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
Monday, January 16, 2017
Carved - Kyrie Eleison (2016)
Friday, January 6, 2017
Khonsu - The Xun Protectorate (2016)
Earlier we reviewed the 2012 debut album from these Norwegian electronic experimental metallers entitled Anomalia, and now after several years, we finally have a follow-up in The Xun Protectorate. This album marks their second release and could very well be their last one, at least from what I observed while reading a recent interview with the band. If that is to be the case, this album sees the Nords with an impressive amount of attention to detail, vibrancy and downright variety. Regardless of the album's overall concept, there isn't a necessary structure that flows in between all of the songs here and it is a bit of a Baskin Robbins album. But you really can't go wrong with thirty-one metallic flavors instead of vanilla, and when I describe each of them to you, I think you'll have even more of an interest in this material.
The first track here is “A Jhator Ascension” which is also the first single released from the band. The track pounds with blazing drums and blaring black metal tremolos. In all instances, it is the essential “black metal” track on the disc and feels inspired by Emperor. After that, things dramatically shift to a sort of electronic/industrial metal in “The Observatory” which features the first of many clean vocal spots from Rune Folgero of Manes. It sounds almost like eighties industrial, and I would have never expected it here. But as I am a huge fan of that style, I welcome it. With the guitars and electronics combined here, it almost sounds a bit like the final satellite stage from Mega Man X4 in some areas. There is still some black metal to be had here, and even some death metal bits before an astonishing solo effort. After that unexpected moment comes yet another in the fearsome black/death of “Liberator.” This is what happens when Khonsu fuse with latter-era Behemoth and tack some Cannibal Corpse onto the end of that. It's also nearly ten minutes long, so you're getting more than just a pummel. S. Gronbech knows his way around entertaining melodies, which have so far been one of my personal favorite things about this album. The track is still going to pound your face off, but then it goes straight into Manes style territory complete with a barrage of trumpets that almost sound like a king is being welcomed in. As the track ends, it gets hugely theatrical, which you may not expect – but keep in mind that this one battles between pomp and pulverisation at the same fucking time. It's quite unprecedented. The death metal continues as well, with frontman T'ol showing his hefty pipes on what soon sounds like a mixture of old-school Swedish death, robot rumblings and even more of Gronbech's melodic and moon-faced riffs. That guy knows how to write one hell of a nighttime melody and proves it here. There's even another strong clean vocal performance from Folgero.
I know that Manes is dead (I have no earthly idea why) but it's good to hear Folgero still able to perform similar material today. Do you even remember Manes? Have you heard any of their albums? Even the disc where they experimented with more modern and alternative approaches (it has rapping, for instance) is worth checking out. I'm not going to mention it by name, as I kind of want you to do that research and start from their first record, working your way up as I did. It is also necessary to do that with the band I'm supposed to be reviewing here as well (No, I didn't forget about you, gentlemen.)
Getting back to the record, we get a nice mix of harsh and clean sections within “The Death Of The Awakened One” as well as a decent solo section in the middle. Gronbech doesn't use a solo on every cut, but he does utilize similar melody lines, which manage to bring a little bit of uniformity to the album. Perhaps it is not quite the chaotic mess I may have described in the beginning, but it is still chock full of variety nonetheless. “Visions Of Nehaya” throws the most extreme moments of black and death metal together for a little less than three minutes and offers a filthy sledgehammer to the face. There are no clean vocals to speak of here. “A Dream Of Earth” sounds like it was written in space and is wonderfully filtered in the vocal region to sound like a machine is singing the lines. This piece heads even deeper into electronic territory as a female vocalist (uncredited, but a wonderful perfomance!) comes into play and fades out leaving us with a very familiar sound effect around the 4:15 – 4:19 mark. Yes, that very much sounds like the noises that the metroids made in games like Super Metroid and AM2R which only gamer nerds like myself will probably notice. Let's just hope Nintendon't!
