Category Archives: Album Reviews

Darkher – The Kingdom Field

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The west Yorkshire idyll of Hebden Bridge was on the news a few years ago, highlighted as the lesbian capital of the UK – an unexpectedly contemporary claim to fame for such a quaint, old fashioned town. For the area to produce such explosive, edgy, mournful, and downright fucking sexy folk-rock as this EP from local troubador Jayn Hanna Wissenberg, aka Darkher, is also something of a surprise.

Before The Kingdom Field (Self-released/Independent) arrived in my inbox, I checked some more stripped-down material on YouTube and subsequently asked myself, “Why the hell have we got this?” Within seconds of the breathy, siren-like beginning, I had my answer: the cello. Rasping, calling like a spectre from the sea, it slices through the prickling folk lilt, giving the haunting rhapsody an, albeit brief, violent edge which kicked this listener square in the bollocks. That’s aside, of course, from the eerily beautiful, heart-breaking melody of Wissenberg’s voice, and the sparing guitar slicing through the atmospherics like a primal roar in a desolate field. The judiciously introduced drums of opener ‘Ghost Tears’ accentuate the chilling tambourine with a fearful ease; the whole evoking one of the jerking undead coming for vengeance in a classic horror. Yeah, it’s that good.

The gently-picked acoustic of ‘Hung’ underpins the unbearable hurt in the mellifluous vocal before more cello strains take us to within an inch of sinister euphoria. It’s the ensuing ‘Foregone’ however, where the rock edge really explode with a resonant riff constantly threatening to blow yet always holding back, whilst the drums swell then recede to a seductive, heartfelt sway in a ‘Polly Jean Harvey goes all melodic doom’ style claustrophobia. Look, there is a strong argument as to whether this should really be here on Ghost Cult or not but, basically, this is Myrkur for the ‘Folkies; a haunting, beautiful, teeth-edging horror and it’s utterly brilliant.

Bring me an album, now.

 

9.0/10

 

Darkher on Facebook

 

PAUL QUINN


Woodtemple – Forgotten Pride

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There are occasions you come across a band that are so busy worshiping other music they are incapable of breaking out of the mould created by that band. Composed in the midst of a shrine to Graveland, Woodtemple’s fifth studio album Forgotten Pride (Sacrilige) is yet another copy of the band with one vital difference; it contains Rob Darken himself. Far from bringing another dynamic to the band though, Darken’s input serves to make Forgotten Pride even more Graveland-esque than the previous releases.

Despite the addition of Darken, the album lacks the rich density that calls his fan back time after time. While the music itself holds its own, with layers upon layers of keyboard voices make up the vast majority of the tracks and Aramath’s croaked vocals rattling over the top, the lack of variety between tracks quickly turns this into a metal by numbers exercise. Each track moves through a variation of the setup, with so few changes between tracks it can be hard to tell one piece from the next. Coupled with an overly clean production that erases any rawness or grit from the backing, leaving the vocals as the only aspect anchoring it in the black metal genre and the music taking a stance more firmly at the heart of symphonic folk.

Love or hate the genre, the lack of the music individual identity leaves this album trailing behind the style it attempts to copy. Fans of Aramath may still find some merit in this record, but for the casual Woodtemple listener this far from their best work.

 

3.0/10

Woodtemple on Facebook

 

CAITLIN SMITH


Thanatos – Global Purification

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2014 sees Dutch Death-metallers Thanatos celebrating their thirtieth year as a band, and to celebrate, they’ve dropped a nice new slab of brutality. Global Purification (Century Media) is the band’s sixth full length, and even into their third decade they can still keep up with bands half their age.

From the off, what you’re treated to is a shade under 40 minutes of abrasive thrash-influenced death metal. From the opening title track to the band, [Stephan Gebédi (Vocals, Guitars), Paul Baayens (Guitars), Marco de Bruin (Bass), Yuri Rinkel (Drums)] sound like a barely contained explosion of rage. Gebédi’s guttural vocals, the relentless barrage of drums and copious amounts of neck-busting shredding combine to deliver a slab of well-delivered classic-sounding death metal.

There’s plenty of relentless savagery on offer. Every track delivers a pounding dose of aggressive chugging riffs and pummeling drums (‘Infestation of the Soul’, ‘Blood Will Be Spilled’) – but Thanatos aren’t afraid to show off some dexterity. ‘The Murder of Innocents’ starts at full speed before segwaying into an intricate set of guitar solos, while ‘Feeding the War Machine’ is nice groove-laden thrash number that wouldn’t be out of place on a Slayer album, yet surprises with a Black metal-influenced interlude. The album sounds great, too, which only makes those more melodic moments shine through.

