Coroner : "Dissonance Theory"

The band's first album in 32 years. Things are different in many ways, though they do not sound like they are in their 60s. Weirdly, Marquis Marky is not behind the kit, leaving Ron Royce and Tommy Baron as the only original members who feel more pronounced as a trio. Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. It's not until "Crisium Bound that it really feels like they are dipping into the kind of thrash that drove albums like their classic "Punishment for Decadence". But it all works as it finds a balance of all the sides that set them apart from other bands, like their prog leanings  and odd touches of thinking man's atmosphere. At the time, it felt like they were a more sci-fi Voivod-like trip

This is not them trying to recapture their 80s sound. Nor should they. A big difference lies in how forward Royce's vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, certainly having grown more confident in what he does.  You can hear how they influence bands like Meshuggah on the song "Symmetry," which races at a more thrash speed, but there are some subtle time changes. I like the darker shift the song winds around to. On songs like "The Law" and "Transparent Eye," they prove they are not running dry on catchy riffs. It is stunning how ahead of their time they were, as they are just perfecting what they were doing, and it fits perfectly with the mood of 2025. 

"Trinity" finds a more progressive mood coming into the forefront against the winding chug of guitar, as the drums hold down the groove. The guitar solos are more tasteful than what you expect from a thrash album in 2025. I have not paid a great deal of attention to the lyrics, but this one seems to be about the end of the world, which is the energy I need from more metal bands. "Renewal" leans more into the frenzied speed metal side of things. It does rein it into more of a groove, but if you need your thrash on the faster side, you uare the audience for this song. Otherwise, it might make you dizzy. There is even a keyboard solo in the last song, whcih sounds more like they are jamming off the vibe of the previous song. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me; they are perfect where they came from to sound more vital today. 

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Paleface Swiss : "Cursed"

 My first time checking out this band. It's interesting a band like this is getting so much of a buzz. When the title track kicks things off they are not much harder than Slipknot, despite being often labelled as slam or beat-down hardcore. It sounds like nu-metal to me. I see this going over well with the Rockville Festival kids. "..and with hope, you'll be damned" continues down the nu-metal path in a manner that is more Korn than Slipknot. Though the vocals on the chorus are angrier, and if we are honest that is what Slipknot has always been to some extent, and angrier Korn. It has enough groove to gain mainstream appeal. 

"Don't You Ever Stop" tells you to go with the kind of conviction you expect. He continues to do this rapid-fire lyrical deliver that is almost hip-hop-influenced, though most of his vocals are an anguished emotional growl. The times to lean in a death metal direction it's way too emo to cross over. The hip-hop element I detected in the previous song makes itself known like a juggaloo on "Enough?". This is actually more original than the more metallic moments.  I guess they are as ghetto as you can get in Switzerland. which is not very. 

There is a faster thrashing metal attack to "Youth Decay" that smooths out into the nu-metal bounce. There is a sung vocal on the chorus, so to their credit things do switch up vocally. At under two minutes, there is not a great deal to establish "My Blood on Your Hands" as a memorable song. "Love Burns' finds them back in the more Slipknot mode.  "River of Sorrow" is more like a Staind or Breaking Benjamin power ballad.,  I'll give this album an 8, they are good at what they are doing, I just prefer what they are doing when I heard it the first time around.

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Conjonctive :"Misère de Poussière "

 This death metal band hails from Switzerland, they have two vocalists: Randy Schaller from Voice of Ruin and Sonia Kaya. While there are hints of the metal-core band they self-identify as they feel more like a death metal band to me. There is plenty of bouncing groove to what they are doing. It feels like they are aware of Slipknot, but not trying to be new metal, in fact, there is some tremolo picking going on during the title track that shows there is some black metal influence in the mix, which I would be more surprised if a death metal band from Europe did not have any. This mood also continues to some extent in the song after it though it employs more deliberate accents. 

