nowhere and impressed me beyond what I would have expected from the band. You can't even tell what kind of genre they are, or music they might play by looking at the album. If you look at the below image and think that you're getting “space black metal” than you've already flunked. Though I've honestly heard enough “space black metal” in my life and I'm quite pleased with the kind of band that really doesn't show boundaries. These guys could have thrown it out to the mainstream years ago, like several other German acts I've reviewed for larger labels; but the fact that they didn't cut out the extremities or textures from this record makes it something of a diamond in the rough.

The album's last cut is “Last Breath” which as I explained, was kind of tough to listen to. It's a serious song about death and one's final thoughts before they die, which can almost be a gut-wrenching experience. It is most definitely a funeral doom inspired moment, even though some of the melodies might be a little more upbeat than what we'd expect on a funeral doom record. It still might come off a bit poppier than some might be used to but it certainly isn't the kind of track that you'd expect to hear on an album like this one. At the end of the day, I really hope that we'll hear more from Precipitation in the future and there might REALLY be something here. This is the sound of a band that has loads of musical potential, but they also have the potential to sell out and make millions or the potential to be a relatively strong force in the underground. It simply depends on what these guys want to do and I'll support them either way. Even if the next record isn't to my liking, I certainly won't forget this unexpected German metal treasure.

(10 Tracks, 51:00)

9/10

In My Embrace - Black Waters Deep (2016)

The debut full-length from Sweden's In My Embrace is a little short, but it's longer than their earlier released EP recording, Dead To Dust Descend. The material here is most certainly inspired by Dissection albums like The Somberlain and Storm Of The Light's Bane, but we could also equate them with acts like God Dethroned and Naglfar. There are also some modernisms here and there in the vein of core, but that's only in the song structure. Let's just say that some of this might feature a bit more groove than you're willing to wade through, but I personally wouldn't have considered it a detriment. Also, some of the tremolos come off with a notable potency as you'll notice on “Into Oblivion” which would have been a far more fitting way to open the record than the more modern-influenced title track. I think In My Embrace decided to incorporate more groove numbers onto the disc in order to differentiate them from Dissection, by which they can sound like a clone. Not that that's a bad thing, after all – some of the melodies seem to be right up there with some of Dissection's most memorable, as well as Naglfar who are as we know; quite similar. I could add Thulcandra, but we all know very well what those guys were trying to achieve.

So how much groove am I getting, Grim Lord? Well, let me tell you. Aside from the title track, you're getting “Of Ache and Sorrow” as well “Voyage Of Thoughts” which seem to also encroach upon doom, so it's not like these guys are playing blues. We also have a couple of traditional rock solos on the record, but they come backed by Tommy Holmer's session drumming, which is actually fantastic. Black Waters Deep is yet another case for why bands shouldn't be afraid to use a session drummer, especially in their case. When these guys move into black metal territory, Holmer's blasts really seem to accentuate that perfectly. Another piece of this puzzle that caught my attention was frontman Kenneth Larsson's ravenous vocal approach which fits very well here within the equally ravenous tunes that these guys can dish out. These performances are sometimes backed by guitarists Bosse Öhman and Johan Sjöblom which can add even more of a bite to the performance. The atmosphere of the record is rather bleak, but at times can be rather fierce and demonic depending on the piece. The disc can actually be quite bass-heavy as well, hence the groove sections I mentioned earlier. But even though bassist Jon Brundin is actually getting the kind of respect that most bassists deserve when it comes to this kind of music (this kind of blackened/melodic death metal has not been known for being very bass-heavy) there aren't any sections on this record that I feel take away from it's overall mood. Even when these guys channel their inner doom/death with “Next Chapter” it still retains an overall bleak and somewhat folk/black metal atmosphere, which is very important.

It can be clearly stated that there is at least some degree of variety here, but it's not so varied as to sound like a different band all the time. In My Embrace just want to showcase the fact that they are not a gothic metal act with a female singer, not a Dissection rip-off and not completely glued to one style of music. That to me says quite a bit and I feel that much was done within the span of thirty-four minutes. I won't say that all of the songs are my cup of tea and perhaps a little derivative of other familiar acts and styles, but I'm certainly not upset with that. You shouldn't be either. Black Waters Deep is the kind of record that only gets better with more listens, so give it at least one!

(10 Tracks, 34:00)

8/10

Marianas Rest - Horror Vacui (2016)

The debut album from Finnish melodic death/doomers Marianas Rest is definitely the kind of thing you'd expect Bleak Bill to review back when we had the domain site  but since that is not going to be the case, I'm covering it. So what have we got here? Something quite similar to acts like Swallow The Sun, Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum, by which they share the same keyboardist – Aapo Koivisto. All of the other guys are pretty much new blood, but that doesn't mean that they're bad blood either. The Finns have always seen their way around the doom genre and that can be assured with this record. There are points where I feel that maybe the rest of the instruments are a bit louder than the synths, which often makes it seem like Koivisto is trying to do battle with the other four guys in the band, especially when Harry Vainio's bass riffs and Nico Heininen's drumming comes into play. “Nadir” pounds and gets pretty spacey, but it's a much slower number like “For The Heartless” that really brings in that kind of Funeral and Saturnus vibe to this kind of music. Here we're not getting so much of an onslaught as it were; allowing more influence to come in from the keyboards which will often accentuate with Harri Sunila and Nico Mänttäri's near-shoegaze leads, which paired with Jakko Mäntymaa's gut-wrenching vocals amount to something worthy of the very name of the doom/death genre.

