BRYMIR : "What We Leave Behind"

Here's a death metal band from Finland that embraces a racing thrash style of the genre that is very grandiose, with layers of Viking choruses in the background, but better than what Amon Amarth is doing. This is due to the aggression they hit these songs with. The first actual song is pretty fast, which works for an introduction that kicks the door in, but hopefully they won't try to maintain this speed for the duration of the album. Not the most original take, but they are throwing themselves into this with a great deal of conviction. 

It is a very cleanly produced album, as the solos all stand out and you are never lost in a wall of dense sound barreling at you. You are going to hear this year. They are technically proficient and armed with the drive to do this, but in two songs it seems to be littlei nth way of dynamics, as they never take their foot off the gas. The title track eases into it rather than starting out at hyper speed from the jump, but they do kick in when the verse is off to the races. It comes across as too happy for my tastes despite the anger of the main vocal snarling with conviction. "True Darkness' takes away all the flowery symphonic atmosphere to hit more likea post-Vincent Morbid Angel blast fest.

"Buried Legion" has an almost Dimmu Borgir-like feel.  There is not a great deal that I am hearing to set these guys apart. Sure, they can play their instruments, but at the end of the day, it boils down to what sets these guys apart from other death metal albums I own that makes me want to listen to this rather than Frozen Soul or At the Gates? For someone like me who has already reviewed 450 albums so far this year, there is not a great deal of time to waster when it comes to listening to music on my own time, so to move to the head of the pack you have to stand out and have songs that hook me in. With the rise of AI this is more important, as there is not much here to separate them from AI songs doing something similar with sweeping harmony parts. 

This album is also not that dark, and some of the big anthemic chorus sections sweeping in brighten it up further, which is odd considering how most music from Finland is dark given the prevelence of alcoholism in that country. The album cover is way darker than the music inside. 'The Roaring Kind' is a chug away from sounding like an anime opening theme. The abundance of guitar solos and synths plays into this. Just fast playing does not equate to heavy; the more purposeful riffs employed here are stifled by major keys, the same problem power metal has: "How Much is the Fish"  almsot sounds like a joke; there is too much folk metal in it.  I will give this album a 7. If death metal is too dark and intense for you then this is a good entry point.Out on Napalm Records.  

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Archgoat : "Nightbringer, Lightbringer"

This band from Finland keeps getting heavier. What I like about them is the fact that the members are actual Satanists who are not playing around, rather than being posers who just think pentagrams and goats are the required metal imagery to appropriate. There is a Morbid Angel-like atmosphere haunting the background of the opening track, which shifts from grindcore to death metal by the end of the song. 

There is also a great deal of purpose in the very deliberate march of "The Dawn to Armageddon." They get very blasty on "Iconoclasm the Nazarene". This carries over in the onslaught of "Blood of Jesus Spilling Upon the Earth".  A minute and a half into this, they relent and allow a creepy, ritualistic atmosphere to take over. Some blasting is fine; they take things to the extreme in this regard, going into "Stygian Millennium". There are few sections with more purpose, but a great deal of the song locks into the more rushed death metal feel where the snare sounds stiff to me. The darker elements worked into "Key of Hell and of Death" set this up to be a darker song until they run off and blast death things, though they slow down for the vocals, which is more of a compromise.

"The Light Behind the Horns" find's it's blackened punk side balanced out with riffs holding more purpose and punch. There is a rawer thrashing to "The Reaper of Christianity". The vocals are at a low, croaked growl. The song keeps building momentum.  It does not slow down until they hit the guitar solo, then it's a more purposeful shift of gears. They are certainly dedicated to brutality, and there is certainly an audience that just wants their ears battered like this. Two minutes in, they find their groove. I will give this album a 9 as it accomplishes what they set out to do and has a knack of pulloing yopu backc in after the blast beats have numbed you out with is better than most bands taking things to these kinds of extremes.Their celebration of destruction is dropping on September 11th. 

7.4

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The Ghoulstars : "the Dark Overlords of the Universe"

 

This band from Finland plays an upbeat brand of shock rock that opens with a gritty throaty anthem that makes you think they are going in a more Lordi direction. Then things get darker for "the Dead in Purgatory."  As far as horror goes, it's more in the light-hearted side, like if a rock band were playing at Disney's Haunted Mansion. Vocalist Arthur Thure is more versatile than just a leather-lunged howler. There is nothing all that original about what they are doing here, but it does have a charm. Until we hit the thunderkissed chug of "the Brain that Wouldn't Die," the use of samples is the only part that brings White Zombie.

Four songs into the album, it fees like they are sonically closer to post-Brockie GWAR mixed with the 69 Eyes, as I am sure fans of both those acts will find plenty of Halloween fun that is up their alley. "Graverobbers From Outerspace" has more of a Misfits feel, though the vocals are grittier.  "The Wolfman" might be one of my favorite movies, but this song is not my favorite on the album, as it's more aggressive but not as catchy. There are some decent riffs in it, but cool riffs alone does not make a good song, is the motto here. 

