Lotus Thrones - "Lovers in Wartime"

 

Another metal musician goes to the dark side. The trend of having a post punk project is one I am fond of despite the mixed results it sometimes brings. This one comes from former Wolvhammer drummer Heath Rave. He recorded this during last year's quarantine. His self isolation was not too strict as he is joined by Bruce from Yakuza who throws down some sax on a couple of songs. Andy from Feral Light also drops a guitar solo on the fourth song "the Quarry" .  Sanford Parker mixed this album so few metal heads have their hands in this. It can be felt on the almost sludgey rough edges of the songs as they trudge more in an Atriarch or Neurosis like place , more than any of this sounds like the Cure. Yes, there is more atmosphere on this album than your average metal record. In fact this plays to the strength of the songs as the more ambient "Fatigue" is better than the more brooding album opener. 

Like most things it is all about balance. When he pretty much hands the third song over to Bruce's sax the results are something that feels more like an interlude than a song. Yes, it sounds cool, but cool sounds alone does not a good song make. The drums take on a more industrial thump on "the Quarry" which has a more Killing Joke feel in how the song moves. Vocally he is nowhere close to Jaz Coleman, as the vocals are more spoken in an angry fashion than they are sung here.  The guitar solo is nothing to really write home about, so if you need a session soloist I would not call Andy. Heath is a better song writer than expected , as there is a memorable hook with the line 'do the world a favor and go meet your maker" which I think sums up my thoughts regarding COVID as well., 

It is like Heath has a love / hate relationship with saxophones, he loves them since he is willing to let them dominate the songs he features them in. But he does not know how to share the space with them. Perhaps this is why he just gives it all to them. He makes no attempts to work vocals into these moments as if he feels the two can not share the same spotlight. There is more drive to "Diametric Retrograde' and is a much better stab at post punk. Here he once again shows me how competent he is as a song writer and uses guitar feed back to occupy the same space the sax did in the other songs, proving the same sonic  space can be shared it just isn't .  There is a really weird downtempo cover of Bad Brains' "I & I Survive" , which works but I am sure some one is going to come along and say they were appropriating.  I want more of what was tapped into with "1000 Suns" even if it is not album\s best vocal performance, I like the more punk energy, and I am normally complaining about post-punk being too punk or most new death rock bands being punk bands who are just using a sound. I will give this album a 9, it is one of the better attempts at this coming from the more recent crop     

    

Ruin : "Spread Plague Death"

 

They come back nastier and grimmer on the title track of their new album. It has more of a death doom cadence. I really love "Human Annihilation". It had a very tangible hate to it's sound. In the time of metal growing kinder and gentler I need it to be more hateful. These miscreants  deliver.  It is not until a few songs in that things pick up into the faster pounding most death metal is known for. They have not gotten any softer and it is still just as effective when they go from the jack hammer into a more deliberate crunch. All too often heaviness seems to sacrifice  a willingness to care about song writing yet here we are with the most dismally gurgled vocals and the songs still have me engaged. There is groove in the weighty trudge of the mammoth riff. "Catatonic Vomit" has a great fucking riff, but also explains my rule of cool riffs alone does not a good song make, as they weave it into other even heavier dynamics until it climaxes into chaos. 

They continue to weave the album together with samples between songs. Fans of more straight forward aggressive death metal should be appeased with songs like "At One With Earth and Worms" , though I prefer the albums creepier moments the more go for the throat moments come closer to sounding like one of the countless death metal bands who places brutality at the top of their to do list. The get back into this creepy with "Ornaments of Flesh" but the raw jagged density of guitar creates a less ambient wall of sound, coupled with the speedy churn of drums under it. Savagery begins to steam roll song writing a little though the song still has interesting twists and turns. By the time I am at "Slow Degradation" I find myself having to go back to give songs repeat listens to pay attention to what is going on as my ears are hit with the guitar fire and foremost. They do slow into a more deliberate chug before putting the foot to the gas. The moments of acceleration still works as they are given dynamic contrast so for as heavy as this album is it never feels like you are being pounded the same way twice.

"Quietus" takes the more blasting approach at the onset before settling into the grimy dirge that is the focus of what we might call the verse.  The songs seldom venture over the five minute mark. This keeps the beating very contained. Just when I am ready to write the sonic sadism off as an act of barbarism they come in with a riff that is infectious and pulls me back into it. The deliberate tone to "Awaken Rotting Decay" proves a much more punishing chug than some of the faster offerings, though even in this song they pick things up , but after the more dirge like tone it is easier to digest. The dominating bass tone gives more drive to "Choking on Burning Blood"; For what they are going for the production is much better than expected as there are layers of guitar heaped into a wall, yet the needed melodies cut through. It is a more musical effort than the previous album. Some of the chaotic guitar solos ow a great deal to Slayer with all the dive bombing. The guitar on the last song is mean as fuck and is a sound they have dialed in to the max. While vocals are pretty much just a texture, you do not realize how important they are until they throw an instrumental at you. I will round this up to a 9.5, it is one of the best heavy as fuck albums I have heard at least when it comes to death metal this year.

