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Album Review – Veil of Secrets / Dead Poetry (2020)

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Emerging as a result of the contact and joint work between Asgeir Mickelson and Vibeke Stene, this newborn Norwegian Doom Metal unity is ready to darken the skies with their amazing debut effort.

Emerging as a result of the contact and joint work between Asgeir Mickelson, known for having played drums in Borknagar, Ihsahn, Vintersorg and Testament, among others, and the unparalleled Vibeke Stene, known as the singer of Tristania for ten years, in Asgeir’s project called God of Atheists, Norwegian Melodic Doom Metal entity Veil of Secrets has just released their debut opus Dead Poetry, the first official album in 13 years with Vibeke on vocals since Tristania’s Illumination. Produced by Vibeke and Asgeir themselves, mixed by Børge Finstad at Toproom Studio, mastered by Endre Kirkesola at dUb Studio, and featuring guests Sareeta (Ram-Zet, Ásmegin) on violin and Erling Malm (Endolith, Articulus) on harsh vocals, Dead Poetry is everything a fan of Gothic and Doom Metal wants, and a fantastic comeback by Vibeke to the world of heavy music. “After some years with no music production or dissemination, I strongly felt an inner longing to create and feel alive through music. So I started to seek a resolution,” said Vikeke. “I’ve taken the chance to believe that my words, my thoughts, and dreams, could have any value combined with my inner tones. The composing process of ‘Dead Poetry’, was deeply founded on honesty and trust, and therefore I’m very proud to finally share Veil of Secrets.”

Vibeke and Asgeir bring the doom to our hearts form the very first second in The Last Attempt, with our beloved soprano flawlessly declaiming the song’s poetic words (“I kept my promise / The world was unaware / I sheltered in the safest place / And I would not go far away”) while Asgeir pounds his drums with anguish and sorrow and slashes his guitar in great fashion, and  more melancholy and somber passages are offered by the duo in the old school Sear the Fallen, sounding like the early days of Tristania with Asgeir’s own twist, with the grim gnarls by Erling adding an extra dosage of evil to the overall result. Then the stunning violin by Sareeta embellishes the airwaves in the menacing and dense Remorseful Heart, a lesson in Doom Metal infused with melodic and atmospheric elements, all of course spiced up by the razor-edged riffage by the skillful Asgeir and the mesmerizing vocal duet by Vibeke and Erling, whereas acoustic guitars set the tone in the Doom Metal aria The Lie of Her Prosperity, a solid and atmospheric creation by the duo where the drums by Asgeir couldn’t have been more sluggish and grim, and with Vibeke shining as usual with her enfolding vocals.

Heavier and even more doomed than its predecessors thanks to the rumbling bass and fierce beats by Asgeir, Fey is the perfect soundtrack for savoring a dark and bitterly cold night alone, with Vibeke bringing a touch of delicacy and finesse to the heaviness blasted by her bandmate; and you better get ready to be absolutely hypnotized by the crying melody of the violin by Sareeta in Bryd, a lesson in classic Doom Metal with Asgeir being ominous with his riffs and slow and steady drums. Needless to say, Vibeke is sensational with her whimsical voice once again, and the second to last fusion of old school doom with more melodic lines comes in the form of Meson, reminding me of Tristania from their album World of Glass. Furthermore, Asgeir’s piercing guitars make an interesting paradox with his damned beats, with Erling’s demonic roars enhancing the song’s punch considerably. And there’s nothing better than ending such majestic album than with a pure, unfiltered Doom Metal aria spearheaded by Vibeke’s delicate but venomous voice entitled Entirety, flowing smoothly and in the most Stygian way possible thanks to the captivating riffage by Asgeir, with Sareeta’s violin putting a gorgeous ending to the band’s musical voyage.