"The Ballad of the Cursed Bandits" is not a ballad at all, though that should not be a surprise considering the album up to this point has been paced more like Motorhead-style thrash than not. The more brooding metal mood of "Vampire" works for me better, which makes snese as I prefer vampires to werewolves. Most of these guys are in death metal bands aside from this band in fact the bass player was in Hooded Menace, so some of that influence comes out on the last song  I will give this an 8.5, as I like where they are going with this since horror movies and metal are pretty much what I am about, but with that said I personally already have a ton of bands that fill that need for me , as these guys are almsot too happy for my taste, these guys would be a great entry point for younger European auidences that are just discovering that sort of thing. They care about songwriting and set the stage with a fun mood. Drops on Season of Mist on May 15th.

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Black Metal History Month- Harms : "Rebirth of the Cold"

 

This band from Finland plays a hyper-aggressive blend of metal and hardcore that is in-your-face when it wants to be, without forsaking melody. When they kick back into things after wandering into more atmospheric places, they kick back in with full-on anthemic gang vocals. Then you begin to hear the touches of black metal perhaps in their DNA, jsut from the geography. Gratned there is also a great deal of goth metal in Finland, but darker music seems to be the vibe. It is more aggressive in a hard-core sense than a death metal one, so perhaps atmospheric blackened hard-core might be your best category for these guys, which at this point, we are making this shit up as we go. 

However, the first two songs kind of run together, so while they are dynamic, there is acertain uniformity to their songwriting which thankfully gets broken up with."Flowerless Grave", I suppose it could also fall within the bound of metal cocre, at least where it crosses over with what is going on here, as it hold more in common with traditional metal than Myspace derived hard-core. The romanticized darkness and grandeur they capture in the larger-than-life moments also feel more black metal, just not having much in common with Darkthrone, nor is that the genre's only defining sound. It is certainly closer to black metal in many ways than the new Bosse-de-Nage. 

Rather than build off breakdowns, they take gloomy riffs and kick them into more dynamic places for "A Lifetime Spent on Dying," which puts melancholy sonics to good use. "Rupture" splits the difference between hard-core and black metal for one of the most rabid moments yet. This comes with shimmering blast-beaten tremolo-picked guitar to appeal to the more hardened black metal fans who will find this album to be more produced than they like. The last two minutes of the song offer the first breakdown that is bathed in ambient sound.

There is more space created by the ringing atmosphere of the guitar leading into " Esscence of Sorrow". Perhaps the goal was to be dark, atmospheric, and hardcore, and it crossed over into depressive black metal?  There is a great dynamic call and response to "Apollonia" . They go back into a more black metal mood on the last song. I will give this album a 9 as it mixes hardcore with black metal atmosphere in a very organic fashion. 

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Dome Runner : "World Panopticon"

 This is the Finnish band's second album. It finds Dome Runner retaining a big, apocalyptic sound, though, defaulting to a production style that feels like an attempt to merge 90s sounds with modern digital audio workstation-style mixing. The guitar might be thicker if this were not the case. There is a Voivod-like undercurrent mixed with death metal, thanks to the vocals that go from more of a howl to a growl. I would have loved this as a teenager, as a jaded adult who listens to 600 metal albums a year, I am hesitant to give early praise, as I want to hear how this plays out, so let's take a deeper listen. There is more of a mammoth Godflesh stomp to the end of the first actual song; the first track is just an intro. 

Death Metal feels like the core of "Constant Crisis Diagnosis." The fast pounding proves like effective than what they do on the first song. "Android Hybrids Immortal" does this more frantically and chaotically, though finding its groove midway through. There is a Fear Factory-like sung vocal that comes in. I think more melodic touches would help the overall dynamics of the album. "Split Self Matrix" carries a deliberate stomp that is more effective. The vocals are more shouted out into the depths of a cyber dystopia than growled. "Possessed Empty Vessel" finds a return of the harsher growls and clanging of machines devouring the guitars in the mix. This finds them displaying more of a Godflesh feel, and the atmospheric touches are a subtle dynamic that works. 

The futuristic ambiance continues on "Christless," which employs more of an electronic feel with the drums. After a minute, it kicks in with a more Ministry-like angst. The sung vocals on the chorus might be a page out of Fear Factory and thus by default Killing Joke's playbook, but it works well. The seven-minute songs feel like sprawling dirges in industrial time. The heavy foot steps walking "Reversal Blaze" is not unlik Godflesh's heavier moments. I like the contrasting vocal colors on this one. The song pounds into a drone. "Solid State Zero" is aggressive but comes across as noisy at times. I prefer the more grooving 'Frail Demise." Even with its heavy guitar that sits in the back of the mix, it flows well. This balances things out for the bark of the Pantera-like vocals. Though these also make it feel likea long lost song from the 90s. When given more space, the vocals have room for their Burton C Bell croon. 

