2015 turned out to be a good year when it comes to metal and it was a
particularly good year for death metal. The year end list contenders
have more representation from death metal than the other styles. If Affliction Gate’s new EP ‘Dying Alone’ is
any signs of things to come, then 2016 shouldn’t be any different from
2015. These Frenchmen already have a couple of EP’s and a full length to
their credit. The upcoming addition to their solid discography
continues the trend of unleashing well written old school death metal
riffs.
Affliction Gate have
an ace up their sleeve, in that they write riffs that are loaded with
emotions. The semi melodic quality of the riffs give the song a
distinctive quality making them almost instantly memorable. Heaviness is
also present in spades and the tracks pack quite a punch. Take for
example, the album opener ‘Negative Lucidity’ which bursts right out of the gate with the ferocity of a rabid beast.
Affliction Gate have
an ace up their sleeve, in that they write riffs that are loaded with
emotions. The semi melodic quality of the riffs give the song a
distinctive quality making them almost instantly memorable. Heaviness is
also present in spades and the tracks pack quite a punch. Take for
example, the album opener ‘Negative Lucidity’ which bursts right out of the gate with the ferocity of a rabid beast.
The skies are dreary and winter shows it’s cold face. The season calls
for some black metal. The dark chilly nights demand satanic, infernal
black metal tunes and Vile Insignia delivers just this in their debut full length, titled ‘Bestial Invocation’. Hailing from Canada, this band share a few similarities with the likes of Blasphemy and Proclamation. Their
overall sound however is quite different from the war metal bands.
Firmly rooted in traditional black metal, they incorporate elements of
death metal into the song writing to create a vicious and barbaric sound
which contains some very solid riffs.
Vile Insignia write tracks that are generally over 5
minutes and take the black metal approach of building up with tremolos
and a dark atmosphere. The first half of the album shows little to no
death metal influence. The tracks are rife with blast beats, tremolo
sections and sinister melodies. Tracks like ‘Enslaved Possession’ can be considered pure black metal tracks and they are well written.
Where the band truly shines however, is on tracks like ‘Desecration Through Blasphemy’. Here
they take ideas from death metal, especially of the technical kind, and
use them to write a black metal track. The result of this is that the
riffs are part sinister, part technical and sound absolutely
enthralling. These ideas are concentrated more on the second half of the
album on tracks like ‘Incarnation of Torment’, ‘Ritualistic Inquisition’ and the title track itself.
The album is brought to an end with the 10 minute long epic, ‘Morbid Tales of Bloodshed’. Easily
the best track from the album, this track takes the listener on a ride
with impressive riff work and melodic undertones. The production is fine
and the ominous atmosphere adds a sinister touch to the riffs. The
blastbeats sound a tad bit compressed in the mix though. The vocal work
which comprises of snarls and deep growls are as venomous as the riffs.
A well written and well executed black / death album is the perfect way to welcome the season. Vile Insignia have provided with just that with their debut full length.
I will be the first to admit that I have been a complete stranger to metal over these past couple years. It's as if I were living under a rock in a far away land. Bölzer are just one of the many fine examples of great bands that I had been missing out on in my what you would call "vacation" from all things music.
Bölzer are not an unknown name by any stretch nor are they quite yet a household name I believe they're on the verge of of creating something special and are certainly on their way to making themselves a well established band in the Extreme Metal Scene. Their music sums up the attitude and tone of their vibe of their music. It certainly is is smashing and packs a punch much like a Bulldozer so brace yourself.
The thing that immediately struck a chord with me and caught my attention was that rich, and thick guitar tone. It carries so much weight, and with the repetitive and memorable riffs you can't help but bob your head a little as if you were in a hypnotic state. After listening to both of their EPs I now see why this band was so hyped up. In it's very essence it is powerful, brutish and ominous and much much more. I can hardly wait to see and find out what this heavy-hitting Swiss duo will grace us with next.
There comes a point in the growth of every music scene, where its
artists are not only loved in their homelands, but in other countries as
well. The Indian scene has well surpassed this point and this
realization hit me when my fellow scribe Magne Karlsen was talking to me about Inner Sanctum’s gig in Oslo. And now the band have released their full length titled ‘Legions Awake’ and
this album totally explains why these guys are so loved. This is an
album that have been awaited by fans ever since the band came out with
their first EP and the wait of six years is well justified.