R.I.P - Mike Howe of Metal Church

 Mike Howe died at the age of 55. He most recently appeared on Metal Church's 2018 album "Damned if  You Do" a full review of it can  be found here...

Abysmal Hymns: Metal Church : "Damned If You Do"

I gave the album a 9, meaning I thought it was great, I think iffy production was the only thing that held it back, but Mike's singing was the strong suit. He joined Kurt as the only other long time member of the band so I would hope it serves as their swan song. While Howe was not the original singer, having to replace Wayne whose was another stellar vocal talent who passed in 2005, Howe not only filled the shoes left by his predecessor well, but he gave the band both a heavier edge in his snarl, but also a more accessible feel as he could shift into a more straight forward rock style of singing that opened new sonic doors for the band with each album. 

"Blessing in Disguise" is a fucking classic that holds up against their first two album's, it was a more compact thrash attack and one of my favorites in my early teen years. I caught the band three times on that tour and meet Mike who not only took the time to connect with me like a older brother, as he remember my name and even gave me a shirt the fourth time I saw the band later on the "Operation Rock n roll Tour" where they held their own opening for Motorhead, Alice Cooper and Judas Priest. He had a great stage presence+ and a powerful dynamic voice. I saw him a total of four times and he never disappointed. This was not a loss I expected as he seemed youthfully healthy when they released the last album with him. In a world where thrash singers at the time stayed with the respected box of the genre, Mike stepped out of it and did his own thing for this he will be missed as he is a truly irreplaceable front man. 

Grief Collector : "En Delirium

 All you have to tell me is Robert Lowe is singing and I am there. If you are not educated in metal enough to know that he sings for Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass, then your ability to call yourself a metal head is thus revoked. Riff wise this band is not breaking a great deal of new ground on the first song, but they really do not have to do much but give this man plenty of room to sing. This is more aggressive than his past work. The chug of the riffs have more attack to them.   I am on board for this. The pace picks up on "Our Poisonous Ways" and keeps the pace until the next when it doesn't shift into a darker mood until midway into the song. I like hearing Lowe's voice drop lower for this section. 

They go back into the doom we came here for on "When Sanity Eludes Me" .   Unlike many doom bands they keep hypnotic motion to the songs movement rather than hesitation. There is also not a ton of Black Sabbath worship, sure comparisons can be drawn when things break down into the bass line carrying the groove. That is of course aside form the cover of "Voodoo"  that closes the album, however I feel taking from Dio era Sabbath is more unique that trying to gleam inspiration from the Ozzy years like every one else/.     "10 Days" is more melodic to the point of almost feeling like a power ballad. The song flows very well.  'Misery Mongers' kind of wallows in  slinky darkness until coming together for the more powerful metal of the chorus. Not as catchy as some of the album's melodies, but it sounds great. There is another surreal waltz to " Scorned Heart" which is not the first moment on this album that has reminded of Sanctuary's more moody moments. 

|"Then Comes Darkness" plays it pretty safe in sticking closer to the bound of traditional doom. Once again you get to hear some of his lower range which creates a more effective dynamic. The verses could have a little more hook to them. I do like how the guitar solos is lead in by the flourish of acoustic guitar. You know my thoughts on the Sabbath cover. As for the entire album it might not be Solitude Aeturnus but it scratches that itch. I would say this is going to be a hard doom album to beat this year, but Pallbearer has one on the way. I will give this album a 9.5, putting it at the top of the heap . 

Midwife - "Luminol"

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Droning shoe gaze dream pop with smart lyrics opens the first song. Less is more here as melody and ambiance are given enough room here so when the pulse comes in it all works together. The lyrics are pretty clever as well. But will all of these elements still work if what you see is what you get here? Can this sort of thing make this sound work for an entire element or will it fall dynamically flat ? . The second song does not offer a clear answer for this , thought guitar is added and gives more movement, there is a sense that this could be an extension of the first song. 

I am a little confused with "2020" it is basically a cover of "Gone Away' by Offspring the only thing is rather than covering the actual song it is just the chorus, it works in a weird way but I am mixed on the principle of it. Part of me is like ... if you are going to cover a song then just commit and do it. "Colorado" finds her doubling down on the sound, more than the song. It is surreal and dreamy with heavily effected vocals blending their sing song chant in amid the minimalist strum of guitar. There are other layers of effected guitar that creep in , but as far as dynamics go it just kind of works off this throb. 

