Sleep : "Hempispheres"

Al is back as the sole member of Sleep, with Dale from the Melvinss taking up the duties behind the drum kit and Bubba from Void playing guitar. Despite the supposed punk influence you might assume, Bubba will unpack things and flow in a more psychedelic direction. The second song finds them settling even further into the sinking couch-bound stoner hypnosis. The vocals pick up where they left off on the previous song, and truth be told, it feels like they are jamming out the first song.

They do return to more of the lumbering chug on the title track, but trippy synths color the periphery andd the mix does not lend this album to being their msot metallic mix; in fact, it reminds me more of the Melvins on this song, which is not surprising given the drummer on this album. His drummer does occupy a great deal of space here. There are some what darker sonic moments, mood-wise, here that I appreciate. They continue to jam off the main riff for the duration of the song and circle around it rather than take a dynamic shift. They get away with it here, but an entire album of it might get tedious. 

"Arrival of the Industry Ships" is a less focused wandering jam where the overdriven bass drives it to nowhere. At over eleven minutes, they take up a great deal of time with not clearr destination. Many songs work off the idea of a riff, but I am not even hearing the idea that sent them off in this direction. Even with the typical Stoner lethargy taking over the place groove would occupy, I am hearing more Jimi Hendrix here than Sabbath. 'Whole Wheat Mountain Well Baked" closes the album. It is more focused than the previous song, but not the band's best songwriting either. Crover is at least steering the ship here so they do not get as lost as the previous song. Fans of the band who are not dismayed by the lack of Matt Pike might be divided on this one, as it is closer to the Melvins and less of the doom feel they are into or they might be so high that this seems like a revelation. They are talented musicians, but this does not grab me; I won't deny the talent, so I will give this one an 8.6, unlikely to make the top 10 stoner albums of the year on my end.Drops September 3rd.

4.6

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Bootes Void : "Panta Rhei"

 

As the summer winds to a steamy end, I am more willing to listen to black metal. It's a genre I used to listen to more than I do now, due to the fact that so many of the bands follow such a similar formula, leaving a smaller percentage doing anything new, so let's hear where these guys fall. This is the third album from this German black metal band. They offer some hope with the delicate melodic intro that they blast away with the thunderous onslaught that comes after. I'm fine with this, but like all genres, I am going to need dynamics and songwriting from them, so if they are intent on just blasting at you the whole time, I am not going to be into it. They do slow down to a half time gallop feel, going with a common epic black metal formula.

  The mid-range rasp of the vocals is more articulated than most black metal bands that typically let the vocals just be another layer of sound. This apporach allows the lyrics to be understood. The formula seems to be more atmosphere leading into the song, so on "Shapers of the End" I am waiting for the other boot to drop, which it does. In a similar manner to the previous song, though with perhaps marginally more finesses tHey do not blast as long, and the bass can actually be heard in the mix, giving them a denser sound. There are defined sections of the song rather than it becoming a blur of hypnotic white noise like early Dasrkthrone. In the last minute and a half things break down into an ambient section. Building back with renewed intensity. 

"View From Nihil" carries more purpose as they add a little restraint despite pouring the double bass one. They are unable to resist andd blast beats to pursue them here. Their drummer is a bad-ass machine who is capable of doing more than blast beats, very death metal influenced. The bass shows up to hold down a groove, which is rare in black metal. They are more like blackened death metal in many respects, though an impressive darkness unfolds for "Onwards to Death' but the pummelling drums are very death metal. At almost eight minutes, "Lost in Oblivion" is the longest song on the album. There is only a minute to simmer before they hurtle into the blast beats. There is a more purposeful, chorus-like section two minutes in then it is back to hyper speed. Around the five-minute mark, they let up and give it the dynamic contrast for a few seconds before going back to the blast. This is a sound there is an audience for but feels a little redundant 

They double down on the blast beats for "Nebula," and I begin to get bored. There is a cool riff where the bass locks in with the drums, but it's buried in the sonic blur. The title track adds more anguish to what they have been doing from a different sonic angle that works. The last track is more of an ambient outro so I won't count it for the purpose of this review.  I like where these guys are trying to go and the willingness to experiment a bit, but they do play it pretty close to the epxected black metal blue print, so I will give this album an 8 as it is well done for what it is .  

