Death is June -the First Annual Death Metal Month

 

I have dedicated a month to most of my favorite sub-genres of music.. Goth in October, Doom in November and black metal in Febuary, in honor of the folk band's name I am giving June to death metal. Death metal  may not be one of my favorite genres now, but it was when I was a teenager which was before black metal as we know it was a thing. Death's "Leporsy" album was the first death metal tape I owned. This was followed by Morbid Angel's "Blessed are the Sick" . I saw them on that tour and Unleashed opened so I bought their album. Followed by Carcass and Sepultura then Deicide's first album then the flood gates opened . I was also really into Nocturnus, Acheron and , Cancer.  The theme here being I was realIy only into satanic death metal. I  growled for a death metal band after high school. During this time things began to get more interesting as death metal started to take chances. Bands like Samel, Tiamat and Hypocrisy began to get both darker and more creative. They opened the door for me to get more into goth, I was listening to 45 Grave, Christian Death and the Cure at the time.

Now decades later the problem seems to be it all sounds the same. There are exceptions to the rule. I have a top ten death metal albums of the year list still going, so some bands are still pushes foreward. I do like doom and black metal better as there is more room for emotional expression that is not just anger. All to often I have to use the analogy that death metal colors with just a blood red crayon so leaves little room for dynamics in the monochrome aggression. If you want just brutal death metal, then you are going to be wasting your time. I like for death metal to be heavy as fuck, but also care about the songs and at least use varied shades of red. If you are into tech death you are also going to be disappointed by my choices this month because, that is my least fovrite genre of death metal. I do like some progressive elements. Old Opeth is fine with me I can hang with them up to "Watershed" then I think we can agree they are no longer death metal. 

What I am looking for is not the same old same old. Bands that are doing death metal differently. I have already started sorting through new death metal albums and the first review is death metal well done , but not breaking any new ground so that is going to be the only tried and true formula album I am covering. I will take a look at the top 50 death metal albums of all time and in doing so looking back in anger at some of the classics to see how well they have stood the test of time. I think death metal is very timely as the world burns and society collapses it is the sound track to the apocalypse we need, every thing must die.

Dead Bronco : "The Annunciation"

Perhaps the music business has always used the tatic or rebranding old band wagons in favor of hipper ones. This project is cow-punk. Dark cow punk. Calling it Black Country or what ever can be misleading. It is rowdy. There are a few snarls here and there , but the vocals are crooned with a fair amount of twang. Is Danzig an influence ? Yes. But Danzig was once punk, back in the Misfits. This is less pop punk than the Misfits. Horror punk ? sure I can live with that as well. Tension of post -punk, well if we are talking the Birthday Party ...sure. Labels aside the music is entertaining. Listening to guns and explosions from the riots going off as this plays in the fore ground, so there is a bleak end of the world feel to this that I need. There is more of a folk feel, that will appeal to fans of King Dude on the song "Make Me Sick".  The pace picks up for "Been Saved". It is more burly and noisy than the Cramps, but in the same deranged trailer park.

There is a more melodic sway to "Do Us Part". It proves he can sing if he wants . "What Have You Been" is more explosive. Does that make it in any way black metal? No. There is an ominous mood, but not hateful darkness that black metal summons. The vocals are sometimes more of a punk rank than others . One of the more ranting moments would be"Mutinous Skin". He does go back to more of a crazed country croon. His vocals are dynamic, which I can appreciate. They do not draw you into the songs. The King Dude contry vibes come on darker with "That Devil" . If you have a song referencing demon hounds it better be dark. Black metal is touched on with " suicide is all I think of" , but that does not mean this is a black metal album. There are a few screams but it is mostly an interlude. Then it is back to aggressive punk ranting .

The title track finds the sound returning to more of a black metal undertone. It has some of the best guitar and drumming on the album. Despite this not being a black metal album, and I did not actually need it to be one, I enjoyed what I heard from this. Is it the most original things ever  No. Is it a fun album and I wish there was more punk like this or better , yes. I will give it an 8. Released on Sun & Moon Records.

Mrs. Piss : "Self-Surgery"

My first impression of the debut album from this side project of Chelsea Wolfe kicks in my first though is this is  experimental garage punk. She is joined by her drummer Jess. Before the album kicks in there is an intro piece that was basically chanting about bathing in the filth of the world. The first actual song reminds me of Sonic Youth. "Knelt" that follows is the first single from this album . It was droning and hypnotic kind of sludgey shoe gaze. It sounds more like what Wolfe normally does . Her vocals are still ghostly ,m but more like "Hiss Spun". There is more of a driving retro synth pulse flowing underneath "Nobody Wants to Party With Us". I would say this song falls under post punk, it is pretty dynamic and shifts stylistically. So far it's my favorite song.

Yes there is a riot girl attitude and a bit of grunge/ noise rock from that era haunting "Mega Babes of the Wild Order". A PJ Harvey recklessness empowers this song. I was not sure how I would like this album, as feminist rock is not my thing if the message is being shoved in your face. Her the joke is on the listner most of the time. There is more of a feral metal tone to "You Took Everything" that still has a slinky drugged out grunge feel before the chorus kicks in with the screams in the distance. This is even more of a metallic glimmer than what we have heard from her more rumbuncous touches on other albums. This is not a metal album , but I think it is burly enough to make most metal heads happy if they are no hung up on Morbid Angel. It is heavy in a sonically intense manner. There are moments where they hammer at you in a more overt fashion. 

There is a more punk feel to the eponymous closing track on this album. There are some interesting production choices with the effects on  Chelsea's voice that were a good idea. The vocals and the over all sound has a more "In Utero" rawness so it. I think I like this album more than Chelsea Wolfe's last one. This could have very easilly been a Chelsea Wolfe album, it is not like Burzum where Varg is just playing Pan Flutes and it feels like false adevertising. She could call this a Chelsea Wolfe album and I would be fine with that as it is still true to who she is. I will give this one a 10. This album dropped on Sargent House.

Cirith Ungol : " Forever Black"

How can I resist an album about Elric? If you do not know who he is , go look up Micheal Moorcock. If You do not read epic fantasy why are you even interested in this album? I have not listened to a ton of these guys in the past.  It is funny they are making an album with an Elric theme and they are named after a place in Mordor, when Moorcock hates Tolkien. What is a bigger deal is this is the first album this band has put out since 1991. These guys get lumped in with doom bands when they are big epic classic metal. Closer to power metal than doom. The vocals are aggressive, well more aggressive than power metal. At 63 Baker is giving all that is in his ball sack in this performance. Can you hear the wear and tear the years have given his vocal chords. Yes. Perhaps if he stayed more active he would be in better shape , it's pretty rough on "the Fire Divine". The funny thing is the comments on this Youtube video are idiots saying how great his voice sounds.

