Canadian quartet Anciients have the art of progressive metal finely tuned to their disposal and debut opus Heart Of Oak is definitive of their musical efforts. The songs take on a fresh angle, instead of using the old tried and tested formulas. As far as refinement and arrangements are concerned, they’d give bands such as Mastodon and Opeth a run for their money with masterpieces ‘Raise The Sun’ and ‘Overthrone’.Continue reading
Category Archives: Album Reviews
Erlen Meyer – Erlen Meyer
I’m not sure what it is, but France seems to be the “trendy” country for metal these days. Gojira and Deathspell Omega are the most recognizable but there are plenty of quality bands coming out of France. The latest to grace my ears is Erlen Meyer and their self-titled album. And they don’t sound anything like Gojira or Deathspell Omega. Trying to pinpoint who they do sound like is rather difficult.Continue reading
Hessian – Manegarmr
Manegarmr begins with a symphony of heavy, whirlwind guitars in opener ‘Ascension’. Hessian draws comparisons to their countrymen Amenra, but unlike the latter’s penchant for post-metal, Hessian prefer to be more up-front. Manegarmr definitely deserves to be played at obscene volume. The driving guitar is at the forefront of the whole record and it’s interplay with the growled vocals of Bram, makes the feeling all the more menacing. At times it’s metallic, but not so much that it sounds overproduced or copyist.Continue reading
Spiritual Beggars – Earth Blues
If you’re a young, rosy-cheeked metaller then the likelihood is that you would’ve been little more than a glint in the milkman’s eye when the like of Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult and Deep Purple ruled the UK with an iron fist. Yes, “going retro” is down with the kids these days, but Spiritual Beggars do it with such love, passion and unrivaled musicianship that it doesn’t feel like simple bandwagon jumping. But, this is unsurprising considering the line up.Continue reading
KEN Mode – Entrench
Since forming in1999, Canadians KEN mode has not been strangers to receiving feverish acclaim and devout attention for their intrusive and impacting albums and continually inspiring invention. With the release of their fifth album Entrench the trio from Winnipeg has sculpted their most intensive and compelling, not to forget impressive creative statement yet. With sonic alchemy the band has fused the most incendiary essences of hardcore, noise rock, and their imagination, to create an inflammatory and barbarously contagious incitement which leaves the passions in a delirium of manic and tempestuous glory.Continue reading
The Old Wind – Feast On Your Gone
Feast On Your Gone, the debut album from The Old Wind wasn’t necessarily what I expected from a band with such a moniker. However, after a multitude of listens, it does seem quite fitting. The Old Wind itself is a project by former Breach vocalist Tomas Liljedahl. He wrote and recorded the entire album as a solo project. As such, FOYG sees one man expunging inner demons through music.Continue reading
The Dillinger Escape Plan – One Of Us Is The Killer
Shall we start by getting the superlatives out of the way first? One Of Us Is The Killer is the finest record that The Dillinger Escape Plan have released. Period. It is a record so good you keep pinching yourself that this isn’t just some kind of weird extreme music dream where everything you love about this type of music arrives all at once and in beautfully realised fashion. One Of Us Is The Killer is a record of such blistering, visceral power that it will have you screaming your lungs out, dancing like a maniac and generally throwing yourself around your room with carefree abandon at the sheer bloody marvel before you.Continue reading
Lo! – Monstrorum Historia
Australian band Lo! seized and enthralled the senses with their debut album Look And Behold in 2011, its power and creative intensity let alone violent imagination thrusting the band to the fore of invasive metal. Now the Sydney quartet unleash its successor and for those who thought the previous album was an immense violation of vicious beauty, than Monstrorum Historia will only exhaust thoughts and passions.Continue reading
Amplifier – Echo Street
After years of struggling with record companies UK-based alternative/progressive rock outfit Amplifier managed to find their groove again by independently releasing The Octopus. It’s their most coveted and ambitious release to date. Coming up with a suitable follow up record is a tall order at the best of times, so let’s see what Sel Balamir and his musical friends came up with this time around..Continue reading
Purson – The Circle And The Blue Door
When a band describes themselves as making “Vaudeville Carny Psych”, there’s a good chance you’re in for something out of the ordinary. In a world of musical labels some bands are trickier than others to define clearly. Question is: in spite of a tricky to categorise sound, is The Circle And The Blue Door any good?Continue reading