Category Archives: Album Reviews

Cradle of Filth – Total Fucking Darkness

Posted on by

CoF album cover

Before they became the black metal equivalent of marmite, Cradle of Filth, arguably the UK’s most commercially successful and controversial export since Adam Ant, were just like any other bunch of skinny teenagers who made an ungodly racket in their mum’s garage and dreamed of hitting the big time. Unlike most kids their age however, they did actually make it, and the demo in question, 1993’s semi-legendary Total Fucking Darkness not only inspired a host of imitators, but proved it wasn’t just the Norwegians who had the monopoly on corpse-paint and blasting for Satan.

Now re-issued with several bonus tracks and re-recordings, Total Fucking Darkness sounds as different to Cradle’s current polished output as it’s possible to get, and that isn’t just due to the abysmal recording quality. While black metal elitists love to sneer at the sextet and claim that they aren’t grim/trve/kvlt enough, the truth is that in the early 90s, Cradle were embedded deep in the underground, had the approval of Euronymous, and were bashing out brutally heavy compositions with sickening lyrical content, with the feral ‘Spattered in Faeces’ a prime example.

Two early versions of future Principle of Evil Made Flesh classic ‘The Black Goddess Rises’ show just how much the songwriting improved before the recording of that seminal debut while others which didn’t make the cut such as ‘Unbridled at Dusk’ and ‘The Raping of Faith’ show a band hungry to prove their worth as the aggressive riffs and suffocating keyboards pile on the intensity creating a Gothic, slightly depraved and quintessentially English atmosphere. Oh, and for such a small guy, Dani roars and screams with more power and passion than most vocalists you could care to mention.

Not essential by any means, but a worthy reminder of where Cradle came from and how important they are. You could almost say they’re a national treasure…

cradle of filth band photo

 7/10

Cradle of Filth on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY

 


Austrian Death Machine – Triple Brutal

Posted on by

 Austrian-Death-Machine-Triple-Brutal-album-cover

Just when you thought there was nowhere else to go, Austrian Death Machine; the Arnold Schwarzenegger themed band deliver the most beefiest and powerful sounding release to date. They cover everything from Red Sonja to the “maid incident”. From the crushing ‘I’ll Be Back’ all he way to the frenzied ‘It’s Turbo Time’, the production on here makes me wish all albums sounded this full. With the unfortunate situation Tim Lambesis finds himself in, this is likely the last new music from him we will get to enjoy for a while.

 

As always Lambesis handles the main vocals and a majority of the guitars. He’s damn fine guitarist and his voice just drives this beast. Just naming all the guests vocalist and guitarists on here would fill the review. A few stand out tracks belong to guitarists Doc Coyle on ‘Crom, Grant Me One Request’, and Mark MacDonald on ‘Chill Out Dickwad’ with his theme from The Terminator infused solo. A few of the vocal attacks come from Hatebreed main-man, Jamie Jasta ‘One More Rep’ and Lorenzo Antonucci of Sworn Enemy fame on ‘Pumping and Humping’ Besides the monstrous list of guest guitarists, the real highlight is the rhythm section of Brandon Trahan of Impending Doom and Joe Gericke of Death by Stereo. They are down right thunderous sons of bitches who aren’t pushing any pencils. They need to work together more. My personal favorites are the blast filled ‘I Hope You Left Room in Your Stomach For My Fist’ and ‘I Know Now Why You Cry’.

Oh what a fun ride this album is! Lambesis and company clearly having a blast and it can be heard. They make you want to spend the day watching movies, while working out. I look forward to seeing what they do with the newer Arnold movies someday.

 

8.0/10

Austrian Death Machine on Facebook

Omar Cordy


Triptykon- Melana Chasmata

Posted on by

 Triptykon-Melana-Chasmata

Still gloriously innovative at 50, the enigmatic and death-obsessed Thomas Gabriel Fischer returns with his latest and possibly most enigmatic incarnation. The darkly expansive Triptykon’s first album displayed a panoply of musical styles and, remarkably, sophomore suite Melana Chasmata (Century Media Records) sees a deeper mining of that creativity.

