Dark Blue : "Victory is Rated"

The resonate vocals of John Sharkey of Clockcleaner fame are the first things that once again catch me with this band. The band also features former members of Ceremony, though these guys have such a warm melodic feel to their moodiness it is hard to hear those punk roots. They continue to get right what most post-punk revival bands miss.The second song finds them coming closer to a more rock style not unlike the louder moments of Interpol. The chords to "Let Me Tell You a New Story" ring out in a Smiths like fashion. Sharkey does croon more, though is far from Morrissey when it comes to emoting. What they do have in common with Moz is putting melancholy lyrics with more upbeat music to create an interesting juxtaposition.

"Midnight Moon" is more straight forward and has a rock n roll heart beat to it. The vocals kind of coast, while they fall on the right places , I don't find them as compelling as they were earlier in the album so guitar solos try to compensate. "She Loves Me " has more of a power pop feel to it's bigger chords. "Different World' is smoother than the bulk of the songs on the album, which begin to take a bouncy jerk in their syncopation as the album progresses which songs like "Mrs. John" is a testament to. This kind of syncopation is toned done for "Looking For You" It's kind of an anti climatic ending for this album but it is a good song, so hard to argue against.

I will give this album a 9. It's not as dark as their previous album and has more of a 90s rock n roll feel with tinges of Brit pop around the edges.If you are tired of countless post punk bands that are rehashing the same old Joy Division tribute and are not afraid of something with a little more rock n roll to it then this album is worth you time.

Black Metal History Month - the Top Ten Exporters of Black Metal

After another month of listening to almost exclusively black metal, it gives me time to contemplate what makes for the best black metal, I think environment is a hug factor when you think about the important themes, the isolation of misanthropy, the anger at religion the shunning of mainstream beliefs. The egregore of the creative energy plays into this. I have said it before and it bears repeating that being south of the equator makes it harder to capture the chilling feel black metal should have. The icy drone of it's atmosphere. This might not have been as big of factor in the first wave, but the second wave has a more Scandinavian current running through it. To test this theory I went through my Last FM library and charted out where the music came from. I had exact counts that would support the ranking, But since this is may blog and  I decided to make life easier on myself and just put a sample size of the bands hailing from each country to give a better idea who the top 10 exporters of black metal are.

10- Switzerland

Two of the genres most influential bands came from here, but the Swiss are too light hearted to pump darkness out in bulk.

Celtic Frost, Schammasch, Samael, Paysage d'hiver,


9-Greece

This one is a place that always surprises me , but Rotting Christ paved the way.

Hail Spirit Noir, Rotting Christ, Dephosphorus, Raven cult, Dodsferd-



8-Poland

Being cold and poor with a  drinking problem makes for good black metal.

Cultes Des Ghoules, graveland, Kriegsmachine, Behemoth, blaze of perdition.

7-Germany-

Starkly Militant with the skeletons from WW2 in the closet this one makes sense.

Falkenbach , Cold world, Wedard, ruins of beverast, Empryrium, Lunar Aurora, helrunar


6-America

Almost half of these bands are coffee shop hipsters with a punk rock past, the other half are very sonic and compelling.

Agalloch, Nachtmystium, Deafheaven, Tombs, Liturgy, Woe, Wolves in the Throne Room, Mutilation Rites, Ashborer, Valdur, Bosse De Nage, Abigail Williams, Weakling, Absu

5-England

It makes sense they should be out America as they have a much darker past a greater depth of poetic history.

A Forest of Stars, Winterfylleth, Lychgate, Venom, Cradle of Filth, meads of asphodel, Forefather , Anaal Nathrakh, Fen, Voices, wodensthrone, Svalbard, Caina, Ackercoke , Bal-Sagoth,Code

4-Finland

Not as poor as Poland, but they have cold dark winters and alcoholism to share.

Oranssi Pazuzu, Totalselfhatred, Sargiest, Archgoat, Horna, Moonsorrow, Funeary bell, Goatmoon, Belial, Beherit,impaled nazerene,Satanic Warmaster-Thyrane , Trollheims Grott, Kval, Circle of Ouroboros 15


3- France

Aside from the raw black metal most of the bands seems to have a more experimental sense of artistry

Alcest, Deathspell Omega, Blut aus Nord, Ofermod, Svart Crown, Merrimack, the Great Old Ones, Lantlos, Glorior Belli, Aosoth, Peste Noir , Anorexia Nervosa- Antaeus , Ad Homineum, Year of No Light,  Spektr,Vehemence


2-Sweden

Despite being a warmer , more liberal and westernized country there is more of a depressive slant to the black metal coming from here than the number one slot.

Watain, Dissection, Shining, Arckanum, Kall, Ofermod, Life Lover, Craft, Marduk, Nashiem, Istapp,Thyrfing, Funeral Mist, Bathory, Manegarm, Dark Funeral, Naglfar-

1-Norway-

Does this surprise anyone?


Emperor , Darkthrone, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Burzum, Immortal, Enslaved , Carpathian Forest, Aeturnus, Taake, Kampfar, Vreid, Ulver, Satyricon, Arcturus, Gorgoroth, Godseed, 1349 , Dodsfall, Borknagar, Urgehal, iskald , mare, AUra Noir,Windir,  Faustcoven, Keep of Kalessin, in the woods , Tsjuder, Thorns, Limbonic Art, Nidingr

Black Metal History Month -King Apathy : "Wounds"

These guys used to be Thranekind. The focus has shifted as these straight vegan anarchists offer up a melodic does of blackened hardcore that is not afraid of atmosphere. This German band is not trying to be indie rock. They are not afraid of their metallic dynamics. They understand the importance of dynamics. The vocals have a a lower sludge like bellow. The blast beats are effective here because they are not over done and have something to contrast them with. They are not trying to be cvlt as fuck as this album is well recorded and some interesting guitar sounds have been captured. "the Great Depression" finds them beginning to lock onto more of a formula as it sounds like an extension of the previous song. To their credit the songs are all very compact and do not drift off into any sprawling drones

There is a great deal of melody to the guitars that drive "Revelation Time". The syncopated groove works well. "He Missed the stars" storms ahead with more of a black metal feel. The lyrics are kind of stupid and social justice warrior, I get that they are vegans and anarchists, but I think trying to have a some kind of message like that is Christian based and thus not black metal so it ruins the song for me. They slip into a more deliberately flowing pace for the next two songs that carries more melody. At this point I am trying to block out the lyrics. I think the rasp of the vocals begins to get a little repetitive, as it takes the same approach even when things are switched up like this. The melody of this song almost has more of an old school emo feel to it. By that I am talking more Hotwater Music and not My Chemical Romance if you are too young to know what that is. The vocals do come closer to singing as it builds.

