Sallow Moth : "Hydrophilous Brood"

 

For some reason, it was in my head that this duo was doomed, but after pressing play, I realized how mistaken I was. The reason for this being doomed might be easier to pull off with only two people; what does work here is an experimental form of high-velocity death metal that requires many overdubs. Most of the song hangs around the four- to five-minute mark, but they are cramming a great deal of chaos into that time frame. The second song really sounds no different than the first aside from a few weird jazzy breaks that sound like if Cynic smoked DMT. 

The grinding riffage they favor descended from the Morbid Angel school with slight hints of Carcass, though shifting in the riff more than either. More blast than both as well. This need for rabid speed can take away from the song, as things just become a blur. To the point that it begins to bore me in place. I like how brutal they are and the fact it's not just one long blast beat, but the songwriting is lacking; they confused arrangements with writing songs worth listening to again with memorable vocal hooks that bands like Morbid Angel and  Carcass both apply. So it is not like I am asking them to become pop music. Memorable songs should be the goal regardless of genre. 

I only knew the song had changed to "Biohybrid Virulence" due to the fact I looked up at my computer, but the guitar player gets the point I was trying to make about catchy songs, as they at least make that much of an effort.I just left this album on as I typed up my review of the new Evil Dead movie, and it faded into the background, becoming a blur of winding riffs. "Polymorphic Gnaw' is more memorable as it swirls with cosmic atmosphere and the bass wanders off into a jazzy jam while a Frank Zappa inspired riffs fughts for its life against the blast beats. This might make it the best song on the album. 

Death metal drums are supposed to be balls to the wall, but this guy needs to anchor things more than he does on the bulk of the album, being too quick to default to a blast beat when the guitars are doing something more interesting. The title track is not too memorable. The last song trips over its blast-beaten chaos at times. The deliberate punchy riff in it is not played enough. The jazz section is a nice touch but almost too little too late. I will give this album an 8, as it's not my thing, but I at least appreciate the intensity and chops they have; fans of extreme tech death might find it to their liking. Coming out on Willotip Records. 

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SUBMASQ : "Spirit Animal"

 This prog rock band from Israel blends some interesting sides of the genre; you can hear elements of  Muse, System of a Down, along with more traditional suspects like Dream Theater. In this regard, you could sum it up by simply using Pain of Salvation as a reference. There is some System of a Down-like weirdness, but Pain of Salvation has used that sort of thing at times, depending on the era. It is grandiose and dynamic, but not too melodramatic to give it a more Dream Theater ballad sound; I am only two songs into the album.

The more ethnic folk elements a band like Orphanlands uses are not present, though hinted at on the darker "Mechanical Prayers " that launches into a happier chorus that sounds like it would be the theme song to an anime.. "Calypso" carries a darker Queensryhe feel. It goes from brooding to grooving well. In a weird dynamic contrast, the song "Anger" does not sound that angry. Instead, it works on an electronic pulse. Even though Bumblefoot plays on the first song, this song has the best guitar solo, as it is the most melodic and memorable.

"Sanctified" goes into a tenser creep that works well with a slow build, with "Empire" era tendencies. "Uman" has a more rock feel, like almsot feels like Devo. Vocally, it's more System of a Down, and it's too upbeat for my tastes. The vocal contrast from a light falsetto to more aggressive singing- not sure I would call it harsh, but it's a wide dynamic vocal shift that I normally would be into; this one takes me a little bit for it to grow on me. The lyrics to the last song "Trust ' might be the album's best, but the delivery is once again too happy for my personal tastes. I will give this album a 9, it sounds a great deal like Pain of Salvation, but to pull that off is impressive and they still have their own thing going on so if you are wanting some early 2000's flavored prog rock this is your best bet.Out on Willowtip Record September 18th. 

