Playing a set entirely from the new album A Harrowed Dawn (Secret Law Records) the new look Iron Witch take to a stage so dark that if they weren’t making noise you might not have known they were there. In many ways the absence of any real visual spectacle emphasising the churning torment of their harrowing sound, although they might have overdone it with the darkness. Continue reading
Hailing from Chicago, Like Rats have come to utterly punish you into dust with their new LP. II (Southern Lord Records) could very well be one of the most crushing Death Metal releases in the past few years. Rather than the expected constant blast beasts and speeding riffs, they slowed it down to a rather mid-paced tempo. Essentially capturing what you could consider to be the soundtrack of punching someone in the face. II is an album that I found myself strumming my air guitar along to the constant pulverizing riffs multiple times. II definitely feels inspired by the earlier days of Death Metal. Early Celtic Frost being the shining example that comes to mind when looking for a comparison. You would expect no less for a band that shares members with Weekend Nachos.
Coming in around thirty-four minutes in length, II is a rather straight-forward album. As I mentioned, II is a mid-paced album that doesn’t slow down and rarely speeds up. You could say they played it safe with this release. There are no moments that will blow you away as to how they performed such a complicated riff and/or drum fill. I beg of you to not take it the wrong way as this is no complaint. After a few listens, I found this album to be rather enjoyable. Like Rats wasn’t aiming to be unique but they definitely recorded some refreshing death metal. In fact I feel it’s an album many may enjoy regardless where you elitist opinions lay. It’s a promising release for an up and coming band and I look forward to future material.
Like Rats has created a bruising sound that they can build on and branch out. Keep your attention on this group.
7.0/10
DEREK RIX
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Sealclubber is an excellent name for a metal band, isn’t it? It brings up all kind of unpleasant images and no doubt scare all the grandmas. Luckily this sludgy quartet from the UK’s West Midlands make music that’s as repellent as the moniker suggests.
Stoical (Medusa Crush) is the Black Country band’s debut; 45 minutes of abrasive sludge, hardcore and general noise. It’s unrelenting, largely unpleasant, and devoid of anything as superfluous as melodies or hooks.
Opener ‘Tales of a Romanian Horse Whisperer’ grinds away at you for nine minutes, a brief solo and near ambient phase around the five-minute mark act as a brief reprieve. ‘Haima’ is a furious barrage with vocalist Simon Blewitt sounding like he’s ready to burst a blood vessel. ‘Catalogue of Failings’ is a lumbering monster that drips with reverb, one point slowing down to the point it almost grinds to a halt.
This kind of chaotic noise is normally best taken in small doses. But rather than lots of short, sharp, punk-like hits, nearly two-thirds of Stoical’s 45-minute runtime is contained within just three songs. That said, each track has its own distinct style, and the two tracks that make up the second half of the album are a surprising juxtaposition to the first. The 8-minutes of ‘Vow of Silence’ oozes eerie atmospheric doom with the odd moment of brutality, while the near 12-minutes of album closer ‘I Only Desire The Things That will Destroy Me’ almost strays into shoegaze territory before kicking into life just before the end.
If you’re looking for a cathartic mass of noise, Stoical is essential listening. Uncompromising, unpleasant, yet managing to avoid being unlistenable (just), Sealclubber have created an album befitting their name. Heavy, yet with a few surprises in the second half.
6.0/10
DAN SWINHOE
By now we all know what to expect from Finnish sinistras Horna, right? Frozen wastelands due in no small part to a raw, hissing production? Frenetic blastbeats?? Scything tremolo riffs that slice you to pieces??? You’d be bang on, of course.
There’s something a little different, however, within ninth full-length Hengen tulet (World Terror Committee): the Crust groove during the mid-section of opener ‘Amadriada’, for starters, having a ‘B-movie’ Shock ‘n’ Roll feel about it. Spellgoth’s vocal, usually rich with emphysemic qualities that tear my own breath away, here seems much spikier: just as hostile as we’ve come to know, but given a tinnier edge which evokes images of burst larynxes. The ensuing ‘Ajan Päättyessä’ is at times furious, a Punk edge evident in verses with drums high in the mix, the staggering pace of the chorus only met by the sheer conflagration of every element exploding in nefarious union.
Whilst everything here paints those familiarly spectral sketches of icy Scandinavian fjords in the black of night, variation exists in spades: the brooding, almost Doom-like pace of ‘Nekromantia’ is a sinister delight; Spellgoth’s steadily growing, ramshackle roar terrifying the senses. The Trad sections of ‘Tämä Maalima Odottaa’, meanwhile, break up periods of utter bludgeon where careering rhythm threatens to crash into a wall but never does. That ‘on the brink’ accuracy links with lightning drama during the at times mournful, bleak ‘Ikuisuuden Kynnyksellä’: early segments of wonderfully controlled yet flashing speed infuse with shimmering leads toward a second movement of fearful melancholy, and it’s in moments like these where Horna displays true songcraft.
