نار جهنم Narjahanam

 

It's always a treat for me coming across a band from the Middle East, maybe for them less so. In a region so politically clout the mere playing of such music can be condemnable which automatically draws me to them. In the small country Bahrain, Narajahanam do just this. While Bahrain is slightly more liberal, I can't imagine their  style of Oriental-esque Death Metal being  embraced and welcomed with open arms. The music is electric and thunderous with its Death and Black Metal influences and the Exotic vibes are ever so present  Middle Eastern influences. The meshing together of Western and Eastern elements and influences in a non-kitschy way is what gives this the fresh sound it has.

 

Discography

Dendritic Arbor - Romantic Love

 

Make no mistake, there is nothing romantic about this album.  I am still in the process of truly digesting all that is going on.  What genre is it?  At times I feel like I am listening to a particularly grimy grindcore act, others I am thinking about black and death metal in the vein of Malthusian or Portal.  Then they hit you with the occasional breather of straight ambient, even when the music is at its most vile.  It is all over the place, and I love it.  It has already shot up pretty high on my 2015 list.  Not quite top 10 material, but who knows what a few more listens might bring?  Be sure to stick around for the full run time, as things don't truly pick up until my personal favorite, "Horizontal Key Vertical Gate."  "Ewaste" is also quite good.  Check out the whole album HERE.  It's only $5 for

digital.

 

 

Gigan - Multi-Dimensional Fractal-Sorcery and Super Science

Well that title is certainly a mouthful.  I suppose it matches the girth of the guitar work.  This is some truly original death metal that maintains an oddly psychedelic atmosphere.  Plenty of guitar work for the avid student to drool over without become an arduous affair.  While things do get a little off-the-wall at times, there are plenty of hooks and headbanging rhythms to keep everyone happy.  You can check it out or purchase it HERE or HERE if you prefer.

Balmog

 

With the increasing number of bands choosing the progressive or experimental (or any of the other derivative sub genres) route to black metal, there seems to be a craving in me for the more raw stuff. I’m talking about the no frills, jarringly abrasive noise that says a big fuck you to everything conventional. So it’s a good thing that I found Balmog when I did. This Spanish three piece’s 2010 EP ‘Necroangel’s Revelations’ was recently re-released by Blackseed Productions ahead of the band’s upcoming second full length. This EP screams out black metal from start to finish and what sets this band apart from most second wave clone bands, is the way the music doesn’t sound contrived.

‘First Revelation’ starts with some guitar feedback, before directly jumping into the action with tremolo riffs and the rapid drumming. From there on, the flow is very natural as the song shifts into a mid paced riffs before the guitars offer the slightest hint of melody with a small bridge section. All three tracks on the record are long and none of them overstay their welcome (well, except for the last track. I’ll get to that one). The way this works is, the band manages to bring in different varieties of the genre into the track. Balmog can go from tremolo frenzy to mid paced atmospheric arpeggios without the listener even noticing the change.

‘Second Revelation’ starts in a similar manner to the first and the sound of church bells add a very gothic tone to the music. There is the slightest hint of thrash metal influence, but at the core it’s unadulterated black metal. The rasps of the vocalist sound demonic, reinforcing that evil feel of the music. This track settles into a more comfortable pacing as it progresses, only to be disrupted by a solo that is well written and one that keeps up with the feel of the track.

The ‘Final Revelation’ starts on a more atmospheric note and the track itself has a less frenzied approach compared to the first two. Once again, this is a track that brings in all the black metal tropes to create an interesting mish mash. Around the half way point, the track slows down and gothic chants (I think it’s in Latin?) chime in. The guitars, the agonizing vocals and the mild chanting in the background create a very interesting dynamic which lasts for like a couple of minutes. After this, the guitars die down, but the chanting does not and it continues alone till the end of the track. Having a dramatic finish is fine, but having only gothic chants for two and half minutes is a bit annoying.

The last couple of minutes aside, Balmog’s ‘Necroangel’s Revelations’ is a solid black metal EP which carries the black metal motif like a classic. It’s a refreshing glimpse into the raw side of the genre, while everybody else is busy making it progressive.

Rating: 76%

Courtesy of MetalGallows 

Indian

If you have a taste for the ugly and obscene, but have yet to check out Indian, you are missing out.  This group of blackened sludge Chicagoans take crunchy, ominous riffs and apply Today Is The Day style wretches and shrieks.  Despite the sheer intensity of it all, compositions are quite catchy and not at all devoid of melody.  There has been a bit of an overhaul of line-ups between Indian and equally barbaric Lord Mantis.  Lord Mantis' frontman left/was ejected and has now formed Missing with several notable collaborators including Jeff Whitehead of Leviathan and Lurker of Chalice fame.  Meanwhile, the remaining members have shuffled with Indian to continue with the Lord Mantis moniker.  Both are poised to create some highly anticipated new material.  Indian have put out a number of albums, but my personal favorites are HERE and HERE.  That should keep you all pretty busy.

Vermin Womb - Permanence

Taking a break from 2015 releases, someone dropped this bomb on me yesterday from 2014.  Think Primitive Man meets Pig Destroyer on steroids.  Within these 18 minutes of "music" are some of the most brutal vocals I have heard to date.  Not to be outdone, the drums and guitars crank out some ugly, punishing riffs at breakneck crust speed.  There is a track that is less than a minute, but I think that one left the biggest smile on my face.  It takes a certain type of mind to leave a memorable mark within that short a timespan, and to Vermin Womb that seems to be just business as usual.  You can listen to the album HERE and also name your price for purchase.  Another easy decision added to my library.