Category Archives: Album Reviews

Headless Kross – Volumes

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I’m not one for instrumental albums, and the first eight minutes of Volumes (Black Bow), the debut album from Glasgow trio Headless Kross, left me fearing the worst. Following ‘splits’ with Brit Sludge-Doom outfits War Iron and Lazarus Blackstar, riffs the weight of lead elephants pierce the sky with a more psychedelic feel than one may expect. The slow, repetitive groove and lack of vocal in the early stages of epic-length opener ‘Rural Juror’ however, had me scurrying for the exit door. Cometh the Man…

Derek Sexton‘s raking scream gives the touch of evil, a Sludgy edge, that the initial strains so badly need. His intermittent holler is initially subtle in the mix following the middle section’s bleep fest, until harrowing screams burst through welcome chord progressions; squealing, scratching leadwork lifting the track from its rolling monotony toward a drifting, Eastern-flecked paradise. The developing sound is akin to melding Karma to Burn with Brighton Sludge-Grungers Gorse, the warm fuzz of Tommy Duffin‘s wailing, oscillating leads cascading the coda through the cosmos.

It’s when threatening to break its creative tethers that Headless Kross realises its full array of talent and possibility. Sexton’s fulminating blackened scream drags the carcass of ‘Who Is This Who Is Coming’ to a rude awakening, aided by an explosion of barely harnessed power; a languid, luscious guitar solo easing its pain and pushing back to the usual Stoner vibe. The crushing riff of closer ‘Even The Destroyed Things Have Been Destroyed’ is doleful, the vocal at times bitter and railing yet occasionally full of anguish and, in exposing this, evoking the emotional protestations of Winterfylleth‘s Chris Naughton. More subtle leadwork opens to a vicious mind-bending oppression, and it’s here where the true power of this outfit is laid bare: the ability to weld harsh, frozen wastelands with phenomenal weight and resonance and, crucially, palpable emotion.

Volumes is an album full of paradox: repulsively angry and often brutal, yet vulnerable and endearing; impassioned yet periodically riddled with flexing, latent groove. It’s a risky yet fascinating combination which ultimately ensures these powerful Glaswegians will stick in the mind.

 

7.5/10

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PAUL QUINN

 


Tristana – Virtual Crime

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There is something special about bands that go against the grain and laugh in the face of convention. From the likes of Mr Bungle to modern day greats like Between The Buried & Me, some bands have gained huge acclaim for experimentation, from marrying a weird hybrid of styles and genres together to create something new, or perhaps for a groundbreaking mentality upon the tried and tested. Slovakians Tristana are keen to place themselves in this category; their own bio pointing towards images of the mysterious and revolutionary, even describing themselves as some love child of Sepultura and Bon Jovi; lofty claims that their music does nothing to back up.

On latest album Virtual Crime (Bakerteam Records), the conundrum is a tricky one. Initially it is hard to categorise as it does branch into different directions and sounds; but at its core, it simply feels generic. Founded on melodic death metal with power metal tendencies towards the anthemic with added touches of gothic tinged keys, nods to prog and even the occasional dubstep like electronica passage, rather than weaved into the mix all these extra elements they feel bolted on, made to stick out and grab attention, rather than bolster and support the rest of the cast.

Taking away these additional elements entirely and you’re left with an all too familiar branch of melodic death metal at its thinnest with patterns that are all too predictable, and an album that’s all too comfortable in tone and its production doesn’t give it any meat. Vocally it veers from cookie cutter harsh growls to a big but ultimately forgettable wail which could have been taken from a plethora of power metal hordes. The only vocal highlight is on ‘Jannie’s Dying’ where Peter Wilson shares duties with an unaccredited female vocalist who gives a stronger performance than their full-time frontman.

It’s very easy to offer bold claims that you are a forward thinking act but it is your music that needs to back it up, and Virtual Crime is a spectacular failure in this sense. An uninspiring, formulaic canvas with some cheap, brighter colours on top.

 

4.0/10

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CHRIS TIPPELL


Prong – Songs from the Black Hole

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I’ve never really taken to Prong, strange though it seems. Energetic and bruising, they nevertheless come across a tad light-heartedly for me, and that’s sometimes the case with latest album Songs from the Black Hole (SPV GmbH).