The title track has a very similar feel to the previous song. The vocals don't roar in until the last minute of "Earthmother Rising". It has the same shimmering slow pace and gives a dramatic sonic build with a great deal of emotion, which would be more impressive if it did not seem like these guys were recycling riffs. I'll round this down to an 8. The album sounds good and I like where they are going sonically, I want more anarchy and less bleeding heart from them lyrically, but think I like these guys better when they were Thranekind.

Black Metal History Month- Film Review : " Lords of Chaos"

Ok this is not a history debate, I think movies like "Until the Light Takes Us" touch on the reality and eve in bi-opics Hollywood is more concerned with entertainment value than it is showing just the facts.If you want to debate the tone of the movies I only want to hear your opinion if you were like me a teenager in Norway when this went down. As I think what I liked the most about this movie was how it took me back to my teenage years. I did not like the fact it mainly used American actors who did not even attempt a Norse accent. At least the show "Vikings" goes that far. I think this was the movie's biggest failing as the church burnings and shunning of mainstream culture were not about satanism but a rejection of Western culture. Something is commonly lost on American audiences and film makers as well, though unlike the recent Oscar winning Queen Bi-opic, none of the musicians involved wanted anything to do with this so that leaves the book this is based on.

  If you are a fan of black metal and worried that this movie might expose black metal to mainstream culture, well you are a little late to the party on that, but you have nothing to fear. Black metal is the window dressing. The focus is on Euronymous played by Culkin. Culkin does a decent job, is a little whiny and in the end I found myself rooting for Varg to put him down. So the movie accomplished that if that is what it set out to do. The casting of Varg and his general depiction was not the greatest. I think the director was not on either Team Varg or Team Euronymous so that helped to show sides that some viewers might not have considered. When everything came to a head I think the point was proven that Euronymous was a sell out bitch who used everything from the church burnings to Dead's death to try to look evil when he was just a poseur.

I think aside from Dead,  some of the focus on people other than Euronymous and Varg was not as balanced as it could have been . Key players like Faust and Blackthorn, did their respective deeds , but neither had the kind of emotional resonance they could have if given the chance to establish more of a relationship with Euronymous. So this played into the previously made point that you end up rooting for Varg as he stood for not selling and going on tour, making music and burning churches as that what his conviction not to be sensationalist. I think they did touch on the fact at the end both men served as mirror images for the things they despised at some point in themselves, but Varg became black metal and Euronymous became the things black metal was supposed to be against.  Sky Ferreira was pretty hot as a 90s heavy metal chick, but her character really did not serve a purpose aside from being the obligatory love interest. The amount of sex in the movie was surprising as black metal at this point in time was not one of the more sexual metal sub-genres and those elements began to creep in over time as influence from other genres snuck in.

So was the moving entertaining? yes. I would recommend it to fans of black metal because how many movies about metal are there ? much less black metal.  Some of the references were so heavy handed that at times they seemed forced, and the feel of suburban life in Norway could have been better portrayed though I think they did a good job with the feel of Helvete...I bought a Mercyful Fate picture disc there, so unless you were there you don't get a say in it. Anyways It was fun I will give it another watch and see if it strikes me as better or worse either way. It felt like 'the River's Edge" to me at times, which is a good thing as that was one of my favorite movies as a teenager. So nostalgia runs deeper than corpse paint.

Black Metal History Month - the Top 10 Black Metal Front Men

Scowling misanthropes are not known for there charisma. This makes someone who is a true front man in a black metal band  a rarity. They do exist and are what gives most of their bands an edge over the other more faceless black metal acts.Yes it says front men and you might want to ask why do they have to be men ? You ask. They did not have to be these are just how it went down and even if you were going to include someone like Myrkur on a list. These guys just have a darker and more in your face that sells them where she becomes more introspective.So here are the top 10 black metal front men, they are ranked by the passion they invest in the music more than their pipes.

10 - KK Warslut

 From Destroyer 666, he brings to the table and almost Blackie Lawless vibe , but much more confrontational, which is what black metal should be.


 

 9-Nattefrost 

 The lead growler for Carpathian Forest has a rock n roll sensibility to him. Not the most mobile, he comes across as meaning every word.


 

8--Shagrath

The vocalist for Dimmu Borgir, is no stranger to theatrics. He does work the stage well and shows up well dressed.

 


7-Ravn 

 The snarl of the 1349 frontman is conveyed with a tangible intensity. He commands the stage and seems to have a great deal of conviction .

 

6-Alan Averill 

 The driving force of Primordial. More of an actual singer than the previous entries. His presence also places him ahead of most.

 


5- Louis Falgoust

 Goatwhore's lead growler really throws himself into every performance and is one of the key components that makes the band better live than in the studio.




4- Erik Danielsson

 What gives Watain an edge is how serious they are about what they do and while p/r companies are quick to call shows rituals , in the case of Watain they actually are and Erik is committed to being as priest in this regard.
 

3-Attila

 Watain was obviously influenced by Mayhem on many levels. Attila is very serious about what he does and has made it an artform. Over the years the theatrical elements have gotten more elaborate.

 


2-Niklas Kvarforth

 While he is not as tortured as he once was , the Shining singer is almost the Iggy Pop of black metal. He is both introspective and confrontational onstage.

 


1-Ghaal 

 Words like intensity and conviction are important when it comes to black metal as it is as much an idealogy as it is music , so it's hard to be more of an iconoclast in this regard than Ghaal.

 

Black Metal History Month- Looking Back in Anger at Burzum's "Hvis lyset tar oss"

Ok once again it is time to take a look back at albums long considered classics and see just how good they really are. So Burzum is going under the microscope to see how their 1994 album stands the test of time. Considering how this was lo-fi for even then time when it came out, it is going to be a test of how good were the songs, since at the end of the day that is what matters.The 3rd album "Hvis Lyset tar oss" or  if the light takes us. There is a great deal of ambiance before we hear the first cranking of distortion. Three minutes in the actual metal fires up. It is more of a stomp than a blast beat. Varg's drumming is pretty impressive, perhaps even more so than his guitar playing which I feel improved post- prison. I do like how the ambiance of the synths is layered over the more aggressive drumming, though it drowns out the guitar. The vocals take on a higher shriek when the riff modulates. The arrangement goes above and beyond what imitators attempt.

 There is more of a blasting tension going into the title track.  Driven by many of the same trapping we hear in today's black metal, this was just from 1994. The more raw lo fi cvlt sound possesses "inn slottet ira droemmen " . The snarl of the vocals is more feral and the music carries a more relentless anger that pounds at your ear drums. It eventually smoothes out into a more powerful throb that has a wider depth of feeling than just metallic hammering.

The last song is just droning synth. I guess for the time this came out , this kind of folk influenced kraut rock was some next level shit. Not really my thing but the songs that do actually bring the metal are good. I will give this album a 9. While it is praised by the cool kids, who do not even listen to Burzum now that they became social justice warriors, this album is not perfect. Yet considering when it was released the results were impressive and I am sure to have heard this in 1994 would have been mind blowing.

