Category Archives: Reviews

Crom Dubh – Heimweh

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Since their previous album, Omnia Mutantur (self-released), was a collection of their demos and EP, Heimweh (Ván Records) is technically the first full-length album by Black Metal band Crom Dubh. This London-based quartet has been writing Viking-themed music since 2003, and show their experience and skill on this album.

Upon seeing the track list I was immediately intrigued by not one but two two-part songs; namely ‘Cutting Teeth’ and ‘Kings’. In both cases the first part is a short instrumental piece that serves as a gentler introduction to the heavy second part. The guitar lines on ‘Cutting Teeth’ have enough variation to keep things interesting, and the blastbeats are on point. The grunts are also quite varied and sometimes the vocal lines combines with the guitars have a little of that folk-metal vibe. That folky feel comes back at several points later on the album but most clearly in the guitar lines in ‘Sedition’.

In ‘Kings I’ the band shows that they are capable of great subtlety, with not only a gentle but dark melody coming through on one side, but also a corresponding echo on the other. I would have liked the intro to have a bit more of a build up to the main event, but because ‘Kings II’ continues in the same chord it at least sounds like it belongs together. ‘Kings II’ shows a much greater amount of variation than the previous songs, and it really works rather well. The sound is still dark, but the alternating melodies of the guitars open the piece up and make it really enjoyable and captivating to listen to.

All in all, this is a very interesting Black Metal album with some hints of folk. I want to mention that the drumming is absolutely phenomenal and carries the music very well. The rhythms are always effective and interesting, and the fills spice things up nicely. Just listen to ‘The Invulnerable Tide’ and you’ll understand what I mean.

A thoroughly enjoyable listen, and the band can take great pride in having this as their first full album.

 

8.5/10

Crom Dubh on Facebook

 

LORRAINE LYSEN


War Iron – Precession of the Equinoxes

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From highly-rated Belfast quartet War Iron comes a morose, ponderous noise infected by the pure evil of Andrew ‘Baggy’ Bagwell‘s nefarious, slurring rasp. Dual leads pluck the heartstrings at intervals through the crushing riff and crawling, titanic rhythms of ‘Bludgeon Lord’, the opening track of third album Precession of the Equinoxes (Independent). A warm, crackling production heightens the sinister feel and prevents the quickening bridges from exploding into a full-on Death assault; instead applying the reins enough to make one marvel at how such a precariously-balanced pace is kept.

The desolate peal of ‘Summon Demon Scream the Abyss’ is initially accompanied by a penitent chorus before that terrible lascivity seeps over the body; a funeral groove, twisting with the slowing power and weight of a dying anaconda. Baggy’s repetitive early vocal has the sneering perversity of ex-Lord Mantis‘ screamer Charlie Fell, the track fizzing and swelling with all manner of sadistic sorrow. The introductory bass notes of the title track cause concussion, some unsettling low growls whispering around the floor before the most fetid scream tightens the sphincter: whilst colossal, almost Blackened riffs make the tension nigh-on unbearable. Oddly-pulsing leads at the mid-section combine with bone-crunching rhythmic gymnastics and brutal chops to the coda, all the while staying close to the Doom template. Closer ‘From Napalm Altar’ sees a return to that funereal hostility: the intermittent quiet moments filled with eerie language, setting the teeth on edge for the forthcoming bludgeon; every chord, note and single beat flung from Thor’s Hammer; the accompanying roars and rasps the embodiment of despair and terror.

Finally, the UK has a contender in the Blackened Doom market. Although the winding noise of an Indian or Coffinworm is absent, it’s replaced by an Ophis-style mournful tolling which adds to the ominous feel rather than detracting attention from it. The resonant, single-kick sequence closing this fine, startling album chills the spine, and leaves the feeling that nothing good will ever happen again. To Serpentine Path: if you want to scare the shit out of people at a snail’s pace, this is how you do it.