I like that these guys write fairly concise songs, rather than sprawling epics. It means they are fairly focused on having defined riffs you can make sense of rather than just throwing a bunch of jagged riffs at you in random time signatures. "Dying Melody" is one of the album's strongest songs thanks to the syncopation that keeps the need to headbang at the forefront. "Minuit" is not as clearly defined as a song as it faded into chugs and screaming on my first listen. "Decembre Noir" is blackened enough to cast more of a shadow but the riff is more fleshed out than the previous song. The after is more straightforward. 

The tremolo picking keeps coming with "Nocturnal Terror' though it crunches down into a more impressive groove on the verse. The last song sits squarely in the middle of all of these sounds they have conjured to throw at you throughout this album. I am still not sure they need two vocalists, but that is how it is, They are excellent at creating a viciously dark metal with a mean spirit that I do not forsake songwriting so I am giving this one a 9, If you want something that rides the lines between death metal, black metal and death core then this album is for you. 

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Seraina Telli : "Simple Talk"

The ex-singer of the Swiss band Burning Witches , is going for a straight up rock flavor on her solo outing. She has pipes and an influence that dates back to 80s arena hard rock for sure. Halestorm would be the first band that common ground that comes to mind. There is more nuance on "I'm Not Sorry" which still carries an anthemic swagger, but with more tension in the verses. "Take Care" splits the difference between blues-based rock and 80s metal. The call and response feel proves effective in giving her voice room to breathe. There is a more Pat Benatar pop feel to " I Dare To". Not the most original thing, but it works for what it is. 

"Remedy" is not a cover of the Black Crowes. It is not that soulful, but rather circles the same rock n roll parking lots that a great deal of female fronted bands do. Granted she has a very capable belt and power to her voice I think it might be swinging too hard for the pop fences. To her credit however she puts a great deal of conviction into each note she utters. She goes into a rock ballad with "Soldier of Fortune" , that makes me think she would also be a impressive country singer, as there is not a great deal of distance between what she does her and what modern country is doing.  The edge to her voice goes in a more Melissa Etheridge direction.  

They go back into rousing rockers for "G.E.B" She hits some impressive notes when the chorus hits. The lyrics are also more thoughtful in her questioning of where she falls career wise in the grand scheme of things, like breaking the fourth wall.  The Melissa Ethridge thing hits a crossroad with a more Avril Lavigne like power pop on "Dreamer". The chorus is to cut and paste for what I like to hear but works for what she is doing. The vocal phrasing feels like it is trying too hard in places.  "Not One of Your Kind: is also more of power pop thing, but it works better. The cover of "Fever" works pretty well, very up tempo and closer to Elvis' version. "Remember You" is a strummed power ballad that showcases her voice well. Then they close with the metallic 'Medusa" which is numbered among the album's best songs. I will give this album an 8.5, if you are looking for radio friendly female fronted hard rock, it's one of the better offerings I have heard this year in that regard. 

Soldat Hans: " Anthaupt '

The emphasis of what this Swiss band is doing seems to be something closer to a flowing form of post-rock not unlike some of Mogwai's dreamier moments. There is a guitar work sound, though they are not just nod twiddlers. A Pink Floyd like strum keeps the shoegazing moving. The title track that follows the more spacious opener finds them bringing down distorted chords with a more doomed out deliberation. There is an angular hesitation to how the riff connects.  Vocals are belted out on this one male and female in unison with a great deal of soul and passion to their delivery. The male vocal builds into a harsher scream. The song breaks down and the more blues based female vocal shines on its own. The dynamic swell of the song is pretty impressive.

"Speechwriter" which at over fifteen minutes promises to be another sprawling epic, gets started in a more hesitation and minimal manner.  The guitars hesitate to let the reverb heavy guitars ring out. Once this drone lingers past the seven-minute mark it begins to wear thin. Then by eight minutes in they begin to build up in a manner that makes me think of Godspeedyoublackemperor !, the more manic vocals that come in have a Roger Waters feel. They build it up into a crusty fury.  "Horse Funeral" finds them back in the slow core minimalism. Letting timid chords ring out with faint drums barely tapping a cymbal. The build is even slower than the previous song with a guitar solo wailing carrying it forward.

