Tag Archives: Dissection

Apocrophex – Suspended From The Cosmic Altaar

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I wonder if Justin Buell was the sort of guy who was naturally brilliant at everything at school, too? Well, either which way, he sure knows his way around a Death Metal release, providing guitars, bass and programming (I’m assuming from that, the drumming, though phenomenal, is not played by human hands and feet – not that this should detract from the overall praise for this release) as well as mixing and mastering a very pro sounding recording.

Ably backed up by the cleverly pitched vocals of Pete Colucci, Suspended From The Cosmic Altaar (Manicidic) is the debut release of New Jersey duo/project Apocrophex, and it makes a damn fine impression. Sitting comfortably in the Technical Death Metal field, where Apocrophex prove themselves more than able and one to watch is in their ability to be both dextrous of finger and riff, but without sacrificing their ability to pull together listenable and hook-laden, extreme songs.

Technical Death Metal is not just about string-skipped riffs, but about nailing the grooves and giving the listener something to latch onto. Well aware of this, in amongst the taut-to-the-point-of-snapping riffs sit dark discordant melodies, Apocrophex have moments of Morbid Angel’s complex but indelible from the brain once drilled in riffage, and pay reverence to the king and master of the balance of technicality and memorable extreme metal writing, Chuck Schuldiner with ‘Evidence of a Desolate Planet’ falling to its knees at the Human (Relativity/Relapse) altar. Elsewhere,  there is an awareness of the role of atmospherics with  touches of classic Dissection The Somberlain (No Fashion), adding even more succulent fruit to the pie.

Whether this is a first album or not, Suspended From The Cosmic Altaar would still have made a positive impression; it maintains consistency throughout and is one of the most listenable Death Metal releases for a while. Managing to sound distinctive, referential, be technically precise and memorable is a pretty difficult gig to get these days, but Mr Buell has proven his capability and ability to do just that.

 

7.5/10

Apocrophex on Facebook

 

STEVE TOVEY


Conceived By Hate Streaming “Thorns of Crimson Death”

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El Salvadorian death thrashers Conceived By Hate is streaming their rendition of Dissection’s “Thorns of Crimson Death”, off their split release with Colombian metallers Akheron, out March 10, 2015 via Morbid Skull Records, here.

The album will be limited 500 hand-numbered copies, including 50 diehard versions with extras. Stream “Devotees of Death” from Conceived By Hate here and “Estigma” from Akheron here.

Track List:

01. Devotees of Death [Conceived by Hate]
02. Hypocritical Sense of Ego [Conceived by Hate]
03. Embrace the Absurd [Conceived by Hate]
04. Thorns of Crimson Death (Dissection cover) [Conceived by Hate]
05. Estigma [Akheron]
06. Chemtrail [Akheron]
07. In-conformista [Akheron]
08. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits cover) [Akheron]


Thulcandra – Ascension Lost

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Anyone that has ventured into the Thulcandra back catalogue has probably noticed this German black metal band seem to exist as a living shrine to one of the former giants of the genre. Although their Dissection worship has decreased with every release, recent album Ascension Lost (Napalm) has not truly shaken off the homage to the band, with veins of Reinkaos (Black Horizon) rippling throughout.

Despite being inspired by such revered material, Ascension Lost leaves very little impression. Lacking any distinct identity or style of its own, the material passes by you with only vague echo of a few musical moments really standing out at the end. Ascension Lost falls into the trap of becoming black metal by numbers, filling in all the tremolos and blasts in all the right places to make a black metal track, but it lacks the atmosphere that is so crucial to the genre. It’s hard to deny the bands technical proficiency in both playing and song writing, but the music is devoid of personality. Being the side project of Obscura’s Steffen Kummerer, it is hardly surprising that technicality has taken preference that leaves the record lacking.

Fans of the band will already know what to expect from the album. The songs follow a similar style to their previous work and this album is no departure from this. Ascension Lost remains enjoyable boasting impressive riffs and drumming, but is also distinctly unmemorable. As the title suggests, Thulcandra haven’t ascended to any level of brilliance with this record and until they break from their Dissection homage, are unlikely to any time soon.

 

4.0/10

Thulcandra on Facebook

 

CAITLIN SMITH


Not Guilty – Tomas Lindberg Pleads The 5th On American Metalcore

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In Part 2 of Ross Baker’s feature interview with Tomas Lindberg, the subject of the legacy of At The Gates comes up, naturally. A modest figure, Lindberg contemplates the significance of the impact his group have made upon the modern extreme music scene somewhat hesitantly:

 

“The Gothenburg sound was a very diverse scene. We, Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and Dissection all sound very different. I think the second wave of bands like Arch Enemy and Soilwork are the bands that spawned the American Metalcore scene. These bands reference the originators and it has helped our legend grow but I don’t feel responsible for that movement. We are a death metal band.”

