The Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2023

It is not surprising that Black Metal's popularity has waned in the hipster metal scene . If people are calling it problematic then they are poseurs who were never into it in the first places as it has always represented  misanthropic hate and nihilistic disdain for the world,  These albums captured what black metal should be with very little compromise, as being the outsider sub-genre of metal, here is are band that exceled the most at it.   After I sort trough the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Black Metal  albums of 2023.

10-Felsenmirror -"s/t"

They do have a dark sound and are very deliberate, which I prefer to a bunch of blast beats, If you were to take away the folk of Agalloch, long with the more technical side of their guitar work and replaced it with crust then you would get something close to what goes down here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-felsebmirror.html

 9- Tulus -"Fandens Kall" 

They are a piece of black metal history, as it features members of Khold. If you do not know Khold, but claim to like black metal then you are a poseur and should burn a church with yourself in it. Granted Khold is not as big of a name in Norwegian black metal as Darkthrone, Mayhem, Emperor or ... well you can see where this is going. They are most impressive due to the fact they retained their rock n roll sense of groove, making their songs catchier than your average blast fest. Or really any blast fest for that matter, since they all sound the same.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-tulus-fandens.html

8-Altari-  "Kröflueldar" 

There is a darker more melodic throb. The bellowing vocals are the most black metal thing about the opening track. What I like about this album is two songs in and it is clear the darkness of the overall sound is the most black metal thing about this, as they are not hitting you with the normal metallic onslaught of blast beats. For that reason, there is something more honest in the sound. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-altari.html

7-Monachopsis Art - "An Empty Existence" 

Not as raw as many of their Finnish countrymen, there is a more deliberate and majestic feel . The vocals are multilayered, with both the anguished scowling of the more wretched larynx torture along with the softer more operatic intonations of Natalie from the Abbey. It's the melodic excursions that add more depth than their peers.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-monachopsis-art-empty.html

6-Dødheimsgard -"Black Medium Current" 

The 6th album this band has released since 1995 means that they value quality over quantity. Their first album in eight years, finds that they are still Norwegian black metal in the truest since of the term, but they are not just trying to replicate what Darkthrone once did. They are not afraid of blast beats, but do not depend on them, while sung vocals are used almost in equal measure to the harsh growls as They shift through many melodic moods and atmospheres.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/ddheimsgard-black-medium-current.html

5-Cloak - "Black Flame Eternal "

This  Atlanta band might have  finally hit their creative stride with album number three.  The songwriting stomps with more debilitation. The influence of Dissection is still here and heard on "With Fury and Allegiance".  While fellow Atlantans Withered have flirted with black metal influence in the past , these guys are the first to really commit to it. The layers of guitar benefit from the evolution of production that hits the sweet spot on this album. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/cloak-black-flame-eternal.html

4- Shining - "s/t" 

My favorite depressive black metal band is back for album 11. They are stepping back into their old ways. Niklas is joined by two former members of Cradle of Filth, to bring a darkly unrepentent vision of sonic darkness, that pays homage to classic metal in it's own way, as King Diamond's Andy Laroque produced the album as well as adds a guest guitar spot. This album is darker and has more malicious intent than Cloaks more theatrical efforts.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/08/shining-st.html

 

3-Hexvessel - "Polar Veil" 

With this project's 6th album, things have taken a turn to black metal. The metallic buzz of guitar casts chilling shadows behind the mournful vocal melody. It moves at more of a drone, but with the dreary chant of the vocals it somehow works. He does have a black metal past, so this is not a surprise in how these sounds are married. The fact this album takes the risk of showing clean vocals can hold down a black metal album elvevates it over the heavier release by Shining. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/07/hexvessel-polar-veil.html

 

2-Wayfarer- "American Gothic" 

This band has gotten progressively better with each album. This one is more metallic than their last. The Western-tinged throb of guitar is still in the mix.  They still hold plenty of snarls, though lean into a more deliberate double bass attack rather than adhering to the blast-beaten formula of black metal. The  have gone deeper into their dusty brand of black metal, with more power and authority than Hexvessel earning them this spot.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/10/wayfarer-american-gothic.html

