Chelsea Wolfe : "the Dark"

 The 9th studio album by the wonderful Ms. Wolfe opens with the soulful "Cold" that finds less of the ghostly reverbed vocals and her singing out at full voice in a more accesible manner. The also worked with producer Jennifer Decilveo who has also worked with the Gossip., Miley Cyrus, Bat For Lashes, and Hozier. Her voice sounds great nd it fits comofrtably in her hweelhouse. She continues this more  raw vocal production on "Seethe" which is also more straight ahead rock. It is not as dark as her previous work. Not too far removed from say Florence and the Machine. The drums groove thanks to having Tori Amos' drummer Matt Chamberlin playing on this album fand Troy from Queens of the Stoneage / Failure also lends his guitar talents, but serving the song so much you would not notice it was him.  

"Humours" is more back to the shadows basic for her, which she knows she needs to return to based on her fanbase which includes people like me who expect this sort of thing. If anyone was wondering if she coulkd sing ofr was just hiding behind the stylistic apporach with effect this album clears that up. It ameks sense consdiering artists she influenced like Ethel Cain are playing bigger venues. There is a more rock feel to "Swallower" though it does include many of her sonic staples like tinges of haunting guitar notes that ring out.  

"Halo" ambles along with a hooky flow. So far the vibes of this album remind me most of  "Birth of Violence'.  It is weird tha Angel Olsen collaborator Ben Babbitt lent a hand on the title track as it's stripped down to her just playing guitar. It is not until two minutes in that other layers of sound begin to rise around it. So they just helped her flesh it out. "Turn the Key" finds Robin Fink of Nine Inch Nails dropping some guitar in. "I'm Not There" is a slice of Americana tinged songwriting that is not foreign territory for her.

"Death is Not the End' goes from themore delicate fragile vocal to aheavier sonic dirge of emotion drivintg thesong. The album closes with "Dancer in the Sky" which is another introspective ballad. She slowly builds it up from the minimalist piano line, andit is one of her most compelling vocal performances. I am not sure if her new  found soberiety is what is making her more comfortable in her own skin but that is what it sounds like to me ,and it is clearly working as it's another flawless album from her,. I will give this one a 10. Out on LornaVista.

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Cemetary Echo : "Civitas Lachrimarum"

The black marrigage of goth and metal has been attempted with various results bands like Type O and My dying Bride being the most triumphant in this regard, but other bands like Atriarch and In Solitude who did not garner as much of a c ult following were still artistically sucessful and left a void in their wake, that has only come close to being filled by a band like Grave Pleassures, who still lean more on the goth sidde of things with more punk tenencies than metal, Unto Other has mad eand effort and the new Final Graps is perhaps closer to what I want , though this band from New Yporkfinds themselves on the more metalic sie of what In Solitude once tried. 

The vocals are the only shakey part of this foundation, they work on the first song, but are more uncertain on the second so hey are goibng to be what makes or breaks them here. I orefer the more atmospheric balance they strike on "Snakeland's Pull". There is more ghoulish aggression on "Knight Rider". The romanticized darkness they linger in holds melody even when the vocal drop into more of a growl. Their more aggressive side is not as death metal as say Tribulation, but carries more of a punch than Unto Otthers.  

The moodiness brings a new level of emotional depth to the sonic pulse found in "Dungeon of Love", here there is more of a Feilds of the Nephilim feel. The vocals are working better but they are sitting further into the mx. There is more  of a 80 vibe to "Sanctuary' which I appreciate. This is one of the album's best vocal performances andd perhaps the album's hookiest song.. "Trouble With Demons" finds the vocals almost more spoek on the verses which does not work as well to my ears.The last song works well, as the vocal deliever and the mood is gloomy enough for me in it's introspection.The vocals are effective enough to get the job done so I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on. 