The band’s thrash / death metal hybrid
captures the exuberance that the band exhibits during their live shows,
well in the form of music on this record. The riff writing skills of
this band is one of the bests this country has to offer. The riffs are
memorable, fresh, entertaining and well executed. The rhythms and riffs
of tracks like ‘Wake of Destruction’, ‘March of the Wounded’ and ‘Legions Awake’ have
an almost earworm quality (in a very good way) to them. A mix of thrash
metal riffs and death metal heaviness formulate the guitar work.
The lead guitar work is tantamount to
the riffs and rhythm work. Guitar solos are not exempt from this band’s
skill set and they put it to good and measured use. The vocals which are
weave of the tone death metal growls and the energy of thrash metal
shouts. This concoction manages to raise the energy levels to a high
degree and aiding to this is the drum work; it is quick and not drowned
in monotonous blast beats. Some of the fills and rolls are timed and
executed with technical perfection.
Inner Sanctum have managed to rope not one, but three guitarists worthy of legendary status. How can one expect an album that features Christopher Amott (Ex- Arch Enemy), James Murphy (Ex- Death, Ex- Testament) and Dan Mongrain (Voivod) doing
a solo trade-off, to not sound good? The production is flawless and the
sound on the album promulgates the energy of the band. The crunchy
guitar tone and the crystal clear drum tone are well suited for the
band’s style of music.
‘Legions Awake’ is an album executed to perfection. It’s fresh, energetic and the writing is top notch. Inner Sanctum have nailed the perfect formula for a good metal record.
I have always been quite choosey about
my doom metal. Or, as the hardcore doomers might say, I just don't
“get it.” I think a lot of it comes down to guitar work. A
player myself, this tends to be the first thing that my ears go to.
While I agree that I am somewhat missing the point of funeral doom in
looking for hooks, that doesn't make the endless dirges of sustained
power chords any more interesting for me to listen to. Fortunately,
Doomed doesn't see these elements as mutually exclusive.
Wrath Monolith instantly caught my
attention with its fusion of death metal vox and riffs with funeral
doom atmosphere. Vocals are primarily deep growls with the
occasional retch. Meanwhile the guitars provide a dual trudge of
crunchy chords with effects-laden leads that are simplistic, but
highly infectious and well-crafted. Songs run the gamut of slow,
atmospheric marches like opener, “Paradoxon” to more mid-paced,
palm-mute heavy affairs like “Our Ruin Silhouettes.” The latter
sports some excellent soloing and use of harmonics that made this a
fast favorite.
There are some notable progressive
elements as well. Songs may open with a misleadingly quiet, somewhat
ominous piano or errant guitar picking only to evolve into a full-on
head-banger death march (“Euphoria's End”). Doomed play with a a
variety of sonic spaces with much success throughout the album. The
tempo changes, shifting drum patterns, and ever-present personality
of the lead guitar all serve to engage the listener whether the song
is 5 minutes or 12. Additions of bells, horns, and subtle synth
effects further Wrath Monolith's agenda to provide an air of class
and as it levels everything in its wake.
Unfamiliar with Doomed, I decided to
delve a bit deeper into their discography. Doing so only served to
further improve my already high regard for this latest outing. While
similar in overall sound, earlier works are a bit more 50/50 when it
comes to the funeral doom and death metal. Songs felt slower and
more depressive in atmosphere. With each album, the heaviness has
been creeping closer to death, but the slogging paces of certain
tracks have left them more firmly grounded in the extreme doom genre.
I feel that Wrath Monolith represents a
larger leap away from My Dying Bride towards Morbid Angel. The
mixture is far closer to a 70/30 in favor of the latter. “The
Triumph – Spit” even has a portion that seems to forgo any doom
elements altogether, leaving only a crushing wake of ferocious vocals
and pounding double bass. There are other innovations as well.
Songwriting is elevated with concise arrangements, more memorable
hooks, and clear delineation between songs. Each track has its own
personality while benefiting the overall aesthetic. The pacing is
also stronger with more ups and downs.
For those who prefer Doomed's slower
moments, I doubt you will find yourself disappointed either. There
are still some melodic, more conventionally “doom-sounding” songs
as with “Looking Back,” which features some moody clean singing
and the trademark mournful vibe. Wrath Monolith is a veritable
smorgasbord of emotional climates, but what is most impressive is
how they are woven together to create a cohesive concept.
Final word: this is a highly
recommended release for fans of all extreme metal sub-genres. With a
very heavy dose of death, Wrath Monolith is doom metal for those
desiring something perhaps more riff-driven. Far from a rote fest of
drawn-out power chords and endless dirges, this album is filled with
catchy hooks and punishing vocals. Furthermore, longtime fans will
find familiar elements at play, but with increased vigor and
presented differently enough to stand apart from Doomed's previous
discography. The album is available for stream HERE and purchasable for the low price of 7 Euro, though they also offer a digipack and some excellent bundles for a bit more.
