Tag Archives: Hansel Lopez

Oceans of Slumber – Winter

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Oceans of Slumber Winter ghostcultmag

Oceans of Slumber’s new album Winter (Century Media) is sort of frustrating. Frustrating like “Wow I’m really enjoying this song” and then one of the novice inconsistencies comes in and I’m punching my fridge repeatedly.

Don’t let me get off on the wrong foot here as there is much talent to be extracted from this young Houston band. For starters they have a vocalist in Cammie Gilbert who can sing. And by sing I don’t mean the metalcore melodic chorus sandwiched between barking verses. Like she can actually fucking sing. Guitarists Anthony Contreras and Sean Gary cleverly find the link between Sabbath doom and Michael Amott shred. Seems like a no brainer, right? Possible album of the month?

Not quite yet. Winter’s title track its follow up ‘Devout’ (and ‘…This Road’) serve as the cover letter to this pretty good resume. They highlight Gilbert’s vocals and pull from various strains of extreme metal and form them into a cohesive and satisfying musical package. ‘Night in White Satin’ comes close to recreating this alchemy, but the repeated hook begins to feel like deadweight. And then what precedes that is my biggest issue with Winter. Interludes.

Never thought I’d ever bring up interludes as a point of contention in a review, but counting outro track ‘Grace,’ there are five of them on Winter. While interludes is a musical trend that many a modern band resorts to (looking at you Between the Buried and Me), by going to that well so often we lose about 10 minutes of quality time with Oceans of Slumber. That’s a shame considering that the band has such a great understanding of light and shade dynamics, so there really isn’t a need for interludes. Speaking of dynamics check out ‘Apologue,’ if you to see what Oceans of Slumber sound like when they leave the melody at home. It’s shockingly heavy.

So not quite album of the month, but they’ve got the tools and with a little roadwork, Oceans of Slumber’s next could be album of the year.

HANSEL LOPEZ

7.0/10

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Abbath – Abbath

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Immortal was (or is, depending on its new lineup getting anything off the ground) one of the most intriguing acts in extreme music. A great deal of fans consider them a Norwegian black metal institution with a string of classics under their belts. For others they’re that borderline Spinal Tap band that have some of the most ridiculous promo pictures and music videos ever captured. For real, Norway, the music is great and all, but some of the message can be lost when you willingly pose yielding a plastic axe.

Maybe that’s why some turned have turned to crime? Anything for the arts.

But I digress. It’s not breaking news that in 2015, Immortal was on ice again and a brief legal battle ensued over the band’s trademark. Multi-instrumentalist founding member Olve Eikemo (or as we know him) Abbath walked away and pledged to work on his own music. The result is Abbath (Season of Mist), an eight song exercise in creative freedom and avoiding ugly litigation.

And allow me to immediately answer your query; it’s not as awesome as Battles in the North or Sons of Northern Darkness. And nor does it have to be. Since he is no longer under the weight of the Immortal legacy, Abbath is free to explore other things, namely his love of classic metal sounds. With Abbath’s death croak and drummer Creature peppering songs like ‘Winter Bane’ and ‘To War’ with double bass and the occasional blast beat they fall under extreme metal, but the structures are as traditional as they come. There’s even a sweet cover of Judas Priest’s ‘Riding on the Wind’ added as a bonus track.

But the Kvlt faithful need not worry, it’s not all New Wave of British Heavy Metal worship. ‘Eternal’ has enough blast beats to thaw any frozen heart and ‘Fenrir Hunts’ is highly reminiscent (in the best way) of the blackened death metal that Behemoth has been expertly brewing as of late.

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And even for those who are too stubborn to appreciate Abbath because it doesn’t say Immortal on the cover or isn’t grim enough, they should respect that Abbath decided to step down. Why? Because he dropped the legal horseshit that would’ve jammed all parties involved and likely split the Immortal name into two lesser collectives. Need proof? What do you think about the recent work from Entombed A.D. or Queensryche and whatever Geoff Tate’s project is called?