Black Metal History Month - Ysbryd ; "Kraft"

This project out of Germany has a grimy raw sound with out forsaking song writing and melodic elements. In some ways it strikes me as a cross between Burzum and Marduk. They do not lean heavily on blast beats if at all. They charge full speed ahead in a few places more like that thrash band when that does occur.The vocals are at a barked mid ranged rasp with an agonized edge to them. The bass is buried in the mix, but as far as this ind of rough around the edges black metal goes this album is well produced. There are some droning atmospheric moments "Im Kreige" being one, though that particular song does not really go anywhere dynamically.

We are five songs in before it  picks up significant speed does so in a way that makes these guys seem like they are just as influenced by Motorhead as they are Darkthrone. When they play oit to say and fall more into the range more more conventional black metal I am not impressive as I think they have a better thing going when they do their own thing. The album does retain some of the darker creeping feeling it first invokes, though there seems to be more of a formula in place and it is closer to what everyone else is doing. This doesn't mean what they are doing is not effective , it is just not as fresh as what I am looking for in a month where I am just listening to black metal.  I keep having those moments , where I look up and realize that I am on a new song since they have begun to have a uniform sound.

 If something like the acoustic passage that served as the outro was integrated into one of the actual songs it would have helped break things up a bit and provide a little more dynamic range that this album could have benefited from<. I do like their sound and the darkness that seeps from it, I think the areas where I wanted more have been explained so I'll round this up to a 7.5. It is not something I would return to a great deal, but I enjoyed the listens I did get from it. br />
4.8

Black Metal History Month - Véhémence : "Par le Sang Versé"

This is rather upbeat black metal. I am not sure that they are as medieval as they think they are, but I typically go to the Renn Faire every year so My expectations are high when it comes to the dark ages. The vocals are an interesting mix. Lower growls, gang singing and crazed howls all surface in the first song alone. The folk elements do not show up until two minutes into the second song. The blast beats are blinding fast and they guitars insist on trying to keep up with them. What worked well on the first song is compromised here due to the insufferable need for speed. They are playing the right notes , I am just not really feeling much in terms of emotion from it. Many prog bands also have this problem. Half way into the second song it seems like it should be over already which is not the best sign. I can tell these guys are French as  they have the kind of crazed attitude I pick up from many french black metal bands .

The 3rd song is more or less a folk interlude so the metal does not kick into high gear til the 4th song. It is pretty standard black metal. It's not until the song slows down that the guitar melody is allowed to shine. The guitar solo over the strummed part is pretty impressive. The guitar playing is this albums strongest point. From a song writing perspective, there is nothing that really wows me, but they are good at what they do. When you are three minutes into a 9 minute song and you are wondering when it's going to really go some where it always makes me feel like I am in trouble. It's the repetition of it that rubs my ears wrong. The blast beats begin to sound obligatory. I am not the biggest fan of when something like the folk interludes here are worked into the songs that best represent the band's sound. It would certainly make it more interesting than the run of the mill tremolo picking that is racing around here.  It's not to say the odd flute solo doesn't crop up in the middle of a song, it just is not a fluid part of a whole sound.

The last song starts off  with more frolic to it than the others bringing to mind the more pirate like drinking song of the frilly shirt bands. This is corrected by a more overt black metal blasting. While this band is good at what they do it is a little too upbeat for my personal tastes. I will give this one an 8, based of the fact they are so capable at what they are playing and if you like folk metal as much as you like black metal and not looking for something dark then this album is for you.


\

Black Metal History Month- The Scars In Pneuma : "the Path of Seven Sorrows"

This band used to be Ogen.  Hailing from Italy the debut full length is not black metal in the most cvlt form of the term, instead like many bands these days sub-genres collide, but at it's hear black metal is what it all seems ti add up to. The low rasp of the vocals sound more death metal to my ears, but the guitars are clearly going for more of an epic black metal feel. Midway into the second song "Souls are Burning" they sell me on the catchy tension in the riffs, this is before the female vocal comes in. "Spark to Fire the Sun" just seems like run of the mill blackened metal and doesn't stand out or do much for me. The first song that really connects for me more than the others is " All the Secrets We Keep" because it has a darker and more melancholy feel to it. It is slower and more straight forward than the others as well.

They do not writing big sprawling songs and can even keep things down to three minutes when called for. There is clean guitar that opens "the Glorious Empire of Sand" that helps give the album a little more dynamic breadth. It builds kind of like a lot of the thrash from the late 80s. There is a great deal of tension to the point that it is going to be hard for it to have the pay off that will equal the build up. The last song is more of a post rock thing that seems to work off of the theme established in the previous song. The female vocalist who appeared briefly earlier in the album returns for an even briefer reprisal on this song that is largely instrumental. At under 4 minutes they are not really looking for many places to take it.

 I like their overall sound. There were a couple of stagnant moments and only one song that blew by me with out me really being drawn into it in any way, but this is a pretty solid effort. It is not another band just trying to replicate Darkthrone and just live off of blast beats alone so that is worth something in my book. I'll round it down to an 8.

Hexvessel : 'All Tree"

Had to take a break from black metal to check out this Finnish neo folk acts new album. Since Kvohst is singing they do have a black metal history, but this album is so hippy I could not file it under black history month. This is spurned more by my love for Grave Pleasures / Beastmilk . Not as tense as those post-punk projects, there is more melancholy than flower power. "Son of the sky" has a darker 60s rock sway to it . A neo folk strum running through it. Kvohst's voice sounds great as it always does. There is still that melancholy tremble to it , though it he keeps a very clean folk vocal tone on "Old Tree". The darker vibes carry over into the smooth flow of songs like "Changeling" even with a flute dancing around it. There is a heavier strum to "Ancient Astronaut" . The chorus is a little lighter than what I expected going into the song.

There are some instrumental interludes that I am for the purpose of the review not going to get into. Sure they sound cool, but are not actual songs. There is a very relaxed folk vibe to " A Slyvan Sign".They have some of the best acoustic guitar tones on this album. The guitars are very well layered.I like how groove is blended with the frolicking folk of "Wilderness Spirit". There is a more Pink Floyd feel to "Birthmark". The chorus to this one might have the most feeling to it so far. I obviously like the fact tht "Liminal Night: is about Halloween. There is a similar vibe to the last song, though musically it is much more minimal. It has a more solemn drone to it.

I will give this album a 9.5 ,as in terms of song writing and the over all sound they have expanded their scope on many levels. It's a great sounding album. This could help tip them over to more mainstream audiences as I  can see how indie rock kids might get into them, but then again it still might require more thinking than the average millennial hipster can muster,

Black Metal History Month - Sacrilegia : "The Triclavian Advent"

According to their press release, this might be the Irish band's debut album, but they have been around for decades. The opening song is more blistering and thrashy. They are really racing where later in the album they begin to sound more like a speeded out version of Venom. The vocals are a low anguished growl , almost bordering more on death metal. The faster moments on the album all begin to run together , I as on the opening track and don't hear something that catches my ear til the 5th song. Going back to give another listen it's evident that while I like when Destroyer 666 does something in this zip code , they have more elements of classic metal in play and the songs catch my ear rather than blaze past it. Some times it slows down like a dramatic break down, but it conflicts with the rule here which is cool riffs alone does not a good song make.