A set of lesser-known Punk covers, the opening draft of Discharge‘s ‘Doomsday’ rips up trees with its pace and ferocity; Tommy Victor‘s acidic growl and rapid bursts of leadplay enlivening a great start. It’s on the ensuing ‘Vision Thing’, however, a gothic classic given a Blink182-meets-Desert feel,  that the irritation begins: the largely laconic vocal blunting a subtle yet driving riff, turning the track into that awful ‘Nu-Punk’ stuff that blighted metal in the 90s. No doubt the band are trying to retain the feel of the originals while slapping on their own slant, but that cheapens the sound in some areas; the chopping bullet riff of the Butthole Surfers‘ ‘Goofy’s Concern’ diluted by that throwaway, almost disinterested vocal. The Adolescents‘ ‘Kids of the Black Hole’, though, is given a crucial kick by a more urgent, sputtered delivery, some pinpoint pace changes and a real snarling attitude with riffs and lead pulsing viciously together culminating in a brooding atmosphere enhanced by a rumbling bass.

As well as questioning the need for a band of Prong’s stature to produce such an album, it’s the lack of substance, immediacy, a paucity of real feeling and belief which ultimately disappoints despite the occasionally feisty rampage such as the version of Black Flag‘s ‘Bars’. If only the emotive, baiting ‘Seeing Red’ with its staccato riff, pounding drums and true Killing Joke evocations was the norm rather than the exception, this would be a joyous reworking of understated favourites. Even the catchy, driving riff of Fugazi‘s ‘Give Me the Cure’ seems to miss an edge, a vitality that only appears in the angered chorus.

There’s no doubting the “fun” aspect, nor the quality of the musicianship, but overall this could be a really decent pub band working through a hard-edged set. If Prong want to prove their relevance, this isn’t the trick to do it. Go and stream the originals, kids.

 

6.0/10

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PAUL QUINN


Wino And Conny Ochs – Freedom Conspiracy

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Robert Scott “Wino” Weinrich is the front man for the Doom Metal bands The Obsessed and Saint Vitus, Conny Ochs is a Dark Folk musician, and together they make minimalist bluesy folk. In 2012 they released Heavy Kingdom, and now they came together once again to produce Freedom Conspiracy (both Exile On Mainstream).

While Heavy Kingdom was really raw and unpolished, which had its charms but also lacked in places, Freedom Conspiracy is much more polished. This does not mean they have lost their feeling though. The songs are still simple and effective despite being more complex musically. Many songs on this album combine electric guitar with an acoustic, and the electric sound is sometimes really sludgy. In the title track ‘Freedom Conspiracy’ the electric guitar plays almost the same lines as the acoustic, which creates a very deep sound. Interestingly, the guitar in the verse sounds a lot like ‘The Mirror Song’ by Live.

The vocals also have a layer of distortion over them at times, which lends some power to the melancholic lyrics and melodies. I really enjoy the bluesy aspects of this album, such as the slide guitar in ‘Shards’. A real highlight is ‘Foundation Chaos’, which is a blues in 7/8ths in the verses and 4/4ths in the chorus, and as such it has such an unusual groove. ‘Invisible Bullets’ is also a very interesting song, the chords and melodies go in places that you don’t expect, and the chords and solo on electric coupled with primarily high vocals really sets this song apart from the rest from the album. It sounds a little bit messy in places, like they had not played it through a lot before recording it, but it is definitely one of my favourites. The album ends with another melancholic yet sweet song, ‘The Great Destroyer’. It is a great closer for this album about love, loss, and dealing with being human, and leaves you with a kind of quiet happiness, as if you grew just a little as a person by listening.

 

7.5/10

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LORRAINE LYSEN

 


The Gentle Storm – The Diary

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Rather like the proverbial Pavlovian dog, the announcement that Anneke van Giersbergen has new material out sends certain quarters of the musical fraternity into paroxysms of delight. The news that she has decided to join forces with Dutch musical workaholic Arjen Lucassen will have doubtless had the already converted salivating uncontrollably.

The resultant new album, the 22 song strong opus that is The Diary (InsideOut) is a fascinating and diverting experience. Set against a narrative background that concerns itself with two 17th century star crossed lovers who, after fate separates them, communicate to each other through written correspondence, regaling the story of her pregnancy; exotic tales of our male protagonist’s travels; the birth of the couple’s son and the initially unknown, tragic illness of our heroine. It is a classic tale of love lost, romantically bittersweet and entirely apposite for setting to this type of progressive music.

The entire project is delivered in two separate styles: Gentle, a full length and full on concept record, orchestral in scope and delivery and Storm, a more progressive rock experience. You get the same story, set to quite different stylistic soundtracks. Gentle: a combination of folk, Prog and neo-classical is the more superior of the two records; the concept execution is more coherent, the musical narrative more subtle and sweeps the listener along in a diverting but never intrusive manner.

