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Album Review – Motive Black / Auburn (2023)

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Rock on to the debut album by this promising Los Angeles-based band, peeling back the layers to reveal the dark and turbulent emotions that dwell in the heart of vocalist Elana Justin.

Peeling back the layers to reveal the dark and turbulent emotions that dwell in the heart of vocalist Elana Justin, Los Angeles, California-based Alternative Metal/Hard Rock group Motive Black is about to release their debut album, entitled Auburn. In collaboration with Grammy winning guitarist and producer Nick Rowe (Bloodsimple, Vampire Weekend), the duo have reworked songs from Elana’s former New York band, taking the music in a much heavier direction while also having guitarist Marcos Curiel (P.O.D.), drummer Ray Luzier (Korn), and vocalist Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies) as very special guests in the album. Produced by Nick at the legendary NRG Studios and mixed by Josh Wilbur, Auburn, which name was inspired by Elana’s sister’s auburn-colored hair (as losing her forced Elana to reexamine her life and make significant changes to it), will appeal to fans of Evanescence, The Pretty Reckless, Halestorm and In This Moment, among many others, representing a wild ride through that journey of anger, mania, deep love and self-discovery.

Nick wastes no time and begin an incendiary riff attack in Lift Me Up, featuring the she-wolf Carla Harvey as a guest vocalist, with the screams by Carla beautifully complementing the striking vocals by Elana; and featuring Ray Luzier on drums and Marcos Curiel on the guitars, Broken is another onrush of Alternative Rock and Metal that will please all admirers of the music by In This Moment and Halestorm. It’s then time for a headbanging tune titled Let Down, with Elana’s vocals alternating between Nu Metal and modern-day Hard Rock, not to mention how awesome Nick’s bass punches sound, and if you enjoy Halestorm’s modern sound you’ll have a blast with the rockin’ tune Bloodsport, showcasing hints of Punk Rock while Elana keeps kicking ass on vocals. Ray crushes his drums in the heavy and thrilling Caged, supported by the incendiary strings by Nick and, therefore, resulting in one of the best moments of the album. Such groovy and dark atmosphere continues in the Nu Metal feast Purge, again spearheaded by Elana’s strident vocals while Nick extracts tons of electricity from his guitar.

Supported by the frantic beats by Ray, Elana screams and roars in the name of Rock N’ Roll in Cellophane, an electrifying song perfect for slamming into the circle pit, followed by Bad Decisions, one of the most modernized of all songs, blending elements from the music by Korn, Nine Inch Nails and other renowned acts from the 2000’s rock scene. After that, Elana sounds insane in Fake, speeding things up to the classic beats by Ray while Nick’s riffage sets fire to the song’s already flammable vibe in an ass-kicking Alternative Metal extravaganza; whereas despite the solid job done by Ray on drums and the heavy riffs by Nick, the song Fight Alone sounds a bit generic compared to the rest of the album. The title-track Auburn offers our ears a passionate performance by Elana on vocals declaiming its pensive lyrics (“Who are you / When you’re all alone / When there’s no one looking / Do you still feel whole / What’s been living inside your soul / Are you empty inside / Are you empty inside”) while Ray dictates the pace with his pounding beats in a powerful heavy ballad, and lastly as a bonus we’re treated to the radio edit version of Lift Me Up, keeping the same energy of the original version.

The stunning Elana and her Motive Black are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, tour dates, more of their music and other nice-to-know details about the band, and don’t forget to also stream their classy creations on Spotify and to purchase your copy of auburn by clicking HERE. “I’m not an aggressive person,” Elana says. “But my music is very to the core; everything goes into it. I do most of my venting through music. It’s definitely a collaboration with Nick. We feed off each other and we’ve created some really cool music,” and we must all admit their partnership has been very productive and exciting so far, with Auburn becoming a must-listen album in the current American rock and metal landscape.

Best moments of the album: Lift Me Up, Cellophane and Fake.

Worst moments of the album: Fight Alone.

Released in 2023 AFM Records

Track listing
1. Lift Me Up 3:45
2. Broken 4:05
3. Let Down 3:36
4. Bloodsport 3:22
5. Caged  2:50
6. Purge 3:42
7. Cellophane 3:54
8. Bad Decisions 3:07
9. Fake 4:19
10. Fight Alone 3:40
11. Auburn 4:00
12. Lift Me Up (Single Edit) 3:34

Band members
Elana Justin – vocals
Nick Rowe – guitars, bass

Guest musicians
Carla Harvey – vocals on “Lift Me Up”
Ray Luzier – drums on “Broken”, “Caged”, “Cellophane”, “Fake”, “Fight Alone” and “Auburn”
Marcos Curiel – guitars on “Broken”

Album Review – Obituary / Dying of Everything (2023)

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It’s time to die to the sound of the instantly memorable newborn beast by Florida’s undisputed Death Metal heavyweight champions.

If you’re a diehard fan of old school Death Metal, you already know that legendary Gibsonton, Florida-based death metallers Obituary returned to the battlefield last week with their newborn sonic attack, entitled Dying of Everything, the follow-up to their 2017 self-titled album. Recorded by the band at their home studio named RedNeck Studios, mixed by Joe Cincotta at Full Force Studio, and displaying a beautiful yet sinister artwork by Polish artist Mariusz Lewandowski (R.I.P.), Dying Of Everything destroys in the time-honored tradition of early Obituary classics Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death while maintaining the killer studio sound that the band has been perfecting since their 2007 opus Xecutioner’s Return, therefore solidify their legacy as a Death Metal institution and showcasing all the talent and brutality by frontman John Tardy, guitarists Kenny Andrews and Trevor Peres, bassist Terry Butler and drummer Donald Tardy.