This leaves "Armored Angel" as they only song that really connects and demands multiple listens. While they do not rely on blast beats alone , the fast drumming has the more punk influenced slant. With "Unhallowed" The vocals are not as interesting  as they were on the previous song, but better than the other songs on the album.If you were going to say this band is from Ireland, it would not be the first place I would have thought. Not that band's from Ireland have to sound like Primordial, but they do tend to be darker. They way the vocals fall on "Unheeded Warnings" sticks with you better than some of the other barking despite the guitar that was so fast it felt just like a static trembling. This is not the best mixed album , but it's not cvlt lo fi either.

There is more of a thrash feel to the last song. The blinding guitars are more black metal, but this is more aggression than atmosphere and anger is the only frequency I hear. As an instrumental under two minutes this is more of a outro than a song that stands on it's own.  I'll round this down to a 6, if just angry speed is your thing you might like it more than I did. Not sure why it took them decades to come out with this . This album comes out April 12th via Invictus Productions.

Black Metal History Month - Nordjevel : "Necrogenesis"

This metal super group of sorts features members of  Morbid Angel, Abbath,and Dark Funeral.  If you add all those components together then you have a good picture of the more mainstream black metal direction this band is going in. The guitars are massive. They are also very hooky. The vocals are croaked more than screamed. The drumming is fucking blinding fast and insane. The first two songs are polished and crushing. It's good that they added a slight tinge of creepy darkness to "the Idea Of One" . Then they go for a more melodic icy Swedish feel for the pulse of "Black Lights..." its sounds like cross between Dimmu Borgir and Watain.

While this album is not blast beat heavy there are some. One of the faster songs is "Amen Whores".  At this speed it sounds like everyone else and doesn't do much for me. "Fevered Lands" which is full blast ahead. I do like this one better than the previous song as it sounds more like amped up Immortal. They keep stomping on the gas even though "Nazarene Necrophilia " is more deliberate. I like the lyrics to this one. Its rare you can make them out in most black metal. I don't mind fast. I like black metal enough to devote an entire month to it , so it's not the speed that is the problem. It's relying on speed instead of songwriting. When they do both there is almost more of a thrash feel.

There is more fanfare at the beginning of the album's closing song. It like most of the album's 3rd act tends to fall safely on the blasting side . 2 minutes in they do lock into a pretty powerful chug, but lets be reminded of the rule here, which is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. If you are into guitar solos there are a lot of over indulgent sweeps on this one. I'll round this down to a 8, as it begins to sound the same toward the end. If you are looking for more mainstream sounding black metal these guys are for you.

Black Metal History Month -Devil Master : " Satan Spits on Children of Light"

As much as I want to only focus on European band's for the rest of the month, this band is getting so much buzz for their Relapse Records debut that I am having to give them a pass. Half the band is from Cape of Bats. So the spookier guitar tone is still there. More refined than the earlier ep I heard from these guys. They are more punk than black meta;. Though very dark and aggressive on the opener. The vocals start off not screamed, but not crooned, so closer to death rock . "Black Flame Candle" is more metallic. There is a catchier thrash riff to "Devil is Your Master". The bass tone sometimes pops out , sometimes it's buried in the guitars. I think to have more of a death rock sound the bass would have to come up in the mix more. They are going for more of a first wave black metal feel meets their punk roots. Blackened Punk is the fitting sub-genre this should fit in though it does recall some of Darkthrone's black n roll moments.

"Skeleton Hand " is better than most dark punk, due to it's metallic side. The Venom like rasp of the vocals is the most metal thing about these guys and truth be told Venom always felt more like a punk band to me. Nuit" is oddly and instrumental that would have been better served with vocals. "Gaunt Immortality" does little to set itself apart from the pack songwriting wise. "Desperate Shadow" has more hook in the verse riff , which is important as the barked vocals are not helping in this regard. The same could be said for "Her Thirsty Whip". The vocals are a lower growl that falls back deeper into the mix. The last few songs begin to all sound the same. "Webs of Sorrow " does have a creepier break down but other than that it's punk rock with more of a gallop.

This album does have a few good song and is an improvement for them. I think their next album will be better as they will get to play with a wider range of bands touring with the support of Relapse Records. I will give this album a 7.5 , it shows potential and when it goes into it's more punk side it begins to become a blur for me , but I think they work best when bringing a darker touch to the classic first wave black metal sound.

Black Metal History Month- Nasheim : "Jord och Aska"

I loved the 2014 album "Solens Vemod" . So I was looking forward to this one. To my chagrin the 41 minutes worth of music is being crammed into 3 songs. The first song  whose title translates to Hover Over the Expanses is 20 minutes. I appreciate how darkly melodic it is bordering on doom, but the first 5 minutes kinda just drones off the same theme. Closing in on the six minute mark things pick up. So the first four minutes of this song could have been edited down. The bass is impressive and how many times does that get said about a black metal album? At the 8 minute mark there is a fucking head banger of a riff that really drives. It takes about 12 minutes for the vocals which are a mid ranged rasp to come in. By the end of the song there are sung vocals though they sit back in the mix.

The title of the album translates to soil and ash, so there seems to be a nature theme here. The second song is titled in English from Swedish " Gray the Bitterly Sown Forests" . It is more deliberate. The atmosphere is thick funeral doom. Just over the half way mark sung vocals come in , which provide a nice dynamic contrast from the more commanding snarls. There is a droning guitar riff that does repeat in the this song. The last song which translates to "Lower Me in Silence" starts off hammering at you then the layers of melody and atmosphere begin to sink in. The blasting is pretty balanced against this and it sounds even better when they drop down into a groove. I think this might be the album's best song. The vocals eventually get almost power metal. Not even four minutes things have built up so epic that you can't imagine where they are going from this point . The answer is they kind of keep the intensity and coast over a more half time section. This is just in the first 9 minutes. Like their previous releases the violin plays a large role in establishing many of the melodies.

I'll give this album a 9 so it falls short of  "Solens Vemod" , but is still pretty impressive. I like the sense of melancholy and the big sounds some of the heavier sections invoke. If you are a fan of this project there is nothing you are not going to like in terms of what they are bringing to the table sonically. I think the longer song format, doesn't lend itself to being as fine tuned when it comes to the song writing as things are allowed to sprawl out.

Black Metal History Month - Falaise : "A Place I Don't Belong to"

The third album from the Italian black gaze duo , who were once more depressive black metal, finds them following the trail blazed by Deafheaven. It took me half way into the opener to really piece that together. The vocals are the main culprit. They are a mid range static rasp that screams in similar patterns. The music around them is pretty lush, more on the post-rock side than the shoe gaze side, but how many of the so called black gaze bands owed much to Slow Dive in the first place?  The opener and title track have the most melody in the first half of the album. The title track gets more furious when it comes to blast beats. This is balanced out against more textured guitar tones so they are not living on blast beats alone. I like the more melancholy spacious side of what they do. The black metal parts are not the most original.

