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Root – Viginti Quinque Annis In Scaena (Review)

Coming from the Czech Republic; Root play Black/Dark Metal and this is a live album spanning the band’s 25 year career.

The songs are veritable feasts of riffery that show the origins of Black Metal and darkened Thrash and are used effectively to create highly enjoyable Old-School Metal. Well-written songs in the hands of veteran Metallers was always going to end well.

The vocals are experimental, playful, varied and above all commanding and powerful – this is a singer who knows exactly what his voice is capable of and revels in showing off its abilities. He lends a very unique sheen to an already strong musical passage.

Boasting a raw yet clear and dynamic sound; this live album really makes you feel part of the show. More than just a recorded document it allows the songs to breathe and flex their considerable musical muscles and expand into your head so that you can feel the blood, sweat and passion exuded by the band.

A lot of live albums fall short of the mark for me, but this one does everything it is meant to do. As an overview and celebration of Root it’s just a great performance.

Coraxo – Starlit Flame (Review)

Coming from Finland, Coraxo play Industrial Death Metal with a strong Aliens theme running through the tracks on this release.

After a suitable intro we get first song Signal Detected which positively bounces along in a jolly, sci-fi kind of way; melodic Death Metal under a covering of electronics and effects; like At The Gates/Dark Tranquillity and The Kovenant/Deathstars/Neurotech fighting it out.

There are some pleasing riffs churned out, with the effects adding additional depth without smothering the actual Metal. This is a band using the electronica to enhance the Metal and the theme of the songs rather than to be a novelty or for wider commercial appeal.

With this kind of music there is a lot that can go wrong, and as usual this is very subjective so it does depend on the interpretation of the listener of course, (as always). For me this EP tends to largely be on the right side of the potential hazards; the electronics and effects are prominent but not overbearing; the guitars have substance and are not just there for show; the vocalist has bite and is not interested in being the next Marilyn Manson; the music is dark enough to avoid any potential “Cheese Factor”. I’m calling victory here.

The more I listen to this the more I fall for its charms. It has its own character and personality. It’s also very catchy in places. Xenotaph in particular. Tacked on the end of the EP is a cover of Sepultura’s Refuse/Resist that ends proceedings nicely.

If your taste in Metal runs to the less-conventional then check out Coraxo and see if you fall for their sci-fi sound.

Inferno – Omniabsence Filled By His Greatness (Review)

Coming from the Czech Republic veteran Black Metallers Inferno start off their sixth album quietly and softly with PERVASION… before blasting off with first song proper, The Firstborn From Murk.

An enjoyable album that takes the Swedish Black Metal template and injects more of an eerie melodicism into it. After listening to this album I’m convinced this is an area worthy of exploration and Inferno have made a good start.

Inferno write long songs filled with dark praises and incantations to forgotten powers. The drums may spend a lot of their time going at full speed, but the guitars don’t always follow suit, creating a juxtaposition that probably shouldn’t work as well as it does.

In amongst the aggression and hatred on display in these songs there is a feeling of sorrow, of something lost or perhaps never had. This is chiefly displayed in the mournful guitar melodies and plaintive tones explored by them.

The vocals are low in the mix and combine the epitome of brutal Black Metal rasping with deeper, darker vocalisations. They play their part alongside the subtle keyboards and effects to enhance the overall feeling of the aforementioned juxtaposition between melody and brutality; light and dark; beauty and terror.

Fans of Black Metal can’t go too wrong here – give Inferno a listen and let the fires wash over you.

Loudrage – Uglier Than Thou (Review)

Ugly music indeed. Heavy and battering, but with unexpected melodic flourishes now and again. Loudrage come from Romania and play Death Metal that’s heavy on the groove, reminding of classic bands like Grave and Konkhra in their heyday.

The first song Doomed is a classic-in-the-making, such a good song it is. I was expecting this to be a one-off but then the second song As Long As I Live is similarly impressive, (although not quite as good as Doomed). The rest of the EP follows on in a similar vein – top-quality, well-written songs which are catchy and have rhythms and riffs to die for.

Each song shares a similar construction; mid-paced, groove-laden, almost-Swedish-style Death Metal that really knows how to wield hooks, riffs and songwriting skills to get the most out of this style of music. Each song is menacing and bouncy at the same time, (as odd as that sounds), and has an energy that is undeniable.

The vocalist is excellent. The deepness of the growls touches something primeval inside and has all of the bowel-loosening qualities necessary to be incredibly satisfying. The higher screams are equally proficient.

The EP has a strong, clear, crunchy sound that fits the songs like a glove. An iron glove made for SMASHING!

I am genuinely surprised by how good this EP is. A band I hadn’t heard of coming out of seemingly nowhere who somehow appear to have delivered an absolute triumph of a release. How they remain unsigned is beyond me. Go and get this now.

Queen Elephantine – Scarab (Review)

Queen Elephantine, from the US, treat us to their fourth album of psychedelic experimental Doom.

Straight from the off in first song Veil the band create an experience unlike most, with spaced out psychedelia paving the way. In fact the word experience is an apt one as that’s precisely what this is; a listening experience. There is a lot going on here, even when it sounds on occasion relatively minimalistic.

There is a wide range of instrumentation employed and the clear, organic sound does everything justice. In addition to the standard instruments one would expect we also get slide guitar, tanpura, additional effects/noises and two drummers, which makes for a great and varied collection of songs that have lots of individuality.

