Mamaleek : "Diner Coffee"

 

A metal band with an album dedicated to small town diner coffee. Yes, please. After an odd intro, we get into something that owes as much to Tom Waits as it does metal. It carries with it once the song gains momentum the huge sludge lumber with the angular awkwardness of noise rock. Not far removed from what we have heard from this band before, perhaps the grooves might owe a little more to Sabbath this time around and are dressed up like a drunken clown with toy pianos and horns blaring at from its frayed edges. Not the first metal album to flirt with jazz this year. Nor is it the first time this band toyed with this brand of weird, in fact that is why I showed up. After reviewing somewhere around 200 metal albums so far this year I want t something that has little in common with those. What will be interesting here is to see how much of it owes its distinction to metal, by the time this album is said and done .

The second actual song carries  a smoky groove that is possessed by an unhinged darkness. If Clutch got drunk and did different drugs then the results might be similar though this music seem to be made by people with underlying issue that their art serves as a reflection for. The jazz like undertones, undermine the punk DNA needed to think of this as sludge. It is downtrodden, yet not with the kind of longing needed to think of this as doom. It is however progressive. This shows you can have progressive metal that owes not in the slightest to Dream Theater. Now Captain Beefheart might be another story here.  "Grief and a Headhunter's Rage" has a dark pulse that sounds like it could be from a David Lynch film. When it comes together into a more rock oriented song it sounds like Tom Waits jamming with  Tomahawk.

The dark bizarre droning jazz of "Wharf Rats in the Moonlight" goes awry, granted they pull everything back together, but the noise the song devolves into is one of the albums hard to listen to moments as it holds little musical value, though I do like where they end up taking the song. They close the album with the title track. There is some great guitar playing on it , where they show how cleanly they can play actual jazz when they are not fucking around and getting crazy. The vocals build into more of a howl. I will give this album a 9.5, they do prog their own way whether they mean to or not.  

KEN Mode : " NULL"

What I like right off the bat about the new Ken Mode album is it is darker and heavier. Random sax in the background gives more of an unsettling atmosphere to the opening track.  I really appreciate the lyrics ... I would like to congratulate you /for buying into the same narrative/ as everyone else". To call out the present-day world that does not want to be called out unless it follows the witch hunt of the day is a powerful statement and I wish more bands would find the balls to do this. They continue on this path but with a more up-tempo aggression on "Throw Your Phone into the River". The burly bass tone they got is a bolster to their sound. 

From m a songwriting perspective the industrial drone of "The Tie" is not as interesting compositionally, but the fact they are willing to experimental more here makes it hard to fault them for it.  I like the stomping groove of "But They Respect My Tactics". Lyrically I like the theme this album is going with. This is an interesting listen from the other end of the spectrum from what I just heard it the new Bird in Row album. These guys have embraced a more muscular mind set, which makes them the more aggressive of the two bands. Overall, I would say this album is darker m but more of a externalized apocalyptic sense rather than the internal emotive feel of Bird in Row. 

They headed into an even darker place on "Lost Grip" , which finds this ten-minute song hinging on how focused they are to stew in the brooding like a doom band might be inclined to. When the go rumbling of the rails on "the Desperate Search for an Enemy" they tend to sound more like other bands in the same sonic zip code, but it is not a deal breaker. The industrial shant of the last song, drones on , but is effective, it just takes a left turn from what I think are this album's strength aside from the fact it is dark. I will give this album a 9.5, which might make it one of this band's best yet.  

Birds in Row: "Gris Klein"

 

Let it go on records I am reviewing albums as fast as I can down here in Florida, but it is hard to resist when I have been looking forward to the albums I am being sent. This French hard-core band is ready to live up to the anticipation for their newest album bringing all the explosive energy and urgent emotional catharsis. The shouted vocals are very serious even though their anguished screams at time sound more like punk than what we think of as hard core today, but the term hardcore, used to be hard core punk, and this is a good example of what that is, while not just sticking to the most commonplace blueprint. The sonic passages, feel more like what screamo bands have been doing over the past twenty years. Even in the fact of all the intensity they are expelling in these outbursts, they have still crafted dynamic, melodic songs. 

There are equal amounts of emotion, poured into the guitar riff as the vocals. When they step on the gas, they do not fall into the common placed trap of making the song feel rushed. The acceleration is tied to the unleashed tension. The lyrics are sometime buried in the overall picture. Aside from that the mix is stellar and the vocals were mixed back into the guitar intentionally. The drums also sound great. Lots of clarity and separation in the mix. "Confettis' find things opening up more for the vocals to have room. " Noah" recoils back into an almost post-punk like tension. The vocals are spoken rather screamed. The lyrics are very clever to this one. It sounds like how the looming storm looks in the sky outside my window. "Cathedrals" seems to run off the momentum built in the previous song. The bass playing in this song is pretty amazing.

"Nypheas" like most of this album tackles the mental issues that were brought to light when forced to sit with oneself in isolation. It goes from in your face aggressive to almost anthemic. The half time break down feel is very effective here. It is album's more melodic touches that make the punk rowdiness work better as the sphere of dynamics is balanced out. Having been around in the 90s for the rise of emotional hard core, I can say this album gives me similar feeling as to when I heard those early albums by bands like Converge and Hot Water Music when they came out. His actual singing has improved on the few songs where those surfaces. Things get a great deal darker and heavier with "Rodin". The deliberate pounding is very impressive. They continue to break things up jangling guitars and more thoughtful vocal passes with "Winter Yet" which has an almost jazz like feel at times. Some of the nuanced interplay between the bass and drums, proves what great musicians these guys are. They do not need mathematic acrobatics but work of jerking grooves. This album is without a doubt a 10 and a must for anyone who wants emotional hard core with a sense of adventure/. 

Gothtober- Kill Shelter : "Asylum"

 

Wow this album came out back in July, not sure how I missed it. While a newcomer, even a jaded gatekeeper is proud to swing open the doors to the haunted halls a announce this guy is legit. One important element in place is richly nuanced vocals. This can be heard on the second song where they step away from the tension of the opening track to give things room for the Autumn breeze blow.  Is this like a spookier minded Depeche Mode? Yes, which works for me.

 Valentina Veil contributes vocals to "Queen of Hearts".  This keeps things varied and covers yet another angle of the dark wave sound. "Buried Deep" has a darker almost industrial grit to its cyber grind on the dance floor. There is more organically diving tempo to "the Necklace". The momentum is carried further in the collaboration with Ash Code, as the vocals get more despondent and the guitar rings about in a more tearful tension.   