‘Demonized Minority’ is a slower, ominous track that builds to a blasting end, while ‘Word Jihad’ is a full on death metal shredder complete with whammy dives, while closer ‘Bastion of Blasphemy’ wears its galloping thrash influences on its sleeve. One of the best aspects of this album is the flurry of solos – furious and melodic, they add something special to each track.

Thanatos know they do well and stick to it; aggression, brutality and storming solos. And they do it really well. It’s impressive to see a band with so many years under their belts to still be releasing such intense and aggressive records. Global Purification doesn’t reinvent the wheel at any point, but the energy Thanatos bring to the table ensures it doesn’t get old.

 

8.0/10

Thanatos on Facebook

 

DAN SWINHOE


Under The Surface – Underground Bands Spotlight

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Under the Surface is our new column in which we take a listen to and critique artists with independently released albums. As with our website, we will explore the boundaries of heavy music by reviewing releases that range from fringes of post-rock to the heaviest of the heavy. The releases will be scored from on our 10 scale (poor – fantastic). The goal is to promote the underground and give artists the chance to be heard, providing descriptive overviews, kudos – and constructive criticism – as necessary, giving our readers the opportunity to check these artists out and support our scene.

 

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Alek Darson – Panopticon

Alek Darson is a Berklee College graduate by way of Serbia, and has the guitar chops to prove it. After paying his dues for a decade, he has released Panopticon, which clearly showcases both his virtuosity and songwriting skill. Conceived to reflect the range of emotions he has experienced throughout his life, his influences of Dream Theater and Steve Vai are pretty clear. However, this release reminds me very much of Animals As Leaders. If you enjoy those artists, you will totally love this release. It is primarily instrumental, using three drummers, a flautist, keyboards and a string section over the course of five songs, which are all carefully crafted. The last song, The Rind, finally brings in vocals courtesy of Vladimir Lalić, and while his vocal performance is excellent, he sounds so much like Devin Townsend that it is uncanny – and a bit distracting. Lalić also wrote the lyrics, which, while cool and interesting, are also very Townsend-esque. I hope that on a future release Darson will utilize Lalić more so we can get a better gauge of his range – and hopefully individuality – as a vocalist. But even with that, sounding like Mr. Townsend is never a bad thing, and what he does is perfect for the song. This EP is quite impressive on a few levels, and if you love music that is not shy with the technicality but still manages to incorporate some dynamics and feeling, this is a must-have. Purportedly Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess is a fan, and after listening to what Mr. Darson is capable of, I can understand it. This fellow is as good as anyone out there, and he definitely should be given the opportunity to flex his musical muscle in front of a much larger audience.

9/10

Alek Darson on Bandcamp

p18e61bt8784f5hdqqj14tl1cbp4Palefeather – (self-titled)

Formed by members of In Mourning, October Tide, Majalis and others, this is an instrumental, psychedelic Post-Rock journey with an ambient bent. Palefeather is a very relaxing and downright pretty release and easily reminds one of Opeth, Devin Townsend or even Tiamat in their mellower moments crossed with Pink Floyd. Since I do enjoy that type of stuff, I really enjoyed this CD. Great as ‘chill out’ music or for spacing out, hell, I’d even do yoga to this. Mind-expanding without being overly prog, this is well worth checking out. 7.5/10

Palefeather on Bandcamp

The Cloud Shoveler – Les Jeûnes de la Chair

Nicolas Aubé-Lanctôt, alias Le Pelteux de nuages (The Cloud Shoveler) is a celestial-sounding post-rock release. This album is the first of a trilogy entitled Sahara d’endorphine, and while there is no indication of what the remaining two albums will sound like, this one is clearly out to set a melancholic

mood. The guitars are layered with effects, and combined with the onomatopoeic vocals (which are overused a bit for my taste), lends a very dream-like quality to all of the songs. There are other instruments involved, such as accordion and piano, and altogether creates a release that may intend to be soothing, but there is an undercurrent of tension that, for me, keeps it from being relaxing; in fact, at times it is a little creepy. So, if you like your ambient music to have a little bit of a Gothic bite to it, you’ll probably love having this in the background of your next dinner party.