The weirdness of "Soul Collapse Interace" would normally be my thing, but it feels more disjointed here. 'Salvation Access' carries a stark industrial tension that sounds pretty legit. The drums make things feel more raw and live.  I think a little better production value would have helped sell this one. I appreciate the varied vocal colors, but they would be put to better use with more effects and blended into the overall sound. It drones on the one beat, and is not the most dyanmic song , but still works for what they are doing. A lower "gothy" vocals crawls into the sunlight on the last song. It takes two minutes for this song to really kick in. It rides a rough-edged syncopation. I think these guys are onto something, maybe one day they will remix this album so it sounds as it should, but even with that the songs are there so I will give this an 8.5. Dropping November 21st on Svart Records. 

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Hooded Menace : "Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration"

 

This death metal band from Finland improves with each album. Their last album, "The Tritonus Bell," snagged the number 3 spot in the Top 10 Death Metal albums of 2021 list here. What strikes me about this album is how melodic the guitar playing has grown. It is more of a tribute to classic metal with plenty of riffs that sound like they could have come from a King Diamond album, so that, of course, wins me over. The biggest difference is that the vocals are a more one-dimensional growl, though they are delivered with a great deal of purpose, and the lyrics can still be comprehended through the rasp. 

"Daughters of Lingering Pain" is more atmospheric and leans into the doom moods of what they do, with wisely placed keyboards in the background. The seven-and-a-half-minute song finds the riffs wandering around as they take you on a more melancholy journey at first before things gain momentum. The drummer serves as an excellent conductor for the twists and turns that unfold on this song. It did take a couple of listens to fully digest what was going on. 

"Lugubrious Dance" is more aggressive from the onset, like a more depressive version of Entombed, then things begin to unfold more sonically. Some fist-pumping anthemic riffs come midway into the song. Once again, they lead you into their haunted mansion of riffage, the winding corridors harmonized gallops. The vocals hold a little less purpose on this one, but the guitars are such a dominant factor that you would never notice. I was halfway into "Save a Prayer' before I realized it was a Duran Duran cover. This is the album's most unexpected moment. The vocals lack melody, leaving this all in the hands of the guitars. Thus, making the connection difficult to discern, but it works overall. 

There is more of a mid-paced Metallica-like chug to the last song. They steer things into a melodic direction with the harmonized guitar parts. Not sure how they would pull this off as a trio live, but that is where they are at with it. As with the bulk of the album, they wander off through a spooly labyrinth of riffs; this time, there is just more thrash influence to them, when not diving into more morose sounds. I will give this one a 9.5, as well. I'm not sure how it will stack up against the genre's increasingly higher level of competition this year, but it serves as a testament to an underrated band that continues to deliver the goods.  This drops on October 3rd on Season of Mist. 

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Sargeist : "Flame Within Flame"

 I normally prefer Horna over these guys, but they are one of the bigger-name Finnish black metal bands, and their raw black metal sound has not been my thing.  Either I am developing callouses on my ears that make me more ok with this sort of thing, or these guys took more time in the studio to get things dialed in and sound more like something you can make heads or tails of when it comes to the songwriting. Spellgoth is now playing bass, and Shatraug is on vocals, which has not happened since their demo days. He has an agonized enough croak to sell the songs. 

The drummer from Decapitated Christ now plays with these guys and has a more nuanced style that grooves more on "The Chant of the Rotting Tongues". His cymbal work is really on point. There is enough of a reverb-heavy organic sound to this album to give fans of old school black metal what they want, but the songs have more clarity, which is indispensable. They begin to lock into a more typical sound for what they do, the difference being that you can make out the layering of guitars rather than it just being a buzz. 

"Ordained and Adorned" finds the tremolo-picked guitars having a melody that reminds me of  "Sweet Dreams". The vocals are a little more obligatory on this one, but an improvement given what they have done in the past. Even this accelerates into the wrathful storm you expect from them. There is almost more of a Dissection feel to how the chords of "To The Mistress of Blackest Magic".  "Juravit Sanguine" gallops in line with what they normally do in their more deliberate moments, the new drummer continuing to add worth.  "Behold Our Temples Arise" is almost a catchy song, but the croaking vocals do not help their cause in this regard. The guitars generally sound better on this album when they ring out when strummed like this; it creates a more clanging sound. 

"Rite of Ascension" finds them in a wall of ringing sound that is brighter than previous releases but compromises some of the fine-tuning that had made this album work. Dynamically, there is also not a great deal of variation, while not hyper blasting in your face, everything carries a similar attack. To their credit, I will give this album an 8.5, making it the highet this band has scored with me. 

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Amorphis : "Borderland"

 Finland's prog metallers are back with their 15th album. I think going into this album knowing it is not going to be death metal, but a darker take on what bands like Dream Theater set my expectations for success. If I go into an album by these guys wanting something that it is not going to be, then that is my fault. There are still growls used here and there, but that does not make something death metal. "Bones" does find the snarled vocals becoming dominant until the chorus, but even with the Dungeons & Dragons vibes dancing around the song, it works for me. 

