Progressive Death Metal – Page 26

Gory Blister – The Fifth Fury (Review)

Gory Blister are from Italy and as the name of the album suggests, this is their fifth album.

The band play Technical/Progressive Death Metal and take the listener on a whirlwind journey.

On The Fifth Fury we hear influences from bands like Carcass, Death and Morbid Angel. Gory Blister make these their own and use them throughout the 35 minutes playing time to create an album that is involving and complete.

The band manage to be sharp and aggressive in their assault whilst tempering this approach with restraint and more considered passages that show their Progressive Metal influences. Although they have plenty of Technical Death Metal in their sound the Progressive edge and the Carcass influence never let this side of the band get in the way of the songs themselves.

This is music that likes to explore itself. For a relatively short album there is plenty of variation around the central theme and lots of nice ideas scattered around to engage the listener such as the subtle synths that add further feeling to some of the tracks.

The riffs are largely inventive, with plenty of leads and solos to sink your teeth into. Melodies and Progressive tunes punctuate the brutality in a way that works with the flow of the songs rather than against them.

Serrated screamed vocals are the main mode of attack but satisfyingly deep growls are also used.

A strong sound and strong songwriting means this is a strong album. Strongly recommended.

Execration – Morbid Dimensions (Review)

This is the third album from Norwegian Death Metallers Execration.

So what do we have here then? This is a bit different to what I was expecting. The name certainly implies straightforward Death Metal, but the album cover looks more Black Metal to me. And when you press play…you get a straight up Doom Metal Black Sabbath riff. So far so interesting…

Execration are not your typical Death Metal band. Theirs is the sound of a band experimenting with their chosen medium and pushing the envelope.

They have included elements of Doom, Black Metal and even a bit of Post-Metal into their repertoire. This is Progressive Death Metal that spiritually leaves off where Death ended and builds on the firm foundation left by the masters.

The music on this album is carefully crafted and considered Metal that makes it clear that the band are no longer interested in the old genre restrictions and are more than willing to incorporate whatever Metal influences they feel like to get the sound they want. And more power to them for this.

These songs are very impressive and finely realised. This is atmospheric Death Metal that still has the power of the style but has a firm Progressive edge to it that allows them to ably tread new territory with ease. Blackened riffs, technical solos, blasting drums, slow and building Doom, Post-Metal atmospherics, Progressive meanderings; it’s all here and it’s all done remarkably well.

The mixing of styles never sounds forced and each track sees the band develop their sound into a force to be reckoned with.

Mixing bits of bands like Death, Cynic, Atheist, Enslaved, Morbid Angel, Gorguts; this album is a firm winner.

I highly recommend this album. Seek it out now and prepare to be impressed.

Winter Gate – Disillumination (Review)

Winter Gate are from India and this is their début EP.

Winter Gate play Progressive Death Metal. Theirs is an expansive style that incorporates a good degree of melodics and melancholy. The band channel the same creative impulses as old Opeth and Katatonia whilst not really sounding too much like them and stamping their own personality and flair to the sound.

After a brief piano intro we get two tracks that are both epic in length and scope. Each track is filled with good riffs, strong melodics, heavy guitars and great songwriting.

The growling vocals are filled with character and are quite emotive for extreme vocals. Clean singing does make an appearance but this is not overdone and serves the songs well.

Each song is powered by Melodic Death Metal that has been given a Progressive Metal makeover and told that it’s not allowed to play with the other bands any more as it might show them up.

The dynamics of the tracks and overall songwriting skills of the band are impressive to behold and this could easily be double the length and still hold the attention. Indeed; as this is a couple of years old now it would be a good time for a full length, and if they manage to keep the quality levels up then when/if it’s eventually released it’ll probably be quite the album.

So far I can say that I’ve never met and Indian Metal band I didn’t like, and Winter gate are no exception.

Like Metal? Get this.

Azooma – A Hymn Of The Vicious Monster (Review)

Azooma are from Iran and play Death Metal.

A nice acoustic intro starts us off, shortly followed by the opening track Self-Infected. It’s immediately apparent that the band can play well, and also that the type of Death Metal they play is non-standard.

Azooma play Progressive Death Metal with Technical Death Metal clearly playing a role, but rather than the schizophrenic complex-for-the-sake-of-it route that a lot of Technical Death Metal goes down, Azooma have chosen the arguably more interesting Progressive Death Metal route. This means more coherent song structures and more emphasis on the song itself and its accompanying feelings and moods. With this in mind A Hymn Of The Vicious Monster is a roaring success.

