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Album Review – Rise of Avernus / Eigengrau (2018)

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Blending elements from progressive and symphonic music with the most obscure side of Extreme Metal, all enfolded by majestic orchestrations, here come Rise of Avernus with their heaviest and darkest opus thus far.

Eigengrau (German: “intrinsic gray”, lit. “own gray”; pronounced [ˈʔaɪ̯gn̩ˌgʁaʊ̯]), also called Eigenlicht (Dutch and German: “own light”), dark light, or brain gray, is the uniform dark gray background that many people report seeing in the absence of light.

Since their inception in 2011, Australian Dark Orchestral Death/Doom Metal horde Rise of Avernus has been making a name for themselves throughout the metal community with their unique style blending elements from progressive and symphonic music with the darkest side of Extreme Metal, all enfolded by majestic orchestrations. Within the short time since the release of their 2012 debut EP, they’ve followed a relentless touring schedule, supporting some major international acts such as Apocalyptica, Enslaved, Eluveitie, Prong, Septicflesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Rotting Christ and Sigh along the way. Now in 2018 it’s time for this Sydney-based blackened squad to spread their devilish wings all over the world once again with Eigengrau, their fourth studio release and, more important than that, their heaviest and darkest opus thus far.

Featuring a Stygian artwork by world renowned artist Seth Siro Anton (aka Spiros Antoniou from Septicflesh), Eigengrau is the experience of seeing a deep grey shade in the total absence of visible light, or what one may refer to as a “perfect darkness.” Upon this canvas, an individual can project their subconscious, their processes, their anxieties and their fears. Thematically, Eigengrau explores the fluidic nature of these self-created experiences, how they can be shaped and how they may change at the point of one’s own death. Other tracks go on to explore the intricacies of personal realities, influenced by external factors or via spiritual and religious indoctrination. The nature of self-realization and being forced to confront weakness to overcome it. The distinct sound of the album reflects these altered states, oscillating between delicate movements and nightmarish grandiosity.

And Rise of Avernus’ nightmare of tenebrous and imposing sounds begin in full force in the opening track Terminus, showcasing a movie-inspired start before becoming a majestic fusion of the extreme music by bands like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Necronomicon with a raw Death Metal twist. Furthermore, Ben VanVollenhoven, the (black) heart and soul of the band, sounds insanely infernal on vocals, as well as Andrew Craig and his thunderous drums. Following such fantastic beginning we have Ad Infinitum (or “to infinity”), a neck-breaking, symphonic tune led by the atmospheric keys by Mares Refalaeda where Ben once again brings sheer darkness to the musicality with his demonic voice, resulting in a flawless combination of Atmospheric and Symphonic Black Metal.

Then we have a movie score-inspired beginning to yet another venomous feast by Rise of Avernus titled Gehenna, showcasing a beautiful but still obscure mid-tempo rhythm led by the guitars by Ben, who also provides a powerful performance with both his harsh and clean vocals (not to mention how awesome all orchestrations are); while Eigenlicht offers the listener almost eight minutes of a descent into the pitch black crypts of Hades, presenting smooth guitar lines by Ben and the always gripping keys by Mares, with the atmospheric break halfway through it being a thing of beauty. To sum up, this is Symphonic Black Metal at its finest, with the whole music ending in dense and ferocious fashion for our total delectation. And there’s’ still a lot more to go in Eigengrau, with tribal beats igniting another sonic extravaganza named Tempest, where Ben sounds more hellish and cavernous than before while Andrew and Mares fill all empty spaces with their burning instruments, resulting in a flawless mix of orchestral and heavy music.

Forged in Eidolon brings forward an ominous intro rising from the pits of hell directly into your mind, with the spectral orchestrations and keyboards by both Ben and Mares imprisoning your soul in the metallic realm of evil reigned by Rise of Avernus. Then serene sounds are joined by a wave of sublime orchestrations in Mimicry, creating the perfect ambience for the demonic growls by Ben and enhanced by the astounding keys by Mares. And as the closing act to this impressive album we have Into Aetherium, a wondrous composition that starts with almost three minutes of an instrumental blast of melancholic and obscure Symphonic Black Metal before all hell breaks loose, darkening our thoughts and hearts during its eight minutes of duration. Led by the bestial drums by Andrew, this fiendish hymn sets the perfect landscape for Ben to continue his path to the underworld, gnarling like an evil entity until the song’s mesmerizing and grandiose ending.

What are you waiting for to show your support for Rise of Avernus and purchase your copy of Eigengrau, one of the best extreme albums you can find out there, blending the aggressiveness of Death, Doom and Black Metal with the finesse and epicness of orchestral music? Eigengrau is available through Rise of Avernus’ own BandCamp page or Big Cartel (where by the way you can also find an album + patch + shirt bundle and an album + patch + pin + shirt + canvas/artwork bundle), as well as through the Aural Music webstore as a regular CD format or as a very special woodbox edition, if all of those versions of the album are still in stock, of course (which I doubt due to the insanely high quality of the music in question). Also, don’t forget to pay a visit to Rise of Avernus on Facebook for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about the band, and to listen to more of their classy music on YouTube. This is not only the band’s boldest, darkest and heaviest release to date, as aforementioned, but a lesson in extreme music that will certainly figure among the best metal albums of 2018 not only at The Headbanging Moose, but in several other publications all over the world where dark music always prevails.

Best moments of the album: Terminus, Eigenlicht, Tempest and Into Aetherium.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2018 Code666

Track listing 
1. Terminus 5:43
2. Ad Infinitum 4:54
3. Gehenna 5:59
4. Eigenlicht 7:33
5. Tempest 4:51
6. Forged in Eidolon 5:56
7. Mimicry 3:53
8. Into Aetherium 8:03

Band members
Ben VanVollenhoven – vocals, guitar, orchestrations
Mares Refalaeda – vocals, keyboards
Andrew Craig – drums, percussion

Album Review – Airbourne / Breakin’ Outta Hell (2016)

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Let the party begin with another blast of kick-ass straightforward Rock N’ Roll forged in the burning pits of Down Under.

