Tag Archives: denmark

Album Review – Stone Cadaver / Reject Remove Replace (2017)

Posted on by
2

Proudly raising the flag of Stoner Metal high in their beautiful homeland, this Danish power trio delivers a catchy, raw and filthy album inspired by the amazing Hard Rock and Heavy Metal of the 70’s.

Old school proto-metal guitar and gritty, distorted bass combine with fat, organic drums to concoct an evil gumbo of dirty 70’s-inspired stoner riffs, topped off with a few pinches of catchy doom grooves that is bound to fill that empty hole in your stomach. If none of that makes sense to you, it’s because you don’t know Danish Stoner Rock/Metal power trio Stone Cadaver, a band formed in 2013 in the city of Aarhus, Denmark that’s all about heavy and groovy Stoner Metal set within a compositional framework inspired by the Hard Rock and early metal of the 1970’s. Mixing the likes of Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Electric Wizard in their music, the power trio comprised of lead singer and guitarist Anders Bech Nielsen, bassist Andreas Slocinski and drummer Jesper Hauptmann Christensen has finally released their debut album, entitled Reject Remove Replace, an album that was, for all intents and purposes, recorded live in the studio, beautifully crystallizing the band’s raw and filthy sound.

As a whole, Reject Remove Replace comprises the band’s most focused material to date, as explained by Anders. “We have tried to create an album like in the old days. You know, one that you’ll want to listen to from beginning to end. In this regard, you could call it a concept album, the concept being a unified, musical whole.” Despite not being a regular concept album like what several other bands usually do, what Anders says about Reject Remove Replace somehow makes sense, because instead of telling the story of a battle, a specific moment in the history of mankind or a fantasy story based on a book, Stone Cadaver tell the story of the album itself through their music. And if not even after reading all this you have any idea of what Stone Cadaver are, simply listen to the music found in Reject Remove Replace and take your own conclusions about the band and their acid musicality.

The initial riff by Anders in the opening track, titled Sscum, sets the tone for the entire album, being sluggish, dirty and raw. It takes us on a journey back to the 70’s, with Jesper delivering precise heavy beats during the whole song, while its lyrics are as demented as possible (“Misguided cause / On a course to nowhere / The snapping jaws / Of a beast with walleyed stare / You wear the signs / Of genocide and minds’ decay / The six straight lines / You’re so eager to display”). In We Need Your Fucking Blood, Andreas begins smashing his bass mercilessly, emanating a rumbling metallic sound, before the music evolves to a potent blend of Stoner Metal and Rock N’ Roll also presenting soulful guitar solos and a thunderous atmosphere. Moreover, Anders not only kicks ass with his crude riffs, but he also thrives with his psychedelic vocal lines.

Suffer The Scorn brings forward more whimsical words by Stone Cadaver (“The problem is you seem to forget / That time is what you make of it / It’s possible to carve it up / And take command to an extent / But it’s not your fault / Life’s so tough, you can’t help it / To reverse the failure / All I have to do is break the mould”), enhanced by the song’s headbanging, pounding rhythm led by Jesper, while Anders and Andreas keep slashing their strings beautifully. Then we have the instrumental bridge Ruins In The Sand, where acoustic guitars and sharp bass lines warm up the listener for the rockin’ anthem Hands Of Death, with the power trio being simply on fire, blasting cutting riffs and solos, low-tuned bass punches and intricate beats nonstop. Furthermore, the level of acidity and progressiveness in this composition is way above average, with Stone Cadaver providing all that’s needed to break your fuckin’ neck into tiny pieces.

And they still have a lot of Rock N’ Roll fuel to burn, offering the listener more of their piercing Stoner Rock and Metal in Removal Of The Eye, showcasing a high-speed musicality led by Jesper and his unstoppable beats, while Anders and Andreas give a lesson in lunatic guitar and bass sounds. And lastly, Dead Horses (pts. I & II), the longest of all tracks, brings the spirit of a mighty horse inside it,sounding almost tribal at times, with its primeval aura together with the old school Stoner Rock by Stone Cadaver making the whole musical voyage even more interesting. As if the journey wasn’t already crazy enough, the song’s last two and a half minutes are simply a smooth, psychedelic amalgamation of bass and guitar sounds, taking the listener to a different dimension.