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Foreign Body : "Libertine"

The second album by these transgressive New Punka brings a furious chaos that recalls the Stooges "Funhouse" album thanks to the saxophone that adds to the mess. The vocals are angrier than those of your average noise rock band, and these guys lean more toward the punk side of the genre. Almost likea less metal version of Eyehategod.There is something darker about the vocals that keeps it from being solidly punk. They are more purposeful on the second song. "Passed Around" is more obnoxious as they take the temper tantrums past the point of their novelty.

 "Hind Legs" not only carries groove, but the vocals are given the space and articulation to let the lyrics stand out. It doesn't matter how good your howling is if they lyriucs are obscured by hate. They jam the riffs out for all it's worth. The momentum builds to a more explosive punch for "Trophy". The vocals are produced in an interesting manner than bring Today is the Day to mind."When Sex is Not Enough" is a great song title but more chaos than songwriting, and it comes acorss as ranting.

"Man Was Meant to Take Advantage" works off the same pounding drone, but it sounds cool. There are more punk bones to "Born For This". The riffs, however, are not as defined as what they do on the title track. The vocals are less howled and more spoken, like King Missile. They close the album with the more fuzzed-out throb of "Beauty is a Hammer"; much like the bulk of the album, they rock out this riff ofr all its worth without any changes to the arrangement. I will give this album an 8.5, despite its simplistic feral songwriting approach, as I appreciate the mood it creates. Out September 11th on Brutal Panda.

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Stoned Jesus : "Songs to Moon"

The Ukrainian band's 7th full length finds them leaning further into sludge with an atmospheric crunch that sits somewhere between the Melvins and Mastodon on the opening track of this album. There is ample post-grunge to the riffs as the vocals layer a more introspective melodic sense after the more burly bark the song started with. It feels like most sludge albums are going to get overshadowed by Neurosis this year, so it's a good thing these guys have a more rock side to fall back on and seperate them from keeping up with those Joneses.

"ZYX" has a more indie rock sound, and it is actually the most intersting of the first three songs. There is a cool groove, subdued vocals that provide a contrast, and nuanced guitar playing, so here's hoping they continue to explore this new direction. They jam a bit at the end of the song. There is more ofa progressive slant to this album. Keyboards play a larger role. Midway into the album, it is even more apparent that they have crossed over into prog. If it worked for Mastodon, these guys took notes. This leads to cleaner guitar tones becoming more abundant as a shift away from the fuzzed guitar tones that were a staple of where they came from. 'Jackal" is the first song where I pick up on any lyrical hints they live somewhere that is being obliterated. The song builds back up into a more dramatic, sweeping build of rocking out. 

The strummed 'Window in My Room' feels like a lost alt -rock ballad from the 90s. It ambles along with almost Nick Drake-like folk energy. The album closes with "One More Empty Day". The Nick Drake-like mood of the previous song carries over into this one. The album takes a turn from how it started, with the last two songs leaning into the softer side. Overall, it works I will give this album a 9 as I like some of the newer direction they head, even if the last two songs did not register for me; they are balanced out by superior moments.

6.6

pst358

Archgoat : "Nightbringer, Lightbringer"

This band from Finland keeps getting heavier. What I like about them is the fact that the members are actual Satanists who are not playing around, rather than being posers who just think pentagrams and goats are the required metal imagery to appropriate. There is a Morbid Angel-like atmosphere haunting the background of the opening track, which shifts from grindcore to death metal by the end of the song. 

There is also a great deal of purpose in the very deliberate march of "The Dawn to Armageddon." They get very blasty on "Iconoclasm the Nazarene". This carries over in the onslaught of "Blood of Jesus Spilling Upon the Earth".  A minute and a half into this, they relent and allow a creepy, ritualistic atmosphere to take over. Some blasting is fine; they take things to the extreme in this regard, going into "Stygian Millennium". There are few sections with more purpose, but a great deal of the song locks into the more rushed death metal feel where the snare sounds stiff to me. The darker elements worked into "Key of Hell and of Death" set this up to be a darker song until they run off and blast death things, though they slow down for the vocals, which is more of a compromise.