The album begins in full force to the sound of the frantic and demonic Barely Alive, where Donald crushes his drums mercilessly in the name of our good old Death Metal. Put differently, what an insane tune by Obituary, and they continue their violent attack in The Wrong Time, which I had the pleasure of seeing live before the album was released when they opened for Amon Amarth in Toronto in December 2022, being absolutely solid, furious and perfect for some sick headbanging. The dirty bass by Terry together with the razor-edged riffage by Kenny and Trevor offer John exactly what he needs to distill his venomous roars in Without a Conscience, sounding neck-breaking and vibrant until the very end, whereas the band then darken the skies to the sound of the sick and vile War, where John once again growls majestically throughout the entire song in a lecture in old school Death Metal. And putting the pedal to the metal it’s time for the title-track Dying of Everything, showcasing an amazing guitar job done by Kenny and Trevor.

In My Will to Live we’re treated to wicked lyrics vociferated by John (“Bury me with a cross, with the cross tide / My will / Sentence me to the sand, liquify / My will to live / My will to live”) amidst a sinister and heavy atmosphere, followed by By the Dawn, featuring a guest guitar solo by David Austin of Nasty Savage, offering us all more of the band’s classic Death Metal spearheaded by the pounding beats by Donald. Then get ready to crush your damned body into the circle pit to the sound of Weaponize the Hate, with the whole band being in absolute sync and, therefore, turning it into one of the best moments of the album hands down; whereas their guitars keep cutting our skin deep without mercy in Torn Apart, another extremely well-crafted tune that represents the past, present and future of Obituary, with John sounding even more enraged than before. Lastly, although heavy and obscure, the mid-tempo Be Warned doesn’t bring the same energy as the rest of the album. John has an excellent vocal performance as usual, though, and the song is still very enjoyable.

In a nutshell, Obituary killed again with dying of Everything, which is by the way available for a full listen on Spotify, proudly keeping the torch of old school Death Metal burning bright wherever they go. Hence, don’t forget to follow those veterans on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their wicked music and videos, and above all that, to grab a copy of such flammable album from their own BandCamp page, from the Relapse Records webstore, or simply click HERE to get your desired version of the album. Dying Of Everything is instantly memorable, and it will surely inspire the band to keep moving forward no matter what. “I think it comes down to passion,” said John. “I say this all the time, but if something’s not fun, I’m not gonna do it. And we’re having more fun than ever.” Well, thank you, John and the rest of Obituary, for such fun album!

Best moments of the album: Barely Alive, War, Weaponize the Hate and Torn Apart.

Worst moments of the album: Be Warned.

Released in 2023 Relapse Records

Track listing
1. Barely Alive 3:32
2. The Wrong Time 4:28
3. Without a Conscience 4:28
4. War 4:25
5. Dying of Everything 4:43
6. My Will to Live 5:20
7. By the Dawn 4:35
8. Weaponize the Hate 4:00
9. Torn Apart 3:37
10. Be Warned 5:49

Band members
John Tardy – vocals
Kenny Andrews – lead guitars
Trevor Peres – rhythm guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Donald Tardy – drums

Guest musician
David Austin – guitar solo on “By the Dawn”

Album Review – Nothingness / Supraliminal (2023)

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Raise your horns to the cauldronous mix of multiple extreme styles carefully crafted by this remorseless Death Metal entity from Minnesota.

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Death Metal purveyors Nothingness are finally back with their sophomore album, entitled Supraliminal, following up on their critically acclaimed 2019 debut album The Hollow Gaze of Death. Tracked, mixed, and mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Recording, produced by Nothingness and Adam Tucker, and displaying a sick artwork by Mark Voortallen (aka Vulture), Supraliminal brings to our ears a cauldronous mix of multiple extreme styles carefully crafted by Barclay Olson on vocals, Alex Walstad on the guitars, bass, syntsh, 12 string and backing vocals, and Jason Hirt on drums, always respecting the history of metal and, therefore, being recommended for admirers of Gorguts, Gojira, Morbid Angel and Iniquity, among others extreme music giants.

Featuring DgS of Suffering Hour on guest vocals, the opening tune Curse of Creation brings forward sick lyrics barked by Barclay (“Formed gilded rotted repeated / Malformed deities adorn Gardens of / Spiritual decay / Death feeds / Mankind breeds / The Flame consumes / resplendently / Life is a curse”) amidst sheer groove, violence and intricacy, and Alex keeps hammering his guitar and bass supported by the massive beast by Jason in the old school Death Metal feast titled Horrendous Incantation, blasting a no shenanigans, in-your-face sonority that will please all fans of the genre. Catapulted Into Hyperspace, featuring guest guitars by YhA of Suffering Hour and guest vocals by XH, offers more of the band’s vicious metal attack, with Jason once again kicking some ass behind his drums, whereas Temple of Broken Swords brings to our ears over six minutes of a disturbing atmosphere generated by the band, resulting in an infernal display of Death Metal spearheaded by the visceral roars by Barclay.