The more upbeat undertones of "Dancing Shadows" remind me of Marillion. The song skips along with an energy that keeps things moving. "Fog to Fog" is a little more grandiose, and it sounds like the keyboards are playing an even bigger role this time around. They are like a Stratovarius-minded prog band who just happens to have a death metal past. There is a hint of folk metal to this one. There is a hopeful feel where I want there to be despair, but it's more about my personal tastes rather than their execution. They do shift things into a more deliberate direction midway through the song. 

The highly orchestrated and grandiose prog arrangement feels more like a Disney score than metal by the time we get to "the Strange". The growl vocals do not help to offset this. Even with keyboard solos, strum acoustic guitars, and foot on the monitor guitar god antics, the songs begin to sound the same, as the epic anthem formula wears thin and begins to bore me by "Tempest." They sadly stay the course on this epic bent of songwriting, making music that might be heard opening an anime series. 

"The Lantern" is just dark enough to turn the tide and make the song work for me. I just do not like some of the major chords they were using earlier. To my ears, those sounds are too happy. The minor keys might make this sound more like Disturbed, but it feels better. The title track just falls into the same formula that the bulk of this album has worked off of, though the last song, "Despair," is melodically more interesting. I will give this album an 8 as it is well executed and recorded, it just plays it too safe and does not feel all that heavy to me , but fans of progressive rock who wish Opeth had gone in a more Dream Theater like power-ballady direction should dig this.This album drops September 26th.  

9

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HEXVESSEL : "Nocturne"

Seven albums into their legacy, this Finnish band continues to ebb and flow with both neo-folk and black metal in their veins. In some way, this picks up where "Polar Veil" left off; in other ways, it expands upon it, with more layered voices that sound like the hippie choir persona of their folk era, now haunting this album, and finds a more balanced blend of those melodic folk textures. So if you are a fan of both the folk and black period, then this album is for you. What I like about it is how it darkness the hippy tendencies. I mean, my favorite hippy is Charles Manson, so I want it pretty dark. 

I don't remember harsh vocals on the last album, though they might have surfaced sparsely toward the end. I think the balance of vocal styles here works really well. There is a more Burzum feel to the cold riff that opens "Inward Landscapes". The vocals sit further back in the mix, with the guitars very forward.  This song is also broken up with a more drastic shift into folk guitar. When the electric guitar returns, there are a few layers with some of which have a more ghostly reverb.  The graceful vocal melody balances out the old-school black guitar on " Dark Graceful Wilderness". Synths also swirl around to create a deeper level of ambiance. 

The first time the vocals do not settle over the more jarring guitar in a flowing manner is on "Masked Spirit Wolf". It's a more belted vocal than what we are used to hearing from him. The darker, more deliberate chug to "Nights Tender Reckoning' feels like a metal version of Grave Pleasures, which  I am always up for. Things get pretty grim for "Mother Destroyer" but still work well. "Concealed Descent" is more of a folk interlude. The syncopated stomp of "Unworld" is one of the album's strongest moments. The last song finds his sung vocals trading off with screamed vocals, which align with black metal more expectedly. I want the unexpected. Still the strongest moments of this album feel more dynamic than the previous album so I will round this up to a 10.Dropping June 13th on Prophecy Productions.

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Dawn of Solace : "Affliction Vortex"

Finland is the country for dramatically melancholic music. It has quite a history with it as bands like HIM, The 69 Eyes, Nightwish Wish and The Man-Eating Tree all come to mind. Though those bands all have a different take on it. The same can be said for this band, which is more on the doom side of the tracks, but coming from a more Peacville place with the mournful vocals that make me think of Katatonia and My Dying Bride. The pace picks up a little for the second song, but the vocals are rightly even the center stage of this mix, as it keeps the tension underlying musically. Growled vocals, which I was not expecting, come in, which I was not expecting, though I should have been since they are now a staple of metal. 

Then on "Into the Light" things begin to take a turn away from doom into a more Opeth-inspired melodic progressive death metal direction, though the sung vocals are the dominant force in "Rival", finding the band going in a more accessible direction. Things climax with some impressive guitar prowess, as it continues to go further in a melodic death metal direction, as the growled vocals become the primary voice when the song really begins to build. Most of this begins to lies in the hands of the drummer, who allows moods to be established and never rushes things, but is also not about doing a bleak doom march either. 

"Dream" might be the album's best song as it just flows so well. Things are getting gloomier for "Pereniel," which finds the vocals shifting into the snarl for a more explosive chorus. This is the most effective use of this dynamic yet. They end on a doomier note going into the last song. At almost six and a half minutes long, it is the album's longest song, so they get credit as songwriters for not letting things sprawl out. Double bass comes in and things flow in a more uptempo direction, but it feels like it's more of a throb rather than jerking you out of the mood with it. I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me, one of the better efforts at pushing this sort of melodic metal from the 90s forward. 