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6/10

The Cloud Shoveler on Bandcamp

Minimal Bogart – Cosmic Caveman Blues

Formed in 2008, Minimal Bogart is stoner/psychedelic/blues from Bulgaria. The music is instrumental and quite musical without getting either boring or totally distracting. There is a very strong 60’s influence, with a good amount of keyboards and harmonica. As far as execution, it is a bit loosey-goosey in spots, and the production is pretty lo-fi (perhaps that is where the ‘Minimal’ in their name comes from), but that definitely lends to the 60’s rock feel if that’s your thing. Picture an old Kyuss jam crossed with some 60’s dudes in someone basement or a crusty bar on the edge of town. Titles such as ‘The Intergalactic Drug Baron’, ‘Reefer Madness’ and ‘Interlude – Quest for Shrooms’ should further give you an idea of what you should expect sonically. The guitar tone did get a little grating after awhile, but he has got some chops. Unfortunately, the band members are not named on any of the links that were provided.

7/10

Minimal Bogart on Bandcamp

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Hoth- Oathbreaker

Hoth is a two-member music project from Seattle consisting of Eric Peters and David Dees, and they have quite the release in Oathbreaker (Epicurus Records). A concept album about a person descending into darkness from birth, it’s a task that requires a lot of dynamics, thought and, of course musical execution. This record has all three qualities in spades, traveling through many Metal genres such as Black, melodic Death, and Traditional. The vocals, reminiscent of Dimmu Borgir‘s Shagrath, are not as dynamic and they do not stray from a Black/Death growl. They are heavily effected to convey the coldness tension that matches the storyline, so while not particularly unique, they do fit the music perfectly. They introduce violin, choir sounds, acoustic guitars and keyboards to really set the Black Metal mood, but it is so well-crafted and produced they know when to change it up and keep the listener engaged. Other musicians appear to have been involved and it is unclear what their contributions were, but overall every musician and element is used to best effect. Picture Dimmu, Opeth and a touch of Amon Amarth and maybe even a dash of The Haunted – that’s a mix you can’t go wrong with! I was truly impressed by this release from beginning to end, and it is something that I will actually keep and play as part of my regular collection.

9.5/10

Hoth on Bandcamp

LYNN JORDAN


Maverick – Quid Pro Quo

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They say rock and metal is dead… If so no-one told the 10-legged monster of rock and metal from Northern Ireland that is Maverick who, in a true 80s cliché, are coming your way. The band’s début release on Massacre, Quid Pro Quo is a heady, high octane take on ‘retro’ rock.

Already familiar thanks to a video release ‘Paint By Numbers’ is a fist in the face of hipsters, scenesters, and fashionistas, but ‘Got It Bad’ is where listener has to make up their mind, and where some may shy away from Maverick. It is a great song, and had it been released in the mid-80s it would have been on constant rotation on AM radio in the US – itt’s as catchy as Ebola in Sierra Leone, while vocalist David Balfour showcases his range on ‘Snakeskin Sinner’ and ‘Electric’, and Ryan Sebastian Balfour’s tasteful, melodic soloing complements the sound throughout

But do we need another band who re-tread the sound of Ratt, Crue, MTV-era Whitesnake, Y&T etc? The love of music is at the heart of the Maverick matter and is dealt with on ‘In Our Blood’ as David declares when younger he would “put all my CDs on and have a concert in my room”. On the other hand the track ‘One More Day (Quid Pro Quo)’ deals with serious matters in a narration of the real personal toll the conflict in Northern Ireland took.

Whether it be the lusting or the longing; whether it is ranting or the wrongdoing of paramilitaries; or whether it is just heads down hard rockin’ Maverick know that telling the tale within each song is about composition and depth. Sure you can write off this release too easily as looking back at a lost time, this simply about declaring their love of the era that spawned so much modern rock and metal.Maverick have produced a chest thumping, raucous, powerful, pounding, melodic release oozing with passion as the Maverick monster pounds all into submission on Quid Pro Quo, as if the 80s never went away

 

9.0/10

Maverick on Facebook

JONATHAN TRAYNOR

 


Year Of The Goat – The Key and the Gate

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It’s been two years since Swedish retro rockers Year of the Goat released their debut album, Angels’ Necropolis and the band is back with a new release, the three track The Key and the Gate EP (Napalm)

Fans of their debut will be pleased to know that their brand of Satan-themed retro pop-rock is still firmly in place, and this EP suggests the next album will be more of the same and up to the same standard.