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.
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.
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.
It is not wise for a man to judge a book
by it’s cover (or in this case, an album by its album art). Then again,
I don’t claim to be a wise man and looking at the demon spawn suckling
on the teats of the masked goat creature, I could not resist checking
out ‘Daemonic: The Art of Dantalian’. This is fourth full length from Belarus based death metal unit Veld, outon Lacerated Enemy Records. This
is sturdy piece of death metal that carries a lot of influence from the
European bands and it’s pretty straight forward in its approach.
Veld have
a strong Polish death metal influence in their sound and the blackened
sound provides adequate amounts of evil feeling in the music. The sound
can be compared to the early days of Behemoth. There is
also a smidgen of technicality thrown into the mix and the combination,
though not entirely fresh, is adequately entertaining. From beginning
to the end, the brutality and heaviness is constant, only broken up by a
beautiful instrumental interlude to keep things interesting.
The guitar riffs carry a certain level
of technicality, all the while maintaining the constant heaviness that
is characteristic of a death metal album. I like the fact that the
technical stuff is not too over the top and it can be enjoyed without
breaking your head trying to figure out how they pulled it off. Melody
is also present in the form of subtle orchestral touches and it is
emphasised upon during the guitar solos.
Veld borrow
a bit of every facet of death metal and put it together to create an
interesting album. The sound carries the blackened touch with
technicality, symphonic touches, a wee bit of a melody and enough
brutality to sound relentlessly heavy. None of these elements outshines
the other. They work in tandem to create an entertaining mix.
The album ends on a high note with ‘Annihilation of Divinity / Trust Upon Ignorance’ which
is the longest track on the record. The track features a section with
childish female vocals singing along to distorted riffs, ending things
on an experimental note. The production is a big high point in the
record. The top notch production quality leaves nothing to be desired.
‘Daemonic: The Art of Dantalian’ is slab of death metal that one should explore to experience all things good in the genre.
Surprise! More tech death. As you may have noticed, I am much more inclined towards BM than DM, but every now and then something catches my ear. Much like the previously reviewed Infinite Fields, this is quite melodic and hooky. Just remove the symphonics and make it a touch more brutal and you get Casuistry. The guitar work is, as should be expected, quite accomplished as is the drumming. The vocals are nothing new, but don't fail to bring the highs and lows. This does a nice job of walking the line between the musicianship of technical death and the mainstream appeal of deathcore. Abiotic drop their latest effort tomorrow. I suggest you give it a listen. Death metal fans should have their wallets ready.
Norway may go down in history as the land of black metal, but they've got some pretty good death metal bands up there too. For proof, one only needs to look at 'Beyond Death' by Gouge, which came out recently on Hell's Headbangers Record. If you're familiar with this label, then you know what you're in for. For the uninitiated, 'Beyond Death' is a collection of no nonsense, old school, primitive sounding death metal from start to finish. The music here can be summed up in a few words like savage, heavy and primal. But that may cause a misconception that this album is only about savagery. The riffs and song writing here are of very good quality.Though the album is murky, thick and carries that old school effect, the guitar riffs are audible and one could tell the quality in the writing.
There is an inherent catchiness and groove to the riffs, just like the bands used to have in the good old days. The drumming is mostly composed of double bass action and the constant cymbal crashes. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. The vocals are grimy, but the lyrics are quite discernible which is a big plus in my books.
There is no room for breathing in this album as the tracks continue to pound the listener one after the other. The pace of album is almost constant and the tracks have a thrash metal like speed. This may cause monotony when listening to it on repeat, but if pure death metal is all you crave, then look no further than this.
If you like Portal, and you dig Malthusian, meet the halfway point. A bit noisier than the latter, but still more orderly than the former; these (also) Irish blackened death metallers are true to their demo's title. Total Vacuum seems to suck all of the air from the immediate surroundings and replace it with utter nothingness. I am not even going to rate this, because I honestly don't know how to. You'll just have to LISTEN for yourself.
If you asked Portal to write a pop
song, the end result wouldn't be far from Malthusian. Fitting
somewhere between the catchy, riff-driven ugliness of Lord Mantis and
harrowing, technical death metal of Ulcerate; this quartet knows how to
walk the tightrope between solid hooks and challenging compositions.