The flip side of Gentle: the appositely named Storm, takes us through the tale of our lovers once more and ups the musical ante. For a record that is meant to be more dynamic and immediate than its Gentle cousin, I found Storm to be oddly flat. There’s the almost de rigeur use of a choir here, the heavy, metal inspired guitar flourishes there, and the soaring vocals well, everywhere.

And herein lies the rub. Finding fault with The Diary is difficult. The musicianship is exemplary, the vocals really quite brilliant and the production truly exceptional. The story, as it goes, is fine, if you want a bit of 17th century Dutch tragedy. There is no doubt that The Diary is impressive; however, I can’t help but feel that I admire it more than I actually love it. I’ve spent time enough to reach a judgement and, whilst I can-and-am impressed by the diversity of instruments utilised, I don’t warm to all of the compositions here as much as I hoped I would.

Whilst there is a certain charm to, for example, ‘Heart of Amsterdam’, the entire edifice depends on whether or not you actually care that deeply about this story and, whilst it’s charming enough, it doesn’t grip, vice-like. As a consequence, nothing here really offends but nothing breaks your heart in the way that you hope or, indeed, in the way that you know Van Giersbergen can with her brilliant, evocative voice.

Some of the melodies whilst structurally sound just don’t sound that memorable to me: it’s all very nice, for sure, and very nicely done, but I didn’t get that hairs standing up on the back of my neck feeling that you always get with true greatness. Regrettably, in evoking the sense of time and place of the story admirably, the music is somehow hamstrung by it as this often sounds like a soundtrack to a television costume drama. Not that there’s anything wrong with a television costume drama, you understand, it’s just not exactly what I reach for when looking for my next listening pleasure.

I know that many people are going to fall over themselves for this record and, fair play to them: each to their own. However, where I had been expecting a progressive storm, I’m left feeling, gently, disappointed.

 

6.5/10

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MAT DAVIES


Nightwish – Endless Forms Most Beautiful

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Nightwish, the rulers of symphonic metal have returned and are ready to take over the world with their new album Endless Forms Most Beautiful (Nuclear Blast). This much anticipated album is the first studio album with not only Metal queen Floor Jansen on vocals, but also Wintersun drummer Kai Hahto, who took over when long-time drummer Jukka Nevalainen had to drop out due to health issues.

Composed primarily by Tuomas Holopainen, the sound on this new album hearkens back to the old Nightwish but one major difference is the vocal performance given by Floor. While she is fully capable of the high operatic capers we know from former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen, there is little of that on this album. Instead, we get to enjoy her full range of power and emotions, from very small and sweet vocals on ‘Élan’ and ‘Our Decades in the Sun’, to the intense and distorted power in ‘Yours is an Empty Hope’. In fact, this album shows an even greater range than her own projects (After Forever, ReVamp) have done.

The album also contrasts with previous Nightwish works in subject matter; while Imaginaerum (Nuclear Blast) dealt with the world of the imagination, this album describes the beauty of the natural world. In fact, the album title is a quote from Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species.

‘Élan’ is the first single and video for the album, even though it is one of the softest songs on the album; Troy Donockley’s whistles give the son a Celtic vibe, and Floor’s vocals are sweet at first, however, this sweetness does not last the whole song, since towards the end a very pleasing modulation brings more powerful vocals. It might not be the song most representative of the album, but it is beautiful and driven. On the album ‘Élan’ is followed by ‘Yours is an Empty Hope’, a song that brings all the bombast one can hope to find in a Nightwish song. The heavy guitar riffs are supplemented with an excellent orchestra and choir, and it is the heaviest song on the album. Floor totally rips on these vocals, and it a very intense song to experience. Tuomas’ genius as a composer is demonstrated by the contrast between this and the next song, ‘Our Decades in the Sun’. Despite the gentility of this song, with ethereal choir song and such sweet vocals by Floor, the song still doesn’t fall flat, has an astounding energy for a song so serene, and is definitely one of my favourites from this album.

‘Weak Fantasy’ is epic, the title track is very catchy, and ‘Edemah Ruh’ is very smooth. However, there is one song that stands apart from anything Nightwish has ever produced, namely ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. This is the last song on the album, and lasts a staggering 23 minutes 58. There is no real good way to describe this song, other than as varied as nature itself; it has operatics, power vocals, narration, and instrumental sections and varies from intense piano to orchestral masterpieces, to heavy metal.