Sometimes Horror Vacui sounds like doom in space as well, which gives us something a bit new than what we're used to. While you're listening to the piece, try to imagine stars and galaxies being influenced in the leads and you'll see where I'm coming from – it just sounds like a band playing on top of an asteroid, looking at the remains of their former planet. Interestingly enough, sparsed in between the songs are actual soundclips taken from astronauts, which gives the record even more of a peculiar nature. Again – it's doom in space. The rest of the album sounds similar, but it's the kind of heavily melodic (we can even throw in Tower favorite In Mourning here) approach that makes for a good mix of light and heavy. If you've come here expecting great keyboard and guitar melodies, then these guys definitely have you covered. There's not a single song on this record where hope is offered, but it's all just so damn beautiful in spite of things. Perhaps frontman Mäntymaa's approach can come off a bit too overbearing in sections (less vocal, more music) but that's a very minor argument (and to some, it will be just that) in retrospect of what is a very powerful doom/death record at it's core. Horror Vacui is just so bleak that you really can't even think of it so much as melodic death in the vein of In Flames or Dark Tranquillity, which definitely makes me throw it into the realms of more thunderous and threatening act.

To me as a reviewer, I've heard several similar approaches to this kind of music before, especially with Swallow The Sun for example; but I don't want you to personally think of this record in the same manner that I'm reviewing it. If you're looking for meaningful doom/death with strong melodies and are curious to the whole “space” vibe I mentioned earlier, than you may want to give it a spin. You certainly should before the year is out, in any case. For a record that came out in October, it is pretty awful to see that no one has covered it yet on Metal Archives. You can't simply deny those leads, folks. You just can't.

(8 Tracks, 52:00)

8/10

Netherbird - Pillars Of The Sky (2016)

For some odd reason, the Swedish black metal act then decided to release another single and this is where I begin to get just a little heated. The record releases on the 28th, but this single released on September 30th. They couldn't wait to just release the album? What's more, is that while we have another on-album cut in “Pillars Of The Sky”, (which sounds more like a folk-tinged melodic death than black metal, think Insomnium) we also have “Brazen Splendour.” Just like it's partner “Sculptors and Spectres” it will not be on the album either. I've also checked online and can't find any version of the disc where these songs would be added. Additionally, “Brazen Splendour” is a very strong song. I like it much more than the cut this single is named after. “Pillars Of The Sky” was a bit slow for me, but this cut is thundering, pounding and full of fine folk influence. It reminds me of early Amon Amarth, when they actually still took some folk and black metal influence. There was absolutely no excuse to not put a track this awesome on the full-length disc. It's not even on the vinyl. Wow, I'm just very disappointed. I guess when The Grander Voyage comes out, you can go pick up that one and then check out these other two tracks on YouTube or something.

According to what I've seen from Metal Archives, the length of the forthcoming is only around forty-two minutes. Adding both of these extra cuts will only increase the playing time by a mere eleven minutes. So there was definitely enough room for them on The Grander Voyage. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to sound “entitled” or anything like that, but I do feel that when a band records an album, they should just release everything on the forthcoming disc. Usually, there are at least special or limited edition versions of a CD where the bonus tracks are added to the performance. In this case, The Grander Voyage would have only benefitted from that. As I stated, I didn't care much for “Pillars Of The Sky” but “Brazen Splendour” is definitely one of my favorite songs in this genre, in quite a while. I played it twice in a row, that's just how good it was. So if we look at this in a reviewer's perspective, I would probably have given the full-length a better score if these cuts were added to it. “Windwards” was a strong song, I liked it quite a bit. Yet as I'll say again, I wasn't all that pleased with the main cut here and they should have just thrown it out and called the single “Brazen Splendour.” To be honest, if the band had released “Windwards” with “Pillars Of The Sky” as a secondary cut, that would have been fine. Then right before the album released, “Brazen Splendour” could have packaged with “Sculptors and Spectres” as a secondary cut, allowing people the opportunity to purchase the bonus tracks as a whole.

The single is only two dollars, so it wouldn't have been a bad price for the bonus cuts, if it had been marketed that way. In any case, you can pick it up and listen to “Brazen Splendour” as many times as you like. I was reminded of Once Sent From The Golden Hall and believe me, that's more than enough sometimes.