It’s indeed a true pleasure for any metalhead that enjoys a good amount of melancholy, darkness and sorrow in Gothic and Doom Metal to see the multi-talented Vibeke Stene back in action after so many years, and even better when the final result is an amazing album like Dead Poetry, which is by the way available for a full listen on Spotify and on sale from the band’s own BandCamp page, from the Crime Records webstore in CD and LP format, from Apple Music or from Amazon. In addition, let’s all show our support to Vibeke and Asgeir by following the project on Facebook and on Instagram, thanking Asgeir forever and ever for inspiring Vibeke to return to the metal community, and hoping that Veil of Secrets expand their reach and spread their blackened wings over the entire world with more albums and live performances in a not-so-distant future. In a year that has been nothing but chaos, obscurity and sadness, who could have imagined that one of the best news in the metal community would come in the form of doom?

Best moments of the album: The Last Attempt, Remorseful Heart and Fey.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Crime Records

Track listing
1. The Last Attempt 5:24
2. Sear the Fallen 6:50
3. Remorseful Heart 5:27
4. The Lie of Her Prosperity 6:19
5. Fey 6:32
6. Bryd 4:27
7. Meson 7:02
8. Entirety 6:21

Band members
Vibeke Stene – vocals
Asgeir Mickelson – guitars, bass, drums

Guest musicians
Sareeta – violin
Erling Malm – harsh vocals

Album Review – Vingulmork / Chiaroscuro (2015)

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Surrender to the dark side of Thrash Metal, offered to you by one of the most promising Scandinavian bands of the past few years.

Rating3

VINGULMORK - Chiaroscuro cover artAlthough the year of 2015 is almost coming to its end, it seems there are still tons of awesome metal bands with considerable amounts of fuel to burn, providing us fans unbounded reasons to keep banging our heads nonstop like maniacs. This is precisely the case with Norwegian Blackened Thrash Metal desecrators Vingulmork, who before the curtains of this chaotic year close are releasing their cataclysmic debut full-length album entitled Chiaroscuro. The name of the album might be the junction of the Italian words “chiaro” (clear or bright) and “oscuro” (dark), but don’t expect to find any light in their music. It’s sheer darkness, architected in such a thrilling and virulent way you’ll be mercilessly knocked out like Ronda Rousey before the album is over.

Forged in 2012 at the very depths of Oslo, Norway, Vingulmork released their debut EP named The Long March at the beginning of 2014, but it’s now with Chiaroscuro that this talented quartet aims at conquering the world of heavy music with their inhumane combination of the unquestioned verve from Thrash Metal with the evildoing and perversity of Black Metal. If you hold true passion for the music by bands such as Skeletonwitch, Old Man’s Child and Dissection, the music by Vingulmork (which translated from Old Norse means “the forest of fescues”) brings forward all the elements needed to foster that darkest side of yours.

And Vingulmork don’t give you a single second to breathe before their sonic devastation begins in the magnificent Collapse and Rebuild, a brutal composition that summarizes their music style by blending the riveting riffs from Thrash Metal with the obscure growls from Black Metal. In addition, Frontman Jostein Stensrud Køhn sounds like he’s possessed by an evil entity so aggressive his vocals are, while drummer Simen Kandola delivers beats inspired by the greatest drummers from the Bay Area Thrash. As destructive as the opening track, Hold Your Ground provides an accelerated feeling as if a heart attack is about to come, with guitarist Martin Kandola offering the listener his evil-inspired riffs amidst pure Thrash Metal music. And that’s just the beginning of Chiaroscuro, my friends.

