Abysmal Hymns
darker shades of metal, hymns of goth and post-punk ...all for the worship of darkness
Friday, May 3, 2024
Dool : "The Shape Of Fluidity"
Thursday, May 2, 2024
CUTTERRED FLESH : "Love At First Bite"
This is their sixth album so they clearly know what they are doing. They attack your ears with renewed feral zeal for "Code of Zuurith" though this is where the album begins to get mired down in a blur of riffing that does not clear up until "Descent into Torment of Abyssal Whispers". The guitars give the vocals room to create a more purposeful narrative. Up until this point like most music of this kind, the vocals are more of an afterthought. The riffing is also more memorable on this song making it one of the album's best moments. The production of the guitar tones becomes more noticeably conforming to the current trend of modern metal to have a very processed machine-like feel. "Sarkam's Wrath Unleashed' also displays this more nuanced take on their songwriting.
St Vincent : "All Born Screaming"
SETH : "La France des Maudits"
This band is not what comes to mind when I typically think of French Black Metal, which tends to be left of center from the more traditional storm of fury that marks Scandinavian Black metal. The first four bands that come to mind when I think of French Black Metal are Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Alcest, and Peste Noire, granted four of my favorites. They all have their own odd touch. Why is this an issue you ask? Well it's not, but it does mean that I am going to this album listening for what these guys do to set themselves apart, so scowled vocals and blast beats are not going to do it.
The market is plenty saturated with black metal at this point so we have to have standards. In this case regional standards. It is a well-produced album with a big guitar sound. They are also not just trying to blast their way through the songs. By the third song, it is beginning to all run together for me as they continue to sound like they are from Sweden. By the fourth song things begin to take a somewhat darker turn, the question then becomes can they use the restraint to maintain this? "Marianne" is an instrumental interlude and while I appreciate the melodic nature I think it is something that would have been better intermingled in their other songs to give them more depth.
It was not until "Insurrection" that I checked back into the album and paid attention, but what I heard was just another band getting caught up in a storm of blast beats. The last song is a cohesive continuation of what they have been doing for the entirety of the album, so depending on how impressed you are with that will determine how you feel about this song. These guys excel at the execution and decent arrangements, but in terms of bringing something new to the table, this church has already been burnt I will give this album a 7.It drops July 14th on Season of Mist
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pst213Ten Artists Who Should Play Sick New World in 2025
The week has barely passed and fans are making their wish lists regarding who they think should play next year's Sick New World Fest. The main problem with these lists is that they are either acts who have already played or just boring radio rock fodder that plays Welcome to Rockville or Rockahoma and would turn Sick New World into just another rock fest, by diluting the theme that made the first year so appealing a marriage of traditional goth acts, nu-metal and darker metal / industrial bands. So the list complied here leans more in the direction of the first year. These are not bands who have played the previous fests but Fresh Blood fitting for 2025...that is if the world does not end before next May.
10-Astari Nite
This Miami-based death rock band is great live and has a good middle-of-the-road vibe for the fest
9-Godflesh
Perhaps less popular in the States, this crushing project from England influenced most of the industrial and metal bands you're listening to today.
8-Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum
The reunited cult of prog-rock weirdos brings a Victorian steampunk wonderment to their sonically angular anti-rock attack.
7-Chelsea Wolfe
Wolfe has toured with Ministry before, and her hypnotic songs are heavy in their own way. Live her sludged-out shoegazing is powerful.
6-Final Gasp
This punk band from Boston casts plenty of shadows with their sound while still being aggressive enough to fit in no matter what act they have to follow.
5-Mindless Self Indulgence
Jimmy Urine and Friends might have been out of action for a minute but would be the perfect blend of nu-metal swagger and dark wave angst.
4-Grave Pleasures
This band from Finland used to be Beastmilk, their brooding brand of post-punk is anthemic enough to win over festival audiences
3-My Dying Bride
There is no bringing back Peter Steele, so these guys are the next best replacement for Type O Negative with their brand of gothy doom.
2-the Misfits
They have already been booked on festivals since reuniting, the only real hurdle would be seeing how this is System of a Down's fest, so would Danzig and the boys be ok with not headlining? Aside from that they would be perfect
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1-Marilyn Manson
Already booking shows after emerging from his legal troubles, this only makes sense.Tuesday, April 30, 2024
April's Top 10 Albums
Unleash the Archers : "Phantoma"
Not a lot of power metal gets reviewed here as it is generally all too happy for me. However, given my penchant for twenty-sided dice, I am up to giving it a shot from time to time. I front was willing to give this band a shot thanks to frontwoman Brittney Slayes. She does bring something to the table that her male counterparts do not, but can it keep my attention for an entire album? We shall see. The opening track reminds me more of Dokken than what I think of as power metal. Thought maybe Canadians just do the genre differently.
They get into the sound I am not a fan of on the second song. The busy synth and guitar harmonies racing around sounds like an anime soundtrack. Not aggressive enough to feel like metal to me. "Buried in Code' continues this celebratory galloping, which works better than the previous one as her vocal melody is more nuanced. By the time we get to "The Collective," the hurry up and solo pace of the songs are all beginning to sound the same. It is also too happy again. It is a well-produced album, as all the instruments sit where you want them and cut through crisply. In terms of the arrangements, things are pretty straightforward with little surprises.
"Gods in Decay" shows me what works most effectively is to pursue this more 80s-tinged arena metal style that has more in common with Dokken or the Scorpions it works better for them. It is what makes this one of the album's best songs. I appreciate the conceptual nature of the lyrics. They tap into the 80s thing again this time it feels more like Ann Wilson fronting Def Leppard. It works really well that is for sure. "Ghosts in the Mists" does not cash in on the 80s feel and feels like it came out during the days of Myspace, but works better than the album's happier moments. "Seeking Vengence" is kinda bland and does not grab my attention. They do a better job of that with the heavier "Blood Empress" that closes the album. It mixes a heavier modern sound with the whole 80s thing. I will give this album an 8.5 , it might not be on the level of say Nightwish or Kamelot, but is better than most when they lock into the sound that works best for them. Drops on Napalm Records May 10th.