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The Man-Eating Tree : "Night Verses"

 

The video for the song "Seer'  was the first song I heard from this album. It seemed like a more streamlined version of what I recalled them doing, so I went back to listen to their first album to see if I was totally off base in this regard.  I have always enjoyed the songs I caught from this Finnish band in passing, but never dove into their albums, so never got the full picture of what they do. I assumed they were a darker version of what Katatonia used to do, as they were often labelled as goth-metal, giving them big hopes. Those assumptions were not far off from those. I am not hearing the goth thing, granted they are darker than say Opeth, but how high of a bar is that really? 

The guitar melody to "All Our Shadows" is closer to mainstream metal, with the vocals sometimes sounding like Woods of Ypres. This song wanders off into the atmosphere as they jam around the guitar solo, which is pretty tasty if you are into guitar solos.  "To the Sinking" sounds like it could be a Staind ballad. It has a more powerful climax than a band like Staind would do, so that is better for them. Though some of the brighter notes in this vocal melody lend themselves to that comparison. "Ruins of Insanity" finds the more grunge undertones of the vocals continuing, but it has a more flowing riff. This might be the album's best song. 

"Abandoned" carries a more aggressive pound and the snarling vocals. A minute in, things shift into a more reflective melodic verse. The album closes with "Reflections' which is like 00's alternative ballad, but with more strings. It does slowly build over the nine and a half minutes.  I was expecting this album to be a little darker than it is, I think they're playing and songwriting work, but it's produced too much like a mainstream rock record. If you wanted Katatonia, to sound more Killswitch Engage, then this album is for you. I will give it an 8.5, as it needed to be darker and less overproduced for my personal tastes, but these guys are great at what they are doing. 

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Black Metal History Month - ...And Oceans : "The Regeneration Itinerary"

 

The Grandiose progressive black metallers are back, this time the Finnish band continues to blend its electronic side with the black metal core of the band in a more balanced manner. The snarl of the vocals sometimes gets a robotic sheen of effects layered over them, and the synths are often at the forefront of the song, but the mood remains dark in its dystopian vision. They bring a tremolo buzz of guitars to songs like "Fornyelse i Tre Akter", this menace is tempered with superior production to give this music the cinematic magnitude of sound it deserves. Not unlike Dimmu Borgir in many ways, they are not as symphonic. My only mild complaint is the drums could have been given more thunder in the mix, but there is a great deal competing for room in the mix. 

There is a somewhat more straightforward metallic charge to "Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics". The symphonic synth background creates the needed mood for the vocals to roar against. Symphonic leaning metal is not something I am into, Dimmu is a noted exception to this rule and these guys can be added to the list. They do not allow it to turn things into an anime soundtrack, keeping a dark and heavy pulse. "the Form and the Formless" has a little more pomp and circumstance, but also a dash of death metal aggression, though the melody holds a powerful sway in the music. Things are marginally brighter here, and while it works there is such a delicate balance that must be kept here to avoid going in a Nightwish direction. 

Lyrically the vocals are at such a roar, that they just feel like another layer to the sound rather than crafting the narrative to the story being told here. "Prophetical Mercury Implement" kind of breezes past me. The drive of "The Fire In Which We Burn" anchors it more than the previous song to create a more head-banging vibe. Though things ebb back to a more conventional metal sonic ground for "Waves of Sulphur". I like the darker turn they take on "I am Coin, I am Two".  They do offer an effective heavier dynamic to offset this. They revert back to the more ambiguous metal barrage for "Towards the Absence of Light" which feels more middle of the road, whereas their more blackened sound on "The Terminal Filter" proves to be more effective. This also proves they do not need to tame down their more orchestrated section to provide and aggressive enough sound to satisfy black metal fans. There are also two bonus tracks but for the purpose of this review I will kept things to normal album tracks, In doing so I will give this album a 9, as they prove themselves to be gifted at doing what they do. Fans of this band should rejoice despite this not being a return to pure black metal it's a step in that direction that is close enough. 

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Black Metal History Month -Moonfall : "Odes to the Ritual Hills"

Seems like when it comes to new black metal, a great deal of EPs are being released, I am not sure if the global economy or the music biz almost dying during Covid factors into a niche like this, but here we are This duo from Finland is comprised of members of Beherit and Ceremonial Torture. They have a lo-fi raw black metal sound that is not trying to just attack you with blast beats, as they seek to bridge sounds from the genre called Dungeon Synth into their take on early black metal. To their credit a growling thump of bass drives the backbone of the first song, which is not something you typically hear in black metal, in fact, the synths are pretty dominant in the mix and the typical static buzz of tremolo-picked guitar is not found in the mix. The drums are felt more than heard here. The only drawback I hear that I am allowing them to change in the songs after this are the vocals which sound like he is violently clearing his throat the entire song.