And that heavy and somber ambience keeps darkening our minds in Festering Abstraction, presenting hints of Blackened Doom for our total delight; followed by Inviolate Viscera, featuring guest Jubjy on vibraslap and YhA once again on the guitars, the shortest of all songs but exhaling pure evil spiced up by its vile lyrics (“Wandering down writhing corridors / Twisting turning / Coming apart at the seams / Tunnels worming ever inward / Fluid leaking from in between”). Then blending Death and Doom Metal in a meticulous manner, the band fires seven Stygian minutes in Beacon of Loss, where Jason pounds his drums manically while Barclay vociferates deeply until the very last second, and get ready to have your skull crushed by the band in The Anvil, one of the heaviest songs of the album led by the venomous growling by Barclay, overflowing groove and sulfur. Lastly, DgS is back on vocals in Decimation Mechanism, starting in a very sinister way before morphing into one final onrush of obscure death, also showcasing an amazing job done on the guitars by Alex.

You can soon put your dirty, damned hands on Supraliminal by purchasing the album from the Everlasting Spew Records’ BandCamp page or webstore in CD or tape format, and don’t forget to also start following Nothingness on Facebook and on Instagram for all things surrounding the band, and to stream more of their wicked creations on Spotify. In a nutshell, those Minneapolis guys definitely know how to create crushing, visceral, heavy-as-hell Death Metal, with Supraliminal presenting a big step in their career and, consequently, pointing to a bright future ahead of them without a shadow of a doubt.

Best moments of the album: Horrendous Incantation, Temple of Broken Swords and The Anvil.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Everlasting Spew Records

Track listing
1. Curse of Creation 4:31
2. Horrendous Incantation 4:19
3. Catapulted Into Hyperspace 4:37
4. Temple of Broken Swords 6:36
5. Festering Abstraction 5:10
6. Inviolate Viscera 2:37
7. Beacon of Loss 7:11
8. The Anvil 3:42
9. Decimation Mechanism 4:43

Band members
Barclay Olson – vocals
Alex Walstad – guitar, bass, synth, 12 string, backing vocals
Jason Hirt – drums

Guest musicians
DgS – additional vocals on “Curse of Creation” and “Decimation Mechanism”
YhA – additional guitars on “Catapulted Into Hyperspace” and “Inviolate Viscera”
XH – additional vocals on “Catapulted Into Hyperspace”
Jubjy – vibraslap on “Inviolate Viscera”

Album Review – Throat Locust / Dragged Through Glass EP (2023)

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A newborn Texas-based outfit will attack your senses with the merciless Death Metal from their debut effort, emerging straight out of the impending doom.

Formed in 2022 and influenced by classic Florida Death Metal, but seasoned with Bolt Thrower and Pantera’s Texas groove, Corpus Christi, Texas-based Death Metal outfit Throat Locust seeks to create extreme music with a broad appeal, producing merciless Death Metal that emerges straight out of the impending doom as it can be seen in their debut EP, entitled Dragged Through Glass. Formed of Gil Perez on vocals, Eric Calvert and Alex Gregory on the guitars, Adrian Cavazos on bass, and Rob Cantu on drums, the band has been focusing on refining their brutal sound and preparing to start cracking skulls in a basements of the touring circuit armed with their newborn opus, showcasing an epic insight into the quintet’s heavy realms and, therefore, being highly recommended for admirers of Obituary, Bolt Thrower, Dismember and Gatecreeper, among several others.

The dirty, raw riffs by Eric and Alex ignite the infuriated Death Metal tune entitled Death Lurker, preparing the stage for Gil to roar like a demonic beast in a straightforward, in-your-face metal attack with no shenanigans nor any artificial elements. Then we have Corruption & Greed, even more demented than the opening song, with the band taking their heaviness and rage to a whole new level while Rob keeps hammering his drums in the name of classic Death Metal, always supported by the solid bass lines by Adrian. In other words, I would love to hear more of this version of Throat Locust in their future releases. Lastly, closing the EP it’s time for a headbanging feast named Axe Grinder, offering more of the band’s brutalizing music with Gil once again barking and growling deeply while Eric and Alex pierce our ears with their razor-edged riffs and solos.

In a nutshell, the pulverizing Dragged Through Glass, which will soon be available on Spotify and also on sale from the band’s own BandCamp page, from Apple Music and from Amazon, represents exactly what the band itself explained about their music, being violent yet melodic, raw yet groovy, working as a great start to the new path being paved by Throat Locust. Hence, don’t forget to get in touch with those talented Texans through Facebook and Instagram, or simply click HERE for all things Throat Locust. Both the name of the band and of the EP already tell you that the music is going to be brutal, which is exactly Throat Locust’s goal, and they more than succeeded in their quest for violence throughout the EP’s 12 minutes of music. Needless to say, I can’t wait to see what’s next for those guys when they’re able to release a full-bodied album in the near future.

Best moments of the album: Corruption & Greed.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Death Lurker 4:31
2. Corruption & Greed 3:27
3. Axe Grinder 4:41

Band members
Gil Perez – vocals
Eric Calvert – lead guitars
Alex Gregory – rhythm guitars
Adrian Cavazos – bass
Rob Cantu – drums

Album Review – Absolute Darkness / Failure Of State (2022)

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***Review by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) Zine, VM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

Failure of State is the third full length instalment from San Franciscan Death/Thrash quartet Absolute Darkness. Part album, part call to arms, Absolute Darkness’s first opus since 2018’s Disaster Awaits is a rabble rousing affair as well as a slamming indictment of modern day society and those that pretend to govern us.

Opening tracks Rounded Up and Mob Rules are anger fueled slabs of hatred that talk of sparking rebellion and standing for what’s right, and those messages are delivered through fast paced riffs and drumming on top of a bass heavy rhythm and powerful growling vocal work. This is not a band calling for a peaceful resolution, that’s for damn sure.

