Firtan : "Marter"

This German band is pretty much in line with 90s black metal when the album opens with all the metallic anger you might want from black metal, while still allowing for some sonic depth. Things grow even more melodic on the second song and that gives me hope for the rest of the album to come.  It is more dynamic and for black metal of this sort very well written as the compositional value holds up against any other form of music. Sure, it is a 9-minute song, but very engaging. There are sung vocals that surface, but it is later in the song and in the background, they are not done in a formulaic manner.  "Labsal" comes snarling back much harder.  There are still some catchy riffs wedged into the tightly wound attack of the guitars. 

"Lethe" is still very effective at what they are doing, what they are doing is conforming more to the expectations of what black metal should sound like. This is done in a way that is dark and angry enough to convince fans of the genre they are legit. "Parheila" also goes in a more aggressive manner, but they do allow for some breathing room midway into the song where it breaks down into a more atmospheric passage. The exotic chord progression it simmers on is pretty cool. "Odem" also finds them embracing a more melodic under pinning to balance out the snarling aggression they lash out at you with once locked into the verse passage. Though momentum races away with them and the need for speed finds them falling in line with what many black metal bands are doing or have done. Not their most original moment. The fact this album is really well produced helps, because it sounds great and there is a lot going on in the mix.  

"Menetekel" reminds me of Shining in some places. The Swedish band not the prog rockers. They have not gone all black n roll, here, but similar dynamics in certain sections of the song. The last song has more of a  traditional feell in some of the chord progressions, and the big epic nature. I will give this album a 9, it's really well done, even when it conforms to the shades of black more recognized by the masses.  

Sunflo'er : "All These Darlings and Now Me"

Their 2018 album "No Hell" earned the 6th place slot on the 2018 top 10 hardcore / punk albums of the year list. This time around they have a new singer which has taken things in a rowdier rock direction. He is more impressive on the first song than the second, though they have retained the kind of Refused like anger that was explosive on the previous album. Their overall sound is heavier and has more of metallic edge than the previous album.  Kvelertak without the black metal inspiration would be another sonic point of reference here and gives a better idea where the new singer's vocal stylings lean more towards. With titles like "Cyrptfucker" they have listened to a few metal albums in their day. 

There is more of a palm muted tension to "Brand New Everything". The more aggressive vocal takes this time around, does give everything a more uniform feel as they are always dialed to 11. The more interesting angular side of the band does not emerge until four songs in, the guitars open up and add more atmosphere and room for the songs to breathe on "Here Ends the Roads and Days". Which is also an instrumental, so the vocals might want to give things more space instead of being in your face all the time. Thing go into a more thrashing frantic mania with the stormy tension barely lurking in the background when they get to " Big City Shotgun". This goes to show I am ok, with being aggressive and the screamed vocals, it is all in how you pull it off.  I had to listen to "7 Trumpets in Astoria". All the elements of what they do are in place, they just have to change up the attack some, over all it works well. Though at just a minute in they have twisted the riffs around so much it is overwhelming and hard to tell where you are at, but at least it is not boring. 

There is more of a late 90s scream feel to "One Day You Will Control the Birds:" Lyrically this might be the most interesting song on the album. The title track finds the pace picking up and things becoming more frantic. There is no shortage of explosive on this album, so it really depends on what you are looking for here. When it ebbs down, he is still screaming so, the dynamics kind of go sideways. I will give this an 8.5, which puts it shoulder to shoulder with their previous album, but it is a different direction thanks to the new singer.  

7.4

Gothtober-Haunted Horses : " The Worst Has Finally Happened"

 I was a big fan of this band's 2013 album; they were a few steps ahead of the industrial revival. They have expanded to a trio, so that should provide more depth of sound.  The first song is more of an intro as it drones on the same swathe of sonics for almost three minutes without the song really going anywhere, though I appreciate the mood they capture here. The second song kinda of works off the throb established in the first piece that opened the album. "Pig" finds things getting more abrasive and aggressive. They have captured some cool sounds but are they writing good songs? There is some effort made to give the vocals some breathing room to create verses. This works for what they are doing though not enough for me to think "I can't wait to hear that song again" 

The vocals fight to make themselves known on "Window Sung", but it doesn't really go anywhere from there. The pace picks to a more relentless punkish hammering on "Thee Worst" , but the song does not go past the one dimensional they began to build upon. There are some impressive sounds that capture tension and darkness, but it is where they go with them that matters when it comes to song writing. Sure "Swarms" is dense and gritty, but when limited to a singular pulse, it is nor much more than noise with some pained mumbling under it. The chaos is heavy here, but is that what makes for a song that is worth listening to more than once. I have never thought "Hmm, I need to heard some more echolocation devices being fucked with". 

There more organic drumming does help the overall sound, but there is little in the way of groove to provide a direction even to songs like "Thorns".  It once again finds mumbled vocals under a distorted drone. The drums start off "Golden Stairs" in a more interesting manner. The vocals do not have more melody to them but more emotion. They do not compromise their dark noisy attack, but the way the sounds are arranged gives enough structure for this to feel more like a song. I do like the slow build because at least it goes somewhere. This goes to show you do not have to conform to conventional songwriting to write a song. A burly bass line and syncopated drums lay the groundwork for " Cold Medecine" . By this point the slurred vocals are more obligatory that having much form and function. Alien groans prove the pulse for the last song. The vocals are easier to understand with this one, though just kind of fill the pace left by the crunch of the machine-like crashing beats. I will round this one down to a 7 as there are cool sounds, and i can appreciate the dark dismal moods, but there needs to be more thought put into the songwriting which was a disappointment to me as I expected more in that regard.  

Epitaphe : "II"

 This album came out in April, and I am just now getting around to it. The French band takes a more progressive direction here.  Things get more metallic for the second song; it takes on a black metal snarl and a storm of blast beats emerges. I am not a fan of 19-minute songs. Five minutes into "Celestial" the idea to extend it another 14 minutes seems like they would be hard pressed to do so. A minute later everything drops out and that is when the second half of this song which should by rights be the third track kicks in. It is not like a theme is really continued from that point, as they music is darker and more progressive when it comes back in. I have heard doom and death metal both reference in regard to this album and while as the second songs progresses there are some doom influenced moments, the music itself is black metal. It should also be said there is no reason for this song to be 19 minutes a great deal of fat perhaps two minutes of it could have been trimmed from the end.  