Thought it continues to grow on me I am surprised it is the collaboration with Clan of Xymox's Ronny Mooring would be the one that feels the most like just dialed in color by numbers dark wave. It is very well produced and effective so hard for me to fault it for that. Perhaps working with someone as legendary as Ronny, made him play it safe. Anyways I will give this album a 10 and see how it grows on me. It belongs on Metropolis as this feels like a fitting passing of the torch to leave it in the hands of Pete Burns who should change his name to Peter Shelter in under to uphold his responsibility. 

Acid Witch : "Rot Among Us"

 Forgot this was on the way. Of course it's Halloween so time for these guys to release e release for these guys. They are one of my favorite metal bands, so the expectations are high. The first song is more of a spooky intro with enough metal to foreshadow what is to come, which is these guys rocking the fuck out with a pretty powerful title track. A great deal of it is dressed up like Spirit Halloween on drugs. They are really coming with the fucking riffs here. There is more of a sludge feel to the wall of guitars that empowers "the Sleeper".  They have a no-frills Sabbath lumber to the deliberate boogie drone of "Psychedeathic Swampnosis".  There is a darker more aggressive death metal grind to "Devil's Night Doom". 

"5508 Martin" is about the Detroit Demon or a hag said to haunt this address. The song is darker and heavier, which is the direction the album is progressing which is perfect for me. They solidify the fact this a death metal album with the more driving chug of "Evil Dad". Granted this song has more Halloween themed sounds to balance out the overt heaviness. But they continue to prove they are just as capable a death metal as their less spooky peers. "Tommyrotters" follows in more of a death doom direction with plenty of atmosphere. 

"Chelsea Didn't Come Home Last Night" is one of those songs that is hard not to nod your head to its deliberate chug. There is a expand and retract tension to the dynamics that proves you can still be heavy and have nuanced songwriting. They saved the heaviest song for last and still pulls out all the Halloween decorations for it. I will give this album a 10 with ease, death metal can be fun if it is dark and spooky enough with a band that writes rippers like these.  Yes, it actually does come out Halloween Day.    

Melvins : "Bad Mood Rising"

Some things are expected with a new Melvins album. There will be a degree of weirdness. The opening track of their new album finds this degree dialed up to the high end of their weird spectrum, before they amble into a rock shuffle that is slightly disjointed. It glides on the fringes of what metal would be. There is a creeping hesitation to the primary riff that drives the song, and the vocals could just as easily belong on a Ween album.  Five minutes into the song it falls apart and slowly tries to spasm itself back to life. These guys show you might start off as a border line punk band, but the longer you stay in the game the more you become closer to prog. They let the song fall apart and weave it back together in sinewy grunge jams. 

While the first song does not deny they are talented masters of a game thy have paid their dues in, the second song has a darker more commanding chug that I like much better. While I have always known that Kiss is one of their influences the first song I have heard in some time where you can hear it if you listen close enough is "My Discomfort is Radiant". The swagger of the vocal melody sounds like something Paul Stanley might did in his midrange.  The use a similar palm muted chug that has been a theme of this album, though the chorus is bigger and feels like a Frank Zappa rock anthem, so refer back to my previous comment about prog rock. I really like how the vocals are produced on this album. A dreamy glaze washes over the guitars in the second half of this song.   

"Hammering" pulls out a riff that seems it came right from Ace Frehley. This gives the song a 70s strut for sure. The vocals do not seem to fit as well as they did on the previous song. They rock it out pretty well on the last song, the weird is more on the outskirts of the overall sound swirling around their straightforward rocking. Overall this proves to be a very solid outing for the band doing what they do best, I would not say it's as heavy or sludgey and more like something to pack the bong to I will give it a 10 . 

Exhumed : "to The Dead"

 

Exhumed are back. At least half the original lineup is enough for these guys to still have the old sound. The dual vocal attack that layers the lower gurgle vocal against the higher snarl, and plenty of riffs that cut like chainsaws, invoking a sound that is fueled by aggression, yet with hook that would make a thrash band envious. The second song is more brutal but does not grab your ears in the same way as the opening track. "Carbonized" finds the band getting more frantic and heavier with each song, by the third song they are at Deicide level of heavy.  Carcass is also an obvious influence with these guys in how the let the riffs groove at times which can be felt going into "Rank and Defiled". The vocal tradeoff is also like earlier Carcass. 

By the time we get to "Lurid, Shocking Vile" the uniform nature of the monochromatic blood red their sound is painted with begins to be much less, lurid or shocking, then all you are left with is vile. "Undertaking the Overkilled "find the one problem beginning to become the rapid-fire attack, which on one hand might be admired by some in that it is relentless, but on the other hand the songs do not have room to breathe, so the heaviness begins to become white noise. There is a riff or two that does groove, but the rule here is cool riffs alone do not a good song make, I listened to "NEROTICA" multiple times, and it blazes past me as it fades into the background each time.   

There is a little more nuance in the songwriting that cobbled "No Head Stone Unturned". It is when they lock into the thrash chug that the song is at its most powerful. "Defecated' becomes an exercise in brutality for the sake of brutality, The last song "Disgusted" us marginally more thought provoking than the previous song. This album starts strong then the need for speed overtakes it I will round this down to a 7. If you are a fan then you will dig it,, but you also do not ask much of your death metal in the first place. Being released on Relapse Records. 

Celestial Grave : "Vitriolic Atonement"

 

There is a great deal of black metal coming out as fall approaches. The question is ... but is any of it any good? Well, we are going to give this Finnish band another shot. It is raw and ugly. Dissonance and sweating in the crust of its own nasty ambiance. Relying too heavily on the trapping of the genre, like the tremolo picked guitar, though the drummer seems capable of doing more than just blast beats, however due to how this album is mixed, and that is a loose use of the term, the drums are buried with a crash of cymbal emerging. The vocal are incoherent howls. To some extent it works for the vibe they are going, for but when it comes to song writing one scowling gurgle begins to sound like another,

By the time we get to "Clemency" things are starting to buzz the same razor chords. Perhaps it is what I get for reviewing two black metal albums in a row, I gave the new Nordjevel a spin before launching into this album. This is rawer and more aggressive where Nordjevel is a more polished wall of sound, but these guys have more heart in the game. Guitar solos fight their way out of the din that is "the Abyss Exhales". Song wise things make more sense here than the previous song.  The vocal take on a leaner more Gorgoroth like snarl to have more form and function. 

The punk edged chord progression to "Exaltation" once again shows that when bands like this let up on the charging blitz of feral energy and put their minds to writing a song they can. Less is sometimes more. The single note guitar melodies work much better. The vocals are left to be the sole churner of anger. When they blast behind the guitar solo, there is more cohesion, so it works. I am not against blast beats just against relying on them too much. The samples add a nice touch as well. The vocals lower into more of a death metal growl for the last song. There is also a shouting maniac, yelling lyrics as it gets deeper into the chaos.  For all it's raw power there is a great deal of heart at the core of this album so for that reason I will give it an 8.5.   