Some tracks despair at the state of the world, such as Sanity Is Gone whilst others come at things from a different perspective, as is the case during My Forever Rule in which the band put themselves into the shoes of a dictator and ask the question; why do the people oppose me?

A very interesting album and thematically engaging and varied. Musically the fare is direct and well performed though a little unspectacular. Absolute Darkness create music with a mainly Thrash mentality (And a few hardcore sensibilities) and then thrown in more Death Metal style vocals, as well as some meatier DM riffs. Certainly anyone of a political leaning should check this out; it will stoke the fires of your anger.

Best moments of the album: The rabble rousing stomp and ceremony of Mob Rules.

Worst moments of the album: No bad moments though the album is a little samey.

Released in 2022 by Sliptrick Records

Track listing
1. Rounded Up 4:13
2. Mob Rule 4:49
3. Sanity Is Gone 4:28
4. My Forever Rule 4:00
5. Failure Of State 4:42
6. My Assassination 4:00
7. The Republic 3:59
8. Unite! 3:37

Bonus tracks
9. Chaos Unleashed 4:33
10. Mad King 5:35
11. On My Way To Death 4:55

Band members
Ron Dorn – vocals, guitars
Douglas Vetter II – lead guitars, backing vocals
Orson Sojo – bass
Emad Dajani – drums

Links
Absolute Darkness Facebook | Instagram | YouTube  | BandCamp | Spotify

Concert Review – Amon Amarth (History, Toronto, ON, 12/02/2022)

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A beautiful night where all Vikings of Toronto put their backs into the oar and rowed in the name of heavy music together with the one and only Amon Amarth. 

OPENING ACTS: Cattle Decapitation, Obituary and Carcass

The last concert of 2022 (at least for me) couldn’t have been any better, as Toronto had the pleasure of hosting The Great Heathen Tour 2022 at this amazing new venue called History, which was by the way inaugurated in November 2021 and belongs to Toronto’s own rapper Drake, with the bands CATTLE DECAPITATION, OBITUARY, CARCASS and the unstoppable heathen horde AMON AMARTH. The venue is in a nice area of the city, near the beaches, with plenty of parking options and decent places to eat nearby such as The Burger’s Priest, making the whole experience a lot more enjoyable than going to a concert at Rebel, for example.

And everything was so well-organized, from the line to get into the venue to the merch booths, bars and coat check, that between the doors opening at 5:30pm and the first concert I had time to do all that and still had 15-20min left before American Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore outfit CATTLE DECAPITATION hit the stage at 6:30pm sharp with their vicious sonic attack. Still promoting their 2019 album Death Atlas, the band spearheaded by frontman Travis Ryan needed less than a minute to inspire the crowd to create a massive circle pit in the middle of the floor section, and that circle pit went on and on until the very end of their concert (and of the entire night, I might say). Moreover, although their setlist was extremely short, it was solid enough to put a smile on the faces of their diehard fans, with the pulverizing Bring Back the Plague being the icing on the cake of their great performance.

Setlist
Anthropogenic: End Transmission
The Geocide
Vulturous
The Great Dying Pt. II
Finish Them
We Eat Our Young
Time’s Cruel Curtain
Bring Back the Plague

Band members
Travis Ryan – vocals
Josh Elmore – lead guitars
Belisario Dimuzio – rhythm guitars
Olivier Pinard – bass
David McGraw – drums

If you’re familiar with the laws, rules and regulations in Toronto you know that most concerts must finish by 11pm depending on the neighborhood where the venue is located, so you can imagine that with four amazing bands like the ones from last night there weren’t any huge breaks in between bands. That being said, I had time to grab a quick beer before one of the biggest Death Metal institutions of all time, the unstoppable OBITUARY, began their insane performance led by the iconic vocalist John Tardy and the crushing drums by his younger brother Donald Tardy. It was again a short but precise and infernal performance by those American death metallers, blending their old school stuff the likes of I’m in Pain with a brand new song from their upcoming 2023 album Dying of Everything, the demolishing The Wrong Time, and by the reaction of the crowd to each and every song played by Obituary we know they’ll keep moving forward no matter what for many years to come. Needless to say, I can’t wait for Dying of Everything next year.

Setlist
Snortin’ Whiskey (Pat Travers Band song)
Redneck Stomp
Sentence Day
A Lesson in Vengeance
Visions in My Head
Circle of the Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover)
The Wrong Time
I’m in Pain
Don’t Care

Band members
John Tardy – vocals
Kenny Andrews – lead guitars
Trevor Peres – rhythm guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Donald Tardy – drums

Another short break, another beer, and then it was finally time for my first ever face-to-face meeting with England’s own Melodic Death Metal/Death ‘n’ Roll trailblazers CARCASS, one of the very few bands I’ve always been a fan of but that I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing live. Still promoting their fantastic 2021 album Torn Arteries, Jeff Walker, Bill Steer, Tom Draper and Daniel Wilding put on a marvelous show for the delight of all fans at the venue, igniting some sick mosh pits to the sound of Incarnated Solvent Abuse, This Mortal Coil, Genital Grinder, and my favorite Carcass song of all time, Heartwork. Hopefully, Carcass will keep delivering amazing material such as Torn Arteries in the coming years, which means more world tours of course, because Toronto loves Carcass and we’re eager to see them again in a not-so-distant future.