"The Light Behind the Horns" find's it's blackened punk side balanced out with riffs holding more purpose and punch. There is a rawer thrashing to "The Reaper of Christianity". The vocals are at a low, croaked growl. The song keeps building momentum.  It does not slow down until they hit the guitar solo, then it's a more purposeful shift of gears. They are certainly dedicated to brutality, and there is certainly an audience that just wants their ears battered like this. Two minutes in, they find their groove. I will give this album a 9 as it accomplishes what they set out to do and has a knack of pulloing yopu backc in after the blast beats have numbed you out with is better than most bands taking things to these kinds of extremes.Their celebration of destruction is dropping on September 11th. 

7.4

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The Night Eternal : '"Cold Velvet"

 The third album from this German band finds them perfecting their darker take on heavy metal. When you take the brighter, anthemic feel, it sounds less like power metal. Not unlike what Unto Others tries to do, these guys actually nail it with more balls. The powerful vocal performance helps with this. They balance the darker chords they let ring out on the second song with metallic drive. The bellowing croon of the vocals takes command of the song. The guitar solos are pretty tasteful rather than just masturbatory shredding. 

There is more of a Dio-gallop to "Caught in a Spell". Production-wise, this song is as stunning as it captures a legit 80s sound while not turning their backs on a more modern mix rather than just trying to pay tribute to years past. "When the Last Candle Dies" has a strong chorus melody, but the verse feels like a continuation of the previous song, and I had to go back and give it another listen. This vibe carries over into "The Veins of Time", though there is more of a Judas Priest feel to the riff of this one. There is a darker, more deliberate feel to "The Watcher of the Burning Veil". It eventually speeds up into the epic proto-thrash gallop they prefer.

"Shape of Sorrow" is more focused than the previous, which gives the chorus more impact. It only wanders off into a side quest around the guitar solo.. "Dance on Crimson Ground" is a trippy power ballad of sorts, as it ebbs back and forth rather than following the typical formula for that sort of thing. I will give this album a 9.5, as it's one of the strongest traditional heavy metal albums by a relatively new band that I have heard in some time.Blade Drops August 21st on Metal  

7.7

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Infected Mushroom : "IM30"

This album came out earlier in the year, and I am catching up to it. To celebrate the project's 30th anniversary, they are releasing a new album. I was not aware they had been around since 94, but here we are. They moved from Israel to the States in 2004, which seemed more like their inception to me. While I like the darker side of electronic music, I don't seem to cover much of it, so here we go. The opening track works as it uses the sounds they are known for and arranges them with dynamic purpose. There is a trippy creep to "New World Order". Two minutes in, the vocals chime in. They are never the focal point of the song, but add a more human touch. This song is more about moving bodies on the dance floor. Even then, they do better than most in terms of dynamics.

The songs that don't grab me as much on this album are the ones that are more conforming to mainstream dance music and just focus on the grooving beat, as there is more sound vs song in motion, but that is an issue I have with this kind of music in general, and these guys are catering to the Festival side of their fan base. The more dub-step like sounds on "Lightweight" are more interesting to me as they blend a bit of dub along with the oddly effected vocals. At nine and a half minutes, this is the album's longest song, and midway in there is some fat that could have been trimmed. But overall it works for me, though the last two minutes feel more 90s techno to me. 

"LA Beast" is one of the album's most interesting songs thanks to the vocals and guitar that are worked that give the song more bones to hang from. There are some retro synth wave sounds, so all the sonic bases are covered here. "No More Happy Endings" uses the vocals as a more pop-minded accent. The dirty beat it transitions into balances this out. When it finds its groove, there is more of an old-school techno pulse lurking underneath. Strummed guitar is even layered in as the song builds. "Mesumpelet"  is more dance- and sound-focused and holds less surprise than the previous song.

"AI Therapist" bubbles to life with the sound of liquid dripping and then the synths steer it in a more synth wave direction. The vocals are hypnotic and work well to balance things out. Lyrically, it is the only song that is allowed to tell a story. 

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