Do they sometimes sound dated given the nature of what they do ? Yes. They are still very good at what they are doing, strained vocals aside. The drums could have gotten more love in the mix , but this is clearly about the guitars. His voice does sound better when he drops down into more of a croon on "Stormbringer".  The guitar solos are well done. They are not bringing much to the table that you have not heard from someone busting out penatonics with their foot on the monitor. The chorus is really rough on this one and kinda kills it for me. I know fans will get butt hurt about his voice and try to make excuses , here is what I have to say about that ....KING FUCKING DIAMOND .  He is the same age as this guy and sounds way better , hitting higher notes .  Baker should have taken a break from the Dungeons and Dragons to sell his soul to the devil. I went back and listened to a live show from 84 and he did not have a lot to work with to start. The bar was low, so I can see where their fans are easy to please in that regard.

"Nightmare" has some cool guitar work and more of a Twisted Sister like vocal hook. The lyrics are kinda just heavy metal Adlibs. There is more of a W.A.S.P like feel to "Before Tomorrow". Blackie Lawless writes catchier songs. I would say this is heavier than W.A.S.P. It is very straight forward or as they used to call it back in the day no frills heavy metal. This approach does not stay fresh all the way to the title track. The vocal being devoid of melody and just a drill sargent caterwaul doesn't help. I think the guitar being so strong and the raw nature of what they do compensates for the vocals so I will give this one an 8. It started strong and ran out of steam. They are good at what they do even if that means sticking to their guns as the where music has gone left them behind. But metal is entrenched in nostalgia so it should please their fans.

Akolyth : "s/t"

The painted corpse of black metal has been beaten into submission in such a way that those clinging to yesterdays blast beats are urgently hoping any band will be the one to breath new hate into it. Such were the words I was reading in regards to this project. I clicked around hoping some one would be doing something different and pushing the genre forward.  The debut effort from this band that is other wise shrouded in the cvltic anonimity. The novelty of the murky dark whose blast beats sound to be recorded uses a drum machine begins to get stale by the second song which is more of the same. You know how I complain about bands having a sound but no songs. Here it is again.

The vocals are a strangled gargle. Which sounds good, but what do they do to contribute to the song ? Not much. Especially since they are growling the same way as they did on the first.  I guess some might be pleased they recaputring the 90s sound. But has that not already been done to death?  The second song does find the rift shift toward the end of the song rather than just beat the drone .The vocals do improve going into the more stomping "What Dwells Betwen Fractured Worlds". The good thing they had going gets spoiled by blast beats that sound like hive of murder hornets high on meth.  Mayhem has already done this sort of thing and with better drums.

I like the title "To Become His Doorway" .  It would be a good horror movie. They drill into this one almost more like death metal. It is single minded in it's aggression and lacks mood or atmosphere which are key to black metal. There is plenty of torment going around so not saying this is not legit black metal, just not bring the things I want from black metal. I will give it a 7.5, not the worst thing I have heard , but not the future of black metal. Being released by Amor Fati.

Caligula's Horse : " Rise Radiant"

 Progressive metal often creates it's own hurdle. Tangled up in shreddy noodles or making grandiose anthems that sound like Journey with a more metal guitar sound. The  fifth album by this Austrailian band finds them only flirting with these tropes , but also care about song writing. They are not entrenched with the 80s elements bands like Dream Theater get caught up in. There is little Queensryche about these guys. This plays both for and against them as Queensyrche might be darker .  The opening track really had them off to a good start with a balance that worked. Heavy enough despite the gymnastics and the melodic vocals urgent and vital to the song rather than just soaring with the sonic somersaults. It took a second listen for the tricky math groove of " Slow Violence" to connect with me.


"Salt" also grows on me more with an additional listen, but even then it is not as tightly coiled as the first two songs. Yes there are quirky time signatures that veer from what we expect from rock music, so they progressive in that sense.  Things begin to mellow at this point in the album. I like some mellow prog metal... Dredg comes to mind., However when they dip into ballads it is darker and more introspective where they are getting kind of sappy on "Resonate". Of course this album is well produced. Kind of comes with the genre. The vocals step it up on "Ocean Rise" and work against the guitar in the best way possible. The song dials up the grit from where they were at so that is a plus. They get back to a more exotic and metal version of the slinky math they were doing on the second song with "Valkyrie". They have packed more guitar solos for this one.  They drift back toward power ballads for  'Autumn" . They do a good job building it up and allow it to lead right into the heavier " the Ascent".  If you like prog metal this is going to be the song you were waiting for. There are a few Tool like moments, without being a tribute .

The two cover songs that close out the album might be bonus tracks but I am going to count them for the purpose of this review as they are worth mentioning and on the version I have. They do a solid version of "Don't Give Up" . The chick they got for Kate Bush's part , gets the job done.  The Split Enz cover is an odder choice.  I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me.

True Body : "Heavenly Rhythms for the Uninitiated"

This updated take on the darker slant of 80s pop called new wave, is less polished by a record label than the bands who came after Interpol. The vocals are more crooned, but less hooky. The vocals do have more form and function on the more intense shadows cast by the second song. The singer reminds me of a more refined version of the guy from Bellicose Minds. The do get noisy and more post-punk in places. Even building into a rowdy snarl. They smooth things out on "Chain" though still are unable to tap into the kind of song writing that made this era great. In fact this song is less focused than the previous two. They have the sounds at this point but not the songs. What does work is when they back off and let the synths take over on "First Thing".It still does not hit the kinda catchy sweet spot that it could have. It is more focused than the previous song.

They inch closer to where I want them to go on "Glitter". The singer has a tendency to sound flat in place. When this song kicks in there is more of a fuzzed out punk thing going on so this band is torn in different directions. They have some cool sounds that could have been assembled more effectivly on "Sympathy". These guys have more legit punk backgrounds than early 00's bands attempting this could have claimed. If they are not going for the 80s pop thing then this more experimental direction they take 'Youth Hotel" is a good idea. It touches on a more Depeche Mode side that should be more throughly explored. This guy's voice has been making me think of the first Faith No More singer Chuck Mosely the bulk of the album and now is the first time I am going to say anything about it. I am not sure some one who is into post-punk is going to know that reference, so if not Youtube "the Crab Song".

There is a slightly more poppy tone to "Television" . While the vocals are not improving greatly, they are at least falling in more pleasing places. "Ariel" finds them pursuing this path further. I will round this down to an 8 due to the fact the vocals could have been better , but I do like how they take a classic sound and make it more intense.


 

Coltre : "Under the Influence"

Following the tire tracks left by bands like Thin Lizzy and Rainbow, this British band has a rawer and more aggressive spirit to them. Perhaps not as dark as In Solitude who has more of a Mercyful Fate going, these guys are in the same sonic realm. The boldly belted vocals are more Diamond Head than King Diamond. There is also more of a gallop coming from these guys . They also employ the New Wave of British Heavy Metal sense of guitar harmonies without coming across as frolicking power metal. The vocals are boldy belted. "Crimson Killer" has more of a rock n roll swagger to it. They go more hell bent for leather in fist pumping granduer of "Fight". The guitars are the focus of the spot light most of the time here. The vocals are solid, but sit on the riffs rather than the riffs being fashioned to accomodate them. The first time the vocals get more thought put into them production wise is going into the second verse of this song.