Setlist
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (Intro)
Buried Dreams
Kelly’s Meat Emporium
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
Under the Scalpel Blade
This Mortal Coil
Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B)
Genital Grinder
The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Heartwork
Carneous Cacoffiny (Outro)

Band members
Jeff Walker – vocals, bass
Bill Steer – guitars, backing vocals
Tom Draper – guitars
Daniel Wilding – drums

AMON AMARTH

At long last, just like what happened with Cannibal Corpse, the unparalleled Swedish Melodic Death Metal horde AMON AMARTH was finally able to return to Canada after three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the wait was beyond worth it as their concert yesterday in Toronto was superb to say the least. Those Swedish Vikings kicked some serious ass from the very first second of the classic Guardians of Asgaard (and yes, they’re starting their shows this tour already with a bang), with frontman Johan Hegg being on fire with his deep roars and a very respectful beard. All songs form their 2022 album The Great Heathen Army sounded fantastic live, in special the title-track The Great Heathen Army, adding an extra taste to their incendiary setlist full of classic songs including Destroyer of the Universe and Shield Wall.

The most memorable moment for all fans at the venue was undoubtedly when the band played their new hit Put Your Back Into the Oar, when halfway through it the whole floor section sat down and began rowing like in a Viking ship. That was amazing, really, really fun, proving Amon Amarth are one of those bands that know exactly how to captivate their audiences and interact with each and every fan in the most exciting way possible. If you’re attending one of their upcoming concerts, don’t forget to join the rowing. Their music is awesome, their stage is getting better and better with each tour, but the rowing is something so unique I think it should be mandatory for anyone who purchases a ticket to participate. I can’t wait for the next time Amon Amarth takes the city of Toronto by storm, and I’ll surely be there to put my back into the oar again! ROW! ROW! ROW!

It’s always great to enjoy a night of heavy music in Toronto, to share a few beers with your friends, and to see several familiar faces in the crowd. However, there was one of those familiar faces missing, and it was THE MOST familiar face of the Toronto metal scene. Our beloved super metal fan Walter Froeberich passed away on November 26 after trying to get help for nearly ten days for a serious abdominal pain, but he was allegedly sent home with just some antibiotics and, sadly, died at home in the end. His closest friends organized a protest in front of St. Joseph’s Hospital today demanding justice for Walter, and I really hope something is done to make sure that type of situation doesn’t ever happen again with anyone else in Toronto. I didn’t formally know Walter, but I’ve shared the pit with him many, many times and I’ll miss him in all future concerts in the city. When Amon Amarth played the excellent Raise Your Horns, I raised my horns for Walter, and I’m sure one day I’ll say hello to him in person when we meet in Valhalla again.

Setlist
Run to the Hills (Iron Maiden song)
Guardians of Asgaard
Raven’s Flight
Deceiver of the Gods
Oden Owns You All
The Pursuit of Vikings
The Great Heathen Army
Get in the Ring
Destroyer of the Universe
Put Your Back Into the Oar
Cry of the Black Birds
The Way of Vikings
First Kill
Shield Wall
Raise Your Horns

Encore:
Twilight of the Thunder God

Band members
Johan Hegg – vocals
Olavi Mikkonen – lead guitar
Johan Söderberg – rhythm guitar
Ted Lundström – bass
Jocke Wallgren – drums

Album Review – Disturbed / Divisive (2022)

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David Draiman and his henchmen are back with a blistering angry album, bringing to our avid ears ten tracks of visceral, unfiltered Disturbed throughout its 38 minutes of duration.

With over 17 million records sold worldwide, Chicago, United States-based Heavy/Alternative Metal giants Disturbed have just released their eighth studio album, entitled Divisive, following up on their 2015 critically acclaimed album Immortalized and their 2018 not-so-acclaimed effort Evolution. As early as October 2020, frontman David Draiman stated that he wanted the new Disturbed album to be “blisteringly angry”, considering everything going on in the world with the pandemic, and let’s say the band more than succeeded in that with Divisive. Produced, mixed and engineered by Drew Fulk and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, the album puts the band comprised of the aforementioned David Draiman on vocals, Dan Donegan on the guitar, John Moyer on bass and Mike Wengren on drums back on track, bringing to our avid ears ten tracks of visceral, unfiltered Disturbed throughout its 38 minutes of duration.

The opening track Hey You will already kick you in the head with its direct and inspiring lyrics vociferated by David (“Hey you / Have you had enough of it? / How the blind are leading the blind / Hey you / Are you angered enough / Do you feel confined / Are you losing your mind”), while the music exhales classic Disturbed for our total delight; whereas Mike hammers his drums mercilessly in the dark and heavy Bad Man accompanied by the rumbling bass by John in another display of the band’s trademark Alternative Metal. Then we have the title-track Divisive, which should work amazingly when played during their live concerts with David spearheading his henchmen with another solid vocal performance, being perfect for some fierce headbanging (not to mention how awesome Dan’s guitar solo sounds). And even heavier and more dynamic, Unstoppable presents a bestial performance by Mike on drums once again while David’s soaring vocals walk hand in hand with the slashing riffage by Dan, sounding very exciting from start to finish, whereas the metallic bass by John builds a strong base for David to roar in Love to Hate, a straightforward tune by Disturbed that feels like it was taken from one of their classic albums.