8.0/10

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HANSEL LOPEZ


After The Burial – Dig Deep

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It may seem a bit on the nose, but Dig Deep (Sumerian Records) is probably the most appropriate moniker that After The Burial could have mustered up with for their first album since the untimely passing of guitarist and founding member Justin Lowe. Last year was shaping up nicely for as they were set to perform on last year’s Summer Slaughter tour and record the much-anticipated follow-up to 2013s Wolves Within (also Sumerian).

Then the unfathomable occurred. On June 24, following several days of troubling internet posts and subsequent departure from After The Burial, Lowe was found dead of an apparent suicide. Tours were canceled, recording plans indefinitely postponed, and the Minnesota outfit was at the most difficult crossroads of their prosperous career. Following weeks of silence and introspection, After The Burial considered all of their options (including disbandment) and announced the intention to continue forward as a collective.

This was great news not just for the fans, but for Sumerian Records as a whole. After The Burial is one of the current crop of progressive metal acts with the most upside and so it’d be challenging for Sumerian to scout young talent of the same caliber. It’s also worth noting that as an imprint Sumerian isn’t the recruiting force it used to be due to losing ground to labels like eOne, Nuclear Blast Entertainment and Metal Blade, so it would be wise to hold on to as many assets as possible.

But all the momentum and prospect status in the world become null and void if After the Burial couldn’t produce music with the same ferocity as it has in the last eight years. In the aftermath of losing such a talented player like Lowe, it would’ve even been acceptable to have Dig Deep further delayed, but instead After The Burial crafted some of their best material in a very quick turnaround. Credit that to lead guitarist and band MVP Trent Hafdahl who is now picking up all the guitar parts with equal parts shred and gusto. Recently released single ‘Collapse’ opens the album with a riff that’s like Unearth on meth and a ripping solo that’d make Alex Skolnick proud.

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And it gets better from there as Hafdahl eschews the more Meshuggah-sounding-the-better approach adopted by so many of their contemporaries in favor of whatever dynamic suits his fancy. Backed by a laser focused rhythm section consisting of bassist Lerichard Foral and drummer Dan Carle, Hafdahl can bounce from the modern Pantera staccato crunch of ‘Lost in the Static’ to the thrash banging of its follow-up ‘Mire.’ ‘Catacombs’ later on the album is another mid-tempo stomper that’s heavier than present day Axl Rose.

But it’s not all blastbeats and brimstone, as ‘Laurentian Ghosts’ follows in the vein of past After the Burial slow jams like ‘Aspiration’ and ‘To Carry You Away’ with its acoustic lines at the beginning and consistent melody throughout. However Anthony Notarmaso’s meaty growls keep the proceeding from going too far into All That Remains territory. And then you have the more melodic death flavor to Dig Deep’s strongest song, ‘Deluge.’ Right out the gate it’s a storm of searing leads and finger numbing riffs. To unleash that beast live will certainly require the aid of a second (and skilled) guitarist.

With the songwriting quality so high on Dig Deep, it didn’t really need that title, but I guess After the Burial didn’t want its message to be lost to their fans. A more than formidable return to form and tribute to a fallen comrade.

9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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World Be Free – The Anti-Circle

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World Be Free occupies a very particular space in the in today’s musical landscape. A sort of hardcore supergroup featuring members of Terror (vocalist Scott Vogel), Judge (drummer Sammy Siegler), Strife (guitarist Andrew Kline) and Gorilla Biscuits (bassist Arthur Smilios), World Be Free is not the sum of its parts or a reflection of hardcore in 2016. Full length début, The Ant-Circle (Revelation), is more of a simulacrum of the New York and DC hardcore sounds of yesteryear with the occasional dash of pop-punk hooks.

And as an homage to those reverential 1980s bands, The Anti-Circle seems to check all the boxes. There’s an economical approach as 14 tracks come and go in less than half an hour and with only one clocking in at over three minutes. ‘Shake the Ghost’ and ‘Never Slip’ are fantastic examples of making the most with just the necessary musical ingredients.