Think old-Opeth if they were more Death Metal. Think Gorguts and Death mixed together in a Progressive Metal melange. Tasty.

As mentioned; the musicianship is top-notch, which even includes a noticeable bass. The band proficiently play Death Metal, Progressive Metal, acoustics, Jazz-style interludes, and essentially everything else with pure class.

The vocals are deep and satisfying and the band even find space in their expansive songs to include a couple of low-key cleans that enhance proceedings on a couple of occasions.

A strong sound and production rounds of the package and Azooma have a winner on their hands here.

This is a supremely impressive release and one that you should definitely get if you’re even remotely interesting in challenging, stand-out music.

De Profundis – Frequencies (Review)

De Profundis are from the UK and this is their latest EP of Progressive/Technical Death Metal.

The band have a deep sound that showcases the technical riffing and aggressive nature of their music.

The drumming is all over the shop, but in a very good way; they’re not afraid of using unusual rhythms and off-kilter beats.

This description also applies to the rest of the music, although the band do throw in some melodies and leads here and there when needed.

Apart from the vocals, which are low and deep, the band remind of Death at their most Progressive and Experimental. Indeed; the last song out of the 4 tracks here is a Death cover of the song Crystal Mountain.

Brutality is still a factor in their sound though; this is Death Metal after all. This brutality is offset with sharpened riffs and fretboard exploration that never allows it to become too bludgeoning; rather this is extreme in a different way. It’s technically precise and musically demanding.

At 20 minutes in length this is a decent showcase for the band and allows them to display their musical wizardry to good effect.

A worthwhile listen.

Fallujah – The Flesh Prevails (Review)

Fallujah are from the US and this is their second album of Death Metal.

But this is not your normal, run-of-the-mill Death Metal by any standards, this is something truly special. Fallujah play Technical/Progressive Death Metal with expansive melodies, daring structures and bold ambitions.

A huge production is a prerequisite for anything like this in order for everything to be clear and exact, and this is what we get.

The songs are hugely impressive both technically and song-wise. There’s a lot packed into these tracks and every second of music seems to have been considered and planned to complete precision before anything has even been played. It’s tight, proficient and worthy of the title master-crafted.

Their material has its brutal side of course, (this is Death Metal after all), but they mainly deal in atmospheres and moods. For example; it often seems like two songs are being played at the same time, with an intricate Death Metal song being played over the top of a haunting Post-Metal track. Fallujah’s genius is to make this fit together flawlessly and with utter precision so that the juxtaposition of styles sounds whole and complete.

Somehow the band manage to be rhythmic, brutal, spacey, melodic and colourful simultaneously, with the songs positively dribbling emotion and atmosphere.

The album is laden with effects and additional instrumentation providing so many layers of depth that it’s almost easy to overlook the phenomenal playing of the core instruments and the rather impressive noises that they make. There’s too much going on here to take in in only one sitting, and like the best albums it grows on you like a welcome disease.

Fallujah have produced a stunning album that raises the bar so high that most other bands will fall by the wayside just trying to keep up.

You need this album.

Giant of the Mountain – Moon Worship (Review)

This is the latest album from US Blackened Progressive Death Metal band Giant of the Mountain.

Blackened Progressive Death Metal? Sure it’s a bit of a mouthful but it is a more-or-less adequate description of Giant of the Mountain’s music.

Their songs have distinct Progressive tendencies with complex riffs and structures congealing around an exploratory Metal core.

Death Metal serves as the largest percentage of that core, albeit a form of Death Metal that relies on melodics and technicality rather than sheer brutality.

And the Blackened part? This is sprinkled on top of everything really. It’s not as if Black Metal is a massive part of their sound, but it’s definitely a feature and they would sound quite different if this aspect of their music was removed. It’s a quality of some of the riffs, it’s in some of the vocals and it’s apparent in the distinctly non-Death Metal recording.

Couple all of the above with a bit of Sludge and a DIY attitude and you have Moon Worship.

Apart from the Blackened vocals we also get Death Metal grunts and some Viking-esque epic cleans.

The involving songs make the most of their play time with melodies and passages that seem to draw you in before going off on another tangent. These tracks really have been well written and the underground production enhances the feeling of listening to something special. This is a very creative and enjoyable release.