Feeding the Fire leans towards the band’s more recent albums like Immortalized, with David investing in deeper, more melancholic vocals, resulting in a fist-raising tune to the classic beats by Mike and the always incendiary riffs by Dan. After that, the band fires the beautiful Don’t Tell Me, inspired by guitarist Dan Donegan’s divorce from his wife of 18 years and featuring the iconic American singer Ann Wilson (best known as the lead singer of Heart), where an introspective start to the clean vocals by David evolves into a stunning dark ballad. Furthermore, their vocal duet is superb, overflowing passion and feeling, while the rest of the band makes sure the music remains heavy and touching until the very end. Get ready to jump up and down with Disturbed in the electrifying Take Back Your Life, bringing to our ears modern-day Alternative Metal with a straightforward chorus and a groovy instrumental, and if you want groove and heaviness you’ll have a blast to the sound of Part of Me, with John and mike generating a reverberating ambience perfect for David’s raspy vocals. And finally, we have Won’t Back Down, a great tune to close the album offering us all more of Disturbed’s undisputed heavy music, and I’m sure it will also inspire fans to raise their fists with the band if played live.

In summary, David Draiman and his henchmen did an excellent job with Divisive, especially if you compare it to Evolution, reigniting that amazing level of energy found in most of their previous albums, and you can enjoy that in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, or simply purchase your favorite version of the album by clicking HERE. Moreover, Disturbed can also be found on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for news, tour dates and more of their thrilling music. Although the name of the album is Divisive, I doubt it’s going to cause disagreement or hostility between people (as per the word’s own definition); quite the contrary, it doesn’t matter if you’re a longtime Disturbed fan or a newcomer to their rockin’ realm, you’ll certainly have a lot of fun while listening to such powerful album by an unstoppable band that continues to shine as one of the most important rock and metal groups of the past few decades.

Best moments of the album: Hey You, Unstoppable, Don’t Tell Me and Part of Me.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Reprise Records

Track listing
1. Hey You 4:28
2. Bad Man 3:22
3. Divisive 3:58
4. Unstoppable 3:58
5. Love to Hate 3:36
6. Feeding the Fire 4:19
7. Don’t Tell Me 4:31
8. Take Back Your Life 2:58
9. Part of Me 3:53
10. Won’t Back Down 2:52

Band members
David Draiman – vocals
Dan Donegan – guitar
John Moyer – bass
Mike Wengren – drums

Album Review – Diabology / Father of Serpents (2022)

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***Review by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) Zine, VM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

The sophomoric album from young Los Angeles based trio Diabology, Father of Serpents is the band’s first opus with new bassist Destin Treu who replaces previous bass player Joseph Mazisyuk. Another significant change is that whilst debut album Nobody Believes Me was self-released, Father of Serpents has label backing through Dissonant Hymns Records.

Their debut album was nothing short of an out right banger. Playing an insanely catchy brand of Blackened Thrash Metal, Diabology came out of the blocks with all guns blazing and laid a foundation with which to build something really special. Two years on and their second opus sees the band effect a stylistic shift. Gone is the Blackened influence and in comes a more modern sounding Thrash Metal with a huge amount of Groove Metal influence.

Diabology also pulls off something for the second time that a lot of bands never manage, and that is creating an album that gets stronger and stronger the further in you get. For the first few tracks they hammer out some impressive but steady tracks that are in the process of feeling out the bands new more mainstream direction. However, by the time they kick into the superbly melodic Eat My Heart Out they are well and truly at home. During March to the Sea there is something about the vocal structure that kept bringing System of A Down to mind, whilst the chugging ferocity of Ode to Ogtha has an almost Sludge like quality to the riffs as well as a little Death Metal influence around the guitar leads. New bassist Destin Treu also becomes far more prominent as the album progresses and has some impressive bass leads during this track and the equally powerful Chimera.

Their debut album is a nasty blackened slice of filthy thrash with a lot of stank on it. Father of Serpents is a far more progressive and mature offering that grows in power and intrigues the further into the journey you venture. Plus you have to love an album that features a song about fucking cockroaches!

Best moments of the album: From the start of March to the Sea until the album’s climax is spectacular.

Worst moments of the album: Nada!

Released in 2022 by Dissonant Hymns Records

Track listing
1. Father of Serpents 4:15
2. Writhe 3:21
3. The Softest Grave 4:15
4. Eat My Heart Out 5:03
5. Spoil 2:03
6. Blackblood 3:35
7. March to Sea 4:58
8. Ode to Ogtha 5:20
9. Chimera 5:37
10. Lighthouse Hymn 5:41

Band members
Jesse Bergen – vocals, guitars, bass
Jack Kleinman – guitars, bass on “Spoil” and “Chimera”
Matt Morales – drums

Links
Diabology Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linktree | Spotify | BandCamp | YouTube

Concert Review – Cannibal Corpse (The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON, 11/06/2022)

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And there we had another fantastic night of sheer brutality and blasphemy in Toronto spearheaded by the Corpse. 

OPENING ACTS: Black Anvil, Immolation and Dark Funeral

What a fantastic night of sheer brutality and blasphemy at The Danforth Music Hall yesterday in Toronto! If you’re a diehard fan of Death and Black Metal you must attend one of the concerts of the North American Tour 2022 this fall with the bands BLACK ANVIL, IMMOLATION, DARK FUNERAL and the unstoppable, unparalleled CANNIBAL FUCKIN’ CORPSE, with the sold out night yesterday in Toronto proving how strong extreme music still is even with all the bad music that’s dumped onto us everyday by the “specialized” media. The weather was perfect and the line to get into the venue started to form really early, maybe even before 4pm, showing it was going to be indeed an unforgettable night to all 1,500 fans who were lucky enough to get a ticket.