Things get weirder on the title track which has more atmosphere thanks to the synths playing a larger role in their center stage mix, as the distorted bass seems to wander a bit looking for where the drums went, which accent it more than giving marching orders. For the course of this nine-and-a-half-minute song, they never seem to find the drums. I often feel like black metal bands are less likely to smoke pot than some other genres of metal, but this song puts that theory to the test. The keyboards wander off like they decided to go score an 80s fantasy movie.  

At over five minutes I can't write the last track off as just an outro. It's a synth ambiance that does not really go anywhere and is time that would have been better spent writing another song. As it was the previous song was already testing my limits when it comes to synth dominance. That said I will give this album a 7, I think there are some good ideas and interesting sounds that offer a fresh take on the genre, however, they lean too heavily on the synth sound and could stand to dial them back a bit.

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Iron BoneHead Productions · Moonfall - Countess Carody

Black Metal History Month - HAVUKRUUNU : "Tavastland"

Instead of hitting you with a blizzard of blast beats the Finnish headbangers come with an epic gallop, that feels more like classic metal. It takes almost two minutes before the blast beats come and at least then the guitars are not just holding a static tremlopicking and lock back into a more aggressive gallop for the verse. The vocals are a mid-range scowl backed by a sung chorus offering a call and response. It feels like Tyr or even old Enslaved in this regard. The second song works at a more deliberate and epic scale. Thankfully Black Metal History Month falls in the winter, so there is at least a touch of chill in the air for these sounds to be properly enjoyed. They indulge in a few guitar solos on this one which is not something most black metal bands do so it's cool to hear those who can do so. 

Another part of their sound that helps to set them apart is the bass being more present in the mix, even if it is an underlying clunk, you can hear it so it brings more backbone to the overall guitar sound. The second band this month where that has been the case so maybe more black metal bands are giving their bass players more priority,. This is a trend I stand behind. The sung vocals are also an element here, but more of a background layer, as this song races forward with more aggression than the previous two. This increased speed also places them closer to the more conventional path of black metal. The title track finds a similar rapid-fire attack in play, perhaps this one is even more furious in its intent. Though two minutes in they break it down into more of a chugged groove. It's also another song with guitar solos though it's a melodic embellishment that follows the main theme of the song. 

"Kuoleman uma" works of a more classic metal chug which is a very effective place for the band to return as it has more impact than just blast beats, the only thing is for black metal, it does not sound all that dark nor is this album that dark for a black metal band, It almost feels more like pagan metal, but there is some great songwriting going down here so hard to fault them for that. They do revert back to the more traditional black metal buzz for "Unissakavija" though even here they wisely lock into a more Iron Maiden-like gallop. The solos feel like something Dave Murray might do. "Kun Veri..." is aggressive without blasting, with the Maiden-like solos ripping right out the gate. This might be the most Maiden-influenced song on the album. Regular readers know Iron Maiden is my favorite band so it's cool to be talking about a black metal band that is influenced by them. 

The last song finds their tribute to Iron Maiden gloriously remaining intact, If Bruce was singing over it instead of snarled vocals it would sound just like them. Granted the bass lines are not as intricate. Throughout the almost 11-minute song, they accelerate into more black metal picking and end on a more folk metal note. I'll give this album a 9, anytime I reference Iron Maiden in regards to a band it's a good sign. I am surprised Svart Records is releasing something as straight-up metal, so kudo to them for that. 

pst49

Sepulchral Curse : "Crimson Moon Evocations"

Normally when I read the term blackened death metaL my interest is seldom peaked as it rarely blends the two well. This band from Finland has perfected it on their third album. They are ripping fast at times but have the sense to slow down and groove. The more sonic dissonance associated with black metal can be heard in their chords, but they are also dark as fuck so that is a vibe I am about. They march into "House of the Black Moon" They ebb back and forth coming out of a faster angry part with more melodic death metal chugs. Their riffs have a catchy melodic knack to them amid the stormy heaviness. The vocals anchor things in death metal with their low gurgled growl. Sometimes it reaches up into a more anguished accent of a scream but the main vocal is growled. 

It's interesting how they blend an almost Swedish flare for melodic death metal into their sound but it is balanced out by the more brutal pound of the hammering drums. This can be heard in "The Locust Scar". Midway in there is a ripper of a riff that kicks the point home. It also contrasts the moments of blasting to come. I know I lament blast beats, but they are a tool and it is all in the context of how they are used if I am going to be sold on them. These guys showed me in the first two songs they had a wider range so the brief excursions into them do not phase me. There is a more creeping shadow that looms over "Beneath the Dismal Tides". I am not sure what any of these songs are about as the gurgle of the vocals does not articulate the lyrics, but they seem to reflect the titles in the tone of the guitars. There is a more in-your-face assault here that is not a deal breaker but I think they could have used more nuance. 