 

1-Downfall of Gaia -""Silhouettes Of Disgust"

This album is more black metal in its feeling than what I remember of the 2019 album. It is both darker and more aggressive. The soaring atmosphere still lingers, but not enough to stop this raging storm of sound they are creating here. The world is a darker and angrier place so this is fitting. It takes more chances than Wayfarer, who are also great song writers, but in more of a well-fitted groove, as Downfall of Gaia, is not content with a formula. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-downfall-of.html

Adzes : "Inver"

This New Zealand based projects finds coarse vocals gasping for their last breath over a post-hardcore that would otherwise not be far removed from bands like Failure. It sounds like the end result is due to the guy just not being able to sing and settling on this vocal presentation. The second song proves that my assumption was not far off as when he does try to sing it's weak and rather pitchy. I think with the help of a power producer they might have been able to work around this. "Abyss Watchers" finds a return to the harsher vocals that once again provide a contrast to the more grungy angular jangle of the guitars. 

"Rainhammer' comes down with more of a grunge-infused rock clamor with graceful flourished of melodic guitar work layered in. When this occurs it is clearly the project's best moment. This time around the vocals are spoken rather than sung. The thick burly bass line of "Antipode" is not unlike what we have heard from bands like Helmet or the Melvins. The vocals are more of a tense whisper going into the song. It's almost as if Agalloch was not a black metal band but a grunge-era band.  They way the vocals somewhat shift as the dynamics build supports this comparison. 

The more deliberate title track drones against the steady pulse that proves effective.The song after this feels like meandering black metal with shoe-gazing leanings, which is not out of left field and we have heard it done better.  Then it is not until the last song that he really delivers. The vocals here are much better than any other vocal performance on the album. This makes the harsher vocals work better. The bass playing on this album continues to impress. Overall I will give this album an 8, needs better production and more coaching vocally, but they are onto something that works. 

the Top 10 Doom Albums of 2023

 

I love to celebrate death and darkness, Doom is the music that should not only embrace a sense of loss and depression but sonically express it. These  are the albums that did that best captured that feeling this year .   After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Doom albums of 2023.

10-Adversvm-"Vama Marga"

This  band is capable of traversing sonic depth and on the heavier side of death doom as needed. This German band recently added the keyboardist from Evoken to their ranks, which is what made me take notice. This marks the band's third full length. Not sure I would quite  lump them into funeral doom as I am not getting that same sense of depressive longing , so they seem more like an atmospheric death doom band .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/adversvm-vama-marga.html

 9-Saturnus- "the Storm Within"

 It could be said these guys are death doom if your definition of the sub-genre weighs heavily on the vocals. Musically there is a very lush expanse of sound summoned from what this Danish band does. They have been around since the 90s and this is only their 5th album, so they take their time. They have what they do very dialed in

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/06/death-is-june-saturnus-storm-within.html

8-Isole-" Anesidora"

I  really liked this Swedish band's 2019 album "Dystopia". They seem to be heading into even more melodic territory. Deliberate and dark, but not doom in the way it is most easily defined. There is more drive, almost in the same sonic zip code as Hangman's Chair, the vocals have a more regal operatic feel, and the singer is clearly not as depressed. This majestic soaring feel, is what separates them into their own niche. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/isole-anesidora.html

7-Usnea - "Bathed in Light"

I was a fan of this band's 2017 album. They are back at it with a greater mix of atmospheric moods and crushing doom that carries the dirty heft of sludge. Though a great deal of it has been smoothed out due to the attention to detail that was spent recording this. The vocals go from a low guttural growl to a more anguished scream. In the past six years since their last album they have been polishing every element of what they do. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/usnea-bathed-in-light.html

6- Ahab- the Coral Tombs 

8 years of chaos have passed since this German doom band released their last album. Chris Noir of  Ultha lends his voice to the highly aggressive black metal start of the opening track before it ebbs down into the doom you expect from this band. The croon of the baritone vocals here, is delivered with more power and presented more forward in the mix. The vocals play a bigger role in the overall sound this time around. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/ahab-coral-tombs.html