"An Emptiness Full Of You " gets off to a good start then things get weird when it awkwardly breaks down to rain sound effects. Something that worked on older Shining albums , but here it loses the momentum. Then it builds back up thanks to some cool interplay with the piano to salvage the song. They continue to make grand gestures as they play with the formula on "Leaves in the Wind" which is more cohesive and the cinematic symphonic swells work with the song rather than against. Then the album ends with two of the heavier songs. The first of these being the almost more chaotic anger of  "Consumed Soul" . This is denser in it's heaviness than "Holding Nothing" which closes out the album . "Holding Nothing" is more straight up metal with the post rock grandiosity only floating in at the end.

The more this band experiments the more they put distance between themselves and Deafheaven. The vocals could stand to have more dynamics to them. I think even with Deafheaven this is a problem.  I'll round this up to a 7.5. If you are really into the post-rock black metal thing and just trying to branch out from Deafheaven, then you might be more impressed than I am since I have been listening to this kinda thing since Alcest came out.

Black Metal History Month -Akrotheism : "the Law of Seven Deaths"

To break away from the Northern European black metal streak we were on I'll default to one of the only other countries I trust when in comes to black metal ...Greece. 15 days in and I was getting tired of the traditional takes on black metal so I thought I would give these guys a shot. It was the weird interlude in the first song when the sung vocals came in that sold me. They do rage with a raw fury. They do throw themselves into a hail of blast beats. They also are capable of playing at varied tempos. They carry a cavernous darkness to their sound. All things I enjoy in black metal. Their is something sinister and unhinged about them. Half the band has a black metal history in the band Astral Aeon. "Manifest" has some mean riffs that hook you in to further head banging before the blast beats come.

"Desmotr" starts off with a more doom like tone to it before it takes you on a compelling journey with dynamic swells. The sonic darkness these guys create impresses me. I have a feeling this might be one of the years most overlooked albums. "Virtue" keeps things a similar creepy pace almost like one of Slayer's serial killer love songs. Midway into the song they throw themselves back into crazed blast beats. But it is only for a few measures and they are back to the evil pulse. Then things begin to get weird. They lay on the ambiance thick. There is a soundscape of sonic chaos by the time we get to "Oracle". It's less song focused and abrasive atmospheric noise. To them point that it's more of a interlude than an actual song. This carries over into "Skeptom" which blends the ambiance with their more metallic sound more fluidly. It's that weird place where it sounds like the cross roads where occult death metal meets black metal. The vocals more of a black metal scowl and it does cross over into the expected blast beats . At about seven and a half minutes they lock into a riff so cool I wish that they would have extended it rather than just giving a sneak. There is also a quick melodic break down of sorts that is more ritualistic in nature.

The element of ritual carries over into the closing song, which is not really a song at all but a outro that drones on with trance like darkness. I'll give this album a 9. The murky storm they sail you through is very effective mood wise. Not the most easy to listen to, in the sense that this is not an album I would have on my iPod and listen to riding the train. It is a very dark piece of diverse black metal. It doesn't try to throw all the hip metal sub genres at you and things happen very organically. This album is worth your time. It is released on Osmose Productions March 29th.

Black Metal History Month : Katechon : "Sanger Fra Auschwitz"

It's not until the 2nd song from this Norwegian band that they re-establish themselves as black metal. The opener is more death doom. But it's good and not redundant as most of the bands on that bandwagon this year. There is more of a technical side to "Renselsen"  which still leans more toward black metal than the very death metal polarity they strike on "Ankomst". I prefer their black metal side. While you might say "Well you would say that you like black metal better than death metal to begin with". I like it better as a whole because their is more atmosphere and emotion. There are some death metal bands like Morbid Angel who I love ,so I want to hear what ever a band does best and what I feel truly resonates from them. When the chord progressions begin to take a darker and more chilling tone I like this more than the straight forward aggression of the death metal section. The vocals still stay in a lower growl.

They flip flop back and forth between the two genres almost every other song. It's in the black metal that I feel I hear who they really are.Though at times they kind of play a mid temp throbbing style of it that carries more darkness than rushing into blast beats. "Tre Hoder" finds them embracing their strengths with the big chug dominating the song more than blast beats. The feral speed fest that is "Davids Skjold" is less impressive. It is mean. If that is all you want from metal then you might be more impressed . It doesn't suck it's just not something I will feel compelled to listen to more than once.

On the last song they drop down into a more lumbering throb of a riff that has more character and more darkness. The vocals continue to rant as they have been the bulk of the album. There is just more melody coming from the shadows of these riffs. There is more of an evil sounding dissonance to it and more sonic depth. All qualities that I want from black metal. I'll round this down to an 8. Which is still better than most. When they hit what works it's really strong, but some of the more straight forward moments just don't pull me in as much. This is being released March 1st on Saturnal Records.

Black Metal History Month - Looking Back in Anger at Gorgoroth's "Twilight of the Idols"

Every Black Metal History Month, I dig back into the crypts and review a older album , by one of my favorite iconic bands. Gorgoroth is one of those bands. I prefer the albums Ghaal provides the vocals for. I think Ghaal personifies black metal best, perhaps better than any other front man in the genre, hmmmm....top 10 black metal front men might be a list I need to make this month. Ghaal is for real and is not fucking around, when he says praise Satan I fucking believe him. That is important. I am so glad I chose to take another listen to this albums as it's probably the most under rated that Ghaal is on, and every time I listen to these guys I have to ask myself why I am not listening to them all the time as they are fucking incredible. The guitar tone is mean as hell as the vocals are even more biting. There is such an evil chaos dripping from the first song that hits you like a blast of hot air from the mouth of hell. From there the bring a class thrash influence to the commanding riffs of "Proclaiming Mercy".

Infernus is a great song writer and I love how he lets the chords ring out to make them creepy as fuck on "Through Carved Stones".  "Teeth Grinding " might be slower and less in your face than the first 3 songs , but it's powerful in it's own right. Selvik from Wardruna plays drums on this album and I have to wonder why doesn't he play drums more. They come back with more thunder on "Forces of Satan Storms" . It hits s hard as any metal band and smooths out into a tense chug. "Blod Og Minne" might be the most straight forward song thus far on the album and it relies heavily on speed. The first half of "Of Ice and Movement" is a speed fest then it slows into a cool groove before floating off into mechanical weirdness.

This was the band at their peak. The vocal mix is mean and was produced in a way that gives it an over driven abrasion that cuts as deep as the buzz saw guitars. While it might not be as good as some of their other work with Ghaal, it certainly sits well with their body of work and is as good as any of the albums without Ghaal. I'll give it a 9.5 , falling just short of perfection as it gets to speed centered toward the end , but there are plenty of great fucking songs on this to make up for that.