If you combine parts of bands like Enslaved, Opeth, Death, Gorguts and a whole slew of others then you’ll have an idea of the Giant of the Mountain sound. It’s refreshing. My only slight complaint is that even though the production on the album is adequate for the most part and for some instruments, (like the bass), it’s perfectly judged; for me the drum sound is a little weak and timid sounding. This is very subjective of course, (like all things music-based), and it’s not enough to spoil my enjoyment of this album, it’s just that it sounds a little flat to me and for a band that are as good as this I would prefer fuller-sounding drums.

Slight sound issues aside though, this really is the kind of album you want to take your time to get to listen to; absorb and repeat. It’s well worth the time.

As you can see, this is not your average release and certainly stands out from the pack. Get your fill of Giant of the Mountain and get worshipping the moon as soon as you can.

Frontal – Death Eaters (Review)

Frontal are from France and play Techincal/Progressive Modern Death Metal.

Imagine Meshuggah if they had more of a Modern Death Metal influence; add in a bit of Technical Thrash and this is the area that Frontal inhabit.

The songs are technical, angular and also remind of Devolved only without the Industrial influence, (and blast beats). Another description I suppose would be Progressive Deathcore, which sounds like an oxymoron, but only if you assume all Deathcore is stupid, (it isn’t).

The colliding riffs and obscure melodies will no doubt put some people off, but just as many will take to this easily and lap up the heavy, militaristic Technical Thrash that the band offer.

The vocalist has a good pair of lungs and for the most part spends his time using them to shout out lyrics in a throaty roar.

This is music that lacks subtlety but is still nuanced and complex. Although the riffs come thick and fast the band allow them to congeal on occasion to produce a stirring section or emotive passage, before fracturing once more and falling away in different directions all at once.

Definitely a grower. A good album that will probably suffer from premature dismissal by a lot of people, which is a shame as there is a lot to like here. Give them the time to show you what they can do.

Fragarak – Crypts of Dissimulation (Review)

Fragarak are a Progressive Death Metal band from India and this is their début album.

This is intelligent and passionate music lovingly crafted to be more than straight Death Metal. The Progressive aspect of the music is real and almost tangible. The songs and song structures are considered and a lot of work has gone into these tracks.

The band has a keen melodic edge and there are bountiful leads and solos liberally spread throughout the almost 40 minutes of playing time.

The vocalist has a very accomplished voice with a thick, throaty roar reminiscent of the singer of Opeth when he was still doing such things.

Fragarak have a strong sound with all of the instruments being clear and well-defined. The bass should get a special mention for being used to good effect for a change instead of just shadowing what the rhythm guitar is doing, as in a lot of bands.

Most bands of this ilk tend to start out with a Death Metal core and add some Progressive leanings on top of it; or they cover everything up in hyper technicality and math-wizardry to the extent that there are no actual songs left. Fragarak have avoided both of these things and instead have essentially started off from a Progressive Metal standpoint and built the Death Metal into their sound as they went along. In this way they can be compared to, (old), Opeth once more, although it’s a stylistic comparison as musically there is not a lot of similarity beyond the aforementioned.

This is an exceptional album that mixes structure, dynamics, brutality, softness, atmosphere and pure class into a cohesive and enjoyable journey through the lands of proper Metal delight.

The Indian Metal scene is proving itself a fertile breeding ground for exciting and quality music – Fragarak can go right to the top of the list as ones most likely to succeed. A highly recommended listen.

Nihil – Nights of Silence (Review)

Nihil are from Spain and play Technical Progressive Death Metal.

The band give us a collection of relatively long tracks with a good sound and some twisting riffs to help propel the songs along.

Although undeniably heavy, brutality is not the main focus of Nihil’s assault. Instead they attack a bit slower, and from unexpected directions. Some of the riffs betray a slight Black Metal influence, while others are just nicely restrained, content to let the melodies do the talking.

It’s an approach that is freshly creative and frees the band up from a lot of standard genre restrictions that they might otherwise be plagued by.

Frozen Hope, the second longest song on the album, is a good example of this. It starts out quite brutal with a sound not unlike Behemoth but progresses into other heavy soundscapes, including parts that remind of Gorguts and Opeth on occasion.

Good musicianship helps the songs live up to their potential, and all of the various parts deliver as they should.

A quality release from a talented band that need support. Add them to your playlists today.