The third song is sadly also 19 minutes long. It does lean in a more death metal direction. With the vocals taking the growl in that direction and, the first few minutes really focusing more on hyper aggression. The riffs do groove more than they did on the second song. They wander off into a jammy part which is another section where this could have made this into two songs. They are capable musicians and come up with some cool jams, but they need more restraint when it comes to song writing. The sung vocals on this song work really well giving it a more Pink Floyd feeling. The sax hammers this point home. Almost twelve minutes into the song it does build into something that is more black metal in the mood. In the lst three minutes things fall apart into atmospheric chaos, once again proving this song does not need to be asl long as it is. 

"Insignificant" is thirty seconds from hitting the 19-minute mark that curses these songs. Clean guitars wander around like a spring day. Like the other songs, this one seems like it has run its course as the song loses its gas, but when things go in a more black metal direction with the sonic buzzing of the riffs then it becomes more interesting. Like the others there is at least three minutes that could have been edited out. The last track is just an ambient outro and not a song. I will give this album an 8, if they cut things back and focused on the songs it could have been better, but as it is they do have some great moments and are great at doing what they do even if what they do is not what you expect from them to do. 

Belphegor : "the Devils"

The opening track to the new album from these Austrian crushers kicks all kinds of ass. Basically, they are doing a better job of being the band Behemoth wants to be. This is their 12th album, so you would think they would be set in their wicked ways but, not things are better than ever. The second song is more aggressive than the opener, so I am not as impressed, but they get my attention with the creepy melody of the third song, which has ample Metallica influence without trying to be thrash. Granted a choir from hell chimes in and there are touches of black metal. There is incredibly tasteful guitar and a wonderful solo that adds to the mood of the song. These guys have straddled the line of black and death metal most famously, but when they accept, they are death metal things go best which is what they have done with this album. There is way more Morbid Angel flowing through their veins than Darkthrone. 

"Damnation " finds them settling into more familiar territory though the "Domination" era Morbid Angel weighs heavy on the pitch bending riffs. There is a great deal of mood and power to this song. Showing that you can have all kinds of exotic melodies and still be heavy as hell. The guitar carries the bulk of the crunching weight. You have to really listen for the bass that is still more present in the mix than a Slayer album. This album has a really big sound thanks to Jens Bogren, who recorded them at Fascination Street Studios. After working with At the Gates and Rotting Christ it is clear this is the guy to go to if you want your metal sounding massive. This might be the best produced metal album I have heard in some time. There is a balance of well layered sounds and everything being huge like a frost giant trampling the ruins of a post-apocalyptic city.  I am not a dude that like over produced metal, but I want clarity and density this has both. 

Songwriting is the other key place where excellence has been attainted. They dive into a commitment to black metal on the song "Kingdom of Cold Flesh". While it sounds really good, and they are more than capable of pilling it off I prefer the more death metal sounds. They do a good job of splitting the difference between the two styles on "Ritus Incendium Diabolus". They have the feral darkness of black metal teamed with the hooky riffs of death metal. The closing song "creature of Fire" might be the most dynamic and stunning with female vocals soaring over everything. The guitar shares melodic passages along with chilling dissonant distorted chords that ring out. I will give this one a 9.5 and see how it grows on me so far, I am impressed.  This comes out on Nuclear Blast.  

  6.7

Red Rot : "Mal de Vivre"

As a fan of Ephel Duath, I do not require much convincing to check out a band with two of the former members, namely the guitarist and vocalist. The first song is a dark dissonant wonderment that marries drone to progressive embellishments as the drummer who is from the Botanist uses jazz like precision to dance around the throb of the song.  "Undeceased" finds the band beginning to remind me of Meshuggah , though not following the djent path due to their explosive nature. More in how the bark of the commanding vocals sit above the chaos oozing from the riffs that undulate beneath them. There is a great deal going on that took me a couple of listens to gather my thoughts on. I like the sung vocals going into "Near Disaster" as it sets this band apart as more of an entity unto themselves than when the snarling barks come in. 

I was over thirty seconds into "Everlasting Creature" before I realized this was not the previous song. It does take a more conventional metal approach in its attack. I prefer how things get darker and doomier on "After the Funeral" which includes the vocals sung more melodically. They reach an almost My Dying Bride like place with it.  To have progressive tendencies, the songwriting is not sprawling and very compact, hitting you with quick punches of hyper aggression sometimes under two minutes. The sung vocals once again keeping "Greatest Failure" from sounding like a Meshuggah tribute, though musical the riffs on this one ow more to older Morbid Angel. They grind with a machine-like grit against angular patterns. "Behind the Secret" . The more melodic tendencies of the band come out on "Conversations with the Demon". It does grind down into some heavier riffs, but the darker mood leaves breathing room for them. Not all the songs embrace the fresh air approach, with "Dualism" " a more straight-ahead metal grinder, though it's under a minute long. "Emotional Neglect " picks up where it left off it just pounds for longer.

The darker more dissonant songs are preferred. They can do this while still being full of metallic bombast, as heard on "Gruesome Memento" as the drummer is really off the chain with his fills. The second half of the alum doubles down on heaviness. They pound hard with the writhing riffs on " Dishonorably Discharged".  Three of the songs in this vein are all under two minutes. The seems to circle death metal and sludge the most as genres they sonically pull from. The vocals hard core syncopation keeping them from just being a death metal, but death metal is the broad net they would fall under. The last track is just a synth outro. I will give this album a 9, I look forward to hearing more from these guys as despite the Meshuggah like vocal approach at times, they are doing something unique. This album drops on Svart Records August 26th.

the Callous Daoboys : "Celebrity Therapist"

 This Atlanta bands brings a spastic brand of screamo, that works in mathy passages amid the chaos. I can appreciate the weirdness being kicked around here. Is Mr. Bungle by way of Dillenger Escape Plan an influence? Sure. Is vocalist Carson Pace a singer of the same caliber of Mike Patton or even Greg Puciato? No screaming is his primary love language. He does sing in sparse bursts, but I get the impression he could be a decent singer if he sharpened this tool more. By the second song the looming problem with the album is foreshadowed when I am a minute into the second song, before I realize it is the second song. Meaning for all their quirk, the songs sound the same. Yeah, there is a heavy break down in the second song, and it evolves into a cool groove, but the over feel is uniform. Even as they try to abandon the conventional songwriting formula, becomes a formula in and of itself.  The bands that excel at this are able to do both. 

