Category Archives: Album Reviews

Howls of Ebb – Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows

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Howls of Ebb - Cursus Impasse The Pendlomic Vows cover ghostcultmag

Howls of Ebb’s latest album Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows (I, Voidhanger/Nuclear War Now) is monster of an album. Starting off with track ‘The 6th Octopul’th Grin’ which shows a menacing display of low-end power and ferocity: gurgling death growls and blackened guitar. There’s a real textural vibe to it, reminiscent of Portal, with a mix of blackened death metal and discordant jazz.

The confident predatory swagger of the drumming provides a framework for sheer sonic madness. The atmosphere is permeated with unique riffs appearing relentlessly as snarling vocals swirl around. This gives the song a chaotic soundscape which bristles with dark energy and an undulating yet majestic thumping beat.

The bridge on ‘Cabals of Molder’ is out of this world, a shuffling beat, but with a real organic feel to the production. A soundscape rich with decay punctuated by the wail of screaming guitars; demonic vocals whispering hypnotically throughout like an ill wind and the bass line slithers around the piece rattling with menace. The soundscapes seem to alternate between telling a story and summoning some Lovecraftian nightmare. It really feels like a living entity, pulsating, slithering, crawling and Howls of Ebb have to be congratulated on bringing it to life.

The album takes a slower, more doom laden turn at ‘Maat Mons’ Fume’, jangley soundscapes with a raw underlying power reminiscent of Ahab give the sense of being toyed with by an unknown predator. Howls of Ebb’s world is a dark and scary place and this album is the musical equivalent of psychological horror, and instills the listener with a sense of panic.

The next few tracks take a more traditional approach unlike their other releases, after a few listens this can be a little disappointing given the brilliance so far. It’s still good however and throughout there’s a nice rhythm and pace; varied drumming and some really nice percussion and particularly on track 4 more than a passing nod to Pestilence’s spheres album.

‘Subliminal Lock_ A Precursor to V’ is the most obvious Black Metal infused track with hissy malevolent guitar work and vocals almost providing the rhythm at times whilst the drums go on a free-form whirlwind around the song. But the middle of it is somewhat tame compared to the wild inventiveness of the rest of the album.

Last track ‘The Apocryphalic Wick’ starts of slowly with a feeling of rebirth, reminding me a lot of the atmospheric doom of Botanist before kicking in halfway through with some frenetic drum work, and a flat-out Slayer inspired guitar solo taking the album out on a bit of a high before terminating the journey with an abrupt stop.

8.5/10

RICH PRICE

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Psalm Zero – Stranger To Violence

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What exactly is going on in New York? The city has a long musical history, of course, but in recent years it seems to have become a focus point for challenging, original and distinctive Heavy Metal. We’re not talking about some forced “scene” with three or four decent bands setting the tone for a horde of bland followers, either – though Psalm Zero share a certain spirit with their neighbours in Pyrrhon, Krallice and Artificial Brain, musically they’re as distinctive as those bands are from each other.

Not that the music on Stranger To Violence (Profound Lore) is especially easy to describe. The label blurb makes much of their Pop influence, but this is hardly the chorus-heavy cheese-fest that word may suggest – the song-writing somehow marries catchiness to a genuine sense of unease and strangeness. The Metal elements shouldn’t be overlooked, either – the use of synths often calls to mind the darker side of eighties Pop, but just when you think you’ve got them in a box they’ll shift to a surging bombast that has more in common with Emperor than Depeche Mode. The extremely sparse use of harsh vocals in the most aggressive sections create a real sense of dislocation, too, hitting with an impact that they lack in music which uses them more regularly. It’s Pop Metal, but nothing like any other band that’s been given that name before.

If the music is hard to describe, the aesthetic behind it is no less so. The artwork suggests urban dystopia, and though that is certainly present on tracks like ‘Real Rain’ and ‘Stolen By Night’, there’s also an undercurrent of dark fantasy and strangeness to it that can’t be described easily. It’s frequently as uplifting as it is sinister, as dark as it is catchy.

