At the Heart of the World : "Rotting Form"

After some raw feedback this project snarls into the thick of things. They owe more to Godflesh than than the more Skinny Puppy like brand of industrial Youth Code has descended from. The vocals are harsher. They are also male. Sometimes the synths are just as metallic as the guitars, but that is where the comparison to Youth Code ends, due to the fact these guys have guitars and are not afraid to use them. The vocals are more metal in the way they sometimes go into growls where the chick from Youth Code is aggressive, but merely shouting. Now that we have that comparison out of the way, lets talk about what is going on here. "Golden Cross" has more metallic guitars than the first song. The square synth sound is more plastic and 80s in it's tone like they are from a Kraftwerk record. Not a complaint as I think it is a more analog quality I have not heard in a lot of industrial.

The synths bring in a more melodic Blade Runner quality to "Embrace the Cripple". There is a more kraut rock groove set against the melodic metal guitar that is an interesting juxtaposition. It hits the sweet spot of being heavy sonically and heavy metal. There is more of a Liturgy like angular syncopation to "Fear and Peace" before the chanted vocals bring it back into Godflesh's backyard. Sonically it's more straight forward and not far removed from other things I have heard before so the songs before this have a more original quality that intrigues me more. The guitars are thickly layered here and the drum machine has enough balls to it so it doesn't just patter weakly beneath the guitar.

The title track has an apocalyptic pound and a vocal call and response that feels more organic. The jagged single note guitar melody almost feels like it is playing a bag pipe line. The albums longest song is the four minute "If I Have Loved You I Have Failed You".  The vocals are almost more sung, but the anguish keeps him from singing actual notes. I like the darker melodies implied here. The layered synths work well against the guitars. Sometimes it is hard to hear where one begins and the other ends. There is a heavier breakdown like part that finds the vocals going into more of a growl. "Shackled" finds the synths leading in with frequencies just as heavy as what the guitars have done. So when the guitars join them its pretty powerful. In some ways these guys remind me of Atriarch's bizzaro industrial brother. I'll give this one a 9 and see how it sits with me. If you are really hungry for industrial then round it up to a 9.5, I am just thinking due to the nature of this beast the album does not work off of grooves like Ministry does so I can see where it might not wear out my iPod like the last KMFDM did as this is a denser listen.

Wolftooth - "S/t"

The first song is pretty hammering. The vocals remind me a little of Ghost, but it might just be the production on them. There is some Sabbath worship, but it doesn't kick into high gear until the lumber of the second song. These guys strike me as being a little more doom than stoner rock on this one. "Sword of My Father" is pretty damn catchy. I find myself liking these guys though something in my gut tells me this is either... A) A joke like Goblin Cock or B) A bunch of hipsters though how many hispters can there be in Indiana? and every one but the dude with the gray beard looks like they used to be in a hard-core band. I can hear the trash and NWOBHM on "White Mountain" but the vocals do not soar. They are rather plaintive like an indie rock band, but manage to get the job done. So a far cry from Pallbearer. Here is where they also begin to lose some of their momentum despite this song being slightly more up-tempo. There is a cool groove that the song finds it's way to and these guys are obviously skilled at there instruments.

There is a more Mastodon feel to " Frost Giant". The vocals are smoother and coast along the chug of guitar. Where Mastodon would go into some proggy wanking, these guys go for a more melodic Sabbath approach. You do have to give it to these guys they can lock into a chug that hasn't sounded this good since "Holy Diver". However they lack the vocal power or melodies of a Ronnie James Dio. There is a more meandering blues to the intro to "Season of the Witch" until they lock back into a groove. They tighten the groove and the vocals become slightly more Ozzy like with bursts of twin harmony guitar. "Forged in Fire " finds the boogie fighting against the gallop, but the gallop seems to win. Overall the album compensates for mediocre vocals and knows it's strengths playing into them more often than not, it's the power of the chug that propels them and good to hear some hooky riff rock so I'll give it a 9.

Wowod : "Nutro"

The opening chords of the first song remind me of something I can't put my finger on. These guys play a very dark metallic brand of oppressive hardcore which after feeling the initial weight of it's heaviness will find me asking the question ok now can you guys write a song. This is what we shall try to determine in the course of the review. They can play blast beats in a punk fashion, do the dots connect between the two sections, not really. The second song finds them at a more ripping hard core tempo. Most hard core bands play like this I get it. The catch is I have already heard most hard core bands so looking for something different ...see this entry for more info...http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/01/what-i-want-from-2018.html

There is a tense Converge like chug to the build coming out of the verse. Nothing is catchy or really sticks with me, this is what sets Converge apart from the spawn they influenced. By the third song they are beginning to run together until they slow it down and give the song some room to breath and allow it be heavy sonically and not just heavy metal. The vocals have more of a low death metal roar to them. Sometimes they go up a little higher into more of a death metal snarl. The production is very dense and the album is well mixed so it has that going for it. I am half way into the fourth song, before I realize where I am at in the album. There is a riff that breaks things up, but the rule around here is cool riffs alone do not a good song make. However this song might have the most moving parts that work well with one another.

They don't fully have my attention again until the last song "Death". It's the melodic ring of the chords that finds that sweet spot of heavy sonics bringing me back in after the song before it faded into a buzz of distortion that just became background noise as I could have been listening to any metal band.I'll give this a 6.5, these guys have potential .Taking influence from Converge is not a bad thing, I would just like to hear a fraction more melody and less regurgitation of stock hard core. But you don't hear much of this sort of thing coming out of Russia so maybe it's next level shit over there. / metal riffs.

A Pregnant Light : "Lucky All My Life"

The more often black metal than not project from Damian Master is back with another EP. This is the most straight forward, the first song there is more of a blackened touch to it and that carries to a lesser extent into the second song, mainly due to the vocals that sit back more distantly in the mix. "One Thing, No Thing, Everything" just has more interesting guitar passages. The guitar playing is more complex and technically matured, considering this is the 12th of this projects eps and albums it should be.Things do gradually begin to become more melodic with "Iridescent Peppermint" really crossing over into more of a rock sound until it blasts off.Then there is almost a more Converge like feel to it, if we are talking about the band's less spastic punk rock moments.  The vocals on this album are all working off the same emotionally color and stay in the same mid range throat retching.

There is a darker hardcore sound to "Say My Name" that balances drive and melody, though resorting to blast beats midway into things. There is a hint of depressive black metal in the emotions behind the churn of this song.  I like the song title "Purple is the Color of My True Love's Bruise" that is a lot for the music to live up to. This album is much less experimental than what we have heard in the past from Master's , but the song starts off with a little more of a shoe gaze drone. Then it locks into a more grounded chug. It slows back down after blasting off into a more atmospheric breakdown. This gives the song room to breath as it still pulses on and doesn't lose it's build in the dynamic shift. This makes the blasting to come more worthwhile. It's like I always say how can you appreciate what fast sounds like if you haven't heard slow? The vocals take on a more hard core cadence when it comes out of the blast.