However, while World Be Free’s riffs and lyrics were designed with the intention of channeling the vitality of their musical heroes, The Anti-Circle feels likes its spinning wheels. When Vogel bellows “You’ll never be a part of my world,” or “The times have changed” it doesn’t come across as empowering or intriguing as it isn’t saying anything Black Flag didn’t already say in 1981 (albeit in a much more satirical tone). And since its treading such familiar creative waters it, songs like ‘World Be Free,’ ‘All These Colors’ and ‘Breakout or Busted’ fail to distinguish themselves from one another.

That’s not to say that there aren’t successful moments of musical reverence to be found on The Anti-Circle. While probably the most tuneful song of the bunch, ‘Empty Things’ impresses with Kline’s melodic guitar lines. Also when World Be Free decides to shift gears and speed up they can generate some worthy slam dancing like in ‘I’m Done.’

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World Be Free has a great album within them. It’s all a matter of them addressing the line between impression and homage.

6.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Lisa Sofianos, Robin Ryde and Charlie Waterhorse – The Truth of Revolution, Brother

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Lisa Sofianos, Robin Ryde and Charlie Waterhorse - The Truth of Revolution, Brother

The Truth of Revolution, Brother: An Exploration of Punk Philosophy (Situation Press) is an interesting look at many of the common philosophies within the rebellious genre and it also acts as a biography for some of its key figures. Through a series of interviews authors Lisa Sofianos, Robin Ryde and Charlie Waterhorse, have crafted an insightful and at times dense examination of the personal beliefs that fuel the music, particularly in anarcho-punk.

Culled from over 20 different interviews with subjects including the likes of former Dead Kennedy’s vocalist Jello Biafra, producer Steve Albini and firebrand Gavin McInnes, The Truth of Revolution, Brother feels like a great documentary that hasn’t been shot yet. Punk isn’t just music, for the faithful it’s an unshakable bond that informs all of their daily decisions. It was an artistic liberation because it wasn’t the usual prog and arena rock that permeated the 1970s. If you had something to say now you can now express yourself even if you can’t play your instrument very well or have a record label to back you up. All the weirdos were allowed.

“Punk changed the whole world for me,” says Albini. “Punk changed all of my friends. Everything that I do with my life. This studio. All of this that I am doing for a living. Everyone I know. Every significant friend I’ve ever had. Every significant life experience that I have had, I owe that to the Ramones.”

However, it is also quick to point out that while punk was the undiscriminating genre when it came to musical prerequisites, age or sex; it is also very much steeped in hierarchy as you are allowed to come in and participate only if you wear the right boots and black shirts. The prevailing Do-It-Yourself ethos acts as the backbone that allows punk to stand, but also means that there is less focus on quality control as anyone can come in and take a swing at it. Doing it yourself can sometimes lead to doing it badly.

But for me what was most interesting about this tome is that so many of the interviewed always pointed to anarcho-punk trailblazers Crass as one of their main inspirations and the reason for adopting the punk lifestyle. The consensus is that they were the first punk band to adopt the DIY mantra, foster pro-environmentalist habits and call for everyone to drop competiveness out of their nature in order to improve the community.

“What is so deeply emotional for me about Crass, in particular, is that when I was sent to the correctional boarding school I was completely alone” says Jon Gnarr. “And I was so afraid that I carried a knife. I felt so alone, and there was nobody to tell me right from wrong, there weren’t even teachers at that place, so at a very difficult time in my life, Crass was there for me.” Feeling dissatisfied with his government’s handling of the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis, Gnarr would use some of that punk influence and form the satirical Best Party. In a shocking upset Gnarr ran and was elected mayor of Reykjavík in 2010.

So many other of the interview subjects continuously cite the short lived anarchist bent Essex unit, that it starts to feel like that you are getting an oral history of the band. Adding to that feel are insightful chapters directly from former Crass members Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.

Something worth noting is that with so many citing the same artists and similar philosophies as vital the book can begin to feel a tad repetitive towards the middle, but all things considered it shines a bright light on the inner machinations of one of rock’s most extreme wings. Now if we could only get that complete Crass biography.

8.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ


Sevendust – Kill The Flaw

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At one point in time Sevendust seemed poised for superstardom. Well, the point in time was the early 2000s as they were riding high on a string of Gold certified albums and solid tour packages.