In a genre with so many offshoots and sub-types that it seems as though every possibility has been thoroughly explored, Psalm Zero have genuinely succeeded in carving their own little niche – and it’s a strange, fascinating little place indeed.

8.0/10

RITCHIE HR

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Eerie – Eerie

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Eerie – Eerie – Tee Pee Records cover ghostcultmag

2016 hasn’t been a vintage year for rock and metal. But US quartet Eerie has delivered a very pleasant and unheralded surprise. Featuring members of Witch, Draugar, Futur Skullz, and Pins of Light, their self-titled début (Tee Pee Records) Eerie has created an addictively enjoyable record with almost no hype or fanfare.

Although described as a “Black’N’Roll” style band, Eerie is more like a mix of rough around the edges doom, 70s prog, and a streak of Led Zeppelin-style rock. Although only five tracks long, most are approaching the ten minute mark and each packed to the rafters with doomy riffs and free-wheeling solos.

Opener ‘Hideous Serpent’ pulls no punches, diving straight into seven minutes of classically evil heavy metal. Vocalist Shane Baker could pass for Trouble’s Eric Wagner at times, while guitarist Tim Lehi sounds like he studied with the likes of Jimmy Page and Wino. The terrifying and powerful rhythm of ‘Yeti segues into a bass heavy jam before devolving on a swarm of squealing solos. ‘Master of Creation’ a slower burner, building to a satisfying crescendo lead by Moses Saarni chaotic drumwork.

The retro but muddy production means the album does at times feel like one long jam, with songs often blending into one another. But their style is so satisfying that it’s no bad thing. With Eerie’s debut, there’s very little not to like. It’s got the charm of a 70s record, the heaviness of a doom record, and the song writing that means you can play it on repeat. Epic.

9.0/10

DAN SWINHOE

 


Blood Red Throne – Union of Flesh and Machine

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Blood Red Throne – Union of Flesh and Machine cover ghostcultmg

The criminally overlooked Blood Red Throne has been going for 18 years and 7 albums. Initially formed in 1998 by DØD (Satyricon) and Tchort (Satyricon, Emperor, Green Carnation) they are now releasing their 8th studio album Union of flesh and Machine on Spinefarm/Candlelight.

Blood Red Throne’s brand of Norwegian death metal has always been a particularly rewarding listen and Union of Flesh and Machine might just be their best album to date: Whilst tightly following their eponymous 2013 release they do raise the bar both in terms of song writing and crisper production. Right from the outset this beast of an album just hammers it home, within a few seconds of putting this on in my car I was struck with an over whelming urge to start a mosh pit, much to the annoyance of my insurance company.

Fast ultra-precise riffs, pummeling drums barking bellowing interspersed with shrill shrieks to create a dense brutal soundscape which means that even if they were content to just stick to the formula this would be a satisfying listen: they fortunately do so much more than deliver the basics.

Whilst there are most notably token similarities with the guttural stylings of perennial death metal benchmarks Cannibal Corpse, there are a lot more nuances to their sound and enough inventiveness within their rounded death metal sound to keep the listener interested through every single track, and there really isn’t a single weak track on this monster of an album.

Indeed unlike too many bands within the death metal sub-genre they don’t tie their flag to any one mast. This album much like The King is Blind’s Our Father earlier in the year this is a showcase of how great death metal can be when done properly. It encompasses much of the variants of the Floridian, Gothenburg and UK styles of death metal. It’s a celebration of Death Metal brutality with an inventiveness which prevents it from going stale which has been an issue in recent years with death metal.

From the Guttural growling groove of ‘Homicidal ecstasy’, through the proto Slayer feel of the title track, and most notably for me with the head scratching brilliance of the cover of Judas Priest’s ‘Leather Rebel’ sounding in equal parts Amon Amarth and Bolt Thrower this album just keeps delivering in a way which will keep the listener enthralled for many a listen.