This might be a more straight forward effort , but it is also more song focused which I can appreciate as that shows maturity on the part of Masters. I'll round this up to a 9 and see how it sits with me. If you are a fan of this project it might take a little getting use to be if you like the more metal side of Masters then this will be a welcomed step on the gas.

Machine Head : "Catharsis"

While they are not letting freedom ring with a shot gun blast, the first song is aggressive enough to almost work though on the second listen it seemed like they were angry in the same way Slipknot is angry. If you think that is a good thing then we are going to have differing views on what we want out of this album. There is a more melodic touch to the title track that follows. Where I liked the opener less the second listen, I like this song more. The nu-metal is still being kept live on "Beyond the Pale". The more shouted tough guy vocals don't work as well for me. If he was going at it as rough as he did on the first album then I might be alright with it. Its the way the vocal phrasing accents some of the punches that really reminds me of Slipknot again.

The Slipknot touches to "California Bleeding" actually work, though the song benefits from having really good lyrics. That goes a long way with me. The rapping on "Triple Beam" sounds like it's from a time warp into the late 90s. Though if you are fine with it taking you back to that drugged out place in time, then it does have some value. Though it talks about meth, when the rap use of the phrase is talking about weighing out coke. So I guess pick your poison. Drugs do seem to be the prevailing theme of this album. "Kaleidoscope" is a little too early 2000s in the way it tries to blend a more Drowning Pool like vocal. It finds them losing their personality as this could be any metal band from 1999.

Not as a big of a sound as what I have heard from previous albums. I am unsure of the acoustic strum on "Bastards".  "the Blackening" was the last thing I heard from Robb Flynn. He is the only original member left and since this is his baby I guess that doesn't matter. He was social justice warrior number one going after Phil Anselmo on Youtube and the sentiment is celebrated on "Bastards". "Hope Begets Hope" is the first song where the big guitar sound I remember these guys having is invoked. The verses do have a more melodic radio rock feel. This song is better than many on this album, but doesn't sink the hook in you as hard as I might like . At 50 it does feel Flynn is more current than many who found themselves in a mid-life metal crisis.

By the time we get to "Screaming at the Sun" I have accepted the fact this is a nu-metal band and I am reviewing an album by a nu-metal band. So based on those facts they are successful at creating that sound. "Behind the Mask" must refer to the masks Slipknot wears. It is more of a ballad like interlude than an actual song with its own two legs. "Heavy Lies the Crown" feels more like an over dramatic Alice Cooper song with the whispered vocals. The verse riff has a more classic metal chug to it. So just because I accepted the fact this is nu-metal it doesn't mean I am accepting something like the song "Psychotic which would have come across as filler on a Mudvayne album. "Grind You Down" has a little more momentum which helps it. "Razorblade Smile" is not as fortunate as it feels more rushed to me.

The album closes with "Eulogy" which is a very atmospheric ballad. The vocals are shrouded in effects. It manages to build without feeling like it goes anywhere.I'll give this album 6.5, there were only two songs that did much for me. These guys know what they are doing I would expect something a little more mature from a 50 year old rather than teenage temper tantrums, that brand of angst could be more refined. If you are into nu-metal then round it up a whole point.

Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals : "Choosing Mental Illness as Virtue"

Phil Anselmo has almost as many side projects as Mike Patton. Like Mike Patton they all fall under the shadow of the band that put them on the map, in case it's Pantera. While the first song is as aggressive as what I have heard from this project in the past , but the guitars are adding some sonic layers of melody and the chords are allowed to ring out more. You can hear touches of Down mixed with death metal on "Utopian" which is not as engaging as the first song. The title track rages with more of a death metal attack. They are sticking pretty close to a more grind core take on what Cannibal Corpse used to do. It can be argued just how legit of a grind core band this is. I can say the more under ground legit bands could stand to learn from how to throw in a hook. Skills that translated over from the Pantera days. This is also why a song like " the Ignorant Point" works better than the speed fest that is "Individual". The latter's best moments comes from the Slayer like thrash riffs toward the end , not from the nasty blasting.

The guitars on this album are pretty mean. The drums could stand to come up in the mix a little. Phil sounds fine , He never actually sings, most vocals are spoken in gruff shouts or growls. He almost sounds like Rollins on "Delinquent". There are some almost blackened spasms that this song devolves into. "Photographic Taunts" is a heavier version of the previous song that is more jarring in the battle of blasts versus chugs. Phil growls more in a lower death metal fashion here. "Finger Me" also stays within the same parameters as the two songs before it. So at this point in the album it's all beginning to sound the same. There is a break down that is cool on "Finger Me" , but the rule here is cool riffs alone don't make a good song. So being heavy for the sake of being heavy doesn't really fly with me in and of itself.

They continue to offer a variation on a theme on "Invalid Colubrine Frauds" which benefits from the lyrics which take on mass shootings. Phil's theory is they are caused by people who are not left along. The last song is like the others there is a partially melodic outro to it but it blasts by without really gaining my attention. I'll give this a 7.5, making it far from Phil's best work and perhaps the least adventurous of his side projects.

Vile Creature : "Cast of Static and Smoke"

This album is supposed to be a dystopian sci-fi story. The spoken word section that opens the first song pushes this point. It descends into fuzzed out sludge from there. With venomous screamed female growls following the crash of distortion. Midway into this song that lock into a powerfully crusty chug. The vocals double up to create a strong accent. We get both male and female voices calling out from this duo that is creating a hug sound for just two people. Though throughout the album they are joined by a few guests. Chris Colohan of Cursed / Burning Love who lends his voice to the outcry. I like the darker place this song eventually winds around to. At ten minutes the sprawl of the songs makes sense here and is engaging rather than droning.

There is a more lingering build to the brooding beginnings of "Circuits , Bending and Breaking". The anguished screams of KW's vocals lay over the simmering rise of the chord progression. It doesn't lock in as heavily as the first song and lets the atmosphere drone a little more. Rather than lock into one another they hover around each other. James Claypool the guitarist for False/ Deathwish joins in on guitar. While it has a dense pulse the song is not as dynamic as the album's previous offering and hits you as one dense frequency. There are a few chugged accents that break this pulse up. By the end of the song they do lock into more of a riffy groove.

Things slow down for the last song. To the point that the first three minutes drag and drone. I don't think this plays to their strengths. It builds in intensity while staying at the same tempo. it becomes rather plodding even with the spoken interlude. Overall despite the lackluster closing song, the bulk of this album is solid. I'll give it a 7.5. If you want some apocalyptic emotive sludge here is one to check out.