(2 Tracks, 12:00)

8/10

Netherbird - Windwards (2016)

The Grim Lord is a bit torn on how to cover this one. The Swedish synth/melodic black metal act have been around for a good number of years now and are about to release their next full-length in about eight days. But the problem with this single and the latest single, is that they each contain two songs which will appear on the record and two that won't. Problem is, these songs aren't simple cuts that don't really make a difference. They're full-lengths that should have really been on the record itself. On this particular single we have “Sculptors and Spectres” which to me, sounds like a pretty potent black metal cut. It also reminds me a little of Naglfar and Dissection and comes out far more interesting than Thulcandra's latest offering, which doesn't even need to be named. Needless to say, the song is quite powerful. “Windwards” itself was already good, and it'll sound great on the album – but this nickel and dime shit to me is just terrible. To be fair, the band did release this single in July, so it's a good teaser for the album. You'll like both tracks and they're pretty strong. I haven't heard much from Netherbird that I can recall, but from what I've heard here, it makes me curious to dig through their back catalog a little.

(2 Tracks, 13:00)

8/10

Xaon - Face Of Balaam (2016)

Xaon are about to release this recording in just a couple of days, which is their very first EP offering. I know very little about these guys, and the leaflet I have here sounds like it was copied via a hook translator for a Japanese visual novel. Good thing I can decipher some of this. In any case, it (seems) that Xaon are influenced by nineties era Anathema, My Dying Bride, Disgrace, Paradise Lost, Type O Negative, Ulver, Soilwork and Demonical among others; even though I can scarcely even a catch a glimpse from most of these acts in the music being presented here. For a band that seems so closely tied to dreary soundscapes, I'm hearing very little of that. As a matter of fact, the Soilwork and Chimera influence seems to be a bit stronger here. That leads me to the problem as well – the vocals seem to follow along a gut-punch sort of hardcore style that just works as a bit of a turn-off for me. If I was given the choice today to wake up in a completely different dimension where the gut-punch style vocal had never been invented by hardcore and would never be invented for the span of mankind's existence, I would take that option right now. I just don't care for these throat-saver vocals, which sound to me like a scraping of the vocal chords. It's not catchy to me and sounds very adolescent. Pre-pubescent, actually.

That being said, Vinc (Ever Since) and Flo (Ever Since, Calcined, Serpens Luminis, Erzebeth Dane) actually have a strong grasp on musicianship here. Bjorn Strid (Soilwork) actually guests on “Decrowned” which is one of my favorite songs here, and his vocals actually fit within their compositions. I actually kind of like the harsh vocal point that comes right after Strid sings “I was looking for the face of Balaam” which utters, “But I only found his reflection!” Now this actually makes me want to find out who in the hell Balaam is. I'm either thinking some sort of ancient god or a daemon/djinn. It could also be some sort of Indian deity. I really have no clue, so check it out yourself! (Google = Library Of Alexandria 2.0) I also need to mention that the clean vocals are very strong here. I might be able to growl far better, but this guy can certainly sing much better than I can. (Unless you want to hear what sounds like a whipped choir boy.)

Since we have such a powerful clean vocal effort here, I tend to not mind the gut-punch segments so much. Also, the music in general is a little too cleaned up for hardcore fans, which made me think of earlier Chimaira, which I think metal fans can find at least one good album from of they looked hard enough. Adding to that are some wondrous melody lines as well as the all expectant solo, which is all quite befitting of the genre. Face Of Balaam is a heavy record for sure, but there's enough melody and clean singing here to appeal to fans of traditional Swedish melodeath, or should we say more modern Swedish melodeath, as neither In Flames nor Soilwork, nor Dark Tranquillity adapted clean vocals until much later. Give or take, two of those bands succeeded where the other failed in their attempt. Shame. I'd probably have gotten into this record a little more if there was a bit more gravel in the vocal area, but it's still worth recommending in my book, and it stands as a rather solid effort. Xaon are a new band and this marks their break into the heavy metal scene. You can certainly come off much worse this early in the game. I'm looking forward to their next output.

(5 Tracks, 26:00)

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

In White - Heredity (2014)

I dug this one up from the grave, because there is next to no coverage on these Turkish melodic death metallers. In fact, when I googled the band's name and album title, I found all these bullshit news articles that had absolutely nothing to do with the band. It was showing me articles about “white heredity” in all actuality, which is certainly not what I was trying to ascertain information about.

So why doesn't anyone give a shit about these guys? Beats me, as they're pretty decent. Heredity is their debut album, released just a few years ago on a label called M2K Productions. Listeners are going to get a familiar dose of early In Flames/Dark Tranquillity style melodic death metal, but they're also getting a lot of crunchy grooves, perhaps something out of Chimaira or Heaven Shall Burn's playbook, which certainly isn't a problem for me. Problem is, we have another case of the vocals being raised too high in the mix, which can work to drown out the two guitarists in the band. There's also some downtune mixed in here and there, which can somewhat give off a bluesy nature to the material. The solo pieces are pretty decent though, but the songs themselves are pretty short with the longest cut (The Pier) being about five minutes. Most of these tracks are about three or four minutes long and seem kind of stripped down. In White are the kind of melodic death act that fans of groove metal would enjoy, which almost seems like an oxymoron.

