Tag Archives: death metal

Album Review – My Grimace / Grim Serenades (2015)

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Make yourself ready for the heavy and melodic serenades of love and hatred put forward by this thriving six-piece Metalcore act.

Rating4

My_Grimace_-_Grim_Serenades_Coverart“From the deepest cave you hear the grim serenade.”

These cryptic words, together with the bloodstained piano in the artwork of Grim Serenades, are a spot-on depiction of the music by Finnish Metalcore band My Grimace. In other words, it is dramatic, melodic and ruthless, three of the most intrinsic characteristics of this modern-day subgenre of heavy music, and I’m sure you’ll have a good time and connect to the message the band is sending through each song while listening to the album. Their essence might be grim, but that doesn’t mean they’re not good in what they do.

Formed in 2007 in the city of Jyväskylä, Finland, and after releasing the demo Fear Gives Hope and the EP Paint the Sky in 2010, and another EP entitled Behind the Scene in 2011, My Grimace are ready to take the high ground with Grim Serenades, the first full-length album in their promising career. Combining the heavy elements found in Melodic Death Metal with the hardcore approach of Metalcore, this six-piece act aims at generating a unique atmosphere in Grim Serenade, keeping them away from the sameness that haunts several bands whose musicality is also strongly rooted in similar types of heavy music.

And when I say “unique atmosphere” I’m referring to exactly what they do in the opening track, the obscure Candidates, where its horror movie-ish vibe quickly turns into awesome Melodic Death Metal with a good balance between guttural screams and melodic guitars. This song showcases a solid songwriting with lots of riveting elements to keep the listener more than entertained, with some of its riffs reminding me of old school Sepultura, especially from the classic Chaos A.D. album. The same can be said about the title-track, Grim Serenade, a song that is at the same time threatening and rousing. Not only the vocals by frontman Jere Hämäläinen are a lot more Death Metal than Metalcore in this track, but the keyboards by Lasse Pirnes also add to the music nuances of delicacy that take the band out of the comfort zone of heavy music. In short, it’s a great tune that keeps up with the best you can find in Scandinavian modern metal.

My_Grimace_PromokuvaIf you’re a fan of Arch Enemy you’ll love the riffs found in Dire Need, a song that proves My Grimace are all talented musicians that know how to put heaviness and progressiveness together in a compelling way. Lasse, bassist Sami Puukko and drummer Roope Salminen do a superb job together keeping the musicality fresh and consistent in the background, with kudos to guitarist Aleksi Salojärvi for an awesome performance with his harsh screams. Following that amazing song, you can feel a dismal shadow growing in the sky in Abandon All, Leave The Mourning Behind, the darkest track of all with not a single drop of happiness or joy, and where once again the keyboard notes are the guiding light (or maybe darkness) to its rhythm.

Turning up their anger a little, Reveal Nothing is the first song to showcase the clean vocals by guitarist Juha Kumpulainen, resulting in a more traditional Metalcore approach. Moreover, its main riff will surely make you feel that great pain in your neck the next day if they play this track during their live concerts, and even when My Grimace slow down and get more introspective they also deliver interesting passages like the ones found here. Then we have Drink Of Death, which offers the listener another excellent riff in a very progressive and violent tune, perhaps the one with the most elaborate instrumental passages and lots of groove and feeling with highlights to its beautiful guitar solo, followed by the furious and well-balanced Red Glow, which represents the Melodic Death Metal many good bands forgot how to generate. I might be wrong, but for me it feels like the last part of Grim Serenades focuses a lot more on riffs than keyboards compared to the first batch of songs from the album, which is also the case in the last track, Twilight Zone, where we have an adrenalized Roope on drums while Juha and Aleksi make sure you bang your fuckin’ head like a maniac. In my opinion, it’s the heaviest and most extreme of all songs, obviously maintaining the melodic vein ingrown in the band.

These heavy and melodic serenades of love and hatred are what My Grimace have to offer us metalheads, which you’ll find together with their previous releases at their YouTube channel and ReverbNation page for a more detailed listen, and if you’re more than convinced this is a good addition to your metal collection you can purchase Grim Serenades at the Record Shop X webstore or at the Inverse Records webstore. Who knows, maybe these are the types of serenades you truly needed to make your life and the life of your significant other more fun and electrifying.

Best moments of the album: Grim Serenade, Dire Need and Drink Of Death.

Worst moments of the album: Abandon All, Leave The Mourning Behind.

Released in 2015 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Candidates 4:38
2. Grim Serenade 5:17
3. Dire Need 4:48
4. Abandon All, Leave The Mourning Behind 4:43
5. Reveal Nothing 5:50
6. Drink Of Death 3:37
7. Red Glow 3:58
8. Twilight Zone 4:05

Band members
Jere Hämäläinen – vocals
Juha Kumpulainen – guitars, clean vocals
Aleksi Salojärvi – guitars, backing vocals
Sami Puukko – bass
Lasse Pirnes – keyboards
Roope Salminen – drums

Album Review – Ovenizer / SWM (2015)

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A melodic and psychedelic journey through the realms of Death, Doom and Post-Metal by a weird and extremely competent band from Finland.

Rating5

Cover (front)There’s no specific meaning for the word “ovenizer” if you look it up in any dictionary, not even the informal ones, and trying to find an explanation to the music by Finnish band Ovenizer is also a tall order. If you don’t believe it can be that hard to label the music by a band, simply take a listen to SWM, the brand new album by this power trio from Tampere, Finland, and you’ll see why there are so many things in our world that are better off unknown or at least non-stereotyped.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to listen to the music by Ovenizer and perceive all the nuances from all types of rock and heavy music found in the album. According to the band members themselves, their style is “somewhat Doom-ish Post-Metal, with some Death Metal vibes on to it”. Whatever that’s supposed to mean, Ovenizer indeed deliver a very cohesive and creative Melodic Post-Metal music with huge doses of Doom Metal and psychedelia, making the final result very difficult to understand but at the same time very pleasant.