Don’t get deceived by the calm acoustic intro from the chant beautifully entitled (I Am) The Darkness You Can Touch, as it quickly morphs into a dark sounding with elements of Death Metal that will violently kick you in the head. Jostein growling like a demon, together with some interesting breaks leading into some pure Black Metal moments and its lugubrious lyrics (“I will lay waste to your sense of belief / Replace all pleasure with anguish and grief / I will demolish all ways to control / I will take hold of and bury you”), turn this ode to obscurity into one of the top moments of the album without a shadow of a doubt. In The Haunting, the band delivers a melodic and ferocious onslaught of metallic music in less than 3 minutes, reminding me of the high-octane Thrash/Death Metal by Skeletonwitch, while Old Hate flirts with Melodic Death Metal but with extra dosages of wickedness added to the sounding, not to mention the great job done by Martin with his sick guitar riffs accompanied by the intricate bass lines by Steffen Grønneberg.

VINGULMORK band photo (3)With an enraged Simen on drums, their dark metal machine keeps rolling and smashing everyone and everything in From Promise, a straightforward tune that will ignite some serious mosh pits during their live performances, with highlights to the beyond bestial vocals by Jostein, and don’t stop banging your head or slamming into the pit because Vingulmork offer us all Painting Lives, another insane track where there’s even time for a catchy chorus that will stick into your mind for a long period of time (“Every moment counts / And everything amounts / To pull apart is not an art / And so we count all that amounts”).

The two last arias in Chiaroscuro are just as nefarious as the rest of the album, starting with the striking White Dress, Black Heart, with yet another demented performance by the entire band, in special by Jostein and Simen. This is at the same time the most Thrash Metal and the most Death Metal of all tracks, which obviously elevates its quality to a whole new level of carnage, also presenting thoughtful lyrics that make total sense if you know how harsh the winter can be (“The winter is grinding knives / It will take another life / Cutting through frozen flesh / Claims a mark in every bone”). And closing this top-notch album we have their most obscure and disturbed tune, It Will Suffice, where the band definitely embraces darkness by showcasing their strongest Black/Doom Metal vein. A lesson in extreme music by this incredible Norwegian act, where the music cuts like a sharp razor until it fades away into a melancholic and demonic finale.

To get a taste of what Vingulmork have to offer in Chiaroscuro, you can visit their Facebook page or take a listen at the official album preview by Crime Records, but I’m pretty sure you’ll almost instantly go grab your copy of the album at the Crime Records webstore or at CD Baby. Forget about the never-ending war between darkness and light, simply surrender to the dark side of Thrash Metal offered to you by one of the most promising Scandinavian bands of the past few years. You will not repent that.

Best moments of the album: Collapse and Rebuild, (I Am) The Darkness You Can Touch and White Dress, Black Heart.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Crime Records

Track listing
1. Collapse and Rebuild 3:38
2. Hold Your Ground 3:17
3. (I Am) The Darkness You Can Touch 5:24
4. The Haunting 2:36
5. Old Hate 2:59
6. From Promise 3:29
7. Painting Lives 3:34
8. White Dress, Black Heart 2:23
9. It Will Suffice 5:45

Band members
Jostein Stensrud Køhn – vocals
Martin Kandola – guitar
Steffen Grønneberg – bass
Simen Kandola – drums

Interview – Dimenzion:Psychosphere

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Enjoy this “cold apocalyptic interview” with Norwegian Industrial Metallers Dimenzion:Psychosphere, where they talk about their career, the importance of the message in their music, the Industrial Metal scene in Norway, among other cool stuff.

DIMENZION PSYCHOSPHERE band photo 3The Headbanging Moose: Let’s start by talking about the band and your brand new album, the excellent Collapse. Can you tell us who Dimenzion:Psychosphere are, your history, goals and plans for the future? Also, how was the creative process for the new album and how did it differ from your previous releases?

Dimenzion:Psychosphere: About us first. We are five guys who’ve been playing together for quite a while, and for many years it was kind of a side project, since most of us had other bands with higher priority. But around 2010 we decided to put more time and effort into Dimenzion, first of all because we all felt this was the band closest to our hearts, and second, because we had more time. So we started working on our first full-length album DNA Phantom Effect, which was finished and released early 2012. Unfortunately we are not very good at promotion, so the album didn’t get the attention we hoped for, and we didn’t get very far. Hopefully will those who like Collapse check out DNA too, cos we still think it’s a great album. As far as the creative process goes, it has always been the same, but this time we had way more material to choose from, which made it easier to shape the concept and feeling of Collapse.