My Silent Wake :"There Was Death"

 This album from the British band doesn't come out until February, but regular readers here will know that February is Black Metal History Month, so I am going ahead and getting all the metal that is not black hearted out of the way so I can focus on all the albums I am stock piling for Black Metal History Month. These guys are doom with death metal vocals. The guitar offer up plenty of crunch and melody. This might make you question where death metal begins and doom ends. I think mood is most important here. Is the aggression the dominant force or is the dreary nature of doom? On the first song doom is. Though they could dial up the double bass and change my mind at any moment. The song does build in intensity, though the double bass is more of a the undercurrent. By the second time they are getting more aggressive, but more along the lines of Slayer's serial killer love songs. "Killing Flaw" finds the band pushing more towards death metal, yet they show enough restraint to keep the bpms down.

They back off into a more delicate melodic approach that has way more feeling to it on "Ghosts of Parlous Lives". The vocals stay in their death zone, but the guitars get more sorrowful and take the rest of the band in a more doomy direction. Sung vocals are layered over the growls heading  three minutes into the song. This is the first of the album's two ten minute songs. The title track has a more elegant almost folk metal swing to it.This gives the song more of a Moonsorrow feel. The pace picks up as the gallop toward the end. They gallop even harder into "Walls Within Walls". Which lyrically is awkward, maybe it's talking about racism, but the lyrics don't work even if the polluted skies line suggests it might just be about world views as a whole it breaks the over all theme of the album.

They slow things back down for "No End to Sorrow" this is a wise move as the more upbeat galloping stuff was beginning to run together and they seem to invoke more feeling in the more doom like mode. The album closes with the ten and a half minute "An End to Suffering". At three minutes in what is a very delicate atmospheric guitar centered instrumental gets growled over. A minute and a half later it is starting to drone and I begin to wonder how they are going to drag it out for six more minutes. Sung vocals are another layer added. This begins to build in a manner similar to what Mournful Congregation does however they are more powerful sonically.I'll give this album an 8 it could be darker and heavier in an emotional sense, but it's still pretty solid.

Rain Within : "Atomic Eyes"

Andy from Bella Morte is back with a new project Rain Within. His voice is still distinct, it works with the new sounds behind it than have more shade of neon mixed in them. Having emerged at the tail end of the Cleopatra years, this is not really retro goth. He stuck to his guns and is delivering something that has come full circle. Last year I heard a few acts like Death of Lovers who were beginning to sound like Gary Numan , while Gary Numan was not sounding like himself. Andy avoids this and instead rides some Tron like grooves, that would not sound out of place playing in a club from the last Blade Runner movie or on the soundtrack to "Stranger Things".

I think the title track is stronger than "Realign" though I might need to give that song another listen it just breezed by the first time. The formula is being set with the arpeggiated synth lines creating a pulse that flows under the song to create tension. Hopefully it shifts by the next song or it is going to start getting stale. It's very effective so easy to hear how it can become a plot device in the songs to default to.  There is more of a kraut rock feel to the more ballad like "Nothing Here, Nothing There". I think the mood to "Fear, Lies and Love" is more compelling. The pulse of "Midnight" is aptly darker and the effects on the vocal are well placed.

"Home" is a ballad propelled by dramatic 80s flavored beats. This is more Miami Vice pastel colored 80s. It's not until "Rain" that the vocals really bring Bella Morte to mind. They are more dramatic in the chorus. "While I am Here" returns to a more hooky 80s pop, there is a little of Bon Jovi era 80s in the bite of vocals. The synths counter balance the hair spray."Small Precious Lights" is moodier and the vocal have a more detached A Flock Of Seagulls or Echo and the Bunny Men feel to them. The next shadow of Bella Morte comes with "Violet Glow". I don't think the vocals lock in as solidly with the synth lines as most of the other songs, but this one is still pretty decent.Overall if you are a fan of 80s new wave or dark wave this album is a very solid and I'll round it up to a 9.

What I want from 2018

I just made it through the first song from the forthcoming album by a band called Genocide Pact. Sure that is an awful name so I should know better but I was trying to give everything a listen in my in-box. Then I realized this is going to be a good way to waste 2018. I listen to hundreds of albums of the course of a month. Not all get reviewed. Since I do all the reviews personally for this site, it's a huge investment of time. So in order to not waste my 2018 listening to a death metal band that just sounds like every other death metal band I need to work smart not hard and make use of the limited time I have to invest in this blog wisely. So this brings us to you dear band, p/r firm, or record label. Here is what I want from you in 2018.

 I want black metal... but not just a blast fest or something that sounds like a Darkthrone album I already heard ten years ago. I prefer you to be depressive, this trend of ripping off Dissection, is no longer going to fly now that I already have Watain and Tribulation under my belt. Don't sound like you were recorded in your grand ma's basement, but don't sound like Nightwish either.


 I want doom... I want the darkness and sonic depth of funereal doom without every song being dragged out over ten minutes. No excessive Sabbath worship, more doom than retro rock.

 I want death metal...deep dark and atmospheric, yet not a total Incantation or Morbid Angel rip off, nothing derivative of Cannibal Corpse

 I want thrash...once again dark, think Voivod, Dark Angel and Testament, but don't be a carbon copy of those bands, melody and catchy riffs at must.

 I want punk and hardcore...don't preach, be able to play your instruments and write a song, if you don't know how to do this refer to the Misfits or Minor Threat. Dark is good just ask old Iceage. Fast won't make you better, loud might

. I am not opposed to power-metal and folk metal...don't get too happy or sound like Helloween. Be dark and angry, think Kamelot or Tyr. Give me something that makes me want to play D&D without cheesing me out. No LARPing.


 I want death rock...but sonically intense, sleazy, drugged out, surreal, be able to sing and not just a punk band playing dress up. I want industrial...do drugs and make me believe it, this world is about to end I need you to set the mood, bring guitars. have your drums crush me


 I want indie rock...be dark be melodic, be angular, use cool guitar tones don't just jangle, have some balls, experiment, shoe gaze is fine , just write songs don't drone.

 I want sludge...don't just sound like Neurosis, check out Bloodlet, dark as fuck is a must, atmosphere a plus, dynamics just as important


 I want goth...good beats and vocals are a must. Check out the new Rain Within and don't do that , but take notes on how they worked old and new into something their own. Elegance is a must. Siouxsie rip offs no thanks. A dash of dark wave helps.

 I want rock...here it can be tricky, some kind of shadow side or melancholy is a must, Black Foxxes did an excellent job of doing this a couple of years ago as did most of the grunge bands from the 90s. Have some balls, I don't expect you to be metal.

 I want prog rock...there is a hug gap left by Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum, at the same time I love 70s prog like Gabriel era Genesis and King Crimson, so dark not too happy or flowery, be able to shred when needed, but not just acrobatics, most important don't sound like Dream Theater.


 IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THESE RULES I WILL DELETE YOU IN 30 SECONDS. By all means be original, if you can break these rules but deliver whats in the bounds of my tastes in a way that will compete with the shit I normally listen to do it, I want new music. Obviously anything along the lines of The Smiths, David Bowie, the Cure , Kate Bush, the Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance

Primitive Knot : "Decanting the Dream-Gore"

My friends at Cvlt Nation were raving about these guys so I had to check it out. This British band is on a more experimental underground edge of post-punk. It opens with a ambient passage that is not quite a song. When they get more into the meat of the matter it sounds like a really low fi version of Killing Joke. The pitter patter of the double bass is kinda sad , but I can hear where they are trying to go. I hope they get there and are not content staying in this place production wise. I understand money is an issue for bands. The struggle is real. But in this case there is more intention than execution due to this. There is a more of punk feel to "Into the Forest of Knives" . The vocals sit further back in the mix on this one. More industrial soundscapes clash against the song's driving charge.