"Promise Ring" runs of a simple drone of piano and the distorted sing song chant of the vocals, which does have a quirky charm to it in some sense, but when it comes to songwriting, really just runs off one trick. The song does transition with new sounds added, but no other compositional shift like even from a verse to a chorus until the Jesu rock kicks in at the end which is a key selling point. The drumming is pretty decent here. The last song is similar to this one, though the faint breathy melody is not as interesting. I tried to reserve judgement until more layers of sound were added. .But they never really go anywhere so I am left to sit in my disappointment . Overall for what this is the album is an easy listen , if you just let yourself get lost in the sound and do not think to much on the lack of actual songwriting, for this reason I will round it down to an 8.5, which is still better than most. It makes sense this is being released on the Flenser.

Drug Church - " Tawny"

 

The four songs on the Albany band's new album are a logical progression from where they left off with 2018's 'Cheer" album. All the things that worked best on "Cheer' are in play here. Where the opener has a more slacker 90s post hardcore sound they are angrier and more driving on the the title track that follow. The production has the same organic rawness and warmth that bands like Jawbreaker once held. +On the first song this finds them expanding into a more post-punk sound with reverb heavy guitars. This dialing back of distortion, opens up room for the vocals sing a little more. Not to say there is not a Hotwatermusic like rasp even in the most melodic moments. I remember getting stoned in 1999 recognizing the cross road where emo and post-punk met and I can hear it now hear very sober. 

 There is even a reckless explosiveness on the chorus that feels a little more like the Pixies, so the smarter side of the 90s indie post whatever . The vocals sound more confident and like he quit smoking as a they are a half step higher than the previous album. Perhaps a greater deal of credit goes to how this album was mixed. The drumming is crisper and the guitar seems to always sit where it needs to. I am listening to this album on repeat and not hearing anything that sets off my critical mind. I was already a fan from the last album, these guys have just spent time dialing everything in and it has paid off big. This is the kind of progress all bands should be making. They need to take note as the changes here have not taken away from the signature of what made this band great even  in the album's most experimental moments. 

They are angrier on "Bliss Out", but it is still very hooky in the syncopation. It is almost Helmet like in the punch it packs. Then the Pixies come to mind again with how the vocals are layered against the bass of " Remember to Forget", it feels kinda like "Debaser" , perhaps not as angry. I will give this album a 10 as my only regret is that there is not more of it and I am going to have to make do with these four songs hopefully for not three years to get a new one , but whatever it takes as long as there is more coming.    

2

Tropical Fuck Storm : "Deep States"

Time to hear if this band is more than just their name. I never stopped to check this band out as I made all sorts of assumptions from their name. They are not the punk band I thought they were. The good news and band news about their sound is that they sound like a happy version of Xiu Xiu. The happy part being the bad news. The second song is poppier , almost more like the Gorillaz, but that works better as the happiness is able to be shone through a more effective filter. Things are a half shade darker on "Blue Beam Baby". The bass line takes up most of the space in a jazz like slink. "Suburbiopia" seems to have less form and function as the female singer takes over in this boozy affair. 

"Bumma Sanger" is about Co-vid, which I suppose many of these songs are reflections on the past year, I do appreciate that lyrically they are not picking a political side. It does lose focus and veers off into a bizarre left turn that has nothing to do with the where they started. The boozy foolishness goes a step further on "the Donkey" which wants to be Tom Waits in some ways, they try to rock out a little more but , it does not really save the song as the singing is somewhat out of key. I am beginning to feel thankful that I only have to make it through three more songs. 

Intentionally shitty production for the intent of creating a more abrasive sound might work when you are writing songs that are good enough to stand on their own. That is not the case. It builds up a little but is just obnoxious more often than not. "New Romeo Agent' is more polished and sung by the woman , but it is also boring. 'Legal Ghost" is plagued by some of the same problems, expect for the fact the dude is singing. Perhaps I need to go give their older shit a listen , but aside from one of the chicks in this band being hot it really is not my thing I do like weird indie rock , but this is not dark enough and they are no where near the musicians that say Minus the Bear or Pinback are, who are two weird indie bands I like though both of them are darker than this I will give it a 6.5,  

King Woman : "Celestial Blues"

I have been looking forward to the follow up to "Created in the Image of Suffering" . Not a bluesy in terms of the guitar riffs, but it does have a heavier emotional weight. The riffs them selves feel depressing at times, which I of course love since darkness and sonic heaviness are what I seek out in music. For an opener the title track is more introspective in it's ambiance, though there are punchy sludge ridden dynamics. The bulk of my favorite album's also have some diabolic undertones to them so "Morning Star" which is her "Sympathy for the Devil" checks off this box. The drumming is outstanding on this song.  I am even more impressed by when she adds grit to her voice on "Boghz" . One of the album's heaviest songs that is more metal in it's intentions than the first two songs. 

The intensity is trading for a more familiar brooding on "Galgotha" though this time around it is more refined than what we have previously heard from this band in the past , though a little more melodic and wandering in places. The bass line to "Coil" creates a more post punk tension, that they explode out of with a snarling aggression in the vocals. It is fair to say she is much more pissed this time around. The most drastic shift of dynamics might be found at the end of the morose journey you are taken on with "Entwined" . It starts off with sparse almost post rock sounding riff, then builds up in a grungy manner until they explode in the end with blast beats. Her vocals to have the haunting moan to them but the lyrics are easier to make out than on the first full length. 