There are dull moments, such as the plodding ‘Sodan Roihu’ and the tempo-changing but largely uninspired ‘Saatanalle’. There’s also a danger that true darkhearts may find the overall product a little jaded but the album’s high points such as the despondent, doleful crush of ‘Hurmos’ with its amazingly powerful, rasped vocal, and the bloodthirsty, ravaging yet intriguing closer ‘Profeettasi’, more than overshadow this threat.
6.5/10.0
PAUL QUINN
The host of independent labels involved in the various-format issue of Burn and Bury (React With Protest /Vetala Productions/SuperFi Records/Prismatik), the latest EP from Colchester nasty noiseniks Jøtnarr, is testament to a steadying realisation of the promise this relatively young outfit possesses in buckets.
From the start there’s an unmistakably British feel to the music: the Crust infusion lending the frosted riffs an almost Post-punk vibe. The mournful groove to opener ‘Rise By Sin’, however, is as desolate as it is infectious and memorable. Stark, cold leadwork opens into a rolling, crushing coda of Stoner-style riffs which pulse with an added energy, while Chris Moore’s harsh vocal coats the whole with brief yet highly-effective bursts of tar-gurgling. The band’s diversity is fully displayed in the ensuing ‘Sunless’: a Shoegaze jangle, doubtless anathema to many pure Blackhearts, steadily dropping into a eruption of Winterfylleth-esque violent emotion; the slower pace and wistful lead yowls maintaining the earlier touches of humanity.
The tremolo thrills of ‘Hernswolf’ zig-zag through intricate patterns and bludgeoning riffs, Moore’s horrifying rasp unifying the band’s core elements in an all-too-brief track which perfectly embodies their ethos. The medieval melancholy opening ‘Waldeinsamkeit’, meanwhile, is wonderfully dictated by Oliver Harvey’s stunning stickwork which courses subtly throughout this eye-opening set; the closing track exploding into life halfway in before cascading to another of those pensive time switches and subsequent wailing solos.
Jøtnarr’s arsenal is proving increasingly powerful, their Black undercurrent positively effervescent with the superb blend and execution of other hostilities. Burn and Bury marks them out as one of the UK’s brightest underground lights at present.
7.5/10
PAUL QUINN
It’s rare to find a band that are still a) interesting and b) experimenting after three or four decades. But UK crossover legends Hellbastard have managed to do just that. After their original run from 1985-1991, the Geordie four piece reformed in 2008. Feral (Patac) is just the fourth album from the band – “Scruff” Lewty (Vocals, Guitars), Pete Salvage (Guitars), Laine Pearce-Rees (Bass) and Nathan Ellis (Drums) – and second since they regrouped.
Hellbastard are seen by many as the pioneers of crust punk, and reinforce the heritage with guest appearances from fellow UK crusties; Amebix’s Rob “The Baron” Miller and Andy “A. Droid” Wiggins, as well as Sabbat’s Andy Sneap. The PR guff describes Feral as “primal, back-to-nature shit,” which translates as “pretty simplistic, but still heavy”. Which is strange, because for the most part, it’s not particularly crusty.
For much of the record, it’s pretty route-one thrash album chock-full with political observations and snide phrasing from Scruff’s spat lyrics. Or at least it seems that way on first listen. ‘Outside of the Year’ or ‘And the Point of Your Being Is…’ are prime examples of classic crossover the likes of Municipal Waste have taken to a wider audience. ‘Social Hand Grenade’ features some classic squealing guitar work while ‘Engineering Human Consciousness II’ is the kind perfect mosh pit fodder WarBeast would be proud of.
After a few listens however, you start to realise there are some surprises. The switches between raw aggression and a melodic chorus on opener ‘In Praise Of Bast…/Feral’ catch the listener off guard, while the impressive 8-minute three-part epic ‘We Are Coven’ strays into progressive territory. The left turn of ‘4-Paws’ could pass for a gothic power ballad with it strings section and spoken word passages. The extra twists that are thrown into the traditional thrash/punk mix ensure that what could have easily been a tired rehash remains fresh.