This carries over into "Cineaste Cineaste" thought the focus shifts to a more subdued and straightforward folk like vocal. The song ambles down this almost psychedelic path.  while not metal at all in its intentions for the bulk of the song things get sonically heavier as the attack shifts about midway into the song.  This proves they can really knock it out of the park when they want to and do not have to rely on droning you into submission. They "Jubilant Howl" that closes the album is another elf like meandering piece of trippy folk. High reedy vocals give an almost Neil Young like narrative to this.  About eight minutes in it does get more ominous and snarlingly heavy. I will round this down to an 8.5, due to the droning often taking away the focus from compact songwriting that might have made this an album I would have listened to more frequently, but if you like post rock with a side of sludge take a listen to this.  

Aara : "Triade-ii-hemera"

 

I seem to recall reviewing this Swiss band before. To the best of my memory, though things start getting cloudy once we get to the bulk of the more conventional black metal bands who just live and die by a steady diet of blast beats, I seem to remember this band having a sound that set them apart from the pack. By the second song it is clear this is not the case, they are consumed with the sonic fury of blast beats, The manner in which this is executed does focus on more of a sonic sweeping than conventional metal way of doing this. The screamed vocals are more of a texture under the sonic swarm of guitar.   

The addition if female vocals on "the Sun of Night" provide a much-needed color to broaden the sonic dynamics in terms of making this song not just sound like another feral gallop into unrestrained wrath. The screamed vocals continue to do what they have been doing for the first two songs.  "Das Dunkel Der Welt" just blasts right past and forsakes any progress in redefining the sense of dynamics established in the previous song.   They use a similar monochromatic assault on "Strepitus Mundi". Sure there are guitar melodies buried in the blur and more is going on than just blasting for the sake of it, but it is pretty buried in there. 

The last song pretty much just picks up where they left off with the last song, the drums do not even have to change. There is a more mournful feel to the guitars, but they are at the same tempo. The arrangement does shift in an Immortal like manner though at more of a warp speed blast than what they used to play at. I will give this album a 7.5, the overall sound is effective they just sacrifice most of the dynamic for the need for speed that dominates this album. 

Abraham : "Debris de Mondes Perdus"

 This Swiss band blends the raw attack of noise rock with the heavy oppressive weight of sludge. The punk roots are always known. The throaty yells of the vocals that open the album and the rest of the music gathers around it in a very dark and discordant fashion. The second listen through this album finds it all making a bit more sense though the first listen I was still pretty impressed. It is always a little weird when the drummer is handling the vocals. This explains how they are placed when the pace picks up on the second song. "Maudissements" finds sung vocals coming in which are debatable as to how in key they are, though with all the dissonance going down in this song, tuneful vocals are the least of the worries as they are busy making unsettling sounds. 

Things click together in a more cohesive fashion but with more of a old school Neurosis like menace when they crash into the brooding sonic storm that is "Ravenous is the Night".  There is more metal to what they do here and less of the angular noise rock ghosts haunting this one. They are not afraid to build things up into a cacophony of sorts. There is a tension to " Our Words Born in Fire" that drones rather than gives the more typical metal release you expect. Yes the vocals are howled with a fury but otherwise they use restrain by not giving you the aggression release you are expecting. By the time we get to "Fear Overthrown" it feels like we are hanging from the same cliff waiting to jump until the dynamic ebbs down, the vocals are very similar to those of the previous song. 