Rating4

airbourne_bohEvery single person who thinks Rock N’ Roll is dead and gone should take a very good listen at Breakin’ Outta Hell, the fourth studio album by Australian rockers Airbourne and an amazing ode to all things rock. You won’t find anything that can be considered brand new or revolutionary in Breakin’ Outta Hell that wasn’t already present in their previous releases, the superb Runnin’ Wild, No Guts. No Glory. and Black Dog Barking, but that’s not what this Melbourne-based quartet has in mind with their music anyway. They simply want to blast the purest and most electrifying form of Rock N’ Roll you can think of, and they always succeed in that.

I used to call Airbourne as the “heavier version of AC/DC” when I first heard them due to their more metallic riffs and increased speed, but I have to admit the band comprised of Joel O’Keeffe on lead vocals and lead guitar, his brother Ryan O’Keeffe on drums, David Roads on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and Justin Street on bass guitar, have truly found their core essence through the years, delivering a unique musicality which, albeit initially inspired by their iconic countrymen, has nicely achieved its own shape and form. If you’re a longtime fan of the band you’ll certainly have a lot of fun with Breakin’ Outta Hell, and if you’re a newcomer to the world of Airbourne get ready to be rocked by those four brawlers from Down Under.

Let the Rock N’ Roll party begin with the title-track Breakin’ Outta Hell, a pure Airbourne composition exhibiting their characteristic riffs and the badass vocals by Joel, making it impossible not to grab a beer and get to the front row to better appreciate this marvelous hymn, followed by the also excellent Rivalry, a mid-tempo chant highly recommended for your road trip playlist. The thunderous bass lines by Justin, together with an amazing job done on guitars by Joel and David, represent exactly what we can always expect from this skilled band. Obviously, some of their songs have a strong AC/DC vibe, which is the case in Get Back Up, in special the sound of guitars, with Ryan stealing the spotlight with his rhythmic and fierce beats.

A song with the beyond rockin’ name It’s Never Too Loud for Me couldn’t be bad at all. Quite the contrary, it’s a tribute to true rock music, with another excellent performance by the entire band smashing their instruments in the name of Rock N’ Roll; whereas Thin the Blood, a beer-drinking hymn tailored for a nasty pub fight (“It’s 5 o’ clock I’m ready to rock / Cold beer gonna hit the spot tonight / No more work coz I’ve knocked off / When I start to drink I just don’t stop / I love the buzz it picks me up / Makes me feel a million bucks”), brings forward the band’s high-speed Hard Rock led by the deranged vocals by Joel. I’m Going to Hell for This is the epitome of “badass music from Down Under”, with pure Rock N’ Roll flowing from the guitars by Joel and David while Ryan keeps delivering his precise beats, turning it into one of the best songs of the album without a shadow of a doubt. And Down On You, with its soft porn lyrics (“When I was a boy I played with my toy / Every single day oh it was a joy / I didn’t really see until she said to me / Have you ever kissed a girl between the knees?”), is the perfect choice for a wild strip-tease by a sexy rockin’ woman.

airbourne-2016I can’t imagine a Rock N’ Roll fan not getting thrilled by an old school composition the likes of Never Been Rocked Like This, where Joel focuses all his passion for rock music into firing his always sensational riffs and solos, not to mention his inebriate harsh screams. Then we have When I Drink I Go Crazy, a fast-paced rockin’ chant which works really well despite its repetitive lyrics, with its blazing guitars and nonstop action being its driving force, and Do Me Like You Do Yourself, another song with sexual connotation that doesn’t sound cheesy, being perfect for playing to your Rock N’ Roll babe when you’re in a darkened room with her, with the fiery guitar solo by Joel only making it even more enjoyable and hotter. Lastly, although I know It’s All for Rock N’ Roll was supposed to be a rock anthem and that the music itself is pretty solid, it ends up getting a bit repetitive compared to all the awesomeness found in the rest of the album. That doesn’t mean it’s not a very good song, though, it’s simply not fantastic, if you know what I’m saying. And if I were you, I would definitely go for the deluxe edition of the album, as the bonus track Bombshell is plain awesome.

In a nutshell, Airbourne play music for decent and humble people like us who enjoy drinking a few pints with our friends and family, who love to engage in a nice pub fight if needed and, above all things, who nurture a profound passion for old school Rock N’ Roll, as simple and thrilling as that, and that’s the main purpose of the band with Breakin’ Outta Hell. As I said, there’s nothing that can be considered innovative throughout the whole album, but I don’t think any real fan of the band is worried about that. Every single time Airbourne launch a new album, we’re treated to kick-ass straightforward Rock N’ Roll forged in the burning pits of Down Under, and while they keep drinking from that beautiful source we can rest assured Rock N’ Roll will never die.

Best moments of the album: Breakin’ Outta Hell, I’m Going to Hell for This and Do Me Like You Do Yourself.

Worst moments of the album: It’s All for Rock N’ Roll.

Released in 2016 Spinefarm Records

Track listing
1. Breakin’ Outta Hell 3:53
2. Rivalry 4:03
3. Get Back Up 3:38
4. It’s Never Too Loud for Me 3:24
5. Thin the Blood 3:29
6. I’m Going to Hell for This 3:45
7. Down On You 4:19
8. Never Been Rocked Like This 3:07
9. When I Drink I Go Crazy 2:41
10. Do Me Like You Do Yourself 3:58
11. It’s All for Rock N’ Roll 3:39

Deluxe Edition bonus track
12. Bombshell 3:28

Band members
Joel O’Keeffe – vocals, lead guitar
David Roads – guitar
Justin Street – bass
Ryan O’Keeffe – drums

Album Review – ThrOes / This Viper Womb (2016)

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After a few years in the making, the Tasmanian devil Trent Griggs and his henchmen finally bring to life over one hour of unrelenting flesh-eating Dissident Metal not recommended for the faint-hearted.

