Tag Archives: black metal

Album Review – Second To Sun / Three Fairy Tales EP (2014)

Posted on by
Reply

Dark instrumental metal for people who love fast and furious music, recommended especially for the ones that cannot stand harsh vocals.

Rating5

Album artI know a lot of people that really enjoy the vigorous instrumental parts played by most Thrash, Death and Black Metal bands and artists. However, because of the aggressiveness of the guttural or harsh vocals that go along with those types of extreme music, they end up running away from those bands. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I have a very decent alternative for you: Russian Blackened Experimental Metal band Second To Sun and their new EP, entitled Three Fairy Tales, provides you modern and avant-garde heavy metal music, with elements of Black Metal and ethnic Finno-Ugric music, without those vocals that usually give you some undesired shivers.

Second To Sun was formed in Russia in 2012 by guitarist Vladimir Klimov, having released an EP entitled The God’s Favourite Whore (when the band suffered some lineup changes) and their first full-length album named Based On A True Story in 2013, before releasing now in 2014 their new EP. Bassist Anton Danilevski and drummer Theodor Borovski truly help Vladimir in his journey to create instrumental music that doesn’t sound annoyingly technical and consequently too snobbish, neither so basic to the point it becomes stale or uninspired. And they actually succeed in their proposal as we can see in this good (but short) album.

Based on the name of the EP, each one of the three tracks represents a different fairy tale, and they even have a specific image created for them, but as there are absolutely no vocal lines in any of them you’ll have to figure out their meaning by yourself. Starting the EP we have The Trapper, which focus on a more Symphonic Black Metal sonority blended with some modern and progressive music elements, as if Dream Theater joined the “dark side” of music. In addition, its heavy bass lines follow the pounding drums really well, plus a weird Russian voice giving the song an extra touch of creepiness.

second to sunIn Merämaa, the best of the three songs in my opinion, their progressiveness reaches its limit, intensified by some Nu Metal riffs and electronic elements, with its guitar lines being a mix of traditional Black Metal and video game-ish music. It’s almost as if the guitar is “trying” to actually speak! And finally Second To Sun offer us the more traditional song Barmaley, with highlights to its amazing double bass generating a more apocalyptic sounding. They prove with this song why they don’t need a singer to create captivating music, with kudos to bassist Anton Danilevski for his extremely strong bass lines throughout the whole song.

You can find Three Fairy Tales available for purchase at Second To Sun’s official BandCamp page, where you can also check the exclusive artwork for each of the three songs (just click on their info link). If one day they’ll add a singer to the band no one really knows, but so far they have been doing an excellent job letting their instruments speak on their behalf, crafting music highly recommended for fans of extreme metal that are not really fond of guttural vocals.

Best moments of the album: Merämaa.

Worst moments of the album: As I always mention when I review an EP, let’s wait for a full-length album to choose one or more bad moments.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. The Trapper 4:02
2. Merämaa 3:01
3. Barmaley 3:59

Band members
Vladimir Klimov – guitars
Anton Danilevski – bass
Theodor Borovski – drums

Album Review – Isenblåst / Unleashing The Demon Scourge EP (2014)

Posted on by
1

Forget the usual corpse painting and church burnings: this talented American band is here to offer us pure Black Metal music.

Rating5

ISENBLAST - Unleashing the Demon Scourge cover artLet’s talk about Black Metal, but not about those groups that care more about maintaining an impeccable corpse painting or setting fire to churches than actually playing their instruments to generate entertaining extreme music. The focus here is on the good Black Metal band Isenblåst, from Detroit, Michigan, United States, and their recently released EP Unleashing The Demon Scourge, and you’ll see you don’t need any black-and-white makeup or blazing torches to be a badass band.

Formed in 2009 by singer/guitarist Chronolith and guitarist Lord Kaiser, Isenblåst display a huge influence from the beginnings of the rich Scandinavian Black Metal, with bands like Burzum, Enslaved and Satyricon being among their main influences, but also incorporating lots of early Death Metal elements to their musicality in order to sound at the same time more chaotic and melodic. If you listen to their 2010 demo Isenblåst and to their 2013 cassette Forest of Frost, it will be really easy to notice the evolution in their music in Unleashing the Demon Scourge.

As soon as you hit “play”, you’ll be assaulted by the very raw and brutal Black Metal in the opening track A Fire of Knowledge and Power, a song with insane blast beats conducted by drummer Abominater, lots of guitar shredding and, of course, vocals as desperate as possible by Chronolith. And you know what? It sounds really cool, far from being annoying or cheesy like many “true” Black Metal bands.

ISENBLAST live photoThe title-track, Unleashing the Demon Scourge, has a very satanic instrumental, especially its excellent Black and Death Metal riffs, which together with some hints of Hardcore and Punk Rock give it a more melodic aspect than usual Black Metal. In addition, The Latin (or whatever language that is) used in the lyrics (“Ati me peta babka / Ea, usmi nuru / Usmi la atzu / Lu daku me”) ends up being an extra touch of darkness to the song.

Nocturnal Offering, with its musicality similar to Emperor, Immortal and other classic bands, offers the listener a good guitar solo nicely blended with the sick rhythm imposed by drummer Abominater, with its “thrashy” second part reminding me of some old Slayer songs such as “Criminally Insane” and “Reborn”, which in my opinion helps this song sound extremely enjoyable and consequently become the best of the EP. The fourth and last track of the EP is called Seven Gates, and although it’s more violent than the other tracks, with its vocal lines being as beastly as possible, it’s not just noise: all musicians make sure their music is audible and solid, as you can see by the excellent guitar solo by the end of the song.