Trying to pick out highlights form this album is like trying to pick needles out of a stack of predominantly needles. There may be an occasional pin, depending on your personal tastes, but there is not a strand of hay in sight.

 

9.5/10

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LORRAINE LYSEN


Arvas – Black Satanic Mysticism

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Subtlety isn’t the done thing when it comes to black metal. Take Arvas for example. Their promo pictures are utterly hilarious; contorted, gurning faces slathered in corpsepaint which have the unfortunate side effect of highlighting how certain members of the band could do with brushing their teeth. The title of their third full-length Black Satanic Mysticism (Aeternitas Tenebarum Musicae Fundamentum) was probably selected by throwing darts at pages torn from Watain liner notes, while the cover is haphazardly covered with occult symbols with little thought for aesthetic value. Needless to say, the music they peddle is unashamed second-wave worship which sticks so rigidly to convention you wonder why they even bothered, even if it ticks all the right boxes.

A satisfyingly raw production that in all likelihood was engineered through thoughtful design rather than accident reminds us that Arvas consider themselves to be the real deal. They’ve obviously spent a long time absorbing the classic releases of the likes of Gorgoroth, Mayhem and Darkthrone and over forty-seven minutes repeatedly remind you that those bands did it first and better. The repetitive riff that drives ‘Flames of Black’ should have remained in the rehearsal room while the out-and-out Bathory worship of ‘Follow the Raven’ is so derivative of Stockholm’s finest that Quorthorn deserves a writing credit. The same can be said for the blatant Carpathian Forest rip-off that is ‘Faith of Negatron.’

While their commitment to replicating older material ensures that a few engaging riffs are present on Black Satanic Mysticism, the utter lack of originality displayed by Arvas is troubling for a band that has been around in some form or another since 1993. Black metal is meant to be lawless, creative and dangerous, not safe, predictable and clichéd. Bands such as this may think they are keeping the old flame alive but in reality they are just tending a field of scorched earth.

 

4.0/10

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JAMES CONWAY


Ufomammut – Ecate

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The serious ripples caused by 2010’s Eve (Supernatural Cat) led many to their first experience of arcane Italian trio Ufomammut, yet this was in fact the band’s sixth full-length; an at that point eleven-year career of garnering underground plaudits suddenly threatening to blow over into major interest. The seismic shift created by the ensuing double-volume product Oro, their first for Neurosis‘ label Neurot Recordings, propelled the mind-expanding titans into a different galaxy, and as a result there are rabid stirrings in anticipation of ninth album Ecate (also Neurot).

From the outset, sci-fi style bleeps and effects pepper the ears but the rumbling buzz is present, lying in wait: first leading in Vita‘s gradually surging drums, monolithic in their weight and cavernous in scope; then, Urlo‘s squalling, utterly terrifying bass growls. As that humming electricity transfers itself into the bulldozing, heavy Stoner riff of opener ‘Somnium’ the listener is transported to a place halfway between hell and outer space. The oppressive, mounting coda houses hollers straight from the Conan handbook, closing a track exuding all the band’s characteristics: that ability to subtly set the scene; the ascension to stoner-blues rambles of the kind offered up by Karma to Burn, yet rendering the power of that outfit toothless; the psychedelic warbles raining upon evil, Doom-laden atmospheres; and the spitting terror of Urlo’s diseased vocal, steeped in the infected sludge of the filthiest morass. The macerating power of the following, city-flattening ‘Plouton’ is a wondrous, fearful experience, whilst coy yet sinister squeaks and ominous rumblings open the subsequently pulsing, shamanic anger of ‘Chaosecret’.

It’s this latter morphing of energy, an innate inventiveness which leaves the listener at a loss of what to expect next without sacrificing the element of power, that marks out Ufomammut from so many of their ilk. In the case of ‘Chaosecret’ that manifests itself in a perfect sense of occasion and timing, slowly yet suddenly enabling the track to build and swell into a hulking, crushing monstrosity, so organically it goes almost unnoticed. At its terrible height, such is the coruscating power the band emit that you can feel the pain of the cabs, protesting under the weight of the throbbing, impossibly heavy yet latent groove of ‘Temple’; switching from a laid-back vocal to an all-out Stoner-Sludge attack, the sound at times numbing the senses with its all-consuming omnipotence. Even the delicate, cosmic ‘Revelation’, the second of two sub-five minute tracks defying the band’s usual epic format, is pounded by oscillating bullets of electronica in complex swathes of beauty and ferocity.