5- Shores of Null- the Loss of Beauty" 

I really enjoyed this Italian band's 2017 album, now they are proving to be just as hard to pin down. Musically there is a great deal in common with black metal, but the crooned vocals throw that comparison off to some extent. The growled vocals feel more death metal. The tremolo flow of guitar could also come from something pagan metal like Tyr, so a great deal is going on with some interesting melancholy passages to add to the dynamics.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/shores-of-null-loss-of-beauty.html

4- the Abbey-"Word of Sin"

Hailing from bands like Man Eating Tree and Shape of Despair, this doom band out of Finland , does what I wish Ghost did, by playing dark metal, with catchy layer vocals . The cadence and how the vocals are layered is what brings Ghost to mind. Unlike Ghost this has the balls of metal to it even when draped in doomy goth finery

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-abbey-word-of-sin.html

3-GODTHRYMM - "Distortions"

UK doomsters Godthrymm return with their dark and gritty vision of metal. It's vision that is true to the classic while not gazing into the stagnation of retro obsessions. Unless we are talking about the 90s as this would have fit well into the doom that was coming out then. They feels like they are chugging forward rather than meandering in droning sprawl.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/07/godthrymm-distortions.html

2-Orphans of Dusk -"Spleen"

 They are doom band with low sung baritone vocals , but also use death metal snarls as well, which not what Peter Steele did, so yes there is influence there, but Woods of Ypres, Moonspell, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride could all be influences as well. If you just label them a Type O tribute then you are telling me you have a very limited range of musical knowledge. They 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/orphans-of-dusk-spleen.html

1- Mansion- Second Death 

This Finnish band does doom most uniquely at times they blend a minimalist folk not unlike what a  cult would sing as their mantra, as they lurch along in a very creepy manner. The tangible darkness of the music is heavier than the distortion of the guitars of the volume, though they are capable of applying those dynamics as well. I think they tap into cool dark places that few go in a new way. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-is-doom-mansion-second-death.html

Auralayer : "Thousand Petals"

 One thing I like about this time of year is it is when I get to catch up on bands I might have missed. This band from Greenville is one of those that passed under my radar. They are a stoner rock band that flirts with metal at times, at least on the opening track. The sung vocals have a retro feel. "All My Time" is a straight-ahead rocker, but "Christ Antler" recalls when grunge became more adventurous in the mid-nineties, and puts the band in a more unique sonic space. The drumming works really well on this one. 

"Faith to Reason' has more stomp to it, but sounds like it would have come from any band playing bars in the mid-90s. A heavier riff crops up with more chug to it but the rule here is... cool riffs alone does not a good song make. 'Shelf Black" sounds like if the Foo-fighters were depressed alcoholics who did not care if they were played on the radio. On a song like "Peacemonger," you might roughly trace it back to the Black Sabbath influence, but most of this lies in the fuzzed-out guitar tone. 

They might call themselves "power doom" but a song like "You Walk" is grunge, with more of a Melvins meets Soundgarden-like attitude. "Dance to Thrash" has more movement to it, that roughly explores a rumbling punk feel. The last song launches into a more driven punk-fueled version of what they do. While this band is onto something here, they need to place the focus on the more interesting grunge sounds they touched. I will give this album an 8, as it takes more steps in the right places than not. 

the Top 10 Sludge Albums of 2023

 

Let's face it this might be the last top ten list for this genre I get to make as the world could end at any moment these days. These are the bands that best celebrated the coming apocalypse as Sludge should. After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Sludge albums of 2023.