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THROES_TVW_COVERWhat I’m about to say might sound a bit cliché, but based on the aggressive and defiant nature of the music found in This Viper Womb, the brand new album by Dissident Metal act ThrOes, I believe we should start calling this awesome band from Hobart, the capital and most populous city of of the Australian island state of Tasmania as the “Tasmanian Devils of Extreme Metal”. Tasmanian devils are not only hostile carnivores, but also extremely asocial and neither demonstrate nor respond to affection, behavioral attitudes that match perfectly with the vicious vocal attacks, savage guitar riffs, crushing drums and even the idiosyncratic sounds of an instrument called EBow found throughout the entire album. In other words, ThrOes are unleashing a wild beast upon humanity, and it seems they’re not worried at all about the noxious effects of their music on the human mind.

Conceived by multi-instrumentalist Trent Griggs in December 2003 and having released a four-song promotional demo titled The Drowning Rituals in 2005, this interesting Avant-garde Black Metal one-man project has been going through a slow and steady process of evolution and materialization, impacted by several factors such as Trent’s perfectionism (a good element in this case, by the way), the distance between Trent and the other musicians who helped him in This Viper Womb, and also his time off in 2015 to focus on the birth of his first son Dorian. Now in 2016 it’s time for Trent, together with Australian vocalist James Ludbrook (Damaged, Terrorust) and the bestial American drummer Kevin Talley (Chimaira, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Six Feet Under, DevilDriver), to envenom the world with the uproar caused by the ten distinct compositions from This Viper Womb.

As soon as you hit play and the opening track Permanent Midnight starts, you’ll face the spoken words by Terence Mckenna taken from the lecture “Culture And Ideology Are Not Your Friends”, presented at the Whole Life Expo in Denver in April 1999, just to show you how unconventional ThrOes are. Thus, it doesn’t take long for the atmosphere to be filled by the sick screams by the unstoppable Trent, sounding like a heavier version of the iconic Mike Patton, with all instrumental pieces being obscure, violent and reverberating, not to mention the song’s lyrics depicting the torments of a disturbed mind (“Holes for filling / With drink and smoke and coke and dope / and crack and smack, xanax, prozac, / panic attacks, terror attacks / It’s a head shrinker’s racket but they’re kidding no-one, we are drowning in this”). This is one of the craziest types of music you’ll find anywhere thanks to our Tasmanian friends, and that madness goes on in Shock to the Guts, another perfect example of what Dissident Metal means. Kevin simply kicks ass with his precision in this innovative fusion of Black, Death, Industrial, Doom and Progressive Metal, piercing your ears while the guitar solos bring some serenity amidst sheer rebelliousness.

The sinister Dead Lights already starts with Trent growling like a demon, with the additional vocals by James Ludbrook increasing even more the pandemonium generated and the bass lines by Trent adding a lot of groove to the music. Now you better get ready for eight minutes of distorted passages and desperate harsh vocal lines in Conscience Makes Cowards (I couldn’t agree more with the name of the song), which sometimes gets to such a high level of progressiveness you might get lost in time and space until Trent calls you back to reality with his hellish screams; followed by Nothing Left for the Vultures, an explosion of sharp growls and metallic riffs by Trent accompanied by the beyond complex drumming by Kevin.

throesCutting guitars and the deranged vocal duo Trent and James are the main ingredients in the extremely heavy Nowhere Else, a unique composition that leans towards Progressive Black Metal, with its second half being a descend into the underworld so disturbing it is until it finally reaches its hopeless conclusion. The eccentric title-track This Viper Womb, which emanates progressiveness and obscurity, is a funereal ode to dementia with sluggish beats and bizarre sounds in the background while insanity keeps growing and filling the song’s atmosphere, and ThrOes bring forward more Extreme Metal to you in Lavish the Anguish, full of distortions and focusing more on instrumental pieces in the first half before Trent and James begin their vocal onrush, boosting the song’s ferocity.

If you survived ThrOes’ merciless strike of extreme music until this point of the album, their coup de grâce comes in the form of Feed It, a furious Black Metal-inspired chant showcasing harmony and despair mixed in the riffs and anguished vociferations by Trent. Moreover, I guess I don’t need to say how amazing the drums by Kevin sound once again in this boundless turmoil of Dissident Metal, right? And what better way to end such a distinguished amalgamation of crazy emotions and sounds than with an eerie instrumental outro that goes on for over five minutes? That’s what Trent offers us all in D.N.A. Corruption before returning to his obscure lair in Tasmania.

The exotic and blackened world of ThrOes can be better appreciated through their Facebook page, YouTube channel (where you can listen to the whole album with lyrics for every song), SoundCloud and official blog, and you can grab your copy of This Viper Womb at the Aesthetic Death Records’ webshop. In This Viper Womb, the Tasmanian devil Trent and his henchmen bring forth over one hour of unrelenting flesh-eating Extreme Metal not recommended for the faint-hearted, finally putting the vastly wild and mysterious Tasmania on the map of heavy music for the total delight of fans all over the world who are always searching for this type of fresh and innovative band.

Best moments of the album: Permanent Midnight, Dead Lights and Feed It.

Worst moments of the album: Conscience Makes Cowards.

Released in 2016 Aesthetic Death Records

Track listing
1. Permanent Midnight 4:54
2. Shock to the Guts 7:16
3. Dead Lights 6:41
4. Conscience Makes Cowards 8:29
5. Nothing Left for the Vultures 8:41
6. Nowhere Else 6:52
7. This Viper Womb 6:02
8. Lavish the Anguish 5:15
9. Feed It 6:31
10. D.N.A. Corruption 6:00

Band members
Trent Griggs – vocals, guitars, bass, ebow
James Ludbrook – additional vocals
Kevin Talley – drums (session)

Concert Review – Cradle of Filth (Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 03/06/2016)

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As Toronto turned 182 years old yesterday, nothing better than celebrating the anniversary of our beautiful city with a gargantuan amount of fuckin’ “filth”.