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Dragger : "Taken Form"

If you took a hardcore band and gave them a sludge band's production, then this is what it would sound like. The guitar tone is blown-out, dense sludge of fuzzed-out meaness. They are plenty angry and have a bit of thrash in their aggressive attack. On the first song, the one lead guitar is the only element that feels out of place, and that is because it sits too forward and too cleanly in the mix; it is an overdub that was not managed into the present wall of sound, or the guitar tone itself needed to be tweaked to blend it."In the Mire " is the band working of a more deliberate chug and none of the over dubbed guitar is there to distract me from it. It also feels like an extension of the previous, so there is not a great deal of overall dynamic range to what they do so far. 

"Potent Sea" finds them building more memory as the barked vocals fall into the background. The husky vocal delivery on this one sounds more like something a sludge band would do, as it has that lumberjack feel. Though all of this lies in the pacing and the phrashing as it becomes more punk on "Martyr Tombs". Though even in this song they allow themselves to evolve and blend genres.  There are moments where this also reminds me of early Mastodon, with plenty of powerful chugs to back up this theory. The drumming is not as frantic as Brann's. They fall back into the more uptempo take on sludge with " Cautionary Tale". The guitars are doing most of the heavy lifting to compensate for the vocals. 

There is more form and function to "Everything is Rot". The vocals are just another layer here as the guitars tell the tale. Everything does fall into place in a very compact manner that gets the point across. I will give this album an 8.5; they are certainly heavy enough to please most. If you are looking for a more punk-minded sludge band, then this should do it for you.

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CUTTERRED FLESH : "The Shapes of Hidden Malice"

 

This Czech death metal band is not what I expected going into this album, as there is a more technical feel to their grooves than what I expected from "horror-themed death metal. It is hard to say if this s my thing from the first song alone, as I do like bands with some technical aspects when it comes to death metal; there is not one set rule that I stick to. "Le Horiaa' is more deliberate as things slow down to a more purposeful crunch. I can hear where Cattle Decapitation comparisons could be drawn, though with less of a chaotic vocal delivery and a different atmosphere that creeps up here as synths become more apparent. They have a well-layered guitar presentation I prefer the more creeping aspects than when they go full bore. 

"The King in Yellow" works off a more syncopated groove that works against more frantic flurries thanks to the drumming. The horror aspects can be felt as this song progresses. Not sure how it relates to the work this song is named after, but it's the thought that counts. There is marginally more traditional death metal on "The Willows ", though when it gets more progressive it kinda loses focus and throws a bunch at you. Some of the more crazed blasting does not work as well for me. However, there is no doubt these fine fellows are talented. They have plenty of chops and already have proven they can write a song, but can they be consistent is the question. The angular battery that powers "Mimi-Nashi" at least works better than the previous song. 

'The Feather Pillow' opens with a bunch of blast beats before it begins to find its footing. The drummer is almost playing against the grain of the song here. When it comes to songwriting, the strongest moment so far feels like it is "the Letter U", though even here they eventually erupt into a merciless speed fest.  'The Painted Skin" opens with more purpose in the pounding. This builds into an almost Cannibal Corpse level of brutality. They bring more suited weirdness to " The Colour Out of Space' perhaps not as Lovecraftian in feel as the lyrics should be. I appreciate the nod to my favorite author.. "Bernice," like most of the songs, is possessed by more blasting than it needs.  I will give this a 9 as it is not my preference for death metal but even then there are song sand moments I enjoyed, so they won me over enough to know death metal fans into this sort of thing will love this album.Drops November 11th on Transcending Obscurity.  

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Bizou : "Widow"

This is a post-punk all -star band that features former members of Wax Idols. Smashing Pumpkins/ Garbage, and Light FM.  There is a mix of influences; some of them lean their sound in a more dream pop direction. This is more pronounced on the synth wave-tinged title track that carries a dreamy glaze, though the guitars and vocals anchor it well. The vocals are performed andd produced in a manner that sounds like they could have come from a 4AD album in the early 90s. The drums add a bit of heft. The guitars are not afraid to add a more rock-like melody. 