It only takes me 38 seconds to realize "Beautiful Dude Missile " is not a continuation of the previous song. They do prove themselves capable enough musicians to work in varied genres outside of screamo. "Title Track" which is the name of the song, not the title track, it works of a glitched out temper tantrum of syncopated punches until settling into a palm muted groove. The female vocals harmonizing works really well and is perhaps his best vocal line thus far on the album. It is also one of the album's most accessible moments. A minute and ten seconds into "Field Sobriety Test" I realize it is not the previous. It is more spastic and the guitar chugs harder. The drummer has typically been more impressive than the guitarists. The bass player hides in the background, which is a big difference from these guys and Mr Bungle. 

The guitars attack you more in the twitching onslaught that is "the Elephant Man in the Room". It conforms more to the expectations of progressive metal for today's metal kids. The jazzy guitar passages are cool, but the spastic nature of the song consumes it. "What is Delicious?  Who Swarms?" follows a path not far removed from the previous song though more compelling melodic elements are introduced as the song progresses. "Star Baby" is more of temper tantrum. The poppy middle section of the song works really, and I would almost prefer to hear more of that. This album was a lot of fun, there are songs that had my attention more than others, but I think they are effective at what they do. I will give this album a 9, as the uniform nature of the spasms keep being perfect, but it is a success on many other levels. 

Murder By Death : "Spell/Bound"

 

Their 2015 album "Big Dark Love" was the last album from these guys that I checked out. They released two others in-between their newest release. This album is sonically not as stark when it opens when a warmer sounding country song.  Lyrically things darken on the second. When I talk about dark with these guys, everything is being measured against "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them". Yes, I know that was their second album and it is a masterpiece. They are not trying to replicate it nor would I want them to, but it does show where they are at peak songwriting and the kinds of things, they are capable of. Things get darker by a margin on "Everything Must Rest" which also is the first song that finds them becoming a rock band again. 

His voice stays at the mellow baritone. Sometimes this reminds me of Morphine, though they are not coming from as hopeless of a place here, "Sandy" is another darker yet more sweeping in the sonic dance it does. "Riders" he belts it out a little more. This song works of the sway of the new violinist they have brought on board and string are a little more at the forefront with this album. With "Riders" it is perhaps the best blend midway into the album of the rock elements with the more subtle sounds of their more western leaning instrumentation. Things get darker and take a more dramatic step sonically toward the kinds of sounds the called forth on "Who Will Survive..." with "Incantation". His voice takes a more commanding tone, everything is draped in reverbed before the creepiness settles in. Making this my favorite song so far. 

"When" goes from sparse spacey western tones into a more grandiose climax. The vocals slowly build the mood, as he croons "Run for your life".  The band made conscious efforts to create a more cinematic feel and more in a trip-hop like atmosphere, which the streamlined drumming does create a more drum machine like groove. Synths also makes themselves more known here. Though it is not like they took a wild creative left turn in doing this it is a very subtle progression from their identifiable sound. If you are fan, they have left what you love intact. The return to a more country sound on "I'll Go", which is a very flowing song. Synths resurface for "Strange Song" to close the album, with an oddly arranged string driven pop feel, that is more pop in a show tune manner than say Duran Duran or Taylor Swift, though there is nothing that dark about it, which is fine that they are uses other sonic colors for this. The rock elements slowly slip in as the song progresses. I will give this a 10 the closing tune is the only song that has to grow on me the others connected right away.         

Abhor :"Sex Sex Sex"

The 8th album by this Italian black metal band, finds them in a similar place that captures a horror movie feel and pays homage to occult b-movies of the 70s and 80s.The opening track, touches on a Mercyful Fate like place that also invokes a similar spirit to Acid Witch. The writing is very deliberate, and mood perfectly captured. The bulk of the blast beats are far and few between though they do show up from time to time.  There is more of a snarl to "At the Edge of the Circle". The riffs have a more deliberate and commanding feel. There is more of a death metal feel possessing" Ode to the Snake" thanks to the lower guttural vocals and the doom-tinged guitars that do speed up as the song progresses and takes you back to the time when black metal spawned off of death metal.

The creepy guitar leading into "Ritual Satanism" further creates the mood that is at the heart of this album, further setting it apart from the more blast beaten forms of modern black metal. This carries a greater sense of pervading evil. If you believe in evil if not then, it just sounds darker and more intent in its menace which is what I am going with. In conveying this the pace does pick up into a frenzied swirl on this song that is complete with blast beats, there is just more to it. There is something more sinister to the snarl. The more horror movie like elements creep into "Evil Mentor" the vocals are all over the place in their varied growls. The cover of Mystifier's "Beelzebuth" might as well be an original since I am not familiar with the first version of the song. Of all the songs to cover I am not sure what compelled them to pick something as obscure as this, because it feels like it sticks pretty close to what they already do. 

Not sure what happened on Halloween of 2010, but it earned having the date turned into the song title on this album. Aside from the vocals going into a more Immortal like croak, it haunts the same chapel as the bulk of the songs on this album do. I like how the vocals are layered on "the Call" which is the last song, "Violet Coven" is just a pipe organ outro. The verses are fast, perhaps we can call it a semi-blast that builds into a master blaster. At the end of the day, they still focus on songs that puts them miles ahead of the average blast merchants. I will give this album a 9, it's easy for me to leave it on and let it play, which is a good sign in my book. 