10- No Spill Blood - "Eye of Night" 

This Irish band's second album finds them taking and very hard-driving form of sludge and marrying it to synth-driven rock. The more analogue synth soundsslowly drips into their atmosphere. A throaty bark is the narrative. This instills the anger of sludge into the proceedings. Their strength is touching on the sonic space atmosphere is embraced and is at the heart of their heaviness rather than just trying to beat this sound into your ears.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/no-spill-blood-eye-of-night.html

9- the Moth - "Frost" 

 The new album from this German trio is an interesting blend of fuzzed-out dark sounds. The vocals are layered, and the guitars drive things in a sludge direction. This is their first album for Exile on Mainstream and is a good snapshot of who this band is. There is a punk simplicity, but a rich layering of vocal melodies thanks to the voice of Cecile Ash. She manages to be equally commanding and despondent.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-moth-frost.html

8- Cinema Cinema - " Mjölnir"

This band has Thor Harris from Swans playing with them, along with Sonic Youth's producer on the board. They also have a hammering anger that gets released in a dynamic fashion with punk tendencies.  Brooding sonic shadows shading their musings, in a manner not unlike bands such as Liars or Xiu Xiu, who both took ample inspiration from Swans with  vocals are a charismatic ranting about hard social truths amid there otherwise explosive nature. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/07/cinema-cinema-mjolnir.html

  7-Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean - "Obsession Destruction"

 Compared to their 2020 album "The Vestige"  the vocals have more of a scathing of a scream. The retain the plodding element of doom but this time it flows more like a indie rock or shoegaze in the manner it shimmers toward the bleak abyss of sound they draw from. This album finds the band taking chances outside their mission statement of just being heavy as all hell which they also achieve. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/chained-to-bottom-of-ocean-obsession.html

6-Moor-"Heavy Heart" 

This German band adds more melodic colors to the sludge formula with  less howled almost sung vocals, and post-rock atmosphere, that can only further Neurosis comparisons but at the same time allows the band to find themselves amidst this. They are very effective at painting the picture they set out to convey with their instruments and it's a fun listen .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-is-doom-moor-heavy-heart.html

 

5-Obelyskkh -" Ultimate Grace of God" 

This German metal band marries the lumbering crunch of sludged-out doom with crusty punk attitude.This album was teased as early as 2019 so it has been at least 4 years in the making now. Some of the angular twists and turns the riffs make show their more dexterity-induced sense of adventure. The production of this album  is very natural in how the sounds are captured. They have a prog-like sense of wonderment when the songs sprawl out. Their fifth album took five years to bring to fruition, so every note is well thought out.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2022/12/obelyskkh-ultimate-grace-of-god.html

4-Ugly-"Autograph"

In the 90s sludge was more crazed and less composed than the sludge of today. It owed more to crust and punk, than it does today, and this band remembers that. There are certainly metallic moments when every thing converges upon a riff to crush you. I like the darker sonic that include the use of samples. The vocals take a little bit to get use to as they are very raw, with barely any effects on them just crazed man screaming into a mic. Krysta Curry from Landmine Marathon also share vocal duties while helping out with synths, samples, and percussion.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/ugly-autograph.html

3- Predatory Void - "the Seven Keys to the Discomfort of Being" 

Combining members of Amenra with the vocalist from Russian Black Metal band Cross Bringer, there is something dark and powerful being created here. While Lina's vocal mainly focus on more brutal harshness, she does sing some passages in a more ethereal alto . The heaviness is a like a crashing wave , it hit and then recedes with a throb. These guys are more sludge than any other genre as the sonic heaviness approaches the shadows rather than bathing in them.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/predatory-void-seven-keys-to-discomfort.html

2- Fange- "Privation" 

This French band still connects the dots to hard core, but now have a more industrial influence creeping in. The vocals are still driven by a mean roar. This album finds them getting even darker, so they . It should be said that they come to this sonic intersection without hopping on the Code Orange band wagon. Sometimes the more crushing aspects of the riffing put them in a similar stylistic zip code, but they get there in a very organic fashion, making me suspect they know who they are while doing this. They are actually heavier than Code Orange typically gets with a more metallic intent a more hammering brand of sludge.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/08/fange-privation.html

 

1-the Lion's Daughter -"Bath House" 

There is a great deal going on with this album. The synths are very present in the mix going into the otherwise hammering open song. Throaty vocals are aggressive but howled more than growled. Sung vocals often emote over what is a  more brooding turn for the band. There is an ominous feel to counterbalance the more grandiose feel. I really enjoyed this one it's an improvement over what they did on "Skin Show" This album grew on me, and carries great depth.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-lions-daughter-bath-house.html

November is Doom -The Top 10 Stoner Rock Albums of 2023

Living in Florida reminds me why I do not like reggae. It's too happy, and all sounds the same. But you do not have to get stoned to music that sucks. In fact here are ten examples of albums you can break out the bong to. After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Stoner Rock albums of 2023.