 

8.5/10

War Iron on Facebook

 

PAUL QUINN


Abyss – Heretical Anatomy

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When a new band pops up containing members from a variety of diverse backgrounds, it’s always worth checking them out. Toronto five-piece Abyss boasts veterans from the Canadian death, thrash and powerviolence scenes and have pooled their collective knowledge and experience into Heretical Anatomy (20 Buck Spin), a ripping tribute to old-school extreme metal that contains plenty of sneering punk attitude and knows how to hold your attention as well as bludgeon your ears into submission.

Clocking in at a mere twenty minutes in length, Heretical Anatomy wields a nasty, serrated guitar tone that could cut through flesh with ease. Aided by a bulldozing rhythm section and a vocalist who sounds like he’d stab your eyes out after robbing your wallet, the smattering of tracks on offer here draw heavily from late 80’s death and grind with Repulsion being a clear influence, especially in the shorter tracks such as the deranged violence of ‘Flesh Cult’ and the pounding, mutant punk battering of ‘Nightmares in Skin.’ Elsewhere, the rotting corpse of Carcass looms large in the feral Symphonies of Sickness (Earache Records) worship of ‘The Atonement’ which is tailor made for a surging pit in the Maryland Death Fest parking lot.

It’s not just knuckle-headed, gore obsessed fare either; several raucous guitar solos flare up to prove just how much fun the members are having, while the doomy dirge of ‘Thrall of the Elder Gods’ is pure old school death metal with a penchant for mood and menace. Whatever your pleasure, there’s plenty on offer here for seasoned death and grind lifers and while Heretical Anatomy has only come out this month, it sounds like it’s been thawed out of the Canadian ice after being entombed since the late 80’s.

More of this soon, please.

 

7.5/10

Abyss on Bandcamp

 

JAMES CONWAY


Unleashed – Dawn of the Nine

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Swedish death metal veterans Unleashed are 25 years into their career. Dawn of the Nine (Nuclear Blast), the group’s 12th album, is a quality 45 minute slab of brutal yet enjoyable old school death metal. Generally seen as one of the earliest extreme metal bands to delve into the world of Norse mythology, Dawn of the Nine sees Unleashed continue with tales of longboats, Midgard and Thor, picking up the story where 2012’s Odalheim (also Nuclear Blast)left off. There may be no shortage of other bands doing this sort of thing nowadays, but Unleashed still stand out in terms of quality.

The band – led by vocalist/bassist Johnny Hedlund and joined by Tomas Olsson & Fredrik Folkare on guitars and Anders Schultz on drums – might be long in the tooth but have crafted an album that still sounds fresh without compromising on their sound. From the opening salvo of ‘A New Day Will Rise’, the relentless shred of ‘Defenders of Midgard’ to the screaming lead single ‘Where is Your God Now?’, Dawn of the Nine is chock full of demonic bellowing , blast beats, chainsaw riffs and endless solos. It’s more heavy thrash than grinding, and you know you’re in 90s old school death metal territory, but is catchy and accessible at the same time.

Hedlund’s hellish vocals manage to somehow be guttural yet completely understandable – meaning the dense story isn’t lost behind incomprehensible grunts. There’s plenty of melodic riffing and addictively intricate solos – fans of Amon Amarth will find a lot to appreciate in the likes of ‘Where Churches Once Burned’ or ‘They Came to Die.” It’s not all blast beats however as Unleashed can varies the tempo without compromising on the heaviness; ‘Bolt Thrower’ is slow yet relentlessly brutal march, while the title track crushes at a snail’s pace before enjoying some Black Sabbath-style galloping.

‘Dawn of the Nine’ is massively heavy, surprisingly melodic, and a perfect update of classic 90s death metal. Despite being a dozen albums and a quarter decade into their career, Unleashed have still managed to concoct a quality album that’s unrelenting yet engaging and enjoyable. Fetch the mead.