Not even the way Stone Cadaver name their instruments is ordinary. Anders is responsible for the “6-String Demonic Vocalizer”, Andreas Slocinski takes care of the “4-String Detuned Low-End Slaughter”, and Jesper is the man behind the “Tactical Assault Battery”, which connects to how crude and visceral their music sounds. If you like to explore the rough grounds of Stoner Metal, Stone Cadaver and their Reject Remove Replace are a highly recommended option, and you can get more details on the band through their Facebook page, listen to their music on YouTube or on Spotify, and grab your copy of the album through their BandCamp page, Record Heaven, Kicktrack Music Store, iTunes or Amazon. And then you might finally understand the purpose of the music by Stone Cadaver, who are definitely raising the flag of Stoner Metal and Rock high in their beautiful homeland.

Best moments of the album: We Need Your Fucking Blood, Hands Of Death and Removal Of The Eye.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2017 LongLife Records

Track listing
1. Sscum 5:37
2. We Need Your Fucking Blood 6:48
3. Suffer The Scorn 5:16
4. Ruins In The Sand 1:53
5. Hands Of Death 6:32
6. Removal Of The Eye 4:32
7. Dead Horses (pts. I & II) 8:45

Band members
Anders Bech Nielsen – vocals, guitar
Andreas Slocinski – bass
Jesper Hauptmann – drums

Album Review – Gespenst / Forfald (2016)

Posted on by
Reply

Four lengthy, atmospheric and lugubrious tracks not recommended for the lighthearted, thoroughly crafted by a brand new Danish Black Metal act that will mercilessly disturb your peace of mind.

Rating5

gespenst-forfald-cover-artHailing from Aarhus, the second-largest city in Denmark located around 190 kilometers northwest of the capital Copenhagen, Black Metal act Gespenst (translated to English as “phantom”) is a fresh and uproarious new project featuring former members of Glorior Belli, Woebegone Obscured and Horned Almighty, among other bands, who together bring forth an atmospheric and ominous fusion of Scandinavian Black Metal with Funeral Doom, adding touches of Dark Ambient to their already eccentric extreme music. And the result of that devilish amalgamation, their debut full-length album entitled Forfald, will definitely disturb your peace of mind.

Forfald is the Danish word for “decay”, and that’s quite the sensation you’ll feel while listening to the album’s four lengthy and disturbing tracks. Listening to Forfald is like witnessing the ruin of mankind, descending into an abyss of anguish and darkness to the sound of the lugubrious music engendered by Gespenst. In its almost 40 minutes of duration, Forfald doesn’t provide any single second of tranquility or happiness, always extracting the deepest fears and most obscure thoughts from the listener. Another important piece of the music by Gespenst is the fact that some of their songs are entirely sung in Danish, a bold move that adds an extra layer of mystery and rawness to their music, enhancing the experience of listening to such somber album.

The blackened guitar lines by guitarist and keyboardist Genfærd kick off the demonic hymn Sorgens Taage, which would translate as “sorrow fog” in English, bursting agony and hatred while lead singer and bassist Galskab fires his devilish growls, increasing the obscurity of such an atmospheric and epic composition. This 9-minute aria brings forward somber Atmospheric Black Metal with hints of Funeral Doom and a sensational darkened vibe, with all the changes in rhythm, ferocity and melody adding an extra taste to it, with the doomed ending led by the sluggish beats by guest drummer Andreas Joen piercing your heart mercilessly. Even slower and more tenebrous, Revelation of Maggots offers the listener old school disquieting Funeral Doom, with highlights to the disturbing lyrics grasped by Galskab (“A sea of worms, in crawling pace / All over me, consumes my face / But I still see, without my eyes / As maggots feast, and hatch to flies”). Furthermore, Genfærd makes sure his guitar emanates grief and harasses the listener’s mind, and despite a few breaks a melancholic rhythm is maintained throughout this damned creation by Gespenst, with yet again a sepulchral ending, this time enhanced by a somber narration and anguished screams in the background.

gespenst-photoMin Sjæl Raadner (Danish for “my rotten soul” or “my soul rots”), the shortest of all tracks, presents an atmospheric and sinister beginning before the band attacks us with their dynamic blend of Black and Doom Metal, where the guitar riffs once again sound dark and harmonious, consequently dragging us to the Stygian world of Gespenst. Put differently, this is a song that can easily become a funeral hymn for lovers of extreme music. And in Life Drained to the Black Abyss we’re treated to 12 minutes of sheer darkness, with a horror movie-inspired intro progressively growing into beautiful Funeral Doom with the beats by Andreas getting sharper than before, feeling like a storm is about to begin in the background while Galskab spews the song’s lyrics about the derangement of the human mind (“My eyes have been eternally fixed / At the spectrum of darkness / A blackened stream of despair / It seems I have always been here”). In addition, when the musicality gets heavier, leaning towards classic Black Metal, it’s time for Genfærd to take the lead and guide the band’s demonic performance, haunting our perverted souls until the song’s obscure conclusion.