 

 

“I don’t feel guilty for the Metalcore thing as we don’t have anything to do with it at all.”

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At The Gates on Facebook

 

WORDS BY ROSS BAKER

LIVE PHOTO BY SUSANNE A. MAATHUIS

 


Abysmal Dawn – Obsolescence

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Whisper it softly around these parts so as not inflate the head of one of our sterling writers, Richie HR, but he is right. In his recent review of Annihilated’s XIII Steps To Ruination (Unique Leader) here he commented about how “Average is the new bad, and it’s far, far worse than rubbish ever was”, casting light on the fact that we are inundated with decent, OK, average, not bad, it’s alright metal (especially Death Metal) these days. Passing muster isn’t the same as it was, and if you were ranking on a Bell Curve (curb your tittering at the back), what would have passed for decent would now be at the bottom, as the overall level has come up.

There are also way more Death Metal bands per head of metal fan than any other genre, and far too many average, going nowhere bands. Labels used to be a filter for this sort of stuff, but it now seems even those labels that should know better have gotten into the conveyor belt mentality of it all (and Relapse really should know better, having gestated some of the cream of the DM crop). We have a sea of the unimaginatively named Wretched, Annihilated et al producing the unimaginative; the differences between them each are minimal, very few of them have any identity or any chance of releasing anything essential. Good Death Metal is great, and there still is good new Death Metal out there. Average Death Metal is mediocre and uninspiring.

So, it’ll probably come as no surprise to hear, Abysmal Dawn, Obsolescence (Relapse), sound a lot like a lot of other bands. It’s a bit technical, predominantly chuggy, Death Metal, with vocals more bark than growl. It’s inoffensive (which is another problem… ) and has good cover art. Their version of Dissection’s ‘Night’s Blood’ is several shades shitter than the original (aren’t they always). They aren’t as good as, let alone better than, the bands they were influenced by, which probably includes Malevolent Creation, Pestilence and The Black Dahlia Murder.

Other than that, it’s not shit. It’s not brilliant, either. It’s dictionary definition meat and potatoes meh Death Metal. And one thing Death Metal should never be is staid enough to be ‘meh’.

 

5.0/10

Abysmal Dawn on Facebook 

 

STEVE TOVEY


Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum

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Relentless anarchic nihilistic violence spews from the bowels of Anaal Nathrakh once more as eighth album, and first for Metal Blade, Desideratum continues the bands legacy in fine style. Very few bands are this consistent over so many albums, but the fire rages deep and wild in Irrumator (Mick Kenney) and V.I.T.R.I.O.L (Dave Hunt), as the Black Country pair return with another lesson in pure musical ferocity.

Starting out as a black metal band, but one that sought to leave the second-wave behind by inflicting a vat of putrid filth on a dying scene, as Anaal Nathrakh have mutated chronologically and musically, the infiltration of industrial hostility and the development of Hunt’s cleaner vocals alongside his possessed throat-ripping for effect and choruses has seen a refinement of their sound. But this refinement hasn’t led to any sacrificing of intensity at the altar of progression; Desideratum, with its khold (sic) black metal motifs, down-tuned riffing, scatter-gun percussion, pseudo-anthemic choruses and sonic gargantuanism, hurtles with the dedicated purpose of a killing machine.

An interesting development to their sound sees a proliferation of frost-bitten blackened metal lines decorate various tracks, particularly on early pair ‘Unleash’ (a very appropriately titled first track proper) and ‘Monstrum In Animo’, tributes to Dissection, and the achievement of the vision Mayhem had on A Grand Declaration Of War (Necropolis) meshed with the revelation of what Fear Factory could have become.

The trick that Anaal master more than most is that this isn’t mindless raging at the dying of the light, theirs is not the beserker, but more and more they are demonstrating an exquisite ability to balance unadulterated extremity with a melodic touch (just a touch, mind) as with calculated intent they cleverly build layers and subtle touches to their barbarism, all with an eye firmly on the current, the modern, the relevant, such as the tar-thick contemporary riffing of the title track. Arriving halfway through the album ‘A Firm Foundation Of Unyielding Despair’ sounds like the bastard mutant offspring of the most intense of Slipknot and Satyricon.

Variety and quality are prevalent throughout; ‘Sub Specie Aeterni (Of Maggots and Humanity)’ is punk as fuck and venomous, before ‘The Joystream’ descends in a cascade of black metal, breakdowns, Goth/Industrial samples and splutters and a strong chorus, with a melancholic Katatoni(a)c lead, a softening kiss in a maelstrom. Yet even then, the intensity shows no sign of letting up, make no mistake, as, on Desideratum, Anaal Nathrakh have realized the beautifully disgusting union of extremity and massive back-splitting, carcass-gutting hooks.

The lion has long since devoured both dragon and child, but has now outgrown the underground and is ready to overwhelm the universe.

8.5/10

Anaal Nathrakh on Facebook

 

STEVE TOVEY