That musical fusion becomes already evident in the opening track, kindly entitled Standing On the Shoulders of Giant, where the listener is invited to a world full of Doom Metal riffs and beats with a strong 70’s Rock N’ Roll influence, with its rhythm being perfect for live performances. In addition to that, lead singer and guitarist Kvist does an excellent job on vocals, ranging from deep guttural to harsh rock music lines. And things get even more unusual in Satan’s Washing Machine, with its interesting psychedelic start before the heavy stuff comes bashing. You’ll find lots of elements from Folk Metal in this song, which is kind of expected from a Scandinavian band, and despite its “evil” name there’s so much melancholy in it I’m pretty sure it will sadden your heart a bit. Naturally, in order to properly complement this great tune there’s a simple but excellent chorus, and pay attention to the official video for this song where drummer Feather seems to be having a great time while smashing his drums on fire.

Promo pic 1S&M does not only sound like pungent North American Stoner Metal, but Ovenizer truly show us how to create the darkest imaginable atmosphere with acoustic passages and desperate screams, with the last part of the song offering the listener more of the band’s Doom side with highlights to the low-tuned riffs by Kvist. In the following tune, Paddling In the Sky, the band invites us to join them in a somber tribal journey, as if they want us all to go dance in the sky with them. Its rumbling riffs and pounding drums will rise some good evil inside you, right before it turns into some sort of Death/Black Metal feast, including some crazy blast beats to make things even better. With a strong Melodic Death Metal vibe, S.I.B. (Standard Issue Breathing) is a lot more instrumental than atmospheric, making it a good choice for their setlists, while Incubatory is exactly what you get when Ovenizer unite their doom-ish side with the melody and harmony found in classic rock. Furthermore, the bass lines by Phinx get richer and more vibrant, and pay attention to the fact that Kvist’s vocals are closer to Death Metal than to what the music itself proposes, creating an interesting paradox.

The last two ditties in SWM are Watch, with a sorrowful intro that grows until it becomes a great mix of Doom and Progressive Rock, with its lyrics translating the sadness of the song into words, and finally Don’t Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing, which albeit having a curious name it’s somehow true. It’s yet another interesting Doom Metal track about how regretful our lives can be, with its second part representing a man’s mental breakdown or maybe his downfall into madness.

In case you enjoyed the challenge of trying to label the weird music by Ovenizer, please go check their official YouTube channel and also go buy their music at their BandCamp page or at the Record Shop X webstore. As mentioned before, it’s an interesting melodic and psychedelic Death Doom Stoner Post-Metal extravaganza directly from the land of ice and snow, or anything else you want it to be.

Best moments of the album: Satan’s Washing Machine, Paddling In the Sky and Don’t Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing.

Worst moments of the album: Watch.

Released in 2015 Norwegian Pope Records

Track listing
1. Standing On the Shoulders of Giant 3:04
2. Satan’s Washing Machine 4:18
3. S&M 4:34
4. Paddling In the Sky 5:16
5. S.I.B. (Standard Issue Breathing) 3:22
6. Incubatory 3:28
7. Watch 3:38
8. Don’t Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing 4:05

Band members
Kvist – guitar, vocals
Phinx – bass, backing vocals
Feather – drums, backing vocals

Album Review – Embrional / The Devil Inside (2015)

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These Polish devils will infest your soul with their technical and brutal Death Metal.

Rating4

embrional_800x800People who know me also know how much I love dark and demonic music. And if the band playing that type of music comes from Poland it’s when things get even better, because to be fair, I’ve never seen a low-quality Polish band in my life. If you take a few seconds to think about it, superb bands such as Behemoth, Vader and Darzamat will quickly come to your mind, and we can all include Polish old school Death Metal band Embrional on that list based on the deranging assault of extreme music from their brand new album, The Devil Inside. Well, I guess the name of the album, together with the artwork designed by Mariusz Krajewski and MENTALPORN, can already provide you a sense of how much the word “deranging” matches with their music.

Fans of Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth and all other Death and Black Metal bands who turn their instruments into an infernal pyre of heavy music will feel aflame while listening to the work by this Gliwice-based band. Vociferating topics such as possession, annihilation and death, all impregnated by the acrid smell of sulfur and tar, Embrional are extremely competent in what they do, which translates into high-end Extreme Metal perfect for enjoying with your friends at a live concert or by yourself in your car, at home or anywhere else that some extra doses of stamina and anger are more than required.

And suddenly, after Embrional open the rusty gates to their realm of Death Metal (maybe hell?) in the intro The Devil Inside, it’s time for some excellent blast beats at the “speed of darkness” in Evil’s Mucus, a great tune for slamming into the fuckin’ pit. Not only lead singer and guitarist Marcin Sienkiel has those devilish and disturbing vocals that can only be found in brutal Death Metal, but all musicians sound quite progressive for such a raw old school band, offering the listener lots of interesting breaks and tempo changes. Funeral March, although slightly slower, is truly diabolical and gives a whole new meaning to a funeral march itself, with Marcin and Rychu “Vermin” Sosnowski making sure their guitar lines are in line with all that darkness while drummer Kamil Bracichowicz displays an arsenal of evil beats. And guess what? Bassist Michał “Soulbleed” Połetek also joins that dark side with his deep bass lines.

embrional_bandEmbrional keep firing their wicked sounding in The Abyss, which sounds almost like Progressive Death Metal but still violent and raw as expected, and get ready because after around two minutes it’s time to get into the pit of evil created by the band. Then after a quick instrumental intro entitled Sadness, we have sheer brutality in the form of music in the superb track In Darkness, which makes me wonder if those guys are mad or furious at something so violent it is. What Kamil does behind his drum kit in this song is amazingly bestial and will make you headbang like crazy, while Michał once again gains the spotlight with his awesome job on the bass guitar. And Marcin guides the Embrional horde yet again with another Stygian tune, Behind The Mask Of Sanity, which leans towards Blackened Death Metal or even Black Metal, offering the listener some interesting guitar solos amidst all the savagery and fury presented.