In summary, this is another of those albums not recommended for the average listener due to its disturbing level of agony and pain, but if you love that extremely dark side of music I can guarantee Forfald has a lot to offer you. You can take a listen at the entire album HERE, and go check Gespenst’s Facebook page for more details on the band’s current and future plans. And if you want to purchase Forfald, you can do so by visiting the band’s BandCamp page, the Hellthrasher Productions’ webstore and BandCamp page, or the Duplicate Records’ webstore and BandCamp page. This Danish Black Metal group has all it takes to take the underworld of extreme music by storm, with Forfald representing exactly what they are capable of with their instruments in their hands and a lot of darkness in their hearts.

Best moments of the album: Min Sjæl Raadner.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Hellthrasher Productions / Duplicate Records

Track listing
1. Sorgens Taage 9:04
2. Revelation of Maggots 10:54
3. Min Sjæl Raadner 7:17
4. Life Drained to the Black Abyss 12:14

Band members
Galskab – vocals, bass
Genfærd – guitar, synths

Guest musician
Andreas Joen – drums 

Live musicians
Christian Søgaard – guitar
Andreas Tagmose – bass
Mads Mortensen – drums

Album Review – Volbeat / Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie (2016)

Posted on by
1

Seal the deal and let’s boogie to the classy and flammable music by Denmark’s best Rock N’ Roll band of all time.

Rating4

volbeat_seal the deal & lets boogieAfter the release of the highly acclaimed Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies in 2013, which entered the Billboard 200 in the United States at number nine, topped the charts in Austria, Canada, Denmark and Germany, among others, receiving immediate gold and platinum status in those countries, as well as being nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, many fans started to wonder where Danish Rock N’ Roll rebels Volbeat could go after achieving such a great success. Fortunately for all admirers of good old Rock N’ Roll music, those rockers from the stunning city of Copenhagen are still on top form, strong and sparkling with excitement, releasing now their action-packed sixth full-length album entitled Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie.

The album is their first not to feature longtime bassist Anders Kjølholm, who left in November 2015 after being responsible for Volbeat’s rumbling tones since the band’s inception in 2001. Despite that significant change in the lineup, all other ingredients we love in the music by Volbeat are present in the entire album, including obviously their thrilling heavy riffs and the inebriate (and sometimes even hard to understand) vocals by frontman Michael Polsen. Add to that the classy contribution of two very special guests, these being singer Johan Olsen (from Danish rock group Magtens Korridorer) and Canada’s own Danko Jones, and the final result is exactly what every fan of Volbeat could expect from such an accomplished band.

The initial riff in the opening track, the hit single The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, is the purest form of Volbeat you can find on earth, as well as pretty much all vocal lines by Michael Poulsen. Born to be a radio hit, this is the type of song that has all aspects necessary to be successful, such as a catchy chorus, electrified guitars and headbanging beats, which can also be found in the next track, Marie Laveau, another classic Volbeat tune, offering the listener some smooth Rock N’ Roll with a nice melody, not to mention the excellent job done by Rob Caggiano with his always fiery solos. For Evigt (which means “Forever” in Danish), is the song to feature Johan Olsen on guest vocals, being the second collaboration between Olsen and Volbeat following “The Garden’s Tale”. It’s definitely not as amazing as their 2007 classic, but still fresh and exciting, with its guitar riffs and solos, together with the Danish parts of the lyrics, becoming the top moments of this solid Rock N’ Roll song.

I never thought I would see Volbeat singing about a topic usually explored by traditional Heavy Metal bands like what we see in the awesome The Gates of Babylon (“Awakening a goddess in the dark / On a stake she’s been hanging like a doll / Tried to reach for the underworld / Had to pass through the seven gates of hell”), a beautiful composition that adds a lot of harmony and groove to the album and consequently to the band’s portfolio, with even the guitar lines sounding more “Babylonic” than usual. And they do not get tired of firing good rock music, this time entitled Let It Burn, a song that all fans of Volbeat will have a good time listening while on the road, with highlights to Michael’s performance with his Johnny Cash-like vocals enhanced by Rob’s powerful guitar lines.