The vocals, when they appear, seem to be almost an afterthought. They appear at select points in the songs like ghostly apparitions floating in and out of reality. It all adds to the feeling of space and timelessness that the songs evoke and it’s easy to get lost in the endless hypnotic jam of Queen Elephantine.

I was not expecting to like this as much as I do. Not because I had any expectations of the band being bad or anything, (I had not heard of them before listening to this), but purely because it surprised me with the high quality on display and because it’s just so damn good.

If you’re looking for something a bit different and like to be taken out of reality then I advise you get your hands on this as soon as you can. If you’re in the mood for it then this is just excellent.

Haymaker – Let Them Rot (Review)

US Hardcore band Haymaker release a short, sharp, shock of an EP.

With 4 tracks and lasting only 4 minutes it wastes no time in making an impact. High octane Hardcore that is hot enough to leave scorch marks.

The first song Let Them Rot may only be 1 and a half minutes long but it has a good riff, good pacing and character. Each song rumbles along like a bastard hybrid of Converge and primitive Grindcore with the singer reminding me of a harsher version of the guy from Most Precious Blood.

A short release destined for the world of 7″ Vinyl, this is a good old-fashioned rip-through of anger and hostility. I like.

Ævangelist – Omen Ex Simulacra (Review)

Ævangelist are from the US and play a Death/Black Metal hybridised sound. They should probably just be referred to as Extreme Metal as the starting points are Death/Black but these two genres have long ago been corrupted by the taint of Ævangelist and turned to their own purposes.

Indeed, the stench of corruption and a deep-seated malignance is strong with this album. It starts off slow and quiet, gradually building in disconcerting sounds and sinister effects before the Hellish guitars and drums kick in.

The evil sounding effects and noises never stop. It’s like having your sanity eroded slowly over 64 minutes, culminating in the final track Abysscape at which point you’re well and truly lost and without hope.

On paper this is essentially Extreme Metal forged of Death and Black, with added electronics and Industrial effects, however on album this translates into a horrific beast that’s surely the aural equivalent of damnation. Ævangelist create tortured sounds and daemonic vocals so well one begins to wonder if they know something the rest of us don’t…

There are many subtleties and nuances buried beneath this avalanche of twisted sound, and repeated listens are required to fully extract the hidden messages contained in this burning maelstrom of nightmare sounds. Do you have the stomach for it?

Beyond Mortal Dreams – Dreaming Death (Review)

Beyond Mortal Dreams are an Australian Death Metal band treading their own path on their own terms with this 18 minute, 4 track EP.

Three original songs and a Beherit cover are what we get, and this EP is over far too quickly as Beyond Mortal Dreams deliver the goods.

And those lead guitars! I love a good solo and there’s plenty of fretwork on these songs to keep me happy. The guitars generally are both aggressive and atmospheric, in the way that Nile manage so effortlessly; yet also take aspects of bands like Immolation. These are the bands that are not just concerned with aural bludgeoning, but who are also interested in immersing the listener in the mood of the song as well.

The drums form the bedrock on which everything else is built and it’s clear that the drummer is not human but rather some form of multi-armed cyber-mutation that’s been programmed to pound skins for all it’s worth. Impressive stuff.

This EP is a fantastic listen and I can’t wait to hear more from them in the future.

Nefandus – Your God Is A Ghost (Review)

Nefandus are from Sweden and ply their Black Metal trade with passion and gusto.

Black Metal gone stoner doom? Not quite, although second track Temptress of Thantifaxath makes a damn good case for it. At least for the first part of the song and then it changes into a galloping NWOBHM-style riff followed by the stoner riffing once more with a nice solo on top. And this is only one of the four top-notch songs on here.

The remaining songs are more traditional than this one, but no less special for it. The riffs speak for themselves, and the band makes full use of them.

Favourite Track: Temptress of Thantifaxath. Variety is great especially when done well.

At less than 20 minutes this EP simply whets the appetite and leaves the listener wanting more. But ’tis better to have tasted the fruits than to never have known…

Lichmistress – Singularity (Review)

This is the recently released first demo from Polish band Lichmistress, and it has made an impression!

At two songs and 10 minutes in length this sets the scene for the future as Lichmistress introduce us to their particular brand of brutality and depth.

As The Bowels of Darkness open, (see what I did there?), we get a deluge of filth and blasting, at least initially anyway. Brutality and pignoise vocals lead into an extremely satisfying breakdown-style section with some nice guitar squealing going on. I like the bass, and calmer segments also.

It quickly becomes apparent that the band have more talent than simply for bludgeoning the listener; they also show an appreciation for feeling and texture amongst the bone-pounding riffing and carnage. It may only be the first song but already we’ve had plenty of variety, some calm-amidst-the-chaos, melodic segments and a relaxed solo. Nice stuff.

Second song Serrated Blade Procreation fades up into a sexy, bass-heavy grinding riff before getting all kinds of grooves on in ways that would make Decapitated proud. Decapitated being raped by Cryptopsy with Cephalic Carnage standing on the sidelines just watching. Yes.

The quality of the guitars on this should not be underrated. Sliding and technical yet simple and catchy – a great combination.

The production is serviceable but could be better, but as this is a demo that’s to be expected and does not hinder the enjoyment of what are two exceptional tracks.

I can’t help but be extremely impressed with these songs. If they can keep this level of quality for a full album and combine that with a professional sound then their first full-length should be amazing.

Death Metal is alive and hungry.