Though there are clean backing vocals, these guys seem to be more interested in grit and grime, which is certainly going to drive away fans of much cleaner approaches to this genre. It's interesting to note that the band's demo was closer to alternative or modern metal, whereas this one added in more melodic death metal elements. We can hear the old sound of the band peeking in on awkward ballad “Unsaid” which at least has the right amount of passion behind it. Sure, it's not quite the most vocally tuned approach that I've ever heard and I wouldn't advise the guy to quite his day job, but you know – there's spirit behind it.

After that one, we have the acoustic “Colors” which sounds a little bit better. Following that, we actually get a track which originally appeared on said demo by the name of “A Scarlet Road” which shows a much different approach for the band as I mentioned. It's not bad – still out of key a bit, but there's at least a sense of emotion behind it. They tried, you know? That's really all I can say.

(11 Tracks, 41:00)

6/10

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

Nuclear Chaos - Shockwave (2016)

Mexico's Nuclear Chaos have been around for a while, even known for working with David Vincent on a track by the name of “Suffocate” coming off their second full-length release, Absolution. Well, this one reminds me a little of acts like Soilwork or mid-era In Flames – it's basically modern melodic death metal and I'm not seeing a problem with that. Do we have harsh vocal growls backing a clean vocal chorus that has been accented with melodic leads? Well, yes. What about thumping bass riffs and plenty of chug? Yes, that's more or less the backbone of the cut. Would I still recommend it? Yes, absolutely. I think that fans of melodic death metal in general would find something here, regardless of the fact that the band have been compared heavily to Trivium over at Metal Archives when I would more liken them to Soilwork or mid-era In Flames as of this single. They are definitely crafting a better style of metal than In Flames are right now, I can say that much.

(1 Track, 4:03)

7/10

Death Design - Drown With Me (2016)

Finlanders Death Design have released their first single, which seems to mix a little bit of melodeath with hefty amounts of deathcore grooves along with a vocal style that isn't quite the greatest, at least for me. I just never got into the shoutier version of death grunt as much as some of the more grueling approaches, and despite the slight bits of technicality, there is little I find promising here about these guys. They might appeal to fans of more hardcore/deathcore acts, but I just don't find it's my thing. I've heard similar approaches for years, on a track that just seems to have gone in one ear and out the other. If there's any other way I can describe it, it would be that it's heavy. I mean, that's the only real thing I can think of. Janne Salminen's vocal approach gets very close to that of the dreaded gut-punch, so I don't think I'll be interested in their future efforts. I think I'll stick with Heaven Shall Burn on this style.

(1 Track, 3:35)

5/10

Skeleton Wolf - Skeleton Wolf (2016)

This mostly Indiana-based three piece made up of mostly former members of the black metal act Maax (currently on hiatus) have decided to add some modernization into their decidedly blackened sound with this self-titled debut. Bits of groove, thrash and even melodic death metal have gone into this concoction, making it suitable for fans of everyone from Lamb Of God to latter-era Immortal and even Amon Amarth. Jeff Mason (bass) pumps in the grooves, while Brett Schlagel (guitars) seems to tackle all of the hard-hitting riffs and melodic tremolos. On the vocal end is a rather gruff sounding fellow by the name of Tim Green, who offers the kind of roughnecked approach to the mic as you’d expect, had you seen him in person. The drums are programmed, but I can’t even notice one hint of error there and it works for me. Technology is truly wondrous.

These guys obviously aren’t trying to go for any sort of black metal kvlt status, especially when you have cuts like “MPFF” which is more or less a Pantera-fueled thrash and groove effort with bits of hardcore. Then again, we have pieces like “At the Sixth Foot”, “Whatever Demons” and “Eternal Lies” which alternatively sound much closer to black metal than you’d expect. “Eternal Lies” in particular gave me a rather chilly feel, but like “At the Sixth Foot” I could still hear pieces of that early Amon Amarth (Once Sent From the Golden Hall) sound embedded within it and that’s what made this debut stick out. Skeleton Wolf is a record where you can pretty much ascertain that these guys have got their chops down, they know what kind of sound they’re going for and they for the most part, achieve it. I’d certainly say that while “MPFF” might make a great pit anthem, the closer “Forever Awake” is worth it’s weight in gold, purely due to it’s awesome melodies.