Black Metal History Month - Ellende :"Lebensnehmer"

This project out of Austria started as a one man band and added session guys along the way , but is primarily still fueled by brain child L.G. who handles the vocals and core instrumentation as from perhaps drums. It starts off pretty straight ahead black metal then drifts into some pretty cool melody and atmosphere midway into the first song. "Die Wege" is more straight forward and driving, with hints of rock n roll. The riff are not a blinding blur of sonics but deliberate. Then things begin to get a little more diverse with the strum of clean guitar. It turns out to be an instrumental. It sounds good, but after the first couple songs I wanted to hear those more melodic elements worked into the bigger picture of what they do , which to some extent occurs in "Der Blick wird leer" .  The verse slows down enough to give the snarl of the vocals more purpose. I think the fact they continue to not rely on blast beats really helps this album.

It seems to be a thing with black metal this year, to get mid way into the album and the songs begin to sound the same. There is some redemption here as the guitar playing is pretty melodic and offers breathing room while keeping the shadows of the sound dense. This is shame as the more atmospheric sections are set apart like instrumentals when they re more interludes. Once again I would rather hear stuff like this worked into their songs to create more dynamic range. They continue to sonically intense melodic qualities even in the songs that are more straight forward black metal. Eventually they do come closer to blending the softer touches, leading to more furious blasting. But when it is done like that it comes across much more effective. I guess my question about integration of their two sides is answered on "Atemzug" which blends piano and acoustic guitar into what is otherwise their normal black metal sound. It seems to bookend it rather than weave into the more angry roar. The second part of the more melodic portion wisely comes by way of using the guitar solo to bridge the two worlds. But they are two very separate sides no blended. I will round this one up to a 9. I liked it so much it did make it to iTunes , if it makes it to the iPod is another story. If you want something in the vein of Agalloch, but without the more folk sides of that band then these guys are in the same zip code when it comes to the brand of black metal they can churn out.

Black Metal History Month - Kaleikr : "Heart of Lead"

With the album's title it seems fitting more me to review this on Valentines. This band from Iceland comes from the ashes of Draugsol. So despite how heavily they might ride the line between death metal and black, they have a history with black metal so belong here this month. The vocals are often layered with more shouted vocals against the growls . Think everything I have read on this band so far focuses on the progressive element and two songs in I am hearing that as more nods to classic metal than anything close to Opeth. The drumming is spectacular though can comes across as on the busy side. There is more of a jazz inflection to the guitar solo that opens "Of Unbearable Longing". This is just well rounded playing. I would say there is more of a progressive influence on these guys and they are creative enough to push past boundaries in order to come up with riffs that don't sound like everything else.

Despite it not being that dark I like how the synths sit against the palm muted tension of  "Internal Contradiction" . We get more into Opeth's zip code on the maze of riffs that winds around "Neurodelirium" .  By this point in the album they are beginning to get set into their formula and I am beginning to know what to expect. Lots of syncopated punches and catchy chugging. They do speed up into blast beats normally once per song , though the second act does find them getting heavier with each song. The title track is more distinct due to the clean guitar tones at the beginning. Sung vocals that are more of a whisper also surface here. It takes a meaner turn and might be the most black metal song on the album.

The last song feels like an extension of the title track . It's many of the same tricks they have already visited earlier in the album. With that said they are very well done and there is little doubt these guys are talented musicians. My only complaints it this could be darker in order to have more of a black metal feel. Other than that it's an enjoyable listen, not sure if it is something I would listen to on a regular basis , but I will give these guys an 8 as they excel at what they do.

Black Metal History Month- Drawn Into Descent : "The Endless Endeavour "

Black metal is no different than any other sub-genre of metal, in that you want it to retain the familiar characteristics that define it, without sounding like something you have already heard before or a carbon copy of another band. Even on the more straight forward opening track of their new album this band from Belgium finds their own depressive corner to work from. There is an almost rock n roll way in how some of the chords land.It seethes with dark melody.I can feel their sound rather than just hear the notes. The only draw back is at 11 minutes it's a rather long opening track and could have been cut down to 9.  "Wither" finds them sticking to the more tremolo based guitar parts with chord progressions shifting under the atmosphere created by the well layered guitars.

I would say this is not sonic enough in it's drone to have the shoe gaze influence that we call black gaze. I also do not hear the kind of spacious atmosphere I would say is post-rock either. Not that being neither is a bad thing in fact it keeps them from being another Deafheaven wanna be. There is a little bit of a Cure like sound to the strum of the guitars on the song "Death". It is very compactly written , though I think it might have been better served from vocals of some kind. Even then it does show they have more songwriting chops than your average blast beaters. The only vocals are the harshly screamed cried of agony that remind me  little of what Totalselfhatred does. This is more pronounced on "Embrace Me" .  This song does venture of into a more melodic direction and find the drums able to find  a groove rather than blast.

The most interesting blend of their sounds might be on the ten minute title track that closes the album. Dark almost goth rock guitar lines are growled over in a way that gives them more of a lamenting feel. It's dynamic and draws you in. If you are looking for depressive black metal that is not content following someone else's formula , then this album is certainly worth your time. I will give it a 9 and see how it sits with me. So far in a month where I ingest such a high volume of black metal this is standing out.

Black Metal History Month -Mephorash: "Shem Ha Mephorash"

Calling something ritualistic in metal means one of two things, it's going to be shitty black metal with terrible production or it's going to be theatrical in the atmosphere used. This Swedish band falls into the second category. The blast beats are sparse . By the time we get to the second song "Chant of Galgotha" it's almost more death metal. This middle ground is good by me as it reminds me of the time I first began hearing black metal tossed around and it did not have anything to do with blast beats and more to do with bands that were serious about Satan. The left hand path is clearly marked with what this band does. They seem to be more into the occult than just blasphemy to be shocking which I can appreciate. I think it's also the second song that I realize these guys are not trying to jump on the Watain band wagon. The first song had me on the fence about this.

One thing these guys do have in common with modern black metal is they write some long fucking songs. The first Epitome finds the atmosphere being used in a creepy horror movie manner. I am not sure what ritual this fits into, but it sounds good. Though is highly dramatic in the first few minutes, before the more metallic charge ensues. The meat of this song is some what melodic  but doesn't break any new ground. The more "ritualistic" elements begin to break the song up in awkward ways. "Sanguinem' kinda flows out of the previous song. It benefits from some really tasteful guitar melodies. The  second Epitome is slower and more deliberate. It doesn't grab me as much as the first.