There is a darker creepier feel to "Psychic Wound" that at first reminds me a little of Rasputina. This too builds , though more so with the vocals that rise into a scream. The condemning lyrics of "Ruse" are perhaps the heaviest thing about the song, and very real to any one who has been in a dysfunctional relationship. For a heavier album it ends on a very sedate note with "Paradise Lost" The melodies are sp fragile , that it takes a few listens to sink in. Not as compelling as the bulk of the album, but you can not blame them for exploring the entire sonic scope. It takes about two and a half minutes for the song to warm into something my ears latch onto as the minimalism is so thick. I will give this album a 9.5 as the last song is well as I just described it and while I can not fault them for it not something  I am going to wear out like the rest of this.  

Boss Keloid : " Family the Smiling Thrush"

 Prog for heshers. Prog is not a far step away from stoner rock depending on the flavor , but here it is done in a angular yet ballsy manner than flirts with metal. The grooves are formed from odd times. The vocals are more blues based perhaps not as commanding as Clutch , but cut from a somewhat similar cloth. The guitar tone is weird it sounds to be harmonizing with synths on "Gentle Clovis". I do like how ballsy the vocals are. If opens up into a more melodic section where they off timed melody brings Frank Zappa to mind.  The math of their slithering grooves is impressive when it comes to "Hats the Mandrill" it feels like the vocals are just kind of bellowing over the riff rather than grooving with it. They remind me of the weird direction some metal bands went in during the alternative time of the 90s. They were too proggy to be grunge but not aggressive enough to be metal.  

These guys are talented as hell, the bass player and drummer work as a sick machine together. There is more of a less complex rock groove to "Smiling Thrush" . The vocal melodies have that off time quality that 70s Zappa did until they go into a cleanly strummed guitar section, that is not a chorus , but is not the verse. With repeat listens this one does grow on me, They do kick into a cool heavier part with a fair amount of angular dissonance to it midway in. While most bands that get called progressive never write songs that go anywhere and end up just wanking in one place, these guys to explore. This song even manages to find a hook of sorts. "Cecil Succulent" does expand more in the Zappa direction as it has a great deal of jazz influence. The vocals chill a little and bellow less allowing the melody to flourish. The bellow comes with the dynamic kick in the pants. 

They continue to weave their fluid dazzle of finger magic on " Grendle' which finds them conforming a little closer to a radio rock formula without dumbing it down too much . There is a exotic touch to the melody of the last song when it ebbs down. The vocals are still belted with a similar intensity. Much like every other element of this album the vocals are well produced with more layering than effects as there is dry sound to them. If I had to pick an MVP for this album it would be the drummer. His playing is tasteful for what they are ding he has every excuse to be over the top and serves the songs. I will give this one a 9.5 it's the prog album to beat this year.   

Family the Smiling Thrush by Boss Keloid

Psychic Hit : " Solutio"

 

This band did not just fall off a turnip truck in California, it's members come from the likes of Hawkwind and and Funeral Chant. They know how to tap into early 70s metal recalling even Judas Priest in the more metal moments on the song "Constellation". Their other heavy boogies pulls from Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper. Powerhouse vocalists, Ariana Jade as enough sass and sultry to her voice to feel like a legit proto metal front woman. All the players sound pretty capable , the bass player's melodic work fights it's way in the mix and impresses me, along with the more jammy direction the second song goes in. 

Where most retro metal tends to languish on recapturing a sound, they have the 70s warmth without getting lost in it . The hypnotic bass line into the psychedelic opening of "Orocovis" is an excellent example of this. It is not like they suddenly become Jefferson Airplane, when the verse kicks in they take back off in the harmonized guitar gallop. While they would not be totally out of the zip code of bands like the Devils Blood, who came out a decade ago. They are more metal in how the guitars attack. Most of these sort of bands tend to fall closer to doom, and that is not even hinted at until the third song. They have carved a pretty unique path for themselves. The more aggressive "Left for Dead' is perhaps the album's most overtly Judas Priest like moment. Thus making it the most metal thing so far.  

They dial things back with "Hand of Fate", when the song builds back up there is a more palm muted attack before the riffs start coming. The vocals begin to share a pattern by following the guitar more and perhaps being a less hooky than they were the first half of the album.  They close the album with the best riffing, it reminds me a little of Rainbow. The vocals however are less Dio and come across as a garnish rather than the meat of the matter. This album is a lot of fun while at times the influences are worn on their sleeves, they still have an identify of their own . I will give this album a 9 and see how it sits with me.       