volbeat 2016Black Rose, featuring Danko Jones, is an awesome Hard Rock hymn perfect for being played on the radio as well, where our guest rocker made in Canada adds a lot of stamina to the song with his heavier and deeper voice; whereas the average Rebound,  a cover version for a generic song by American Punk Rock band Teenage Bottlerocket, brings nothing special to the album. Well, maybe if they turned the electricity up a bit the final result would have been a lot better, because it gets really tiring even having only two and a half minutes. Anyway, girls named Mary Jane will definitely fall in love with the power semi-ballad Mary Jane Kelly, very tuneful and pleasant like most of the songs in the album. Furthermore, Jon Larsen might not be the fastest or most technical drummer in the world, but he knows what to do to make Volbeat’s music thrive. On the other hand, Goodbye Forever is by far the worst of all songs, not because of its rhythm or lyrics, but it’s those horrible choir-like backing vocals that join Michael after three minutes that truly annoy me, being too “churchy” for my taste.

At least that boredom doesn’t last long, as Volbeat blast one of the most electrifying of all songs, the Rock N’ Roll hymn Seal the Deal, with its thrilling rhythm, the blazing solos by Rob, and a first-rate old school Volbeat chorus (“I get groovy / Now turn it on and fight / Seal the deal and let’s boogie for a while / Let’s get groovy / Burning out with rage / Seal the deal and let’s do it all again”). In other words, this is surely one of their best new songs to be added to their live concerts. The second cover of the album, Battleship Chains by American Southern Rock group The Georgia Satellites, sounds a lot better, an old rock classic with a southern sonority nicely played by Volbeat, while You Will Know, the second to last song of the regular version of the album, brings forward more melodic rock crafted in Denmark showcasing passionate performances by all members, with Rob stealing the show once again thanks to his amazing solos. And lastly, the heavy and metallic The Loa’s Crossroad offers the listener a more aggressive side of the band, with its resonant bass guitar and especially its bag pipes adding more violence and epicness to the musicality displayed. Additionally, if you buy the deluxe edition of the album, you’ll also get four awesome bonus tracks that live up to Volbeat’s tradition: a one-minute devastation named Slaytan, the North American version of “For Evigt” entitled The Bliss (where the Danish chorus sung by Johan is replaced by Michael singing it in English), a version of Black Rose without Danko Jones, and a live version of The Devil’s Bleeding Crown recorded in Denmark in 2015.

It might take time for some fans to get used to Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie, mainly because a few of the songs presented in the album sound too “commercial” compared to their old classics, but after a few listens you’ll realize there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the album, it’s simply the Volbeat we all enjoy. Of course, as a huge fan of extreme music, I would love to see Volbeat getting heavier and darker than what they really are in some of their compositions, but it’s undeniable they remain loyal to their roots no matter what, and I respect that a lot. As long as they keep delivering their unique Rock N’ Roll to the world, with Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie being a very good example of that, I’ll continue to be a happy rocker.

Best moments of the album: The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, The Gates of Babylon and Seal the Deal.

Worst moments of the album: Rebound and Goodbye Forever.

Released in 2016 Vertigo/Republic/Universal

Track listing
1. The Devil’s Bleeding Crown 3:56
2. Marie Laveau 3:13
3. For Evigt (feat. Johan Olsen) 4:44
4. The Gates of Babylon 4:34
5. Let It Burn 3:39
6. Black Rose (feat. Danko Jones) 3:55
7. Rebound (Teenage Bottlerocket cover) 2:29
8. Mary Jane Kelly 5:39
9. Goodbye Forever 4:30
10. Seal the Deal 4:09
11. Battleship Chains (Georgia Satellites cover) 3:21
12. You Will Know 4:31
13. The Loa’s Crossroad 4:21

Deluxe edition bonus tracks
14. Slaytan 0:58
15. The Bliss 4:42
16. Black Rose 3:57
17. The Devil’s Bleeding Crown (Live at Tusindårsskoven, Odense 2015) 4:04

Band members
Michael Poulsen – vocals, rhythm guitar
Rob Caggiano – lead guitar, bass guitar
Kaspar Boye Larsen – bass guitar (live)
Jon Larsen – drums, percussion

Guest musicians
Johan Olsen – additional vocals on “For Evigt”
Danko Jones – additional vocals on “Black Rose”

Concert Review – Behemoth (Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 04/26/2016)

Posted on by
Reply

The Satanist triumphed over Toronto, taking no prisoners in a memorable night of darkness and blasphemy.