The riffs might not be the most original things ever written in their devoation to the era of inspiration, they are however preformed with convincing attitude. I have not seen what these guys look like but I am expected their hair to be feathered. Things get heavier with the more intense proto thrash gallop of "Plague Doctor" which is lyrically timele. The way the vocals fall is more along the lines of early Metallica, which also falls back to the Diamond Head comparison I made earlier. He is not as angry and Hetfield. At over 9 minutes it is a rather ambitous piece guitar solo and all. Things stay very uptempo aside from the more melodic break down in the middle of the song.

They are splitting the difference between metal in the more traditional sense and rock n roll on the last song. Kids these days might not think this is metal at all as it takes you back to the late 70s early 80s when the definition was different. I did listen to lots of old Judas Priest as a kid and the riffs here owe a great deal to those days. Guitar solos take up the space where the vocals would fall in this one. It is more about a sound than being a song. I am not sure flashiness is the best justifacation for an instrumental, then there is Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein'. This is less about groove and thrashes along on cruise control. I am sure this is fun live. I will give this one an 8 and keep my ears open for where these guys go from here. This is being released on Dying Victim Productions July 31st.

Ashtar : "Kaikuja"

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

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

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

Mountaineer : " Bloodletting"

You do not have to get very far into this album to hear this band is doing something very different in terms of what it means to be doom. How doom they actually are is another matter. When they do bring the heavy it feels more likea sludge band. They are making interesting music no matter the genre they are most intent on defying. There both sung vocals anre harsher roars. Shoe gaze has played major influence on their sound. There is a more forcefully sung vocal to "the Weeds I have Tended ".  While the album sounded great through the computer speakers that tend to be far to mid rangey for metal, putting ear buds in brought the guitat tone home and made the metal in whaat they do much more evident. Things are more melancholy than they are dark. It is a mood I can work with. The more Jesu like sound comes to the forefront on the hypnotic "Shot Through With Sun Light". There are some interesting layers to this arrangement that keep the song moving.

With what ever flavor of post metal a band is bringing to the table it is easy for the song to numb you out with the drone. These guys still manage to engage you while taking you for a ride with their narcotic sonics. There is more of a Pink Floyd feel to the guitar of "To Those We've Said Goodbye" .  Three minutes in the are hitting the kind of cinematic drone that is more common of your average instrumental post rock band. The vocals do come in to break away from this trope. They are very calmly sung. with become more ominous with the more foreboding storm carried in the guitars of the title track. It is very melodic. Not hooky. The vocals are just another texture. It is the groove that drives "South to Infinity" that shows what the band is really capable of. The screamed vocals are mixed back way further than where the sung vocals sit.

They step away from metal for more of a tense indie rock styled strum with "Apart". The plainitive vocals come closer to being hooky than what we have heard up to this point. The vocals come up further in the mix so the lyrics are very clear on "Ghost Story". This finds them making a much more accessible stab at song writing. The guitars still come in with some weight behind them. This I suppose is the last song, but their bandcamp page has "Still" listed as a bonus track so I will count it for the purpose of this review, it is shoe gaze more long the lines of Hum. The vocals more obscured by the fuzzed out guitar. I will round this up to a 9.5 as they have dones something different here and it worked really well. Not on the Deafheven band wagon, nor are they ripping off Pallbearer.

Wailin Storms : "Rattle"

These guys have evolved their sound into something darker and more sonically intense. Granted it has been five years since I gave them a listen and they put out another album between then and now. The vocals have a little more power in them to create more of a Danzig howl. Though this album has more in common with Samhain than the Misfits. The second is a little more post -punk , but that the same chaotic edge to it. Not as surprising the second time around. There is more of a dynamic explosion on "Grass" which also packs a heavier and more metallic punch.  They channel the brooding of a coming storm on "Wish" . It drones on the throb and works off a soft to loud grunge like dynamic.

There is more of a rambling rock jangle set against the more driven drumming of  "Teeth". The vocals are a little catchier here.  The noisy sound they summon on this album is somewhat similar to A Place to Bury Strangers. They pack more of a punch on "Sun" but it works off the sound more than being as fine tuned of a song. The song that really jumps out from the pack due to how they lower the volume on the verse and do not go straight for your throat is the song "Crow" . I like where they started off with this album. It is a sound they more than milk for it's worth, but the album would go from be cool to greatness if they had more variance like this song. Some of it is due to the restraint the drummer uses here. This breathing room takes the rambuncous punk tone and dials it  back  to the darkside.

The pattering drum pattern from the previous song is still in play while they are letting loose the more Birthday Party explosiveness. They can not go to the well twice in this kind of succession for it to still be as effective. The melody that comes about mid way into the song is pretty cool and I would like to hear more of this kind of thing from these guys. I will give this album a 9, making it their best work to date. If you like your post punk with more of a drunken ramble to it then this album is for you.

Charli XCX : "how i'm feeling now"

She is back to her more experimental out of the box approach to song writing. This time drawing less inspiration from hip hop and owing more to Imogen Heap. These layers harmonies are real apparent on "7 years" . She works best when working with big beats. She has a decent voice, but I think it shows she knows what she is working with when there is a movement.  She marries her new Imogen fixition well what she does to set her self apart from all the Dua Lipa's and Grandes. Lana Del Rey might approve of her less stripper focused lyrics. She is not moping around like Lana. I think Lana's complaint against the Beyonces of the world was well founded . It is not like she did not speak the truth , if you do not like the truth when it comes to music then you would be best to get the fuck out of here because that is what you do. The rest of the world can be a lie . I do not care as long as music honest.

The groove is strongest on the more statcato "Pink diamond" which finds her spits the lyrics more. There is movement to "Detonate" but it does not have the same balls to it. The beats are not as thick. Or agressive for that matter. Sex is not her top selling product on this record. Here is where the Lana Del Rey theory comes into play. Sonically she is making sure Doja Cat is not stepping in on her. Pervious albums I have enjoyed by Charli have been more in your face with the sex. She is hot . So it makes sense . Perhaps it was touring with Taylor Swift that made her less objectified. Take into mind is is in her underwear on you album cover. She got a younger less coked out audience ?  " i finally understand" breezes playfully by lending weight to this theory. There is more adult song writing for "c2.0" . She does go into a more rapped delivery on the verses of " party 4 u" and uses the auto tune pop sound of 2019.

She gets back to the more in your face alt pop on "anthems". She uses futuristic synth sound and makes the most of the production , without mimicing every one out getting pumped out by the radio factory. "Visions" gets kind of rave til dawn. Is it the album's best vocal ? no. Does the song work? yes . I will give this album a 9. It is a return to her breaking away from the pack.