Erdve : "Savigaila"

 

If you have found yourself complaining it is hard to find music that is heavy enough for you these days then this band has got you boo.  There is more to this than just punishing your ears, there are some layers of eerie atmosphere to set off the breakdowns. You can have music that is blisteringly heavy and still care about the songs and make it well yes, catchy. The band proves this on the sludge ridden riff to the second song that will have your neck moving with it's throb.  Another thing I like about this band is they go to show that tormented vocals do not have to be a one trick pony. There can be dynamics. There can also be drone which contrasts the in your face hyper aggression of the first two songs as heard on "Votis". Normally a droning piece like this might feel more like an interlude, but when used in context of the two previous songs it's languid dissonance is what the album needed.  That is not to say the album does not have other noisy interludes that are just harsh noise for the sake of it as it does this excursion s just more worthwhile. Granted in the context of an album not sure how it stands up on it\s own if it happens to pop up in shuffle mode. 

The snap back at your throat for the more hardcore pounding of " Betonas" . They do not stop there and bring a death metal heaviness to sit against their hardcore attitude on "Bendryste". They song after this is a little too indulgent in it's heaviness to the point of becoming grinding noise.  This is not a prefect album and some portions might need to grow on me, but I think for a band this heavy they are not overly encumbered by the weight of their sound. I really appreciate the shoegazey "Pragulous"" as it shows a much more melodic side with sung vocals. It is kinda like the sort of Deftone-ish thing my wife normally  listens to. They do not go as easy on you with the title track that follows, though even then they let up for a cleaner guitar tone ,midway in.

There is an impressive stomp to the last song. It hammer with a Meshuggah like bounce to the verse riff, but feels more like hard core. They throw a little more of a death metal vocal in and it holds up with the rest of the songs. These guys deserve a 9 for sure, this album was heavy as fuck but still a fun listen , it was not like I was just having my ears tortured but emotionally charged explosive songs. 

the Top 10 Albums of 2021 ...so Far

Normally I have this busted out before June is over, but life happens I got the metal one out earlier, it  has given me  more time to sit with these albums.  This list is not to say that the album's that were on the metal list do not hold their own against these, this list is just the top 10 albums that are not metal, you will see how they stack up against the metal ones in December when I make the overall top ten for the year and at this rate December will be here before we know it. What makes them the best is how much I actually listen to them. I guess we will see how these albums hold up over the course of the year.  I am posting links to the reviews if you want to check these albums out .

10- Dinosaur Jr - "Sweep it Into Space" 

Decades later these guys continue to defend their sonic legacy. This goes to show you do not have to fuck with what works and can still not put out the same album each time. 

Abysmal Hymns: Dinosaur Jr : "Sweep It into Space"

9- Cold Cave- "Fate in Seven Lessons"

It's been 10 years since the last full length from this "band" , so we will take what ever we can get. The opening track leads you to believe we are one step further in this progression into darkness chronicled in the 2018 ep . 

Abysmal Hymns: Cold Cave: "Fate In Seven Lessons"

 8-Rome - " Parlez- vous Hate" 

Long time fans might feel the neo folk project is selling out by not making the kind of bleakly obtuse that put them in line for Death in June's throne. It does seem like these songs were written with breaking through in the America. There is even a song that kind of parodies Bruce Springteen's "Born in the USA" But all the above works for me 

Abysmal Hymns: Rome : "Parlez-vous Hate"

7-St. Vincent-"Daddy's Home" 

A drastic change for her. The angular Bowie like guitar is missing and has been replaced for a more soulful Prince like vibe. It takes multiple listens for this to fully sink in for me. If you think about it I guess this might be her Young Americans album.

Abysmal Hymns: St. Vincent : " Daddy's Home"

6-Perturbator- "Lustful Sacraments" 

Things have changed for this French synth wave project. It has been a logical progression from album to album. But this marks the first time I have thought now this is a cool song. Much like a great deal of the current crop of synth wave the largely instrumental sub genre tended to focus on capturing synth sounds of yester year and melding them into something not unlike the " Blade Runner" soundtrack .

Abysmal Hymns: Perturbator : "Lustful Sacraments"

5-Justin Bieber - "Justice" 

Here is an album that I did not review for this blog as the Weeknd and Post Malone have been where I have drawn the line with pop, which might be unfair to the Biebs, because there is not really much of a difference between them. This is a great pop record and he is proving himself a better songwriter than those two with this one , if I keep the suspension of disbelief that there was not an army of producers on this one.  

 

4-Gary Numan - "Intruder" 

 At 63  who would have guessed Numan would be making some of the best music of his career at this late in the game. I really liked his last album "Savage" it was less future pop and more industrial. The same can be said of this one , but the mood is darker and compositions more lushly colored.  His voice sounds great, granted he using a more nuanced and softer approach. 