OPENING ACT: Myrkur

Blasfemia Amerika Tour 2016Only a couple of weeks after watching Iron Maiden kicking fuckin’ ass in Montreal and Toronto, I knew my next concert had to be beyond amazing to keep the electricity flowing, otherwise I would start yawning during the show and not even a cold beer would wake me up. Fortunately, what I was able to witness yesterday at the Phoenix Concert Theatre here in Toronto together with thousands of other crazy metalheads was a fantastic night of obscure and blasphemous music, as part of the infamous Blasfemia Amerika Tour 2016. From start to finish, the night was absolutely flawless. And we were treated to the darkest and most amazing music we could possibly imagine as a warm-up for Behemoth, offered to us all by the gorgeous and charming Danish multi-instrumentalist and model Amalie Bruun, the mastermind behind the one-woman Black Metal project MYRKUR (or “darkness” in Icelandic).

IMG_1254For obvious reasons, our Valkyrie of Black Metal couldn’t deliver the whole concert by herself, having as a very solid support band guitarist Teloch (Mayhem), bassist Liam (Dillinger Escape Plan) and drummer Øyvind Myrvoll (Nidingr), helping her blast Myrkur’s entrancing music last night. She was responsible for both clean (almost operatic) and harsh vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar, dancing and more, though. Is there anything she cannot do? Anyway, with stunning compositions like Den Lille Piges Død (“the little girl’s death” in Danish), Mordet (“assassination”) and her flawless version for Bathory’s Song to Hall Up High, Amalie hypnotized the entire crowd, drawing sighs from every single person during the smoothest passages of her songs and inspiring some decent mosh pits during the heaviest moments. If anyone asked me to summarize Myrkur in only a couple of words, I would definitely select “beauty” and “beast”, and you’ll notice she does that personality split herself on purpose, having two microphones during her performance: her right one being used only for clean vocals, while the left one is used for her demonic screaming. Would this be her depiction of the angel on the right shoulder and the devil on the left? Also, almost at the same time she got flowers from a fan and thanked the audience for such an amazing reception, when a guy asked her to play some nonsense song, she replied with a gentle “suck my dick”. Do you want to know more about this angel of darkness? Go check her BandCamp page, where you can listen to everything she’s already released in her promising career.

Setlist
Den Lille Piges Død
Hævnen
Onde Børn (False Start)
Jeg Er Guden, I Er Tjenerne
Mordet
Dybt I Skoven
Skøgen Skulle Dø
Skaði
Song to Hall Up High (Bathory cover)
Norn (outro)

Band members
Myrkur – vocals, piano, guitar
Teloch – guitar
Liam – bass
Øyvind Myrvoll – drums

BEHEMOTH

IMG_1265Finally, one year after their last concert in Toronto, the best metal band in the history of Poland returned with their magnificent Blackened Death Metal to storm the city once again and leave us all completely disoriented when their black mass was over. If a regular BEHEMOTH gig is already outstanding, I have no words to describe what witnessing them playing The Satanist in its entirety followed by some of their biggest classics feels like. Not only each and every song from The Satanist was played to perfection, but the stage was also amazingly set and the theatrical performance by all band members was sensational. I hope no one from those stupid churches ever goes to a Behemoth concert in Toronto, otherwise they might be banished from Canada like it happened with the band in other places.

If Myrkur was the evil queen of the night, the one and only Adam “Nergal” Darski could be considered our hellish king (or should I say priest?), commanding his loyal bandmates and the entire crowd with his refined technique as a guitarist and his trademark growls. I was eager to see the classic Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel live for the first time, and after Nergal appeared holding two torches up high and the music started, I got even more than what I expected. In addition, after each song of The Satanist the band had something different to offer, either being a disturbing video on the background, some extra smoke, dark lighting, or a wicked narration connecting it to the following opus. I’m not even going to say how incredible my other two favorite chants of the album, Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer and the mesmerizing O Father O Satan O Sun!, sounded. You have to be there to feel their fury and darkness.

IMG_1284When The Satanist part of the gig was concluded, Nergal and his horde still had some classics to blast our ears and fuel the insane circle pits that were consuming the entire venue, starting with the bestial Pure Evil and Hate. If anyone lost their lives during the execution of this anthem, I wouldn’t be surprised. Moreover, both guitarist Patryk Dominik “Seth” Sztyber and bassist Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski seemed to be having a great time during the encores, mainly due to the awesome reaction they got from the fans who couldn’t stop slamming into the pit, and especially during songs like Conquer All and the last one of their setlist, Chant for Eschaton 2000, two high-octane compositions that sound even more powerful live than their already demonic studio versions. Except for the considerable line at the end of the concert for the coat check, everything else was beyond perfect, lefting us all wondering when Behemoth will return to Toronto to take over our beloved city one more time.