THM: As mentioned in the review of the album, songs like The Machine and Slaves deal with important issues our society is facing nowadays which can lead to some serious consequences in a not-so-distant future, maybe even to the apocalypse. However, despite all that negativity emanating from the lyrics, your music is very melodic and pleasant to listen to. How do you guys work on that balance between “good” and “evil” in your music?

D:P: It all comes naturally really. We like to work with different moods and styles. Though I think when it comes to the important issues you mention, they’re all pretty provoking. So the feelings about it ranges from anger, to sadness and to plain apathy sometimes, and the music is shaped thereafter. We are still angry even if we’re not screaming or growling all the time, and there are enough bands out there who do that already. Harmonies make everything more powerful if not overdone I believe.

afterlight (14)THM: Your “cold apocalyptic metal” sounds perfect for being part of the soundtrack of futuristic movies such as The Terminator, Blade Runner or The Matrix. I’m pretty sure you’re all huge fans of that type of movie and you probably get inspired by those (and many others) when composing new material. What else, besides futuristic movies, inspires the band to create music? Are there any specific books, movie genres or any other sources of information the band likes to go to for having some insights and fomenting your creativity?

D:P: The sound effects, the music and the dystopic feeling of those movies and others like them inspire us, yes. But lots come from documentaries, history, books and of course by watching/reading the news. The world is becoming a police state, with surveillance and new laws made to make us “safer”, which when you think about it, is just a way of limiting our rights and freedom. And it all makes you wanna fuck some shit up, which comes out musically instead of physically in our case.

THM: What about your code names and apparel, which seem to be inspired by bands such as Slipknot and video games like Call of Duty? Could you tell us something about how Dimenzion:Psychosphere decided to add those elements to the band, the original inspiration for that, and what they represent today to all of you?

D:P:  We have always tried to add something extra to our shows, and the all over black uniforms remove the focus on us as individuals, just leaving it to be this unit that is the show. The names came recently to fit the whole concept, by not drawing attention to who we are, but to the whole concept. Not inspired by anything particular, it just felt right to do.

THM: Collapse is your first release signed to a record label. How is it to be working with a record label for the first time in your career, and what can you tell us about your relationship with Crime Records?

D:P: It’s great to have someone to back us up with the promotion and stuff, since as we mentioned, we’re not so good at that. Our relationship with Crime started over a year ago when they heard the DNA album. And they pretty much followed the entire process up to the finishing of Collapse, and signed us even before the final mix. We liked their attitude, so we didn’t even bother to send anything to other labels either.

DIMENZION PSYCHOSPHERE - Collapse cover art

Album Review – Dimenzion:Psychosphere / Collapse (2014)

THM: How is the Industrial Metal scene in Norway, a country known for being the cradle of Black Metal? Do you face any issues sharing your space with Black Metal bands and/or bands from any other music genres there, or is it a very peaceful and even productive coexistence?

D:P: The industrial metal scene in Norway is very small, especially compared to black metal.

We haven’t had any issues sharing stage with black metal bands or any other bands, so I guess you could say it’s a pretty peaceful coexistence. We know several people who play black metal, and all of them have a pretty open mind when it comes to music.

THM: Who are your main influences in music? Which bands and artists helped define what Dimenzion:Psychosphere are today, and which bands would you love to have a “dream tour” together?

D:P: It might be a cliché, but we get our influences from nearly all styles of music (with some exceptions). From all eras too. So naming bands is maybe not so “us” I think. It would have to be a very long list then. A dream tour… Meshuggah perhaps. Devin Townsend, Entombed. Someone not so far from us musically.