Katie Von Schleicher : "Consummation"

We can add Katie Von Schleicher to the listen of other ghostly female sirens. Unlike Marissa Nadler there is no country tinge. She is more rock than Hilary Woods, but not more rock than Chelsea Wolfe. Well more indie rock than Chelsea Wolfe. We get to hear some of her lower notes on the more up beat jangle of  'Wheel". Which is almost too happy for me. Why I do not listen to the Paste Magazine brand of indie rock. "Nowhere" finds her going back to the more hauntingly surreal sounds that appeal to me. Though still more the Shins than Cocteau Twins. She has a pleasing voice. She is not hte best new female singer I have heard this week, much less ever. There are touches to Beatles to the trippy corners of her songs. Things get to a more upbeat mood on the almost dancey "Caged Sleep" . Her lyrics are pretty decent , but not as emotionally raw as the other female singer song writers I mentioned earlier in this review.

There is more of an electronic feel to the more piano based "Messenger". It's a smoother 80s pop feel. She does have some Kate Bush influence to her that can be heard on "Loud". She does not come close to Bush's pipes , but embraces the odd sense of fey quirk. Some of her phrasing does emmulate Kate. Perhaps not as much as Tori Amos once attempted and she pulls from a different side of Kate, who is an artist much like David Bowie with so many sides artists pulls from certain colors they cast. There is more of a 50s pop crooning feel to "Strangest Thing" you hear where her aspirations aim for Kate Bush when she goes up into her head register. Then we are back to a more jangling rock feel on "Can You Help". The dreamy feel continues on with the marginally more introspective psyche of "Brutality" . Then it's baclk to more of a rock n roll thing on "Hammer". Her melodies do not go for the obvious hooks. Yet they are there . "Power" has kind of the 90s dream pop feel.

"Gross" is almost too dreamy in her musing of mushroom tea, as the song is almost not there due to the ambiance. Azure Ray would be a pretty decent comparison to the over all sound, I will give the album an 8. It is not on the level of the female song writers I mentioned at the beginning of the review as they are darker and have more depth, but she is certainly interesting for what she does.

Revenge : "Strike. Smother. Dehumanize"

The rabid attack of this Canadian band is more grind core than it is black metal. It's more death metal than it is black metal if we are calling it like it is here. They hit you with a stunning sonic intensity and aggressive that impresses upon the first attack , then after that I find myself ready to ask what I ask all extreme metal bands

I get you are heavy, but can you write a song ?

I am not sure songs are the point of what is going on here. I think it is how memorable of a beating they can give you. The assault is more straight forward on "Reign Power" . The snarling vocals are feral layers are abrasion. They hold on real point. There key is can a riff hook you amid the blasting chaos? In speedy three minute explosions they give themselves more time than if they were an actual grind core band. Can I tell the difference between these song called songs is another test this album is put to. "Oath Violator" breaks things up with a dirty bass tone that is allowed to ring out , but find them rather monochromatic in terms of dynamic. There is a sub sonic low growl taking place that sound like a gurgling pig in hell. The drummer of Death Angel woke up from his Corona coma to say he did not think Satan was cool any more , because Satan was a woman who punished him for sloth by turning him into a Jabba the Hutt like creature who was made to violently vomit blood until he woke up. Those grunts are what I imagine that creature sounding like upon it's bloody vomit. Sure they have songs like "Salvation Smothered" but even these guys are not professing their love to She-Satan is a way that makes it known here.

Why would Satan punish someone for sloth ? After all should not sins be rewarded in hell? The Jehovah god is punishing people for sinning by sending them to hell. So what would demons get for being on God's payroll, that would make them subcontractors and not adversaries . These are the kinds of thoughts this album inspires. Death Angel's drummer did say he would not stop listening to Deicide despite not finding Satan cool anymore. He might also dig these guys. They are not death metal in the strictest sense but offer single minded sonic sadism. They jerk you around on "Human Animal" The vocals sound more animal than human at this point. There are some punches on this song that reaffirm they are doing this on purpose. Shit they almost groove going into "Excommunication" , but then go into full rabies freak out mode. "Lightning Mythos" is explosive , but doesn't add to any sounds or methods of attack , really only confirming their drummer is a mad monster of a man.

"Self Segregation" is very Napalm Death. But with more death metal to the drumming. I always though it was weird as a kid that Napalm Death was not actually death metal. "Death Hand" finds them leaning more firmly towards death metal and less grind core/. I will give this album a 6.5. It's the heaviest album you will want to listen to this year. That is not to say some band will not attempt to make a heavier album, they will. You just will not want to listen to it as this pushes the bounds between noise and heavy.  You can thank the sadists at Season of Mist

Stay Inside : " Viewing"

Emo became a dirty word during the days of Myspace. It was more fashion than function. Yeah I am looking at you Taking Back Sunday. It originally meant emotional hard core. Yeah, anger is an emotion, but bands like Rites of Spring opened the door for more introspection. This lead to bands like Sunny Day Real Estate. Then it evolved into screamo, which is now seeing a return to the more classic sound. This band go the memo. They have not forgotten about the genre's hard core roots, but are not beating you over the head with them. There is a lot going on here. These guys have the uncanny ability to weave hypnotic melodies together and jerk you around with angular math rock riffs. It's also dark and brooding. They are hitting all the notes I could want a band like this to touch on. They also nailed all the tones needed to create this. They have the sound and the songs. A rarity I know. Lyrically there is depth... I mean anything on the wish list is here.

Bands like Sunny Day, were not without catchy hooks , these guys packed those as well. The main vocal going into this a timidly sung males vocal. Then their female bass player joins in with her sugary vocals. The sung male vocal is more confident and smoother on the second song. The other guitarist brings the screaming. They have an explosives post hard core chaos in these moments. Chris the lead singer shows he can put some balls into his singing voice on this one as well. The multi textured colors of vocals plays into the strength of what this album is capable of. "Ivy" finds them keeping a similar balance of intensity that they did in the second song and it's not getting stale here. Byrn leads in with her vocals on "Monuments". The song has a great deal of drive with melodies weaving around them to create a balancing atmosphere. A more loud to soft dynamic is used on "Silt".  The bombastic dissonance bookends the melodic section, before it returns to soar out of the storm.

The atmosphere of "Divide" makes the song almost intangible if it was not for the drums. This makes it feel like more of an instrumental interlude than the other songs. When the vocals do come in it is closer to the end of the song. You can not say these guys are tied down to a formula when it comes to song writing. It's more like something the Gloria Record might do. They use more concrete hooks to anchor "Wake" . It is pretty much a flawless song. They are prefect more often than not. The stunning production quality of this album and it's cinematic mix helps it shine even more. "Veil has a more spastic feel to it's catharsis. This carries over into the more aggressive "Verdict" that also returns to their more melodic side. The last sound reminds me of Brand New, not a ballad but heading in that direction. I will give this on a 9.5  This album came out in April. I am glad I got to catch up on it. If your are into this kind of post -hard core I would implore you to do the same, so this is not the best album you did not here this year.