The listener might be surprised to see that they’re actually getting quite a bit of what I could consider memorable melodies, whether those be of the more Norwegian or Swedish variety, as Green’s performance fits this formula perfectly. And yes, there are even some solo cuts that I couldn’t help but mention. Not only does Schlagel show that he can craft some terrific leads, but that he can light up the sky just as well as any other guitarist worth their salt. Schlagel’s actually a rather skilled axeman and the very heart of this project. You can tell that he put a lot of work into these compositions, and while the Maax stuff might not have been wonderously praised on Metal Archives; (both releases sit roughly in the seventies) this more modern and I’m assuming less restrained (I haven’t heard the Maax records) approach might be the best thing he’s got going for him at present. Skeleton Wolf a record that I wouldn’t mind playing again and again, where every song seems to hit it’s mark and doesn’t leave me quickly bored. I’ve always been a fan of black metal, but I love when it’s mixed along with other things. Some bands fail miserably at this approach, while others greatly succeed. Skeleton Wolf is a pure example of the latter, which is why I highly recommend checking this one out. Love or hate it, it sounds good to me. 

(7 Tracks)

9/10

In Mourning - Afterglow (2016)

Taking off right where The Weight Of Oceans left off, Afterglow continues the Swedish melodeath/doomers onslaught. It's hard for me not to be biased with this one, as In Mourning have always been one of my favorite acts ever since the release of their debut, The Shrouded Divine. They are one band in particular that have never released what I'd consider to be a bad or even remotely mediocre release, really pouring everything that they have into one album. There are only seven songs here, but when you listen to the record from back to front, you'll find that is all there needs to be. Obviously fans of Opeth, Swallow The Sun, Insomnium, Daylight Dies and other acts will enjoy this one, but I don't consider the music quite so funerary or bleak, what with all the melody. While the record is death/doom, it never sounds like a literal death march, instead tapping into Opeth at their most melodic and beautiful. They've obviously taken a keynote from their Swedish brethren here, especially during the opening riff of “The Grinning Mist” which seems lifted right from Blackwater Park. That being said, the guys still pump some hefty guitar solos into their work, which are surprisingly speedy. You almost don't even expect such a sound to come out of In Mourning, but you certainly won't kick it out of bed either. 

This is the kind of performance that we've expected from Opeth for years, making Afterglow sound a bit more like the record that might have come after Deliverance in some sections. As one might expect, these songs are quite mountainous in length, with the cut I just mentioned being the longest on the album, clocking in at ten minutes. Believe me folks, if I can get into a ten minute track so much that I don't even realize I've been listening for that long, then I'm quite sure that this entire record is worth recommending. Yet once again, I'm going to be a bit biased as these guys are definitely one of my favorite things in heavy metal, and I can say that I was pining for a new release for quite a while. They've only gotten better with time as Afterglow shows, with my only wonder as to why these gentlemen haven't gotten as popular or well-known as Opeth. Sure, maybe the cleans coming from Tobias Netzell (ex-Contortion, ex-Majalis, ex-October Tide) aren't as memorable as Mikael Akerfeldt, but these guys make up for it as they always have, with three powerful guitarists. Aside from Netzell, we also have Bjorn Pettersson (ex-Majalis) as well as Tim Nedergard (Forgotten Kingdom) all playing masterful lead melodies that really seem to stand out in the mix. If there's one thing I always remember about an In Mourning album, it's in the melodies – these guys never falter in that. Thick, doomy bass riffs are delivered by Pierre Stam (ex-October Tide) while uncanny melodies are delivered by three of this act's five members that are so earth shattering at times, you might feel that your head is going to explode. Yes, they are really that good, just as I've always come to expect. When you take a look at this lineup and notice that three men are actually playing guitar here, you soon begin to realize why it sounds so musically proficient and why the record took so long to make. Keep in mind, The Weight Of Oceans was released in 2012, back when everyone thought the world was going to end, and here we are three years later with another great disc longer after we realized that we're all still here.

I've no doubt that Opeth fans in particular are going to jump for joy when they put this one into their listening devices, as the band have borrowed so much from their playbook that it might almost seem ludicrous. For a band that began as Gothic metal, they certainly have reached a new turning point in this extremely progressive, yet forlorn sound and style. There's nothing here that will make you cry tears into a bucket, but the passion and emotion lodged deep within this record will surely make you weep tears of joy. Albums like Afterglow and Blackwater Park are the very reason why I was drawn to this type of metal, despite finding it awfully boring in my younger years. As I soon grew and matured, I began to recognize the level of heartfelt composition and the amount of time needed in order to craft such a record like this, which feels like a modern classical release at times. I feel that Afterglow is a sort of morose watercolour painting, albeit with very bright streaks of light and some rather ferocious undertones. Opeth worship aside, these Swedes have once again done what they've always done best – and you don't need me to tell you that. This is definitely a record to follow in the footsteps of The Weight Of Oceans, and seems to excel far greater in areas where the previous disc fell a bit short. It's the kind of record that you can listen to many times over, without getting tired quickly, especially if you're a lover of melody like myself. There are certain songs in particular that I could listen to for days, simply due to certain melody sections alone. That being said, I highly advise you to go out there and make this purchase as you will not regret it, and the band needs your support. Without question, Afterglow is a record that has exceeded my expectations greatly, and was well worth the wait. So we have yet another great album, from another great band.