THM: What bands and artists are part of your playlist in your free time, when you’re not with Dimenzion: Psychosphere? Do you have any new or underground bands you would like to recommend us?

DIMENZION PSYCHOSPHERE band photo 1D:P: I guess we have our different favourites within the band, so like the previous answer, all kinds of music. We can recommend some bands we work with now and then. Deafmazjiin, Ground Zero System and Among Gods. All from Southern Norway.

THM: How about your current tour plans, especially now that Collapse is fresh out in the market? Which countries are you planning on visiting, how do you choose your setlist, and can your fans expect from your live performances? And are you going to play any dates in North America in 2014, especially in Canada, or is the focus going to be solely in Europe this year?

D:P: We have no tour plans at the moment, but that is something we’re going to start working on as soon as collapse is out. Unfortunately we don’t have a management/ booking agency yet, so that’s probably going to be our next goal. We love doing live shows, so if someone invites us to come to Canada (or any other country) we’d be more than happy to come. I think if you like our albums you’re going to love what we do live.

The setlist we pretty much make before every show, depending on how much time we have. We do try to mix old stuff with new stuff, but I guess lately the majority of songs come from the Collapse and DNA Phantom Effect albums.

THM: Thank you for the interview, or I should say “takk for intervjuet”. Do you have any final words for your fans in Norway, Canada and all over the world?

D:P: First of all thank you for giving D:P some attention and we hope that the readers will check out our music. If you want to get the latest news from Dimenzion:Psychosphere you can join us on Facebook or check us out at dimenzionpsychosphere.com.

Links
Dimenzion: Psychosphere Official Website | Facebook

Album Review – Escapetor / Fear (2014)

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A serious contender for “Thrash Metal Album of the Year”, as heavy, invigorating and awesome as it can be.

Rating3

ESCAPETOR - Fear cover artWhen you think of that insane Thrash Metal from the 80’s, your head automatically turns to North America, more specifically to the San Francisco Bay Area and to South Florida, where monsters such as Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament and many other great bands simply made history with their never-before-seen heavy music. But what if I tell you there’s also excellent Thrash Metal music in the “Land of the Midnight Sun”, the stunning Kingdom of Norway? And what if I tell you it’s the most awesome Thrash Metal music you can find anywhere today?

That’s exactly the case with Norwegian Thrash Metal band Escapetor, who after a few demos, EP’s and a debut album, are about to release their second full-length album, entitled Fear. Not only that, this Rogaland-based group also adds lots of elements from more contemporary bands like Pantera and Slipknot to their songs, which ends up elevating the overall fierceness of their musicality to a level all Thrash Metallers from anywhere in the world will love from the bottom of their hearts. In other words, if you do not like the Thrash Metal by Escapetor, you’re not a good person.

The initial riffs and fast drums of the opening track, The Queen, say it all: it’s fuckin’ brilliant Thrash Metal, so good I bet no one can stand still while tis song is played. In addition to the flawless instrumental, with highlights to the aforementioned powerful guitar riffs, the performance by German singer Claudius Bormuth is beyond superb, turning this song into a unique heavy music delight. What a great voice, perfect for Escapetor’s musicality! If only Metallica were doing something as enjoyable as this. Anyway, that was just the beginning of Fear: the melodic mid-tempo song Dark Past, with its more modern sonority perfect for headbanging and for some crazy air guitar, has some excellent guitar solos accompanied by a strong and catchy chorus (“Can you feel it, burning inside / I can’t take it anymore. / All these feelings tearing me apart, / Cause I know it is my dark past.”); while Unknown Thoughts, a pretty decent song with an interesting job done by drummer Leif-Ove Haugstad, reminds me of a more contemporary Metallica.