Pale Divine : " the Consequence of Time"

Over the years I have my my thoughts clear about power metal. I like the bands who inspired it , but the more recent take on it is typically too happy for me. As an avid player of Dungeons & Dragons I am the target audience. This morning due to current situations making others in my party less than eager to get out and play I have taken to playing a video game version and wanted a sound track for this.  I often get promos from record labels where there are multiple album on a single email so after two albums where the first song did not make me want to peruse them further these guys caught my ear. They have been around since 95 so know what they were doing. They got their start as more of a doom band and evolved into power metal. The first song has lower vocals and more attack to the guitar that is very Judas Priest, yeah even the vocals think of when Rob croons on their first few albums. It was an automatic winner.

The second song had shades of Iron Maiden's "Prisoner" in it's groove they also bring to the table influence from both Deep Purple and Rainbow. Some of this gets mashed together in more of a rock boogie on " Shadow's Own" that doesn't resonate with me as strongly. The higher vocal and smoother melody make me think of Deep Purple despite the more nuanced chug. The higher vocals might not be as strong , but are still more soulful than the operatic attempts of most power metal bands. The bass rumbled on "Phantasmagoria" in a manner than shows they still have a little doom to them. The melodies are more hopeful almost like Uriah Heap. They pull out a fucking killer riff on the title track. I say cool riffs alone does not a good song make is the rule of this blog, but they make a killer song out of it so this is what to do with a cool riff/.

They step on the gas with proto-thrash for the chug of "No Escape" which is pretty straight forward , like Diamond Head with more balls in the vocals . Yeah I guess that equates "Kill'em All". Fun but not the most interesting song on the album. There is a darker tone to the last song. I guess if you are hoping this band would go back to doom, this album might be a turn in another direction, but they prove more than worthy for the direction they are going in. The array of vocals colors add to the album's magic .I will round this up to a 9, it's cool to hear some straight up metal.

Witnesses : "Doom II"

This album,  would best be described as progressive doom as it is not afraid to go somewhere metal often does not venture.  There is little bong worship going on here and even less worship of Black Sabbath. Doom does not lend it self to a great deal of wanking so it does not often intersect with prog.  The side of progressive metal this album shares are winding songs  with a great deal of dynamics . Yet  it is still very heavy, there is some  \, but no real synth lines to take control of the songs. The vocals are very polished, but also soulf\and drenched in emotion. They remind me at times of Jared Leto. They soar in a way that might also put them in the same zip code as Pallbearer. Though the melodies are more pop due to the fact Kody Ternes is a session vocalist who normally does more electronica and pop. By his own admission he is more into Cold Play than metal. I think this was a smart move on the part of this project's brain child Greg Schwan. He could have hired a metal vocalist and then it would have been prone to sound like everything else.  He took a risk and it paid off.

At the end of the day I am pretty impressed with what goes down here. This is a concept album about a plague born at sea. So it is timely. It does also have a  theatrical nature of their concept finds them doing things like the creaking of the wooden ship. The riffs give the vocals space so they are not always the most crushing doom walls of fuzz. Instead they match the emotive nature of  vocals. There are a few blasts of black metal , though sans the screamed vocals.  The first of these is on the second song "I Hope Their Prayers Aren't Answered".  They generally keep a very dreary pace.  In some ways the bleak mood they maintain through out the album reminds me of the narrative found on the Murder By Death album " Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them" . Mood wise they are not playing murder country. There are huge dynamic shifts into passages that delve into spacious atmospheric drifts onto the still water. The darkness is a beautiful shade of dusk deep gray going into the title track.  By the time we get to " Who Were You Before All This" it is evident that Schwan can write a concept album with out the narrative being too cumbersome for the melodies.

The last song finds things getting heavier in a somewhat more conventional metal sense. It is a good dynamic for it to have more balls with out sacrificing any of the despairing mood in so doing. When they go into more of a chug is proves to be more powerful than if this was what they were beating you with the entire album.  I will give this album a 10 it is one of the best doom albums I have heard this year and accomplished this by not being afraid to step out of the doom metal box.

Blue Eyed Christ : " World On Fire"

T

his project goes for the 90s industrial sound. More like "Pretty Hate Machine " Nine Inch Nails than Ministry, or one of the many bands that tried to jump on the Nine Inch Nails bandwagon , like Filter or God Loves Under Water, though less rock n roll than Filter. Lyrically this dystopian ranting is very timely. Sadly all the anti establishment rivet heads I knew are now showing themselves to be poseurs and hiding when the government says "Boo!: these days . They go in a more Thrill Kill direction when the female vocals join them on the chorus of "America H". There is a pretty slinky bass line for this for the main sing song almost rap over. Somewhat "Down In It" .

"You are referencing too many other bands in this review, that is bad writing " you scream.

When you wear you influences this plainly on your sleeve you can not help but notice. If you are not aware this is happening and you think this is original then that is a problem. If not then know this is likely to be pointed out. "Manic Adderall' is less hooky or melody focused than the previous songs. Vocally this guy has little in terms of range to work with this more rap like spoken approach. This makes the need for groove more important. I think this project would benefit from more varied vocals and collaborators to add layer to the sound. The guitar riffs are driving, but very simple and the distortion sound is rough. I would have more effects on this guys voice. They become tiring by the time we get to "Take it to the Streets". There is an attempt to be darker , but it not effective. There is little in the way of groove which is what they need. Mea Fisher from Lords of Acid, is on the title track, which is what this album needs more of .

"System" is in two songs a part one and two, but it might as well be one song. Lyrically it is becoming redundant at this point , Killing Joke does it better. "the Wait is Over" is a pretty good song, and goes to show this project is capable of more than what we have gotten for the bulk of the album. "Slow Reverse" also shows what works for these guys. I think the bottom line is this album could have been darker and more experimental. I grew up as a teenager listening to this n the early 90s , I love industrial music because it is dark and experimental . I will give this a 7.5, if you did not progress past 95 or were never there for it then you might dig this.

Waxahatchee : " Saint Cloud"

The mission statement of this site is to spread sonic darkness. This is the light of sonic dusk. I have been covering more with a country flair. Here it s a subtle mix of pop with alternative country and then filtered back through pop again. Mainly due to the masterfully written vocal melodies of Katie Crutchfield. There is a touch of Indigo Girls mixed into the harmonies . They are doing this is such a smart manner , it breaks boundaries and is just plainly good much twangy jangle and all. She shows her upper range on "Fire". The is more of a rock feel to the palm muted guitar. By rock we are talking War on Drugs. The melodies and groove work flawlessly. This is next level songwriting. "Lilacs" has a touch of both Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton to it. The hooks are not as tight on this one.