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Vulgar Mephitis : "From Dust"

 

The atmosphere of this album's opening track feels more black metal, leaving me waiting for them to blast into the brutality, which they do on "Martyr". The gurgled vocals dominate the mix, as everyone else has a spasm under them. There are breaks of ambaince even in this, which I appreciate as it's these creepy moments that are more unsettling..They show a willingness to experiment, which goes a long way with me. Without that, I would be bored even before the first proper song was over. They are not compromising the heaviness by breaking it up and are certainly on the more extreme end of the genre. 

There is some grindcore influence, and they keep their songs typically under the three-minute mark. Though they cram a great deal in over the span of a minute. "Exterminating Prone" is a little more straightforward in regards to what kids expect from death metal these days. Their drummer pulls this off impressively, and that is coming fro ma genres where you have to be a beast to keep up, but he plays with finesse as well. There is, however, little in terms of groove in their attack. The little bit that does begin to develop gets lost in the rapid-fire shuffle of the riff.

"Scorn of My Flesh" is where things begin to blur and are not helped by the rapid-fire intro to "Gorging Green' though to their credit, this song does a better job of finding its footing. It is still a collision of sound. This is certainly death metal for the karate-kicking kids. The title track is more like Cannibal Corpse's brand of raw, bloody death metal. . This means more groove than the brutal first hammering of the last song.I will give this one an 8, it has more atmosphere than your average band of this kind.

This drops  September 11th on Willowtip Records

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Barren Path : "Grieving"

 Japanese grindcore bands are normally pretty decent, so let's give these guys a shot. Gurgled vocals bubble under the more screamed vocals that are higher in the mix as the thrash-like riffs at thrown together with a jagged compact arrangement that sounds like they were written during a car crash. Most of the songs clock in around a minute long, so not much time to establish hooks. The songs have a uniform attack and begin to run together in their outburst at times. 

Time is not always what they need, as "Insufferable Weight" finds the vocal might have more purpose in the verse, but they do not expand on the dynamics even when closing in on the two-minute mark. "Relinquish"   is a spastic punishment with no breathing room. This is carried over into "Unreliable Narrator" with more of a death metal feel. "Lunar Tear" also dips into gore-grind slightly, lyrically, who knows, as you can't understand any of the vocals.

These vocals, as just a human layer adding to the fray element, also cause the uniformity of their sound to increase. The last two songs you can not tell apart. At this point, the fact that they were once Gridlink is not helping them as songwriters, and I am surprised they are on Willowtip. I will give this a 7, as it does not fail the genre but does not add to it either. 

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An Abstract Illuison : "The Sleep City"

This Swedish band's 3rd album finds them putting synths at the forefront of their Black Metal bombast. This is done with an intent to push some of the 80s synthwave sounds to capitalize on a trend that might have already seen its day, though they are melodic at heart with the snarled vocals broken up by a sung chorus. This falls on the more progressive side of the genre, reminding me of Enslaved's more melodic moments. Though I am impressed, the vocals grow increasingly anguished by the end of this 11-minute opening track. 

"No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons" has some impressive guitar work on it. If you are into guitar solos, you need to check it out. The vocals feel more like texture, and the emphasis is on the guitar wizardry.  "Like a Geyser Ever Erupting" is a title that forces the music to carry a great deal of bombast to live up to it. It was certainly not going to be a ballad. It has a more death metal feel due to the technical aggression. This is broken up by choir-like layers of clean singing. These are long songs that are not casual listening but an investment in time. 

"Frost Flower" is a wildly melodic departure from the previous songs. The drums give everything a great deal of space, creating more of a Porcupine Tree feel. The bass player digs in on this one before the growled vocals return. Despite this not being as dark or heavy as what I normally listen to, there is no denying how skilled these guys are at what they do. "Silverfields"  is an ambient instrumental that works of the 80s synth wave throb. "Emmett" is a sprawling 11-minute epic. The first minute and a half of build-up. The double bass steers it in a more death metal direction. There are a lot of layers going on as things unfold. A more blasty section does follow this, and the transitions are not jarring, making it easier for them to blur genre lines. More highly skilled solos are unleashed the deeper into the song you go. 