"No One Can Have You" finds the band cruising on a solid groove, as the drums keep things flowing. The guitar dances around this with a crystalline patter of notes. I am not sure I couldd call this synthwave, as it is more like dream pop with a side of post-rock tension, though they get dancey at the end of this song."Death Mag" has a beat that is not unlike "Running Up That Hill". But the vocals bring things back to a more somber mood. It's not hard to be less dramatic than Kate Bush. The synths darken things coming out of the chorus. Even though this seems like the most synth-dominant song so far, it is still balanced out with guitar. This is the most dance floor-minded song I've heard on this album. \

Was not expecting a Wire cover, but that is what we are getting; it is a more electronic take on the song. The last song kinda drifts by and does not grip me as much as the others, but ya win some, lose some; it doesn't suck; they just raised the bar high for themselves already, I will give this one 9.5, which puts them at the top of the heap for this sort of thing. 

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Mob Rules : "Stories From the Verdant Vale"

The German Power Metallers are at it again. This EP is an extension of their 2025 album "Rise of the Ruler". The first actual song, and not an intro piece, is "Master of the Black Crow," which has enough drive for power metal; it also has the happier guitar melodies that I am not a fan of, as they come across as too happy to me. The song after this, "Masquerade Ball," works better in this regard because it's less happy. It also, riff-wise, sounds like "Where Eagle Dwell. I like Maiden much better than Helloween, so there is that. Even the vocals follow that pattern on the verse, though they switch it up on the chorus. You can also hear a touch of Queensryche in this. 

Another problem I have with a great deal of power metal is the silly power ballad that they indulge in. They are always so melodramatic it takes all the edge off of it, and that is what is going down here. It almsot reminds me of Dream Theater in that regard.. Thankfully, they drive "Balance of Power" out with a more thrashing riff. The vocals are belted in an over the top fashion that comes with the genre and sounds great here. Considering that Klaus is at least in his 50s since the band formed in 1994, his voice sounds great.

This album also offers some songs from their 2014 album Timekeeper, but for the purpose of this review, I am not going over these songs since they are not new versions being released last year. This blog has been around since then, and I did not review it when it came out, but I never got huge into power metal, though it does summon a nostalgic feeling for an era of music I do love. They are consistent, and Klaus is the sole original member, but he has kept it going in a way that is true to who thee yare, so I will give this one an 8.5. It drops August 21st on Reigning Phoenix Music.

        

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L.O.T.I.O.N multinational corporation : "Machine Halluinations"

 Electronic tingehardocore does end up sounding like industiral. The first song sounds like it could have been from the 90s. I do like the harder-edged guitar fighting against the synths. "Spiral of Destruction" sounds like White Zombie jamming with the Butthol Surfers.. You could almost say something similar about "Absolute Insanity," but it also carries stronger ties to Killing Joke. But it also finds them settling into more of a songwriting formula. "Boots On the Ground" is more Ministry-inspired.

They kick up equal amounts of dirty noise and grooves on "Digital Rot".At this point in the album he vocals begin to get a little boring with their one-dimensional nature. I suppose if Motorhead is one of thre your favorite bands, you won't notice. Speaking of Motorhead, the vocals take on a more Lemmy vibe for "Acid Reign." . The vocals also have a little more purpose on this one so that works for me. There is a more punk feel to "You're the Product" 

"Never Say Never" is another more punk song with some Devo tendencies. This is offset by a more metallic riff driving it. Then it's back to a more old school industrial sound for "Smooth Operator," tink Revolting Cocks in this regard.. Lulu contributes her voice to "Five Star General," which helps to switch things up into a more indie new wave revival sound. Overall I appreciate what they are going for here, not blown away by it , but they captured the sound of an era I like and wrote some decent songs on their own terms making this album a great deal of fun so I will give it a 9.

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