Their violent complexity continues to be outstanding in the following track, curiously named 910, which can be simply described as a fuckin’ massacre. It sounds like if the band decided to “blacken” their music to a greater extent, with riffs and drums faster than before while vocals get even more gruesome. Right after that furious onfall it’s time to reach the deepest nightmares of mankind with Madman’s Curse, with lots of Doom Metal elements added to enhance the desired insanity of the song, followed by Callousness, a short and straightforward Death Metal song where riffs and vocal lines sound really strong, while drums keep a constant heavy rhythm leading to a violent ending. And the duo that closes the album doesn’t disappoint in terms of cruelty: Venom presents us a creepy intro with flies buzzing before turning into another feast of evil, with Kamil once again relentlessly showcasing his drumming skills, and if your head doesn’t hurt after this song you’re not human; and how about a woman crying in despair and sorrow to start the last track, Whores, Drugs and Brain Dead? With hardcore harsh vocals and a Slayer-ish vibe, it’s an awesome way to make even the most cautious person slam into the circle pit.

Go check the band’s YouTube channel where you can listen to The Devil Inside in its entirety, but more important than that, visit the Old Temple Shop or BandCamp to get your copy of the album, or the Third Eye Temple Big Cartel to grab the limited edition CD or the old school tape version of it. And, of course, get ready to have your soul infested with the vicious Death Metal brought into being by these skillful Polish devils.

Best moments of the album: Evil’s Mucus, In Darkness and 910.

Worst moments of the album: Callousness.

Released in 2015 Old Temple/Third Eye Temple

Track listing
1. The Devil Inside 1:07
2. Evil’s Mucus 4:01
3. Funeral March 4:51
4. The Abyss 4:00
5. Sadness 0:32
6. In Darkness 5:58
7. Behind The Mask Of Sanity 3:57
8. 910 4:08
9. Madman’s Curse 3:59
10. Callousness 2:25
11. Venom 5:13
12. Whores, Drugs and Brain Dead 2:54

Band members
Marcin Sienkiel – vocals, guitars
Rychu “Vermin” Sosnowski – guitars
Michał “Soulbleed” Połetek – bass
Kamil Bracichowicz – drums

Album Review – Infected Chaos / The Wake Of Ares (2015)

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In the wake of the god of war, it’s time to join this excellent Austrian band to the sound of their warlike old school Death Metal.

Rating4

infected chaos_the wake of aresFans of Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Entombed and old school Death Metal in general will love the violence found in The Wake Of Ares, the brand new full-length album by Austrian Death Metal band Infected Chaos. With an amazing artwork by JL Rey (Phlegeton Art Studio), and dealing with controversial topics such as suppression, slavery, gaining strength and revolting against it, The Wake Of Ares will surely awake that “spirit of war” inside you with its ruthless onrush of extreme music.

I don’t know exactly if this can be considered a concept album or not, as according to this Vils-based band the album title can be interpreted on two levels: the first related to Ares, the Greek god of war and the son of Zeus and Hera who usually represents the physical or violent and untamed aspect of war, being the supreme god of what the band calls the “blooddawn resistance”, while the second is a direct statement from Infected Chaos telling the world they are here to stay and, obviously, to crush each and every living creature that crosses their path.

I have already used the expression “calm before the storm” here at The Headbanging Moose before, and I have to apply that once again to the intro Rotting In Chains, with its occult atmosphere and eerie voices in the background, opening the gates for the brutal Death Metal tune Devours The Light to come crushing your soul. The deep growls by Christian Fischer are exactly what a Death Metal band needs, enhanced by the album’s clean and powerful production. Moreover, this song will make you go crazy into the circle pit, with the impressive bass lines by Florian Betz (who’s probably a huge fan of Alex Webster) together with its more melodic parts providing a great balance between harmony and cruelty. Ninth Circle, a song about death (or how the Ancient Greek people could have seen it) that begins as violent as the previous track, shows us that when Infected Chaos slow down they get fuckin’ heavy as hell, with drummer Christoph Raggl being completely merciless behind his drum set.

Christian’s vocals get darker and more demonic in Arson Anthem, where the guitar duo composed by Martin Hartmann and Matthias Mayr delivers pure Death Metal through their fierce riffs and solos, while Wolves In Thy Pantheon has a Cannibal Corpse vibe that makes it even more violent and amazing. Its riffs and blast beats reach a higher level of destruction, enhanced by some excellent guitar solos and background chants that add even more excitement to the song. The next track, Code Of IC, is just a simple declaration of love to Death Metal according to the band members themselves (by the way, IC is the acronym for Infected Chaos in case you haven’t noticed that yet), and they do it the most brutal way possible with an incredible assault of deep growls, nonstop drumming and huge doses of anarchy through its riffs and lyrics.

MMA02_bandphoto_infectedchaosAwaking Into Nightmare is a more introspective song that deals with a huge issue Christian had to face in 2013. Musically speaking, it keeps the album at a high level with more of the berserk sonic demolition proposed by the whole band, just like what happens in Strike From The Sky, where it actually feels like Infected Chaos come striking from the sky (or maybe from hell) with a feast of traditional Death Metal riffs and beats, perfect for breaking your neck. Then we have IA, God Of War, another great display of the skills by Florian on bass guitar and with a musicality slightly different from the rest of the album, focusing on more modern and metallic elements.