 

Fischer’s dogmatic roar is unmistakable, even during the first of his many spoken sections, whilst a downturned acoustic duels with a ringing lead in the savage close of the steady if unspectacular opener ‘Tree of Suffocating Souls’. The lumbering riff and colossal drums of the ensuing ‘Boleskine House’ introduces a demonic chant from Fischer alongside gorgeous intonations from Simone Vollenweider, and it’s this emotive death / doom ballad which highlights the creative variation at Triptykon’s disposal. The slower pace continues into the more violent yet expertly directed ‘Altar of Deceit’; the monolithic riff at times straining to be set free from its occasionally funereal chain, and the eerie leadwork adding extra resonance to an ominous, leering coda. Norman Lonhard’s powerful ‘When The Levee Breaks’-style drum intro leads unexpectedly into the ponderous, almost post-black emotings of ‘Aurorae’: its delightfully evocative lead and resignedly uttered delivery building into a closing riff and lead duel, in arguably the album’s most affecting and tragic track. There’s an industrial feel to the threatening, pulsating swell of ‘Demon Pact’, which contains the Warrior’s most sinister performance: another spoken delivery giving way to a twisted growl for the album’s most intriguing moment. The feel is echoed in the Sisters of Mercy / Type O-like ‘In the Sleep of Death’, a truly tortured Fischer at times giving an Eldritch intonation over a haunting, Bricheno-esque Goth lead. That roar booms on the epic, hammering death/doom of ‘Black Snow’, switching from spoken to hollered screams effectively over a tolling, ominous doom backtrack which rises to a menacing close.

 

There’s another appearance from Vollenweider on the hypnotic, crashing trance of closer ‘Waiting’; its surprising yet pleasing sound reaffirming the band’s reluctance to be confined by any musical barrier and confirming the triumphant second coming of Gabriel’s most inventive, diverse and impressive guise.

Press_Photo_17

8.5/10

Triptykon on Facebook

Paul Quinn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Lionize – Jetpack Soundtrack

Posted on by

lionize album cover

For years Lionize had carved themselves a nice little niche. A small but dedicated fanbase that lapped up their unique brand of Clutch-style boogie rock combined with soulful Reggae that led to some cracking records. But times change, and with new album Jetpack Soundtrack (Weathermaker Music) the band look to be really trying to breakthrough to a wider audience.

 

The Maryland rockers are five albums into their career and all the core elements of their sound are still in place, but they’ve tried to push everything up a notch. Produced by Clutch drummer Jean-Paul Gaster and Machine (best known for his work with their mighty Blast Tyrant album), which can only help their profile, the music is far slicker than it was before.

 

Take ‘Breather,’ there’s still plenty of funk, but with more melody, bigger guitars, and the whole thing is just more polished than their previous releases. ‘Evolve’ is more of a hard rocker, with its galloping riffs and synths while lead single ‘Reality Check’ is a well-polished melodic number that sticks in the head for days.

 

The only bad thing to say about the album is that there a few forgettable ‘Lionize by numbers’ tracks. ‘Electric Reckoning’ and ‘Lazarus Style’ fall under this category. They’re not bad, they’ve still got all the elements of a good song and played with plenty of energy, but leave little impression once they’re gone.

 

There are still plenty of gems, however. Lionize are seriously good at making feel good music that infects the body and give you the desire to move, and that’s exactly what good rock bands should do. The title track, the southern-fried ‘Replaced By Machines’ and the cowbell-filled ‘Skynet’ are all highlights. And as ever, front man Nate Bergman’s lyrics are a highlight throughout. Micro Machines, Dinosaurs and Friend’s Rachel Green all make an appearance, while ‘Amazing Science Facts’ is full of lyrical gold such as “Did you know Alex Jones grows his own food at home without GMOs, wow what a guy.”

 

Jetpack Soundtrack is a quality record. Perhaps not as enjoyable as Superzcar and the Vulture or Destruction Manual simply because the songs aren’t quite as memorable, but there’s nothing bad on here. And even if it’s still not an improvement on what’s gone before, Lionize still stand apart in a genre of one.

 

7.5/10

Lionize on Facebook

Dan Swinhoe


Autopsy- Tourniquets, Hacksaws And Graves

Posted on by

Autopsy album cover

Very few reunions in recent years have proven as successful and enriching as the return of death metal flag bearers Autopsy. Proving to be so much more than a trip down memory lane or just a cash cow opportunity, Autopsy’s reestablishment has seen great productivity with this their third full length in four years.