She wrote these songs after getting sober, so there is where the underlying darkness is . After all some kind of pain and suffering is needed in order to capture something real. This album is really well produced . All the tones immaculate and sit right where they should. She stays in a mid range, mostly alto, not digging down to deep, but not afraid to flip over into her head register. 'Hell" is the album's next perfect moment. The lyrics really knocking it home. After reviewing the Gray Matter album where the lyrics were a draw back, it's a relief to hear some that resonate with real life themes and soul baring honesty. I do not care if you lie about everything else as long as your music is the truth. "Witches" is good , but not as good as the previous. It's more casual conversation. There is more of a rambling motion to the momentum of " War" that recalls the more upbeat moments of Fleetwood Mac , but with more serious self appraisal in the lyrics.

The introspective continues with the strum of "Arkadelphia" . It has more of a folk story telling to it. She hints at what doesn't work in 12 step culture for her in the lyrics. "Ruby Falls" is like a lazy river. I appreciate the lyrics but as far as melodies go the bar has been raised higher earlier in the album. It ends with the title track. It is more of a folk song, though country does leave it's mark in it. It is not as hooky and the lyrics are weighed down by their own narrative. The instrumentation is minimal. Piano and barely heard guitar. It is one of the album's longer songs because it is one of the slowest songs on the album. I will round it up to a 9.5,. There are no bad songs on it some just gripped me more than others. Some were just more infectious.

Grey Matter : " Climbing Out"

 I do not like ska for one reason...it's too happy for me. I used to think it was the horns , but David Bowie plays sax. Morphine uses sax. It shows up in some of the more progressive metal I like, so that is not the problem in and off it's self. Then you might think it's the bouncy rhythm. But " the Passenger" by Iggy is an example how this can still work. Bauhaus , Gang of Four and the Police all touch on that as well. This is what this band is going again. When it goes more toward the jazz side of things I am going to be fine with it , but ska well..um. The longest song is three and a half minutes. They use some dissonance on the opening track.  It has a darker undertone to it and gave me some hope about this album. It could have been combined with the second song and served as more of an intro. I can still with the unhinged screamo like explosion blended with chaos on "Not My Friend". I am not totally into these guys whole "social justice warrior" slant.  There is almost more of a King Missile thing with spoken word vocals of " Climbing Out" . It is still in  safe zone for me as it has not gotten ska  I might not like it as much as the first two songs , but it's still pretty decent.

They lyrics to 'Consent' are apologetic for being a man. Which I think is fucking bull shit and turns me off on the whole song. They are solidly punk rock on " Dang" the brass is used like smooth 80s jazz til things speed up. They are solid musicians .It sounds like what happens when Millennials get into music from the 90s. The longest song "Can't Go Back' does a good job of blending legit jazz with kinda hard core. More on the screamo side , as it is not as aggressive as hard core. "Upswing" finds him trying harder to sing. Not the most effective thing that happens on this album and it's also when things begin to get too happy.  "Mas Fuerte" is in two parts but it might as well be one song. The first part they are bitching about cops which is punk enough. "Greet Debt" they are bitching about gentrification. Hitting all the notes of the things millennials get fussy about. As a song if I ignore the bitching , it's pretty solid.

I like when things get moodier on "Downswing", I would like to hear more introspective stuff like this from them .  Midway into the song they go into a funky groove. I wish they would focus more on the music and less on the social justice warrior thing. It ruins what would be an otherwise impressive band. "Panic" finds him trying to sing again. This attempt is not much better. He kinda raps on the last song, which is more of what we have already gotten from these guys, but they are good at it. I hate most of the lyrics , but musically these guys are solid enough for me to give it an 8.5, this take on ska is still enough for me to digest if I ignore what they are saying.

Fellahin Fall : "Tar A-Kan"

This band from Brooklyn was hailed as being industrial , but it comes closer to mainstream nu-metal. More hard rock than metal. The vocals are more nu-metal, not unlike Godsmack or Breaking Benjamin, the difference is the grab for radio play is not awful. God Smack is fun, I can handle them. Lets hope it stays out of the Breaking Benjamin side of the equation. The baritone at it's best makes me think of Woods of Ypres. I would have really dug this back in 1999. In fact I was in a band kinda like this around that time.  But had come from punk and death metal bands so were more aggressive. These guys started as a darkwave band. Now 20 years after the rise of Hot Topic we have these doing this with beats closer to trap than Ministry. The vocals do get out of the baritone bellow on " My Hallow" which is more introspective not unlike the power ballads Cold pumped out.

Most of these songs' fate lies in the vocals . The guitars ride their middle of the road plodding chug.  Some of the vocal melodies are pretty decent, but it does make me just wanna listen to Woods of Ypres. Their drummer is really skilled and that aids the songs for sure. The flourishes of double bass are pretty tasty choices. "Bind" is pretty average in every way possible. Metal should not be average. These guys are just melodic hard rock with a dark streak, but even those bands should aspire to be heavier. The keyboards are more dominate. The electronic elements break them away from the more beer rock leanings of the Breaking Benjamin sound, and comes the closest to being industrial so far. The vocals are not as interesting as they have been on previous songs.

There is a more power ballad feel to "Tomorrow's Mourning" . One of the best songs due to the varied juxtaposition of sounds is "Rover" it marries a dancey beat to a solemn melody and the album's most thoughtful lyrics. I will round this one down to an 8 for some of the vocal choices, but these guys have potential and if more mainstream alternative rock with an electro grunge feel is your thing then you will be into this more than I am.

Sorge : " s/t "

If you are a regular reader here then you know I normally review albums in real time. Typically as I am listening to them for the first time. 90 percent of the reviews are done this way. If I sit on an album and give it multiple listens before reviewing it, then it's a good sign. That is what is playing into this band's favor.  The fact they are solid doom band that stands out from the others is also good for them. I love doom, November is now dedicated to it. It is one of my favorite sub-genres of metal with black metal neck and neck with it.  On their debut album guys take what works from the genre and make it there own. The vocals have a wail that falls in between King Diamond's mid -range  and Ian Astbury. Midway into the song they find a pretty solid head banging groove. This is more of the head banging of old , pre-death metal. There are some funky 70s inspired sounds here for sure, without this being a total Sabbath worship. They serve the song while giving themselves room to have fun and jam.

The second song is darker. It lumbers with more sinister intent than the first song which has a more lets take Acid and party in the Camaro feel.  This makes sense as lyrically there are drug references in the second song. The vocals are more intense crying out more dramatically. They hammer at you with larger sonics. Even building into a blast beat at the end. Though not going black metal with it. "Argent" is heavier and more doomed out. The space sounds still drip from the corners of the song. The vocal melodies are not as catchy as the first two songs , but the heavier music seems to balance it out. The guitars are well layered and pretty crushing. There is almost a sludge weight to how they come down upon you. 