There is a bigger more Behemoth like riff to " Relics of the Elohim" . The vocals feel more intentional. It is pretty well written though the atmosphere drops the bottom out of the song at one point. "777" is another solid song that is very focused on it's dark and malicious intentions. You can actually make out the lyrics on this one. The title track closes the album and a 15 minute song is going to be a real hard sell with me. Nothing really happens for the first two minutes. The tense riff it kicks into is cool. There are even more melodic touches than we have heard earlier in the album,  Then things speed back up. Sjx minute in and I am wondering how are they going to keep this song going for another 9 minutes. In another 3 minutes they are dropping back to atmosphere before firing back angrier The blastier barrages drift in , They were saving the songs coolest riff for final few minutes. I will give this one a nine and see how it grows on me.

Black Metal History Month -PENSEES NOCTURNES : "GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA"

Circus black metal, is bound to sound like Mr. Bungle. They don't prove me wrong in this theory. The French are always doing weird shit like this . They swing back and forth from operatic singing to growls of anguish. Blast beats are thrown in, but things sway with an angular waltz more often than not. I really liked this band's 2016 album and the sounds have gotten more layered since then. "Poll De Lune" has more dance to it's wacky spasm. There is more of a polka feel to "La'Alpha Mal" The vocals take on more of a crazy bellow like drunken were-apes are howling in a bar. In places where it gets darker it sounds to me like if King Diamond was writing songs for Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum. The vocals are more tormented here , but also explore more colors. The song after this is more of a crazed interlude.

Things add a blasty edge and maintain the crazy for "Les Valseuses". The Ringleader welcomes the ladies and gentlemen before going into more of a death metal growl. This growl doesn't last long . There is a wide variety of squawking afterwards. This might be the most circus like of all the songs. It is at this point in the album that all of these begin to sound like similar shades of the same crazy. It does break down into percussive clutter which is different for the album thus far.  The song after is is darker and has more of a drunken ragtime feel. It does accelerate into blast beats by the end. "Comptine a Boire" sounds like some one took a bunch of acid on Bourbon street and had a nervous break down. 

"Anis Maudit" is more angular and dissonant, though less spastic. Even when it speeds up into a deprave gypsy Opera it could be a logical progression. Midway into the song it goes into more demonic growling. The bass player can finally be heard in the breakdown and he is fucking good. These guys might not have the shred factor like Sigh who dabbles in similar realms, they are great composers as a lot is going on here. They are less focused on the closing song. Two minutes in I was wondering when this would converge into something that would actually make sense. The guitar ride the line between Klezmer and black metal. The trumpets help break the sonics up.   Despite this I will round this album up to a 9 as the concept of what they are doing translates well in the finished product almost more prog weirdness than black metal. 

Black Metal History Month - Downfall of Gaia : "Ethic of Radical Finitude"

 I am done with American Black metal for the month , unless I check out the Vimur album, aand prefer my black metal to be from Northern Europe . I think it is fair to call this German band atmospheric black metal. It's more of a gray metal.They do pack in th blast beats but that is not the bread and butter they live off of. This band is good at what they do which is not centered around droning you into submission. When they do really rip out something metallic on the 3rd song it lashes out with convincing anger. The atmospheric sections they wander off into provide a dynamic shift. "We Pursue the Serpent of Truth" does go into the sonic blasting but sets it up with more breathing room. The drummer is pretty stellar and plays fills around the tremolo picking. Then a low spoken vocal breaks up the screaming, before they head into Deafheaven's zip code by dropping into half time. The snare sets up more of a march as they float into their more post rock side. The more predictable blast beats falls into a slower section with a gang vocal chant.

"Guided Through a Starless Night" pretty much goes right where you would expect this style of black metal to go with a sweeping swathe of rage. This only surprise is when the song shifts into a minimal guitar line against a wall of ambiance with a girl doing spoken word over it. "As Our Bones Break to the Dance" is well done but straight forward with the guitar solo the only thing that reaches out from the blur to grab my attention before the attack of a tense chug. For the sub-genre of black metal they deal in these guys are somewhat compact in their song writing not going past the 9 minute mark.

The last song opens with more of a post rock thing, then they thrown them into the more explosive black metal section, before slowing down for a sung male vocal to join in. It sounds like it could have come from a pagan metal album, but these guys are German. Then a spoken woman"s voice seems to be sampled as if reciting poetry . I'' give this album an 8.5 it's really well done and while I have enjoyed the listen I have given it, I am not sure I will listen to above and beyond those as I already have plenty of albums that fills this need. If you like the post-black metal that is not as shoe glazed then these guys are worth your time. No Agalloch, but more thoughtful than the bands jumping on Deafheaven's band wagon.

Frontline Assembly : " Wake Up the Coma"

The project's 20th album finds them pumping out what you would want from them. Aggressive dystopian dance music with slithering grooves. The first departure from their tried and true formula is on their cover of Falco's " Rock Me Amadeus" with Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence on vocals. Things get darker on "Tilt" that almost borders on dark wave. It's amazing that 20 albums later these guys are still making things that sound fresh. By fresh the nature of the genre certainly owes much of it's identity to the 90s . These songs don't seem like a total plea for nostalgia and work in 2019. Then again I about a drug store trip away from dyeing my hair black on any given Friday so I am partial to this sound. I would think if you are taking the time to read this review you probably are as well.

I really dig the synth sounds on this album. They are mean and dark. The vocals are in that whispered rasp. They drops down to a lower more gritty spoken tone. Almost sung , but not quite. "Hatevol" is the first song that comes closest to being the more run of the mill 90s industrial. I think there is enough love in the song writing to keep it from defaulting to that. The sheen dulls a little on the marginally more upbeat "Proximity". They coming back bumping really hard on "Living a Lie" that has a more aggro beat reminding me of KMFDM. Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost sings on the title track, which is not as heavy as you would think it might be with him on the track. It's more like Gary Numan.

There is more of a techno pulse to " Mesmerized". Though it's darker than your typical Lords of Acid song more on par with My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. It is not the album's strongest song , but it still works with what they do. Right from the first few bars it is obvious that "Negative Territory is a better. It's more melodic and moodier. "Structures" is fine for what it is. It doesn't feel as inspired as the previous song, but better than any pretenders to their throne. The pairing with Chris Connelly  is pretty smooth. Connelly who now fronts a Bowie tribute band called Sons of the Silent Age, tries to use his best Bowie croon. It sounds more like late 90s Bowie. I'll give this album a 9.5 , it's going be hard for other industrial bands to beat this one this year.

Black Metal History Month - Dodsfall : "Doden Skal Ikke Vente"

When it comes to being true Norwegian black metal the stab this duo takes on it on their 5th album has more of a thrash slant to it not unlike 1349. It's not until the clean guitar that comes in on "Svarta Drommar " or  "black dreams"   that we get to hear something that really sets them apart. Even then they are quick to revert to nasty blasty . Their is a color scheme as musically they stick close to the previous song on "Gra Himlar" which means "gray skies". Some of the riffs are catchy, but you know the rule around here is cool riffs alone do not a good song make. The vocal  are an almost croaked snarl. More high pitched than a death metal growl, but far from a scream. They slow down going into  " Kampsalmer" or "Battle Hymns" which is pretty stereotypical subject matter for this kind of black metal, and breaks from the color theme.