Fans will already know what to expect from a brand new Autopsy album and Tourniquets, Hacksaws And Graves (Peaceville) does not disappoint. Autopsy are not going to be a band known for radical shifts and progression of sound and they don’t need to be when firstly; they were pioneers to begin with, and when their formula is untouchable already. Tourniquets continues in this gnarly, raw and near sludgey death metal vain, but maintains their run of high quality and in fact tops anything that has come from their return. As ferocious as ever, this is also their most consistent (at a top level) album to have come from their reunion without being too drawn out and with nailing their sense of brooding atmosphere, as best as they have done since the Severed Survival and Mental Funeral days.

Having already smashed the notion of the cynical reunions and the difficulty of matching ones previous legacy, Autopsy are consistently proving that not only do they still have teeth but that they capable of matching any of their classic material. Tourniquets Hacksaws And Graves, barring peoples love for nostalgia, should be held in the same esteem as anything they have done before.

8/10

Autopsy on Facebook

Chris Tippell


Lantlôs – Melting Sun

Posted on by

Lantlos_Melting_Sun_Cover 

Having been a prolific creator for the last ten years, covering several strands of extreme metal with various founded outfits such as the eponymous Herbst, the blackened death of Epitaph, and the current death/doom of Owl, Germany’s Markus Herbst (a.k.a. Markus Stiegenhort) now delivers the fourth offering from his darkly melodic Lantlôs. Their last two albums were graced by the ghostly tones of the somewhat legendary Neige, so it is initially to this set’s credit that the Alcest hero’s absence here isn’t particularly noticeable.

 

A suite of lush, stark yet emotive landscapes, Melting Sun (Prophecy Productions) occasionally confounds as it consistently fails to explode after frequently swelling to the point of crescendo; rendering the black element of their ‘post black’ classification almost non-existent, save for the squalling riff of ‘Jade Fields’. Undeniably miserablist, the heart strings of the lonely and disaffected are twanged with bitter disregard; conversely most of the track titles refer to warm shades of colour, the cover displaying a head exploding with shades of light and falsely advertising a positive, ecstatic emotion. The Herbst vocal is soothing and languid, akin to listening to Elbow’s Guy Garvey whilst drinking a luxurious hot chocolate, but sparingly used throughout the album to provide a consoling, empathetic escort through the mournful surroundings. As always with the genre the lead guitar is the focal point: a laconic resonance decorating closer ‘Golden Mind’ whilst brittle, icicle-sharp harmonies give the outstanding Jade… an added beauty. The gentleness of …Mind, however, is indicative of the apparent lack of passion coursing throughout. Whilst Herbst hasn’t entirely abandoned the harsh sound, unlike his former bandmate’s latest Alcest product, this occasional drifting nature does rob an at times stunningly beautiful album of its full potential.

Those who like the gentle breeze of Alcest’s latest release will do well to dive head first into the wistful shoegaze on offer here. Despite a slight feeling of dissatisfaction due to that wish for a harder edge this is still a wonderful set, leaving you wondering if there really is any point to it all. In a warm, fuzzy way of course.

 2

7/10

Lantlôs on Facebook

Paul Quinn


Edguy – Space Police: Defenders Of The Crown

Posted on by

edguy-space-police-defenders-of-the-crown-84322

Tobias Sammet vocalist, composer, keyboard player and main man of Edguy (he also somehow finds time to do the same for Avantasia) recently stated that Space Police – Defenders of the Crown (Nuclear Blast) is “the album Edguy will be measured against in the future”. A bold statement considering not only do they have a hat-trick of genuine power metal classics in their ten-album canon (Vain Glory Opera, Theater of Salvation and Savage Poetry), but also bearing in mind the German power metal quintet have failed to reach those heights of recent years.

The dual title-tracks wade in early, setting the tone for the album; a bouncy keyboard-line with a hook the size of the Allianz Arena launches ‘Space Police’ bringing things to a great catchy chorus, off to a spacey Bowie inspired midsection; ‘Defenders Of The Crown’ picks up where things left off, a fists-in-the-air call to arms; ‘The Realms Of Baba Yaya’ continues with strong verse and even stronger chorus, all the time chugging guitars underpinning the melodies and hooks, while is ‘Do Me Like A Caveman’ (!) is, surprisingly, a quality Bon Jovi ‘In These Arms’ style semi-serious romantic rocker – those crazy Germans!