(7 Tracks, 55:00)

10/10

Orbit Culture - Rasen (2016)

Swedish melodic death groovers Orbit Culture have been around since 2013 and have consistently released a new album almost every year, which isn't quite so common, to say the least. You'll notice that the band took a little bit more time with this one however, as there's a year gap between 2014's In Merdias Res and this new album. From what I've heard here, the gap seems like just what the record needed, though I can't be for certain as this is my first excursion with the act. Disregarding all of that, I can say that fans of melodic death metal legends and recent greats will be quite pleased with the record, certainly just as much as I am. The opener “Svartport” seems like it might have influence from Testament's The Gathering, while “Sun Of All” certainly seems to carry that sorrowful tinge that Insomnium and Swallow The Sun brought to the genre. “Obsession” feels a lot like mid-era Soilwork, although you could also compare those grooves to mid-era In Flames. The album's title track sounds like it has some Gojira references behind it, while at the same time reminding me a lot of Scar Symmetry. Frontman Niklas Karlsson has a vocal bark that is almost completely comparable to that of legend Christian Alvestam, especially during his Scary Symmetry and Unmoored work. There is no doubt that the melodic death metal listener will find several references to his favorite acts here, yet they are all placed in such a way that they sound authentic, and not like some mere emulation. Occasionally Orbit Culture also throw in synths and cleans, which definitely help the performance and are certainly not unheard of in this kind of music. 

If you'll remember what I said when I was reviewing Israel's The Fading, Orbit Culture sound like a more modern tribute to the melodic death metal we have today, whereas the latter sounded more like a tribute to the melodic death of yesteryear. That's also why I feel that such an album is greater, because these guys aren't making a mere emulation of the same songs and artists that they like. They're reinterpreting their favorite acts in a style that befits them. Orbit Culture sounds like a new band, with a lot of great influences and that's what's important. Every great band has a lot of inspirations behind them, even Priest, Maiden and Sabbath had their influences. But what makes a band a great band, is when they can pool all those influences together to make something that just sounds monolithic, and that's what I feel Rasen is. While we might think it's a little funny to consider a record called Rasen very close to the English raisin, I can absolutely assure you that this disc is no mere dried fruit. The band still have some places where they can explore and expand what they're doing here, but if you love hard grooves, memorable melodies and an overall great interpretation of some of the best things that this genre has had to offer for the past couple of decades, then you should look no further than Orbit Culture. I should also mention that I'm quite happy with the production value here, and everything has been properly for what I'd consider the best possible experience of a record that I'm sure you'll play again and again. I surely wouldn't mind having a copy of this in my collection and I feel that most melodic death metal fans would feel the same – especially if you dig grooves as much as I do. Rasen is a definite win for these gentlemen and I hope that this won't be the last we hear from them. Yet after two prior records, I'm quite sure that they're only beginning to show off what they can really do. You're gonna love this one.

(10 Tracks, 48:00)

8/10

Vredehammer - Violator (2016)

Though admittedly short, this Norwegian black/death act's second full-length is something that I feel definitely caught me by surprise due to all of it's sheer badassery. These guys cannot only play a ripping blend of black, death, melodic and thrash metal, they also showcase that they have skills where it counts, which sometimes come in the form of absolutely stereoscopic guitar solos. Take the first track, “Light The Fucking Sky” for example. The ungodly melodic solo pieces used there remind me of twinkling stars, or what I like to call “night time solos.” Despite the fact that the piece is additionally ungodly heavy, it also contains such a masterful and rather classy section within that air of night that you just wouldn't expect. Especially when the song that comes right after (Spawn Tyrant) literally threatens to bash your skull in.

Upon looking at the man responsible for most (but not all) of this awesomeness, I see that mastermind Per Valla is also in Allfader, which from what I recall was yet another awesome band. They came out with a record back in 2011 called Black Blood Flux, and that was one of my favorite albums of that particular year. It's Viking metal, but far more entertaining than the bland junk that Amon Amarth have been putting out as of late. It makes perfect sense that Valla would continue that awesomeness in this other act, and it's especially refreshing to see that he his skills are just as sharp as ever. Take the black thrasher that composes this record's title track, and you'll once again see why I have such praise for this man and his body of work.

I do need to reiterate that while Valla can literally write solos that lift you twenty feet up in the air, the band is only strengthened by such a strong arm on the drums (Felix) and hefty bass lines that add more meat and muscle to the performance (Stone.) Stone in particular really gives the kit a pounding, which makes so many of these pieces sound much more furious in the mix. He's the kind of drummer you want in this kind of act, playing as if he's played for decades, despite the fact that he's only been in prog-deathers Canvas Black beforehand. I guess Valla just listened to the guy and knew he would be a perfect fit for the band, and lo and behold he is. Vredehammer still utilize a lot of things that we might expect to hear on one single album, including grim tremolos, bits of progression and technicality (Deadfall) as well as melodic death metal pieces like “Ursus” that remind a lot of the stuff that Amon Amarth used to do, back when they were more concerned about structures instead of commercial viability.