OPENING ACTS: Ne Obliviscaris and Butcher Babies

COF_Inquisitional Torture 2016What a lovely day in our stunning, charming and multi-cultural city of Toronto. It might not be Summer (and not even Spring) yet, but sunny Winter days with temperatures above the freezing mark like this Sunday are such a thing of beauty they make us completely forget how harsh Winter can be sometimes. Perhaps that was Mother Nature giving her “birthday gift” to all Torontonians who were celebrating the 182nd anniversary of their beloved city. And what could have been better than hosting one of the most influential Extreme Metal bands of all time at the Phoenix Concert Theatre to properly commemorate the date? Finally, after five long years, the iconic Cradle of Filth returned to the “Land of the Moose”, as Dani Filth himself stated during the show.

This metallic feast started at around 7pm, when Australian Extreme Progressive Metal band NE OBLIVISCARIS hit the stage with their fusion of Symphonic Metal, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Folk Metal and several other subgenres of heavy music blended in their sound. It took a few minutes for those guys from Melbourne, Australia to actually warm up and start entertaining the crowd, but once their concert took off it was indeed a nice experience, especially due to the amazing performances by Tim Charles with his violin and left-handed guitarist Benjamin Baret with his wicked riffs and solos. I confess I didn’t know much about the band before this gig, which means I’ll obviously go after their music to truly understand what they’re all about. And, of course, it’s good to know there’s more high-quality metal music coming from Down Under.

Setlist
Devour Me, Colossus (Part I): Blackholes
Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise
Xenoflux
Painters of the Tempest (Part II): Triptych Lux
Pyrrhic
And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope

Band members
Xen – harsh vocals
Tim Charles – clean vocals, violin
Benjamin Baret – lead guitar
Matt Klavins – guitar
Cygnus – bass
Dan Presland – drums

When their concert was over and we all had a few minutes to rest and have a beer before the next attraction, I have to say it’s always nice when people come to talk to you about anything without being too wasted or high. That happened to me when a guy from Oshawa wearing a Bad Religion T-shirt approached me to say he liked my Pantera T-shirt, and from then we started chatting about music in general, focusing on bands such as Anthrax, Megadeth, Iron Maiden and Volbeat. So kids, next time you go to a concert try not to be so wasted, falling like a bag of potatoes on everyone around you, or too “Justin Bieber-ish” that no one else can touch you or talk to you. There’s always somewhere in between that works a lot better for everybody, got it?

IMG_1117Getting back to the concert, it was then time for the dynamic duo comprised of Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, known as the BUTCHER BABIES, to kick some serious ass on stage and make everyone in the audience go absolutely mental before the main attraction of the night. It was also my first time seeing them live, and I must say those girls know how to put up an entertaining show. Armed with their demonic voices and supported by very competent musicians, especially bassist Jason Klein, those two girls from Los Angeles, California (dressed like an evil version of Babymetal) didn’t stop banging their heads and screaming for a single second, showcasing their deep passion for heavy music while playing every song of their setlist, which was mostly based on their 2015 album Take It Like a Man. There were a few technical issues with their sound, but no one seemed to care about that. All people wanted were more “excuses” to slam into the pit and do some stage diving, and both Heidi and Carla knew exactly how to ignite that fire with their Alternative Metal, playing some high-octane songs such as National Bloody Anthem, The Butcher and, my favorite of the night, Monster’s Ball. Girls, Toronto loves you and we can’t wait to have you back in the city!

Setlist
National Bloody Anthem
Blonde Girls All Look the Same
The Butcher
Gravemaker
Igniter
Jesus Needs More Babies for His War Machine
Monster’s Ball
Magnolia Blvd.
The Deathsurround/Goliath/I Smell a Massacre
Axe Wound

Band members
Heidi Shepherd – vocals
Carla Harvey – vocals
Henry Flury – guitar
Jason Klein – bass
Chris Warner – drums

CRADLE OF FILTH

IMG_1144It was around 9pm when the diabolical intro Humana Inspired to Nightmare announced the gates of Hades were open wide, therefore releasing the devil’s favorite dark angels to spread hell on earth with their unparalleled Extreme Metal. Promoting their latest opus Hammer Of The Witches under their current tour entitled Inquisitional Torture 2016, British titans CRADLE OF FILTH began to mercilessly discharge a flawless mix of classics with brand new chants, driving all fans at the venue utterly crazy. When a concert starts with Heaven Torn Asunder and Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, you know it’s going to be a fuckin’ massacre.

The most interesting fact for me about their setlist was that it was divided in two “acts”, like a theatre play. There was an intro for each act, followed by a sequence of blasting classics (covering almost all of their albums) that put a huge smile on the face of this guy here, a longtime fan of Dani and his crew. I simply love songs like Lord Abortion, Honey and Sulphur, Her Ghost in the Fog and my top Cradle of Filth song of all time, the insane From the Cradle to Enslave, but their newer stuff such as Right Wing of the Garden Triptych and Deflowering the Maidenhead, Displeasuring the Goddess work so well when played live I’m sure they’ll become a constant part of their future tours. In addition, Dani (who was the demon himself last night), as a treat to all fans for waiting patiently for the band’s return to Toronto, dedicated to all of us For Your Vulgar Delectation, from their previous album (which unfortunately could not have a Canadian tour due to visa issues).

dani_toronto2016_02The whole band was on fire and Dani’s performance was epic, screaming like a rabid demon and wearing his Stygian attire and corpsepaint the way we all love, but I have to say last night belonged to the adorable keyboardist and singer Lindsay Schoolcraft. Although she’s not exactly from Toronto (technically, she’s from Oshawa), she was so excited and pleased to play together with Dani and his crew in her hometown she couldn’t stop smiling, waving to the fans and headbanging like a maniac during the entire concert. I guess I don’t need to say how memorable the night was for our talented Canadian girl, right? The only band member I couldn’t really watch well was drummer Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka, who was “hiding” not only behind his drums, but also behind some kind of aquarium/glass cell to the left of the stage. That was a weird stage setup, by the way, as if they were keeping Marthus caged before he could escape and kill someone, but nothing that would make the whole concert less memorable.