Setlist
Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
Furor Divinus
Messe Noire
Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
Amen
The Satanist
Ben Sahar
In the Absence ov Light
O Father O Satan O Sun!

Encore:
Pure Evil and Hate
Antichristian Phenomenon
Conquer All

Encore 2:
At the Left Hand ov God
Slaves Shall Serve
Chant for Eschaton 2000

Band members
Adam “Nergal” Darski – lead vocals, guitars
Patryk Dominik “Seth” Sztyber – guitars
Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski – bass guitar
Zbigniew Robert “Inferno” Promiński – drums and percussion

Album Review – Serpents Lair / Circumambulating the Stillborn (2015)

Posted on by
Reply

If you’re one of those black metallers who can only live in darkness to survive the downfall of our putrescent society, this album is for you.

Rating4

serpents lair coverLet’s keep the streak of darkness alive and burning at The Headbanging Moose with yet another nefarious, caustic and sulphurous Black Metal brigade, this time hailing from the blazing fires of Sjælland, a large island that’s part of Denmark and that’s home to the capital Copenhagen and to the city of Roskilde, among other smaller towns and villages. The band in question is called Serpents Lair, and they’re bringing forth their debut full-length album entitled Circumambulating the Stillborn, a series of dissonant and kaleidoscopic Black Metal hymns tailored for diehard metallers who chose darkness as their sanctuary.

Formed in 2013, Serpents Lair already took the underworld of metal music by storm in 2014, when they released their demo named MMXIV. What was already evil in that demo became even more heinous in Circumambulating the Stillborn due not only to the refined production of the new album, which can also be seen on the amazing cover art by Misanthropic-Art Illustrations, but mainly to the advancements in their compositions, putting together a classic Black Metal sonority with the heartache and sorrow of Doom Metal and Blackened Doom.

What starts like an aria at the house of worship, named by the band as Epipháneia, suddenly becomes a Black Metal attack entitled Epistemology of Death, sounding cleaner than usual but still putrid and devilish. This 9-minute opus, which was one of their demo tracks, offers the listener winged riffs and beats interspersed with obscure and sluggish passages, always blustering those desperate growls and howls of dark music.

serpents lair photoThe title-track, Circumambulating the Stillborn, an old school Black Metal tune with piercing riffs and unholy lyrics (“We salute thee harbingers of the end of man / Oh ye true nihilists, bringer of empty chalices / For thou shalt be the error correcting itself / As thouest thirst to death / In denial of the nothing you bring”), sounds diabolically mesmerizing especially when it slows down; while Mortui Vivos Docent presents an ominous and ritualistic intro before morphing into a profane mass, displaying a demonic musicality with aggressive vocals and fiendish riffs. Furthermore, it never gets too heavy or too fast, just vile enough to disturb our minds from start to finish.

If you thought things couldn’t get more doomed, Serpents Lair bring you an outstanding ode to torment named The Serpentine Gnosis. It is Blackened Doom breathing sulfur from the pits of hell, with its killer drumming and possessed roars only making things even more gripping. And after an eerie instrumental tune named Dwelling on the Threshold to Tartarus, the band burns our souls with the amazing Devouring Wrathe, an ancient form of Black Metal with the album’s high-end production intensifying its blasphemous words (“Spare no praying man, / As he is not of glorious potential / Invite the odious omnipotence / To descend with divine purpose / Let it revelate itself / Upon the congregations of so called righteousness”), its relentless riffs and a morbid feeling of hopelessness to close the album.

In summary, the doomed Black Metal crafted by Serpents Lair at their unhallowed den undoubtedly deserves a shot, in special if you’re one of those metallers who can only live in darkness to survive the downfall of our putrescent society. With that said, you can listen to their music on their YouTube channel, and find Circumambulating the Stillborn for sale at their BandCamp page, at the Fallen Empire Records webstore (US) or at the Duplicate Records webstore (Europe). Just go for it if you have the guts.

Best moments of the album: Circumambulating the Stillborn and The Serpentine Gnosis.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Hellthrasher Productions/Fallen Empire Records/Duplicate Records

Track listing
1. Epipháneia 1:30
2. Epistemology of Death 9:22
3. Circumambulating the Stillborn 5:17
4. Mortui Vivos Docent 8:30
5. The Serpentine Gnosis 8:57
6. Dwelling on the Threshold to Tartarus 2:55
7. Devouring Wrathe 7:04

Band members
*Information not available*

Album Review – Fjorsvartnir / Mzoraxc’ Forbandelse (2015)

Posted on by
Reply

Loyal to the foundations of Black Metal, this talented one-man army from Denmark offers an action-packed album that, above all things, sounds fresh and unique at all times.