In summary, forget about corpse painting, church burning and all other of those “traditional” things: if you’re a fan of good-quality extreme music, the Black Metal by Isenblåst might be a very interesting addition to your music collection. So go to their official BandCamp page, take a listen at some of their songs, purchase the EP and embrace the wickedness of Black Metal music.

Best moments of the album: Nocturnal Offering.

Worst moments of the album: Let’s wait for their full-length album to do so.

Released in 2014 In Satan’s Custody / Demon Breath Productions

Track listing
1. A Fire of Knowledge and Power 4:38
2. Unleashing the Demon Scourge 6:02
3. Nocturnal Offering 5:36
4. Seven Gates 4:33

Band members
Chronolith – vocals, guitar
Lord Kaiser – guitar
Mars – bass
Abominater – drums

Album Review – Necropoli / I (2014)

Posted on by
1

Unique and avant-garde Funeral Doom Metal from Italy, recommended for lovers of the darkest side of music.

Rating5

Forged by musicians Rodolfo Baroni and Dario Fabiani in the wonderful city of Rome, Italy, the music by Funeral Doom / Avantgarde Metal band Necropoli might not be an easy listening for people who usually stick to basic radio stuff, including even the most badass Rock N’ Roll radio stations. However, it’s indeed a delectable experimental voyage with lots of Dhrone, Death, Black and Downtempo influences, going way beyond the average Doom Metal most of us are used to, taking your senses to a whole new freakish level.

Their debut album, symbolically named I, can be considered an epitome of darkness in heavy music, with its truly long and devilish songs taking you down to a world where things like happiness, beauty and love do not exist at all. Just by looking at the album art you know this is not going to be just another commercial album full of cheesy content.

When you listen to the baby crying during the ominous intro in Ashes of my Soul, you can get a taste of how grim Necropoli can be. But it’s when their slow and dark Doom Metal really begins, with the deepest growls you can think of and its double bass and eerie synths giving the whole song a totally lugubrious atmosphere, that you’ll feel you’re like taking part of a ritual. In addition, its obscure lyrics (“This restless circle is complete / This maze will never set me free / The winds of eternity shall take away / The ashes of my soul…”) and its more than frightful ending complement the song very effectively.

Inner Space starts with some kind of weird electric or industrial sounds, and its intro goes on for almost three minutes before turning into ferocious Black Metal with sick guitar riffs and guttural vocals. It goes back to pure atmospheric music with sounds of ocean, seagulls and an acoustic guitar after seven minutes, finally becoming a Doom Metal tune to finish this dark sonic journey. A Step doesn’t make things happier or lighter, focusing on interesting piano keys blended with evil vocals and heavy riffs, all enhanced by depressive lyrics (“Opening his eyes and looking at the world around me, one single step / I got lost in it and maybe found myself many times in my path”) and an ending that is a fuckin’ massacre.

NECROPOLI band photoHowever, things get even more interesting in Silence Awaits Me, another ghostly tune filled by symphonic elements, getting closer to Death Metal in some moments and with so many rhythmic breaks it could easily be divided into three or four distinct songs.  Very epic and full of feeling, it encompasses 17 minutes of occultism and mystery that will please anyone that enjoys this type of music. And closing the album we have Curriculum Vitae (I have no idea why they chose this song name), the only track with less than 10 minutes of duration: it’s such a weird outro, consisting of demonic voices accompanied only by some persistent low synths, that I don’t know what to say about it. You’ll have to listen to it and take your own conclusions.

In summary, Necropoli’s debut album I, available at the band’s official Bandcamp page, is as unique and avant-garde as it can be, always focusing on a more unhappy and wicked side of life, of course, which doesn’t mean you’ll regret listening to it. Quite the contrary, I bet you’ll keep going back to it again and again to savor its complexity, heaviness and malice.

Best moments of the album: Silence Awaits Me.

Worst moments of the album: Curriculum Vitae.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Ashes of my Soul 10:37
2. Inner Space 11:47
3. A Step 12:13
4. Silence Awaits Me 17:06
5. Curriculum Vitae 4:04

Band members (Recording line up)
David Unsaved – voice
Dario Fabiani – guitar, bass, synth, vocals, programming
Rodolfo Baroni – guitar

Current line up
David Unsaved – voice
Dario Fabiani – guitar, bass, synth, vocals, programming
Francesco Romano – drums

Album Review – Cannibal Corpse / A Skeletal Domain (2014)

Posted on by
4

Long live the Corpse and their wicked domain of Death Metal.

Rating4

Cannibal Corpse_A Skeketal DomainIn my humble opinion, the most important legacy the city of Buffalo, New York (also known as “The Queen City”) will ever leave to humanity is the unrivalled twisted music by American Death Metal heavyweights Cannibal Corpse. Not only that, I personally consider George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, Alex Webster & Co. the best, most cohesive and most amusing Death Metal band of all time, and now once again they prove us all why they’re so awesome with the excellent A Skeletal Domain, the thirteenth studio album in their path of ruthless devastation.