Nordjevel : "Gnavhòl"

This band is the next wave of Norwegian black metal which is not much different than the last wave. They hit you with a blitz of blast beats from the first song and do not let up. I guess this is trve to what black metal should be in some respects, there is still song writing to consider. The vocals are varied from croaks to screaming, and the buzz saw guitars leave space to balance out the relentless drumming. The problem with going straight for the jugular all the time is the songs begin to all sound the same, it is not until they switch things up with the more tightly syncopated "Within the Eyes" that the song writing improves. The rest becomes a blur. If it was not for the smarter riffing, then by four songs in I would have become burned out.

The title track does have some powerful chugs, and the scowling gurgles of the vocals sit a little differently, but the overall sonic feel is still more uniform than not. The main riff that chugs hard is cool, but the rule around here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. There are more Mayhem like groans when things grind down a bit in " Antichrist Flesh" but a blast beat is still just a blast beat, unless there is something more interesting being done around it.   "Spores of Gnosis" is a bunch of rabid drumming with some haunting guitar melodies trying to find where they fir it, sometimes it works. "Gnnawing the Bones" finds this band becoming a one trick pony on a fast trip to hell. They are addicted to playing fast even at the peril of writing good songs.   

They are much better served when employing a deliberate throb to their sound. Why they were not doing this all along, I do not know as it sounds much better. The last song is driven by guitars with the machine-like precision more commonly found in death metal. It sounds great, in fact the entire album sound cool, the difference being that good sounds are the product of a producer and songs are written from the soul. This does not change because it  is black metal in fact it should be even more true, With that said I will give this album a 7.5, and that is for fans of just straight forward black metal, with little new injected into it. 

7.5

Gift : "' Momentary Presence"

 

Not sure why this band is referred to as psych rock, when their debut album clearly indulges in the kind of dreamy Brit Pop that Stone Roses made famous. Yes, they do rock out more when "Gumball Garden" rises to a climax, but it is not like they go full Hawkwind. It is however an odd choice for the lead single from this album. There are surreal moments to the synths that add the albums textures, but drugs are only a passing fancy to these guys. They are more dream pop than shoe gaze, as the songs are moderately up-tempo and almost dancey. There is an undercurrent of 80s synth wave vibes at times and the vocals are rather androgynous.  "Share the Present" threatens to just breeze by on a gilded cloud of neon before I can really form an opinion on it. 

At times these guys seem like if the Drums and Drab Majesty melded together. The carefree nature of the vocals, but from behind a smoke-filled veil. When they step from behind the surreal curtain to strum at guitar the detached dreamy vocals cause the songs to float back out into the cosmos. The results are not what I would call trippy, perhaps for kids these days, who are just taking pills and smoking weed this is their version of psychedelic as there is less soul to it. When it gets to a song like "Pez" there is a much clearer picture of who these guys are as their own entity. However, that is soon blown out into the sea.  Things ironically pick up with "Stuck in a Dream" after rest of the album up to this point feels like they have in fact been stuck in one. 

Things begin to go in a weird Gary Numan like direction of "Dune". The vocals however are in the same whispery coo as they have been for the entire album. The bass line has a droning groove that works well. "Feather" floats along on a synth cloud. There is a guitar solo, but it is just another texture. They shift gears again with the faster paced electronic pulse of  "Pinkhouse Secret Rave". Which does not sound like anything played at a rave. There is also another guitar solo. The last song is the only thing that feels psychedelic to me. There is a cool hypnotic drone to this one. I will round this down to an 8.5, since the vocals are a bit of a one trick pony that gives the album two uniform a fees despite the other song dynamics in play. That said it is still much better than most of what is being released these days.  

Smut : "Soft Engine"

 

This band is deceptive, while upbeat with a 90s alt jangle there are some woozy shoe gazing glaze to the edges of the guitars. This sheds to focus on more vocal centered songs. The Sundays have to be this band's biggest influence as it is the closest sonic neighbor when it comes to the upbeat breezy indie rock that they are creating here. The melodies are flowing, but it is too organic, and guitar focused to really feel like pop. The melodies are not going for overt radio hungry hooks. At times it feels like easy listening for people who listen to shoe gaze and post-punk. The guitar is casually strummed on "Believe You Me" which could be indie folk, but some definitions. In the 90s it would have just been lumped onto alt rock radio. I could hear Taylor Swift singing some of these songs, but the detached less emotional aspect of the vocals is what gives these songs their charm.   

There is a more upbeat swing to "Supersolar". I guess this is rock it does not have much attack as the guitar stroll at a strum. The vocals are not falling where pop would though. By the time we get to "Janeway" things are beginning to take on a more uniform palette of sounds. It flows better than the previous song, which was not ineffective this one just feels better on my ears. Even with that said it is not as strong as the first say four songs. The first time I listened to "How the Light Felt" the sleepy strum of acoustic guitar bathed in ambience breezed by not really capturing my attention. The second listen did not really reap many more thoughts; it works for what it is but fades into the background.

"Person of Interest" is more of a pop song. If not for the haunting reverb in the production, it sounds like a song that might have been playing in the background on the show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" . The more surreal sounds they color this with, puts it more firmly as dream pop. The electronic beat to "Moringstar" is an effect shift in the dynamics. This makes it one of the album's best songs. The last song is another so unobtrusive that it breezes by without me forming a thought on it.  Second listen finds the melodies holding more weight. I will give this album 9 . It recalls an era of music that I was a fan of of, while looking forward into the future. This comes out November 11th on Bayonet.    

Worm : "Bluenothing"

 I really like the "Foreverglade" album these guys released. This EP is meant to introduce a guitarist who is a new edition to the band, and it does that well. There is a great deal of stelar guitar playing on the eleven-and-a-half-minute title track those kicks things off. However, despite being an opus of tremendous proportions, the songs writing is not as impressive as what they brought on their last album.  There are cleaner more pristine tones. There is more space, thus allowing for monks chanting in the background. In using these sounds, it is not as dark or oppressive as the previous album. The first song in its eleven and a half minutes wanders more than it pound the point home. The atmosphere so thick it never solidifies, but the mood and playing is still pretty spectacular, if not sterile in the clarity of the mix.  

"Centuries of Ooze 2" starts off with the kind of guitar solo that could just as easily been found on a Joe Satriani album, it takes the heavier darker middle section of the song to give things more direction. The chanting of the monks in the background replicates the kind of feel they started with on the first song. The interlude "Invoking the Dragon Moon" is more of an exercise is shredding and makes little attempt to be a song. This kind of guitar wizardry is what this album becomes fixated upon. It comes cross to me as more about a sound than a song. While the band themselves claim this shuts the door on what they were doing on their last album it can be a difficult pill to swallow if you are not here for the guitar solos. I appreciate the ability it takes to pull it off but feel if it does not work with the song and bring value its purpose is more masturbatory. 