Without spoiling any more of the listen, it's safe to say that the work done here is nothing short of exemplary. If you're looking for something heavier than you might be getting with other electronic metal acts, you're definitely going to find it here. As a matter of fact, I need to mention that some of the solos and riff-melodies I've accredited to T'ol may actually have been performed by Keep Of Kalessin's Obsidian C. That's because he performed additional guitars throughout the entire record, along with Rune Folgero's many clean moments. Altogether, it sounds like a full band with a highly produced and undoubtedly professional level of production quality. I'm surprised that I didn't hear much about Khonsu in mainstream heavy metal news media, but seeing as they are too busy talking about bands that I listened to back in my teenage years, it makes perfect sense. I think it goes without saying that the late release of this album might have placed it well under the radar for many of you – and since it seems to be their last, you may want to pick up on it now. If you're a fan of acts like mid-era SepticFlesh, mid-era Satyricon and of course Manes, then you'll definitely want this one in your collection.
(10 Tracks, 58:00)
9/10
Friday, November 4, 2016
Aenaon - Hypnosophy (2016)
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Finsterforst - #Yolo (2016)
Finsterforst went from making one of the most interesting albums I've ever heard to, well... this. I'm scratching my head just as much as you are, I'm sure. But this is definitely the same band. I don't think we're in a time warp. In any case, there's definitely more of a folk vibe towards this one, possibly more like that of Tyr or Ensiferum, actually. The record sounds quite mighty at times, yet it can also have a bit of an Alestorm style kind of pirate vibe. What's more, is that there are two very interesting covers here, which you may not expect. There's also a cover here that I thought Tyr and Cruachan did much better, but I'm very particular on covers of classic folk songs, especially “The Wild Irish Rover” (here called “Wild Rover”) and very few covers really work for me. I'd love to hear them take on “Spancill Hill” though. Despite the record being a bit playful and full of ten thousand horns as well as happy world music, lyrically it's quite harsh. The music itself might appear a bit cheery, but the frontman seems to have just went right on with the ferocious snarls as if he was still performing experimental black/death. Now the first cover we have here that I'd like to talk about is Miley Cyrus's “Wrecking Ball” which I've heard covered online by various bands as it is (I'm a junkie for metal pop music covers) even though I'll say that Finsterforst really knocked it out of the park. It does carry on the electronic pop nature of the original, but with the combination of strong lead melodies and unexpectedly powerful symphonics. Yes, that sounds silly that I'm even suggesting such a thing, but if you haven't heard the original, you'll like it.
Now as for Michael Jackson's “Beat It” I actually love this song better than the original. Yes, but there's one thing. The band totally ruined it at the very beginning with some weird dub-electronic shit. I actually recommend fast-forwarding the piece a couple of seconds until you actually hear the first set of riffs, which begins the song. This is actually such a big deal to me that I'm going to carry the track over to a program I have and cut the whole beginning of it off. I've done this before with cuts that I add to my personal collection and if it makes me enjoy the song even more, than it's worth it. As for the cut, the clean vocals are awesome here. I didn't expect the horns, but that solo is actually better than Eddie Van Halen's. I wish it was a little longer. I told you guys, I'm a real stickler about metal pop covers, especially since “Beat it” got me into guitar based music around the age of five. I'll applaud their experimentation, but less is more here. We also have some rapping on the record in the form of “Der durch die Scheibeboxxxer” which is definitely not something I would have expected from this band. The rapping is in German, but will probably turn off fans of their previous works for sure. It almost seems like they went from a serious act to JBO territory. In any case, this short but sweet little experiment is going to come at fans like a punch in the nose and hopefully they'll recover after such a hefty blow. I can't say that I hated it, but it wasn't a terrible record either. Just a bit different than I would have ever expected from the act. Definitely listen to a few songs first if you're on the fence. I still have no idea what came over them to make this recording, but it's definitely strange.
(10 Tracks, 41:00)
7/10
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Neoheresy - Potop (2016)
You know, it really says something when one guy can make an album that sounds like an entire band and orchestra composed it. Now, to be fair – it doesn't sound quite as full as a performance of that nature might, but it is definitely still able to embody the same effects with little effort. I don't know where the male and female background vocals are coming from (as they aren't credited) but composer F is quite something. My leaflet here tells me that the performance has guitar nodes similar to Bathory and I'll certainly agree there, but it also states that quite a bit of folk is in use here and I like that as well. All of the lyrics are in native Polish, but this should not come as a detriment for open-minded listeners who just plain enjoy a nice atmopshere. It's not even so much about the vocal sections for me here, nor is it about the recording. Neoheresy have a raw and organic sound that really comes across rather well in what I might describe as a rather harsh, yet rather stereoscopic production that almost sounds like something of a metallic film score.