The first band to hit the stage was New York-based Black/Thrash Metal outfit BLACK ANVIL, but I had to miss the first few minutes of their setlist due to the massive line to buy merch. Unfortunately, the never-ending merch lines seem to be the new norm as that has happened in every single concert I’ve been to after the end of the pandemic, which makes me wonder if the fans are willing to spend a lot of extra money with shirts and other merch fearing that a new pandemic might hit anytime, or that the organizers have no clue what they’re doing and can’t put together a decent way to serve all fans that want to buy some merch. Anyway, back to the music, as soon as I was able to get into the main hall I could enjoy Black Anvil’s straightforward, no shenanigans performance, with their drummer stealing the spotlight with a solid performance. They’ve just released a new album this Friday, entitled Regenesis, which was basically everything they played last night, so if you know nothing about them and are attending one of their concerts opening for Cannibal Corpse you must listen to their new opus. Well, you should listen to it even if you’re not attending any concert, as those guys are great.

Setlist
The Gates of Brass
In Two
The Bet
29
8-Bit Terror
Grant Us His Love
Castrum Doloris

Band members
P.D. – vocals, bass
Sos – guitars
Travis Bacon – guitars
R.G. – drums

After a very short break (and the main reason for that is because all four bands had to finish their concerts by 11pm at the latest due to the neighborhood where the venue is located), it was then time for American Death Metal masters IMMOLATION to crush our souls with their extremely aggressive and technical creations, blending songs from their newest album Acts of God, such as the title-track An Act of God, Shed the Light and the closing song Apostle, with old school stuff including one song from their 1991 debut album Dawn of Possession, the fulminating Burial Ground, which ignited one of the most ravenous mosh pits of their infernal performance. Vocalist and bassist Ross Dolan was on fire throughout their entire set, while his bandmates made sure the electricity kept flowing between the band and the crowd. I’m sure it won’t take long for Immolation to return to Toronto,  and whenever that happens I’m sure I’ll be there to slam into the pit once again to the sound of their visceral music.

Setlist
Abandoned
An Act of God
The Age of No Light
Swarm of Terror
Noose of Thorns
The Distorting Light
Overtures of the Wicked
Burial Ground
Shed the Light
Of Martyrs and Men
When Halos Burn
Apostle

Band members
Ross Dolan – vocals, bass
Robert Vigna – guitars
Alex Bouks – guitars
Steve Shalaty – drums

Of course I was at The Danforth Music Hall last night mainly to see the headliners Cannibal Corpse, but I was also very excited to witness the scorching Black Metal by Sweden’s own DARK FUNERAL for the very first time live, and let me tell you it was indeed a unique experience as the band spearheaded by the talented frontman Heljarmadr delivered endless obscurity and blasphemy to their avid fans. Promoting their awesome new opus We Are The Apocalypse, Dark Funeral fired a great fusion of their early days and more contemporary creations, with songs the likes of Leviathan, The Secrets of the Black Arts and Let the Devil In receiving a huge roar back from the crowd showing all their admiration for the band. It was also funny seeing Heljarmadr asking every single fan at the venue to scream “HAIL SATAN!” together with him, and I can’t imagine what the girls at the bar and the guys from security felt during such inspirational moments. The top moments of their performance for me were the neck-breaking, evil tune My Funeral, and the closing song Where Shadows Forever Reign, turning Toronto into the worldwide Black Metal capital for one night and, therefore, guaranteeing Dark Funeral will return to the city to darken the skies once again with their undisputed Black Metal in the near future.

Setlist
Unchain My Soul
Hail Murder
Leviathan
My Funeral
The Secrets of the Black Arts
Open the Gates
When I’m Gone
Nail Them to the Cross
Let the Devil In
Where Shadows Forever Reign

Band members
Heljarmadr – vocals
Lord Ahriman – guitars
Chaq Mol – guitars
Adra Melek – bass
Jalomaah – drums

CANNIBAL CORPSE

And finally there they were, three years after their hammering performance at The Opera House back in 2019 (which was by the way my last concert before the world went to shit with the pandemic), Buffalo, New York’s one and only Death Metal institution CANNIBAL CORPSE took the city of Toronto by storm once again with their rage, speed, heaviness, precision and groove, driving the entire floor section mental and, consequently, igniting a massive circle pit that lasted for their entire performance. Frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher (armed with his monstrous neck and his beyond cool T-shirt “Respect the Neck”), guitarists Rob Barrett and Erik Rutan, the bass phenom Alex Webster, and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz were in absolute sync from start to finish, turning up the eat at the venue to the point you would sweat even if you were not moving at all.

What I love about Cannibal Corpse is that their setlists are always a journey through all of their phases, mixing classics the likes of Unleashing the Bloodthirsty and Stripped, Raped and Strangled with newer stuff such as Kill or Become and Inhumane Harvest, this one form their most recent album Violence Unimagined. Corpsegrinder had the crowd in his bloody hands instantly, delivering not only a savage vocal performance but also interacting in a very fun way with all fans, either by throwing bottles of water to them or by challenging everyone to try to beat him in a headbanging duel during I Cum Blood (and of course, we all failed miserably as Corpsegrinder himself predicted). Another fun moment with Corpsegrinder was before Fucked With a Knife, when he dedicated it to all women and instead of hearing guys cheering that, he actually listened to A LOT of women screaming at the venue. He commented on that by saying there are usually only 20 women in their concerts, which is already a lot in his opinion, and when he asked the ladies to scream again they were even louder. Well, after such nice moment, the circle pit kept moving ferociously to Fucked With a Knife, as expected.