Sammet’s vocals are superb throughout, equal parts David Lee Roth, Biff Byford and Hansi Kursch, with an uncanny knack of delivering the silly, the serious, the epic and the cheesy with conviction and emotion, none more so than on ‘Alone In Myself’, a change of pace that wouldn’t be out of place on Magnum’s underrated ‘Wings of Heaven’.

The bar is raised even higher with closer ‘The Eternal Wayfarer’; the result of Sabaton covering Tony Martin era Black Sabbath, wading in with symphonic bombast, before opening its epic arms to bring the album home victorious.

Elsewhere, full credit has to go to the Van Halenesque ‘Love Tyger’, a simply great rock anthem that would have dominated MTV in years gone by and will stick in your head for years, while the cover of Falco’s ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ works better than it has any right to. 

While Helloween’s Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums may have been the starting point for power metal, Edguy have defined their own, more Hard Rock take on the sound and Space Police forces mouth muscles to grin and horns to be raised as it serves up a slew of hooks, choruses and a joie de vivre, a feeling of unashamed joy, all the way through. Sammet’s bold statement is more than backed up. Space Police is the best power metal album since Sabaton’s Carolus Rex, and Edguy’s best since Theater of Salvation.

9/10

Edguy on Facebook

Steve Tovey

 


Vallenfyre – Splinters

Posted on by

 Vallenfyre-Splinters

Born out of frustration and tragedy, Vallenfyre’s A Fragile King debut saw Gregor Macintosh stepping up to the mic to vent his anger and sorrow he experienced following his father’s death from cancer two years prior. The result was an album of full on brutal death metal with touches of crust and the air of desperation which made day job Paradise Lost’s early work so vital. Following several triumphant appearances it would appear that perhaps the members commitments to their other acts would mean shelving this gnarled beast but clearly Vallenfyre has taken on a life all its own!

Simply put Splinters (Century Media) is a banger. The grime and raw aggression of the debut is all present and correct but greater inspection of their influences reveals the band are as adept at deathly doom as they are at vicious crusty proto-metal. Complete with a production job from Converge axeman and über-producer Kurt Ballou whose subtle contributions help capture a suitably sombre mood allowing the Yorkshire mob to exercise their considerable muscle.

Quite why Macintosh has chosen to conceal his corrosive roar until their 2011 debut is unclear but his savage vocal emissions are matched perfectly by the dense riffs and soaring melodic sections championed by My Dying Bride guitarist Hamish Glencross who brings with him, his considerable talent for twisted minor harmonies.

Pulverising slabs of bitterness such as ‘Thirst For Extinction’ and lead number ‘Scabs’ are equally matched in the misery stakes by ‘Bereft’ and ‘Aghast’ which should appeal greatly to fans of their creators other projects. The two-minute assault of ‘Instinct Slaughter’ is pure hatred distilled into music giving fans of acts like Doom and Extreme Noise Terror a soundtrack to crack skulls to. The deliciously filthy guitar tones and aberrant nastiness never lets up throughout the eleven tracks which hold ‘Splinters’ together. Forget over indulgent tech-death posturing, this is music played from the gut, pure and desensitized filthy and with utter contempt for anything other than being genuine and authentic.

Sadistic and aggressive with endless moments of bleak reflection Splinters is a leviathan unleashed upon unsuspecting listeners and a release surely destined to grace many year end lists.

 Press_Photo_09

 

9/10

Vallenfyre on Facebook 

Ross Baker


Devil You Know – Beauty of Destruction

Posted on by

devilyouknowbeautycd

Formed by Francesco Artusato (All Shall Perish , Francesco Artusato Project) a beast of a guitarist, fleet-footed drummer John Sankey (Devolved, Divine Heresy) and vocalist Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Blood Has Been Shed), Devil You Know had all the promise of a powerhouse, and with its release Beauty of Destruction (Nuclear Blast) it delivers on all fronts. The songs are well-crafted, nicely developed and excellently executed. This actually sounds more like Divine Heresy than Killswitch Engage as it has a lot of gnat-ass tight Dino Cazares-inspired stutter riffs and relentless drumming.