One might ask how they keep being relevant in heavy music after all those years, maintaining their musicality almost intact but without sounding repetitive at the same time. Well, although every Cannibal Corpse album has the band’s hallmarks such as their gruesome lyrics and intrinsic brutal instrumental and vocals, those guys somehow manage to reinvent themselves and offer something distinct in each of their releases. For instance, A Skeletal Domain provides us a darker and more freakish sounding than their previous albums, as mentioned by bassist Alex Webster in some recent interviews. Just take a look at the Stygian album art and you’ll have an idea of how eerie this album is.

In order to kick off the album the best way possible, the band invites us to join them in this dark domain of music with the aggressive High Velocity Impact Spatter, which right after a quick Horror movie-ish intro becomes a Death Metal feast full of excellent riffs, solos and creativity led by bassist Alex Webster and guitarists Pat O’Brien and Rob Barrett. Moreover, the initial roar by Mr. Corpsegrinder and the desperate way he screams the chorus prove once again why he’s and will always be the true voice of Cannibal Corpse. Following that sonic massacre we have Sadistic Embodiment, a song that couldn’t be more Cannibal Corpse than that, with Alex Webster kicking ass one more time and Paul Mazurkiewicz always killing on drums; and Kill or Become, a song about a zombie outbreak with a beautiful message in the lyrics (“Fire up the chainsaw / Hack all their heads off / Fire up the chainsaw / Hack their fucking heads off”), with the instrumental parts reminding me of another Cannibal Corpse track, “As Deep as the Knife Will Go”, intensified by a sick guitar solo by Rob Barrett. Do I need to mention it is more than perfect to be part of any truly disgusting zombie movie soundtrack?

Cannibal CorpseAnd their rampant Death Metal extravaganza goes on with the amazing title-track, A Skeletal Domain, another lesson in bestiality with highlights to its insane double bass and superb riffs. I simply love the chorus and how Corpsegrinder “recites” the lyrics, especially when he says people are turning into some kind of creatures that are “not a zombie not a human”. Can you imagine how grotesque those creatures are? Anyway, Headlong into Carnage is a straightforward song made for breaking your neck due to the intensity which you’ll bang your head, where the instrumental parts sound like old school Thrash Metal in many moments, followed by The Murderer’s Pact, which is more melodic than all previous tracks and where Corpsegrinder’s voice and the guitar riffs end up making a very interesting duo.

Funeral Cremation, with its Black Metal elements and very macabre lyrics, and the “smooth” Ice-Pick Lobotomy, with its complex musicality (especially the bass lines and all the guitar shredding), keep the overall quality of the album really high, while Vector of Cruelty, despite not being as powerful as the other tracks, offers us pure traditional Death Metal with some interesting rhythmic breaks. And what can I say about the fast and furious Bloodstained Cement? The violence in its lyrics is outstanding (“Smash his skull onto the pavement / Make the bastard pay / Don’t stop until it cracks / And spills out his brain”), and I cannot wait for the absurd circle pits this song will generate if played live.

Lastly, there’s still time for more extreme music with Asphyxiate to Resuscitate, with another awesome performance by Mr. Corpsegrinder and some excellent drumming blended really well with some sick guitar lines and solos, and the fast and heavy neck-breaking tune Hollowed Bodies, with its evil guttural vocals and Paul Mazurkiewicz stealing the show again, to finish exterminating whoever is still alive. However, regardless of all that savagery, the guys from Cannibal Corpse are far from being heartless individuals, as A Skeletal Domain is dedicated to the memory of Michael Trengert, who was the managing director of Silverdust Records and former promoter at Nuclear Blast and manager of Metal Blade Records Europe. He passed away on September 23, 2013, leaving many friends all over the world.

In addition, as I’ve already mentioned a billion times before, there would be no Cannibal corpse without bassist Alex Webster. As a matter of fact, that guy is not just a regular Death Metal bassist like those ones you can barely listen to and who usually don’t make any difference to their bands’ musicality. The architect and mastermind behind the realm of the Corpse is a fuckin’ wild beast responsible for the darkest, sickest, most innovative, most fiendish and most intricate bass lines one can ever imagine in the world of extreme music, elevating the quality of their records so much even some people who loathe traditional Death Metal have to acknowledge how good Cannibal Corpse are. Pay attention to all the bass lines in each and every song from A Skeletal Domain, they’re beyond impressive!

In summary, A Skeletal Domain might not be as magnificent as Vile (1996), Kill (2006) or Torture (2012), which I consider the best Cannibal Corpse albums of all time, but it is indeed an amazing record that will surely keep the Corpse alive after almost 30 years of wildness, expanding their perverse domain of Death Metal and, of course, it’s also an excellent choice to invest your hard-earned money (go for the “A Skeletal Domain Deluxe Bundle”, it’s just plain awesome) if you’re a real fan of traditional Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: High Velocity Impact Spatter, A Skeletal Domain and Bloodstained Cement.

Worst moments of the album: The Murderer’s Pact and Vector of Cruelty.

Released in 2014 Metal Blade Records

Track listing
1. High Velocity Impact Spatter 4:06
2. Sadistic Embodiment 3:17
3. Kill or Become 3:50
4. A Skeletal Domain 3:38
5. Headlong into Carnage 3:01
6. The Murderer’s Pact 5:05
7. Funeral Cremation 3:41
8. Ice-Pick Lobotomy 3:16
9. Vector of Cruelty 3:25
10. Bloodstained Cement 3:41
11. Asphyxiate to Resuscitate 3:47
12. Hollowed Bodies 3:05

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Pat O’Brien – guitar
Rob Barrett – guitar
Alex Webster – bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

Album Review – Innsmouth / The Shadow Over Innsmouth (2014)

Posted on by
1

A dark and deranging music voyage guided by the most technical Death Metal shredding one can imagine.