Every single time I write anything about Cannnibal Corpse I need to say how much I admire Mr. Alex Webster and his wicked bass lines, and yesterday in Toronto he proved once again why he’s the best bass player of the entire Death Metal universe. That man is a beast on bass, and the best part is that you can actually listen to each and every note coming from his bass clearly. And while Mr. Webster was demolishing our ears with his bass during masterpieces the likes of Devoured by Vermin, A Skull Full of Maggots and Hammer Smashed Face, the rowdy crowd in Toronto kept having a very good time inside the circle pit in the name of first-class metal music. It’s so nice to be a fan of a band like Cannibal Corpse, as not only all of their albums are amazing, but their live performances are a thing of beauty. There should be a law for the band to play here at least once a month, but as that’s not possible I’m happy if they kept releasing ass-kicking albums and keep coming back to Toronto every couple of years. LONG LIVE THE CORPSE!

Setlist
Scourge of Iron
The Time to Kill Is Now
Inhumane Harvest
Code of the Slashers
Fucked With a Knife
The Wretched Spawn
Gutted
Kill or Become
I Cum Blood
Evisceration Plague
Death Walking Terror
Condemnation Contagion
Necrogenic Resurrection
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Devoured by Vermin
A Skull Full of Maggots
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Rob Barrett – lead and rhythm guitar
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Alex Webster – bass guitar
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

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Album Review – Lorna Shore / Pain Remains (2022)

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One of the most explosive names of the current Deathcore scene invites us all to dance like flames in a sea of fire to the sound of their newborn masterpiece.

Hailing from New Jersey, in the United States, the unrelenting Progressive/Symphonic Deathcore outfit Lorna Shore has been making a name for themselves since their inception back in 2009, but it’s now in 2022 with their newborn masterpiece Pain Remains that we can say without a shadow of a doubt they’ve reached a whole new level of awesomeness. Produced, mastered, mixed, and engineered by Josh Schroeder, Pain Remains is the fourth studio album in their career and the first to feature frontman Will Ramos, guitarist Andrew O’Connor and bassist Michael Yager, who together with guitarist Adam De Micco and drummer Austin Archey are simply setting new standards in the world of rock and metal music, sounding absolutely heavy, caustic and sinister while at the same time epic and beautiful throughout the album’s 60 minutes of top-of-the-line Deathcore infused with symphonic and old school death nuances. Put differently, you’re in for a treat with Pain Remains, an album that will certainly place Lorna Shore as one of the driving forces of modern-day metal music worldwide, and that will certainly feature among the best releases of the year.

A stunning opening tune, Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer showcases poetic lyrics roared by Will (“Open your mind, let it consume / Your flesh dissolve within the infinite / The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of all / Their nightmares”) while the music is a gripping fusion of progressiveness, epicness and rage; and Austin decimates his drums in the pulverizing Into the Earth, supported by the flammable riffs by Adam and Andrew in a bestial display of Symphonic Deathcore. Sun//Eater is another tune with a serene, introspective start before all hell breaks loose to the demonic gnarls by Will, sounding and feeling dense, technical and infernal from start to finish, with its guitar solos being a thing of beauty, making an instant bridge with the imposing Cursed to Die (a song about the creation of life, bringing upon the idea that maybe the figure we see as ‘god’ is no different than what we already are) where the band hammers our heads with their wall of sounds spearheaded by the blast beats by Austin and the rumbling bass by Michael. And less intense but just as heavy and obscure, Soulless Existence offers us all a lesson in Progressive Metal where Will keeps screaming manically from the bottom of his blackened heart, all spiced up by the song’s epic background keys.

In Apotheosis the background choir sounds marvelous, adding an extra touch of obscurity to the band’s venomous Deathcore while also presenting a great job done on the guitars and drums, offering Will exactly what he needs to growl nonstop; whereas in Wrath we’re treated to more of their wicked words barked by Will (“Behold displacement, cremation / Rising from devastation / From embers of creation unto death / All shall return”) masterfully embraced by an unstoppable sonic attack by his bandmates, or in other words, it’s Symphonic Deathcore played to perfection. Then get ready for a truly unique experience to the superb “Pain Remains Trilogy”, which begins with Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames, where the sound of the falling rain enfolds our souls before exploding into visceral, caustic Deathcore. Moreover, Austin is simply fantastic behind his drums, leading his bandmates until the music flows into Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear, even more violent and crushing than the first part, with Will being on absolute fire throughout the entire song as well as the band’s guitar duo with their razor-edged riffs and solos. Then closing the trilogy (and the album) we have Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire, another masterpiece by Lorna Shore where the energy emanating from the music is immensurable, and don’t forget to check the official videos for the trilogy in the correct order to be properly hypnotized by their depth, their emotions and, of course, by their incredible music.

You can dive deep into the ocean of first-class Deathcore blasted by Lorna Shore in Pain Remains by listening to the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and also by following such skillful band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on. In addition, above all that, you should definitely grab your favorite version of Pain Remains by clicking HERE, adding to your personal collection one of the deepest and most dynamic albums of the past few years. Having said all that, let’s simply dance like flames in a sea of fire to the sound of Pain Remains, resting assured that as long as Lorna Shore keep delivering first-class music like what’s found in their new album, Deathcore will forever remain strong.

Best moments of the album: Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer, Wrath, and obviously the “Pain Remains Trilogy” comprised of Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames, Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear and Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Century Media

Track listing
1. Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer 7:21
2. Into the Earth 5:12
3. Sun//Eater 6:10
4. Cursed to Die 4:40
5. Soulless Existence 7:12
6. Apotheosis 4:54
7. Wrath 4:57
8. Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames 5:52
9. Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear 5:36
10. Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire 9:12

Band members
Will Ramos – vocals
Adam De Micco – guitar
Andrew O’Connor – guitar
Michael Yager – bass
Austin Archey – drums