The last song sounds like a filler Opeth song, though with different choices in terms of production and where the synths sit in the mix. I will give this album an 8.5, as they are highly skilled musicians in order to pull off some of these compositions. Not something I personally am going to derive a great deal of airplay from, but for people who are into more progressive death metal with black metal touches at times, then this will be worth your time. This is scheduled for release by Willowtip Records on October 17th. 

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Death is June - Malignancy : "...Discontinued'

 This month I am trying to cover an album that represents every corner of the death metal genre, even the ones I am not fond of. The only sub-genre of death metal I am not into is tech death or brutal technical death metal which might be a more fitting description of this band that is more obsessed with the sound of the mathematics involved here than writing songs since I did not notice I was already midway into the second song until I looked up at my computer screen, as it sounded like the same jumble of chaotic riffing. The song that follows that one does less to change my mind, some parts are slower or faster than others, though these are assembled in a haphazard manner that is supposed to be part of this genre's charm but it annoys me. 

Are they skilled at making many notes fire from their instruments at just as many time signatures? Yes, but who cares? Well, maybe 13-year-old guitar hopefuls playing video games, who are less about things like songs and want dramatic gymnastic background music. By the time I get to "Purity of Purpose" I am really having to dig in and endure this album and it's only the fourth song. There are a few riffs here and there that are head-bangworthy but you are jerked around so trying to get to them it reminds you of the sacred rule here which is ...

cool riffs alone does not a good song make 

The angular twist and turns to continue and torture my ears even more, this time a faster pounding that is hyper-aggressive but with the focus of a meth head. I can hear more of a Cannibal Corpse influence here, but Corpsegrinder and the boys give you memorable riffs to sink your ravenous teeth into.  "Haunted Symmetry" attacks you head-on by trying to find the square root of infinity. "Decomposing Divinity" locks into the riff a little better. "Oppositional Defiance" winds around a great and locks on one groove but does not hold onto enough to be enjoyable. The drummer is really working the hardest but that is typical for this sort of thing. There are a few chugs on this one, but it's as chaotic as the other songs. I will give this album a 7, not my thing but if you like mathy death metal chaos it might work for you. It's being released on Willowtip Records.  

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Cognizance : "Phantazein"

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Leeds-based death metal monsters Cognizance rage with precision on their third album. Three albums in they obviously have mastered their chosen art form. The album sounds big, and their attack's somewhat technical precision is further refined. The sticking point these guys will be tasked with overcoming when it comes to my ears, is their reliance on speed rather than finesse and groove. This gives everything a rushed feel. There is a more dynamic nuance on "Chiselled in Stone", but it still stays pretty brisk, I get hyper aggression is what death metal should be about, but these guys have more in common with Dark Tranquility than Obituary, as there is less of a raw cathartic feeling, and it feels to me more about the riffs and keeping them at a pristine sharpness, rather than allowing some jagged emotion in.

The guttural vocals can be deciphered. For this to be a concept album there has to be a tangible story within them. I pick up bits and pieces, and perhaps if I keyed in on the vocals I might be able to put it all together.  By "Introspection" the hooky riffs that I need to compensate for the single-minded growl of the vocals slowly begin to appear. They lock into the more machine-like chug that brings Meshuggah to mind on "Futureless Horizon", but the need for speed is a tug of war this song fights against. Things are taking much more of a technical slant here. There is no denying the drummer's talents by the time you get to "the Towering Monument". When they are in your face all the time the blur of riffing becomes a dazzling white noise. Rather than just slow things down here and there for a hooky riff, why not write hooky riffs and test the waters regarding at what velocity they are the most effective would seem a better plan of attack.  