The last song they lead into with a slinky palm muted creep. The drums bring the groove and they keep the cosmic weirdness going. Pretty much all the elements I dug in first 3 songs at work here. This is not to say all the songs sound the same. They do not. In the past year I have been complaining too many bands dial in a sound, but do not have songs. These guys are a solid example of how to do both. The vocals are more belted than crooned on this one. The spot light is on how  these riffs killing you. Their singer also plays guitar so that seems to be more of his focus on the past two songs. I will give this album a 9.5, not perfect in my mind due to the vocals taking more of a back seat, but I am a singer so that tends to be my focus. If you are a guitarist into doom then this might be the perfect album for you. I think the fact I am nit picking about if this album is perfect or not speaks as loud as these riffs as to how great it is. Sure it might still need to grow on me , but half the time I am debating on if I am going to listen to an album again, and I have already given this one a half dozen spins , which is big in my book. It is going to be hard for me to imagine this not making my top ten doom albums this year. It drops June 5th.

Close the Hatch : "Modern Witchcraft"

Shoe gazing sludge is going to be something I am on board for. The vocals are not the typical lumber jack grunts. The are dreamy murmurs that are the most atmospheric part of what is going on with the first song. If the Melvins got smacked out and decided to record while taking sleeping pills the results might be similar. They pack a punch even with the sluggish slumber creeping up on these riffs. The vocals have marginally more grit on a song like the title track where the narrative gets more serious. They are not a droning or hypnotic as say Jesu, but not far removed from their sonic zip code. Very syncopated in their rumble. This is one of the more interesting sludge album I have heard this year.  This is not dark or depressive like doom. It is introspective, where doom is mournful this is apathetic.

They are not afraid to get weird, but still stay focused on the songs. Often angular, they slide through surreal walls of feed back, yet the songs have a spacious feel to them. The vocals continue to have a slacker vibe to them. Going into lower moans at times. In places their is a sleazy Marilyn Manson like swagger to them. "Cordial Medusa" is more listless. It wanders into gray places and forgets. There sound however is so unique that it compensates when they get lost behind their own smoke and mirrors. "Thorazine Empire" shows how to do the 90s spawned loud to soft dynamic. They key is when you are not doing it all the time. So it works great here. These guys are not sticking to formulas. When they pull more conventional tricks out of the bag they work like they are new. The surreal sluggishness digs in deeper to the sonic coma of "Persona Non Grata" .  The way the shoe gazing feel ,creeps in is impressive because it is more of a feel thing than them trying to be My Bloody Valentine.

The last song works off the vibe they established in the previous song and gives it more movement. The guitar tones on this album are stellar. It took me a little while to get used to the murky mix but it makes sense. There is no growling , but they do talk in low creepy voices to get the mood more ominous. But when I lose track of where I am at in the song it is easy for the press stream to get going and then I realize I am back at the first song. So yes there is a uniform feel to their sound, but I also can just leave this album on and let it play. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me.

...And Oceans : "Cosmic World Mother"

This album has a huge sound. It is also well executed by musicians who are skilled at their instruments. By the third song it is all beginning to run together, so while they have honed a sound, the song writing is almost not there. We are talking grandiose blasting, but only marginally different melodies hidden in the blur. Most of these are thanks to the key board. The screamed vocals are often mid-ranged and follow very similar patterns. Dimmu Borgir may get a great deal of criticism in black metal circles for being sell outs, but even their last album which just pushed past being mediocre for them is head and shoulders over these guys when it comes to song writing. Are these guys more legit when it comes to black metal. I mean Hellhammer has played for Dimmu so despite of what you think about them it sets the bar high, but to a novice listener with little understanding of the history, sure.

"As the After Becomes the Before" makes a modest attempt to set it self apart. I can hear that there is a more defined guitar riff here. Are these guys different than what I typically think of when it comes to black metal out of Finland? Yes. They are not Horna. I might prefer Horna. The double bass almost sounds triggered here. These guys are more of a machine than Horna, but I can feel what Horna is doing more. Why do you keep comparing these guys to other bands/.  Well what they are doing doesn't stand out from other over produced blast beaters. If you have been waiting 18 years for this album , you need to get a life. They did pick up right where they were 18 years ago , but is that a good thing or stagnation?

A more accented pounding  two songs after the title track gets to me check back into the album. "Oscillator Epitaph" might be the album's best song. It sets it self part from the rest. There is a keyboard interlude, that tries to pass it self off as an actual song. It is followed by some more dial by numbers symphonic black metal. The drumming on this one however is less annoying. I will give this album a 6, well made but otherwise empty.

Forgotten Tomb : "Nihilistic Estrangement"

This Italian band's album "We Owe You Nothing" made my top 10 death metal albums of 2017 list. This album is not as straight forward death metal. There is more of a throb than a driving thrash groove. The scathing vocals are more tortured in the hateful snarl, giving them a more black metal feel.  They lyrically I prefer where they are going with "Active Shooter".  Metal lyrics should make you uncomfortable and hit you where it hurts. This is way more real that metaphorical occult poetry that they are only into since it's the metal thing to do. His growl is mean , but you can still make out the words which to me give the subject matter improves the song writing.

Not sure why they are still being called goth anything. Yes there is a touch of that influence on the title track and a low spoken vocal on the first part of "Iris' House", but there is also some pretty bluesy guitar as well. The vocals do not have as much purpose as the do on the opening track. It is very dark. The pulse is creepy/ Not goth, but pretty grim. You can make out the lyrics more on the second part of "Iris' House" , which is a separate track. It reminds me more of  Shining, so I am going to say this is more of a black metal album than it is death metal.  The guitar playing steals the show not only on this song , but the album as a whole. I can hear the bass, which is more than I can say for most black metal bands and what helps give it that heavier death metal stomp.

"Distrust" has more of a street wise gallop to it. It is very metal, but still has some sonic sting to it. As I mentioned before the title track is more melodic and I can hear where some of the inspiration for the melodies layered in there might come from bands like the Cure. But this is not the darkest song on the album by any means.  The last song is more like other black metal I have heard while still holding their sound, the song writing is more dialed in than the other songs on this album. I will give this album a 9 as aside form the less inspired closing track it is really solid and has a great deal of feeling behind it.

Secrets of the Moon : " Black House"

It have have been since 2012 that I gave these guys a listen. How things have changed. I am fine with them being a goth band I just hope they have not forsaken their metal side altogether. They have not had the German stiffness to their sound, though it would make more sense for them to go in an industrial direction than the more romantically layered guitars. By end of the first song the vocals do get more aggressive. It might be way more accessible , but I do like the vocals that lead into "Don't Look Now". The ghostly vocals layers in the background are cool. It is almost like these guys are a different band altogether. While I appreciate what they are doing, they might as well just changed their name. Jarboe joined them on these sessions , so that gets points in my book.