Rating5

4 panel.epsFrom the dark district of Thy, in the northern regions of Denmark, comes a band that truly enjoys the art of shredding from the bottom of their nebulous hearts. However, it’s not just virtuosity that’s found in their music, but also huge doses of violence and horror, turning their sonority into something at the same time very technical and disturbing, and consequently recommended for fans of, inter alia, Nile, Emperor, Death and Behemoth. This is what is offered to all of us in The Shadow Over Innsmouth, the debut album by Danish Technical Death Metal band Innsmouth.

To begin with, there would be no Innsmouth without guitarist and composer Thor Sejersen ‘Krieg’ Riis, the mastermind behind the band. This Danish Death Metal shredder seems to love shredding above all other things in life, with his guitar lines impacting the sound of all other instruments in the entire album. Moreover, the names of the band and the album were inspired by the horror novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth, from the iconic American author and poet H. P. Lovecraft, a man who completely revolutionized horror, gothic and dark fantasy literature, and who also influenced the music by lots of heavy music giants like Cradle of Filth, Metallica and Mercyful Fate.

If this is not enough to convince you of Innsmouth’s wickedness, simply hit play and you’ll be assaulted by the opening track, Vomiting A Hole In The Soul, which focus heavily on shredding blended with devilish vocals and some Thrash Metal elements, with highlights to its “smooth” lyrics (“Drown myself in alcohol / Bathe myself in bloody gore / I’m waking up next to my corpse”). If you like what you hear, continue to the following track, Dreams Of Slowly Drowning, with its eerie intro the likes of Cradle of Filth and a very similar sonority to the first song, but with more rhythmic breaks and vocals varying between deep guttural and a high-pitched demonic voice.

Ritual Of Chud might be the most Death Metal track of all, where the band provides the listener some nice guitar riffs plus a pleasant and groovy drumming, with more shredding in the background as a “support” to the whole song, while Under The Pyramids sounds like something the old Cannibal Corpse could have recorded, especially due to its strong guitar lines. Then we have the interesting Klaatu Verata Nicto, which if I’m not wrong are the spoken words required to retrieve the Necronomicon (if you do not speak the words “Klaatu Verata Nicto” before picking up the Necronomicon, there will be hell to pay), with its excellent guitar riffs and solos giving it a more traditional sonority, and the damn heavy Reanimator, with its outstanding bass lines and a more direct approach.

INNSMOUTH band photoLastly, The Colour Out Of Space is a movie-ish instrumental track mixed with some basic guitars and drums that works as an intro to the last song of the album, the atmospheric title-track The Shadow Over Innsmouth, in which the keyboards finally stand out among all the sonic violence created by the band, becoming the closest Inssmouth gets to traditional Black Metal and the most melodic of all tracks too.

In regards to the album art, everything including the logo and layout was created by Riaj Gragoth, complementing in a very entertaining way the message Innsmouth want to send with The Shadow Over Innsmouth, which will soon be available at the official Crime Records Webshop. And that message, ladies and gentleman, couldn’t be more demonic, unsettling and, of course, an excellent choice for the ones with a strong stomach and an utter passion for all things crafted for darkening our souls.

Best moments of the album: Vomiting A Hole In The Soul and Klaatu Verata Nicto.

Worst moments of the album: Under The Pyramids.

Released in 2014 Crime Records

Track listing
1. Vomiting A Hole In The Soul 4:41
2. Dreams Of Slowly Drowning 4:01
3. Ritual Of Chud 5:30
4. Under The Pyramids 3:53
5. Klaatu Verata Nicto 4:25
6. Reanimator 3:56
7. The Colour Out Of Space 2:44
8. The Shadow Over Innsmouth 3:43

Band members
Kim ‘Dvergur’ Brandhøj – vocals
Thor Sejersen ‘Krieg’ Riis – lead, rhythm and clean guitars, keyboard and drum programming
Martin Munch ‘Der Mönch’ Christensen – bass

Guest musicians
Nina Banke – female vocals on “Dreams Of Slowly Drowning”
Peter Dahlgaard Mark – keyboard programming
Asger Gammelgaard Nordbo – drum programming

Album Review – Septekh / Plan for World Domination (2014)

Posted on by
1

These Swedish metallers show us all how to dominate the world with violent and creative heavy music.

Rating4

SEPTEKH - Plan for World Domination cover artFrom the obscure island of Mörkö, Sweden, comes a band that plans to dominate the world with an awesome mix of Thrash, Death and Black Metal, Rock N’ Roll, and even Blues in their musicality. After two EP’s, entitled The Seth Avalanche (2012) and Apollonian Eyes (2013), the latter with the outstanding song (and video) “Burn It To The Ground”, it’s time for Swedish Death/Thrash metallers Septekh to release their first full-length album, the excellent Plan for World Domination.

