Tag Archives: blastbeats

Macabre Omen – Gods of War – At War

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Light the torches and raise the cries as pagan black metal band Macabre Omen return after 10 years with their follow-up to their debut studio album, 2005’s The Ancient Returns (Obscure Abhorrence). Coupled with the ominous cover, the name Macabre Omen brings up visions of cheesy melody lines splattered with lashings of awkwardly placed black metal. This is not a band that should be judged by their cover however, and while they may only be on their second album with just a handful of splits filling the gaps, the band have had a solid twenty years since conception to perfect their craft.

It’s a call to banners as ‘I See, the Sea’ opens the album with rousing calls reminiscent of ancient armies making their way into battle. Gods of War – At War (Ván Records) certainly has a touch of the epic about it, even as the melodic folk-inspired lines give way to more aggressive blasting under scream by vocalist Alexandros. While the opening track remained distinctly melodic, the album takes much darker turns, particularly on the title track where the black metal is dialled up. ‘Man of 300 Voices’ takes a different tone however; an acoustic opening to the track barely seems out of place, particularly as more traditional instruments make an appearance before moving into epic vocal lines that dominate the song.

Pagan black metal can be a hard genre to master, but Macabre Omen have managed to produce a sound that plants itself somewhere between the more Bathory and Graveland. Despite maintaining a consistent sound throughout, Gods of War – At War has successfully walked the line creating an album that has enough variety between tracks, but still maintains an identifiable sound that brings the piece together. While it may not be breaking any ground artistically, it certainly would hold its ground on soundtrack heading into battle.

 

7.0/10

Macabre Omen on Facebook

 

CAITLIN SMITH


Marduk – Frontschwein

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One of the longest serving and reliable bands in black metal, Marduk are a Swedish institution, a machine that just won’t quit. While they may rarely top the bill at festivals and even their most well acclaimed albums will get scant mention in any ‘best of’ list, their bloody single-mindedness and raging intensity has acted as a blueprint for the second wave of BM, and now an entire generation  after they formed, still show no signs of slowing down. Thirteenth full-length release Frontschwein (Century Media) offers few surprises and takes no prisoners.

Named after the grunts of the armed forces during the two world wars who were first over the top and destined to die either in a hail of bullets or shamefully as a deserter, Frontschwein continues Marduk’s obsession with death and armed conflict, long ago discarding the cheesy supernatural themes of early releases. The opening title track begins proceedings in a firestorm of tremolo picking and light speed blasting all competing for attention with the grotesque croaks of frontman Mortuus. Next track ‘The Blond Beast’ employs a catchy, mid-paced riff with just a tinge of post-punk to horrify the purists before normal order is restored on the scorching ‘Afrika.’

The most obvious comparison to previous albums that springs to mind whilst listening to Frontschwein is 1999’s classic Panzer Division Marduk (Osmose), a record of similar aggressive and militaristic traits. Like that hateful half hour, Frontschwein is straightforward, exhilarating black metal utterly devoid of gimmicks, although the occasional change of pace such as on the eerie, marching riffs of ‘Wartheland’ and the mournful dirge of ‘Nebelwerfer’ ensures that proceedings don’t stagnate. However, it’s the raging triumphalism of the eight minute plus ‘Doomsday Elite’ that shows Marduk at the peak of their powers with Morgan’s searing guitar licks threatening to scorch all and sundry.

Just as we are constantly reminded that war is hell and must never be forgotten, Marduk’s veteran status demands respect and their continued quality output proves that they still have plenty more gas in the tank.

 

7.5/10

Marduk on Facebook

 

JAMES CONWAY


Myrkur – Myrkur

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Many times the the world of underground music is portrayed by those that cover it just as they would a team sport. It is very much a tribal and gang mentality of sub-genre police between music scribes and it seeps down to the tastes of fans. No place does this division exist than in the varied, and varicose world of Black Metal.  The many factions alternately give it life, while others are trying to raze it to a stump. Still, it is great music that is the elixir for this illness, and great music is what the debut full-length, self-titled  recording from Myrkur brings us.

Scandinavian in origin, Myrkur’s singular name and haunting sound conjure a myriad of mental images with a cross between brutal passages couched between somber motifs, and the cold claustrophobic feeling of an inescapable ice floe. From sorrowful vocals to crushing dynamic swells, this album has all the best touches of the genre. Raw, but not too raw, but very well done overall.

The songs are really the thing here, not just the atmospherics. From the Opera and chamber quality canticles, to bleak harshness, every nerve is uncovered. The gentle hush of the opening of ‘Ravnens Banner’ gives way to apocalyptic barrages of blastbeats and killer riffs. Tracks such as ‘Frosne Vind’ and ‘Må Du Brænde i Helvede’, lull you into a soft chill out moment, before roaring to life with anguish. The entire album is a gem, but my favorite track is ‘Nattens Barn’. Not only is it crushing and deep, it has a proggy part to it that almost sounds like ‘Bolero’ by Ravel, but that may be my inner classical nerd trying read too much into a good jam.

Unlike most black metal that comes across my headphones, the production on this album is pretty impressive, well thought out and not lacking by accident or on purpose in a hipster way. It’s possible that some readers may be wondering why I waited until this point in the review mention that Myrkur happens to be a solo woman act  rather than a band. That fact that she is a women, or a lone artists making great black metal is immaterial for review purposes here. Women fronting killer black metal bands is not a novelty, but the opportunity to have such a high profile release on a label like Relapse for one, well I hope that doesn’t go unnoticed by anyone.

Emotionally gripping from first note to last, this is a powerhouse release that has already clawed it’s way into my year end top albums list.

myrkur promo shot

 

9/10.0

Myrkur on Facebook

KEITH CHACHKES


Contest: Win FREE Download Codes for Thunderwar’s New EP

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In the finest tradition of Poland’s great metal bands, comes Thunderwar with their recent EP The Birth of Thunder. You can stream the album at their Bandcamp page here, but you can win a FREE download code to crank these tunes whenever you want from Ghost Cult Magazine! Simply click the SHARE button from the post about this contest on Facebook and raise awareness of this cool band. Harkening back to a sound that calls to mind the early work of Vader, and the more Pantera-worshipping moments of Decapitated, Thunderwar blasts down the door with a fresh take on this music. Coarse, grindy vocals and impressive, complex riffery are the hallmarks of these Viking worshipers who have already supported Amon Amarth on their home soil and have an upcoming show with the mighty Obituary on their European tour next month. 

 

 

Thunderwar

 

The winner will be chose at random and will be announced on June 29th

 

Thunderwar on Bandcamp

Thunderwar on Facebook


Devil You Know – Beauty of Destruction

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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.

 

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 9.5/10

Devil You Know on Facebook

Lynn Jordan