Violator is certainly a finely structured album, and I think that it'll appeal to many different types of metal fans, regardless of what your favorite sub-genre might be. Each one of these seven songs are played beautifully, with no need for extra bonus tracks or B-Sides. Vredehammer literally gave you the very best that they could offer and felt that you'd get exactly what you were after in a mere thirty minutes of playing time. I could justify this as a shortlist record, but I didn't feel that it could wait until tomorrow's shortlist post and had to be brought to your attention today. You know, I think I've listened to this thing about five times already and I can honestly see myself listening to it about five more. It's just the kind of record that I feel delivers on all fronts and is the literal definition of a near-perfect heavy metal album.

I haven't heard much from Valla since Black Blood Flux and didn't even know that this band released a debut (Vinteroffer) back in 2014, but I can honestly say that Violator does what I haven't heard from a lot of bands in the black/death scene lately, and that makes them a cut above the rest. Vredehammer just play metal. Call it black, death, melodic, technical, whatever – it's just really satisfying and I'd recommend it to anyone.

(7 Tracks, 34:00)

9/10

The Fading - Till Life Do Us Part (2015)

Israel's The Fading are a pretty promising melodic death metal outfit, especially having won the Wacken Metal Battle back in 2008. Their sound is unmistakable for fans of Soilwork, Scary Symmetry, Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and you know the rest. The record was recorded in Israel, then handed over to Jens Borgren who mastered it in Sweden. Now I'm not real sure if it's Borgren's mastering or the band's skill that really makes for a memorable album, but I will say that what I've heard here is definitely the genuine article. While these guys aren't really approaching anything groundbreaking with the record, it's still truly solid melodic death metal that I feel purists will completely enjoy. I've been listening to this stuff just as long as many of you readers have and I can tell right where the Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates, In Flames exc, influences are on each song. “A Moment of Insight” for example sounds a lot like Dark Tranquillity, maybe with some In Flames nodes in the chorus line that I wouldn't hear from the former. “Where Last Hope Dies” sounds just like In Flames at their prime and is not too heard to dissect, while “Solitude Express” comes pounding in with an At The Gates feel that could also be compared to Dark Tranquillity/In Flames. Are you getting the idea yet? Till Life Do Us Part sounds like a celebration of melodic death metal at it's best and I really think a lot of people are going to enjoy it, especially if they missed out on it last year. Paul Mitiyanine is the sole guitarist for this project, and he's pretty fucking amazing. Yeah, he hits the familiar melodeath notes, but he also lets loose on some really nice leads and sparkling solos. There are still some sections that could be brightened a bit and I'd really like to hear these guys do a song that's longer than four minutes, but what we're given is certainly not bad.

At least the cuts do have some sections where they break off and form something that doesn't sound so derivative. It's not a big leap as these guys tend to use too much of the same riff structures and I don't remember melodeath being that bland (or maybe it was, until the bright leads kicked in) but it does work for the formula and I won't in any means knock it. Ilia Badrov has a terrific mixture of scowl and growl, but his cleans still need a little bit of work. There are many times through the record where I wish it just stuck to the harsh vocals. Maybe with some clean vocal coaching the guy can pull off some better vocal harmonies, but he can scowl his fucking ass off, so it's not really a big deal for me. For most people, this whole record is going to be based purely on nostalgia and that's what it is for me. Till Life Does Us Part sounds like a classic melodic death metal album and that's it's biggest strength. These Israelis take an “if it ain't broke” approach that clearly works. Two albums in the bucket and they're still going strong. Melodeath purists need to pick up this one for sure. It's as bare bones to the approach as it gets. You're welcome.

(12 Tracks, 44:00)

7/10

The Burning Dogma - No Shores Of Hope (2016)

Italy's The Burning Dogma have been around for much longer than you may have expected, even though they've just now put out their first formal debut. The band began in 2006, released a live CD in 2010, followed by an EP in 2012 and then this recording of which I'm listening to right now. As with all albums I review, this isn't the first time I've listened to it, and I can still hear now how the whole “doom/death” moniker might need to be changed a great deal from what Metal Archives has for them. That's because ladies and germs, The Burning Dogma are so much more than a mere “doom/death” act. As a matter of fact, these Italians seem to write whatever kind of metal they want to play and care not for genre-constrictions of concerns. Melodic death metal? Check. Technical death metal? Check. Electronic atmosphere? You got it. Groove death? Yep. While the band never really jump into black metal, they still do quite a bit of genre hopping and really don't mind capping the heavy stuff at times for electronic melodies and whirls. Maybe the new branding for these guys could go something like “melodic death metal/electronic” and yeah, that also involves a female vocal approach at times. She's not credited, but she does a great job from what I've heard and will hopefully stay in the band. In any case, the frontman elicits either a throaty growl or a harsh scowl (which is expectable, but I seldom hear anyone trying a different vocal approach for this genre of music) that I feel definitely goes with the death metal aspect of the band, and certainly compliments the female vocals when they're utilized. He also uses a clean vocal sometimes, as we might expect and I've no complaints with either the harsh or clean approaches here. They're both solid and work with the material. But when you listen to No Shores Of Hope, you can't just expect a song to come off ungodly heavy at the start and to be honest, there are only seven real tracks of real metal on this thirteen track release. The rest of these pieces equal out to seven minutes of electronic interludes which some might find a little unnecessary until you find out what kind of band these guys are. Sometimes they'll throw in electronics for a second just because they can, but it certainly does work to an experimental edge. That really depends on the listener though. If you're willing to sit aside your heaviness for a few seconds while these guys play around with spatial atmospheres, then I think you're going to like what they've crafted here.