Feral isn’t perfect and it’s not all quality or inventive. ‘Shame on Us’ is a passable mid-paced stomper, and though ‘Wychcraft’ has plenty of menace it meanders without going anywhere. But two duds isn’t bad for such a surprisingly varied album. For a band celebrating their 30th year, HellBastard still sound as angry as their name suggests. More impressively though, Feral shows a band willing to experiment and expand their palette into new grounds. There’s enough nodding back for legacy fans, but more than interesting enough material to make them worthwhile for anyone looking for a new spin on thrash.
7.5/10
DAN SWINHOE
With Britain once again under the yoke of an unrestrained Tory government and the Cold War seemingly re-activated, it’s beginning to feel like the 80s never ended. Therefore what better time for former Amebix frontman Rob “The Baron” Miller to step back into the limelight with a new band after his legendary crust trio failed to capitalise on their recent comeback record. Joined by comrades in arms Jon Misery and Andrew Lefton on guitars; both seasoned veterans of the US scene and Voïvod drummer Away behind the kit, the quartet have united under the banner Tau Cross, and with their debut self-titled album look set to prove once more that the old guard knows best.
Those expecting a re-run of Arise! (Alternative Tentacles) will be choking on their bottles of White Lightning as the massive chugging riffs and subtle electronica of album opener ‘Lazarus’ announces itself with aplomb. Both verses and choruses are positively radio friendly and were it not for Miller’s customary gritty throat, you could almost be listening to Killing Joke try their hand at stadium rock. Next track ‘Fire in the Sky’ has a somewhat 90s alt rock vibe struggling to emerge from under the guitars and Away’s solid percussion before things speed up considerably on the restless ‘Stonecracker’, which Lemmy would have sold his last bottle of Jack to have penned.
As the album progresses, it becomes more obvious that the band have no interest in trading on former glories and are eager to let these new songs stand on their own two feet. The expertly written flowing riffs and soaring chorus of the likes of ‘Midsummer’, the simple yet deadly stop-start refrains of ‘You People’ and the levelling power of ‘Our Day’ are so well written that the whole thing soon begins to feel like a greatest hits collection. The production is crystal clear; making the songs sound simply massive and the sheer amount of hooks on offer suggests that large festival stages were in mind during the writing process. It’s easy to imagine a whole field at a mainstream music festival raising their hands and voices to the brilliant acoustic driven ‘We Control the Fear’, for example.
The sole misstep is closing track ‘The Devil Knows His Own’; a rather twee folk ballad that allows the album to dwindle out when it should have finished with a bang, but that is a minor issue when the rest of the material on offer here is so strong. Evidently his day job as a swordsmith on the Isle of Skye has given Miller plenty of time to think up some fantastic material, and it’s something we should be incredibly thankful for as Tau Cross (Relapse Records) is one of the most listenable and engaging releases you are likely to hear until the clowns at Number 10 have been sent packing.
8.5/10
JAMES CONWAY
Brooklyn trio Mortals garnered much-deserved attention with the visceral Sludge of last year’s second full-length Cursed to See the Future (Relapse Records), and hot on its heels comes the dark horror of their single-track contribution to this ‘split’ with Philly nasties Repellers (Broken Limbs). Led in by the sound of a rabid werewolf coming in for the kill and terrifying the shit out of the listener, ’10 Years of Filth’ is nevertheless a cleaner sound than one would imagine, but that and the quickened, Occult Doom-style pace still fails to lift the omen of the terrifying vocal scour.
There’s a melodic, NWOBHM sound to the riff at times, yet, when the defiling power of Caryn Havlik’s drums kicks in at the two-third mark, the resonance is electrifying. With leadwork and closing riffs possessing elements of Blackened Punk, this is a pulverising yet complex and occasionally emotional rollercoaster which further enhances the ladies’ collective reputation.
Every aspect of the Low End seems present in the sound of Crusty trio Repellers: from the morose, ‘spaghetti western’ feel of the intro to opener ‘Descend’, through the rampaging Stoner-Death intensity of its riff and rhythms, to the downright filthy croak which is as evil as it gets and the most hoarse rasp you’ll hear this side of hell’s frozen wastes. At times the speed of ‘Descend’ clean rips by, the band right on the edge of keeping time, the scything riff and pounding drums of the coda vicious and seething. A sinister opening to ‘From Jericho to Ai’ sees a terrifying, ponderous pace given a fulminating power by flashing, savage breaks and the expiring roars of the track’s second half. The initial melancholy of ‘False Solace’, rising to the band’s more familiar Blackened Thrash crush, closes an intriguing, mauling set with a paradoxical twist of emotion.
An interesting tussle then, full of twists and turns. Overall the spoils must go to Mortals, but their lesser-known partners offer up plenty of atmospheric brutality and many talking points.