 

8.0/10

Unleashed on Facebook

 

DAN SWINHOE


Bell Witch – Four Phantoms

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I was hugely into Grunge in the 90s. I’ll never forget when a mate of mine came back from visiting its home and decreed it “the most miserable place on earth”. I was gutted. Maybe, however, it is such surroundings that fuel Seattle duo Bell Witch, whose blend of crushing Sludge, funereal melancholy and occasional Americana first bewitched the senses three years ago. Interest is high in Four Phantoms (Profound Lore), the band’s sophomore album, and yours truly is frothing at the mouth…

The emotions of a suppurating soul, in the moments before Experience kills it and undiluted cynicism sets in, are unbelievably raw; that capacity to feel true longing, joy and pain fighting with its dying breath. I’m not quite there…yet. There’s a feeling that these guys have really lived the anger and misery that exudes from every pore here and, when the almighty chord, drumbeat and roar combination explodes through the bassline of opener ‘Suffocation, A Burial:…’, accompanied by some sorrowful chimes, it creates simultaneously a feeling of euphoria, and a fearful despair of nothingness. Each note sparing, heightening the impact and more fully conveying the acuity of bitterness and sadness.

There’s real songcraft here; everything having its place and arranged with both passion and precision. Another explosion follows a brief lull of forlorn incantation, the melodic chords piercing every leaden punch. You’re aware it’s coming yet, when it does, its unfathomable weight disembowels, with Dylan Desmond‘s terrifying Blackened scream increasing the chills and the emptiness. This colossal opening really embodies that sense of personal loss and implosive grief; the agonies of the harmonised tones which lead into the last five minutes of this 22-minute epic duelling with Adrian Guerra‘s harrowing roars; the tension, power and mournful ecstasy almost unbearable.

The sparing chords of ‘Suffocation, a Drowning:…’, heavy to the head as an opiate and to the heart as a sudden arrest, possess a staggering delicacy enhanced by the stark guest voice of Aerial Ruin‘s Erik Moggridge; an evocative dark-folk delivery not unlike Art Garfunkel‘s deeper moments. The first half of this gorgeous yet soul-rending track is a sequence of crushing bass riffs and single beats, disturbing yet emotive solos and devastating harmonies, contrasting the subject matter yet sounding completely organic. The change in tone to the second half is similarly begun, so subtly it’s almost unnoticed – a more sinister exclamation in the solo chords introducing a period of brutalised roars and screams which only briefly affects the melancholy allure; returning but wearing an hooded cloak, the crushing power now swirling around slightly piqued yet honeyed vocals. The serenely mellow bass notes closing this quite staggering track ensure an almost stifled epiphany; the depth of meaning, the finality, truly felt.

It’s in marked contrast to the horrifying blast of sound crawling from the opening atmospheric ambience of album closer ‘Judgement, In Air:…’: the death throes of an apocalypse, the deep roar still counteracted by lamenting chords, the drums titanic and deafening in their resonance, shrouded in hypnotic swells of sound, the whole seeps like a mix of honey and tar from the speakers, a dying body summoning one last effort to crawl to its desired resting place: a brief howl of anguish, a final, writhing squall…and it ends.

This won’t be for everyone. If slow, sad, oppressive, Sludgy Doom isn’t your thing then you’re unlikely to be attracted to this incredible piece of work. Those who are, however, captivated by the mix of Pallbearer, Profetus, and Primitive Man‘s fulminating bitterness and the invention and rare Blackened edges of Inter Arma, all wrapped up in a seething amalgam of horror and beauty, will appreciate the wonder of a band beyond superlative and for whom there is no peak. Bell Witch continue to confound, enthral, terrify and move in equal measure; and in creating a second album of such weight and emotion prove themselves peerless.

Stop the wondering. This is the album for our twisted, corrupt, hubristic times and, arguably, the album of this century.

 

10.0/10.0

Bell Witch on Facebook

 

PAUL QUINN


Falconer – Falconer (Ultimate Edition)

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Because they are going to stop performing live, Folk Metal pioneers Falconer have decided to re-release their 2001 debut album Falconer, and now present us with the Falconer (Ultimate Edition) (Metal Blade). The tracks have all been remastered, and the bonus CD contains previously unreleased acoustic versions of some of their best songs as well as some of the original demos. If you’re already a fan of Falconer, this is a really good way to complete your collection.