Formed in 2008 in Stockholm, those Swedish guys are not only very technical in what they do, but there’s an extra dose of dark humor that ends up adding a lot of value to the music they play. I think it’s more than obvious that without humor no one can blend the brutality of Slayer with Motörhead and Blues music, and sing about death and depravity, without sounding cheap. I mean, you have to be completely arrogant and out of your mind if you think you can do Thrash Metal better than Slayer, don’t you agree? Fortunately, that’s not the case with Septekh, and what they offer us in this album is beyond enjoyable and fun, starting by the brilliant album art, featuring the big horse (also known as “Playmate of the Year – The Hippocalyptic Messenger”) by Swedish artist Richard Damm.

When you see such an amazing front cover like this one, you automatically know the content inside is going to be good, which is exactly what happens as soon as the band starts blasting everything on their way with the opening track, Into The Void Of My Mind, a frantic crossover of Thrash Metal from the 80’s and Death Metal, with riffs and guitar solo the likes of Anthrax or Exodus. The following track of the album, Going Down In Style, is some kind of “Blues Metal”, with highlight to the bass lines and the rhythmic drumming by Patrik Ström and Staffan Persson respectively and its fun lyrics about selling your soul to the devil  (“I’m going down in style / I got better things to do than survive / I’m going down in style / See I’ll be burning up and I’ll do it with a smile”), turning it into the best song of all; while Saving Graces goes back to a more direct Thrash Metal with some nuances of Punk Rock. In addition, it should work really well if included in their live performances due to its high level of energy.

In Neanderthal, which sounds like the band’s “tribute” to the unique Rock N’ Roll by Motörhead, Septekh present a faster and rawer side of their music, while in Don Asshole the band offers a more modern sonority focusing on heaviness instead of speed, with David Wikström doing an awesome job on the guitars. Then we have Left Handed Man, a very melodic and exciting tune that truly elevates the quality of the album with excellent vocal lines by Nils GRZNLS Meseke blending perfectly with the riffs, and the dark sonority of Black Shores, with its heavy bass intro and a huge dose of melancholy.

SEPTEKH band photoThe Man Who Died A Million Times can be summarized as two minutes of pure violence, or maybe as “the perfect soundtrack for some insane circle pits and furious headbanging”, but things get even better with Superheated Liquid Iron Core, another intense track with superb drumming and riffs that sound so much like 80’s Thrash Metal I can even visualize this song being recorded by Anthrax with Joey Belladonna on vocals.

The last part of the album starts with Eyes Of The Grave, with riffs that remind me of the early days of Slayer plus some very interesting lyrics (“There is no light / There is no youth / There are no eyes but the eyes of the grave”), followed by the fuckin’ heavy song Fuck Dollar, probably the weirdest track of all, sounding almost like traditional Black Metal in the end. And lastly, we have more traditional Thrash Metal with powerful riffs in Desdaemonia, and the 11-minute “epic” title-track Plan For World Domination, with so many different elements it gets hard to label this song. Let’s just say it’s a brutal music voyage, and that you will enjoy it for sure.

If you got hooked by Septekh’s crazy sonority and want to know more about the band, the best thing you can do is purchasing Plan for World Domination (available on the official Abyss Records store or for digital download on iTunes), because supporting this very creative Swedish band will at the same time keep the fire of metal alive and, even more important than that, help them in their amazing “plan” for dominating the entire world with fuckin’ heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Going Down In Style, Left Handed Man and Superheated Liquid Iron Core.

Worst moments of the album: Black Shores and Fuck Dollar.

Released in 2014 Studio 508 Productions / Abyss Records

Track listing
1. Into The Void Of My Mind 3:50
2. Going Down In Style 4:29
3. Saving Graces 4:28
4. Neanderthal 2:27
5. Don Asshole 4:53
6. Left Handed Man 5:05
7. Black Shores 4:33
8. The Man Who Died A Million Times 2:07
9. Superheated Liquid Iron Core 3:12
10. Eyes Of The Grave 3:54
11. Fuck Dollar 5:39
12. Desdaemonia 4:39
13. Plan For World Domination 10:58

Band members
Nils GRZNLS Meseke – vocals
David Wikström – guitars
Patrik Ström – bass
Staffan Persson – drums

 

Album Review – Diablery / Architect (2014)

Posted on by
Reply

An Avant-garde Black Metal album full of dark and complex compositions, highly recommended for all fans of heavy music.

Rating4

cover _ copy 2If Black Metal itself is a genre that depends a lot on a strong atmosphere to succeed, that’s even more important for Symphonic Black Metal bands such as the very professional and technical independent band Diablery, who seem to master the art of creating dense atmospheric songs based on what you will find on their excellent debut album, entitled Architect. Are you a fan of heavy synths, desperate vocals and totally evil lyrics? If the answer is yes, this album is definitely what you’re seeking to feed your dark soul.

The music by this obscure band from Athens, Greece, which by the way is the country of many awesome bands like Rotting Christ, Firewind and Septicflesh, doesn’t have a single moment of simplicity or nonsense noises: all elements found in Architect, which was mixed and mastered at Toproom Studio in Norway by Børge Finstad (who has already worked with Mayhem, Enslaved, Borknagar, Theatre of Tragedy, among others), are perfectly connected by pleasant and deep melodies, and of course, an incredible somber feeling that is present throughout the whole album. Furthermore, nothing would have been possible without the above average skills of all band members, with highlights to the amazing synths and drums by Nazfell and Beleth, respectively.