dani_toronto2016And can you guess why Dani, Lindsay, Marthus and the other band members played so well and were so electrified last night? That’s exactly it, because of us, loyal and demented Cradle of Filth fans. I don’t remember seeing a crowd so insane and in sync with the band like that. What the fans did during Gilded Cunt, growling the lyrics together with Dani, and the furious mosh pits during Nymphetamine (Fix), which is in fact a heavy ballad and not a sick blasting tune, was truly outstanding. Even Gimli, the brave dwarf from Lord of the Rings, was among us weating a Testament T-shirt! If you were there, you know who I’m talking about. Anyway, Cradle of Filth provided us fans another memorable metal night at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, and I’m pretty sure we also made the night memorable to the band as well, especially to Lindsay. I just hope Mr. Dani Filth and his horde of darkness do not take another five years to return to the Land of the (Headbanging) Moose. Actually, how about celebrating each and every anniversary of this distinct city together with the band? That’s the type of “filth” I’m sure no one would complain to have around all the time.

Setlist
ACT I
Humana Inspired to Nightmare (Intro)
Heaven Torn Asunder
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Blackest Magick in Practice
Lord Abortion
Right Wing of the Garden Triptych
Malice Through the Looking Glass
Deflowering the Maidenhead, Displeasuring the Goddess
Gilded Cunt

ACT II
Walpurgis Eve (Intro)
Yours Immortally…
Nymphetamine (Fix)
Honey and Sulphur
For Your Vulgar Delectation
Her Ghost in the Fog
From the Cradle to Enslave
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Born in a Burial Gown
Blooding the Hounds of Hell (Outro)

Band members
Dani Filth – lead vocals
Richard Shaw – guitars
Marek “Ashok” Šmerda – guitars
Daniel Firth – bass
Lindsay Schoolcraft – female vocals, keyboards
Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Orianthi

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orianthi01

Shut Up & Kiss Me!

She is a singer, a songwriter, and an amazing guitar player. Not only that, she has already shared the stage with worldwide renowned music icons such as Steve Vai, Alice Cooper, Richie Sambora, Carrie Underwood and even with the King of Pop, the unparalleled star Michael Jackson (R.I.P.). But if you think I’m talking about some old or classic guitarist, you’re absolutely wrong: our “Metal Chick” this month is the Australian beauty Orianthi Panagaris, or simply Orianthi.

Born in Adelaide, Australia on January 22, 1985 and of Greek and Australian descent (which explains her name), Orianthi started really early in the world of music at the age of three, when she began playing the piano, then moving to her true passion, the guitar, when she was around six. Besides the piano and the guitar, she can also sing and play bass and drums, showcasing her unquestionable talent as a multi-instrumentalist and already explaining why she reached success so early in her life.

Orianthi attended the Cabra Dominican College in Adelaide, Australia, and when she was about six or seven years old she wrote her first song and played it in front of the whole school. Thanks to her father, she grew up listening to many Rock N’ Roll classics like Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Santana, most of them from North America, which then became her biggest motivation to move to the United States to build her career there. Besides all those artists, she also mentions Darren Hayes and Keith Urban as two of her biggest influences in music.

She started playing with different bands when she was around 14 or 15 years old, which was when she left school, and kept playing with cover bands until she was 21, when she finally moved to America to pursue her dream as a musician. Since then, as a solo artist, Orianthi has already released three full-length albums and one EP (although none of her albums are really Heavy Metal or Hard Rock): Violet Journey, Believe, Fire EP, and Heaven in This Hell; her debut single According to You went to No. 3 in Japan, No. 8 in Australia and No. 17 in the US; in 2009 she was named one of the 12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists by Elle magazine; and in 2010 she won the award as “Breakthrough Guitarist of the Year” by Guitar International magazine. Do I need to say that her dreams came true?

Furthermore, as already mentioned, her involvement with some music giants has just elevated her status as a successful artist. For example, Orianthi appeared at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, which took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in February 2009, as the lead guitarist for American country music singer Carrie Underwood, and more recently toured the world as the lead guitarist for American Hard Rock master Alice Cooper. I had the pleasure to see Orianthi live three times in 2012 with Alice Cooper, as the opening act for Iron Maiden during their Maiden England North American Tour here in Canada in the cities of Toronto, Ottawa and Sarnia, and it was amazing to witness how she managed to fit in his band so smoothly and professionally, especially considering the abysmal difference of their years on the road. You can check lots of cool videos from Orianthi performing with different bands and artists at her official YouTube channel, like this live version of her 2013 single Frozen.

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However, being the lead guitarist for Michael Jackson’s This Is It concert series, which later became a documentary, was probably the most outstanding moment of her music career. In one of her interviews, Orianthi tried to explain how she was chosen by the King of Pop, and the impact that had on her life. “I don’t know exactly why he picked me, but he watched my YouTube videos and loved them. He had his choice of guitar players, but I came in and played the ‘Beat It’ solo for him. Afterward he was so happy he got up and grabbed my arm and started walking up and down the stage area with me. He said, ‘Can you play once for me?’ and hired me that night. I wish he was still around. He made me believe in myself more, and I learned so much. Going into it, I thought it would be all about playing guitar solos. But the majority of it was playing chords and funky rhythms.”, she said. After Michael’s death, she played and sang at his memorial, globally televised live on July 7, 2009.

Finally, being an artist always provides the person some good stories to tell the others, and it hasn’t been different with Orianthi. For example, the blonde guitarist said that during one of her concerts she got up on one of the speakers, and didn’t realize that right behind her there was a confetti canon that could shoot probably 20 feet right across the audience, which would have sent her to the hospital that night with a pretty bad injury in the butt. Fortunately for Orianthi (and for all of us), one of the sound guys warned her and she jumped off just a few seconds before the canon went off. I’m pretty sure Orianthi herself would agree with me that, although she has a great onstage performance and Rock N’ Roll actually demands some crazy stunts to be perfect, being blasted in the ass might not be the best way to please her fans.