Oceans of Slumber: "Starlight And Ash"

 

We reviewed their 2020 self -titled album. I liked it and gave it an 8.5, was not a perfect album mainly due to some of the stylistic choices. There are similar questions that need consideration this time as well, though the album sounds better and song writing is more polished.  The opening track of the has more of a pop slant to it. Think a marginally darker power ballad by Miley Cyrus or Katy Perry. Sure, she belts it out more as the song builds, but the overall feel of the song is not that heavy. It's a pretty decent pop tune though. "Hearts of Stone" works of a similar dynamic, perhaps a little more tension to it. It is stormy, but not dark. What I like about this album so far is that it sounds like Skunk Anansie. Something that is brought out even more on the blues-based ballad "the Light House".  It is like Adelle, sure her vocals sound great and have achieved a certain sound, but how does the song stand up itself. Perhaps not as much. 

"Red Forest Roads' much like the bulk of the album so far is less metal than the band's previous efforts and leans more into a soulful blues pop.  It seems odd that this is being marketed as a metal album at all. This is a fact that is highlighted further on "the Hanging Tree", which reminds me a little more of the Gathering.  The slick production and spacious mix plays against the song, as a darker production streamlined brightness might have made the most of it. "Salvation" high lights a problem that keeps African American culture apart from metal, it's relationship with organized religion, which shows too much respect for on "Salvation", not just religion but Christianity, which is as non-metal in subject as anything. It is not preaching but giving it too much of a benefit of doubt to capture what metal is about and it shows in the balladic gospel tone of the song.   

Just past the halfway point it hits me that some of these choices might be because they are trying harder to follow in the Pretty Reckless' footsteps. "Star Altar" is a little darker and works better than the previous song. The song builds into a little more of a punch. The piano-based instrumental does not really offer any thing song wise and is more of an interlude. This mood carries over in the ballad "Just a Day". It does build a little dynamically but generally feels more meandering. The cover of "House of the Rising Sun" is a little bit of a letdown, mostly due to the sparse arrangement. The redeem themselves on the last song, which is more brooding, though still is not metal however it is very well executed.  I'll give this album an 8.5, as well which seems the comfortable tier for their talent, entertaining and a worthwhile rock album? Yes. Among the best ? no. Comparable to their last. 

Suicide Commando : ""Goddestruktor"

 The 10th album from Belgium's dark industrial aggrotech. With lyrics like " kill all humanity" opening the album I am onboard for the message they are spreading this time around. The second volume of the song "I'd Die For You" perhaps this is a more typical sound you would expect from any goth night in any city. It does still work for the purposes of this album, unless they default to just doing that. I appreciate the use of samples on this album, it reminds me of Electric Hellfire Club. "God of Destruction" which features the chant "god is a lie", is darker and works of a more subtle groove. 

"Jesus Freak" keeps things dark. The vocals keep at a creepy snarl.  As long as the high energy beats are flowing most fans are going to be pretty easy to please. It falls in an acceptable middle ground between trying to achieve a sound while serving the song. It still works on "Destroyer of Worlds" which is propelled by the frantic synth lines and narration of the samples. I can see where I might get bored with this unless the second half of this album gets a little more dynamic. As it stands this arrangement drones on a theme rather than progresses as a song. Dark and angry is a fine mood to have established for an album, the key is how you show me those feelings in different ways. 

 The female vocals on "Land of Roses" help them to achieve this.  There is a more Switchblade Symphony like mood to the creepiness of the song. "Bang Bang Bang' finds them back into the familiar sounds that have dominated this album so far. The vocals are even more raspy on this one, croaking out the chorus. "Sin" is an instrumental, which sounds like a great idea that never got turned into a song.  "Trick or Treat" is dark as a song about Halloween should be. the vocals bringing form and function to it. Lyrically a little more aggressive than most trick or treating, but it works. It might be higher energy, but I think "Bunkerbitch" does not work as well as "Trick Or Treat"  . I will give this one a 9, I think the marginally less inspired moments are balanced out by the strong ones.  

Film Review: "This is Gwar"

Gwar was one of my favorite bands as a teenager, it was not until I saw this documentary that the reason, we grew apart occurred. In fact, it shows how the band grew apart from who they were, and the lineup changes that brought them to where they are now., This is one of the best music documentaries I have seen in some time. It chronicles the early days in the 80s where Virginia art school kids with a passion for Kiss, comics and Dungeons & Dragons formed a community that became a band. This community which was the band's strength in the early days would also become its undoing. It is heard enough to maintain a band for decades with five people much less an entire tribe of artists who have their creative visions and egos that find themselves in battle, and not just with fake blood and cyborg arms. 

The behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts that bring the blood spurting to the stage and ho that has progressed over the years, was one of the more interesting elements of the film. As someone who knew most of the band's history, provided and angle to the band I had not considered in depth. The slaves who did all the grunt work were not just roadies, but creatives that helped keep the show going, they finally not only get a voice but a spotlight. The story is told in achieved video, interviews and animated comic book strips, which given the comic book nature of the band is very fitting. The interviews are with the multitude of members that passed through as well s other musicians including members of Darkest Hour, Lamb of God and Weird Al. 

I think more time should have been given to Brockies addiction, as it had a greater effect on the band than was really given a honest voice, it would have given his death more impact when they got to this point. As there was not a single person who was surprised, he died, but they were all effected. The other tragic events that took place on the long bloody road the band  This movie culminates in showing why 

Beefcake was the most logical choice to replace Brockie. If you are a fan of the band this is a must see. Now playing on Shudder. 

Chat Pile : " God's Country"

 Perhaps these guys were once a grind band, but they smoked enough weeds to weird out the anger and turn it sideways. This instead turned them to the dark side.  I was so pleased about the dark vibes pervading what they do that I decided to keep listening after the first song and give this album a shot. Angular lumber of "Why" might create the mood of sludged out noise rock, but the spoken vocals that rant about homelessness, I normal do not like political or social topics that are not infused with a message of nihilism and hopelessness. But this somehow works for me due to the unhinged screamed manner they are delivered. "Pamela" is not the first song where I have detected a touch of post-punk influence. Here the guitar riff that opens the song shines a spotlight on that fact. The bleak vocals still offer a narrative that brings absurdist 90s alternative band King Missile to mind. The dissonant heaviness the guitar turns to is very nice. 