They take on more of a black metal feel, but with distant Death In June like vocals. Then we are back into the more punk place. There are some effects on the vocals and they sound much better this way. "Seven Thousand Crystal Frames" reminds me of Darkthrone's more black n roll moments. Then there is more of an industrial chant to "Howl of Rebirth" that really suffers from piss poor production as the drums sound paper thin, when they need to be bull-dozing you, go ask Godflesh how this works. One again I think there is potential, but this needed to be recorded in a proper studio, if it was then they need their money back.
The last track is just ambient noise. The production is really a sticking point here as it effects the overall execution of these songs. Things that could be powerful with more bass behind them fall flat and all the volume won't counter balance it. If you are really into underground punk then you have acquired a taste for things that sound like shit. It's like e you have a magical magnifying ear that can make a demo sound like "Reign in Blood" . I lack this having grown up in the 80s with everything over produced. So I am giving it a 7.5, it is being rounded up due to it's potential.

Portal :"ION"

Things are getting weird. This is my first time sitting down and giving a solid listen to one of the albums from this Australian project albums. I have heard lots of good things, and caught a song here and there, but never immersed my self in them. I just listened to the new Tribulation, which crossed from death metal into a more accessible sound. These guys have said fuck accessible we are going straight for crazy as god damn hell.It opens with noise and then bursts into noisy discordant chaos that can be linked to the DNA of death metal. The mix keeps this from soundings as dense as most death metal is. They are technical and precise while being all over the place. If you though Deathspell Omega gets nuts well these guys are further out into the mouth of madness.

It sounds like the vocal where recorded backwards. It sounds like breath is being sucked back in rather than forcibly expelled. Vocally this makes for less powerful growls and more of a breathy mutter. I find myself asking if this music is meant to be engaged or endured. The musical quality begins to get obscured on "Husk". Big on blast beats that are whipped out in a spastic manner. By the time we get to "Phreqs" things are beginning to run together and sound similar. I am also less impressed by the acrobatics and waiting for more song development. Noise is a big part of what they do, it takes up the first minute of the blast fest that is "Crone". I can still appreciate the extreme nature of what they do, I need more dynamics. The expand and retract of this bands revolves around noise. I like the chant of "pray for sickness" , but I need a little more than that to hook me in. I had to give "Revault of Volts" a second listen, because it went by in a blur. Only marginally more impressed by the song than the blur.

"Spores" finds the band continuing to grow more abrasive and noise ridden. "Phantom" finds them blasting even faster than before. When it comes to the closing song "Olde Guarde" I wonder who they can keep this up for ten minutes. Songs at this speed tend to be shorter since you have already raced to the finish line. They slow a little the three minute mark, but the guitars keep buzzing like a hornets nest.Then it delves down into a darker and more minimal passage that sounds like a guitar being played while someone drowns. I'll give this album a 6, I respect what they are doing it's just not something I need to listen to more than once. If you like both noise and death metal in a blender then this is more your speed.This is being released on Profound Lore

Tribulation :"Down Below"

So 3 years after "Children of the Night" the boys from Sweden are back. This album seems like a logical progression with a more stream lined take on death metal. Their new drummer is more of a in the pocket rock guy and doesn't hit you with a ton of double bass so this factors in. There is still a great deal of atmosphere and keyboard parts, that help retain the darker mood. The guitar playing is more thoughtful and nuanced to make up for the fact it might not be as aggressive as their previous releases. The vocals haven't really changed and their mid range snarl is  the most biting part of their sound now as a song like "Nightbound" finds them more metal than say Ghost, but not really what I think of as death metal. They were already out growing and pushing past the boundaries of the genre on the last album I think this album might find them walking totally away from it. In fact it comes up in my iTunes as gothic metal. You still have to give them credit for great song writing and guitar playing. The solos are tasteful and add to the song rather than wank over it.

"Lady Death" is even more straight forward than the first two songs.It's more at the threshold of metal and rock. The raspy vocals are what keeps it anchored in metal. I read an article on Metal Sucks about why there will never be another band as big as Metallica, and it cited harsh vocals as one of the reasons why. It will be interesting to see how this album does as it is their most accessible to date. I don't think it's selling out as it is still true to their sound it just finds the heft dialed back . "Subterranea" keeps up a palm muted tension and has a good sense of dynamics when they bust back . The first hint of something dark and creepy enough to be goth is on the instrumental interlude "Purgatorio". There is more of a big metal punch to "Cries From the Underworld".But much like other songs on this album it owes more to classic metal than death metal. This album has a much more organic production value in terms of  what sounds to be vintage amps that they captured some of this guitar tones with. The vocals are dry and a little too upfront in the mix, but it's not a deal breaker.

There is a more death n roll feel to "Lacrimosa". The vocals do sound a little more like Watain, in the way there are exclaimed. Midway into this song it takes a darker turn. The synths play a much bigger role not only in this song, but the album as a whole. Things get more upbeat and uptempo on "the World". There are interesting layers of guitar and the vocals do sit back a little further in mix on this which works better for me. The actual power chords that set the tone almost sound like 80s Judas Priest, but somehow it all works. They close with the longest song "Here Be Dragons" which at 7 and a half minutes its still pretty compact when you think about how so much metal has gotten to be sprawling 10 minute epics. It moves with a smooth tight chug and then builds from their to a more sweeping build. So this album is not shy on dynamics. I think it's pretty fair to give this album a 9 as I gave "the Children of the Night" a 9.5 and I think that is where this album sits in comparison to it.It might grow on me and change my mind, but this is where it sits with me at present.

Black Label Society: "Grimmest Hits"

You might be surprised that I have never listened to a Black Label Society album. I am a huge fan of solo Ozzy, so I like Zakk's guitar playing. I liked the Pride N Glory album. I caught Zakk Sabbath with Clutch. I am not sure why these guys never clicked. Perhaps it is the white trashy fan base that turned me off , who knows. The first song has more ambiance than expected, it's more grunge than the kind of metal I have heard these guys crank out in the past. Obviously the guitar solos are a big part of the song. He is good at what he does. The vocals kinda coast over everything. Very middle of the road. There is a little more of a Black Sabbath feel to the verses of "Seasons of Falter". The rest of the song is very melodic and about as driven as newer Alice In Chains. Zakk's voice sounds better on some of the more relaxed passages. The hardest hitting sections are where the guitar solo falls. Its not bad , but not blowing me away either.