Featuring a classic NWOBHM twin-guitar lead, the opening title track is very melodic and hook driven. Frontman Thomas Sabbathi’s smooth croons the catchy choruses, while there’s a host of infectious riffs and impressive solos. It’s fun but a bit lightweight. The seven-minute ‘Magic Mountains’ is a slower, blues-inspired classic rock number. Anyone who liked Graveyard’s Light’s Out release will enjoy its haunting power. Filled with classy solos, it’s a great track and easily the highlight of the EP. Closer ‘Non-Euclidean Calculus’ may sound promising, but in reality is little more than a glorified outro; a 70s prog style instrumental of atmospheric keyboards and moogs, it’s a long wind down from an enjoyable but not overly exciting EP.

 

6.0/10

Year Of The Goat on Facebook

 

DAN SWINHOE


Khold – Til Endes

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Norway has long been known for its black metal output, championing artist producing both true black metal and more diversely inspired acts pushing the boundaries to create exciting new combinations. Khold are a band that has placed themselves distinctly towards the latter.

Mixing in a heavy dose of rock n roll set against a grim dissonant backing, Khold have created a distinctive sound that sets them apart from black metal purists while still retaining an oppressively darkened atmosphere. Guitar riffs weave their way over a prominent rattling bass lines tied together by Gard’s rasped vocals. The majority of the album remains mid-paced, particularly opening songs ‘Myr’ and ‘Ravnestrupe’, contrasting this however are later tracks ‘Dommens Arme’, ‘Avund’ and ‘Hengitt’ that race through towards the closing of the album.

While Khold have crafted a great sound for Tel Endes (Peaceville), the album’s real issue is with their unwillingness to stray from it at any point. All of the tracks maintain a similar atmosphere making the final section of the album a chore to get to and reducing any memorable features the album might contain. The vocals and guitars may vary their material, but the tone is maintained throughout reducing the impact of any contrast in the bands material and creating very little opportunity for the listener to really grasp onto something unique about an individual track.

For any black metal fan looking at straying into the move diversely inspired music making its way out of Norway at the moment, this is certainly an album to take an hour out for. The blackened groove coupled with clean production makes this a decent piece of work but the repetitive nature of the riffs and the atmosphere still leave it lagging behind many other bands working in the same area today.

 

6.0/10

Khold are too Khvlt for Facebook

 

CAITLIN SMITH


Black Veil Brides – Black Veil Brides IV

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Guns N’Roses, Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, ‘Nothing Else Matters’, Skid Row, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bon Jovi, Billy Idol, Faith No More, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Bowling For Soup, Korn, Slipknot… who was it for you? Who was your Gateway band? Maybe the list I’ve given shows my age a bit, but it makes a point. For people to get to their Indian’s and  Portal’s or even their Behemoth’s and Winterfylleth there needs to be something to guide them on their way and introduce them to the fold.

And just because we’ve (and I don’t mean Ghost Cult, per se) have decided there’s a “cool” line in the sand and the “mainstream” is above that line and therefore not worthy, or kvlt or true enough, doesn’t mean that it corresponds that there isn’t quality, valid, exciting and interesting music going on in the more commercial arena of our rock and metal world.

It also doesn’t mean there always is…

Perhaps Black Veil Brides IV (Lava/Universal Republic) is the wrong album to be having that discussion on, and perhaps that discussion should take place around Avenged Sevenfold, or more pertinently Mastodon, or Slipknot. Though what about non-Killswitch Engage “metalcore” and bands with slopey fringes and bits of emo? See, it’s OK to talk Mastodon, they were underground who got popular, and it’s OK to talk Slipknot, they’re allowed, but not Trivium. “We” have decided they’re not “real”. And we definitely can’t talk Black Veil Brides. They’re girlfriend metal. All image. Style over substance. All their fans are teenagers… I have a one word answer to that. Kiss. OK, all their fans may no longer be teenagers, but they were forty years ago. The biggest whores to image and commerciality are classic, timeless legends. Also, the more observant of you will have noticed the Motley Crue-dipped-in-tar look has quietly been banished to the back of the BVB wardrobe.

OK, context set, bullshit blustered, let’s address the album at hand. If you’ve consciously avoided Black Veil Brides, or never strayed onto rock radio or video stations, their sound is well established by now and there are no surprises in that respect. There are smatterings of more recent Disturbed and a load of metalcore-lite (but with the thrashy bits removed), all combined with Andy Biersack’s clean baritone that sounds slightly out of place, and, well, a little short of the presence you’d expect from a voice fronting one of rock’s big bands. He’s not even a David Draiman let alone an Axl Rose.