Obviously this isn't Neoheresy's first record, but it's quite a bit for an EP release and shows that this artist isn't going away anytime soon, for he has far too much to offer us in the future. If I might recall, the record before this one (Talionis) had a bit of an industrial flair, which you aren't getting with Potop. Once again, this just goes to show listeners that one man is capable of musical miracles, with thirty-six minutes of proof to back my claim. The disc often feels ritualistic, and probably is. It also has a tinge of black metal, which early listeners might recall being a major part of the act. Maybe there's just a touch of electronics here and there, but I'm certainly not going to hold it against F and wish him the best with these works. Can't turn down a solid blackened fok metal record with experimental touches. It's just not in me.
(8 Tracks, 36:00)
8/10
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Skognatt - Landscape Of Ice (2016)
Skognatt is a German one-man symphonic black metal act, and having listened to it a couple of times, I've got to agree with some of the other reviewers here on the Bandcamp page. This record is just a ten minute taste, but it's enough of a taste to get you sucked in.
From those opening gothic organs, I immediately thought of Necromantic Worship and the vocal end of things didn't disappoint either. There's not much said regarding the man behind the act, and I feel that it adds to the mystique if I don't say anything at all regarding those details. If he wamted to be known, he would have posted that information on the page.
The atmosphere remains chilly, fronted with a bloodcurdling scowl that nearly sounds inhuman. Judging by those doom riffs, there's a little bit of dread to be felt within the performance, as well as some well-placed acoustic folk. The drums are programmed, but this is a situation in which the program fits the music quite well, and it is admittedly very tough for me to tell the difference with today's technology.
Both “Winter Nights” and “Landscape Of Ice” seem compositionally similar at base, but I'd certainly rather two strong cuts on a disc instead of just one. There are also some rather indelible riffs to be found within the recording, particularly at the very end of it's title cut. Those show real warrant, which I feel will be greater expanded upon with future outputs. Skognatt is a project which seems to beat at the very core of the frozen black heart of the genre.
Not only is it morose, but it also retains the metallic semblances that keep it both heavy as well as frightening. I'm certainly keeping my eye on what I'd consider to be an unquestionably grim and emphatically necessary act. The smile that crept across my face when confronted with such a gothic frozen treat truly said it all, and I merely wish to share the same devilish desserts with you.
At just one euro, you would be a fool to pass up on this one. If you were waiting for us to actually review something grim, well... here it is. Enjoy!
(2 Tracks, 10:00)
8/10
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Darkend - The Canticle Of Shadows (2016)
Darkend are a synth/black act from Italy, relasing their third album with the help of four well-known and respected frontmen on guest vocals. It's much easier for artists to provide guestwork these days with the advent of file transferring, so let's revel in that for a minute. Alright, we're done reveling. Aside from a new addition to the band in bassist Vinterskog and the return of original (and longtime) keyboardist Antarktica, (also plays the grand piano and handles orchestrations) very little has changed from the original formula here and it amounts to a performance by which I could only describe as “classically fierce.” From the very opening in “Clavicula Salomonis” I'm already being hammered into submission due to Valentz's drumming. My only reprieve is in Antarktica's calm piano compositions, yet I still feel like I'm being beaten to death in a concert hall. The performance erupts into an even greater torment when “Of The Defunct” comes in with it's Filthy vocal inspirations and even Mayhem frontman Atilla Csihar who leaves his pteradactlyl scream at home this time around. I'll add that he sounds much better without it, but that is just a personal opinion on the matter. Don't kill the critic. Antarktica throws the keyboards right into those Gothic organs we're all so familiar with, as guitarists Ashes and Nothingness work together to perform an unexpected ending solo. The piece is kind of snipped afterwards (something I've never cared for) but I'll live through it.