Then as we were approaching the mid-aughts the floor collapsed. Suddenly bands who were regularly playing small arenas and collecting major label royalty checks were out of favor. Sevendust and countless others were lost in the Nu-metal shuffle. Which is a damn shame as this Georgia collective was never really a Nu-metal band and had better songwriting chops than many of their contemporaries.

And the years went by and the various popular hard rock styles (garage rock, emo, metalcore, etc…) came and went with their respective enduring acts and others left on the decline. But as the musical landscape changed Sevendust remained musically consistent as their tenth and latest studio offering Kill the Flaw (7Bros, Asylum) can attest to. The sales haven’t remained as good, but the music has.

The main reason for this musical stability is that much like Deftones, Sevendust rose to prominence during the Nu-metal gravy days, but never really fit that mold. Sevendust was always about working behind Lajon Witherspoon’s strong singing (one of the more underrated vocalists working in rock today), Morgan Rose’s busy drums and John Connolly and Clint Lowery’s crunching guitars.

Look no further than the sweeping choruses of ‘Thank You’ and title track ‘Kill the Flaw.’ It’s still the Sevendust we loved in the 90s, yet we refuse to give them another Active Rock hit while Avenged Sevenfold makes a killing by aping Metallica’s self-titled. But it’s not all nostalgia since they’re adding new facets to their sound as Lowery and Connolly tap into that palm-muting style the kids love so much on ‘Death Dance’ and ‘Chop without sounding like their pandering to what younger generations like (i.e. Korn’s The Path of Totality).

Those who have stuck with Sevendust will have much to enjoy on Kill the Flaw. And even those who have hitched their wagons to other passing genres are always welcome back home.

7.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ


Audiotopsy – Natural Causes

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I’ll admit it. I’m one of those dudes who would like to have another Mudvayne album. I really would. I’d actually settle for a final tour just to get a proper sense of closure for that band. But I’ll just keep waiting.

In the meantime though, the artists formerly known as Mudvayne, particularly guitarist Greg Tribbett, have stayed busy in a variety of bands. Tribbett was doing time with vocalist Chad Gray in the musically inferior Vinnie Paul project Hellyeah until he walked in 2013. Wasting little time he recruited Mudvayne drummer Matt McDonough, Skrape singer Billy Keeton and bassist Perry Stern for a “progressive hard rock” act dubbed Audiotopsy. I’m not sure about the progressive tag, but the music on Natural Causes (Napalm) tends to fluctuate from alternative metal to post-grunge. 

On paper the idea of Tribbett and McDonough working together again seems awesome, but the angular and off-kilter Mudvayne rhythms are nowhere to be found here. The closest we get to those days is on ‘Distorted’ and ‘Darken the Rainbow,’ but even then it’s more Lost and Found rather than L.D. 50. And that’s fine because this is a new band and they’re capable of producing their own interesting moments. The best bits on Natural Causes are the songs more in line with grunge (God, I hate that word) like ‘LYLAB’ and ‘The Calling.’ Then you have the strongest track ‘Swim’ which also happens to be the closest to mellow.

Natural Causes starts to show its cracks with songs like ‘Headshot’ and ‘Burn the Sky’ as they feel more like placeholders as opposed to fleshed out compositions. It could have been a noteworthy EP as opposed to a full length that’s been padded out with ideas that haven’t been fully realized. Do we really need interlude ‘H20’ smack in the middle of the album or the three-minute title track outro? Who does outros?

Maybe we can chalk it up to the short gestation period between band formation and album release. These are the growing pains that lead to musical polish. It’s fine, I can wait.

5.5/10

HANSEL LOPEZ


Limb – Terminal

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Limb Terminal cover

If you visit their Facebook page, this London, England set of rabble-rousers’ bio simply states: “Tune it down, turn it up.” And now that I’ve given Limb’s new album Terminal (New Heavy Sounds) a few spins I have to wholeheartedly endorse that mantra.

For a band that’s only been around since 2011 the rattling guitar tone and stellar production sure sounds confident. Rob Hoey’s throaty barks serve as the perfect complement to Pat Pask’s downtuned blues and Tom Mowforth’s forceful but controlled work on the drums. In terms of sonic quality, these Londoners sound on par with most doom acts on imprints like Relapse or Profound Lore. It’s groovy enough to show to your dad, but has enough impact to satisfy the younger heshers.