They are more straight up jangling rock in roll, with "Veronica's Room" . I obviously missed the album that bridged this transition, but I despite what most might think, I do not want every band to turn into a goth band. If you were metal, please do be dark, but be a metal band.  Guitar solos do not make you a metal band. They thrown some in like it should be a reminder of who they were. The hammer on like a metal player would though. Their bass player remembers they were a metal band, this can be felt on " He is Here". The vocals take on a more Mike Patton like bellow to them. "Cotard" leans more in a metal direction. There is a touch of 90s rock to the title track. This makes it harder than the more Mission UK feel of the previous songs, but not metal. It's still a well written song.

There was some debate on a site that I write for if saying a band's sound is maturing is wanting them to become more mainstream. I do not listen to the radio. Yes I do listen to pop music, but I seek that out without help from mainstream media, so I have no horse in the race. I have been listening to metal for 35 years . What might be called goth for 30. As long as the Cure doesn't try to make a metal album I am fine. I think we all learned our lesson when Morbid Angel tried to sound like KMFDM. I was never a huge fan of these guys. When it came to metal, they were pretty much middle of the road black metal to begin with so it is no great loss to the state of metal that these guys have crossed over into another genre. I am glad they give more of an edge to "Heart". I am ok without blast beats. Yet even this song could use a little more balls. By the time we got to the last song 'Earth Hour" it feels they had begun to run of of gas in the song writing tank. As the album progressed it retained the cool sound, but the songs had less to them. I will give this one an 8.5.

Green Carnation : "Leaves of Yesteryear"

Formed by Emperor bassist Tchort , this Norwegian band stays on the more progressive and melodic side of metal. Members of this band also play in In the Woods. Despite their collective black metal pasts , there is almost more of a power metal feel to what they do. Granted they did start off more like an early Opeth thing and their sound has matured over the years. This maturation process is still in effect. These guys are a band I have always liked for the past 20 years, but often forget about. This album starts off not as dark as what I have heard from them in the past , though by "Sentinels" leans more in that direction for the verses, while the chorus has more of an uplifting mood to it's epic nature which comes with the genre. I feel this just clicks with me mood wise more on the second song. It's gallop is pretty powerful in the most epic way.

I would say this kind of power metal leaning is more often not my thing , but Iron Maiden who invented this is one of my favorite bands. I also used to really be into Queensyrche. I think these guys do it with enough edge to them to keep my interest and the fact that really care about the songs helps. Without question they are great musicians. I think some of the shadow could have been added in post production. Less mid range, more reverb and bass, you are half way to Type O Negative. This might be a only five songs but two of those are over ten minutes, in fact " My Dark Reflections of Life and Death" is 15 minutes. .The vocals take on a Warrell Dane like croon. The song is very dynamic with out veering off course. If you want to keep your progressive metal heavy, these guys have a decent handle on that front.

They wander a bit until "Hounds" finds it's legs when the chorus kicks in just right. The drums help to get the song moving. The bass tone could have a little more balls to it, but over all  this song works and is catchy enough for me. I mean they do a pretty spot on cover "Solitude" with just a piano. I will give this album a 9, if you are like me and you play Dungeons & dragons so the concept of power or progressive metal is appealing , but is often not dark or heavy enough then these guys have got you covered.

Lesser Glow : "Nullity"

Being a band from Boston must be rough as you have to sort through all the Berklee kids who know all these time signatures , but not how to put them into a song that people want to listen. This is also the second band I have reviewed today that is from the Mastodon school of thought . The first was the new Barishi, which you would like if you like these guys though they are more death metal, where these guys are more sludge and employ bursts of clean singing .The clean singing doesn't click for me until the third song "Fostering this Nullity". It is also darker and more brooding which works. They are more concern with the math of it all on the first couple of song that run together.  the second song sound just like an extension of the first song which makes since in my mind as this is  the kind of band that would have 7 minute songs . To their credit they only have two of these , the title track being one of them.

"Alone In the Column" is an song that feels like the further progression of one before it. It is moody and in places makes me think of Dredg.  They get heavier on "Versterven". The haze of fuzzed out guitar is layered more like shoe gaze than metal. It's a better sound than it is a song. It is the band's more melodic vocals that seems to be the key for song writing clicking. Even when they get into something as ethereal as "I am the Island". It's dark with the guitar creating a drifting mist of chords. By the time we get to "the Great Filter" things have run together for me. I have to listen for the sun vocals to tell the songs apart. The gloomy vocals at the beginning give the song more character than the growled ones. There is a hint of Alice In Chains to the way the vocal melodies fall.

The last song kind of rumbles out with more of a sludge chug, but as a long is less defined than the ones on the first half of the album. I can appreciate the surreal shoe gaze like quality, but it begins to become uniform.  Over all I will give this album an 8 as I think they succeeded in what they set out to do and the vocals make them a little more interesting than your average band attempting this. This comes out May 29th on Pelagic Records.

Looking Back In Anger : Motorhead's "Ace of Spades"

It' was  Motorhead day, so it only made sense to look back and see how one of their most popular albums holds up over time. The 1980 album many pedestrian Motorhead fans own is actually their fourth . It broke them to bigger audiences with the title track that opens the album, but what about the other songs on the album. Have you even listened past the first song? We are going to see how this album is as a whole. Lyrically "Love Me Like a Reptile" muses similar themes they would return to on "Killed By Death" in 84. I think "Killed By Death " is the better song. They are like a more meth driven version of AC/DC on "Shoot You in the Back" even more rough around the edges and raw. The fuzzy rumble has more groove than the previous song so works for me.  It does make sense why Motorhead is the one "Metal" punks seem to latch onto. Though this album is more just pumped up rock n roll than metal. "Live to Win" works off this energy with it's street wise charm.

" Fast and Loose" has a great deal of swagger. Lemmy does what he does. The guitar carries more of the song than his snarling bass. Next to the title track "We are the Road  Crew" might be the most iconic on this album. The song writing just clicks here as they are not doing anything dynamically different , but allowing the vocals to sit on the bounce of the guitar marginally better. There is a touch of Jimi Hendrix influence on the guitar going into "Fire Fire Fire".  Fast Eddie Clark is an under rated guitarist. Animal Taylor also shines on this one.  Gang vocals on the chorus lend more of a punk touch. "Jailbait" is the most metal song on the album. Can you imagine if this came out in 2020? The Me Too crowd would lose their shit. I wonder how many of them own this album, you know like the Instagram punk chicks? They probably have not listened past "Ace of Spades" to look cool at parties.

"Dance" is a reckless rock n roll that numbers itself self along with the previous song as one of the albums best cuts. While "Bite the Bullet" is pretty much run of the mill rock n roll, "the Chase is Bette than the Catch" is the albums best song. It has more of a metal chug to it while lending itself to be one of the album's most melodic songs. "the Hammer" is pretty much more of the same from these guys, what you expect from typical Motorhead, so almost filler. I will give this album a 9, so not the masterpiece it is painted to be, but pretty fun album none the less. They have better album both before and after this one came out. Popularity does not account for quality if we are talking about what is truly the band's best album.