By the 3rd song I have resigned myself to the fact this album is just not going to be as heavy as I was waiting for. In fact it's more rock n roll. "the Betrayal" is more up tempo, and his guitar has attack to it, tonally it's too warm and not enough low end on the mix as a whole to make it heavy. If you play guitar or are into shreddy guitar then this will be more your thing. Coming out of the solo there is a heavier riff, but it doesn't turn the tide a hell of a lot. They go for more of a doom tinged feel with "All That Once Shined", but in truth it's not much harder than Govt Mule. The vocals are all multi tracked. The guitar tone is surprisingly not as beefy either. Being in a Sabbath cover band has certainly influenced his riff writing. The drummer shows a little more of his chops toward the end of this song, but is careful to not eclipse Zakk's show.

His guitar playing is very tasteful on the southern rock ballad "the Only Words" that brings to mind the Allman Brothers or Stevie Ray Vaughn in terms of tone. "Room of Nightmares" is about as heavy as Stone Temple Pilots. It feels like he had these country/ blues tunes written and want to get them out so to kill two birds with one stone he was obligated to write some more aggressive rock songs in order to fill out the album and go on tour. There is more conviction in the chug powering "A Love Unreal". This where all the other heavier tunes need to be.So this album is hit or miss , but when it hits it really connects.  He maintains the momentum going into "Disbelief". Then it ebbs back down to a more soulful blues ballad with "The Day That Had Gone Away". It reminds me of a less vocally powered "Say Hello to Heaven". It is some of his most nuanced guitar playing. I think this kind of thing is the direction he really wants to head in. It continues to ebb and flow into more rock moments being crammed into the albums 3rd act. There is more of a Led Zepplin like groove to "Bury Your Sorrow". It ends with another southern rock ballad. At the end of the day is playing really sells these and the albums strongest moments balances it all out so I'll give this one a 9.

Troll : "s/t"

The good thing about this band out of Portland is they have some atmosphere and layers to what could otherwise be a more straight forward vest metal. Taking notes from Pallbearer seems to have become the trend in doom. The have lightly crooned floating over the 70s jams.There is more Sabbath worship going on here than what you hear coming from Pallbearer, so that sets them apart. The are also more straight forward metal. Their press release tries to compare their singer to early Sabbath Ozzy and I don't hear it. He doesn't belt it out with the crazed desperation that Ozzy did and lacks the power. His voices is more of texture, there is a word growled hear and there , but his voice has a drugged creepiness to it. The band gets credit for now dragging their songs out into sprawling epics and keeps them concise with the longest hitting the eight and a half minute mark. "the Witch" lumbers somewhere between stoner and doom. The drummer plays around the guitar riff rather than hitting it head on. The mood is more scattered and the vocals don't connect as well with me as they did on the first song.

They play to their strengths more on "An Eternal Haunting". This means less vocals and letting the guitar claim the spot light. The guitars do some pretty interesting things here. I do like the fact the vocals have effects on them and I think they need to go more in that direction.The drummer also steps up his game on this one and makes it my favorite song on here so far.It's jammy and sometimes blues tinged.The vocals come across as being more ethereal, which is smart as this guys is not a metal singer. Sometimes he reminds me more of Andrew Wood from Motherlovebone. This comparison is given even more merit on "Infinite Death". I think this guy could be a decent singer, I think he has an original approach to what he is doing. Sometimes he is not sure about his lower notes and they are out of key. Musically it plays it pretty safe in a Sabbath boogie.

"Savage Thunder" rumbles along the road of more typical doom. The singer goes into his upper register and show a little more balls which is an improvement. I'll give this album an 8, I think these guys have a ton of potential. The vocals could stand to be smoothed out in places and they could play it a little less safe and veer more from the tried and true Sabbath worship and get into the more textured guitar parts where the band shines.

USURPRESS : "Interregnum"

This proggy death metal band out of Sweden, is what you are looking for if you want the emphasis on the metal when it comes to your prog metal. I don't listen to as much of this kind of thing as I once did , but if this was 2003, I would have been all over this. Despite the fact that is asks me to go back to the place when I was really into Opeth, there is no denying these guys excel at what they do. The first sign of them defaulting in the the need for speed most death metal bands succumb to, doesn't occur until the fourth song "Late in the 11th Hour". It's not until the last two minutes of the song that it ebbs back down into more progressive ambiance, leaving the bulk of the song straight forward death metal .

The clean vocals in "Ships of Black Glass" are well preformed and produced. The effects give the somewhat creepy baritone a darker slant and break up the more death tinged tone the song opens with. It wanders off into a more jazz inflected place before getting heavier. "Gates of Iron" starts off as a more non-descript form of death metal. The sung vocals take on a more goth tone for "the Vagrant Harlot". Not the most powerful vocal performance, but I appreciate the sentiment.There are hints of a more Enslaved like accent to this song.

I like where these guys are going with this. Some of the sung vocals get an e for effort and then some really work. The jazz influence is one of the best elements as it feels very natural and not forced. Even when they are in more of a straight forward death metal mode , they are still better than the bulk of death metal albums sitting in my in-box. I'll give this one a 9, it's great for when I venture out in the "snow-covered landscape" that is now Atlanta. Just joking I am done bigger lines than what has shut this city down.

Cane Hill : "Too Far Gone"

 I decided to this band from Louisiana out because their press package claimed they had done a bunch of LSD, the year they recorded this album. The vocals flux between a spoken lower vocal that typically takes care of the verses. Then it trades off between a shouted hard core like vocals and a sung vocal that gives them a more Slipknot feel. I guess Slipknot is one of their influences along with Pantera. I like the second song better than the opener despite the more Slipknot feel. It's really well produced , though this is a blessing and curse as it gives it that slick radio feel that I am normally not a fan of when it comes to metal. There is more of  Sevendust 90s alt metal feel to "Singing in the Swamp". These smoother vocals ad another color, which is something I wish bands would do more of. I don't hear where the LSD is really coming in at this point in the album.

"Erased" is not a bad song, it just sounds like it is from a time period that has come and gone , I have grown out of so no longer holds my interest. The bass tone of " Why" doesn't help to distance them from nu-metal. The Sevendust comparisons over power any Pantera comparisons which is not a good sign in my book. "It Follows" has more of a straight forward metal riffing to it's syncopated pound. This flirts with more of a Pantera like groove. The chorus relaxes back into the smoother vocal. Then the next two song devolve into rowdier Slipknot shouting and juvenile bouncing around. This is done in a more musical manner on "Fucking Hateful" which given the title and the lyrics that reflect it , I am disappointed that the LSD didn't make them deeper thinkers than this.

At this point the nu-metal tendencies are getting a little tedious. I can only take Slipknot in small doses , so someone impersonating them without the masks gets to be a little much. "The End" is a little darker and I guess that is my one complaint is that I prefer metal that is darker , both Pantera and Slipknot have an ability to tap into that Sevendust does not so that might tell you where this album leans an why it doesn't always work for me. This is not my thing , but well done for what it is, so I'll give it a 7.5.