I can hear hints of Slayer influence in how some of the chord progressions ring out on songs like "Empress of the Dead". When the song kicks in they hammer you with a wall of guitars hacking at your ears. It's a very dense sound. There is impressive guitar playing on "The Currents of Chaos" but it tends to circle the same sonic themes we have already heard on this album. There is a more majestic march to the last song. It finds the guitarist playing to their strengths as a band without falling into a formula. I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me, a great stab at death metal. It's dark and has stellar guitar work

pst33

Shedfromthebody : "Whisper and Wane"

This project from Finland marks another entry to the hallowed halls of ethereal hot girl music. It's almost like ASMR set to brooding post-rock. The test for this album, once you put its breathy sex appeal aside, is the question we here at this blog find ourselves pondering frequently Is this a sound or a song? If you make the argument all sounds are songs, then place rocks in your pockets and take a cold plunge. Songs tell a story, meaning there is a dynamic arc that needs to occur. This is her fourth album, so she knows how to head in this direction for  "Mooring' which proves you do not have to have a groove as long as you cause the throbbing of said sounds. It is not the album to put on when you are drinking coffee and getting ready to start your day, but more of it's getting dark, smoking some pot music. The precision begins to build and create a distant heaviness that is emotive, but I would not call it metal. In terms of heaviness, she falls between Emma Ruth Rundle without Thou and Zola Jesus. 

"Nail" does find a swathe of guitar setting the stage as the drums remain more distant. Things build into more of a crunch here, but it pulses in a manner that allows the vocals to rightfully take center stage. Screams echo out from behind here but are far from the focal part. "Sungzar" has a more minimalist pitter-patter of percussion as the ost-rock guitar unfolds. They are assembled in a manner that makes the most of what these elements are doing as the vocal color the background with cooing texture. There is a more metallic guitar that rises up from this. What plays to her favor is she is in a similar zip code as other female artists doing this sort of thing without mimicking any of them. "Milk" focuses more on the shifting atmosphere as it drifts along.

"Velveteen" has a languid slither as it unfurls. Her voice curls around the song and massages it well. "The Choke" does crash into a more rock dynamic, in this way it feels more like Emma Ruth Rundle, though I like hearing her dip into her alto register more here. I don't think it's fair to refer to this as doom-gaze, as post-rock feels like it's a more honest assessment of what is being done here, things are more hopeful than not on this album, where a doom-gaze band would have a heavy melancholy creating its heaviness. The last song is more minimalist in its swirling drone. Her vocal layering helps create a hypnotic effect. I'll give this a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. If you like ethereal hot girl music, this is for you.

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November is Doom - Sarajah : "S/T"

 You do not think of Finland being the birthplace of a doom band. Sure there is plenty of Black Metal, but not bong-laden hymns like what is being unpacked here. The guitar is the most Sabbathy thing going here. The singer has that qualuded out Ozzy drawl, but he has obviously listened to Eric Wagner-era Trouble as well. His voice is not as piercing of a tenor as Ozzy or Eric. This plays in his favor. When he croons from his chest register there is more of a Candlemass tone. But unlike that band, they are not dragging out sprawling dirges and stick to concise stoner grooves. 

"Long Riders" has a more purposeful march. The vocals seem to have a knack for falling in all the right places, and this guy knows how to make the most of the range he has to work with. Four songs in and you begin to sense a certain uniformity in their sound. "Home of Arktos" is the strongest song so far as the vocals are more commanding and throb of the song carries a great deal more heft to its dramatic drive. "A Year With Us" finds the strong vocals of Magnus Corvus once again helping these guys move in a more original direction. His phrasing is really interesting, like how he rounds out his vowels going into a note. 

The tempo picks up a little for "I am the Soil". The riff, is less Sabbath-like, but not the album's best, it does not suck either, the song before just kicked a bunch of ass and raised expectations going into it. It's hooky enough so might just need to grow on me. The last song creeps out of the previous one with a marginally darker shuffle. I will give this album a 9.5, it grew on me as the band settled into their identity as the album progressed making this an impressive debut. 

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November is Doom - Counting Hours : "the Wishing Tomb"

 This Finnish band is made up of former members of Shape of Despair, primarily their guitarist. Not as bound to their sorrows as Shape of Despair, but they do keep things interesting, Dark, and moody but they know when to give it a more 90s Euro death metal flare. Less progressive than Opeth, but similar vibe in the vocal trade-off. If we are thinking "Ghost Reveries" era. There is a hopeful feeling to the vocal that wrestles against some of the more melancholic hints in the guitars. "Away I Flow" has a sweeping moment to the riff. The vocals snarl to life, and double bass falls in behind it, establishing the tone. The sung vocals however dominate the verses. The trade-off is not the predictable good cop / bad cop vocal formula. 