9.0/10

RICH PRICE

 

 

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Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary

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Witherscape-The-Northern-Santuary-cover ghostcultmag

Witherscape is a Swedish progressive/melodic death metal band formed by Dan Swanö who has quite the pedigree in the metal genre, previously being part of the band Edge of Sanity who alongside Opeth helped pave the way for the blending of progressive rock elements with extreme metal as well as many other projects such as death metal supergroup Bloodbath and progressive rock band Nightingale, as well as fellow multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Widerburg, who is relatively unknown by comparison. Together they have produced one of the finest metal albums of 2016 in The Northern Sanctuary (Century Media Records), which serves as the follow-up to their 2014 EP The New Tomorrow and 2013 debut album The Inheritance.

Witherscape are a band who doesn’t just release albums for the music alone, they are creating a narrative that expands with each release. This is far from a new concept, with bands like Rhapsody on Fire, Coheed and Cambria, and King Diamond being well-known for their ongoing concept albums. This doesn’t make Witherscape any less intriguing though. From what I can tell, the story-line revolves around a haunted house of sorts, with The Northern Sanctuary taking place 50 years after The New Tomorrow EP, with a new person taking over the house. The underlying story is ultimately a bonus for the dedicated fans who will dig into the lyrics and embrace the narrative, but for the average music fan, this album gives more than enough to satisfy musically.

If you aren’t familiar with the work of Dan Swanö, you might be caught off guard with just how talented he is. On this album he handles all vocals as well as drums and keyboards. His ability to shift from melodic progressive rock style vocals to incredibly vicious death growls is truly impressive and keeps the album extremely dynamic. The keyboards add that timeless progressive feel to the album, and the drumming keeps the pace of the album in check. Widerburg handled the guitars and bass work on this album, and the incredibly riffs and solos alone make this an album worth checking out. He might not be as known as Swanö, but he proved to be equal in skill on this release. Tying everything together is a very clean production style that helps make everything sound very crisp and impactful.

Overall, there really isn’t much to not love about The Northern Sanctuary, as it’s simply a progressive metal masterpiece. Being a narrative focused album does make some of the lyrics a bit cheesy at times, and some songs are a can get a bit long-winded, no time feels wasted on this album. It’s another excellent release for the discography of Dan Swanö, and one of the best metal albums of 2016.

9.0/10

MATTHEW BLANCHARD

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Black Crown Initiate- Selves We Cannot Forgive

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Black Crown Initiate- Selves We Cannot Forgive cover ghostcultmag

Over the course of an EP and a full length release, progressive death metallers Black Crown Inititate have been building a heady reputation. Unlike many of their prog/death hybrid peers who focus on over the top technical prowess and guitar noodling over the sheer heaviness of death metal; BCI have never been afraid to venture into bleaker realms of more extreme bands and have as a result proven a very exciting prospect, threatening to create something truly wonderful. On latest release Selves We Cannot Forgive (eOne/SPV), they may have just done it.

Many progressive/death bands cite the likes of Meshuggah, Opeth and Mastodon as influences and claim to have forged anything that actually shares ground with them, but on Selves…BCI actually show these varied sides clearly and masterfully. From the ultra heavy to clean and delicate dynamic shifts of Opeth to the metallic and other world like feel that both Mastodon and Meshuggah can generate, BCI throw a lot in to their mix but create their own identity and fluid sound rather than just a mere mix of inspirations.

In addition to this is a greater sense of a dark and unforgiven atmosphere which at times is reminiscent of Architect’s All Our God’s Have Abandoned Us(Epitaph) in its feel of ultimate despair and ruin. Certainly it proves much somber than their previous output and helps it to build its own identity in an ever-crowded genre, which rarely hits such melancholic territories. There is a still a great sense of diversity however, from the bleaker and heavier elements of death metal and even at times doom to some of the genre’s trademark technicality; but with a sense of balance which exemplifies each side. This is matched with the vocal trade-off between harsh vocalist James Dorton and clean singer Andy Thomas who also eschew the sometimes copybook nature of their peers and actually sound unique and standout.