The final triad of Death Metal in The Wake Of Ares starts with The Silent Monolith, where once again the band invests in a sonority similar to the latest Cannibal Corpse albums, with an exciting rhythm tailored for banging your head on the front row during their live performances, followed by the sickest of all tracks, Blooddawn Resistance, a fictional underground movement created by Infected Chaos. I would love to see them playing this song live, as it’s the best of the album in my humble opinion and a flawless display of Death Metal where the whole band is kicking fuckin’ ass, in special frontman Christian for leading the “resistance” with an awesome vocal performance. And closing the album we have a song that its name says it all: The Sea Of Grief evokes darkness in a truly hellish and melancholic way, with even its guitar solos transpiring melancholy and sorrow.

To sum up, Infected Chaos are summoning all of you to join their “resistance” through their Facebook page, SoundCloud, BandCamp and at the Metal Music Austria official webstore with The Wake Of Ares, a great album perfect for all headbangers who love high levels of ferocity amidst a professional and thrilling sounding. In the wake of the god of war, it’s time we all join those Austrian metalheads to the sound of their uprising warlike Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: Wolves In Thy Pantheon, Code Of IC and Blooddawn Resistance.

Worst moments of the album: Ninth Circle.

Released in 2015 Metal Music Austria

Track listing
1. Rotting In Chains 1:03
2. Devours The Light 5:29
3. Ninth Circle 3:46
4. Arson Anthem 4:23
5. Wolves In Thy Pantheon 3:18
6. Code Of IC 3:52
7. Awaking Into Nightmare 4:30
8. Strike From The Sky 4:10
9. IA, God Of War 4:08
10. The Silent Monolith 3:33
11. Blooddawn Resistance 3:57
12. The Sea Of Grief 4:52

Band members
Christian Fischer – vocals
Martin Hartmann – guitar
Matthias Mayr – guitar
Florian Betz – bass
Christoph Raggl – drums

Album Review – Irreversible Mechanism / Infinite Fields (2015)

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A mind-blowing experience in Progressive Death Metal that will please all fans of complex and aggressive heavy music.

Rating4

Infinite-Fields-1000When Dream Theater meet Mastodon, who meet Dimmu Borgir, who then meet Meshuggah, you can have a pretty good idea of the level of complexity, progressiveness and obscurity you will find in Infinite Fields, the debut full-length album by Belarusian Progressive Death Metal band Irreversible Mechanism. And you better get properly ready before listening to this album, as it will blow your mind beyond dispute.

Hailing from the city of Minsk, Belarus, musicians Yaroslav Korotkin and Vladislav Nekrash deliver an amazingly intricate blend of extreme and progressive music with the support of Lyle Cooper on drums, who by the way was the drummer on the last two albums by American Technical Death Metal The Faceless. In addition, the album art by renowned Swedish artist Par Olofsson, who has already provided his incredible art to innumerous bands such as Exodus, Aborted, Beyond Creation, Immolation and Onslaught, contributes to making the whole album even more captivating.

The opening track, Irreversible Mechanism, is an ominous instrumental intro that perfectly connects with the album art and transports the listener to this new world or dimension proposed by the band, right before you get absorbed with the complexity found in Into The Void, where you will enjoy interesting heavy riffs amidst intricate keyboard notes and lots of music breaks, with the Black Metal blast beats by Lyle adding a decent amount of fury to the music. Despite being only three musicians, this song shows they’re just everywhere. Outburst continues with the sonic madness, with the harsh growls by Yaroslav getting even more violent and blending deeper with the music while its calm and eerie break focusing on keyboard passages will definitely ease your heart a bit. Besides, there are so many good solos throughout the song I don’t know which one to talk about.

IrreversibleMechanism Photo1The way Irreversible Mechanism put together complex riffs, drums and bass lines in the next track, The Agony, is truly outstanding, followed by the title-track, Infinite Fields, which basically kicks off where the previous song ended, with an awesome rhythmic variation done by its guitar lines and with its sinister keyboards once again gaining the spotlight even with all the violence surrounding them. The excellent intro in Incipience sets the tone to the rest of this blasting song, which showcases a great combination of progressiveness and savagery, with highlights to Vladislav kicking ass with his guitar riffs while Yaroslav maintains his vocals as devilish as possible.

The last part of the album keeps delivering metallic and melodic music, beginning with Fragile, a very symphonic tune that will please fans of contemporary extreme music which offers to the listener keyboards and piano passages the likes of Dimmu Borgir, with its drums getting heavier and faster at times, while The Betrayer Of Time can be considered the band’s Death Metal-ish attack mixed with the progressive music by bands like Dream Theater. Finally, closing the album in a very climatic and desolated way we have more of that Symphonic Black Metal aura in the slower but more atmospheric tune Cold Winds, where its more demonic vocals work pretty well together with the precise and bestial beats by Lyle.

It’s important to mention that none of the songs in Infinite Fields, available as a CD in jewel case with a 12-page booklet through Blood Music’s official webstore and also at their BandCamp page, are too long, with only one of them surpassing the 6-minute barrier, but their level of complexity is beyond average for sure and they’re a million light-years away from being tedious. You can get a taste of Infinite Fields HERE or take a listen at the entire album HERE, and as aforementioned, be ready for a mind-blowing experience in extreme music thanks to this promising Belarusian metal act.

Best moments of the album: Outburst, Infinite Fields and Incipience.

Worst moments of the album: The Betrayer Of Time.

Released in 2015 Blood Music

Track listing
1. Irreversible Mechanism 2:54
2. Into The Void 6:13
3. Outburst 5:46
4. The Agony 3:40
5. Infinite Fields 5:13
6. Incipience 3:42
7. Fragile 3:43
8. The Betrayer Of Time 4:05
9. Cold Winds 3:53

Band members
Yaroslav Korotkin – vocals, bass, lyrics
Vladislav Nekrash – guitars, programming
Lyle Cooper – drums

Album Review – Avulsion Rupture / Àglæccræft (2015)

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If you believe in God, start begging Him to have mercy on your spinal cord when you listen to this very talented Black Metal act from the UK.