 10- Bongzilla -"Dab City" 

Carrying on the long-running tradition of delivering some of the best sonic baked goods, this stoner metal band rumbles on with no less enthusiasm as they had in the 90s when they started this.This album shows a band still doing what they do best, it has enough ebb and flow for me to keep my interest when something that normally drones on the kinds of jams they do might lose me. If you are a fan, then they surely will deliver what you love about them. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/06/bongzilla-dab-city.html

 

9-Dozer -"Drifting into the Endless Void" 

Sweden is not the sort of place I would expect bong-inspired hymns to descend from. But here we are. I should look to Europe for this sort of thing, since aside from Kyuss I am not big on the desert rock thing. These guys are darker than most stoner rock, they have a tense drive to them but steer away from allowing a retro sensibility to haunt them. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-is-doom-dozer-drifting-into.html

 8-Gozu-"Remedy" 

 I was wondering before I pressed play what this band did to get signed on Metal Blade Records. The answer is to write vocal-oriented songs that stand out from the pack. The vocal harmonies recall Alice in Chains, while the guitars have more of a Black Label Society grit to them. To their credit, they keep things pretty dynamic. Perhaps their influences are worn on their sleeves, but it all comes together better than most, riding a middle ground that is neglected in heavy music these days.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-is-doom-gozu-remedy.html

 

7- Stoned Jesus- "Father Light" 

This band from Ukraine falls along the more bong blazing styles of hard rock. Given the nature of their lives the lyrics are  apocalyptic in tone,  I am surprised bands there are still making music at all. Last July was their first rehearsal since the invasion took place. The current events influencing the tone of the songs, without preaching to you about them.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/stoned-jesus-father-light.html

 

6-High Priest - "Invocation" 

This band from Chicago brings it in a manner that pays homage to many bong-savvy genres. The first song strikes an effective balance of atmosphere and beefy rock riffs with a punch. that does not rely on Sabbath too heavily. I can hear the post-grunge strains of early Foo-fighters, mixed with a more surreal current running through it. They seem to always serve the songs. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-is-doom-high-priest-invocation.html

 

5-Strange New Dawn- "New Nights of Euphoria"

This Norweigian band features members of Green Carnation and In the Woods. The opening track has progressive elements but with an aggressive pounding propelling it. The sung vocals have a somewhat maniacal feel to them. The attack of the guitar is a little more black metal than doom, but you can hear how these elements are fighting against one another in harmonic chaos. Gloomy prog that grows on you with it's brand of weird. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-is-doom-strange-new-dawn-new.html

4-Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs - "Land of Sleeper"  

The newest album from the British stoner/sludge outfit finds the more punk undercurrent that ran through their previous album smoothed out in favor of a more Sabbath like lumber. This was an element of their sound before, but this album is refined into a more metallic direction. I like the sonic heaviness  in play , that balances out the fact they are more of a metal band now. That is not to say there are not some burly moments that lean into more of a Motorhead like rumble when they step on the gas.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs-land.html

 

3-Haurun- "Wilting Within" 

The shadows sway with the bong-laden haze of this band's gloomy dirges. There is a great deal of maturity possessing the debut from this Oakland-based band. One of their most apparent strengths lies in the voice of  Lyra Cruz. Eliot Rennie's drumming certainly helps to keep things moving in a fluid manner. I really love what is going on here, aside from the deliberate choice to sacrifice the metallic heft of guitars, I think they make perfect choices in a flowing organic fashion.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/09/haurun-wilting-within.html

 

2- Rezn- "Solace" 

The fourth album from this amazing band out of Chicago. They often drone with a trippy vibe that carries exotic chord phrasings that make you feel like the drugs are already kicking in.  There are lots of well-layered sounds that sit in a much darker place than what you expect from psychedelic music, which is perfect for me. This perfection multiplies when they stop jamming around a get into the swirl of their songs which finds an androgynous tenor vocal weaving melodies around this concoction. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/rezn-solace.html