" A Celestial Funeral" is more chilling but also very Neurosis like, this could be said for many bands of the genre so I do not hold it against them, however not as inventive as the last song which includes ghostly female vocals that create a more Chelsea Wolfe effect. The drummer sings more on this song and croons a little better. I will round this down to a 9 which is still going to be better than most of the sludge you hear this year. I am only rounding it down as sometimes there is a uniform aspect to the sound, but over all a compelling listen. This does not come out until February 25th. 

Ashtar : "Kaikuja"

Here is a Swiss band named after an alien titling their album in Finnish. Their music is easier to grasp than that. They are black metal with some sludge influence. It is suitibly dark enough for me. The fact that they do not live on blast beats alone is also a key selling point for me. The female half of this duo also plays violin, which adds more texture and melody leading into the almost 14 minute second song. There is a more throbbing doomy feel to this ominous song. Thick with foreboding as it drags you into it's despairing drift. Normally I do not like when songs cross the ten minute mark as they often feel bloated and ponderous, but this one has a mood that draws me in and finds me not looking at the clock. One of the album's strong points is heard in their ability to add layers in order to slowly shift the dynamics. They drone on the one theme then in the last four minutes dig harder into the riff.

Yes there are doom like qualities to how they let some of the riffs drag, they also use very black metal tropes like tremolo picked riffs. The vocals are very hateful . They help to tip them into the black metal side of the fence. This album serves as a strong argument why more black metal bands should consider using varied tempos. When they do going into the faster blasting there is more of a contrast. They become increasingly downtrodden on " the Closing" . Sonically it is not as impressive as the last song "(she is ) Awakening". This returns to more of a flowing ooze of a throb. Here the screams ring out over the grim pulse with more disdain. There is almost a rock n roll feel to some of the riffs that roll out once the song begins moving.  The riffs evolve and ring out with a more chilling dissonance.

This band should stay on peoples minds as one who tried to push black metal out of stagnantion this year. They did not need to reinvent the wheel. They only needed to care about song writing and have a willining ness to bring different textures to the table. It makes this album very easy to listen repeatedly and for that reason I will round this up to a 9. Do not it as this is easy listening, nor is it making black metal more accessible. It is simply shifting the colors of blackness.

Borgne : " [∞]"

This Swiss project is getting a groundswell of buzz from their 8th album.It's black metal with an industrial twist. The opening song as a weird swirl of atmosphere to it. The vocals are typical of what you expect from black metal. A mid range throat scowl sometimes double with a more shouted vocal. The drums at the very least are working off triggers if not programmed all together. I think the projects strength is the darkness in the atmosphere they create. This is not done in the organic buzz of the tremolo picked guitar that black metal normally conjures. The second song sticks to a more full frontal assault and is not as effective. There is still the backing of synths giving it texture, but the song it self has less nuance. "um temps perit" benefits from slowing down into a more deliberate pound. This allows the chorus of angelic synths to make more sense. While it might not be as dark there is more emotional weight to this.

The ten minute song that follows begins with a blast. Half the time they concede to keeping the black metal status quo. It rides the wave of  rapid drummed fury, toward the end this is replaced by electronic drums , it a blurred blitz of what you expect from black metal. This project continues to prove they are way better when not tying themselves to blast beats. While dynamically this song drones in another direction, the throb of " I Tear Apart My Blackened Wings" is a vast improvement. They hit more musical moments with the song building into sung vocals layered around the growls.The song has a part 2. The second installment is more of your typical blast beaten metal. After a interlude it breaks don into indie rock like folk.This is unexpected.

Then its back to more blast beats. They are broken up by a thrashy riff here and there. Softened by synths , but for the most part it's another spin on the same old wheel. They close the album by proving yet again when they deviate from the norm the bring a realm of new sounds to black metal. The instrumental "Chuter" is more of an outro than a fully realized song, it still displays a range of dynamics that would have been better coupled against the blasting. I'll give this album a 7.5. It sometimes exceeds my expectations, I wished it would stray from the color by numbers black metal more.