Rating5

CD400_outThere’s a technical term in medicine named “avulsion”, from the Latin “avellere” (meaning “to tear off”), which describes an injury or fracture where a body structure is forcibly detached from its normal point of insertion by either trauma or surgery, in other words, it’s a type of amputation where the extremity is pulled off rather than cut off. That, my friends, is what will happen to your cervical spine after listening to Àglæccræft, the brand new wicked album by British Black/Death Metal band Avulsion Rupture.

If you love the extremity of bands such as Marduk, Morbid Angel and Dissection you’ll undoubtedly have fun with the aggressive music by this Nottinghamshire-based band, but I must warn you it’s not an easy listening for the average person. Originally formed back in 2000 and having released the demo 1000 Weeping Souls in 2001 and, after a long hiatus, the EP Blasphemous Resurrection in 2014, what Avulsion Rupture offer us in Àglæccræft (an Old English word for “evil art”) is the crudest form of Black Metal you can think of, supplemented by elaborate subject matters that help spread the obscurity intended by the band.

It takes less than 10 seconds for Avulsion Rupture to start blasting their evil music in the opening track, Apocalyptic Resonance, a song that might be too dark and sinister for the faint-hearted where old school Black Metal riffs and blast beats come striking your ears the rawest way possible. And there’s no sign of Avulsion Rupture decelerating at all when you listen to Fortress of Desolation, another brutal Black Metal tune with even darker vocals by the band’s “one man army” Paul Bobrucki, or to the best track of all in my opinion, Massacre at Fin Cop, a song based on a hill and an associated Iron Age hill fort in Monsal Dale, close to Ashford in the Water in Derbyshire, England, where a mass burial containing only women and children was found in 2011 during escavations. Of course the music couldn’t be soft or easy to digest, with lots of Death Metal elements elevating the song’s fury, and if you enjoy nonstop heavy riffs piercing your mind it will surely satisfy your cravings.

004A gibbet is an upright post with a crosspiece, forming a T-shaped structure from which executed criminals were formerly hung for public viewing, which is perfectly represented in the next song, Gibbet on the Moor, where you can feel its heavier atmosphere due to its somber riffs and vocals dictating the carnage. The following track, Coils of Pain, is an excellent Black Metal tune where rawness and complexity are put together to make it even more bestial, with highlights to its very unique rhythm thanks to the job done on guitars, while Concocting Hallucinations is wicked old school Black Metal that will disturb your poor mind. Besides, what Avulsion Rupture do on drums in this song is beyond violent.

Are you tired already? Because there’s a lot more extreme music to go, starting with Monument, where the inclusion of more headbanging riffs halfway through the song is very interesting, followed by the awesome The Scucca, a word that comes from Old English meaning “evil spirit” or also the Black Shuck, a ghostly black dog which is said to roam the coastline and countryside of East Anglia, in the UK, which is indeed another great display of how Black and Death Metal can sound even more malevolent when properly combined. Finally, if you have a strong stomach and enjoy crude and dark sounds you’ll love Universal Vortices, where the ghastly growls by Paul match perfectly with the musicality, and closing the album we have The Carnificum, the genitive plural of carnifex (which by the way means butcher or executioner). Well, that’s exactly what the song represents: sheer violence with riffs transpiring cruelty.

In summary, do not be a coward and face Avulsion Rupture and Àglæccræft, which will soon be available at the band’s official BandCamp page, and you can also take a listen at some of the songs from the album and their previous releases at their SoundCloud page. Well, do I really need to ask God to have mercy on your spinal cord while you listen to this very talented Black Metal act?

Best moments of the album: Massacre at Fin Cop, Coils of Pain and The Scucca.

Worst moments of the album: Fortress of Desolation.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Apocalyptic Resonance 3:20
2. Fortress of Desolation 3:06
3. Massacre at Fin Cop 3:07
4. Gibbet on the Moor 3:14
5. Coils of Pain 3:02
6. Concocting Hallucinations 2:56
7. Monument 3:18
8. The Scucca 3:21
9. Universal Vortices 3:01
10. The Carnificum 2:55

Band members
Paul Bobrucki – vocals, all instruments and programming

Concert Review – Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #4 (Bovine Sex Club, Toronto, ON, 03/27/2015)

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The battle for a place among the Gods of Heavy Metal rages on in Toronto.

INTRODUCTION: Wacken Metal Battle Canada

wacken metal battle_toronto_round4This Friday, March 27 lots of metalheads showed up at the iconic Bovine Sex Club (probably the worst nightmare for a claustrophobic fan of heavy music) in Toronto, Ontario, to show their support for five promising Canadian metal bands during Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #4. I guess I don’t need to explain in details what a Wacken Metal Battle is, but in case you really don’t know anything about it simply go to their official website to check the RULES of this competition and the DATES AND LOCATIONS of all qualifying rounds, provincial semi-finals and finals, and the great Canadian final, as well as their official Facebook page for more details and updates on all the battles raging on across Canada. If you’re craving for fresh and electrifying heavy music, a Wacken Metal Battle is what you need.

Guest judges for this round were Jon Asher (Asher Media Relations), Oscar Rangel (Annihilator), Dan Hand (Underground Operations) and Andrew Epstein (FlinkTO), who had the privilege of watching five kick-ass bands ranging from blasting Death Metal to the most inspiring form of Power Metal: Rivers Run Red, Black Eve, Apokalyptik Warrior, Call Of The Wild and Olde. I honestly cannot say which one was my favorite, as they all delivered top-notch Heavy Metal much better than what several renowned bands haven’t been able to do in a long time. And the winner is… Well, let’s save it for the end of this review. First, enjoy a quick but candid review of each of the metal “infantries” fighting for a place among the Gods of Heavy Metal at the 2015 edition of the one and only Wacken Open Air in Germany. And sorry for the horrible photos, I had some issues with my camera.