Equipment
PRS Custom 22 (Manos)
PRS Custom 24 (Pepper)
PRS SE Custom 24
PRS SE Singlecut
SE signature model (SE Orianthi)
EVH 5150III
ENGL
Mesa Boogie
Marshall Amplifiers

Orianthi’s Official Facebook page
Orianthi’s Official Twitter

“You know just go and find your own voice, whether its playing guitar, singing, song writing, working hard, I love what I do, I love playing guitar, I love performing, you have to love it, there’s just so many hours you have to put into it, you can’t be in this industry if you don’t love it.” – Orianthi

Album Review – 4ARM / Survivalist (2015)

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A phenomenal heavy music album full of groove, fury and energy by an extremely talented Thrash Metal band from Down Under.

Rating3

Survivalist Album CoverWhen I saw Australian thrash metallers 4ARM here in Toronto opening for Slayer in 2013 I knew there was something special about those guys, as I was able to truly enjoy their performance even knowing nothing about their music. That’s what high-quality music does to people, and that’s what will happen to you when you take a listen at Survivalist, the magnificent new album by this Melbourne-based Groove/Thrash Metal band.

Put together the speed and violence of Testament with the modernity and groove of Trivium, adding to that beautiful mixture the talent and refined technique of this band from Down Under, and the final result is an album (or should I say a concept album, as each song is a different “chapter”?) that will become an intrinsic part of your day-to-day playlist so awesome it is. Not only that, the album art by Colin Marks at Rain Song Design, who have already worked with bands such as Exodus, Whitechapel and Suicide Silence, wraps up the musical content perfectly. With that said, let me stop typing for a few seconds while I hit play to listen to Survivalist for the 100th time.

Opening this beautiful album we have Eyes of the Slain, and it’s such a great start it’s hard to explain what it represents in just a few words. Its intro reminds me of some excerpts from the biggest classics by Trivium, before turning into fast and technical metal music perfect for circle pits with the vocals by Markus Johansson being more melodic than the average in Thrash Metal. Besides, there’s an awesome dose of melancholy and anger in this song that only makes it more remarkable. In the following tune, Fragment of a Dream, the riffs are so amazing I dare you to not enjoy them. The level of professionalism is outstanding, and I’m sure you’ll be singing its catchy chorus for days in a row (“HUMAN nature is to kill / NEW WORLD disturbing of the beast / ODER chaos / Reality is hardly what it seems / HUMAN nature is to will / NEW WORLD survive in the extreme / ORDER chaos / Belief is just a fragment of a dream”). In addition, what lead guitarist Evan K and drummer Michael Vafiotis do with their instruments is beyond amazing.

Poisoned Mind is not just another kick-ass tune: it’s an extremely dense and complex composition with the whole band demanding we bang our heads nonstop during its execution, with highlights to the beastly and harmonic drumming by Michael and to the sick bass lines by Andy Hinterreiter. This is in my humble opinion the best song of the album and a lesson in Heavy Metal that truly deserves our recognition. Slowing down a bit (but as heavy as hell), 4ARM deliver the groovy Poverty of Flesh, where its lyrics blend perfectly with its instrumental parts. Markus and Evan offer us a feast of riffs and solos only bands like Trivium and Exodus can do, and if you’re a longtime fan of Testament you’ll go crazy with the last part of the song for sure.

4armSounding like the good times of Metallica mixed with the latest works by Trivium (and 4ARM’s own personality, of course), Lights Out presents great lyrics once again (“It’s in the darkest times / We reveal who we are / Those that can endure / And live beyond the scar / Scars are but a darkness of the soul / Revelation of might, silent control”), and it’s amazing how in just seven minutes they were capable of fusing three or four different “songs” in a very progressive and melodic way. In the next song, In Living Decay, they come blasting a powerful blend of 80’s Thrash Metal with modern extreme music right in our faces. I can imagine the smile on Michael’s and Evan’s faces while playing this song, and in the case of us metal fans, the question is: how not to get into the mosh pit with this song?

Now try to imagine if Dream Theater were a Thrash Metal band. Well, the song Ignitor would probably be the result in your mind. It’s nonstop violence with a strong melody and guitar solos tailored for any guitarist in the world to admire, with highlights to the vocals by Markus for giving genuine life to the lyrics. Last but not least, if 4ARM started the album on a high note, why not closing it with another brilliant tune, right? And for that they chose the title-track, Survivalist, the longest and most introspective of all tracks. This is a stunning semi-ballad where the music follows its sorrowful lyrics flawlessly (“And so it’s come to this / As the days cease to exist / Life in decline / Stare at the abyss / Count down the days yet still insist / There’s always time”), with the final guitar solo by Evan being so awesome it really makes me feel sad the album is over.

I’m not only going to say Survivalist is one of the best albums of 2015 so far,  but that its level of professionalism is absolutely unbelievable for a 100% independent band. How come 4ARM do not have a record label yet playing this first-class metal music? Anyway, you can give them a shout at their official Facebook page, and also purchase Survivalist on iTunes or on their BandCamp page. I really don’t know how we all survived until today without this album on our hands, but that’s how life is. At least we have it now to be listened over and over again, which reminds me what I’m going to do next.

Best moments of the album: Eyes of the Slain, Poisoned Mind and Survivalist.

Worst moments of the album: Honestly, there’s absolutely nothing bad or weak on this album.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Eyes of the Slain 7:30
2. Fragment of a Dream 4:47
3. Poisoned Mind 5:11
4. Poverty of Flesh 7:37
5. Lights Out 6:59
6. In Living Decay 4:45
7. Ignitor 5:22
8. Survivalist 8:31

Band members
Markus Johansson – vocals, guitars
Evan K – lead guitars
Andy Hinterreiter – bass
Michael Vafiotis – drums

Album Review – AC/DC / Rock or Bust (2014)

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The shortest and one of the least inspired albums by the greatest Hard Rock band of all time.