For those of you not yet familiar with Falconer and their oeuvre, here follows a review of this album.

Falconer hails from an era when the Folk in Folk-metal was not so in-your-face Pagan as it is now. Their sound is generally that of Power Metal, but it feels more grounded than cheesy and over the top. However, many of the riffs, like those in the verses of ‘Wings of Serenity’ wouldn’t be misplaced in the modern Pagan Metal sound. The lyrics and themes in songs as ‘Lord of the Blacksmiths’ and ‘The Past Still Lives On’ also indicate their folk-metal status, in the latter case further emphasised in the acoustic guitar line. Then there are songs that are fully recognisable as Folk Metal, such as ‘A Quest for the Crown’. And then there is ‘Per Tyrssons döttrar i Vänge’, which is originally a medieval Swedish ballad. It cannot get much more Folk Metal than that.

As for the bonus material, the acoustic renditions of ‘Royal Galley’, ‘Wings of Serenity’, and ‘Mindtraveller’ are really well done and intense in their minimalism. They actually surpass the original songs. Mathias Blad proves again how good he is, as he has done throughout the album proper. He has a beautiful clear voice which is perfectly suited to the flowing melodies of this music.

While the demos on the bonus CD are most relevant to fans of Falconer, the quality of the music on the rest of this album means that it is much more than simply a collectible. This is an excellent album for anyone who likes both Folk and Power Metal.

 

8.5/10

Falconer on Facebook

 

LORRAINE LYSEN


Silentlie – Layers of Nothing

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10 years after forming, Italian goth rockers Silentlie have finally released their début album, Layers of Nothing (Bakerteam). The band – Giorgia Sacco Taz (vocals), Luigi Pressacco (guitars), Davide Sportiello (bass & Keyboards) and Andrea Piergianni (drums) – have previously managed to release two EPs, but perhaps should have taken a bit longer working on this release…

The 10 tracks and 45 minutes on offer provide plenty keyboard-heavy melodic mid-paced rockers featuring lots atmospherics and thick riffs. While it’s not terrible (nor particularly original) there’s little variation in the speed, style or structure and it’s all pretty safe, even occasionally plodding.

Opener ‘Unbreakable’ is a promising start; upbeat and catchy yet retaining plenty of heaviness in the guitars. But it’s more of an exception. Mostly we’re given mid-tempo filler that fails to stir anything other than apathy. There are some decent moments; ‘Slave’ and ‘Change’ almost stray into doom territory, ‘Dark Nights’ has a real 80s metal feel about it and could be a cover of some lost Ozzy Osbourne b-side.

Taz’s vocals are solid; she knows how to carry a tune but there’s not a lot of range outside her low croon or chorus shout. Pressacco’s guitar work is decent through with occasional flourishes, and there’s a decent selection on solos on offer, especially on the likes of ‘My Scream is Silence,’ ‘Unbreakable’ and album closer ‘Dark Nights’.

There’s not much particularly wrong with Layers of Nothing: the vocals are ok, there’s some nice riffs, and a decent amount of guitar solos scattered about the album. But there’s very little to get excited about.

One for people really hankering for a new hit of gothic metal.

 

6.0/10

Silentlie on Facebook

 

DAN SWINHOE


Wilderun – Sleep at the Edge of the Earth

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Sleep at the Edge of the Earth (self-released) is the second album by Wilderun, a Folk Metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. They aim to not only play Folk Metal that can hold its own against the great European bands, but that also incorporates some of the American Folk traditions.

The opening number, ‘Dust and Crooked Thoughts’ immediately brings about that folky feel with acoustic guitars and running water, and is a very serene opening to the album, mirrored by the beautiful ‘Sleep at the Edge of the Earth’ that closes the album. Following on the introduction come the bulkiest bit of this album: the tetralogy of ‘Ash Memory’. These four songs are connected but all have their own distinct feel. ‘And So Opens the Earth’ is very bombastic, while ‘Hope and Shadow’ is very peaceful and gentle. ‘Bite the Wound’ is out and out Metal, while ‘The Faintest Echo’ has a very dark sound. Besides this wildly varying but effective tetralogy, I especially like ‘The Garden of Fire’, which is a very heavy song and has really interesting melodies and lines that really caught my attention.