RIVERS RUN RED

This straightforward band from Woodbridge, Ontario, was responsible for opening the night with those traditional Death Metal eviscerating vocals and demonic riffs perfect for mosh pits and brutal headbanging while enjoying a cold beer. If you want to listen to what Rivers Run Red are capable of when armed with their instruments, visit their SoundCloud page for a taste of their music. And of course, we can rest assured old school Death Metal will keep haunting Canada while talented bands like Rivers Run Red are out there.

Band members
Silvestro Lo Presti – vocals
Massimo Taglieri – lead guitar
Andrew La Porta – rhythm guitar
Matthew Trojan – bass
Anthony Ricci – drums

BLACK EVE

Led by frontman John “Deadman” Davis and delivering high amounts of energy, violence and obscurity through their music, Melodic Death Metal band Black Eve had a very professional and fun show that entertained everyone at the venue. Obviously, their evil gear and corpse paint are important elements of the band’s live performance, but it’s the music itself that stands out, with highlights to the excellent guitar duo composed by Mario Syposz and Reuben Pereira. You can take a listen at Black Eve’s demonic music at the band’s ReverbNation page, paying attention to their interesting lyrics inspired by classic horror movies and slasher flicks.

Band members
John “Deadman” Davis – vocals
Mario Syposz – lead guitar
Reuben Pereira – rhythm guitar
Cody Stanley – bass guitars
Trysten “Tragedy” Mclellan – drums

APOKALYPTIK WARRIOR

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Apokalyptik Warrior @ Bovine Sex Club, Toronto, ON, 03/27/2015

If you have no idea of what Street Metal means, the crazy bastards from Apokalyptik Warrior will teach you a lesson in that form of Heavy Metal. They do not aim at reinventing metal nor at being thoughtful or philosophical. All they wanted to do this Friday was driving the fans wild with their assault of metal riffs and harsh screams. Listen to this song by this nice Street Metal band and you’ll understand what I’m saying. In addition, it was really cool to see the guys from Black Eve slammin’ into the circle pits during Apokalyptik Warrior’s performance, showing us all that it was not actually a battle of bands happening at the Bovine Sex Club, but it was simply a gathering of friends and fans of heavy music.

Band members
General SS Ramsay – vocals, guitar
Baroness Denise Samuelson – bass
Battery Sergeant Adam ‘Mortal’ McLaughlin – drums

CALL OF THE WILD

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Call Of The Wild @ Bovine Sex Club, Toronto, ON, 03/27/2015

The third band of the night was a sign that the Heavy Metal gods are more powerful than ever, delivering their message through the music by awesome bands like Call Of The Wild. What an amazing and cohesive five-piece Torontonian Power Metal band, with songs such as Voyager being a beautiful tribute to everything we learned to love in the music by Iron Maiden, Helloween, Iced Earth and so on. And do I need to say anything about the stunning guitarist Cyndi Zhang? Her guitar lines are outstanding, not to mention that her true Asian beauty adds an extra touch of awesomeness to the band’s live performance. She deserves to be a “Metal Chick of the Month” here at The Headbanging Moose one day for sure. Anyway, what are you waiting for to heed the call of the wild?

Band members
Power Serg – vocals
Cyndi Zhang – guitar
Tom Stanley – guitar
Mark Nicholson – bass
Chris Maniac – drums

OLDE

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Olde @ Bovine Sex Club, Toronto, ON, 03/27/2015

Closing this amazing night of heavy music, it was time for some low-tuned riffs and deep growls with Doom/Sludge Metal band Olde, directly from Malton, Ontario. Olde are indeed another exceptional band with such a professional and heavy sounding it’s hard not to bang your head to their doomed music. Frontman Doug McLarty has a strong voice that helps the band deliver all the despair they want with their music, but it’s the work done by guitarist Greg Dawson and  drummer Ryan Aubin that truly maintains Olde’s music quality so high. Go to their SoundCloud page and also to their BandCamp page to listen to their debut full-length album, entitled I, and you’ll see why they were one of the chosen bands for this round of Wacken Metal Battle in Toronto.

Band members
Doug McLarty – vocals
Greg Dawson – guitar
Chris Hughes – guitar
Cory McCallum – bass
Ryan Aubin – drums

AND THE WINNER IS…

As a matter of fact, there were two winners that made it to the next round of Wacken Metal Battle in Toronto: APOKALYPTIK WARRIOR with their sick Streel Metal, and the power metallers from CALL OF THE WILD. Congratulations! It was indeed a well-deserved win for both bands, and I cannot wait to see how far those two excellent groups can go in the competition. Who knows, maybe Wacken Open Air this summer? There are still other battles to go in Toronto and everywhere else in Canada, so they better get ready for a lot more of this healthy and fun metal war if they want to gain their place among the Gods of Heavy Metal in German territory this year.

And just as a final note, if any of the bands above (or any other indie band all over the world) read this review and are about to release new material, you can always get in touch with us through our CONTACT US page and have your new album reviewed at The Headbanging Moose, as well as have your music sent to The Metal Moose Radio. How about that, eh!?

Album Review – Heaven Abhorred / Opening The Gates EP (2015)

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This promising American Black Metal band wants to open the gates of hell with their solid and raw feast of extreme music.

Rating5

heaven-abhorredIf you’re a fan of bands such as Behemoth, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and Dissection, and if you’re one of those people that think Black Metal should sound as raw and evil as possible, you’ll have a great time listening to Opening The Gates, the new EP by American Black Metal band Heaven Abhorred. Formed in the winter of 2012 in Sayre, Pennsylvania in the United States by multi-instrumentalist Chris Marshall, the band is for the most part a solo project, occasionally joined by Josh Chacona on vocals and Jeremy Marshall on bass, but more important than that it’s an amazing fountain of dark and extreme music.