Samael : " Hegemony"

 This Swiss band is an old favorite of mine as they helped served as a bridge to what black metal is today and broke new ground with the album "Passage" in 1996.  It opens with a blend of industrial strength metal and blackened metal, as today they don't meet what most would consider black metal. I am always leery of bands that have a song named after them with Black Sabbath being the exception to the rule. It's more uptempo than the stompy opener. It does have a more anthemic chorus. The synths lend a more symphonic tone than I remember them having. The vocals take on a low robotic croak for "Angel of Wrath". It's another good blend of industrial and metal that doesn't default to the Fear Factory route. There is orchestrated pyrotechnics to "Rite of Renewal" which doesn't find it connecting as strongly with me as some of the previous songs.

The symphonic elements continue on "Red Planet". There is a more conventional radio metal feel to this one. It's generally mid-paced in it's syncopated march. "Black Supremacy" starts off closer to black metal, like this is a surprise. Lyrically it's a little dumb. The black is the new white line is funny, but it's hard to take this song seriously. The get darker on "Murder or Suicide" though remain pretty groove heavy.There is almost a dancey groove to "This World". They begin to settle into a formula when we hit the chorus. The beat gets more electronic going into the second verse. The more groove oriented electro tinged tempos continues on "Against All Enemies". The lower industrial sounding spoken vocals are fine by me though I wish they would play with how they are using them more as the vocals begin to take a uniform feeling at this point in the album.

Somewhere along the way the album begins to sound to me like Rammstein jamming with Nightwish. This is really felt on "Land of the Living" . They do still muster up a groove that is hard to not bob your head to in places."Dictate of Transparency" is heavy on the symphonic synths making it fall into a more middle of the road place. The album ends with a cover of "Helter Skelter" which despite being done well for what they do, I don't think needs another cover after Motley Crue's . I'll give this album an 8.5 so it is not as good as 'Passage" or the albums that came before it , but if you need some darker industrial inflected metal here you go.

Bölzer : "Hero"

I am still trying to figure out what the hoopla about this band is after having listened to the first song on their debut album. The title track that follows the opener keeps things at a similar pace. This Swiss band sometimes comes across like a blackened thrash version of Motorhead. The cleanly sung vocals sound like they are tone deaf as they are bellowed out of key. They have garnered much of  the buzz of a few eps which even by their label's admission are more roughly recorded than this album. The metal elite might turn on them because this album sounds like they were more pain staking in the studio. Metal kids can be silly like that. "Phosphor" is more driven by blast beats though there is a down tuned Meshuggah like current running under it. The vocals come in after three minutes of this and don't really add a whole lot.

There is a more focused throb to "I am Ill" that allows for the guitar to do a little more in terms of melody. The more Venom like vocal works well enough here. The song that follows "Spiritual Athleticism" plays more of a off a deathly thrashing speed. The mumble clean vocals really don't add much this one either.  When it slows for the swift current of double bass tug with more power these guys come across as being heavier than when they are rushing a more blitzed barrage by you. Sometimes this is handled in a way that reminds me more of Kreator or the more recent Vader. I think they are more musical on "Chlorophyilla". The guitar carries a sharper hook. I am not sure that the vocal have more purpose, but they do jab at you with more solid footing. The sun vocals are a little lower he and this resonance keeps them in key. This album is well played and executed aside from the clean vocals. Production wise all of the guitar parts are where they need to be in the mix in order to bring out what they do best. I'll give this album a 7.5, it sounds good and has a solid head banging drive to it, these guys however seem to be a little more hyped than necessary. If you want some heavier than thrash, but ready for black metal then this album could be your thing.