Druid Lord : "Grotesque Offerings"

With a name like Druid Lord I was expecting something more touched with folk metal and not such a dominant horror theme. When I first heard this band from Orlando on their Bandcamp page I was not sure what to think of the first song but knew I wanted to hear more from these guys in order to make a conclusive opinion, so I would say the opener was a success as it drew me in with it's brand of death doom. Growled vocals and dirty guitars crawling out of the speakers are really what keeps these guys from just being a doom band. The second song is more of the same but more grinding death metal with the occasional riff owing more to Sabbath than Morbid Angel. These guys rely more of the power of the chug than speed alone. The lyrics are very horror based and growled in a way that you can still decipher them.There is a much more obvious death metal feel to "Evil That Haunts this Ground" that reminds me more of early Sepultura. This also marks the first appearance of synths which are well place for needed atmosphere.It helps further darken things.

The first song that feels more like filler to me and is not as strong is "Black Candle Seance". On it's own two it is not a bad song it just doesn't seem as dynamic and doesn't connect with me. Lyrically there is some similarity to Acid Witch, but I feel that while Acid Witch might not be as heavy writes catchier songs. These guys prefer more glum tempos. On "Creature Feature"The vocals are spit out in a way that does the lyrics favor, as they are a very articulate growl. This song finds them tapping into the same kind of song crafting Acid Witch displays on a more frequent basis. However the lyrics don't feel as focus once they feel at one with the dead, then I am thinking where did this narrative go, but the thick murk of riffing keeps me distracted. They drop down into more of doom gloom on "Murderous Mr. Hyde". This song doesn't hold up as well as "Creature Feature" as it gets a little plodding and the lyrics are very vague.

The leading verse riff to "Last Drop of Blood" is rather cumbersome. The guitar harmonies work, well and if you are really into melodic death metal guitar then I would recommend this album. That only goes so far with me. I can't hear the bass at all. The drummer throws in double bass skillfully but is not really doing anything above and beyond the call of duty for what you expect from any death metal band. I don't want just any death metal band, I want my death metal to vary from what I already have or whats the point?  The song does improve thanks to a killer riff that is just mean as fuck in the last couple of minutes.Overall if you  are into death driven doom or doomy death metal then these guys are going to be up your dark alley. I'll give it an 8 as it works for me the majority of the time, not sure how much mileage I will get out of it , but enjoyed what I heard.

Hamferð : "Tamsims Likam"

I typically find myself at odds with the musical tastes of Metal Sucks, but they told me this was the darkest album that came out this week so I was willing to give this band from the Faroe Islands a shot.They are a doom band , who trade of well sung mournful clean vocals growled vocals . They are very successful at creating a mood. By the 2nd song "Stygd' I am sure these guys are skilled at what they do. The blend chants with low gurgled growl. Metal Sucks was right as this is dark and sonic in the way it creeps up on you. When they are in their heavier moments is reminds me a little of Esoteric without the shredding. The production on this album is really stunning and the mix is great. You can hear every instrument, which with doom can be tricky as things can become to over driven and turn into a low end frequency. Think the vocals are well balanced not too much clean singing not too much growling.

The guitars create a beautiful forest of creepy melodic shadows that enfold in their ominous crunch on "Tvistevndur Meldur". This is not as romantic or goth in it's intent as My Dying Bride, but at times touches on similar places. Their native tongue works beautifully, I don't think I would want to hear these songs in English. If this was funeral doom the songs would be double the length, so what these do is fairly concise in comparison. The vocals take on more of a soft tone going into "Frosthvarv". This comes across as almost a more delicate Katatonia. The jump off from the previous song with more of a soaring melodic nature that turns mean into more of a chug with "Hon Syndrast". This feels more death metal than doom, though the lines blur some. Not the best song on the album, but that still puts at better than most. Not sure the sped up black metal moment works, but most of the song does.

The last song is the longest at almost 11 minutes. They hesitate too much to go into the actual song. Four minutes of build up that could have been trimmed off and almost five minutes until it gets into the kind of heaviness they are good at. So its ends on not as strong  of a note. Regardless  I like what they do ,  I am unsure if doom of this pacing is something I would really wear out on my iPod, but this is an album I left on and let play as I was writing this evening, so far that it earns a 9.

The Top 10 Worst Albums of 2017

You saw the best now here's the worst. Some of these albums are from bands I once loved making it more heartbreaking. Some are rookies you are more easily excused and some of this shit is not even music , but crap that wasted my time. Some have links to reviews and grew on me in the worst way if I ever tried to listen to it again, others I could not force myself through the whole album. Either way here they are if you like any of these, feel free to walk into traffic.

10-Warrior Soul- "Back on the Lash"


This really gave the teenage me a kick in the balls. I used to love these guys and they clearly should have hung it up as Kory Clarke can not sing to save his fucking life and would have been better off hiding behind more effects. I can not believe the producer let this slide. The music didn't do him any favors as it sounds more like Motley Crue's post-"Generation Swine" crap.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/12/warrior-soul-back-on-lash.html
 

9-Peasants- "Dirt Worship"

 In all fairness this is a demo, but it's like letting some one see a picture you are not finished drawing. The rough mix was a little too rough, maybe one day when they get into a real studio they might be worthwhile

. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/peasants-dirt-worship.html

8-Flynn Effect - "Obsidian "


The only redeeming aspect of nu-metal is that sometimes it was dark enough to make it almost work. This album did not have that going for it. Instead it sounded like warmed up Lacuna Coil b-sides that should have remained unreleased. The singer is not attractive enough when not airbrushed in promo photos to make this entertaining.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/10/gothtober-flynn-effect-obsidian.html

7- Dog fashion Disco<- br="" massage="" rotic=""> -"Erotic Massage" 
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<- br="" massage="" rotic="">This band clearly needs to break up again. This is a remake of their first album, which I didn't listen to the first time it came out , but if these guys passed on the chance to make these songs more than just Incubus worship then this is a fucking disgrace to calling yourself a musician.
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6-the National- "Sleep Well Beast"

 I used to love this band, so this was hard to swallow. I write for a blog where they tried to say this album was good and I was ashamed to be part of it. We know how great these guys can be. This is uptempo bullshit that doesn't play to their strengths. I get trying to do something different , but it clearly either doesn't work or they just don't give a shit and didn't want to be in the studio , but were obligated to fart one out.

5- Royal Blood- "How did We get so Dark?" 

 Naked chicks on an album cover and it still sucks? The album title explains the problem. It isn't dark. In fact it's the most boring sterile piece of shit begging for radio play, that I could get past more than the first five songs, that sounded like Muse trying to dumb it down for the Mumford and Sons crowd. This is arena rock for basic bitches. I condone the suicide of anyone who likes listening to this kind of bullshit. 

4-Necro Dethmort- "Overland"

 I reviewed this one for Treblezine and I couldn't bring myself to listen to the album more than once to review it hear or waste my time thinking about it to re-write another review, even now I feel bad about thinking about it. It's just worthless noise, no matter what words I used to try to be neutral for Treble.