Architect kicks off with Mysteria Aeterna, an eerie piano intro which prepares the listener for all the darkness to come, which indeed happens as soon as Architect of Manifestations starts: this is a very symphonic and melodic song, but at the same time 100% brutal, that I’m pretty sure most fans of Norwegian Symphonic Black Metal band Dimmu Borgir will enjoy. The same can be said about Embraced by the Theurgist, where you can feel the intensity in Diablery’s music and appreciate the excellent job done by Nazfell on synths, who adds many different layers to the song. Pay attention to it and you’ll notice this song presents so many variations it sounds like three or more songs in one.

band_photo_2Vanity of Darkness, one of the best songs of the whole album, has an intro that could easily be used as a movie score, followed by a powerful sonority and the awesome vocals full of despair by the talented singer and guitarist Setesh, while Magistris Inferiores is a shorter and more boisterous track that sounds a lot like some of the old songs by Dimmu Borgir. In addition, I must say Beleth is a beast on drums, and the keyboards at the end are very interesting and a good bridge for the next song, the superb Thus Made Perfect. The longest track of the album is a violent Black Metal tempest so professionally and beautifully done you won’t even remember we’re talking about an independent band, and when it’s over I’m sure you’ll play it again and again. One might ask if this song is part of a movie soundtrack, so mighty and complex it is.

The last part of the album begins with another good song called Seal Thy Mouths with Pillars of Azurite (I truly love how Black Metal bands name most of their songs), with its melancholic intro and an intense atmosphere, followed by the excellent mix of heavy riffs, strong synths and pounding drums found in Ichor Shrine Synagogue, and the more direct Black Metal from Blackness Enshrouds This Congregation, a very interesting song full of violent vocals and energetic drums. And finally, close your eyes and enjoy the “journey” through darkness offered by the band with the outro Horn of Amentet, one of the most interesting I’ve ever listened to. And I’m not even going to say much about the excellent album art: it emanates obscurity and malignancy, exactly like the music by Diablery does.

To sum up, Architect is not just one more Black Metal album, but a truly avant-garde collection of dark compositions where the main goal is to provide all fans of Heavy Metal, especially the more contemporary black metallers, a very creative and evil experience in heavy music. And if you really enjoyed the music by Diablery, you can support the band by purchasing Architect in digital format at their BandCamp official page, or a physical CD copy at their CreateSpace online merchstore.

Best moments of the album: Architect of Manifestations, Vanity of Darkness and Thus Made Perfect.

Worst moments of the album: Seal Thy Mouths with Pillars of Azurite.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Mysteria Aeterna (Intro) 1:47
2. Architect of Manifestations 6:05
3. Embraced by the Theurgist 6:28
4. Vanity of Darkness 6:37
5. Magistris Inferiores 4:17
6. Thus Made Perfect 9:31
7. Seal Thy Mouths with Pillars of Azurite 6:08
8. Ichor Shrine Synagogue 5:08
9. Blackness Enshrouds This Congregation 4:59
10. Horn of Amentet (Outro) 7:25

Band members
Setesh – vocals, guitar
Nimerius – guitar
Nazfell – synths
Desaster – bass
Beleth – drums

Album Review – Vanhelgd / Relics Of Sulphur Salvation (2014)

Posted on by
Reply

Death Metal from Sweden has never been so amazingly tormenting.

Rating4

vanhelgd_relicsWhile some bands are on a mission to bring love and peace to our hearts, others were simply born to torment our souls with their dark and obscure music. That’s exactly the case with Swedish Death Metal band Vanhelgd, who have just released their third full-length album, the furious Relics Of Sulphur Salvation. And believe me, this Mjölby-based band reached such a bestial musicality in this album that they make all Melodic Death Metal bands from Sweden sound like Babymetal.

Recorded back in November 2013 at Studio Underjord and mastered in Necromorbus Studio, Relics Of Sulphur Salvation is a lesson in old school Swedish Death Metal. Let’s say there aren’t many music variations or creative breaks throughout the entire album, but the band’s powerful performance and the intensity found in each song will prevent the listener from getting tired after a while. Quite the opposite, it will be hard for you to not remain totally excited from start to finish.

To begin with, Vanhelgd couldn’t have chosen a better way to open the album: the strong and evil sonority found in Dödens Maskätna Anlete, with its devilish vocals, awesome riffs in the background and the addition of many Black Metal elements (moving its musicality closer to what’s known as Blackened Death Metal) is 100% effective in informing the listener this album is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Then we have the good The Salt in My Hands, which is even heavier due to its fast beats and a very raw instrumental; the extremely dark Where All Flesh is Soil, where it’s impossible not to love its obscure intro, Black Metal riffs and captivating rhythm; and Ett Liv I Träldom, another good song, albeit not as powerful as the previous ones, with a good chorus anyway.

vanhelgdThe sickness continues with another very traditional track “beautifully” named May the Worms Have Mercy on My Flesh, showcasing an excellent performance by drummer Björn Andersson and vocalist/guitarist Matttias Frisk, with highlights to the cool “slowdown” at the end of the song. And if you still think this album is not that heavy, simply listen to the title-track, Relics of Sulphur Salvation, the most demonic of all songs that will disturb the ears and minds of the less courageous for sure with its totally boisterous riffs, harsh vocals and thrilling chorus.