"Wicked Puppet Dance" is driven by a more metallic momentum. The vocal work against the guitar with more of a roar. It is a similar approach to many of the more abrasive industrial bands of the 90s. The guitars have a more melodic feel on "Anytime" like the Pixies if they were a metal band. I am fine with lyrics about the world collapsing, just the kind of themes I gravitate to. The moments of reflection on this song give the album a wider range of dynamics even if the vocals are the most consistent part of their sound here. Nu-metal had been listed in the [press release for the sounds this band draw from and I did not hear until we got to the pounding of "Tropical Beaches Inc". But thankfully this goes down in a manner that requires minimal Addidas. "The Mask " beats you wil a similar throb though there is less of the Korn bounce to it. 

"I Don't Care if I Burn" is more of as spoken word interlude than a song. They return to the kind of burly stomping grooves that propels this album with "Grimace Smoking Weed". It's a bizarre haunting ode to the purple shake monster. The narrative of the lyrics suggest Grimace is a demon that drives him to the point of wanting to kill himself. Man, weed in Oklahoma City is impressive. I will give this one a 9..5, it's a very intense and emotional journey that is heavy in perhaps not the most conventional ways.   

White Hills : "the Revenge of Heads on Fire"

This duo sounds continues to evolve. This is a re-imagining of their "Heads on Fire " album from 2007. The songs are re-worked and re-mixed.  Now it is something clearly more stoner rock than psych- garage rock. Things are still trippy, but heavier. The vocals drifting as the drums batter against the swirl of sonics swarming the song. There is still a very 60s throb to it. The guitar does have a Jimi Hendrix influence in the sounds summoned in the feedback drenched melodies plucked from it. "Inoke Tupo" picks up where the previous trip ends, yet it is only an interlude of sounds indulged in. The fuzz of "Oceans of Sound" embarks furthers on the fuzzed Sabbath worship, dosed with hippie wet dreams of yester year. The heavy-handed drumming reverberates with a punk rawness. The vocals work off a more droned chant than a vocal melody.

"Speed Toilet" isa acid induced atmospheric instrumental. There is more structure to the brooding bass line of "Is This the Road" which is equally as hypnotic, but more structured and purposeful even as it circles the cloud of pot smoke it feels to have been made from. "VTDS' is another ambient interlude rather than a full song. I prefer things more in the direction of where they do in the darker "Don't Be Afraid" that hovers somewhere between old Pink Floyd, and Psychic TV.  At 21 minutes long well, that is getting a bit carried away. Once you pass the ten-minute mark and it becomes a abstract mess with your mind moment. It does build up, but this has a great deal of fat to be trimmed.  You could write "Visions of the Past Present and Future" sound like a jam band version of Motorhead, but what you would really be saying is it sounds like Hawkwind. 

There is a cool groove to "Silent Violence" that makes up for the fact the vocals drone on the same pattern the entire song. Though tht is consistent with the vibe they are on this album. "Eternity" closes the album in more straight forward fashion, which is more along the lines of what I think of when this band comes to mind. It is exciting to hear their continued expansion of the sonic colors they paint with. I will give this one a 9. This drops September 16th. 

6.5

Holy Fawn : "Dimensional Bleed"

 I am a fan of shoe gaze and dream pop, Holy Fawn obviously are as well.  It goes beyond this when they make fleeting attempts at going to a more Deafheaven like place on the second song and lead single. It's almost as awkward as being friends with someone who tries to fuck you. Wait I thought this was an exploration in dream land now you have screaming in the background. With that said it floats really wells sonically. In many ways the androgynous vocals, give this a sound that is what HEALTH might sound like if they decided to play shoe gaze instead of industrial. On "Lift Your Head" the drummer is ready to rock out by the end despite the more electronic feel this song flows with, the harsher vocals are buried in the background even further than on the previous song to make it a non-issue.  

Guitars reappear on "Empty Vials" but hide out in the background almost like the Deftones remixing HEALTH.  It's darker as it sounds like nighttime, but not darker as in depressing or evil. I prefer depressing and evil, but willing to work with this off its sonic merits. There is more of an indie rock, if by indie rock we are talking about the Postal Service feel, to "Amaranthine". The drummer continues to impress while the introspective pondering of the vocals kept this one vulnerable even amid its floating wonderment. The atmosphere gets thicker as nighttime falls once more over the feel of this song. The vocal arrangement is pretty interesting. The surreal groove of this song works well.  The title track finds the metal creeping in again this time more apparent in the snarling chords crashing down. 

The more ethereal vocals take the spotlight on "Sightless. with their gazing finding more direction while still floating largely on a cloud of heavily effected guitars, and weighty bears. The screamed vocals taking a somewhat large role, though it would still be hard to consider this a metal album. The vocals to "Void of light" drown in the ambiance of the song. that takes on a more abstract post-rock feel. The overall dynamic of the song does build into the heaviest moments of this album so far.  "True Loss" feels like a cross between Bright yes and Explosions in the Sky. The song wanders for almost three minutes before going anywhere.   The last song is almost more invested in the sound than the song until it kicks in with the dynamic shift.  Everything kinda flows with the throb on this album rather than paying a great deal of attention to sogn writing so I will give this a 9.5, an excellent album for those into atmosphere.      

The Top 10 Metal Albums of 1992

I recently looked back albums turning 30 this year to see how they held up over time. These came out while I was in high school so most hold sentimental weight that I shed the best I could to give an another more objective as possible. These are ranked in terms of the impact they had, how well they held up over time and how good they are in terms of songwriting. This reality checked some albums because, they might have captured a sound that was groundbreaking but song wise there were better written albums. So here are the best metal albums that came out in 92, yeah if there are albums that seemed to be missing that is because this is not the top 10 industrial albums or grunge albums., but the top 10 metal albums. Not a lot to talk about otherwise so here we go.... 

10-Gwar- "America Must Be Destroyed " 

Following up "Scumdogs" is tough, rather than get heavier or more aggressive the lyrics are more over the top, breaking the bounds of what metal bands dared snarl about. Oderus continues to prove he can sing and pushed himself more to make almost hair metal like power ballads at times. 