The circular jerk continues on the last song, though the intentions are more obscured by ambiance. At times they seem to want to go in a black metal direction as the vocals rise from the lowed gurgle that dominated the album for more of scream. There are blast beats and everything. This shift does offer more possibilities in regard to song writing. While I am not as wowed as I was by their previous album, I can hear the talent here It might not be directed in the manner I prefer, but they did accomplish what it is they set out to do here, with that said I will give this album an 8. Being released on 20 Buck Spin.  

City of Caterpillar : "Mystic Sisters"

This album by the screamo veterans opens with a blending of atmosphere, emotion and intensity that I have not heard since Planesmistakenforstars were around. The build the explosion rather than being as overt and formula bound as the kids who followed in their footsteps. They use chaos rather than relying on unlocking a certain guitar sound. The second song find them with the kind of calculated musical mess that Fugazi used to create for themselves in their rowdier early days. "Decider" finds them more aggressive and lashing out in the violent manner we more commonly think of as screamo now. I appreciate what they are doing here, it really just depends on where my head is at as to if I want to hear something this energetic. I prefer their darker more brooding side. Even the swirl of chaos channeled via guitar has its appeal. Midway into the song they do rein it in for more of an emo tension. 

The title track finds the band simmering in the ambiance for a slow build into the song. It is mainly an instrumental that does use vocals in the last two of its seven minutes. "Manchester" is a very effective blend of all their sonic moods into a cohesive song. Surprisingly what I like about this version of hard core is it has very little in-common with the more metallic variety. Instead, it works off sonic intensity, which is the part that should be less surprising if you are a regular reader here.  "Voiceless Prophets" puts them closer to the noise rock caterwaul of bands like the Jesus Lizard. The angular disjointed spasms emitted from the instruments is another collected chaos. In under seven minutes the band is capable of taking you on a journey most of today's prog bands cannot muster. The vocals are sung in a throaty howl. Sometimes closer to singing than others. 

They get a little more aggressive on " In the Birth of a Fawn". The vocals are exclaimed more forcefully, though the guitars still carry a great deal of melody to them. The last song "Ascension Theft" starts off with post-rock like guitar minimalism. Many of the post-rock bands of today have evolved from what bands like these guys were doing in the early 2000s. The vocals do not come in until midway into the song. It goes into some really unexpected places, thus showcasing their range as a band. I will give this a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. While it feels like a label such as Deep Elm should be releasing it, the task has been put upon by Relapse Records for doing so.      

Gaerea : "Mirage"

 This is the third album from the Portuguese black metal outfit. The opening track is impressive in the sonic scope that it covers outside of the bounds black metal is most commonly defined by. The vocals are coarse, not screamed in the same manner, and the blast beats are not what it lives and dies by, well that is until the second song where the more melodic components of the first song are dialed back, and they give into a feral lust of savagely lashes out at your ears with their instruments. They are good at this, but unlike the first song it sounds like every other band playing extreme metal. The production is very refined, rather than rougher cavernous sounds more commonly heard in black metal. 

"Deluge" finds the drummer as a prime motivator but holding back and setting the tone with a groove. The guitar also has plenty of room to breathe, the vocals are the one constant in the extreme sounds department. Just past the two-minute mark, they give into their craving for blast beats.  They are not trying to worship Satan and seem to offer a bleak narrative on the urban landscape. The black gaze similarities can be heard in how this song progresses. They are more committed to brutality than say Deafheaven. " Arson" follows a formula more closely related to other black gaze bands with a more atmospheric post-rock intro that builds into an angrier explosion of black metal.  "Ebb" works off the stormy buzz of tremolo-picked guitars that conform to the most basic core of black metal. The groove and melodic moments of the song are more fleeting than they should be though to the band's credit allow themselves to shift away from the blast beats over the course of the song. The vocals have a noted expression of anguish in their emotive display. 

The ominous manner of the chords in the title track is more interesting than when the drums pour on the bursts of speed. The syncopation used as the theme works really well. The album needs more moments like that to set itself apart. This also makes the more commonplace trapping of black metal sound more unique when they are not the only color you are being blasted with. "Mantle' is more of a straightforward black metal blaster than falls in line with the expectations of the genre. The last song certainly starts off in that direction. It does gain its bearings and allows melodic themes to take root. The double bass rivaling the blast beats at times. I will give this album an 8.5, It is certainly one of the more polished black metal releases this year and these guys are skilled at what they do. What they do could be even better without feeling obligated to conform to some of the standard black metal formulas.  

Frayle : " Skin & Sorrow"

 When I recall reviewing the previous album by this band, I seem to remember like the sound they are summoning, but the whispery delicate vocals feeling like a one trick pony.  Has she grown as a singer is the question I go into this album with. Everything sounds cool on the opening track, but an entire album working off this one dynamic would get old for me. Slow syncopated droning sludge is what this sounds like if you took the vocals out of the mix. Her melodies sound a little sharpened in the ethereal hooks department. I am not sure about this being doom as there is almost a Deftones like groove to the riff that opens "Bright Eyes". This time in the studio they arrived with more punctuated choruses.  

The title track finds the band getting heavier with the ambiance and creates a more Jesu like throb in the wave form manner the dull ache of guitars glides. "Ipecac" has a less metallic motion to it until things get heavier in terms of the crash of drums crunching into the guitar. By the time we get to "Stars" I notice the songs taking on a uniform sonic signature. The formula seems to be hold back with tension on the verse then build into a more rock-oriented crash of guitar on the build of the chorus. Effective until midway into the album when this begins to make the songs all sound the same.  

On my first pass though this album once I got to "Roses" things had taking on a monochrome drone that faded into background music rather than a song that was engaging me, it was not until I went back into the album that I was able to distinguish the songs. The arrangements taking on a more minimalist progression. "Sacrifant" finds them putting the pieces together in a more effective way and shows by getting the guitar to carry the attack can still make for a damn good song. "All the Things I Was" works off a similar dynamic but is less catchy.  I like the melody that is carried by the drone of "Song for the Dead " The last song kind of drifts and drones like the bulk of the album, it's just less catchy. I will give this album an 8.5, I think their song writing has improved for sure and the formula has shifted.     