1-Royal Thunder - "Rebuilding the Mountain" 

 It's been seven years since their last album and the band went through some personal shit before returning reconfigured with drummer Adam Diprima back in the fold. This album took several listens to really grow on me, but was a worthwhile journey. They can not be accused of doing more of the same and the lengthy break brought a fresh coat of sonic musing to the table. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/royal-thunder-rebuilding-mountain.html

Black Stone Cherry : "Screamin At the Sky "

 

This Kentucky band has put out some worthwhile music, however, they also tend to fall into a weird middle ground that lumps them in with the hair metal bands that were trying to find themselves amid the grunge boom. A band like Saigon Kick comes to mind when I think of this era. A song like "Nervous" would have made it on the radio in a different place in time. It's hooky and well layered, they are clearly good at this brand of rock anthem. 

"When the Pain Comes" could be any radio rock and feels like a song where they have sold their identity down the river. The guitar solos are great, but that does not make a song worth listening to. "Out of Pocket" has more punch to it, though the lyrics are dumb. "Show Me What It Feels Like" is like a nu-metal radio moment, with a bit more soul. The riff to "ROAR" reminds me a little of the Scorpions. The country inflection in his voice is the only thing retaining their sense of self. 

I guess it makes sense why I do not review a great deal of mainstream rock, as it bores me. There is a decent hook to "Smile World", but nothing distinct about it. " the Mess You Made " works better than "Who Arew You Today' , I imagine that if Sevendust, made a pop country album it would sound like this. "Not Afraid" makes more of an effort to rock, but the riffs are not memorable, and their hearts are more invested in the kind of anthems that close out the album. I will give this a 7, well produced and played, but boring radio rock at its core. They need to smoke more weed. 

RIP - Kevin Geordie Walker

 

Most people knew Killing Joke's guitarist by his nickname "Geordie" which refers to his North East English accent. He might be the influential guitarist of his time, as his playing ranged from the more aggressive style that would later be called industrial to angular post-punk and more atmospheric passages. He founded Killing Joke with Jaz Coleman in 1979.  The death of the 64-year-old guitarist also signifies the death of the band. The tone from his 1952 hollow body Gibson, would become a signature of the band. While they were forward-thinking to the point of being apocalyptic, Walker's choice of guitar showed his admiration of Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore. 

This influence explains why even at the band's earliest beginnings Killing Joke was never just a punk band. As a student of rock's roots, Walker respected the art of writing memorable songs with melody,  thus often causing him to balance out Coleman's roar, with single-note melodies.His unique playing influenced bands who would go on to create entire sub-genres that can be traced back to their roots in Walker's playing. Bands like Ministry, Metallica,Tool, Neurosis, Turnstile, Fugazi, Helmet, Faith No More, Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Godflesh and Marilyn Manson, 

As one of my favorite bands Killing Joke stood alongside Fields of the Nephilim and New Model Army as the last of my bucket list bands. I had considered catching them opening for Tool in 2019, which would have required a trip to North Carolina, but I held wanting to catch them as a headliner. Before this, the stars never aligned as the only chance I think I had to see them before this was in 1994 when they toured with Stabbing Westward, which was during my 'drug years' which I barely remember, though even then I am sure there was a reasonable explanation why I did not go like took to many pills and slept for two days or lost track of what month it was. This leaves me with the legacy he left us, 

November is Doom- VAK : "The Islands"

 This Swedish band is interesting, when called a progressive sludge band, the burden of proof at first lies on the side of sludge, though with each song they become heavier. The album opens with a spacey instrumental piece, before going into a rowdier angular crunch where the gritty yet not fully growled vocals come in, when one thinks of sludge one thinks of doom that has been through the filter of punk, but with prog, it is then the antithesis of punk, so this is where an interesting original sound springs from. "Sewer Cafe' is where things become more acidic and begin to earn the sludge title more akin to early Mastodon yet on their own terms. However, it is more bass-dominant almost in a Killing Joke-like manner. 