Abysmal Hymns: Gary Numan : "Intruder"

3-The Pretty Reckless - "Death By Rock n Roll" 

After 12 years at this they have perfected their craft and created a cool smoky slab of blues cooked rock songs with plenty of hooks to them

Abysmal Hymns: the Pretty Reckless : "Death By Rock N Roll"

2-Pale Waves - " Who Am I?  " 

I still listen to their last album "My Mind Makes Noises" , and have been looking forward to this one. From the singles leading up to this albums release I was beginning to hear some 90s radio influence . When I actually put the album on it flows much closer to we heard from them without being redundant and still showing growth.

Abysmal Hymns: Pale Waves : "Who Am I"

1- Amigo the Devil -"Born Against" 

After "Everything's Fine" the bar is pretty high going into this one. It opens with a bigger slicker production sound which along with strings and a more ballad like mood is the biggest change. The first song shifts into more of a rock dynamic when it builds. His voice has really improved here as well.

Abysmal Hymns: Amigo the Devil : "Born Against"

Thyrfing : "Vanagandr"

 This Swedish band has been kicking around the black metal scene since the mid 90s.  This is their 7th album, so not as prolific as some. Only two original members are intact their bassist who started a the drummer and the guitarist. To their credit they do not cling to closely to the Dissection legacy of Swedish black metal , they have more in common with them than some of their other country men due to the highly highly melodic nature of what they do. They have a very big sound, and the album is very well produced. The title track has more of a "pagan" touch to their sound. Which along with great drumming helps form their identity on this album.

The clean guitar tones work well to help distance themselves from sounding like every one else.    I also like the fact you can hear the bass. Often the gallop has a more power metal thrashiness to it that is off set by the scowl of the vocals. More accessible than their earlier more black metal albums for sure. While I do like the sounds they are layering on "Jamhand" I do not feel it is as well written as the previous song. But this is only marginal and your average metal head might not even notice. There is a more theatrical flare to "Hag och minne " for a;; the LARPing they might try to do, if it was not for the riffs there would be nothing to play Viking with. The spoken parts are not my favorite but the overall  feeling of the song works. The sung vocals are layered in the background.  I believe these guys are more closely related to Vikings than Amon Amarth. Regardless, what I learned from this song is the drummer is great. 

A few blast beats show up here and there, but they are contrasted by a wide breadth of sounds so it never sounds like they are just falling back on them.  However it is when they slow things down to a more deliberate pace on the last song that they become more interesting and melodic while still brooding ,dark and heavy. Sure this is a Dungeons & Dragons feeling album, but it is still really well done and heavier than most, black metal for people who normally like power metal, I will give it a 9.

Bossk : " Migration"

 The post rocky instrumental they open with is cool and the pleasing sounds were good background music but not as compelling of a song as "Menhir" that follows. While the vocals are your typical sludge gruff bark, they bring things together with the needed narrative, The rest of the song is woozy and atmospheric so they serve as a guide post and ground the song to give a more emotional layer. They have refined their songwriting, yet expansion of their sonic scope is still felt on "HTV-3" when there is more of a rock n roll feel to the swagger of the hazy groove. Not unlike Kylesa. Josh from Palm Reader lends his voice to the track which is a more subtle sung croon in the vein of say the Deftones. 

The problem with this album is when it gets lost in it's own atmosphere, and the songs are almost not even there. To me they are more like interludes. The only problem with a piece like "Kibo" is it is over four minutes long and does not really go anywhere. Normally I exclude these sorts of things when scoring them for a review, but this band obviously thinks they are songs so I will count it.  If you are going to do an instrumental then "Lira' is the way they need to do it. It goes from a shoe gazing rock into a sludged out head banging groove. I am not opposed to instrumentals just make sure they rock enough to keep my attention.  

The do not close out the album in an as epic manner, though there is a shift in dynamics to " Unberth" there is a Pink Floyd like smoothness to the guitar playing that reminds me of something from "Obscured By Clouds" . The electronic drums are a nice touch and the guitar tones on this song are unreal. I think I am being generous and open minded enough to give this album a 9. I have been clear in my thoughts as to what keeps it from being their best work , but they are not just a sludge band or perhaps have expanded what you can do as one, fans of the bands will welcome this return. 

Mayhem : "Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando"

The first three songs on this album are leftovers from their last album . The first of these is pretty effective and finds the band going back to something more closely related to their earlier black metal days than the bulk of what was on that album. In some ways the same could almost be said for " Black Glass Communion". I am not sure why these songs were left off the chopping block for the last album as they might even be better than what I remember of it. The riffs are a little catchier in places.  The drumming is outstanding. In some ways these songs are a little more straight forward in their aggressive intentions , though far from being blasty mc nasty, almost closer to what Behemoth does riff wise. Charles or Ghul wrote the second song which might explain some of this. 