Tension Span : " The Future Died Yesterday"

Here is how punk should be done. Bleak and grim. It is brought to you by Noah Landis of Neurosis and members of Asunder and Dystopia. The songs deal with the impending apocalypse the world is heading toward. Dark and tense as post punk, but it has the middle finger pointed at the sky as punk should. " the Crate Song" is as aggressive as Black Flag with burning chug infusing the guitars. "Filaments" is the first song where they back off of the aggressive and allow more the kind of atmosphere that would make this post-punk. Post-punk has always been one of the under currents that influenced Neurosis, so this should not be a surprise, but it fits into the cross roads where early punk came from and lines of sub-genres we define music now by where not yet common place. This just grooves. 

They snap back with angrier punk snarl on "Ventilator". One of the great things about this album is that its song focused. They do not rely on the sheer raw power of speed or sonic rowdiness to just have a temper tantrum. They have purposeful lyrics that you can make out and the message comes across pretty clear. They take a crack at Christianity on "Covered In His Blood" that uses samples in a very Negativeland manner.  "Problem People' carries a great deal of melody in its mid-tempo clang. The phrasing of the lyrics feels more like Dead Kennedys, though the music carries a more ambient drone. When the bass line steps up into the mix, it does feel more post-punk to some extent on "Trepidation". There is an almost death rock creepiness to it. Matt Parrillo from Dystopia / Kicker handles the bass on this album, and I am impressed by his tone. 

So far, the only time they get more focused on sound than song is the instrumental " I Have to Smile" which sounds cool, but pretty much just drones on the one theme. They take a more straight forward punk attack, with perhaps a more aggressive attitude. They lock back into a darker post-punk tension on "I Can't Stop the Process", another one that works off a drone more than using vocals, yet the samples [provide enough of a narrative. They split the difference between the two vibes on the last song. There is no question this album is a 10 as this is what punk should be. It comes out on Neurot Records September 30th

9.9

Seraina Telli : "Simple Talk"

The ex-singer of the Swiss band Burning Witches , is going for a straight up rock flavor on her solo outing. She has pipes and an influence that dates back to 80s arena hard rock for sure. Halestorm would be the first band that common ground that comes to mind. There is more nuance on "I'm Not Sorry" which still carries an anthemic swagger, but with more tension in the verses. "Take Care" splits the difference between blues-based rock and 80s metal. The call and response feel proves effective in giving her voice room to breathe. There is a more Pat Benatar pop feel to " I Dare To". Not the most original thing, but it works for what it is. 

"Remedy" is not a cover of the Black Crowes. It is not that soulful, but rather circles the same rock n roll parking lots that a great deal of female fronted bands do. Granted she has a very capable belt and power to her voice I think it might be swinging too hard for the pop fences. To her credit however she puts a great deal of conviction into each note she utters. She goes into a rock ballad with "Soldier of Fortune" , that makes me think she would also be a impressive country singer, as there is not a great deal of distance between what she does her and what modern country is doing.  The edge to her voice goes in a more Melissa Etheridge direction.  

They go back into rousing rockers for "G.E.B" She hits some impressive notes when the chorus hits. The lyrics are also more thoughtful in her questioning of where she falls career wise in the grand scheme of things, like breaking the fourth wall.  The Melissa Ethridge thing hits a crossroad with a more Avril Lavigne like power pop on "Dreamer". The chorus is to cut and paste for what I like to hear but works for what she is doing. The vocal phrasing feels like it is trying too hard in places.  "Not One of Your Kind: is also more of power pop thing, but it works better. The cover of "Fever" works pretty well, very up tempo and closer to Elvis' version. "Remember You" is a strummed power ballad that showcases her voice well. Then they close with the metallic 'Medusa" which is numbered among the album's best songs. I will give this album an 8.5, if you are looking for radio friendly female fronted hard rock, it's one of the better offerings I have heard this year in that regard. 

the Rasmus : "Rise"

This Finnish band gave themselves wide breadth to thrive in 2022. It is amazing for a band that has been around since 1994. Their singer does not sound 43. They get a little more rock than the pop anthem they open things with on the title track. The symphonic elements are still in play. These guys do what Maneskin tries to do a great deal better. I like the groove to "Fireflies" it is really well written and the vocals weave over it with the kind of mastery you should expect from someone at this as long as these guys. This is pop music, but to their credit it is being played with real instruments, and admirable finesse. It is clear their songs are going to be polished, how they connect with me varies song by song, with that said "Be Somebody" does not vibe with me as well as "Fireflies" which is going to be the measuring stick for this album. Though it is well done. 

"Odessey" is a big ballad, that I really do not find myself needing to hear again though they did a good job with it, just not my thing. There is more of a rock feel to "Jezebel". It sounds like if Def Leppard, covered "Corey hart's "Sung Glasses at Night" , which works though the chorus is happier than aggressive. Def Leppard's post "Hysteria" work is a good frame of reference for the sonic space they occupy when leaning into the rock side of their equation.  "Endless Horizon" has the kind of brooding breathiness boiling in it as 30 Seconds to Mars more emotive moments.  "Clouds" has darker lyrics than it does music, but they are really well sung, which makes the song a winner in my book 

I would not say despite the title of the song "Written in Blood" is much darker than the rest of the album, but it does have a rock tension to that works well. These guys are very smooth in how the melodies flow and transition. The last song, I had to listen to a few times for it to sink in, but like most of their stuff it is very effective at what they do I will round this up to a 9.5, as they have perfected the pop side of what they to and creates infectious songs that do not feel lost in the 90s. 

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Isafjørd : "Hjartastjaki"

This band from Iceland is comprised of dudes from Pain of Salvation and Solstafir , though I hope you did not come expecting prog metal. Instead, you are getting a droning ambiance of something that comes close to the Cure or Mogwai. The vocals do get more forceful on the first song, and things swell dynamically, but the pattern in follows has more of a graceful shimmer to it that could have come from "Bloodflowers". The second song glides off into more Pink Floyd territory. The emotive vocals add another color that is in left field from the Floydian vibes. There is great guitar work as well with an incredible tone. 

There songs in things shift and begin to go from post-rock to post-pop. There are a few verses whose melodies recall the more nuanced verses of "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Ray Cyrus. This is not to say it is devoid of rock, as it even goes into a more Juda Priest like metal riff at the climax of one song, though the vocals stay in a more emo place most of the time, their two voices work well together. Some of the electronic drum patterns, give a more Depeche Mode feel, though they never catch a dance groove. Some of the single note guitar melodies also remind me of Depeche Mode. The atmosphere always stays thick even when they are going into a more pop place. Thuis lingers on into "Kuldaro" . They sing in English on "Fjpord of Home" which is the one moment where they sound the most like Pain of Salvation.  