Although Heaven Abhorred sing about Satanism, misanthropy and other controversial topics, it’s their music that truly stands out. Their raw Black Metal, mixed with other sinister and violent genres like Doom Metal and Death Metal, keeps the band loyal to the foundations of extreme music and to their own beliefs. As stated by Chris Marshall about the overall progress of their music, “The quality of the work is still very much raw and original. We don’t mix any of our tracks yet and we like to keep that raw black metal feel.” When you read something like this coming directly from the leader of the band, you know the music is going to be at the same time very honest and bestial, right?

The obscure Full Moon Ritual kicks off the EP offering the listener some of those low-tuned mesmerizing riffs that are an intrinsic trademark of Doom Metal, with the visceral growling by Chris Marshall enhancing the song’s dark and diabolical atmosphere even more. Although it is far from being traditional Black Metal, no one can say it’s not as blasphemous and disturbing, which I’m pretty sure was the main objective of Heaven Abhorred with this song. After this nocturnal tune we have a wicked display of raw Black Metal entitled Opening The Gates, where the vocal lines transpire suffering and evil. Moreover, it fires those crude blast beats the exact way fans of old school Black Metal love, almost as if Heaven Abhorred were saying they really want to open the gates of hell with their sick music.

heaven abhorredFocusing on Blackened Death Metal vocals and guitar lines similar to what Behemoth do nowadays, Father Of Lies keeps up with the obscurity crafted by the band in their previous songs. Not even the programmed drums are capable of reducing the song’s rawness, and there’s even time for a pretty decent guitar solo to add an extra layer of complexity to it. And then we have Children of The Night, a 9-minute spectacle of pure extreme music, showcasing harsh vocals and blast beats in a wicked sync, dark riffs keeping up with the speed of the song, and lyrics that are obviously not about beautiful or positive topics. It’s an apocalyptical ending to a diabolical EP, leaving the listener completely disoriented when it’s over.

It’s noteworthy how Heaven Abhorred were capable of traveling through so many different types of extreme music in such a short amount of time in this EP. If you think about it, none of the songs sound the same, each having their own uniqueness and electricity, and we’re talking about only around 20 minutes of music. The band has already started working on their debut full-length album, and if this EP is any indication of how creative and skillful this band is we will soon have another awesome Black Metal album available in the market. For now, go to SixSixSix Music’s official BandCamp page to listen to and purchase Heaven Abhorred’s music and, who knows, witness the gates of hell opening right before your eyes.

Best moments of the album: Opening The Gates.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 SixSixSix Music

Track listing
1. Full Moon Ritual 5:53
2. Opening The Gates 3:04
3. Father Of Lies 3:41
4. Children of The Night 9:12

Band members
Chris Marshall (Q) – vocals, guitars, drums
Jeremy Marshall (J) – bass
Josh Chacona – vocals

Album Review – Alienchrist / Exolution EP (2015)

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Get ready to have your body and soul abducted by an alien onslaught of Extreme Metal.

Rating5

Front CoverIt doesn’t matter if you believe in extraterrestrial life or not: as long as you believe in Spanish/Portuguese Exocore band Alienchrist and their brand new EP entitled Exolution, your life will be spared. Well, at least in terms of an alien abduction, because if there’s one thing you will suffer for sure are the effects of this Seville-based project’s brutal sonic storm full of deep growls, unorthodox tempos and bizarre riffs. Or as metalheads would say in Portuguese about the music by Alienchirst, “É PESADO PRA CARALHO!”

Formed in 2014 by Portuguese musician Mario Rocha and inspired by names like Carnifex, Whitechapel and Meshuggah, Alienchirst have already played at various events such as the Alburock Open Air in Murcia, Spain, sharing the stage with Even When Dead, Bloodyard, Resurrection, The Fall Of Atlantis, among many others. It’s important to mention that except for Alienchrist’s architect Mario Rocha, all other members are handpicked to tour or to play live gigs, which means this cannot be considered a band per se. Nothing that will stop Alienchrist from invading and conquering your city with their unearthly extreme sounding, though.

In case you have no idea what Exocore is, think of it as the coalition of Death Metal and Metalcore, also known as Deathcore, but with a kind of primeval exoskeleton (or “external shell”) to make it even more rigid and resistant. With that said, you can get a sense of how heavy and organic it sounds, which is exactly what you’ll find in the opening track, Zimabu Eter, featuring Bryan Long from American Deathcore band Dealey Plaza. Inspired by the movie The Fourth Kind, the whole song is a brutal assault of Death Metal riffs and blast beats, led by the deepest guttural growls you can think of. In summary, if an alien invasion or abduction has by any chance this song as the soundtrack, we’re totally doomed.

alienchristSignals continues delivering savagery, with its eerie intro suddenly turning into modern and violent metal. It will break your fuckin’ neck with its badass riff, plus some special keyboard effects in the background that end up establishing an interesting and ominous atmosphere. The next track of the EP, All Seeing Eye, is Death Metal to the second power: it’s like an “alien” version of Deicide with a monster on vocals, and obviously you have to master the art of guttural singing to understand whatever Mario Rocha is screaming.

The Mind Of The Psychopath showcases low-end bass lines and hardcore riffs, adding a lot of brutality to it, as well as ghoulish long-lasting growls by Mario Rocha. What a massacre! Finally, as a bonus to the listener, Exolution has a Dubstep remix for Zimabu Eter, and even if you hate electronic music you must admit this remix is pretty cool, capturing all the main elements from the original version.