After being introduced to their first demo a few months back, I was
eager to hear more of what the band describes as “Cavernous murk.
Echoing poison. Claustrophobic hallucinations.”
However, unlike Demo MMXIII, Below the
Hengiform is not as readily accessible. Of course I use that word in
the loosest possible sense, but the fact remains that the band's
latest EP is a bit more mentally taxing than its counterpart. The
memorable qualities that immediately drew me into their debut are
still present, but buried beneath further layers of Irish fog.
Instantly recognizable guitar lines as on “The Mother's Blade”
have been traded in favor of something far more sinister and
mysterious.
Fortunately, perseverance will be
rewarded. I argue that the term “grower” ceases to have meaning
if one must listen 10+ times to “get it.” There comes a point
where connections are forged out of sheer force and fatigue. Not so
with Below the Hengiform. It was only between my second and third
attempt that these constantly twisting, tentacled compositions began
to take firm hold and squeeze. The drumming is as strong as ever
with plenty puzzling time signature changes. Trying to count along
is being Jack Torrance lost in the frozen labyrinth and always thirty
paces behind. There are some slower moments of note as well,
particularly the pulsating final minutes of “Forms Become Vapor.”
Meanwhile, the guitars and vocals
assault the senses with broken glass and razor blades. There is
something about these bending, discordant melodies that must be
experienced rather than simply described. They worm their way into
the flesh with doom, sludge, black, and death metal seemingly all at
once. Screams alternate between guttural death howls and blackened
retches, sometimes overlapping the two with spine chilling results.
If Zev Dea can give Portal's “Curtain” the Poe treatment in “The
Conqueror Worm,” then “The Gasless Billows” should represent
the undulations of “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Final word: worth the wait. While I am
still more inclined towards Malthusian's soul-shattering demo, Below
the Hengiform represents a group willing to explore the depths of
“extreme music” without sacrificing the latter half of the
phrase. I also respect their sentiment that continued short releases
allows time to hone their craft rather than rushing into a full
length album. You can find the album for pre-order on BANDCAMP and
also stream it HERE. It's only 5 Euro.
Excellent tech death rooted firmly in the atmosphere
and aesthetic of melodeath and symphonic. Very consistent with
absolutely stellar riffing that never sacrifices hooks for showmanship.
One of the better takes on tech death I have heard in a while, and one
of the few death albums that impressed me so far this year period. I bought this on bandcamp as a name your own price, but please at least give a dollar or two instead of being a mooch.
I come across a lot of good music from South America and the one thing they all share in common is that they tend to lean towards the extreme side of the genre, An album that recently impressed me from that region is from 2008. It's from an Argentinian death metal trio that call themselves Prion and the album in focus is 'Impressions'. The metal on this one is raw and brutal. The savage sound shows absolutely no mercy and riffs pummel relentlessly. What makes it stand out from the pack is the odd time signatures followed by the riffs. At first listen it comes a mess of noise but this album is a grower. Repeated listens make sure that the listener gets used to the riffs and it is only then that the brilliance in the song writing can be observed. There are traces of melodic elements present at the start of 'Simulate, Hide', but for the most part it is an album devoid of any sort of melody. The band chooses technicality and sheer brutality over melody. The production sounds a bit compressed and the guitars don't sound as strong as they should. That aside, this is an album that delivers a smashing dose of death metal that deviates just enough from the normal to make it interesting.
Dionysus’s blackened sound echoes as ‘Beneath the Skies of War’ begins.
The vicious snarls of the vocalist only compounds that blackened
effect. The riffs are short, simple and effective. This band too does
not shy away from clean segments where the guitars add a classy touch.
The guitar work on this side of the split is in the form of melodic
riffs that imparts emotion to the tracks. The song writing puts these
riffs to good use. The different sections of the song, whether it is the
melodic guitar leads or the frantic riffs accompanying blast
beat sections, the execution is nailed perfectly.
‘Rain’ starts on a heavier note compared to its predecessor, but the blackened feel is all the same. Production on the Dionysus side of the split contrasts with that of Dormant Inferno. While Dormant Inferno has an unabashedly loud and raw tone, the production sounds a bit compressed on the Dionysus side.
The song writing more than makes up for what lacks in the sound. A
beautiful acoustic section with choir like chants and spoken word
signals the end of the split and a masterfully crafted guitar solo lays
the split to rest.
These two bands have their obvious
differences in their styles of music. However they share good song
writing and the ability to write tunes that move you. They both can
write long songs and captivate the listener without difficulty. ‘Beyond Forgotten Shores’ is
a split that brings about 37 minutes of passionate doom and an example
of one of the few good things that these rival nations share.