Rating4

FJORSVARTNIR - 'Mzoraxc' Forbandelse' , front cover 2015Fans of Scandinavian mythology, Vikings, battles, drinking and atmospheric extreme music, behold the brand new opus by Danish Melodic/Pagan Black Metal one-man army Fjorsvartnir, the excellent Mzoraxc’ Forbandelse, or “Mzoraxc’ Curse” in English. Not only the album took three years to be concluded, but it’s also the first of the band’s three full-length releases to be fully in Danish, and by that you can imagine how organic it sounds and how connected to the themes proposed the music is.

Founded in 2007 in the stunning city of Copenhagen, Denmark by multi-instrumentalist Fjorgynn (who’s supported by three other musicians when it’s time to materialize his music during the band’s live performances), the music by Fjorsvartnir can be at the same time a demonic onslaught and a melodic aria of melancholy, depending on the topic chosen by Fjorgynn when composing his songs. If this is not enough to show you the depth of Fjorsvartnir’s music, maybe the explanation for the name of the band can help you understand that. Fjorsvartnir is another name for Rimfaxe, the black horse that runs over the sky carrying the moon in its chariot, driven by a giant woman named Nat. With that said, are you ready for battle now?

Pagan and nature elements kick off the opening chant, entitled Ravneskrig Og Ulvehyl (“The Raven Scream And The Wolf Howl”), which after a brief acoustic intro becomes a powerful and symphonic exhibit of Scandinavian Black Metal. In addition, it’s impressive how Fjorgynn is capable of crafting such organic and imposing music all by himself, where not only his vocals sound truly demonic but his riffs are also exactly what good extreme music demands. The following tune, Nordens Genopstandelse (“Nordic Resurrection”), is more inclined to traditional Black Metal, with the incorporation of symphonic elements in the background creating a beautiful melody that supports the sonic havoc presented from start to finish. Besides, Fjorgynn delivers desperate vocals mixed with deeper guttural growls, sounding violent and harmonious at the same time.

Embraced by a very solid instrumental, Fjorsvartnir offer us an epic and ominous tune forged in the fires of hell named En Rejse Igennem Fortidens Riger (“A Journey Through Past Kingdoms”), where its keyboards act like a melancholic ray of light in the middle of all the darkness generated by the other instruments, reminding me of some old songs by Dimmu Borgir. Moreover, its last part feels like an ode to anguish, only making it even more enjoyable to fans of Black and Doom Metal. The Viking/Pagan instrumental tune Riget (“Empire”) is a pleasant surprise after so much despair, with Fjorgynn doing a superb job showing his music is more than just pure Black Metal, before Mzoraxc – Mødet Med Underverdenen (“Mzoraxc – Meeting With The Underworld”) rumbles the earth with a creepy intro and a somber rhythm led by its guitar riffs. It has those mesmerizing blast beats found in traditional Black Metal boosted by the harsh growls by Fjorgynn, and although I (unfortunately) do not speak Danish I’m absolutely sure the story told during the song is complex, intense and gripping.

FJORSVARTNIR - promo photo 2015Tailored for fans of complex Extreme Metal, Krigssat contains elements from the most obscure Black Metal from Norway, the more melodic lines from Sweden and the symphonic vibe found in bands from Norway, Finland and the UK, with the gentle and operatic female vocals being a welcome touch of beauty to the song, followed by Det Sidste Slag (“The Last Battle”), a highly recommended soundtrack for an epic battle. I love how the song keeps changing its rhythm and emotions; for instance, you can enjoy sheer brutality through its sick blast beats or feel enfolded by its ominous passages, as there’s excellence for all types of extreme music fans (especially if you are a true black metaller, you’ll go crazy with this incredible composition). Once again, Fjorgynn sounds like a demon incarnate on vocals, which only adds more wickedness to the song. And to properly wrap things up, the melancholic outro Valkyrie provides the listener the sensation of a sorrowful aftermath in a precise and passionate way.