Alongside the gradually increasing influence of atmosphere and keys, the pulverising hammer blows covering the second half of closer ‘Daemons’ thankfully prevent its monotonous early sections from negatively affecting an otherwise stupendous display of might; and, in turn, lay the path for a fragile, pensive and utterly fitting coda. Whilst not eclipsing the Oro opi, Ecate gives them a bloody good run for their money and reinforces Ufomammut’s burgeoning reputation as flag-bearers for pulsating, inventive, low-end noise.

 

8.0/10

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PAUL QUINN


Oceano – Ascendants

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Releasing their fourth album in only six years, all on Earache, Chicago, Illinois’ Oceano don’t do two things – subtlety or surprises. Wading in like a behemoth sumo, with each stab of the guitar representing a tree-trunk leg thudding down and with each pig squeal signifying the friction of flabby thigh slapping flabby thigh, the beatdown-focused Ascendants lumbers into town, modelling deathcore 101 with the open string chug enhanced by some tight and imaginative percussive work.

Taking their cue from Thy Art Is Murder and All Shall Perish’s more staccato moments, Oceano’s is a considered violence, a repetitive ham-hock fist to the head with pendulum regularity and in no particular rush; it’s the troll wading through the sea of bodies that are trying to force it back in an exercise in futility. For those who enjoy their pro-wrestling, they are the Big Show; cumbersome, but effective (and somehow higher-profile than you think they deserve to be, and you prefer the other, more interesting wrestlers anyway….).

Oceano are also beginning to suffer from the inevitable law of diminishing returns. If their debut, Depths, one of the best examples of deathcore to date, showcased diversity in amongst the rhythmic bullying chug and Contagion had a darker, twisted feel, Ascendants is Oceano at their lowest common denominator, most Neanderthal, a notion that is enhanced by ‘Dawn of Descent’ and it’s more atmospheric endeavours, which help it stand out in a sea of proto-human repetitive pounding.

Other acts, in particular Suicide Silence, have shown it’s possible to continue to progress a sound and develop as a band while retaining a deathcore identity (though the further they, and others move from the deathcore “core” the more successful they are and the better they sound), but Ascendants is still a decent, if unspectacular, repetitive brain injury of a deathcore album. With (another) new line up in place, one wonders about the future of Oceano as not even by playing it safe and playing the genre card to the max – for this is dictionary definition beatdown laden deathcore – is enough to bring Ascendants up to the level of their previous outings.

 

6.0/10

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STEVE TOVEY


Terra – (untitled)

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To be honest, I hold a fairly high level of scepticism when someone passes me an album by a new band and declares, loftily, that “you will like it”. Like some kind of rabid Pavlovian dog, my defences go up, my cynicism kicks in and my brain invariably utters the phrase, with arch knowing: “Oh! I will, will I?!” I then usually spend the subsequent listening of aforementioned album looking for ways to give it a bit of a kicking. I know this is neither big nor clever but, well, it just IS.

I mention this because I come to this review not to bury Cambridge black metal outfit Terra, but to praise them. Reader, I need to eat my proverbial hat, cover myself in sackcloth and ashes and admit that the person who gave me the Terra debut album to review was bang on: I do like them. I like them a lot [see… Assoc Ed]

This debut album of dark, hypnotic black metal is three tracks long but three continents wide in terms of its vast creative canvas. For a debut album it sounds remarkably accomplished, almost timeless in its effect and it should, if there is anything approaching justice in the musical world, see them rightly applauded.

If you’re desperate for that critical pitstop of a pigeon-hole then I guess that this trio inhabit that strange hinterland called “atmospheric” black metal. Before any of you pedants cry out that this pre-supposes that there is black metal that ISN’T atmospheric, I use the phrase to shorthand that if you’re familiar with Winterfylleth, Wolves in the Throne Room or Skagos then you’re likely to have an immediate affinity with what these boys are all about.

The three tracks on this untitled début (Hibernacula) – ‘I’, ‘II’, and, yes, you’ve guessed, ‘III’ – are all, in their own ways, pretty damn brilliant. There is a raw determination in the vocals of singer Ryan Saunders; whatever trials and tribulations this man has been through, he has found an outlet for his pain and redemption that seems validating and almost valedictory. This personal journey of facing personal mortality is ably supported by some brilliant musicianship: dark, brooding basslines from Oliver Walton and some terrific, elemental drumming from Luke Braddick create an experience that ebbs, flows, leaps and soars through a panoply of emotions, textures and moods.

This is black metal without artifice or pretence but black metal with resilience and personal fortitude. Terra might only just be starting to set out their stall but what a stall this is.

 

8.0/10

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MAT DAVIES