They are really mean and can lock on some chugs with authority.This is not lo-fi cvlt as fuck metal , but at has the production quality of early Slayer. The cymbals can get a little washed out , but the point comes across.  The drums are much better when they use double bass more than blast beats proving that songs can not live on blast beats alone. Low sung vocals chant behind the buzz saw guitar of "In the Eyes of Death" . Cleanly strummed is also thrown in offering the most dynamics from one song yet on this album. Things are pretty thrashy.  This more thrash like leaning works best when they slow things down to more of a classic metal tempo, but when the speed picks up there can be a more uniform attack.

Towards the end of the album the riffing does get more focused, but it also is single minded in it's attack and lacks the kind of atmosphere that brings the darkness in black metal. This gives them more of a Kreator feel than invoking what I think of as black metal. As far as metal goes this is still very well done , it just is not a black as it could be. Mood is everything when it comes to black metal. The instrumental the album ends with is just an acoustic outro. I'll give this album a 7.5, these guys are good at what they do and the album was easy to listen to though it began to take on a uniform sound as it progressed.

HEALTH : "Slaves of Fear"

This band grabbed my ear with their last album "Death Magic" This album is the first without guitarist Jupiter Keys and their is a noted change in their over all sound. It starts of in a harsher more experimental direction and waits til "Feel Nothing " to get focused on the kind of songs that originally won me over. It's equal parts pop and industrial. The vocals are smooth and androgynous. The songs are short and when they are not getting artfully weird to the point. Some the faster beats don't carry the throb of their last album and allow the vocals to wander. "Black Static" finds them hooking me back in. When they give the vocal melodies some though they always hook me right back in . The lyrics are bleak social snap shots , though perhaps with a little broader world view than the previous album. "Loss Deluxe" pumps out another of their trademark grooves. The beats and the vocals can easily find their sweet spot when they are not fucking around with what works for them by getting too adventurous for their own good.

What works for them doesn't have to be a set formula as they are able to have some dynamic shifts on a song like " NC-17" which might be as good as the previous songs that worked off of a more solid beat, but it's not just aimless experimental noise. Sometimes the production gets a little weird and too lo-fi, which casts a more opaque coat over the songs. But for time this happens they seem to bounce back with a song like "the Message" that instantly clicks with me. They almost get kind of Skinny Puppy on that one though not as dark. I am not asking for much from these guys just groove and melody, which they give me on "Rat Wars".  "Strange Days" has a similar vibe, which I am cool with as it's darker and more aggressive. "Wrong Bag" is another dark one, though song wise it's not as focused and feels more like an interlude.

The title track was also the lead single of this album and My first indication that things were going to be different this time around. The guitar reminds me more of Pink Floyd's "One of These Days". It's a good song though a change of pace with more of a tension to it. Delay heavy and more atmospheric before the beat kicks in. The album closes with "Decimation". This proves they can break away from the tried and true sounds and still write a good song. It's not as intense and more melodic, but still works in a more of a Radiohead manner. I'll round this one down to a 9 and see how it sits on me as some of the production choices could have been better , but when it comes to industrial music for the turquoise hipster crowd they are still the best.

Black Metal History Month - Vanum : "Ageless Fire"

This year the American Black Metal bands I have reviewed have been pretty decent, I was beginning to get sick of American Black Metal and yearn for something with a little more Northern European blood in it's veins until I saw these guys are members of Yellow Eyes, Fell Voices and Ash Borer. So the cream of the American Black Metal crop. The first song has more of a epic almost Summoning like gallop to it that sets it apart from the work of their other projects. Though an instrumental, it's well done , but leaves me waiting for the actual song to kick in. More in your face , foot on the monitors metal when the real song does kick in the vocals are the glaring weak spot in the over all sound as they are a dry mid range rasp that feels like more of an obligatory after thought. So it's a good thing for these guys that everything else is really dialed in to make you almost able to over look this fact. I suppose those of you who only hear guitar guitars and don't care about vocals at all will over look this altogether and not get why I am even making it a deal.

I can almost understand why you would allow the vocal short comings to pass you by as the riffs are big and command head banging. If head banging is all you ask from metal then this album is certainly for you as it is well done. They guitars are well mixed and sound great. I am not sure why people call these guys atmospheric black metal as it's pretty in your face with devil horns held high. Nothing about it comes close to Deafheaven. The blast beats might drive it but the guitar parts can be intricate. When it does come to atmosphere , some surfaces on the otherwise blast heavy " Eternity" it comes by way of odd guitar melodies. Things get a little darker on "Under the Banner of Death" , but for a black metal album there is a bright feeling in what is going on here. The vocal are accented a little different though tonally in the same place. The verses carry more stomp to them. At this point in the album at any time they can break away from the blast beats it's more impressive.

The title track employs more melody to break things up more.This includes a cleaner guitar tone, though only for the first minute, then gallops along. I am waiting to see how long they can last without defaulting to blast beat as I think their most creative writing comes without them. The answer i only two and a half minutes. When they vocals come in things go back to blast. It finds them once again leaning heavily in the more speedy direction. Overall this album is not the most original thing and I prefer the darker Fell Voices , but it sounds good and they are good at what they do. I'll give it an 8, not something I really see my self returning more than I have to review this.

Black Metal History Month - Zohamah : "Spread My Ashes"

We..and by we I realized I am included in the music media who is quick to throw around sub-genre labels. Why call a band blackened anything, when sometimes they might just enjoy playing black metal slowly, which seems to be the case here rather than this being a doom band getting more evil. The scathing vocals are the most black metal element, aside from the oppressive mood. The guitars are big and powerful which can make them feel more like death metal. They go into a more depressive sound on "Emptiness" . This brings us to one of my favorite sonic corners the place where depressive black metal and doom intersect. Granted it's much more black metal than doom, as it might be down trodden but it's more tormented and anguished as it bites back out of anger. Doom wallows and mourns.

This album offers the argument that their is some strong black  metal coming out of America now as this project hails from Cleveland. A corner of blue collar America low on the church burning.  Though it opens with more of a brooding dissonance "Black Cloud "gets more aggressive and at 3 minutes kinda blows past like a locomotive once it builds momentum. It's almost more death metal. The vocals even drop down in a lower growl.The song writing is kept compact and stays focused never getting lost in a self indulgent drone. They drop back down into the more haunting grimness that was offered before with "Broken Mirror". It works though doesn't command my attention as much as the previous songs . This is typical for extreme metal, as the novelty of the sheer heaviness eventually wears off and the song writing goes under a more precise microscope.

There is a powerful throb to the closing song. It's layered with additional guitar melodies. It builds it's rumble into something almost more death metal in the brawn of it's angry beating. I'll give this album a 9 as it transcends most of the stagnant pit falls of music that is this heavy and remembers that song writing matters. This was released on Redefining Darkness Records.