The record is actually quite long due to the sheer length of each piece, with the shortest being “Ill Vello Delle Ombre” which features Labes C. Necrothytus of the Castlevania-esque doom act, Abysmal Grief. You may remember my review of their last album Strange Rites Of Evil, in which they were heavily praised. The piece in question actually feels a bit more airy than some of the other cuts on the disc, actually dropping down heavily in tempo to bring an atmosphere that might fit doom a little better. While the band's frontman Animae (ex-Artifact, do you remember them? Very underrated act) performs a very menacing and meaningful approach similar to Rotting Christ's Sakis Tolis on most of the material that he is featured in, I do find that the repetition of “Make you all pay!” feels just a little bit immature for the release. I'm imagining a sort of cartoon supervillain thwarted by the Justice League or Avengers reciting the line over and over again, which sort of kills the feel and impact of the song for me. But on a record that isn't afraid to get saxy (yes, there's a little bit of saxophone influence here) I don't feel that there's anything wrong with that level of experimentation. You see, the band seem to be open-minded enough to throw almost anything into their mostly Goth-tinged synth/black, which can sometimes come out sounding like Crade Of Filth or Anorexia Nervosa with a better vocal element for most people. The implementation of choirs continues to convey that feel, especially doubled with the violin in the Niklas Kvarforth (Shining) featured piece, “A Passage Towards Abysmal Caverns.”
There's a nearly spoken vocal element on “Sealed In Black Moon and Sun” which does take me out of the song a bit. It's obvious that they're reciting what seems to be an operatic performance, but I'm just not feeling it as well as some of the other songs. Regardless, I'm sure that some of you will find something in the piece, which once again features Csihar. At the end of the disc we have “Congressus Cum Daemone” and it actually features the man I've said Animae sounds so much like, which is probably why they've morphed his voice a little here to make it sound a bit more demonic compared to the legendary frontman, even though there is a section where both use their normal tone and it sounds a bit interesting. That being said, the record goes completely out with one more awesome solo effort by Ashes and Nothingness to be finished off with some frightening bells. There is a bonus cut on the disc which is actually a cover from an Italian black metal act called Fearbringer, and it's also longer than any single piece on the entire record. Oddly enough, the cover is not quite as long as it's original version, which was eleven minutes. I think that fans of the Italian “Fenice Nera” movement will be most delighted by this one, and it doesn't feature any of the guests vocalists either. I do not personally have the track, so you'll have to track it down somewhere or purchase the limited edition digipack for that particular piece.
Having given the record a thorough listen, I feel that there are several hits and misses, although I think it's safe to say that Darkend are going in the right direction. Bringing back their orginal keyboardist, pianist and orchestra guy really helped their sound quite a bit as well. They were going for something of a dark opera and they achieved that rather well with this release. While I have no idea what happened to The Grand Guignol – Book Two, this will certainly serve as a solid second helping for fans looking for more of the same great sound that they enjoyed a few years before. If it's not broke, don't fix it – and that's exactly what Darkend did with The Canticle Of Shadows. Anyone these days can make gothic black metal stuff, but it takes a lot of real know-how to make the kind of open-minded gothic black metal stuff that these Italians have crafted here. Worth a listen.
(13 Tracks, 48:00)
7/10
Friday, May 6, 2016
Ignea - Alga (2016)
Clocking in at just under seven minutes, this single track from Ukrainian symphonic metal act Ignea on a very strong note with powerful orchestrations, hard-driving riffs and one hell of a frontwoman. She's quite comparable to Lacuna Coil's Christina Scabbia and doesn't go heavy with the vocal operatics, instead preferring a straight-forward approach, which adds some hefty growls in the background. Lyrically, this seems like a read between the lines of Russia's involvement in the Ukraine, which the Ukrainian people are not all too happy about. This is also why I was getting the business when I accidentally referred to some Ukrainian acts as Russian. I make sure these days to get that right, as I don't think I ever want to get an email like that again. Especially when I actually enjoyed the album. As for the piece, it contains a potent chorus, catchy grooves and even a little bit of a guitar solo so they're obviously going for a harder approach than similar acts out there. I was actually very impressed by this piece and would certainly love to hear more. As an old fan of Lacuna Coil, “Alga” really hit the nail on the head for me. Definitely give it a listen if you're into that kind of music and I look forward to the new album.
(1 Track, 6:17)
7/10