There is a similar chilling throb on "Everlasting Dying Flame' that remains true to what this band does .Attila continues his signature croon and shifts around into different creepy voices, while not as extreme as say King Diamond in the versatile nature of what he does it is better than his peers who stick to a more straight forward scream. The drumming is very frantic , but the song is not as memorable as the first two as it drones on the riffs a little too much. The drumming does try to switch it up. Granted this is Hellhammer we are talking about who at 51 continues to prove himself as one of metal's best drummers.   Then come the punk covers. They start off with Discharge's " In Defense of Our Future", which as far a punk goes , is one of the better bands, but compared to what they normally do this is still dumbing it down.     

"Hellnation "is well done and he nails the vocals. The only problem I have with this is lyrically it kind of conflicts with the normally bleak message that Mayhem normally carries ,because the tone is do something to save them world rather than ...fuck you you deserve death and destruction . Tonally the Rudimentary Peni song aligns more with the nihilistic perspective, though musically is a step backwards though they are just working with what was written, Asa song I think this is where the Ramones prove themselves as the better songwriter when it comes to their punk peers as it is the highlight . "Commando" is lyrically neutral. I will give this a 9 as it works well lyrics aside when stacked against their other work . Not an album I am really going to listen to a great deal , but works for what it is. 

ESSES : " Bloodletting for the Lonely"

After a month of death metal I am ready for something not metal, but still heavy and this album fits the bill with it’s stormy foreboding tension. Oakland must be goth as hell these days as this is where the bulk of this revivalist death rock seems to be coming from. Ok this is a little more on the Siouxsie side of things, perhaps a bit less manics than Miss Sioux’s more punk days. The bass is driving and more over driven which owes more to Bauhaus. The vocals are more aggressive than your typical Siouxsie worship. I normally want more post than punk in the equation, but there is less pretense . It feels like a very natural progression of where there sound wants to go rather than the band trying too hard to capture an era they were not even alive during. 

The more brooding and eerie melody of “Four Corners” helps set itself apart from the other songs, but as we get into the meat of the album the more upbeat frantic pace begins to give everything a more uniform soun, which finds me having to go back and give it a second listen. Despite the more unique mood of “Four Corners’ the melodies are more caught up in their creep rather than forming a hooky melody like Siouxsie did back in the day. But so far I would say these kids are doing a better job than most of their peers..” Infinite Void” is more punchy and punk, but I like how she keeps things varied with the vocals. It is not until “Before the Blight” that things begin taking on more of a uniform sound.

They break away from the punk thing on “Faceless Past” which proves to be far more interesting when the vocals are given more space to breathe in the blackness. They circle the same brooding shadows on the more bass driven “Caged Beasts” . The more hushed coo of the vocals emote from a similar place.  With “Schism” they continue along the same hypnotic path the previous two songs set them upon ,but this one might be the most compelling of the 3. I will give this album a 9 despite the formulas they work off this is more dynamic of a listen then their peers are producing. 

Gost : "Rites of Love and Reverence"

 In the past I have been more into what this project seeks to do than what is executed, here the execution seems to have been given time to come to fruition in the studio. The songs do tend to grow on me and I am not sure I have spent enough time with this album yet. I have concluded a few things abou8t this album so far though. One of them being it is at it's best when things come out of left field instead of playing it safe as dark wave. Aside from the reverb heavy guitar "Fleeting Whisper" is color by number revivalist dark wave. It does not couple it self with  industrial to pack more of a punch . Nor does it layer the synth melodies like the second song.  The second song also uses elements of dub step that play to it's favor as the song progresses 

The steamier groove to "We Are the Crypt' is another example of how it  grows on me when I pay more attention to what is going on here. I like the song but feel like it could benefit from a better sound when it comes to the programming of these drums. "Blessed Be" might thump a little harder than some but does not have the greatest range when it comes to dynamics. The late night bat cave throb of "November is Death" works for what they are doing, however I am a firm believer that you should never say 'Oh this is good for dark wave or insert any genre there as , good music should be good music, if it is a part of a genre that makes excuses for itself then it sucks.

I guess the rough guitar mix in "Embrace the Blade' is an attempt at the death rock sound, the song does get credit for having a more expansive range of sonic twists and turns. The vocals come closer to establishing a hook at the chorus. "Coven' has a little more weight to it's thump. Not industrial but looking in that direction. It does get heavier as it goes though is still not the albums most memorable song. Things come to a close with "Burning Thyme", it's a more dramatic folk tinged ballad. While the limitations of his vocal style can be felt, it still works as a song  Not a perfect album , but it is an easy listen and I can listen to it on repeat so I will give it a 9.  

At the Gates - "the Nightmare of Being"

 The Swedish death metal pioneers are back for their 7th album. Granted this band has a 30 year history behind them. I respect this career, but I am not the hugest fan as they seemed more thrash to me half the time and their twin guitar harmonies work better for Iron Maiden. Entombed is just better at sounding dark and meaner, so if I have to pick between the two I go with them. The second song works mainly off speed but less on the guitar harmonies and more on a mighty chug so it works better for me. While both songs so far work well off the things that made them legends are they really doing anything new ? They almost answer this is the more melodic intro to the title track, which I prefer over anything they do on the first two songs. It is more accessible but not really hooky. 