 

‘A New Beginning’ kicks right in with pure a All Shall Perish ggression and a wall of guitars. ‘My Own’ makes a grand entrance with an almost Pantera-like drive, and goes into staccato rhythms with a tasty guitar lick on top and a catchy chorus. Here, Jones sounds most like the Howard we know (no pun intended) with some metalcore vocal stylings in places. ‘Embracing the Torture’ features some very nice drum work by Sankey and shows off Jones’ range as he goes from growls to melodic chorus hook. ‘For the Dead and Broken’ dials it back a bit, and may be the most commercial sounding song on the release. Bringing in melodic vocals with effects, tamer guitars, and a sing-along chorus, it is reminiscent of In This Moment or Fall Out Boy (if they went Metal). ‘Seven Years Alone’ is very well-arranged song. The multi-layered vocals shine, but Artusato gets to flex his guitar chops quite a bit as well. This is also more on the commercial side of metal but it still hits hard. ‘It’s Over’ is more of a straight-ahead tune that has a Sevendust-like bent; pounding yet soulful. ‘A Mind Insane’ lives up to its title, a mix of tempos and mood with all members showing their strengths and then ending quietly, as if the subject broke free…or got his medication. ‘Crawl from the Dark’ has a sweet, almost dreamy groove in the verses while easily siding into a heavy bridge and chorus, and ending with a blistering solo by Artusato. ‘The Killer’ is a stuttering, creeping thing, with an almost subversive layer of acoustic guitars and a sneaky guitar riff slithering through the chorus. ‘I Am The Nothing’ is a song that features little hooks throughout with just enough keyboards/programming to add interest and color, and Jones really keeping the mood of the vocals in line with the subject matter. ‘Shut It Down’ is a show-closer, with a vocal line that begs to be shouted along with and an outro that will get folks mixing it up in the pit. Closer ‘As Bright as the Darkness’ is dark and cool with flanged-out guitars and vocals layered with echo. It reminded me a bit of ‘Aerials’ by System of a Down in flow and mood, and Jones channels a little bit of Pete Steele as well vocally which is cool as hell.

 

The production by Logan Mader (Gojira, Divine Heresy, Soulfly) and the mix job by Chris “Zeuss” Harris provides a crisp, big, in-your-face sonic experience. Jones is in excellent vocal form, and while you can recognize the voice, there is definitely a growth and depth that is great to hear. He has clearly found a new “home” in Devil You Know, and in this reviewer’s humble opinion, this release is superior to KsE’s last as good as that was. Good for him…and us.

 

devilyouknow2014a

 9.5/10

Devil You Know on Facebook

Lynn Jordan


Whitechapel – Our Endless War

Posted on by

Whitechapel album cover

A name often associated with the much maligned deathcore explosion that rocked the metal world in 2006-07, Whitechapel continues to march forward (and slowly distance themselves from the glut of mediocrity within the subgenre) with the release of their fifth studio album, Our Endless War (Metal Blade).

 

Much like their 2012 self-titled effort, Whitechapel once again chose to work with producer Mark Lewis and deliver another ten track offering focusing on groove with tinges of melody, guitar solos and actual hooks. And you can’t really knock on the band for going down that avenue. It’s an approach that’s worked well for the Tennessee collective thus far as its garnered them strong commercial success (with regards to deathcore they’re sales are only surpassed by artistically inferior acts like Suicide Silence, Bring me the Horizon, etc…). However this muscular, groove oriented style marks them as creatively stifled if compared to the likes of All Shall Perish or The Red Chord.

 

While the meat of the record is still in the down-tuned chug of songs like ‘The Saw is the Law’ and ‘Mono’ there are some pleasant surprises in the Whitechapel arsenal this go around. The album’s vaguely political title-track (and best number they’ve written in years), reminds the listener that Whitechapel hasn’t forgotten about the hardcore punk aspect of their musical DNA. This unexpected dynamic shift in sound got me wondering why it so took so long for deathcore bands to dabble in the hardcore portion of their genre.

To contrast the hardcore snarl, tracks like ‘Blacked Out’ and ‘Worship the Digital Age’ are blast-beat filled compositions that channel Whitechapel’s most death metal oriented release, the underrated and recently reissued The Somatic Defilement. Our Endless War is peppered with these gut-punching gems, but it’s never consistent enough.

 

My issue with Whitechapel is perfectly captured with this latest album. They’re perfectly content with being just good enough and showing the occasional glimpse at greatness. But like I stated before, if something is working then why change it? Whitechapel will continue to sell well and get solid tour offers off the strength of Our Endless War. I’ll readily admit that I’ll watch them live again and look forward to many of these new songs, but I’m still waiting for their truly great album that will completely shed the deathcore label.

 Whitechapel band 2

7.5/10

Whitechapel on Facebook

Hansel Lopez