7.0/10
PAUL QUINN
Did you ever go to a show and know right off the bat that it was one for the record books? Well on Friday December 12th at the Middle East Nightclub in Cambridge, there was such a show, and this one makes it into my top 5 out of about 60 for the entire year of 2014. Why? Because it had some of the best bands New England has to offer on the bill coupled with one of the most amazing atmospheres, crowd wise, I have seen in a while.
I always know it’s December in New England when Morne plays a show in the Boston area. A band that keeps it’s local show appearances to about one a year won’t ever be blamed for over saturating the local scene, not that I know anyone who would complain if they were to add a show or two each year. Stacked to the gills with local heavyweights Churchburn and Obsidian Tongue plus a solid new comer, SEA, opening up the nights musical assault, I knew there would be no complaints about the music on this night.
Unfortunately I missed most of SEA’s set but what I caught was really good. Take heavy, slow doom and mix it with part melodic, part chugging riffs. At least that’s what I took away from the 2 songs I got to hear. It was enough for me to be interested in the band and what they do in the months ahead. Hopefully there will be some sort of recording to come from them in the near future.
Next up was the Massachusetts black metal outfit, Obsidian Tongue, recently off a stint with Agalloch where they played on 6 of the North American tour dates. This band has grown so much in the past few years and now is a serious force to be reckoned with on stage. How exactly they are able to create such a full sound being a two piece, I have never understood but watching this band mature over the past 4 or so years has been a sheer pleasure and they are definitely one of my favorite local bands.
Churchburn hit the stage and began the set with their song ‘V,’ showcasing their take on unrelenting black/death/doom. I have seen this band more than a few times and have not been disappointed once. When Dave Suzuki gets to the mic it’s almost as if instead of opening his mouth, his face actually splits open (like it’s on a damn hinged cantilever or something) and spews raw venom at the audience. One of these days I think he might bust a vessel or something. Absolutely powerful performance from a really devastating band out of Providence. They are solid front to back and definitely not a band to miss.
By the time Morne started their set, the place was sold out and started to get a bit steamy. Sneaking a peek at the setlist got me excited for what was to come as it was filled with a combination of songs from all three full length albums. First song was the opening track off the newest release, Shadows, called “Coming of Winter” which was appropriate on many levels. The newest member of the band, Paul Rajpal, seems to be a superb fit to the band and gels very well. The dual nature of Milosz Gassans vocal style, filled with emotion, always reminds me of a dark and painful form of Tuvan throat singing. If you listen carefully you might understand what I mean. As they blasted through the 8 song set, the entire crowd was rapt with their performance, and for good reason. This was one of the most powerful performances I have seen them play to date, which is saying a lot since I have never seen them be anything but top notch. The band just plain crushes, I have no idea how else to put it but this time they leveled the place.
This show proved just how strong and vibrant the underground metal scene(or whatever the hell you want to call it) is here in New England.
I highly recommend checking out all of these bands if you haven’t already done so. They do not disappoint!
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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY HILLARIE JASON
Ghost Cult is proud to partner with the purveyor of all things brutal, underground and evil, Blasphemour Records, to premiere the title track off of the upcoming EP from Funerals. ‘Human Ruin’ is a blistering cut that is going to cave your head in upon the first listen. Hailing from Portland, OR, Funerals is a band that creates a sound of hate-encrusted hardcore that will have fans of Integrity, Twitching Tongues, Early Graves, Dropdead going off in seconds. Human Ruin drops on Halloween, just a few weeks away. Originally self-released as a cassette and remastered by the legendary Brad Boatright (Sleep, Beastmilk, Nails) at Audiosiege, there are several cool limited-edition vinyl packages available for pre-order here.
From the press release:
The debut release from Portland, Oregon’s Funerals. 3 tracks of heavy, low-tuned hardcore that will appeal to fans of Disembodied, Integrity, Twitching Tongues and The Banner. Originally self released on Bandcamp and on a limited cassette, Blasphemour Records felt this album needed a proper release. Recorded at D-Wreckords Studio in Portland, and now re-mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, this album will leave you wishing this was a full length. Pre-Sales start 9/13/14 at 10:31AM EST.
Catalog #: BR009
Formats: 7″ Vinyl and Digital
Vinyl pressing information:
50 – Violet (SOLD OUT)
100 – Black (Only 15 left)
150 – Transparent Red (Only 40 left)
Second press coming out in November.
200 – White
Band Members:
Vocals: Craig
Guitar: Sean
Bass: Sonny
Drums: Gio
Funerals on Facebook
http://blasphemourrecords.com