Rating6

acdc-rock-or-bust-artworkFinally, here we are with the brand new studio album by Australian Hard Rock icons AC/DC, entitled Rock or Bust, the first since the superb Black Ice (2008) and the shortest studio album ever released by the band, even shorter than Flick of the Switch (1983). Not only that, it is their first release without founding member and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who left the band in 2014 for health reasons (he was officially diagnosed with dementia), being replaced by his nephew Stevie Young, and there are also the issues drummer Phil Rudd is still facing with the law accused for procuring the murder of two men and possession of illegal drugs.

However, if there’s a clear surplus of non-music material in Rock or Bust, unfortunately there’s a significant shortfall of Rock N’ Roll itself. I’m not saying Rock or Bust is garbage, but it’s a billion light-years away from what this incredible band is capable of doing. When the other members of AC/DC said all their issues with Malcolm and Phil wouldn’t prevent them from releasing this album and going on a world tour, it makes me wonder if Rock or Bust was just released as an excuse to make tons of money playing their same old classics in sold-out arenas worldwide. I hope not, but that’s the impression I got after listening to this middling album.

When the opening song of the album begins, the title-track Rock or Bust, you need just one note to recognize it’s AC/DC. Moreover, albeit being less inspired than most of their songs from their latest records, its 100% AC/DC chorus (“In rock we trust / It’s rock or bust”) and of course the “magic” crafted by Angus Young help making it an enjoyable track. Pretty much the same can be said about the good Play Ball and its catchy and traditional rhythm, and it would have been so much more fun if AC/DC were selected to play this song during the  halftime show on the next Super Bowl instead of the beautiful but extremely tedious Katy Perry.

Rock the Blues Away is a very generic song, especially its riffs: we’ve listened to the same stuff a billion times before, but at least there was more inspiration and energy in older songs. Anyway, I believe hardcore fans will love it mainly due to its lyrics. Miss Adventure sounds a little different than usual, with its bass lines being a lot more audible (it looks like this is a worldwide trend in music), and despite its lyrics being too repetitive that doesn’t affect the song negatively. In the average Dogs of War, the intro is one of those things fans will truly love to see live, but unfortunately after that the song gets back to the same “I’ve seen it before” level from the previous tracks.

acdcGot Some Rock & Roll Thunder is another very traditional track, but this time a lot more consistent and exciting, and again the riffs and solos by Angus are always so good and soulful it’s impossible not to get thrilled with his performance. On the other hand, I really don’t know what to say about Hard Times except that it is very repetitive and tiring, with even Brian Johnson’s voice sounding totally flavorless. At least the faster and more melodic Baptism by Fire lives up to the band’s tradition in Hard Rock. It’s not a classic, but a lot better than almost all songs in this album, with highlights to its sing-along lyrics and a great performance by the duo Brian/Angus.

The last part of the album is so flat and mediocre you will probably skip all those songs and get back to the start: Rock the House intends to be a Rock N’ Roll pub song, but it’s again too generic and its chorus lacks that amazing punch AC/DC usually provide us, while Sweet Candy (what a boring name for an AC/DC song, by the way) is totally disposable in its 3 minutes of pure repetitiousness. Not even Angus was capable of saving this song from being a total disaster. Lastly, I got really excited with the first five seconds of Emission Control, but then one more time it all went back to boredom with really lazy riffs, drums, vocals and everything else. And when this song is over, you feel there’s something missing in Rock or Bust, and that’s real Rock N’ Roll.

Before you come screaming at me things like “Hey, but that’s AC/DC! They don’t need to change to be awesome!”, let me tell you that I agree 100% with that. More of the same can be amazing, just take a listen at Motörhead’s Aftershock, one of the most badass and incredible albums of 2013, or even to AC/DC’s previous installment, Black Ice, where there isn’t a single song that is not worth listening to so epic that album is. The main issue in Rock or Bust is the total lack of electricity, that special element which makes AC/DC so fuckin’ awesome even playing the exact same type of music for over 40 years. They still rock, especially live, but this album is definitely a “bust”.

Best moments of the album: Play Ball, Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder and Baptism by Fire.

Worst moments of the album: Hard Times, Rock the House and Sweet Candy.

Released in 2014 Albert/Columbia

Track listing
1. Rock or Bust 3:04
2. Play Ball 2:47
3. Rock the Blues Away 3:24
4. Miss Adventure 2:57
5. Dogs of War 3:35
6. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder 3:22
7. Hard Times 2:44
8. Baptism by Fire 3:30
9. Rock the House 2:42
10. Sweet Candy 3:09
11. Emission Control 3:41

Band members
Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar, backing vocals on “Dogs of War”
Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums, percussion

Beverage Review – AC/DC Premium Lager Beer

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Australian Hard Rock icons are back in “beer”, although not as good as expected.

Rating7

IMG_1641For the sake of heavy music, Australian Hard Rock gods AC/DC are not going to retire as many websites and newspapers like the National Post and Billboard said a few weeks ago. Those were only false rumors promptly denied by the band itself, which means we can keep enjoying AC/DC’s unparalleled music legacy without worrying (at least for now) about the band breaking up. However, just as many other huge heavy music icons in the world, such as Iron Maiden, Motörhead, KISS, among others, Angus Young & Co. are investing in other sources of income or alternatives for the gigantic tumble all physical album sales and even part of digital sales have been suffering in the past decade due to illegal downloads.

Thus, one of the most explored markets by all of those bands, including AC/DC, is the alcoholic beverage industry, and among the AC/DC beverages we have the AC/DC Premium Lager Beer. The band’s motto for their beer is “Australian Rock meets German beer”, and according to their website, “If you wanna rock hard, you need the right beer. AC/DC, the infamous Hardrock Legends from down under, have been delivering true rock for the last 40 years. Now they give their name for true pint-sized Australian taste as well.” In addition, the information AC/DC provides about their beer is that “AC/DC Premium Lager Beer is 568mL of true German Premium Lager with mouthwatering 5.0% alc. This lager fires up your tongue like TNT, comes with a great beer-loving taste and is brewed in accordance with the Rock`n Roll manifesto of 1973 and the German purity law of 1516.”