3 Blank Spell- "Miasma"

 It's annoying enough for a punk band to parade around trying to make you think they are death rock, but when they don't really deliver in terms of punk well that makes matters worse. The singer's voice is one of the worst vocal performances of the year, she needed to be hot to make it make sense and wasn't so it all fell rather limp.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/blank-spell-miasma.html

 

2-Mentors- "Illuminaughty" 

 The album title is the only thing good about this album. Just when we needed rape rock the most these guys really let us down. I was being generous when I tried to say this album had it's moments. I think I really wanted there to be and I was left with something that sounds amateur rather than from seasoned veterans who should know what they are doing. This really proved they should never try this without El Duce. Way to not push the envelope.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-mentors-illuminaughty.html

1`-deaf Kids -"configuracao do lamento"

 
This album took away minutes of my life I will never get back. To call this music is really putting a strain on how you define music. I suppose if performance art is worth that to you I suppose that is your business. But does performance art need to market itself as being able to create an album?  I think their name refers to the audience that would really get what they do.Pretty much proof that industrial music needs to come from colder urban environments, one thing is for certain it can't come from Brazil. Maybe it's a shit hole and industrial should only come from post-apocalyptic shit holes rather than 3rd world ones

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/deaf-kids-configuracao-do-lamento.html

Avatar : "Avatar Country"

I predicted this band from Sweden was going to break big this year and it makes sense this will be the album to set that in motion. They have been together since 2001, so this is 17 years in the making. The opening track so a little on the happier side than how I normally like my metal in that brand of power metal that descended from Helloween, despite the growled vocals trying to heavy things up. I actually like the AC/DC twang to the second song better as it has a better groove to it. Not sure country and blues influence is something that fans of this band are really expecting so not sure how it will swing with them, but the guitar playing is more nuanced.

There is a more modern metal stomp to "Kings Harvest", oh, yeah all of the songs are named something about this king. The vocals are more death metal grunted on this one. The drummer kind dials it in to me and just gets the job done and the guitars do most of the heavy lifting. The vocals have a wide range of different flavors , but most fit inside the box of hard rock. The are typically layered and ride the grooves. In the last two minutes of this song they do get into some some darker sections. "A Statue of the King" starts off like "22 Acacia Ave". It does get weirder and offer more of what I consider this band's own personality. "King After King" is less impressive and is middle of the road power metal.

The album closes with  an instrumental of the more  standard power metal fare. It is well done and has a modern groove to it that doesn't make it sound like they are just ripping Helloween off. Though after mentioning them twice in this review it makes me want to download "Keeper of the Seven Keys". This is a pretty decent album that might be a shade happier than what i normally listen to so if you are a fan of these guys then it's what you dig, so you are going to dig this. Not to say this album is not without it's meh moments. It seems like a bunch of albums are getting this , but I am going to give this one an 8.5 and see how it grows on me over the course of the year.

Unwoman : "War Stories"

So all I have really known in regards to this project was from the State of the Goth Scene panels that Erika Mulkey has been on. I might have caught a moment or two of her performances there but it did not stand out in my mind so that is questionable. There is more of a folk feel to the opening song than I expected going into this album. Solemn is a better adjective for this song than dark. I like the piano loop in the title track, the way the vocals wrap around this is very Rasputina, which is a good thing in my book.The chorus is more straight forward pop that what Rasputina would do and that is ok as well since I want Ms. Mulkey to have her identity. Lyrically I think she has a very clear vision of how she wants to communicate her ideas which is another positive quality. I might not always agree of where all the melodies go as "Saviors" reminds me a little of a Broadway song, but I like when it transitions back into the verse, so it's either a mixed bag or just takes me a little bit to get used to what she does. I think the fact I can hear a little Kate Bush in what she aspires to do is what makes me more understanding of the big picture.

"Before the Flood" is lyrically grim, but is sung with a brighter shade than what you might expect from the lyrics. The backing layers of vocals are somewhat more morose. Aside from the cello the instrumentation is rather sparsely mixed but for what it is the song seems to work. "the Surrender" is more of a ballad that meanders for the first minute, the cello builds things on what would be the chorus. Lyrically it is a little more obtuse than the previous songs. "Bad Man" is a little more compelling in both narrative and musicality. The more feminist slant to the lyrics is not my thing, but I appreciate it's hers and like for people to be about something. "We Love Longest" doesn't really stand out despite it's smooth sing along melody. I prefer the more exotic melancholy to "the Same Stream". Here the minimal electronics work well in contrast to the more organic qualities and lurking languid vocals. "Flies" is where things fully commit to the goth side. Not the best song, but it is the darkest so far.

There a 50's doo-wop feel to " Waxing Gibbous" which was not what I was expecting, but I think it's cool as it certainly widens the albums dynamic range. Things mellow out further on the dreamy "Almost".  The lyrics are personal and seem to be about finding her place in the world. She stays in this surreal sugar dust Bjork like place for "Breathe Out". The vocals are well layered. I'll give this album an 8.5 it's well crafted and she has a knack of taking her voice to interesting places. Will make it more of a point to catch her on the Con circuit this year.

Legend of the Seagullmen : "s/t"

A nautical concept album, well not a totally new concept for a member of Mastodon. A super group of sorts as it includes Brent Hinds, Danny Carey and the bassist from Dethklok /  Zappa Plays Zappa, as well as some guys who don't pay the rent playing music. I'm not totally sold on the guitar tones on this album, but it might be my earbuds so I am willing to cut it some slack. Layers of overdubbed vocals in chanted choruses. Not Danny Carey's most adventurous playing it's pretty straight forward rock. The bass playing is what steals the spot light most of the time. The vocals tend to be in husky baritone and are exclaimed as much as they are sung. The album's first moment that grabs me is "Shipswreck" which chugs in with the command of classic metal.

I understand that this in someways is to be taken as seriously as Tenacious D, who I am hit or miss with. The power ballad "the Curse of the Red Tide" is a little silly for me. I might have liked it as a teenager, as I can hear this as the kind of power ballad Alice Cooper might have done in a bizarre drunken fit. These songs are not long drawn out epics and most fall somewhere between 70's rock and 80s metal. The title track is pretty much straight up rock.Perhaps too straight up for my personal taste buds, but if you prefer classic rock over metal then this is for you. I prefer the darker, moodier groove to "Orca". This is like when 80s metal sometimes got weird when it collided with prog rock. This might be the album's best song.

The spaghetti western that was the inspiration for this project can be heard on "Ballad of a Deep Sea Diver" which reminds me more of Nick Cave , which was the direction I expected this to originally go in. The guitar playing is pretty stellar on this song and makes up for moments when it was dialed in rock n roll. Overall this album is fun. If you smoke pot I am sure it would sound better, but since I don't I am going to give it an 8.5. Not sure if this is proggy enough for Tool fans, though Mastodon fans will find this easier to swallow.