This being said, let's talk about what I haven't mentioned yet, the riffs and the playing. There are two guitarists in the band and both seem to give it their all. I'm noticing a great deal of memorable riffs and some rather light but noticeable solos. These compositions feel like the product of a great deal of time and effort, so I'm glad that they're finally getting their chance to shine on this release. When combined with the synths and electronic pieces, they seem to stand out rather well too, but these guys seem like they want to pile on the electronics and that might be too much for the death metal listener. These kinds of bands become more cult-natured than anything else and often lead listeners into confusion. We often wonder as to whether or not these guys want to be a death metal style act, or an electronic one and perhaps that will be revealed in time. They certainly have the elements of both and know when to make things menacing, as well as when to make them sound like they came out of a science fiction movie marathon. It will be a very challenging disc for the listener as it's not easily accessible, but perhaps that's a good thing. One of the lyrical topics that the band are accredited with is left wing politics (oddly enough) which I'm not completely hip to, but even being a bit of a red-pill, I'll recommend this disc. That's because I'm not here to judge bands on their political standings, I'm here to judge them on their musical performances. Saying little more, I think that metal listeners have something to look forward to from Italy's The Burning Dogma and I really hope that this won't be the last one they release. It's a strong debut, a little different (and that's okay) but strong nonetheless. There's quite a bit of promise here and I'd most certainly recommend it.

(13 Tracks, 49:00)

8/10

DAM - Premonitions (2016)

Brazil's DAM have released a new EP, a few years after the release of their latest album, The Awakening (2014). Now the last EP they released was also in 2014, right before the release of said album, so it is possible that they're prepared to do the same with their next disc as well. There's a slight differentiation from the band's previous material here, but it only lasts for about four minutes or so and doesn't really hold a bearing on the rest of the record. If you like Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates, In Flames and a whole lot of keyboards, then you're still going to find something to like here and that has not changed. As a matter of fact, let me just address the elephant in the room right now. That track in particular is called “Untouchable (My Past Mistakes)” and it has a bit of a Goth/death feel, maybe like they tapped into Graveworm or were a bit influenced by The Deathstars. There's no industrialization to be found here, but the track does feature an unexpected female vocalist. It almost feels like they're trying to be early Tristania/Sirenia and I suppose that's fine, but a lot of DAM fans are going to wonder exactly what the hell is going on and I couldn't blame them, as this piece is by and large different from anything else on the album. It's so different, that they should have just released it under a different band name altogether. Folks, when I say that this doesn't even sound like DAM, I mean it.

As for the rest of the tracks? Business as usual, just like I said. Every single other piece is fast paced, full of atmosphere as well as ravenous drum tapping which is ultimately beefed by the guitar and keyboard compositions. What seems to have made DAM so great is their attention to detail in these areas, and I really think that's what the listener is going to hear as well. The clean vocals are strong as well, and they help – but as far as the harsh approach goes, it's not anything that I couldn't do personally and wouldn't consider it that amazing. Let's be honest though, I'm not promoting DAM's new EP among others because of the vocal element, I'm promoting it because they've got skill and talent, which they keep showing on each and every record. Premonitions is the kind of record that only shows the very best of what they're capable of and doesn't really need to be followed up with a full-length right away. Though that will probably be the case with this disc, it doesn't have to be and gives the listener more than enough quality material to chew on, even if we took “Untouchable” off the disc and threw it into the woods somewhere. Chopping away the cut, you'll still get thirty-four minutes of memorable music that sounds exactly we've expected from DAM and that's nothing to whine about. There are even some unexpected jazz and prog theatrics injected into closer “Frustration (Imprisoned Dreams)” which when combined with everything else turn it into a rather memorable moment, and a brilliant place to end the listen. I feel that the listener will feel satisfied after the record has ended, and as I said, we don't really need more right now after this. These gentlemen have literally put everything they've got into these tracks and you can hear that quite clearly. DAM are only getting better, which leads to experimentation that sometimes will work for them, and sometimes will not. As far as “Untouchable” is considered, I feel that it really is a strong song and I'd love to hear more like it in a possible different act, but it just doesn't sound like the neoclassical melodic death metal that we know and love from these Brazilian masters of the art. They've still yet to release their magnum opus, but whatever comes after Premonitions may very well be just that.

(6 Tracks, 39:00)

8/10