Deathcult :"Beasts of Faith"

The debut from the Swiss band, comes with a strong sense of influence from early death metal in the raw pummeling they dish out. The vocals are manically croaked rather than just growled. This places a sometimes emotionally charged aspect to them.  It's dark and for death metal of this kind a reasonable sense of songwriting and dynamics. There is a more straight forward take on the genre when they rip into the second song. They managed to chug into harder hitting riffs that really take me back to the early 90s. By the third song I am starting to get that their formula seems to be hit you with the most direct attack then build the rest of the song from there. The bassist player has a more rubbery tone that coasts over the drums here. They stay more focused on the feral intensity than paying the same attention to detail displayed on the first two songs.

A more thrashing attack eventually develops on the equally animalistic "Death In July". The guitar tone of "Foul Glint"changes to give us another color to paint this albums anger with. While this darker turn is appreciated it turns out to be more of an instrumental interlude than an actual song. Some of this darker mood stays with them for "Discreate Homunkulus" . This song's main focus is the rabid  speed, though they rekindle their commitment to songwriting here and take you on more of a journey."the Sick Within" not only stumbles across a guitar solo, but stomps into a more mosh inducing section. They wander into a darker place by the end of the song that reminds me of older Tribulation.

Lyrically I am unsure what these guys are about due to the crazy manner the vocals are howled out. I am guessing "Evil Dead" would be about what the title suggests. It starts off with more of a thrashy old Slayer feel. The guitar solo is even vintage Kerry King. The album closes with more of a "Leprosy" era Death feel. Slowing things down is to their advantage for sure as it allows more of a mood to build. I'll give this album an 8.5 it's pretty solid as far as death metal goes , fans of the genre's more classic period who are hungry for more might even round this up to a 9. This album comes out September 26th.

Schammasch:"Contradiction"

Listening to this album makes me  ponder the question how progressive can a black metal band be and still be black metal. Hail Spirit Noir's last album asked a similar question earlier this year. This album gets off to a creepy enough start convince me that these guys are black metal, if there is not a blast beat to be found for miles around. The ten minute opener has something to do with following a serpents hiss, and the build three minutes in has more in common with Tool than Mayhem. The spanish guitar solo over the more metal under current is pretty effective, but the grimmer than grim might find it a bit indulgent.

They  continue to stay vague in their commitment to black metal, there are elements of "Split My Tongue" that are more sludge like Neurosis. The dissonant elements dress the edges of the riffs. The blast does come, so does a charging riff that is double bass driven but passes for black metal on the song" Provoking Spiritual Collapse". The vocals sound awesome when they are doubled up, often some of the rasp is more of a gasp. The chant towards the end of the song is set after a pretty ripping riff, bringing to minds the albums where Enslaved was pushing the envelope , but was still black metal.

There is a sad shimmering before the pound of "Until Our Poison Devours us". They employ some interesting vocal patterns towards the end of this winding epic , it runs more along the lines of black metal, staying close to the progressive leaning. particularly the drummer. When he does oblige with the blast beats you realize how much he has been spoiling you by not doing them. The tom work he does is pretty impressive and while it gives more of a Neurosis sound i like all of the tribal drumming. The guitar players are not slouches, they tend to fall back and let the drummer take over then jump back in.

You have to have an appreciation for atmosphere and progressive rock to get into this album, if you just like raw black metal then this is clearly not the album for you.They indulge in clean tones like the ones that open "Serpent Silence" on a regular basis. The gothy croak of the vocals works for this set against the almost blues playing, these guys make weird choices for sure. They go a denser almost sludge like route on "Golden Light", but the dark almost chanted passage before the blast beaten end of the song is sinister enough to match Mayhem.

The spoken word intro to the vast epic that rounds out this album feels like something Behemoth would do. What I would not expect from Nergal is an acoustic section this flutters down into. At seventeen minutes they have some time to kill, so why not. The undulating pulse it builds in sets a lower growl against gregorian chants. So of course I like the almost goth thing this band has going on at times. Black Metal played fast or slow needs to have a dark ugliness to it in some fashion, and that is accomplished on this song alone. This is one of those album that I have been eager to get on my iPod since I heard, so will round it up to a 9.5
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