Mammoth Grinder : "Cosmic Crypt"

In music journalism there seems to be two schools of thought either paint the band into the picture of who you want your audience to be or if you are really into kissing a record label or P/R companies ass, paint them into being who they want them to be. I try not to play into either school and try to just call a spade a spade . It's what I used to like about rap from the 80s or 90s they had a quality control and used to call out rapper who were whack, These days that only happens in the comment section of music blogs and tend to devolve into trolling with not reference point or fact. I can say this band is not whack as they are good at what they do , however what they do is very easy to define. I think i'ts pretty easy, to say without question these guys are death metal. Upon second listen I think these guys benefit from the fact that they come in so heavy it makes it sound like there is more of an original flavor than might really be there, however The  execution of the second is more convincing. They tend to steer closer to the tried and true formula for death metal the rest of the way to the point that it's not until the fourth song "Divine Loss" that I am able to hear a clear cut distinction between songs. There is a little more of a punk undercurrent to that one. I think one of the albums more redeeming aspects is the fact these songs are very condensed. The longest song is still under 4 minutes so they never wear you out in one song with too much of the same thing.

Many of the guitar solos recall early Slayer and Morbid Angel, lots of diving off of the whammy bar.The drumming is a little less nuanced than what I want from death metal that I find exceptional. There is less double bass, making me think this guys used to be in a punk band. "Superior Firepower" is so straight forward that it begins to bore me a minute into it. The punk element to the drumming starts to get on my nerves as it does the stiff pitter patter on the snare that makes me think of those monkey toys with the cymbals. "Human is Obsolete" doesn't do anything to change my opinion and "Locusts Nest" really only seems to be a faster paced version of the previous song. "Mysticism" is the first song that really begins to change my mind I think I like the fact the dense dark riff reminds me of the first Unleashed album. They slightly revert back to their old ways by going into the monkey cymbal beat here and there, but I can handle it better when it's book ended by something more interesting."Rotting Robes" has a moshier riff to it that I could have found my self wanting to jump into the pit as a teenager so I gotta give them props for that one as the title track that closes the album is much less memorable.

Are these guys good at what they do? Yes. Do they have some cool riffs here and there ? Yes. Do you think I am someone who is content with cool riffs here and there? No. Do I need a greater sense of dynamics and some atmosphere to convince me things are darker? Yes. Do I already own all of the death metal albums from the 80s where this was done ? Yes.  So given these facts I am giving this album a 6. If you would have answered them differently or are too young to remember when this type of music came out then it might be more impressive and you might want to round it up higher.

No Age : "Snares Like a Hair Cut"

The 5th album from this Los Angeles duo catch you up in a dreamier swirl super imposed over there take on punk rock. The vocal have a detached yet charismatic baritone that is marginally more upbeat than say Joey Ramone. As far as the song itself goes , it took a few listens to absorb. This applies to the album as a whole, but from the jump it's catchy enough to keep my attention . Most of the songs on this album are around three and a half minutes long so even when they are weaving a more dreamy form of indie rock still stick to a punk formula. I can hear Sonic Youth influence in the guitar on "Stuck in the Changer". This song has some interesting texture, but is not as urgent as the opener. The guitars on "Drippy" drip with delay until the drums come in prompting them to step on a more distorted tone. There are some provocative layers of atmosphere draped over otherwise simple punky pop songs. It's when they keep this brisk and balanced that the over all sound works the best.

This Sonic Youth like blend of ambiance mixed in with the jangling guitars continues to work really well on the infectious "Send Me". They take simple sounds and really craft them together into something unique. The title track indulges in the ambient noise perhaps a little too much by creating an instrumental of sorts that is really more of an interlude.They kick into a more up beat drive for "Tidal". The vocals are really well produced, though the guitar sits oddly in the mix at times. There is odd noise flickering off of " Soft Collar Fad". It seems more to be for the sake of noise rather than something that really benefits the song. The over drive gives way to something that reminds me of 90s Alt-pop on "Popper". The vocals come across as being more disenfranchised, but the guitar compensates for it .  The rowdy jangle of "Secret Swamp" certainly reminds me of 90's indie rock. There is a weird transition into the chorus that jumps out even with the slack glaze.

Like the title track "Third Grade Rave " is another noisy interlude that could have been left off the album with little impact. There is a more lo-fi and minimal feel to "Squashed" that feels less organic than the other fully formed ideas of songs. The music meanders around the distant vocals. The vocals start off in the background of "Primitive Plus". The song builds into more of a shoe gaze shimmer. Overall I think this album is a good compromise I'll give this album a 9.This comes out January 26th on Drag City.

Funerary Bell : "Undead Revelations"

The opening track from this band's forthcoming album, made me stop and ask..."Did these guys always sound like Mercyful Fate?" They don't use the high King Diamond falsettos, but the vocals are in his more crooned moan. This Finnish band doubles them up with some more evil sounding rasp. They take on a more straight forward form of old school thrash at the intersection of death metal with "Goat of Mendes" that follows. This finds the band in the same zip code as Mortuary Drape. They continue to digress into a more conventional form of blasting that conforms with most modern day models of black metal when kicking into "the Word Became Flesh". The vocals have more of a death metal grunt to them. They indulge a darker moodier side that shows more personality two minutes into the song before picking the pace back up. They do slow into more of a thrash gallop. When it comes to guitar solos they follow a more early Slayer blueprint.

"Hermetica" starts off with a catchier riff than what it speeds up into. It has a much more thrash feel, but it's well written, where they fall into the momentum overtaking them when they feel the need for speed. They gallop into "Mantra"  feeling like we have ridden the same horse down this path before. The album does succeed in finding a warm crisp organic sound that recalls 80s thrash, paired with more death metal vocals. They chug into "Revelation Part 2" with a great deal of authority. The vocals dropping into a lower growl that the double bass compliments to make some effective death metal Up to this  point in time are these guys conceding to being solely black metal even earlier in the album when they bombarded the ear drums with blast beats. There is a more melodic bridge that makes the more thrashed out build even more dynamic. They continue down this more death metal direction on "Anima Eterna" .

By the time the album gets to  "Tree On the Planet Grave" they have settled into a blackened death metal with a few touches of melody and dynamics that make this seem marginally more inspired than this being a "Ok, lets make an album so we can go on tour affair". There is a great deal of growth in the production and song writing on this album. You can actually here the bass playing. But five minutes into "Tree On the Planet Grave " it's as inspiring as watching a senior citizen porn where you are only wondering how long can they keep it up. Thankfully they slow things back down when closing with "Spectral Moonchild". They are not able to use restraint for long and find themselves blasting back soon enough. I'll give this album a 7.5 as it got off to a strong start and then descended into something more typical, so after they showed me what they are capable of I expect that level of creativity, you might be happy with this blend of metal that is well preformed if not happy falling in with the current state of metal. For the band's second album this is a pretty decent effort and shows growth putting them a few steps ahead of typical raw Finnish black metal sound.