It is very rare for progressive death metal bands to really strike the balance between prog virtuosity and dynamism with the crunch and pummel of death metal, but on Selves… Black Crown Initiate have managed the tall task of fine tuning both sides and pairing both with aplomb. Always threatening to offer something special, Selves…could prove a defining moment for the genre with one of its most complete works to date.

9.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL

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Lord Mantis – Nice Teeth Whore

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Lord Mantis - Nice Teeth Whore album cover ghostcultmag

So, to recap: evil Chicago entity Lord Mantis spawns from three-quarters of Blackened Sludge quartet Indian. In 2014 the band split spectacularly with troubled yet horrifically effective vocalist Charlie Fell: upon which the parent band folds and becomes the new incarnation of the progeny, Indian vocalist Dylan O’Toole assuming the role of the heinous rasp. Moreover, since the recording of new EP Nice Teeth Whore (New Density), guitarist Scott Shellhamer and bassist Will Lindsay have also departed, with Alletta Ergun moving in.

Got all that? The debris from the Fell departure has finally settled and it’s now time to see if the Mantis can silence those who doubt the credibility of the band without him. Initially Nice Teeth Whore seems something of a return to the excellent days of sophomore album Pervertor (Candlelight Records): the slurring, quickened Black boom of ‘SIG Safer’ swelling to a final crescendo and highlighting O’Toole’s hostile bark, spearing the mind yet missing that sense of ‘serial killer’ depravity Fell exudes so effortlessly.

The title track runs at a more familiar and ominous, Doom-laden pace: the sheer violent malevolence of O’Toole’s delivery complementing Bill Bumgardner’s colossal drums; the switch between rumbling riffs, shimmering Blackened passages and some wonderfully emotive yet spiked leadwork utterly compelling. It’s this reined-in brutality, desperately attempting to break free yet unable to escape from the choke-hold, that is the essence of both bands and leaves the listener fraught, nerve-shredded and exhausted in a blissful fashion

Bumgardner’s drums are again to the fore in ‘Semblances’, pummeling their way through a savage, sawing chorus from which screams resonate and slice the skin. It’s the languid, funereal hostility of ‘Final Division’, however, where the heady days of this terrifying outfit truly return: vocals so oppressive as to clog up the throat; a hateful, slow-burning intensity crawling lazily through the gut, leaving hungry leeches in its wake.

The warm, beefy production and undercurrents of howling leads may steal a little menace, but make no mistake: Lord Mantis are back to their punishing best. Let’s now hope that some stability can allow this febrile ferocity to fester…

8.0/10

PAUL QUINN

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MAKE – Pilgrimage of Loathing

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MAKE – Pilgrimage of Loathing cover ghostcultmag

It is not often when I finish listening to an album for the first time that I say “what was that” and I actually enjoyed the album. Pilgrimage of Loathing (Accident Prone), latest from North Carolina psych-doom trio MAKE, is one of those few albums. Each song has its own personality and story yet they all seem to just flow together. From the first riff to the final note, you are put on a rollercoaster of music and emotions.

Opening track, ‘The Somnambulist’, has a very tribal feeling opening with crescendo drumming over delay guitar effects. It then climaxes into fuzzy bass, heavy guitar distortion, and eventually leads to the vocals which felt very black metal. Being the longest song on Pilgrimage of Loathing, it only makes sense to have the most twists and turns in structure and really the emotions in the song. With easily the strangest song title on the album, ‘Two Hawks Fucking’ acts almost like an intermission in what was an angry first half of an album. This track really stands out from the rest as it is not only an instrumental piece, but is also very calm. Heed my warning, this is not a turning point in the album especially the second ‘Human Garbage’ starts up. With a flip of a switch it seemed, the aggression was back in full force. If MAKE was looking for a sludge song that was heavy on the hardcore side, they nailed it. Lastly, the North Carolina natives make sure to squeeze in a stoner doom track, ‘Dirt’. Slow and heavy from start to finish with harsh vocals over the top make for a song that you will lose yourself listening to.