"Broadcast of the Gods' does a better job of this, but there is a uniformity that has begun to creep over the band's overall sounds that begins to make the songs all sound a little too similar by this point in the album. For example "In Verses Unspoken' rushes by before I realize I am not listening to the previous song.  Not too mention the goal for these guys and really any band playing extreme metal from any genre would be to tap into something that makes you stand out from your peers. The moments of atmosphere and melody are too fleeting for this to be fully realized on this album despite the band clearly being capable players and well executing what they do. There is no question these guys are capable player who can perform intense and complex arrangements, but for a concept album I am not hearing much being said to me from their playing I will give this one a 7.5. It is being released on the 26th of the month by Willowtip Records.

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Black Metal History Month - Aodon : " 11069"

France was killing it around 2011 when it came to black metal.  Not so much these days though perhaps I am not digging hard enough for it , or it is not the right kind. Labelled as post-black metal, These guys get props for not only not sounding like Alcest or Deathspell, but they are not trying to cop anything from Deafheaven either. In fact the label is a bit of a misnomer. There are some moments of breathing room, but nothing gazey about this in fact it's pretty aggressive. This is the trio's second album. It is really well produced. The songs are focused so the ambient sections are not wandering off. "L'Echo" balances the syncopated pounding with single note guitar sonics. The way the breakdown section floats off on this song is the first thing that really puts them in Deafheaven's zip code.

There is a more feral explosion with "L'infime" . The guitars are well layered. It creates a sonic intensity. While they do not sound like Deafheaven they take some of the sonic elements I like about "Roads to Judah"and come at them from another angle that is not a blast beat heavy in terms of black metal, but smarter songwriting.  This is not to say the album is devoid of blast beats as they are there. They do not live and breathe them, making their use of them more effective. This is one of the first albums of this kind that I've been into in a couple years as last year did not have much in terms of this breed of black metal . "L'instinct" is the first song that is mainly due to the blazing drums and while impressive double bass more o a straight up metal thing that doesn't connect as fully with me .  However when they slow things down and allow for more breathing room it works.

" L"energie" is more deliberate. There is a darker side to the atmosphere though midway into the song it gets more full blast ahead.  This mood continues on the following song ,though it is more straight forward in a more metallic manner, The closing song has more swing to it and gives things more of a groove, though the screamed vocals come off as a feral rant in their native tongue. I will round this album up to a 9 as the songs are not just a blizted out blur of heavy. There is thought and dynamics put into them .

Phobia : " Generation Coward"

The California kings of Grind core are back with their 7th album. This time the theme seems to be the inter net culture of the Millennials. The album's title alone calls out a generation of  thin skinned man babies.  They are very metallic around the edges, though look into that blasting punk beat . Like most grind core bands the problem they face is not being able to allow their songs to go any where. You get quick bursts of what could have been a good song if it was over a minute.  "Internet Tough Guy" is certainly a timely topic. If you are pissed off reading the comments section you should play this song to get perspective.This song proves they do not have to stick to radio format, but a minute and forty five seconds is good. They do cram some cool stuff into a minute, but the rule around here is cool riffs alone do not a good song make.

The vocals are like old school death metal, giving these guys a great deal in common with Napalm Death. "PC Fascist Fuck Off" is to be louder and longer for the people in the back. Midway into the album it loses some of it's inspiration. Everything seems to sound the same. They regain my attention with "Miserable Awakening" . It has a grinding groove rather than just throwing everything at me a 100 mph. Then on "To Be Convinced" it is clear these guys are good at what they do , but it just sounds like any ultra aggressive punk influenced death metal. Which could be a description of most grind core.   

I think it's the crusty hint to the post-apocalyptic power of "Condemned to Hell" that sets them apart. They need this darker touch more often. I do think they are darker than most grindcore, so that is why I like them more than your average hard core. You can also hear how they influenced bands like Nails.I was going to  give this album a 9, but I will round it up to a 9.5 ,as it grows on me the more I listen to it. I like their attitude here and punk is all about the attitude.  For a genre that is more about aggression and the onslaught rather than song writing these guys use their 30 years of experience to own their sound. They succeed at what the set out to do and taught the younger bands a lesson. This album comes out August 9th on Willowtip records.