The drummer certainly wants to push this in a more metallic direction, before  "All that Blooms " takes a turn to a more doom-ridden direction. Growled vocals tend to form the narrative here. This album sounds great, these guys are all pros so that should not be surprising. While there is a more romantic sense of mourning to the song, it does not have the drive of the previous song letting it drift. "Starlit/ Lifeless" has more of the drive the first two songs set our expectations for. This one works better with the vocal melodies. The guitars are well-layered with more nuance chords ringing out. By the time I get to the title track, I can hear what the trend seems to be with this doom-oriented music coming out of Europe as this album is not unlike Swallow the Sun or the Aiwaz, album I just reviewed. Here there is more willingness to kick into double bass, and let the snarled vocals at so heading to the heavier end of the sub-genre spectrum. The vocals continue to switch over into sung passages.

I prefer singing to growling, but do not think it has to be the kinder gentler way. "No Closure' tried the other approach of having screamed vocals over more relaxed guitar melodies to remind you they are playing metal. :A Mercy Fall" is a more uptempo take on a similar concept with the sung vocals gliding over the double bass that sits back further in the mix. This feels very late 90s. "Well of Failures" ends the album with a marginally doomier tone. I think some of these brighter more produced guitar tones throw some of the mood off for me. I will give this a 9, as it falls in line for melodic doom-leaning metal. If you miss Early Opeth this might scratch that itch.Not as heavy as Shape of Despair but I do not see thir fans shunning this either.  

pst554

November is Doom - Swallow the Sun :"Shining"

 

This month, we are also covering bands that used to be doom bands and have now evolved past the genre's bounds. These guys are following in the footsteps of Katatonia in this regard, so much so that the first song reminds me of Katatonia. Being from Finland there is ample gloom cast over the grandiose production. I really liked "Moonflowers" It earned a 9.5, so the bar is held high for them, let's see if they can measure up again this time.  The second song contrasts a deliberate crunch and harsh vocals with atmospheric touches as they allow breathing room in the spacious arrangements.  There is some great guitar work on this song, and they find an effective dynamic balance of heavy tones. 

This album requires multiple listens to fully sink in. "Melancholy" benefits from an urgent vocal melody in the verse. The chorus is more complex than arena metal tends to be. Their progressive leanings are still a thing that helps set them apart from their peers or just another band paying homage to the Peaceville era. "Under the Moon and Sun" is a moodier power ballad. It is well-written but does not pack the same punch. Things get heavier on "Kold" as they stomp into song, before the call and response with the sun vocals.

"November Dust" is almost a Type O Negative tribute, I guess it's not a coincidence that the title is a play on "October Rust". They do a better job than the dude from Spirit Adrift's Neon  Nightmare project, which might as well be a covers album, they at least maintain their identity.  "Velvet Chains" is more of a fragile ballad that almost gets consumed by its ambiance. A  new pop folk vibe, haunts it slightly.  'Tonight Pain Believes" is catchier but it just kind of falls out of the other song, I thought the previous song just took a hookier turn.

"Charcol Sky" is the first song in a minute that has embraced the more metallic side, even growled vocals return.  The title track that closes the album soars off into the sunset with its melodic lushness but also has an undercurrent of double bass to keep it moving. I will give this album a 9, it works well enough, and these guys are seasoned pros so it is going to sound great no matter what,  for my tastes, I prefer the darker tone of their previous work is better when it comes to songwriting, but there are no slouches on this one either. This is the album they wanted to make and most fans will be happy with it. 

pst550

Gothtober - DEATH KILLER : "Total Destruction of the Entire Universe"

 Wow, how did this one slip under my radio? Here is the kind of industrial album I was waiting for. It is both pissed and heavy as hell with a fair dose of chaos in its veins. There is a great balance of instrumentation and programming/ electronic elements. It is not industrial music to dance to it is industrial music that is going to kick your face. Not unlike Ministry's "Filth Pig" album in that regard though this is heavier. It blasts at you like a jackhammer, as it sonically fucks your brains out right from the first song. Even then they can create what might be the heaviest industrial album I have ever heard without having to sacrifice songwriting. 

"Good By Wilhelm' is more of an atmospheric electronic-based instrumental. Samples form the main narrative to make it feel more like a song. It shifts through bleak beats.   If AI were to revolt and take over the battle hymn would be "I Hate People". It is the kind of misanthropic energy we need from industrial this year. 'Dentist" does not find anything changing into a ray of sunshine. It is gritty even amid the electronic pattering of drum programming. A fair amount of noise is injected to keep an abrasive ambiance to things. 

"The Witch" features the rasped cackle and croak of female vocals. Not the album's catchiest song, but it grinds its way into a satisfying shadow. ''SNAKES" has a more militant step in its robotic stomp. The vocals are a low mutter that is not unlike something Corey Taylor might do in one of his more brooding moments. The project has self-identified as being influenced by nu-metal and this is the only song I really hear that in play. "Nobody Survives" is more black metal in its attack which works well. "Retro = Shit" might be the most nuanced song, with weird breaks into booty bass beats. The last track is pretty much just an outro of noise. I will round this up to a 10 even with the noise moments as it is an easy album to just leave on and let play. 

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