Lastly, Vanhelgd offer us another sonic massacre, Sirens of Lampedusa, one of the fastest songs of all with desperate vocals, drummer Björn Andersson truly on fire and a very melancholic ending. I’m pretty sure after 2 minutes or even less you’ll already feel tormented, in a good way of course, but in case you consider yourself a tough person you’ll have to face one last song, the fast and direct Cure Us from Life, full of Thrash Metal elements, which will surely leave you eager for more of Vanhelgd’s dark and evil music.

Even the album art, designed by Mattias Frisk himself, is very old school and represents what the band’s musicality is pretty well. In conclusion, if you’re a fan of that primeval Swedish Death Metal that conquered the world many years ago, Relics Of Sulphur Salvation (which is already available in different formats at Pulverised Records, 20 Buck Spin and Ljudkassett) is an awesome choice for you to go absolutely crazy and bang your head nonstop. As I mentioned before, their Death Metal was created to torment your life the best way you can imagine.

Best moments of the album: Where All Flesh is Soil,  Relics of Sulphur Salvation and Sirens of Lampedusa.

Worst moments of the album: Ett Liv I Träldom.

Released in 2014 Pulverised Records/20 Buck Spin

Track listing
1. Dödens Maskätna Anlete 5:43
2. The Salt in My Hands 4:25
3. Where All Flesh is Soil 4:22
4. Ett Liv I Träldom 6:07
5. May the Worms Have Mercy on My Flesh 5:24
6. Relics of Sulphur Salvation 5:23
7. Sirens of Lampedusa 6:21
8. Cure Us from Life 3:21

Band members
Mattias Frisk – vocals, guitar
Jimmy Johansson – guitar, vocals
Jonas Albrektsson – bass
Björn Andersson – drums

Album Review – Insomnium / Shadows Of The Dying Sun (2014)

Posted on by
2

Insomnium provide us high quality Melodic Death Metal just the way we like it, directly from the land of ice and snow.

Rating4

insomnium_sotdsAfter the huge disappointments from Ahola and Sonata Arctica this year, we’re finally able to enjoy some decent Finnish Heavy Metal with the album Shadows Of The Dying Sun, from Melodic Death Metal band Insomnium. Although this is the sixth full-length album from this Joensuu-based dark and gothic band formed in 1997, it’s only the first with guitarist Markus Vanhala (Omnium Gatherum), and the final result is so professional and enjoyable that it might soon be considered by fans the best so far in the band’s career.

Their lyrical themes may not be the happiest in the world, as Insomnium usually sings about pain, loss, darkness, and especially how we cannot beat time, which in the end is the main connector of all those elements, but that doesn’t make their music less exciting. Quite the contrary, when a band is capable of awakening inside us a feeling that time is passing by and that we should do something about our lives, in other words, when a band makes us THINK about our lives, that’s when their music deserves to be listened, shared and truly appreciated.

One of the most interesting characteristics in Shadows Of The Dying Sun is that it’s not only Melodic Death Metal, but a substantial mix of other genres such as Doom, Black and even Folk Metal, which can be noticed since the very beginning of The Primeval Dark, with its enticing atmospheric instrumental, heavy riffs and deep vocals, working like an “intro” to one of the highlights of the album, the 6-minute melodic masterpiece While We Sleep, an awesome track with clean and guttural vocals blending really well, intense lyrics (“When all you ever wish for is to go back once more / When all you ever wish is to open that cage and long / When all you feel is remorse, pain and regret / When you brought on curse unable to move on?”) and a stunning riff in the background that gives the song an even more melodic sonority. Not only that, the smooth passage together with a nice guitar solo after 4 minutes until the end of the song is great, and don’t forget to check its superb official music video at the end of this review.

insomniumAnd that was only the beginning of the album, which goes on with Revelation, a song that constantly varies from raw to more melodic Death Metal and back again, with the instrumental always being very clean despite the heaviness of the music; and Black Heart Rebellion, a very melancholic and brutal track where drummer Markus Hirvonen abuses his double bass. The guitar duo and riffs are also amazing, and add to that some thoughtful lyrics and Niilo Sevänen’s above-the-average performance, and you have another memorable moment in the album.

Lose To Night is a more gothic song with some Paradise Lost-ish elements, moving it closer to Doom Metal rather than the band’s traditional Death Metal, while Collapsing Words brings the album back to a heavier sonority, again with awesome vocals by Niilo. These two songs are followed by The River, which has many elements from Black Metal (especially drums and riffs), with highlights to the semi-acoustic and very melodic ending; and the more commercial (but not less pleasant) single Ephemeral, with its amazing lyrics (“Darkness is ignorance / Knowledge is light / Fight only with yourself / Or the shadows of the night”) and a totally catchy chorus. Unless you have a very good reason for hating Insomnium, there’s no way you won’t get addicted to this song.

Finally, in order to end the album in a high note, the band offers us the beautiful ballad The Promethean Song, where the guitar riff works perfectly with the acoustic guitar, and Shadows Of The Dying Sun, with a dark bass tune to start it in an excellent way, a great chorus, and more powerful bass lines by Niilo along the whole song. Furthermore, if you’re a fan of the band, don’t miss the special limited digipak edition of Shadows Of The Dying Sun, which includes a bonus CD with four bonus tracks.