After that they get back on a more Pink Floyd sounding vibe. The vocals being in their native tongue, give a more folk quality than the smooth David Gilmore like vocal that would take their sound there. This provides a raw quality to the emotive belt.  Breezier Sigur Rios styled moments come., with the vocals going into a higher wail. The guitar solos are all pretty tasteful and add to the song.  The last song is more of a slow core- post rock thing, with well layered vocals creating a breezy chorus. I will round this one down to a 9, sure this is a great sounding album, but some of the songs work off too similar a vibe to say it's a perfect 10, but it one of the best things of this type I have heard in some time. The album drops December 2nd on Svart Records.

Slipknot : "The End, So Far"

 Every metal band likes to go into the press gauntlet before releasing an album and tell them how this is going to be as heavy as one of their really heavy albums or it's their heaviest album yet is also another classic. None of these are close to true when it comes to the new Slipknot. They try to resurrect their classic sound at time completer with dj scratches. But Vended does Slipknot heavier, however these guys are better songwriters. The album opens with a ballad. They do step back into making old things new again,with "the Dying Song" works best in this regard.  The claimed "Yen" sounded like Type O Negative, I am guessing they never heard Type O Negative. It's a pretty decent song, but it sounds like Slipknot, just brooding more on the verses, but not anywhere as dark as Type O and while Taylor's vocals continue to improve, he is no Peter Steele. There is a cool riff toward the end, but the rule here is cool riffs do not a good song make. 

"Hivemind" is pretty typical Skipknot, with little room for these guys to deny being nu-metal. The vocal hook on the chorus works well. They are just better song writers than 97 percent of the other nu-metal bands which is why they have sustained their career. There is less hook to "Warranty" which is the band thrashing along the middle ground in terms of heaviness, as they might have been impressive when they came out in 1999, but 23 years later, music has changed in terms of what is metal. Even though it's not heavy "Medicine for the Dead: us a really well written song that works incredibly well and serves as a reminder this band can deliver even if they are no longer as consistent. "Acidic' is another song that is not heavy but works off a soulful bluesy energy that compensates for the hard rock direction. 

"Heirloom' is another song where they dust off old sounds and try to breathe new anger into them. What they have going for them is Taylor's sense of hooks, though it also makes this feel more Stone Sour. This song grew on more than some of the others. "H377" Is heavier but it feels like they are trying to hard without yielding much in terms of drawing me into the music. With that said and further illustrating the lack of consistency they dial that song in then deliver the album's best song with "De Sade: They last song is a big epic production rife with dynamics, but it feels kinda of empty in places to  my ears, but for every moment like that Taylor balances it out with a smart vocal line. He pretty saves the album and proves he is Slipknot.  I will give this one a 9, as it is clear they are doing what they set out to do even if there is some misdirection regarding what that is. They are still nu-metal, but happen to be a band that proves nu-metal is not limited to ADIDAS flavored rap metal.  

Sumerlands : "Dreamkiller"

Half of this band from Philly used to be Eternal Champion, so stepping back into the slicker radio sheen of 80s hard rock not unlike say Queensryche is not a huge leap for these guys. I prefer the smoother vocal croon of this singer. They are capable of going into more melodic places with this guy. Their second full length finds them even more comfortable in these sonic spaces. "Heavens Alone" finds them almost flirting with commercial new wave sounds. Plenty of bands of this kind did that in the 80s. I think this finds the band in more unique sonic space when they go to these more overt hooks. It is just damn solid songwriting that works better than when they are heavier. I think this could be due to the fact in order to fully emote a heavy sound there has to be some kind of inner darkness or struggle to power it. These are well adjusted dudes who just like to rock out. 

This can be felt on the more up-tempo gallop of the title track which faces with vigor but lacks the heft to be heavy, sure it is metal, but not dark or dangerous. Some of this can be the fault of the crisp and pristine production. If the heavier songs were roughed up a bit, they would not have a very uniform sound so that has them between a rock and hard rock place. They are really into guitar solos so if you are into that then you are in luck. "Night Ride" which has an almost "Holy Diver" like bass pulse to it but is more pristine like a Scorpions album. "Edge of the Knife" finds them in more of Dokken's zip code with its big arena sound.  "Force of a Storm " musically sounds like a lost track from "Ultimate Sin". The vocals have little in common with Ozzy, instead it is more of the furious Jake E Lee like playing.  

Things get darker for "the Savior's Lie" but as far as the melodies goes there is a great deal of warbling bellows over the more exotic doom-tinged riffs, that works more of a throb rather than hooks. Sonically I like this direction, just tighten the melodies, but it works for what it is. There is a more power metal infused chug to the last song, with a riff that sounds more like old Dokken. These guys are great at what they do even if what they do is not the most original thing, not a ton of bands copying solo Ozzy and Dokken so there is a gap to be filled, I will give this album a 9. Very well done if the production was not so slick it might feel more like a long lost 80s album.  This album is oddly being released on Relapse Records. 

 

Hegemone : " Voyance" Review and Full Album Stream.

This Polish band returns with another dense slab of nasty sonics. This is their third full length, and you may remember us really digging their 2018 album "We Disappear". The continue to balance really heavy almost to the point of being abrasive sludge with a more atmospheric drone. The opening track pretty much splits the difference, to finds them starting off really heavy then drifting off into a gray shadow filled ocean. Where it is not the catchiest in terms of riffage or songwriting, they make up for it in the dark mood. It is however more gripping than the blast beaten "Solace". I think they are more convincing as a sludge band than a black metal band, and do not blend the sounds as organically as say Withered. They do stylistically fall between many of the cracks, but no matter how you want to label them, the difference in the first two songs is noticeable in terms of what resonates most uniquely to them.   

They are back to blasting on "Odium". Once again, I am getting the same feel as I did on the previous song, that the drumming is taking them in a different direction than where what they do resonates the best for them as a band. They capture some great songs around the way and are almost convincing mean if I had not heard what they did on the first song. They return to something closer to what they opened the album with for the song "Sermon". I think this works much better. Once again hooky songwriting is not the prime motivational factor in plat, but the sonic punishment is pleasing in a metal manner. There are some black metal elements, but they work better when contrasted by the other sounds. 

When they use riffs like the more chilling melody that opens "Abeyance" they are hitting the sweet spot, but it gets lost when they pour on the speed. This is balanced out as the song progresses and the blast beat is just a temper tantrum that bates into a more droning section. Sung vocals also appear. The way they are produced is pretty unique, though not unlike Fear Factory's early use or what Justin Broadrick does with Jesu. The growling is typically lower and less black metal. The more atmosphere the better with these guys as it it helps keep them from disappearing within the pack of like-minded bands. "Inference" is the best of both worlds for what this band is going for there is an increased black gaze ambiance, though they save really getting it all right for the last song, which is the album's best and finds them knocking it out of the park with a really sonically heavy song, that draws you in. Even with the lapses into black metal, it becomes a matter or personal taste and what to our ears sounds best for the band, but if we ask did they accomplish what they set out to do here, I think the answer is a yes, so I will give this a 9. 