Sometimes when a band tries to merge all their favourite styles of music together they end up falling on their face, but not so with Wilderun. For me the key word of this album is balance. They highlight an acoustic guitar in the midst of an onslaught of metal, and add all the heavy edges to an atmospheric folk section. The different vocals styles – regular vocals, chant-like vocals, and grunts – are always in perfect harmony with the music they feature in, and that’s exactly the way I like it. In fact, I frequently found myself grinning with joy at a particularly good riff or vocal line, because this album is a lot of fun.

 

8.0/10

Wilderun on Facebook

 

LORRAINE LYSEN


False Pregnancy – Dance Your Meat Off!!!

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If musical genres could be anthropomorphized as people, goregrind would be the ‘special’ cousin who eats road kill and is a little bit too friendly with local farm animals. The four members of False Pregnancy, four self-confessed idiots with alcohol problems would seem to confirm that those who tune extra low and like to grunt like pigs won’t be joining Mensa anytime soon. Having said that, they sure can have fun, as the seventeen minutes of Dance Your Meat Off!!! (Nailjar Records) emphatically proves.

This is quite frankly one of the dumbest records ever recorded; each song only lasts around 90 seconds and features the same low-end, down-tuned chords, indecipherable pig squeals and grunts and absurd, juvenile song titles such as ‘Soft and Juicy Angelina Jolie’s Pussylips’ and ‘Spermnavigator.’ In case things weren’t stupid and offensive enough they throw in an Anal Cunt cover (‘Flower Shop Guy’) complete with falsetto vocals. If the more PC grind bands heard this they would not be pleased. But you know what, all these flaws work to the band’s advantage, for while the riffs may be generic, they are catchy as hell, the atmosphere is like one big party, and the short song lengths ensure it’s impossible to get bored.

The band clearly aren’t taking anything seriously, as indicated by occasional snippets of folk, Euro trance and Volksmusik, that will have you checking they haven’t entered into some bizarre business deal with Spotify. But the truth is they just want to have fun, and it’s likely that if they get offered a mid-afternoon slot at Obscene Extreme with plenty of stage divers on hand, the scale of their ambition will be met. Like Rotten Sound with a lobotomy, False Pregnancy is a prime example of dumbing down and they couldn’t be more welcome.

 

7.0/10

False Pregnancy on Facebook

 

JAMES CONWAY


Eschar – Nova

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When it comes to instrumental outfits, metal bands tend to tread a fine line between fret wankery and songs with actual resonance and heart. In their short existence, Woking’s Eschar have sat firmly on the right side of this tightrope whilst forming a strong reputation, perfectly encapsulated on their latest release Nova (self-released).

Eschar’s sound is one that invokes the dreamlike serenity of progressive metal and post genres; never daunting or overpowering, whilst proving almost purely ambient in part all the while retaining emotional power. Album opener ‘Aphotic’ really embraces the softer elements of such music, proving a comforting, mellow opener which slowly reveals the rest of the album’s busier sides. Further revealing shades of progressive metal’s more technical counterparts, Nova shows intricate layers which even bring to mind the softer sides of the likes of Tool and A Perfect Circle. This technical underbelly never proves inaccessible however, making this an easy listen for newcomers with plenty of deeper segments to find for those with a more trained ear.

Nova is an impressive feat which manages to hold a strong emotive presence despite the lack of vocals, proving an embracing and even comforting effort. Yes some people may be put off by the sheer duration of some songs, most of which surpass the 5 minute mark; but there is no one with an interest in prog or metal that shouldn’t find some pleasure in this. Whether it is to fill the background void, or to totally immerse oneself in, Nova is an archetypal effort in music that is not in your face, but is simultaneously hypnotic and drawing.

 

8.0/10

Eschar on Facebook

 

CHRIS TIPPELL