The only problem is that, besides those powerful words and the beauty of the can, nothing else really stands out when you actually taste the beer. It’s just an average golden color beer with a tiny white head that doesn’t last for too long, and a not very exciting malt taste with hints of grassy hops. The aroma of corn and grains is not bad, but it’s not as good as many other lagers in the market, and also the beer tends to become too watery after a while if you don’t drink it fast. I know this happens with many other beers, but believe me, with the AC/DC one this “process” is extremely fast, and if you are a head lover you’ll probably hate this beer.

One thing that really bothered me after drinking the AC/DC beer was the unpleasant bitterness in the aftertaste. I enjoy drinking all types of beer, including some very bitter ones once in a while, but if the beer leaves that strong bitter taste after you’re done with it, then it’s an issue for me. I’m not sure why they called a beer that leaves such an unpleasant taste in your mouth a “German premium lager”, because I’ve never tasted a premium beer with that negative characteristic. And that’s what will probably disappoint all AC/DC diehard fans the most: the fact that a beer that’s being sold as “Australian Rock” with “German beer” feels more like a rip-off marketing strategy than something natural and honest. How can it be German if it’s brewed in France? I’m far from being a beer connoiseur, but that disparity between countries doesn’t make much sense to me.

IMG_1644Anyway, if you’re still interested in trying it, the AC/DC beer is available in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and probably in some other countries not listed, like Australia, Italy and France. By the way, why is it not listed as available in their home country (Australia) and in the country of production (France)? There’s either something missing from their official website, or their distribution strategy is one of the weirdest and most incomplete things I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

You can go to their “Dealer” section on the official website and search for a dealer where you can buy some AC/DC beer, and if you live in Canada it’s available at The Beer Store, just browse by location to find the nearest store to where you live, and you can also check the list of all other beers available in each store.

To sum up, although we’re talking about one of the biggest Rock N’ Roll bands in the history of mankind, their beer is just average and worth just a single try, nothing more than that. If I were you, as a Heavy Metal fan, I would go for a Trooper Beer, which is a lot more tasty and well-crafted than the AC/DC one, and the price is not that much higher. Unfortunately, the AC/DC Premium Lager will not shake you all night long. At least not in a good way.

Beer details
Category: Imported
Attributes: Light
Type: Lager
Country: France
Brewer: Brasserie Licorne Sas
Alcohol Content (ABV): 5.0%
Price: CAD$ 2.25 (1 × Can 500 ml)

Album Review – Cauldron Black Ram / Stalagmire (2014)

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The music from Down Under has never been so obscure and devilish.

Rating5

CoverIt’s time to visit our friends from Down Under in search for some well-executed heavy music. However, this time our focus is not the traditional Hard Rock from AC/DC or Airbourne, but the extreme music from Australian Black/Death Metal band Cauldron Black Ram and their new album, the 100% evil Stalagmire.

The band has been on the road for quite a while, more specifically since 1996, having already released a couple of demos and full-length albums, but of course due to their raw, unpolished and gruesome musicality, it was pretty hard for them to reach a bigger and more diversified audience in the past. At least the Internet has evolved a lot in the past few years  and nowadays even headbangers from the other side of the world (like here in Canada) are able to enjoy the music from bands like this obscure Australian crew.

The opening track is a very good sample of what Cauldron Black Ram are capable of doing:  Fork Through Pitch is a diabolic mix of Death and Doom Metal, with traditional instrumental and harsh vocals that will please all fans of extreme music, especially because of the band’s previously mentioned rough production. The following track, Maw, goes on with the obscurity with its melancholic intro, good old-style riffs and vocals even more devilish than the previous song, while Discarded Death is a more Black Metal tune, where the good pace of drums and the deeper growling make it pure evil.

A Litany of Sailors Sins is a really slow-paced and dark tune, sometimes so macabre and heavy that I think people who are not really into Death and Black Metal will feel bad after listening to it. Well, that’s one of the main objectives of this type of music, right? Anyway, the nice guitar solo mixed with fast drumming by the end of the song gives it an extra dose of energy, which ends up preparing us for Bats, the fastest track of the album, full of awesome screaming and twisted riffs heavier than hell, and in my humble opinion one of the best songs of Stalagmire.

Cauldron-Black-RamCavern Fever is pretty decent instrumental track similar to Cannibal Corpse’s “Relentless Beating”, showcasing the talent of the musicians, while From Whence the Old Skull Came should be chosen as the perfect soundtrack to apocalypse: it might have a very simple and repetitive riff, but it’s at the same time extremely effective in sending the message desired by the band.

Finally, we have another extremely rudimentary track, The Devil’s Trotters, which not only sounds like the Devil himself is singing in it, but it also has some excellent rude bass lines that make it stand out from all other tracks of the album; and the obscure Speliogenesis, a song that could easily summarize pain, agony, sadness and despair in music if someone asked you to do that. Moreover, its pure Doom Metal vocals and extremely dense riffs help closing the album in the most demonic way possible.

The album art is as primitive as their music, and besides that, one interesting characteristic I could notice in their music was the addition of many elements from Stoner Metal the likes of Down and Crowbar, and even some hints of the Doom Metal played by Danzig and Black Sabbath, which in the end is undoubtedly healthful for the band and its future in heavy music.

In short, if you enjoy “evil” music, Stalagmire is a very good option to invest your hard-earned money, which can be done at the 20 Buck Spin official webshop (both the CD and the LP versions of the album are available there) or you can stream it and download it at the 20 Buck Spin Bandcamp page.

Best moments of the album: Fork Through Pitch, Bats and The Devil’s Trotters.

Worst moments of the album: Maw and Discarded Death.

Released in 2014 20 Buck Spin

Track listing
1. Fork Through Pitch 3:19
2. Maw 3:20
3. Discarded Death 4:07
4. A Litany of Sailors Sins 4:16
5. Bats 3:37
6. Cavern Fever 2:35
7. From Whence the Old Skull Came 3:13
8. The Devil’s Trotters 4:13
9. Speliogenesis 4:23

Band members
Esh – drums, vocals
Alim – guitar, vocals
Ben Newsome – vocals, bass