You can take a listen at Exolution in its entirety on YouTube and also listen to it and purchase it at Alienchrist’s BandCamp page. As previously mentioned, if one day the human race faces an extraterrestrial invasion (as many people are eagerly expecting), let’s hope for it to be orchestrated by Alienchrist and their ruthless onslaught of extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Zimabu Eter.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Zimabu Eter (feat. Bryan Long) 3:39
2. Signals 3:48
3. All Seeing Eye 3:52
4. The Mind Of The Psychopath 3:34
5. Zimabu Eter (Dubsteb Remix) 2:58

Band members
Mister V (Mario Rocha) – vocals
Mister W – guitar
Mister X – guitar
Mister Y – bass
Mister Z – drums

Guest musician
Bryan Long – additional vocals on “Zimabu Eter”

Album Review – Chugger / Human Plague (2015)

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A fearless band from Gothenburg bringing forth a technical and organic fusion of Melodic Death Metal and Southern Rock.

Rating4

CHUGGER - Human Plague cover artWhenever you think of the Gothenburg Sound (also known as Melodic Death Metal), forged in the 90’s amidst the harsh climate and technological progress in Sweden, names like At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames will instantly come to your mind. Those bands were capable of creating something completely new in the world of heavy music, blending melody and violence in a unique way augmented by tons of catchy riffs and contemplative lyrics. Hailing from the same fruitful area comes the five-piece Groove Death Metal band Chugger, who after the 2013 EP entitled Scars are releasing now in 2015 their first full-length album, the heavy and modern Human Plague.

The initial idea behind the band came up in 2006 by guitarist Robert Bjärmyr, but it wasn’t until the end of 2012 that Chugger actually came to life with their progressive and aggressive musicality. Although they can be seen at first glance as just another Swedish Melodic Death Metal group, perhaps what differentiates them the most from all other Gothenburg bands is their ability to accurately add many interesting elements from American Southern Rock and Metal to their music, enhancing the level of belligerence found in every song in Human Plague. In addition, the album art designed by independent artist Sam Hayles at DOSEprod also effectively expresses the high-tech but organic fusion offered by Chugger in the album.

And all the modern music proposed by Chugger becomes clear as soon as The Grid starts, a song built of traditional Gothenburg sound pinched by Industrial Metal, Death Metal and even Metalcore, something In Flames have already done (but unfortunately got lost somewhere), as melodic as expected from a Swedish metal band and a great choice for jumping up and down with the band. The harsh growls by frontman David Dahl definitely help define the violence in their music, which is also the case in the first single of the album, Virus, where the band truly spreads their “virus” of metal. Furthermore, its short and effective apocalyptic chorus is more than perfect for screaming along with them (“One shot at glory / Ascending through the sky – Virus”).

CHUGGER band photo 2Rust is probably their most Americanized song, especially its heavy guitar riffs and vocals and its awesome headbanging rhythm (providing the listener once again another good opportunity to scream the lyrics with the band), while Never Alone showcases a melancholic slow intro followed by a dense atmosphere, an amazing “devilish” duet between David and Swedish singer Maria Strandén (ex- Therion), and inspiring lyrics about unity and never being alone in our society.

Feed The Fire follows similar lines as “Rust”: it’s another excellent raw and direct metal track with its main riff made for breaking your neck. Not only that, it’s important to say those guys know how to craft addictive choruses (“Burn! You feed the fire / Burn! With everything you do / Burn! You’re feeding the flames / Burn! Time to pay the price”). The following tune, Ignorance Divine, has a strong Gothenburg vibe with lots of rhythmic breaks, from a faster metallic sounding to Southern Metal/Rock riffs and Melodic Death Metal guitar solos, thanks to the great job done by guitarists Robert Bjärmyr and Fredrik Carlstedt; whereas Five Feet Down reminds me of some of the best songs by In Flames and Soilwork. The heaviness of the chorus is at the same level as the most violent Southern Metal, with kudos to drummer David Pergament for smashing his drums during the whole song.

CHUGGER - Spreading the Disease Tour FlyerIn Cut Out From Hell, which despite all its violence is a very harmonious 6-minute song, David offers some deeper guttural while the rest of the band keeps kicking ass at a high level, and after a short display of some nice riffs in The Pendulum Swing the band presents us Endgame, with its Arch Enemy-ish sonority and uprising vocals. Besides, maybe if this song was a little shorter it would have been a lot more effective. And finally closing the album with razin’ guitars and piercing vocal lines we have the title-track, Human Plague, a song that was born ready for Chugger’s live performances where the bass lines by Henrik Östlund are more solid and ferocious than ever.

There are many places on the web where you can find more information about Chugger and listen to their excellent music, such as their Facebook page, YouTube channel and ReverbNation, as well as enjoy an interesting reading about how Human Plague was brought forth with their online studio diary. And of course, don’t forget to purchase their music and witness their furious metal live, as their Spreading The Disease Tour 2015 is just about to take off with many dates around Europe. As the band states, “We are the voice of the voiceless. We do not fear what lies beneath. We are Chugger.”

Best moments of the album: Virus, Feed The Fire and Five Feet Down.

Worst moments of the album: Endgame.

Released in 2015 Rambo Music/Gain Music Entertainment/Sony Music

Track listing
1. The Grid 4:32
2. Virus 4:14
3. Rust 4:20
4. Never Alone 5:51
5. Feed The Fire 4:35
6. Ignorance Divine 5:21
7. Five Feet Down 3:37
8. Cut Out From Hell 5:56
9. The Pendulum Swing 1:24
10. Endgame 5:46
11. Human Plague 6:17

Band members
David Dahl – vocals
Robert Bjärmyr – guitar
Fredrik Carlstedt – guitar
Henrik Östlund -bass
David Pergament – drums

Guest musician
Maria Strandén – female vocals on “Never Alone”