India and Pakistan may have a lot of
differences between them. But come to think of it, we share a lot in
common. The commonality that interests me in particular, is both nations
have some solid metal bands making some good music. Transcending Obscurity India has brought together two doom oriented bands from either side of the border in the form of a split titled ‘Beyond Forgotten Shores’. The bands in participation are Mumbai based Dormant Inferno with their doom death style and Lahore based Dionysus who
follow a more blackened approach to the doom genre. Though
stylistically different, the music from these bands comes together
wonderfully in this split.
Dominating the first half of the split is Dormant Inferno. ‘Veil of Lunacy’ is
the first in line and it opens up with a up tempo beat and riff before
settling into a steady groove. The riffs are meaty and memorable. I
especially like the fact that the keyboard works in unison with the
guitar, creating this gothic atmosphere. The flow of the song is well
written as it manages to balance the groovy doom parts, the up tempo
parts and the clean keyboard section in the middle. The vocalist gives a
varied performance incorporating growls, snarls and a bit of whispering
cleans as well. He manages to execute all styles pretty nicely.
‘Deliverance’ follows
suit in a similar fashion. This tracks has a relatively higher quantity
of clean sections, where the keyboard works makes it sound soulful and
gothic. Dormant Inferno’s side of the split showcases a
good balance of funeral doom heaviness and soulful melody, with the
riffs staying in the listener’s mind. Their set ends with a cover of Incantation’s ‘A Once Holy Throne’, which strays pretty close to the original.
Serenity in Murder are a Japanese
sextet that play a particularly epic brand of symphonic melodic death
metal. A simple listen to “Await Me Your Oath” will give you a
pretty strong impression of what to expect from this album. Between
the lush, often folky keyboards and stellar riffing, I was certainly
intrigued enough to add this album to my listening queue. Let me
assure you that I was not left disappointed even a little.
The keyboards often supply a
melodramatic atmosphere on par with Equilibrium: over the top, but
endearing rather than disheartening. Freddy is no one-trick pony.
This very talented individual is quite capable of providing many
different textures that serve as the centerpiece of orchestrations
throughout the album. Certain moments can have a bit of a cyber,
videogame soundtrack quality as with “Hurt of Virtue,” only to
change to a traditional and morose piano piece.
Alternatively, vocals are decidedly
more grave in their delivery. Despite the fairly single-tone nature
of these screams, Emi manages to convey quite a bit of emotion from
victory to sorrow through subtle changes in cadence and enunciation.
Comparisons to acts such as Darkest Hour, Bloodshot Dawn, and Mors
Principium Est are warranted. Guitar riffs are worthy of similar
comparisons with their fusion of thrashy speed with melodeath
progressions and solos. Taken alone, these riffs are nothing new,
but when combined with the synth work, melodies truly pop in exciting
ways. Stellar drumming is icing on the cake with plenty of
well-produced rhythms and beats to keep you bobbing your head for
days.
With that in mind, you might as well
set your MP3 player to repeat, because this tight piece of metal
magic is only roughly 37 minutes long. I was hardly finished with my
first playthrough before clicking back to the first track for a
second run. All other aspects aside, this album is a blast.
Everything comes together so well, and I commend Serenity in Murder
for sticking to a runtime that leaves you wanting more rather than
overstaying their welcome.
Final word: best melodic death metal I
have heard so far from 2015. It may only be March at the time of
this writing, but with so few decent releases in the genre since the
90's and early 2000's bubble burst, I am confident that this will at
least be a contender by the end of the year. Check this album out
today. MPE's The Unborn meets Equilibrium's Sagas.
I tend to prefer my new black metal to either be folky and atmospheric, or crushing and riff-heavy. This is the latter. Black Flame caught my ear instantly much like Ascension's Consolamentum and IXXI's Assorted Armaments. The vocals have that level of grit, conviction, and evil that never ceases to get me going. The guitar work and drums are very reminiscent of Gorgoroth, which is great, but they don't strike me as being a simple clone either. Check it out in full here. Another relatively cheap purchase as well.
One listen. That was all this took for me to get my wallet. If you wanted some hard-hitting blackened blastbeats and noisy riffs to destroy your brain, this is for you. Yet for all of its berating howls, there is something I found oddly soothing and chill about it. Kind of like the comfort you find in the sounds of a thunderstorm outside the window. Whatever, just listen to this now. It's a pay-what-you-want.