Fjorsvartnir, the Norse creation by the talented Fjorgynn, can be reached through their Facebook page, YouTube channel and ReverbNation, and the energetic Mzoraxc’ Forbandelse can be purchased at the band’s official BandCamp page. Loyal to the foundations of Black Metal, Fjorsvartnir created an action-packed album that, above all things, sounds fresh and unique at all times, even amidst so many other extreme music bands available worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Ravneskrig Og Ulvehyl, Nordens Genopstandelse and Det Sidste Slag.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Grom Records

Track listing
1.Ravneskrig Og Ulvehyl 6:35
2.Nordens Genopstandelse 6:52
3.En Rejse Igennem Fortidens Riger 8:42
4.Riget 2:40
5.Mzoraxc – Mødet Med Underverdenen 6:42
6.Krigssat 6:20
7.Det Sidste Slag 7:48
8.Valkyrie 2:00

Band members
Fjorgynn – vocals, all instruments

Live
Fjorgynn – vocals, lead & rhythm guitar
Helgarm – lead & rhythm guitar
Onslaughter – keyboards
Arent – 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 – Anubis Gate / Horizons (2014)

Posted on by
Reply

Time to enjoy a purifying journey through Danish progressive music.

Rating4

anubis_gate_horizonsIt’s amazing how the impeccable country of Denmark, with a population of only around 5 million people, has already provided the world so many excellent Heavy Metal bands such as Mercyful Fate, Volbeat, Pyramaze, White Lion, Royal Hunt, and also the band in question here, Aalborg-based Melodic Progressive Metal band Anubis Gate. After five full-length albums and one EP, the band releases now their sixth full-length album, Horizons, a really good experience in terms of progressive heavy music.

Although Anubis Gate released their debut album only in 2003, the band members have been working together since 1984, which gives them a stronger background to produce high quality Progressive Metal. Also, despite their almost flawless instrumental, what really caught my attention in Horizons were the clever lyrics in all songs, which by the way were all connected somehow throughout the whole album, enhancing our overall experience with their music just as the band probably desired while composing the album.

Let the voyage begin with Destined To Remember, an excellent progressive song with lots of harmony and a beautiful melody, with highlights to the riffs and drumming after three minutes, and also to the lyrics focusing on the purity of body and mind (“Don’t stray, you’re destined to remember / ‘Cause you can’t stop thinking ‘bout the day / I pray you’ll find what you endeavour / And make peace on the way”). It’s a long song that goes a little over 6 minutes, which by the way is a constant in the whole album, and that gives the band a lot of time to showcase their abilities as musicians.

The following track is a little shorter, maybe due to the fact it’s being used as their single for promoting the album: Never Like This (A Dream) reminds me of some of the songs by German Progressive Metal masters Vanden Plas, with great vocals and the last part of the song being pretty heavy with excellent keyboards. However, Anubis Gate go back to their unique progressiveness with the amazing Hear My Call!,  a heavier tune the likes of old Dream Theater, with interesting breakdowns and an outstanding solo at the end, making it one of the best of the album for sure.

anubis_gateThings get a little boring with Airways, which despite its good acoustic guitar intro and lyrics (“Inhale, exhale, stay awake, keep talking, don’t give in / The arms of death are reaching out to decompose your skin”), the rest of the song is just average and doesn’t keep up with the same level as its predecessor, but Horizons is back on track again with the Power Metal full of heavy riffs and atmospheric keyboards of Revolution Come Undone, a song that sounds perfect for circle pits, even this being something not so common for any progressive music bands.

The next three songs are Breach Of Faith, a more progressive rock tune not so exciting;  Mindlessness, another very Dream Theater-ish track with nice instrumental; and the title-track Horizons, with its good rhythm and amazing drumming. However, it’s with A Dream Within A Dream, a 14-minute sequence for “Never Like This (A Dream)”, where the band really stands out and proves why they’re one of the best progressive bands in the world of heavy music: it’s a truly beautiful song with lots of variations and solos, which you’ll enjoy so much you won’t even notice when it’s over, even being such a long track.

Finally, we have Erasure, a slow and dense ballad with some more beautiful lyrics to end up Horizons in a pleasant way, leaving us with the certainty Anubis Gate will keep providing us more of their fine progressive music in the years to come. And, of course, we’ll be there eagerly waiting for their new music “journeys” and experimentations.

Best moments of the album: Destined To Remember, Hear My Call!, Revolution Come Undone and A Dream Within A Dream.

Worst moments of the album: Airway and Breach Of Faith.

Released in 2014 Nightmare Records

Track listing
1. Destined To Remember 6:02
2. Never Like This (A Dream) 4:07
3. Hear My Call! 6:23
4. Airways 6:49
5. Revolution Come Undone 5:28
6. Breach Of Faith 7:20
7. Mindlessness 6:31
8. Horizons 4:48
9. A Dream Within A Dream 14:09
10. Erasure 3:31

Band members
Henrik Fevre – bass, vocals
Kim Olesen – guitars, keyboards
Michael Bodin – guitars
Morten Gade Sørensen – drums