While things are ominous with a meaty overdriven rumble, they feel more rock n roll on "Q & A " though this is mixed with psychedelic chaos. It does make for a listen with more depth than if they were to have just been another Neurosis impersonator. "Speed of Images" does let things ring out in a more deliberate doomy manner. I like how it gets darker as it drifts further downward, while they jam out the droning throb. "the Map" is another droning jam that finds things escalating to a much more apocalyptic mood.

This album is not progressive in the ways you might expect it to be, but they do show a more King Crimson-like side of themselves on "Bodies". The off-time manner in which the riffs wind around brings this to mind. The angular turning of the bass line gives this sonic snake of a song its spine, while noise crashes around it.  It is more focused on sound than song but is far out enough in left feel to make it an easy listen, at least for my ears. The eleven-minute "Melody Junkie" closes the album. Midway into the song, things shift into a heavier intensity with the throaty howl of the vocals chiming in.  Overall this is a very captivating listen, fans of heavier prog or more adventurous sludge will enjoy this , I will give it a 9, as capture a mood rather than dazzle you with math. 

November is Doom : Johnny the Boy : "You"

 

Some members of Crippled Black Pheonix got together to form this band. The first surprise is how the female vocals are delivered in a hateful snarl that is almost whispered.  There is equal black metal and doom influence here. On "Grime" she sings a little though it is mixed in the background, it also finds the band in a more deliberate chug. The combination of sounds is unique in how it all comes together and they clearly care about writing songs and not just bashing out heavy music. The lyrics are clever when they cut through. "He Moves" has a riff that creeps at a slower more doom-infused tempo. However, in this song, I need the vocals to show me more. She does include sung vocals in the breakdown later in the song. 

By the time we get to "Endlessly Seamlessly"  the overall sound is losing the element of surprise, and the uniform nature makes it have a uniform sound. I like the slight variation in her voice on this one that gives it more of its personality here. They do continue to ride on a more rock-n-roll chug. 'Crossings" has more of a black metal throb to it. It works for what they are doing here and it is not locked down into blast beats. "Druh" finds the drums pounding out this crusty anthem that is more blackened and straightforward. 

They continue to push things in an even more black metal direction with " Wired". Which is fine for what it is , but I am not sure that what it is makes the best use of their skills. 'Without You" shows that there was much more melodic potential here that went untapped as it is a western-tinged ballad. I will give this album a 9 for that reason, some of the black metal could have been trimmed down , but this project has a unique vision for what they do, which I appreciate since it is a very dark album. 

Great Falls : "Objects Without Pain"

 

This Seattle-based band gets weird. They go from minimalist slowcore to explosive noise rock. The vocals are yelled in a tortured manner that implies he is losing his mind. The guitars are certainly dense enough when they decide to be to warrant sludge comparisons, though they hit you from a more angular direction. The only drawback is that the nine-minute opener covers a wide range of sonics but is not always cohesive in terms of arrangements.  "Trap Feeding" is chaos. A collision of sometimes powerful chugged riffs that have gone askew in their rebellion for song structure. 

By the time we get to "Born As an Argument," we are now in more hardcore territory as it is clear that is where the vocals are coming from, and the bashing has the recklessness of punk. The drumming is the most impressive element here. "Old Worlds Worn Thin" returns to a darker more deliberate menace, that owes more to sludge than punk. The caterwauling howl of the vocals opens the doors to less structure or direction. "Spill into the Aisle" is more hammering and yelling, it's the other furious sonic shade that really makes their sound. The gnarly bass tone that starts off driving things is pretty effective. 

There is much more in common with hardcore than other styles of heavy music aside from the fact the producer dialed in the guitars to give them more of a sludge sound. The melodic middle section of "Ceilings Inch Closer" , counterbalances the more aggressive manner in which the song starts off.  "the Straveling" proves the most overt way might not be the best, as it is a more varied blend of hardcore that is more original than the bulk of the album. The last song might be more metallic, but hearing how the vocals control the narrative the feral yelling sets the mood. I will round this album up to an 8 as they capture some convincing sounds while not being complacent wit the direction the scene is going. Out on Nuerot Records