Dealing with Fate is pure riffs and heaviness where you can sense the influence from the band’s biggest idols in terms of harmony and rhythmic breaks. Besides that, its backing vocals are an amazing addition to the already great vocals by Claudius, and everything gets even better due to an outstanding guitar solo at the end. The following track, Mr. Hyde, showcases a refined mix of Thrash Metal and Southern Rock, something I’ve seen only Testament doing properly. It’s direct and powerful, straight to your face, with its lyrics inspired by the “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” being an extra ingredient to this great recipe (“Last night, I woke up, I had the same old nightmare / What have I done, Mr. Hyde has taken over”).

ESCAPETOR band photoThe title-track, Fear, is truly kick-ass, with its deeper growls in the chorus and all variations from a faster rhythm (perfect for mosh pits) to a heavier and slower tune (tailored for intense headbanging) perfectly exemplifying the total synergy among all band members. The mighty bass lines by Dan Gundersen set the tone for another badass ferocious track, Shadow, where guitarists Ragnar Nord-Varhaug and Axel Feller keep up with the tradition of dynamic and technical guitar duos in Thrash Metal, followed by Escapetor, with its epic intro and an astonishing atmosphere created by the guitar riffs. Not only this is one of the best songs of the album without a shadow of a doubt, but its pure old school musicality and lyrics (“We are Escapetor, here in your town / Delivering metal to you our crows / We travel the wastelands, we sail over seas / To bring you our music, to make you feel free”) make me feel like I’m listening to a classic band from the 80’s.

Then it’s time to bang our fuckin’ heads with Suicide, an evil version of A7X (which is indeed something very positive), with highlights to its great vocals and to drummer Leif-Ove Haugstad simply smashing his drum set. It can’t get any heavier than this! The next track, Time, reminds me a little of Iced Earth and although it might not be as brilliant as the rest of the album, it’s a pretty decent song anyway; while the Testament-ish tune Creatures of the Night offers us some very dark and solid guitar lines, with the final part of the song being so damn heavy it’s impossible not to love it. And finally, Escapetor offer all fans of good music an incredible gift, with their impeccable cover version of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues. I have to say this is more than just a cover version, it’s a superb tribute to one of the biggest music icons of all time, and seriously, this song made my day a lot better.

Call it the “New Wave of Norwegian Thrash Metal”, “Boknafjord Area Thrash Metal” (the largest bay in the county of Rogaland), or create your own definition of it, but one thing is certain: Fear is surely the “Thrash Metal Album of the Year” so far, and there’s a huge chance it will remain in the top spot when 2014 is over. If you cannot wait to listen to more of Escapetor’s crazy Thrash Metal, a preview of the entire Fear is available HERE, and you can already pre-order it at the official Crime Records webshop. Let’s say that only Thrash Metal behemoths Exodus can beat them, but it would be an honour anyway to be second place just behind Gary Holt, Zetro & Co., right?

Best moments of the album: The Queen, Fear, Escapetor, Suicide and Folsom Prison Blues.

Worst moments of the album: Unknown Thoughts and Time.

Released in 2014 Crime Records

Track listing
1. The Queen 5:52
2. Dark Past 5:05
3. Unknown Thoughts 4:33
4. Dealing with Fate 6:42
5. Mr. Hyde 5:03
6. Fear 3:56
7. Shadow 3:45
8. Escapetor 4:52
9. Suicide 4:24
10. Time 5:46
11. Creatures of the Night 5:53
12. Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash cover) 2:30

Band members
Claudius Bormuth – vocals
Ragnar Nord-Varhaug – guitar
Axel Feller – guitar
Dan Gundersen – bass
Leif-Ove Haugstad – drums

Album Review – Dimenzion:Psychosphere / Collapse (2014)

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These Norwegian “industrialists” are spot on with their cold and futuristic apocalyptic metal.