Never has a band sucked me in so quick to an album before like MAKE has done with Pilgrimage of Loathing. Each time I listen through the record, I find I enjoy the album as much as I did the first time I listened. While I have read this is the angriest MAKE has been thus far, I can safely say there is more emotion to this album than just anger. This fact alone separates the album from a large amount of good albums this year has produced, up to a great album where only a select few have reached.

9.0/10

TIM LEDIN

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Revocation – Great Is Our Sin

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Formed in 2000, Boston act Revocation have come along way since starting life under the rather uninspiring name of Cryptic Warning. Sounding like a particularly vicious blend of Sepultura and Pantera, the band were already exhibiting great technical skill, but changing both their direction and name in 2006 took things to the next level. Two years later they unleashed their début album, the self-released Empire of the Obscene, and the transformation was astonishing.

Effortlessly combining Technical Death Metal and Thrash, the band released four more albums, each one just as blistering as the last, but moving forwards each time, adding more melodic, Jazz, and traditional metal aspects along the way without losing any of their signature attack.

Now, there comes a time when after a number of well-received releases, a band will eventually feel a backlash. Well, if Revocation are to be on the end of such a thing, then it certainly won’t be with this album as Great is Our Sin (Metal Blade) is every bit as good as their previous five albums. Picking a highlight is a ridiculously difficult task as virtually everything hits the mark perfectly, but listen out for the Steve Vai-esque guitar solo on ‘Monolithic Ignorance’, Brett Bamberger‘s bass line at the beginning of ‘Crumbling Imperium’, and the drums on, well… everything. Anyone concerned about 3 Inches of Blood drummer Ash Pearson not being up to the task of stepping into the formidable shoes of Phil Dubois-Coyne can stop worrying right now.

The guitar work here is sensational; Dan Gargiulo and vocalist/founder member David Davidson utilising many different styles to get their point across without ever feeling forced or awkward. Oh, and just when you think it can’t get any better, here comes Marty Friedman with a guest spot on the quite brilliant ‘The Exaltation’.

Being overly critical, it could be said that Zeuss‘s production maybe isn’t quite as crisp as it could be, and although well played, the cover of ‘Altar of Sacrifice’ by Slayer is exactly what it is – a bonus track. Overall though, Great Is Our Sin is yet another triumph by Revocation. A thundering wall of sound replete with Jazz breaks, virtuoso solos, inhuman vocals, and an abundance of influences. Everyone from Iron Maiden and Testament to Gojira, Cynic and Gorguts and in between. And more.

8.5/10

GARY ALCOCK

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Fates Warning- Theories Of Flight

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Despite their influence and their position in the roots of true, progressive metal as one of the prime creators, Fates Warning have arguably moved into more cult territories nowadays, especially compared to other progressive metal behemoths like Dream Theater who have become one of metal’s biggest entities. Perhaps in part due to the nature of FW’s releases in the last few years, which have proven inconsistent and certainly not to the quality of their early releases. Thankfully their latest album Theories Of Flight (InsideOut) sees them on the right track with their strongest album in recent years.

FW’s take on progressive metal of course takes on both anthemic and memorable hooks and passages with more complex and technical elements; and whereas before at times they may falter on one side or the other, on Theories… they manage to set the balance perfectly. Take the album opener “From The Rooftops” which starts unassuming before it opens up around the 2 minute mark; revealing a huge chorus and some sheer technicality. Even the 10 minute plus songs like “The Light And Shade Of Things”; despite their ever-changing nature, have instantly memorable and easily digestible passages throughout to grab you.

Fates Warning may sometimes feel like the forgotten fathers of progressive metal, especially when you consider just how far some of their peers have transcended, and in all fairness such peers have offered such timeless classics and works that Theories still doesn’t quite live up to. However what it does show is that FW are still a very worthwhile and creative force that are once again worthy of attention, and that after a number of years in the wilderness of creativity, Theories sees them return to their best.

7.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL

 

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