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92 Gwar : "America Must Be Destroyed"

9-Incantation- "Onward to Golgotha" 

They are full blast ahead with the unearthly low growls soaked in reverb to further their sub demonic nature.  They stay pretty dense throughout this album. There are moments of breathing in the stench of the grave they are digging. Ahead of its time, they band might have gone on to make even better at at this juncture in time, they were ahead of the game. 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June - Looking Back in Anger at Incantation : " Onward to Galgotha"

        

8-White Zombie-" La Sexorcisto-Devil Music vol 1" 

 I was already into the first two albums from these guys as it has a dirty sludgy Stooges feel but was dark like Alice Cooper. My first thought when this came out was "they sound like Metallica now" this change took a couple listens to grow on me. The grooving grind of their chugs has a more drugged out feel that thrash bands. Of you think this should place higher, all the songs sound the same so no. But the groove is good enough to earn its place here.

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92 - White Zombie : "La Sexorcisto (Devil Music vol1) "

 

7-Psychotic Waltz - "Into the Everflow" 

Not far removed from say Fates Warning, they were darker and dropping more acid when you take in the atmosphere layered in their vision of progressive metal. The vocals which are at a higher croon have more soul and substance than many of the operatic yodelers that populate progressive metal at this time. Another album that was ahead of its time, 

Abysmal Hymns: the Class of 1992 - Psychotic Waltz:" Into the Everflow"

6-Obituary " the End Complete"  

This Tampa death metal band stood out with ugly Celtic frost inspired grooves. They continued to perfect what they did and proved death metal bands can be just as capable songwriters as any genre of music. 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June - "the End Complete" vs "World Demise"

 

5 -Deicide-"Legion"  

This album has aged well because now I can listen to it without having to compare to the first album. The fact the vocals are not as demonic sounding as the first album nagged at me back when this came over it, but in the past 30 years I have let that go and can listen to it for what it si which is one of the most ripping death metal albums of all time.  

Abysmal Hymns: the Class of 92 - Deicide: "Legion"

4-Megadeth - "Countdown to Extinction" 

Megadeth had outgrown thrash, they turned to a slight rock n roll swagger to their sound, shedding the technical fireworks of the previous album. Streamlined production to compete with the more radio friendly production of the "Black Album " as Mustaine released a masterpiece in "Rust in Peace" but he would not be content considering his former band mates just released the biggest selling album of their careers. This album might not be a sellout, but the heaviness was compromised to make it. At the end of the day the growth here made for better songs.  

Abysmal Hymns: the Class of 92 - Megadeth :" Countdown to Extinction"

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3- Danzig - "Danzig III -How the Gods Kill" 

When this album came out, I appreciated it was darker and more metal than "Lucifuge", Glenn's vocal continued to improve, from his croons to when he belts it out. Musically a pervading doomy feeling is haunting things, this sometimes simmers into a full-on metal chug. This is what I want him to sound like. .

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92- Danzig: " Danzig III -How the Gods Kill"

 

2- Neurosis - "Souls at Zero" 

This album was more groundbreaking and ahead of its time than the previous eight album on this list. I wrestled in my head over could this equate to earning it the number one spot. This is the conclusion I came to, pretty neck and neck as to how much I have listened to this one over the years verse the band that took number one. 

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92 -- Neurosis: "Souls at Zero"

 

1-Pantera - "Vulgar Display of Power" 

This band might have fallen out of fashion with some, but of the metal albums from 1992 this is the only album able to edge out Neurosis in terms of heaviness and how groundbreaking it was. Where "Souls at Zero" is full of cool trippiness, these are full on anthems that stood the test of time. "Cowboys From Hell" hinted that these guys were onto something but was still rooted in a more Judas Priest like traditional metal. Here they blend hard core with that and stripped away the old school metal moments. This album is in your ace with a sharp guitar sound that grabs you by the throat. 

Abysmal Hymns: Class of 1992 : Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power "

Laces Out : "Roger Podacter"

 There is post-punk influence on some of the darker edges of this band's sound, but the overall feeling is straight up punk. It is less about tension and more about being in your face. They embrace a noisy clang to their often-angular clanging. The vocals are more shouted than sung, but there is a melody expelled here and there. Things jerks you around quickly. I can hear Fugazi as one of their influences for certain though the bass is typically more buried in the sonic wall of guitars. On the second song the shouting of the vocals is rallying cry to chaos of the clamor kicked up rather any organized cause. Which reminds me of the social situation in America these days, though they do not seem to be raging that hard against the machine and are more about personal discontent.  

The third song gives the vocals more room to get their point across while the guitar dances around them in a herky jerky manner. The more screamed chorus stands out again the structure of the first verse. Recorded in a warm organic manner it captures the band as you might expect them to sound in their rehearsal studio. There is still a big energetic wave of guitars hitting you. Reckless in feel the execution is very nuanced, but to the production the live feel wins out.  I can only imagine based off their high energy performance on this album that this would be a really fun live band. 

Things switch gears for the last song, which is a more subdued style of indie rock. The vocals are more sung, though when they are not yelled with a greater sense of command and the more sedate method of vocalization is employed the results are marginally less effect, though I appreciate the changing gears as it paints a bigger picture of what this band is capable of. I would not call it emo but it looks in that direction when it comes to the more introspective mood. I will give this band a 9, they are convincing in the unrest covyed as a punk band , though rather than work off sheer reckless enrgy these guys are very capable in what they have woven with their instruments.     

the Class of 92 - Deicide: "Legion"

 

When this came out Deicide was one of my favorite metal bands, but I felt this was too stripped down and streamlined in terms of the vocals, which I liked the more layered approach of the first album, but how has it held up over the year. They come out with a wrath aggression. Death metal works off its hyper aggression Deicide's sole focus was attacking Christianity which is a fair enough target if not low hanging fruit. Normally I would say with extreme metal, after the first song hits you with it's sheer heaviness the next question is ...Ok but can you write a song. Their first album answered this with a yes. The question now ,  was are they really feeling this or just dialing it in.  "Dead But Dreaming" is a tight motherfucking machine that bulldozes you. Huge props to the mix as everything sits where it feels like it is just rolling over you in terms of where the guitars sit in relation to the drums, and the bass is audible to help with this.  