Clutch : "Sunrise on Slaughter Beach"

 

With their 13th album it might first feel like the Baltimore based band is circling what they did on the more explosive "Psychic Warfare" album, but the deeper you venture into it, this changes. While the opener does try to recapture that magic, they return to the grooves where their strength this. Lyrically the are geeking out with a Dungeons & Dragons themed song on "Mountain of Bone" where Fallon ponders if he is chaotic evil or lawfully good. The title track is more grooving, but the hooks on "Nosferatu Madre" might be some of the bands strongest. The Sabbath influence is more noted on this album.  Fallon's vocals are song and find his vocal cords expanding into a more striking range. This is even more impressive when you consider he is now 50. 

This album not only finds the band locking into some of their catchiest song writing, but the most metal influenced as well.  Along with this comes darker vibes that can be felt on the creep leading into "Mercy Brown". Thye grooves are more syncopated, and blues infused here. Fallon's soulful belt empowers the band to do no wrong. The catch is when he is not at the peak of inspiration the band delivers what you expect from the band, but without the energy that is the tangible x-factor which elevates the band above most. This more typical sound can be heard on "We Strive for Excellence" . But even then, their color by numbers is better than most.   "Skeletons on Mars" is more nuanced. The guitars give things space, and the bass drives the song.

"Three Golden Horns" is all over the place. It stars off with a jazz feel, before going into more of rock feel.  It flows pretty much like most of their songs until after an angular breakdown, the prog interlude ends with a very metal riff. It took a few listens to all sink in but works well once it did. "Jackhammer Our Names" drones on a creepy match not unlike something Tom Waits might do, but Fallon is a better singer than Waits so it has a more soulful feel.  I will give this one a 9.5 and see how it sits with me over time. So far very impressed and in either case clear it sits next to the body of their work, with the kind of grace and class we have come to expect from these guys. 

Her Shadow: "the Ghost Love Chronicles"

 

There is a 60s Phil Spectorish sound haunting the way this band from Finland layers their sounds. The rest of it falls into a Californian collage of surreal technicolored daydreams that David Lynch would be proud of. It's atmospheric pop, though the opening track sails along the sunset without latching onto the kind of blatant hooks that give pop it's sugar craving. "Raging Blue" has a solod guitar sound that rips out of it and the ethereal vocals find greater tensile strength in pulling melodies together. Anna Carolina's voice, hovers in a breathy stasis most of the time, and works more off filling the space with melodies from decades past. There is more of a rock under current to this record than you everyday dream pop band used to invoke. 

I had to listen to "So Close" a couple of times before my ears caught on to what was happening.  Sure, we can make comparisons to Lana Del Rey. But there is less in the way of smooth folky torch singing. Anna allows herself to fade into the music, rather than make it an extension of her persona.  "Devil Inside" might be the most effective display of song writing, in every respect. The vocals lock into a catchy chorus. The first song that sounds like it has any common ground with the music of today is " Kinda Lovc You". There is a more dramatic feel to "Poisoned Moon" which could be the theme song to a James Bond movie with its smoky intensity.  The melody is more abstract and overcome by the ambiance until the dynamics shift. Blonde Redhead is another band whose sound comes close to this sonic zip code. 

Lonely Surf rock reverb rings out on "Vigilante". The night air blows cool on the guitars while the rest of the arrangement just simmers in the background, until two minutes it converges into a more country amble. There is even an odd dash of psychedelia on the middle section, while her plea of needing a reason to say with you, has more of a Portishead vibe. The album's dreamiest moment might be " The Age of Velvet". It waltzes with a delicate pulse as piano holds the song together. What is unexpected is for this band to close the album with a thirteen-minute song. After an eerie minute of breathing guitar comes in. It's like folk that was intended to be the unsettling lullaby for the closing credits of a horror movie. This is the album's darkest moment, and I am fine with that. There are some droning parts that could have been trimmed back to make this song more effective, but there are some impressive prog like dynamics that it builds off of. In the studio a few minutes of drone could have been better suited for jamming out live. For a band whose main emphasis is the vocals, such excess, does not have a purpose in the studio.  I give this album a 9.5, as it gracefully creates something both familiar and unique. Out November 11th on Svart Records.   

the Mars Volta : " s/t"

At 47 its impressive that Cedric's pipes are as pristine as they are. Let's face it this album would be a much different story if that was not the case. Some of this might be attributed to scientology, which he credits for getting him off drugs. Perhaps from the trippy haze around the album he just means hard drugs. Wink Wink. They have scaled back the sprawling progginess of what they do and reined things in to write songs not just jams. Impressively so with something like "Graveyard Love". "Shore Story" is almost more like a soulful ballad. It is weirder and more organic than say the Weeknd in this regard and done without a team of producers or songwriters. 

The melodies are dripped over more interesting jazz like drumming on "Blank Condolences". Gone are the explosive Led Zeppelin like elements that marked their earlier work. Instead, things simmer nicely. "Vigil" sounds like a long-lost song from the 70s. When they do get more adventurous with the groove they lean into their Latin roots. "Cerulea" is another ballad, not as interesting as the first dip into this sort of thing. "Flash Burns from Flash Backs" finds them in more of a wander with the groove style of writing. "Palm Full of Crux" is another 70s slow jam. Woodwinds whistle in the background to thicken the atmosphere. The vocals melodies are more effective as well. If they were once like the Spanish Rush, they are now the Spanish Moody Blues.  

They are dipping into a Ween like flavor of pop on "No Case Gain".  They fall back into balladry on "Tourmalline" . There is a more synthy tone to the groove of "Equus 3". The xylophone accompanying it is the taste of prog infused into this. If we are talking about "No Quarter" then I can hear the Led Zeppelin influence here. Speaking of influences if you mixed Yes with the Police the results might be along the lines of "Collapsible Shoulders" . Things continue getting trippy on the last song.  I will give this a 9.5 and see how it sits on me, the lack of rocking keeps it from being a ten but they wrote some great songs despite this.    

Goatwhore : "Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven"

 

One of the best American metal bands going today is back. They are continuing to storm the burning gates of heaven with a sound that offers few surprises, yet seldom feels like they are recycling sounds already beaten into the charred earth.  A black metal snarl occupies the more death metal like aggression of the verses before a lower growl dominates the chorus. The death metal pummeling dished out on the second song is more nuanced as they shift through the riffs. There is more of a spacious black metal feel to the title track, that allows for a balance of pounding drums and atmospheric guitar chords. They guitars are well layered and it's a very interesting mix that sonically feels different than their previous albums.   