It is the "Garden of Cyrus" where they bring a sax in to enhance the smolder factor of the groove that shows they still have some life in them and care about making music. Synth intro aside "Touched By the White Hands of Death" might have  big riffs, but sounds like dialed in a typical metal. Well produced ? Yes. Well executed? Yes.  I need more inspiration from songs than just that, though they are good at doing that. The riff to "the Fall into Time". is more interesting though I can do without the dramatics. When they get into the more Opeth like jam of the song at the bass break down things really take off in the best direction yet. "Cult of Salvation " splits the difference has some jamming, but feels like it is not as natural of a turn as the previous song. 

The are back to full thrash ahead on "the Abstract Enthroned" which feels like the song is just a book end for the guitar solo. The more rock n roll vibe to "Cosmic Pessimism " is more interesting. It venture away from the predicable thrash guitar tone that has dominated the album.  When they do crank it there is a more dynamic perspective. There are some cool riffs in the last song, but it runs on one mood, over all this album is well done, for that I will round it up to a 9 as they did what they set out to do and their fans will appreciate this. 

82

Death is June -The Top 10 Best Live Death Metal Bands

Live death metal, sounds like an oxymoron. Of all the sub genres of metal this has been the one that has been a trickier balance to obtain. Most of these bands play smaller to mid size venues, I am only seen perhaps one death metal band do well in an arena , they made it onto this list, and happened to be opening for Ozzy at the time. Often becoming boring due to the one track nature or not transitioning well to stage due to either too much volume or not enough. I have seen both issues plague bands. Most recently Incantation underwhelmed at my last pre -Covid concert due to low volume. Too loud is a more common problem as they then become a slushy wall of noise. Some of these bands used to be death metal bands and grew away from it into something else so I am referring to when I saw them back in the day as a death metal band . Including clips from the tour I saw the on

  10-Obituary

 I want to give these guys another shot , as I was not blown away but have been listening to them more in recent years and it could have been an off night for me as I just went with friends.

 

 9-Unleashed

These guys might be headliners now , but I saw them open up for Morbid Angel on the "Blessed are the Sick" tour.

   

 8-Skeleton Witch 

 With some of these it is just a clip from the tour I saw them on this is the exact show. These guys were a lot of fun.

   

 7- Fear Factory 

 Things began to change for them at this time, but they came on ajnd crushed it really hard in the smaller club setting I saw them in .

 

6-Sepultura

 Another band who was

   

 5-Tribulation 

 I was impressed how these guys did their own thing with little attempt to conform to what death metal should be and went off into long jams

   

 4- Goatwhore 

 These guys were very powerful yet also a great deal of fun,,, 

      

 3- Morbid Angel 

 As long as these guys have Pete they are hard to beat.

   

 2- Opeth

 They used to be such an incredible band until they got too proggy for their own good and quit playing metal

.

  1-Carcass

Some how I did not catch these guys back in high school, I do not remember them touring a lot then, but I did catch them on the first reunion tour.

 

Death is June - Cerebral Rot :"Excretion Of Mortality"

 The last album for Death Metal month ! Circling the drain around death doom , more often than not , at first I assumed this Swedish band's sophomore album was going to be solely focused on heavy. They play a slower and crushing for of death metal that pays homage to the classics, without directly citing anyone band, though Incantation might be the core influence if you were really to dissect it. The vocals are the kind of low gurgled growl you want from death metal. The guitar solos have the kind of chaos that might being Morbid Angel or Slayer to mind, thought they are not emphasized. You are going to remember this album for weighing on your ears , not for the guitar solos.

While the drumming is top notch as death metal often demands , the bass player might be the unsung hero here. His rumble cuts through and adds another layer of density to what is going down here.  The bass makes it self know even more on "Spewing Purulence". The vocals come across more like a Chris Barnes thing where they are not really being projected from the guts, but growled up on the mic. An almost breathy quality haunts them. It is not until "Bowels of Decrepitude" that they fall into the same trap most death metal bands to where it becomes too single minded in it's aggression and a heavy wall of sound. 

It is not until the bass break down in "Drowned in Malodor" that it sets itself apart from the color by numbers death metal . There is a little more of a groove.  Though I think the density was more impressive on the first listen through to this album. "Retching Innards" has am almost Entombed like sludge to it's groove. Yeah I know Entombed is not a sludge band but there guitar tone is sludgey. Their vocals are not as memorable as Entombed's.  What is more memorable on this song is the drummer's Lombardo like use of the ride cymbal. The last song is the most sprawling . At four minutes in they are still farming out riffs to jam on before a guitar solo comes in. While I am not sure the vocals contribute a great deal but waiting six minutes for them to come is , makes me think editing could have been more helpful here. I will round this up to an 9, as for being so brutally heavy it is one of the better death metal album's this year. Being released on 20 Buck Spin.