By the time I get to "Repent to Die" , I begin to wonder if Deicide ruined death metal for because, really when you hear the dense blitz of riffs they throw at you, pretty much all the tricks you heard death metal bands trying to pull from 93 on they already touched on here. His growl is less demonic and more enunciated on this album which might be what I did not like as much as a teenager but can now appreciate.  The only difference in my tastes now is I normally require music that is more dynamic than this , but the riffs on this album a pretty bad ass, and the key is how tight it is. There is a uniformity beginning to creep over the sound and I have listened to this album too many times back in the day to know that nothing is going to change in that regard. 

"Behead the Prophet" has some effective punches, and their overall sound is dialed in here, the vocal phrashing is pretty much what makes this song work. He spits out his lyrics in an even faster bark on "Holy Deception" . These days I am not into death metal that is this ripping fast, because I want to hear the nuances of song writing, and most bands do not make the kinds of dynamic shifts that Deicide does on "In Hell I Burn". There are no plans to slow down on "Revocate the Agitator". It somehow all works, in part thanks to the purposeful snarl of the vocals.  This death metal masterpiece gets a 10, there are not many albums like this style of death metal I like but this is one of them . 

Her Head's On Fire : " College Rock & Clove Cigarettes"

 

This band is comprised of former members of Garrison, Saves the Day and Small Brown Bike. If you do not know who those bands are then, this album might not be as impactful for you. It reminds us of a time when Emo was rooted in punk and not Myspace era glam rock for children. There is plenty of melody to ice the top of the sonic momentum of the opening track. "Call Me Up" has the bitter tension to its emotional weight the guitars crash around it creating not shortage of tension. There is a syncopated stomp to "Lexicon of Doubt".  You can hear plenty of Dinosaur Jr in influence in how the song cruises along. 

"Common Shame" draws from a similar energy and attitude as early Get Up Kids. It races along but does not carry the same emotional weight as the first few songs.  With "Pristine Heart" they split the difference between the driving indie rock of Dinosaur Jr and the more punk sounds of Get-up Kids. To their credit they have not directly done anything derivative of their previous bands. There is a wonderful languid melody to "Rising Tide" which is not a cover of the Sunny Day song but reminds you of a similar era when emo was not a bad word. The slacker punk of "So Beautiful" is not as impressive. The vocal hooks are not on the level of the previous songs where their songwriting is firing from all cylinders.  

They prove they can come from the sweet spot of high energy, sonic intensity and melodic depth on "Matchsticks" which hits all the marks. The final act of the album finds them locked into more of a post-hardcore fist pumping power. The tempo is paced at more of a punk feel with foot to the gas. The vocals on "Sugar Lips" balance this out a bit though backing off on the speed when it comes to the chorus would have worked as well. The drums do not play as large of a role in the last song and instead let the guitars jangle on in a drone.  Perhaps this song needs to just grow on me. I really like where this album takes the listener so will give it a 9.. This drops July 29th

The Class of 92 -- Neurosis: "Souls at Zero"

 

Unless you were on the musical fringe in 92 or a crust punk in 1992 you did not know who Neurosis was. I was working in a music store when this came out so heard the buzz from the fringes and checked in out. My first impression was these guys were a crust punk version of Swans. There was more metal however in their attack. My favorite thing about this album was that it was dark and sounded great on drugs. More dynamic than punk and many of the sounds barrow from death rock as the opening track unfolds, already a hug Christian Death fan this did not go unnoticed. It was sonically explosive in the heaviest way possible. The title track churns with the same intensity as most doomy metal at this time, perhaps a little rougher around the edges, the throaty vocals howling, was less common as sludge was not officially a thing. It carries a powerful stomp. 

They bring a storm of sonic pummeling down on "Flight", It has an oppressive yet hypnotic quality to it that I like. My favorite part of the song is the creepy last two minutes when they exclaim "her eyes roll back". The 90s were the best time for samples and this is in the top tiers of albums that made the most of them. " the Web" churns with aggression and makes the best use of the dual vocal trade off.  The melodic bass line that slithers underneath is sublime. "Sterile Vision" is darker and more melodic, but it generally chugs around the same vibe they have been pounding so far, perhaps not as apocalyptic.  "A Chronology for Survival" might be my favorite song on the album, I like the vocal refrain of " cycles they are clawing". The overall vocal layering on this one is cool, and this is an album where even harsher screamed vocals are not just obligatory but serve function in the songs. The song is a very dynamic journey. 

"Stripped" is one of the more interesting arrangements in terms of how it ebbs and flows there is a slight angular feel to how the riff turns around.  There is a little less focus to the journey this song takes you on. Clean strummed guitar become more common on later album, here it stands out more after the beating this album has already given. "Takeahnase" is a dark brooding closing song. The vocal exchange is between the howled vocal and lower sung vocal that is a more gothy. The more I have gone back and listened to this album over the years the more I can hear the post-punk influence balancing out the more explosive metal qualities.  I think the number of times I have listened to this album over the past few decades warrants me rounding it up to a 10, granted the dark weirdness is not for strict metal heads who just want head banging.                                                                                                  

  

 

The Class of 92 Gwar : "America Must Be Destroyed"

 

It is a daunting deed to have to follow up an album as great as "Scumdogs of the Universe". When this came out 30 years ago, I was a pretty big Gwar fan, but now that I am older and wiser, how will this album hold up over the decades.  It takes them a few to get warmed up though "Ham on the Bone" feels better to me than "Crack the Egg". The anthemic "Gor Gor" is the first song that really recaptures the magic of the previous album. This album has a tighter production than "Scumdogs" and when this album thrives it is working off a similar taunt thrash style of metal. The Alice Cooper like "Have You Seen Me" shows Brockie's pipes. It is dynamic and sticking with their outrageous theme.  "The Morality Squad" does not hit as hard as Techno Destructo's previous theme song.  