And was the album art inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s classic The Birds, or by the zombie birds from Resident Evil? Anyway, although it can be relatively simple to our eyes, it’s darkly delightful and very effective in translating into images all the musicality in the album. In short, this is the high quality Heavy Metal we always expect from any band that comes from the cold and marvelous Finland, and as previously mentioned the intensity the band puts in their music and lyrics is commendable, elevating them to the status of one of the best active Finnish bands today.

Best moments of the album: While We Sleep, Black Heart Rebellion, Collapsing Words and Ephemeral.

Worst moments of the album: Revelation and The River.

Released in 2014 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. The Primeval Dark 3:16
2. While We Sleep 6:20
3. Revelation 5:15
4. Black Heart Rebellion 7:03
5. Lose To Night 4:56
6. Collapsing Words 4:38
7. The River 7:57
8. Ephemeral 4:01
9. The Promethean Song 6:41
10. Shadows Of The Dying Sun 6:32

Limited Digipak bonus tracks
11. Out to the Sea 5:17
12. The Emergence 1:46
13. The Swarm 2:54
14. The Descent 3:11

Band members
Niilo Sevänen − vocals, bass
Ville Friman − backing vocals, guitar
Markus Vanhala − guitar
Markus Hirvonen − drums

Album Review – Deep Mountains / Lake Of Solace (2014)

Posted on by
Reply

An atmospheric music experiment full of melancholy and Chinese elements.

Rating5

coverLooking for a complete different experience in the world of heavy music? If so, I suggest you “travel” further east and listen to the debut-album from Chinese Atmospheric Black Metal band Deep Mountains, or 深山 in their own language, the lugubrious and intense Lake Of Solace (or 忘忧湖) . I must warn you the music from this band formed in 2009 in the city of Tai’an, in the Shandong Province, is not easy to absorb: there are no fast songs, no shredding, almost no solos, and in many moments it doesn’t even sound Black Metal. But again, as I said it’s a totally distinct music adventure from the traditional bands we know, and if you take that “risk” you might be very pleased in the end.

What I’m going to say may not make a lot of sense, mainly because the comparison I’m going to make is not exactly a comparison, but before listening to Lake Of Solace I felt almost the same as when one of my Chinese friends told me to watch two great Chinese movies, Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. I was really skeptic about those movies, in other words, how could they be better than many Hollywood blockbusters as he said? Give me a break, a good Chinese movie? Well, they’re definitely not the best movies in the world, but really well-done and above the average, and after watching them I realized how stupid my prejudgement was. And the same is valid for this album.

Throughout the whole album, it’s easy to notice the band’s use (and abuse) of Nature and Chinese Culture as their main themes, which already starts with 引子 Intro. I love those intros that connect with the history and culture of the band’s homeland, and in this case all the Chinese elements, especially the soothing sound of the water from the “lake of solace”, work like a spiritual prep for what’s next, the very atmospheric song 毀滅 Sin, with its deep vocals giving us a feeling of agony while the beautiful acoustic parts provide us some peace of mind.

九黎之舞 Wind And Stellar, with its nice guitars in the beginning, is a more acoustic track that turns into more traditional Atmospheric Black Metal with devilish vocals, while 超脫 Detachment, which starts with a very engaging narration (“To deliberate believe in lies…”) talking about how humans should be to be accepted by society (as they say it’s a “Marketing Holocaust”), has a pleasant instrumental and, although it’s a very melancholic and depressive song, will hold your attention from start to finish. It’s the best song of the album, and would also be the perfect choice for a very in-depth music video.

deep_mountainsThen we have a two part song with some highs and lows:  忘憂湖 壹 Lake Of Solace Pt.1 is an instrumental track totally focused on the sound of an acoustic guitar and some nature elements, and I’m not sure if this can even be considered Black Metal at all; and 忘憂湖 贰 Lake Of Solace Pt. 2, which begins in a similar way as the first part but with a more metallic sonority and some “vocals of despair” again, is a very sad song, complemented by an interesting guitar solo and clean vocals.

Lake Of Solace ends with the atmospheric ballad 渿河謠 Ballad Of Nai River, a beautiful composition that sounds a lot like traditional Chinese music, full of nature elements and smooth female vocals, and the peaceful instrumental outro 李鳳華 Li Fenghua, the shortest track of the album. And that’s it! Do not expect any epic songs or other Heavy Metal clichés, as the objective in Lake Of Solace is to be more atmospheric than Black Metal, which ends up working pretty well.

The instrumental is quite fundamental and the vocals are always more desperate than tuneful, but that’s not an issue for the purpose of the music here. Add to that the beautiful album art, and you have a sincere and captivating music experimentation from this honest and fresh East Asian music group.

Best moments of the album: 毀滅 Sin, 超脫 Detachment and 渿河謠 Ballad Of Nai River.

Worst moments of the album: 九黎之舞 Wind And Stellar and 李鳳華 Li Fenghua.

Released in 2014 Pest Productions

Track listing
1. 引子 Intro 3:09
2. 毀滅 Sin 4:11
3. 九黎之舞 Wind And Stellar 5:58
4. 超脫 Detachment 8:24
5. 忘憂湖 壹 Lake Of Solace Pt.1 7:36
6. 忘憂湖 贰 Lake Of Solace Pt. 2 7:41
7. 渿河謠 Ballad Of Nai River 3:36
8. 李鳳華 Li Fenghua 2:58

Band members
Liu Qiang – vocals, guitars
Song Chen – guitars
Chen Xiao – bass
Zou Qiang – drums