They go into a more punk influenced chord progression on "Death from Above".  They find a hookier riff-oriented version of this energy with the more thrash feel of "Ruinous Liturgy". the only problem being when they keep the pace for the song after, it felt like this was the same song. When they dig into the grittier death metal chug of "Voracious Blood Fixation" it is more effective, in the mood it creates. The very deliberate march of "the Devils Warlords" is very effective and true to who they are.  There is a more unlaced approach to the chords leading into "Weight of a Soulless Heart".  Far from selling out, it   shows how a more melodic touch can give a much-needed shift in the shades of blackness, 

"Nihil" finds the thrashing speed of their attack overcoming the song. I do like the layered vocals on the chorus. I know fans of extreme metal do likes balls out blitz, it's not my favorite thing they do and even in this song they latch into a more groove chug. The last song they return to peak form, with songwriting that continues to excel as they blend more melodic guitar work to create a creepy throb. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me, they continue to grow 8 albums and two decades into their career. 

Skid Row: " The Gang's All Here"

Ironically the first album by these guys that I have checked out post- Sebastian Bach is called "the Gangs All Here". Much like most bands in their position they are keen to find someone who sounds almost just like their old singer. This is the first album to feature drummer Rob Hammersmith, despite Rob being in the band since, 2010. This is also the band's first album with new singer Erik Gronwall from Sweden. The title is infected with the kind of 80s cheese that this band rose above with more of an edge. Erik does however prove he can do a fitting Sebastian Bach. The get caught up in a peppy upbeat glam sound on "Not Dead Yet" and while Erik can hit high notes, I would like to hear him pull off the kind of grit Bach was capable of on songs like "Piece of Me". 

"Time Bomb" is the first song that has a heavier more forward-thinking sound. Erik has more power than grit, but when properly delivered, it works, I think he has not dealt with the same kind of troubled life experiences Bach had at his age so you can feel it in the energy of his voice, it is more youthful and optimistic, but much less wild.  "Resurrected" fall back into the trap of the 80s sound.  They get heavier in a way that is dynamic and does not force their new singer to be someone he is not on "Nowhere Fast".   "the Lights Come On", is true to Skid Row, but a step backward for them as a band, since they are trying to recreate the first album here.  The riff that opens "Tear it Down" reminds me of "Shout at the Devil" but overall, I like this song better than the previous one. 

They continue to show their mastery of the power ballad on "October song". It is hands down so far, the album's best song. Is it good enough to earn this album a place on my iPod, well that is another story.  "World's On Fire" should be the album heaviest song, but that is not the case. This album is better than expected but I do not feel moves what they do forward like their previous albums, so I will round this down to an 8.5, which is still better than most of their peers. 

 

9

Parkway Drive : "Darker Still"

This one of those bands whose name is familiar with, but I have lumped in with all the bands that crawled from the ashes of Myspace. To press play and actually hear them is weird because, while my preconceived notions of them are not off base, they come at this in a weird way. It is like they digest an entire metal magazine and then use AI to regurgitate something that has all the parts of the bands in said magazine. There is a guitar melody that sounds like it could have come from Amon Amarth. They are despite this pedaling varied version of metal core. The vocals have almost a nu-metal bounce to them. Clicking around the internet to make sense of this the two biggest clues are that they are from Wales, and they also like Iron Maiden which might explain the Celtic melodies that creep into the guitars. 

"Glitch" sounds like a burlier version of Linkin Park with reduced hip hop influence, but not devoid of it. Then the go back to what would almost be folk metal but run through this odd nu-metal filter on "the Greatest Fear" this time it even comes with a pirate like gang vocal. In borrowing from so many sounds they have diverted themselves from the confines of the bandwagon. The more I listen the more I understand what they are trying to do. This does not mean I also like what that is but can wrap my head around it. There is more of a Metallica sound to the title track. By Metallica I am talking about their fetish for power ballads, which is what separated them from the rest of the thrash bands, who tried to follow in their footsteps to less effective results. These guys pull it off pretty well, and if you are into guitar solos, they also dish out some pretty good ones. They are less effective on "Imperial Heretic" where the blending of styles does not work as well.  

The almost rapped vocals leading into "If a God Can Bleed" might want to be more like Fatih No More, but it comes across like Mushroom Head. "Soul Bleach" is more typical of metal core, there is more groove to "Land of the Lost" which is what this album really needed all along to compensate for the awkward vocals. They often seem like they are trying too hard. The effects on the vocals smooth that out. They default to more of a nu-metal sound on the last song and lose what ground they gained with me, but to their credit they are taking the nu-metal core thing in a different direction with the Iron Maiden like guitar melodies. I will give this album a 7.5. 

Revocation : "Netherheaven"

 

A great deal of hype is already building around this album, so once again my job becomes to see if this album lives up to it.  It starts off with kind of thrashing death metal that reminds me of post-"Domination" Morbid Angel. It is very tight in its attack and the guitar sound is mean but is this enough to fuel an entire album. "Lessons in Occult Theft" seems an appropriate title as there is a great deal of occult appropriation thematically.  It is on the more technical side of death metal with the vocals accenting some of the punches to give the song writing more hook than the first song. I am more impressive when it streamlines into the gritty chug of "Nihilistic Violence" which is the first song that I like. Not that I do not appreciate how good they are at what they do on the first two songs. 

"Strange and Eternal " races at more of a breakneck speed. Just playing fast has never impressed me. There is little room for hooks or melody, and really just sounds like any death metal band that has already done this thing, Cader the first that come to mind. Three minutes in they do converge upon a cool riff, but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. If you are into shreddy guitar solos this band has you covered. There is a sun refrain, but it feels more like an afterthought.  "Galleries of Morbid Artistry" does have a middle section that wanders off into melodic clean guitar. How this is arranged does not feel like the most organic progression, though there is more of a dynamic shift that the previous songs. I prefer the more progressive groove in the sinew of the riff that opens up "the 9th Chasm".  Even though it is an instrumental it is much more well written than most of this albums' songs.   

"Godforsaken' is another example of how they are capable of writing effective song that are still heavy without having to sacrifice catchy songwriting. When they lean toward more of a darker vision of death metal it works better for me, with that what hangs in the balance is the question, will they take the easy way out and rely on speed to compensate for writing riffs that are memorable?  The last song finds them in the thrashier side of death metal which Goatwhore does better. These guys however might be better at guitar solos, which does not do much for me but dear reader it might be something you are into, thus our interests in music part ways . I will give this album and 8.5, better than most bands that do this sort of thing, but despite a few great songs and many ones that make me feel like they work, but do not make me feel more passionately about them, so I think an 8.5, is pretty accurate even taking fans of this sort of thing into consideration.  

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