The title track works off samples and a Ministry like pre-industrial thrash, The narrative is it spinning would not fly in the super PC world we live in today. "Gilded Lily" taps back into their sweet spot as songwriters being able to make catchy melodic metal songs that are over the top. Which in a genre where over the top is the bread and butter, they stepped up their game "Poor Ole Tom" is another theatrical piece set to music. Brockie is the one who brings this song together. It is slower and more deliberate than what they would normally be doing at this time. Despite the carnage on stage these guys were only helping murder hair metal in the studio. "Rock N Roll Never Felt so Good", as they parody it better than what the actual bands were doing at this time.  

"Blimey" is the song I remember the least digging back into this alum. It is the fastest thrashing explosion of sound on this album. Another hair metal parody that is so good that you begin to wonder if it is in some ways intentional. Brockie once again proves he can sing when he tries. They parody Nirvana to some extent on the strum of "Pussy Planet" funny enough it is the band's current singer who handles the vocals for this song. I will give this album a 9, it is not "Scumdogs" but they were on the right track for sure. 

Scarcity : " Aveilut"

 

The fact this band is on the Flenser was enough to make me want to check them out. They are a project from Brooklyn. They refer to themselves as black metal and in some way, this is true if you are thinking of what black metal out of Brooklyn might be prone to sound like. The first song is mainly drone with some screaming under it, normally I would not consider it a song, but they committed almost eight minutes to it so they were intending on it being more than an intro. One of the blackest of black metal things about this album is the god-awful production. There is a scraping rumble to the second song. It feels more like A Place to Bury Strangers fucking around like Sonic Youth. It does get more metallic. Abrasive in the white noise they abuse you with. Their atmosphere is enough to give you a headache, 

If Liturgy took things a step further in the noise department, we would be hearing this sort of thing. But they care a little more about songs, so use restrain where this project just goes for it. Like King Midas, rather than gold everything they touch turns into a dissonant drone. The third "song" is more droning noise with screaming set against it. The drums are somewhere in the mix. The clanging dissonance of this chaos can be grating. They employ different sounds but do similar things with them. There is a slight industrial hint to the swathe of buzzing sound that cannot really be called music.  

By the time we get to the last song with has more in common with the narcotic pulse of synth wave, there is little that can be regarded as a song or music, there are abstract sounds being tortured. In scoring this album, I have to consider what is music and are they making it. If you like droning abrasive noise, then this might click with you, depending on what drugs you are doing at the moment. There is really nothing here that touches upon what I listen for in music so I will give this one a 4. 

3.2

The Class of 92- Danzig: " Danzig III -How the Gods Kill"

When this album came out I appreciated it was darker and more metal than "Lucifuge", but how does it stand the test of time? The opening track simmers into a doomy verse with Glenn belting it out. It picks up into a chug before culminating into a very Doors feeling spoken invocation. "Anything" summons the evil Elvis sound he is known for. The melodic guitar that starts off the song a step away from metal, but it kicks into a more driving chorus. When you listen to this era of his career its makes where he is at now sting a little more. The swing of "Bodies" sounds more like his previous album and carries more of a rockabilly feel to it. Though his power is impressive here.   

 I love the title track. The tender vocal at the beginning then the crush of the doomy metal riff that it builds into, the best song on the album. It showed how he was continuing to push himself as a singer. As a single in 1992 " Dirty Black Sunmer" gets the job done. It is hard enough to separate him from the grunge kids coming on the scene at the time. "Left Hand Black: was one of the songs I did not remember when I returned to this album, this is weird as it has what is perhaps the album's most metal riffs. The blues based "Heart of the Devil" is sinister under the roar of Danzig bringing the notes out from his guts. The Roy Orbison like ballad "Sistinas" is pretty fucking stunning.  

"Do You Wear the Mark" is another one that is in the running for the album's heaviest song, the ripping Sabbath like riff, might secure this one as the winner of that debate. The album closes with "When the     Dying Calls: which is another doomy ripper. The melody to the chorus is pretty hooky, the drums sit back a little on this one. Overall, it is a pretty easy call that this one is a 10. It is the last classic album Danzig released though; I do like the album after this one even though he is trying to find his way in alternative music on his fourth solo outing, If you ever forget how great he once was crank this one.   

Hexis : "Aeturnum"

I have been looking forward to the new album from Denmark's heaviest band. To be honest they might be Northern Europe's heaviest band, though Sweden has some contenders. However, these guys are not just black metal, but also combined hard core and grind core into something dark and sonically punishing. It is not until the third song that these guys let up and allow you to breathe, hitting you with a full-frontal assault of scathing screaming and weighty blasts. Black metal is aggressive and fast, however that does not make it the heaviest genre. It is the deliberate sonic weight put behind something that makes it heavy. The difference between being hit by a small guy who is fast and big guy who has muscle to put behind his punch. They are so good at assaulting you with the catharsis of sound it often makes me to forget to listen more for the finer points of song writing. Dark and heavy is cool, but you still have to have songs. The way they use atmosphere at the end of "Exhaurire" says they do care about composition and dynamics. 

With the minute and a half dedicated to "Interitus" gets the point across with a taste of thrashing grind core. There is more of a hard-core hook to "Tacet".  The bring an interesting sonic feel to the battery of your ears that is "Accipis". The vocal accents give more form and function. The vocals are more purposeful on this album. That is not to say they are going for anything in the bounds of accessible to mainstream metal crowds. There is enough abrasion to scare off the weak. I do not remember the synths standing out as much on their previous albums, so that is a fresh color. "Nunquam" is not a formula, but it does hit you with a similar styled beating. I did go back to give another listen for what I might have missed with the dense sonic blur hit me the first time around. "Vulnera" instantly resonates with me due to the pulse of dark ambiance.

There is more of a hard-core feel to the confrontational vomit of "Captivus". The jagged guitars are very violent in the lashing of their riffs. They give the same level of fucks, which is zero when they throw the equally intense "Memento" at you. It is really heavy, but I think that "Amissus" that follows it is better in terms of songwriting, as there is more feel and not just intensity. It is more deliberate and has greater evil to its throb. The title track that closes the album is a five- and half-minute atmospheric outro rather than an actual song., I would have preferred to have heard them work those songs into what they normally do, but it is what it is. I will give this album a 9.5,    

10.5