Rating4

DIMENZION PSYCHOSPHERE - Collapse cover artIf you’re a fan of Industrial Metal bands that are a lot more “metal” than “industrial”, but that still have that cool electronic touch and a unique futuristic concept in each of their albums, such as the incomparable Rammstein, Ministry and Fear Factory, you should take a shot at Collapse, the new album by Norwegian Industrial Metal band Dimenzion:Psychosphere. After a few self-released EP’s and their debut album entitled DNA Phantom Effect (2012), Collapse is their first full-length album signed to a record label (Crime Records), and by far the best in terms of recording and production quality.

Based in the town of Mandal, Norway, this band does not play your average Industrial Metal, but a fresh and creative mix of industrial and heavy music elements, or as Dimenzion:Psychosphere themselves prefer to say, they play “cold apocalyptic metal from the north”. That crazy definition is corroborated by the band members’ monikers (The President, The Architect, The Trooper, The Scientist and The Engineer) and by their apparel, which can be described as a hybrid between Slipknot and Call Of Duty: Black Ops. You have to agree it can’t get any more bizarre than that.

And when all that visual and concept bizarreness translates into music as soon as the excellent opening track The Machine starts, everything makes a lot more sense: Dimenzion:Psychosphere breed a heavy and embodied mix of Industrial and Nu Metal, a kind of musicality only German Industrial Metal giants Rammstein would be able to produce, with highlights to its very entertaining and intelligent lyrics (“The walking machine’s still singing / The time has come to seize control / To which values are you clinging / To whom do you owe your soul?”). The following track, the groovy Fury, keeps up with the futuristic theme by offering us a truly mechanical atmosphere, which together with the “march” halfway through the song and its extremely heavy drums and bass make the whole song even more effective.

DIMENZION PSYCHOSPHERE band photo 2With its Fear Factory-ish intro and its dense and slow riffs enhanced by a dark “assembly line” rhythm, the song Void can be considered the representation of the band’s Industrial Doom Metal side, while the superb Epistemophobia should be used as part of the soundtrack to a futuristic suspense movie, especially due to the symphonic elements added by The Scientist with his insane synths. Moreover, if you don’t know what the name of this song means, Epistemophobia is the fear of knowledge, which ends up being the principle of the lyrics. In my opinion, I wouldn’t consider this lyric theme too futuristic, but extremely realistic (and painful) based on all the shit we see people doing all over the world. Does anyone still think the human being is actually evolving?

Anyway, the next track, Slaves, focus on more melodic lines, with its direct lyrics (“WE’RE ALL A BUNCH OF FUCKIN SLAVES”) and synths being responsible for generating a strong atmosphere once again, followed by the longest track of all, Psychodorm, full of modern American Metal elements the likes of Slipknot. Moreover, the “machinery” sonority created by all instruments is outstanding, boosted by a very cohesive melancholic tune after four minutes, which goes on until the end of the song. And last but not least, the title-track Collapse sort of kicks off from where the previous song ended, maintaining the same eerie sonority, with an amazing vocal performance by lead singer The President. The ending of this song (and the entire album) is very obscure, predicting there’s no sign of a “happy ending” for our society, which I totally agree.

The album art designed by TrippleOneVision is a terrific complement to the album concept, reminding us of the futuristic mechanical artwork found in many (if not all) albums by Fear Factory, and another sign of how professional and committed Dimenzion:Psychosphere are to their work. In short, Collapse, which will soon be available at the official Crime Records Webshop, doesn’t bring any optimistic message to humanity, but it surely provides fans of heavy music an exceptionally good soundtrack to apocalypse, so turn the volume up, relax and enjoy this awkward music journey until the world completely falls apart.

Best moments of the album: The Machine and Epistemophobia.

Worst moments of the album: Void.

Released in 2014 Crime Records

Track listing
1. The Machine 5:02
2. Fury 4:15
3. Void 6:26
4. Epistemophobia 5:18
5. Slaves 4:29
6. Psychodorm 8:49
7. Collapse 7:19

 Band members
The President – vocals
The Architect – guitar, vocals
The Trooper – bass
The Scientist – synth
The Engineer – drums

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

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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