Where IV also falls down is that it doesn’t have the stand out track, the big anthem, that its predecessors had, as even best of the bunch, ‘Drag Me To The Grave’ falls short compared to the not-as-good-as-the-Poison­-song-of-the-same-name ‘Fallen Angels’, or their best song, and genuine quality rock anthem ‘In The End’. Without that big single to hang the album on, we’re left with a bunch of samey songs that are perfectly decent in their own right, but don’t make you raise your fist and yell…

While it is worth noting that BVB may be a gateway band for the many and the millions, it’s also worth noting that this is not the album to pitch this particular argument on. When considering the context of “mainstream” rock/metal albums, this doesn’t have the songs of a Ten Thousand Fists (Disturbed – Reprise), the swagger of a Hail To The King (Avenged Sevenfold – Warners), the intelligence of a Once More ‘round The Sun (Mastodon – Reprise) or the depth and genius of The Black Parade (My Chemical Romance – Reprise). It’ll do well for them, of that I’m sure, but in the annals of time it won’t even be held up as the first, second or even third best, Black Veil Brides album to date, let alone achieve any status higher than that.

 

6.0/10

Black Veil Brides on Facebook

 

STEVE TOVEY

 

 


…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – IX

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In their 20 year history, Austin, Texas act …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have never been a by the book kind of band, always shifting and turning in unpredictable directions. An incredibly hard band to pigeonhole, one that has over time been adorned tags such from hardcore, to prog, to indie rock and even mathcore; trying to quickly define this band is a waste of time.

This ‘trend’ of the unexpected continues on ninth album, IX (Superball Music), with songs that were originally intended for use in film and television as instrumentals, before the creative rivers flowed some more. Also surprisingly is how refined and near simplistic it all is (in comparison to previous work at least). Still far from being an AC/DC template like band but IX does relinquish their sense of indulgence and expansion for a more streamlined approach, somewhere between their punk influences and indie rock, with the merest suggestion of prog. ‘A Million Random Digits’ is one of the more up tempo moments and has an aggressive streak in comparison to the synth driven ‘Jaded Apostles’ that precedes it.

On the first instrumental effort, ‘How To Avoid Huge Ships’ is where we are reminded just how bombastic this band can be when they turn up the prog; with piano and strings bolstering and building the song over its course, bigger and bigger. It is in this latter half of the album where the band’s extravagant side rears its head again, with these instrumentals and the long players like ‘Lost In The Grand Scheme’, in contrast to the short and sharper blocks in the previous half.

IX is another turn in this band’s very winding road and one that sees many of their sides come together, and at times in an all new perspective. There are signs of their punk like volatility and their whimsical prog side and a little in between. Another fine addition to their already captivating catalogue; this band simply refuses to be boring.

 

7.0/10

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead on Facebook

 

CHRIS TIPPELL

 

 

 


Thomas Giles – Modern Noise

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Considering the frenetic nature and the multiple personalities of Between The Buried & Me, it really is little surprise that the members have other musical ventures that they wish to explore. Earlier in the year bassist Dan Briggs revealed his avant-garde, frenzied Jazz project Trioscapes, and now vocalist Tommy Rogers presents his own project, Thomas Giles. Where Trioscapes channels the band’s dissonant and more challenging side however, Modern Noise (Metal Blade) offers the more tuneful, accessible persona, even if it does show its own restlessness.

Modern Noise is, in comparison to the other aforementioned acts, a more streamlined and simpler affair but it still shows Rogers’ wide and eclectic tastes and influences. Album opener ‘Wise And Silent’ is a dose of ambient electronica for example, which contrasts entirely to ‘Siphon The Bad Blood’ which has a much more traditional rock feel, with its rumbling bass riff and punchy chorus. A huge comparison has to be made with Faith No More in the sense of doing multiple genres and styles on one album; and of course in Rogers’ Patton aping delivery on the jazzy lounge number ‘Blueberry Queen’.

Of course Rogers’ vocals are so distinctive that this will always draw gazes towards BTBAM but where this release does distance itself is in the lack of heaviness; no signs of death metal or growls whatsoever, moving instead towards a warmer, more airy atmosphere. On the likes of ‘I Appear Disappear’ and ‘Wander Drug’ there is even a likeness to bands of the Radiohead influence of softer, more emotion driven Prog such as The Pineapple Thief.

An album with an array of influences and styles present in such a concise manner, with those immediately recognizable pipes on it, was always going to be heavily compared to the mothership act; but this does enough to walk on its own feet. Numerous listens reveal different intricacies and an alternate variety of sounds than BTBAM, approached in a more streamlined manner, yet still offers enough for those who demand their music to be thought provoking.

7.0/10

Thomas Giles on Facebook

 

CHRIS TIPPELL