Terminal starts off with ‘Three Snake Leaves’ and at a running time of 1:45 it sets the stage for the headbanging to come, but it also drove me to a realization. Compared to typical Doom or Sludge offerings the songs on Terminal tend to come and go very quickly. There are four tracks that are done and over with in or less than three minutes. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it won’t wear out its welcome, but it makes you wonder how numbers like ‘Mortuary Teeth’ would’ve turned out given a little more room to grow. Truth be told the best songs here like ‘Spoils of a Portrait King’ and ‘Cocytus’ happen to be the longest in terms of length and for slowing the tempos down to Jimmy Bower levels of guitar crunch. And I’m not saying that playing slower is the key either as ‘Down by the Banks’ has a Clutch level of self-assured heavy rock swagger.

I don’t want to make it seem like this is a bad record by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, there’s only one moment on Terminal that feels uninspired and it’s the appropriately titled ‘Sleepwalkers.’ It’s all just a matter of these young Brits adding some tweaks to the songwriting.

England started it all with Black Sabbath and kept that momentum going over the years with legendary noise merchants like Cathedral and Electric Wizard. Only time will tell if Limb are up to that task, but I like their chances.

7.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

 


Ramming Speed – No Epitaphs

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Ramming Speed’s No Epitaphs (Prosthetic Records) an album from a band so unapologetically thrashy that their records would be better sleeved in a leather jacket that reeked of weed. It’s the kind of music that takes you back in time, 1986, to be exact. Grindcore, black, and death metal were still in the prototype stage so thrash was the king of the extreme metal hill. The beer soaked apex capped by stellar offerings like Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? and Reign in Blood.

But that was almost 30 years ago. New subgenres emphasized further break-neck speed and lower guitar tunings. In 2015 thrash metal may no longer reign supreme, but it’s still got fire in the belly as proven by both the veteran (Machine Head) and young (Sylosis, Skeletonwitch, et al) alike.

Ramming Speed are on a mission to prove that they belong in that new echelon of thrash elite. The challenge for any young band in this particular style is how to make music that can both channel their forefathers and still sound vital and poignant. Otherwise you’re just a bunch of blokes in vests trying to relive the eighties.

Right from the onset Ramming Speed live up to their name and more often than not hit the bullseye. ‘No Foregiveness in Death’ is a storm of Jonah Livingston kick drums and fierce shred from guitar the guitar tandem of Kallen Bliss and Blake Chuffskin. ‘Beasts of Labor’ sounds like the mean offspring of Metallica and Revocation that’s been raised on Mountain Dew and neglect.

But Ramming Speed also have some death metal in their genetic makeup as ‘The Life we Choose’ features some kinetic blastbeat bursts. And then you have ‘Truth to Power’ which has straight up needle in the red moments that would make Napalm Death proud.

While it has the occasional lapses (‘Super Duty’ is very much paint by numbers) No Epitaphs is an admirable and no frills metal record. However the disclaimer here is that if you’re the type that’s turned off by thrash metal’s lack of progressive tendencies or hates Dimebag Darrell you’re gonna have a bad time here. But if you’re the guy who shouts “Slayer!” during any metal show or public gathering then strap in and take the ride.

8.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ


Nile – What Should Not Be Unearthed

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It’s a bit hard to fathom that Nile guitarist and mastermind Karl Sanders is still creating some of the unholy sounds in extreme metal at the age of 52. Other musicians at that age are releasing Lou Reed collaborations that only serve to undermine their legacies. Not Nile.

The Nile modus operandi on eighth studio album What Should Not Be Unearthed (Nuclear Blast) remains the same. Healthy doses of Egyptian mysticism and history (sample: “We must cut off the head of the Spinx. Timeless guardian of the ancient pharaohs”) with the occasional dash of Lovecraftian imagery set to the kind of searing death metal that recalls prime Morbid Angel. Maybe that’s why I have such an affinity for Sanders and his art, he was there to pick up the pieces when Morbid Angel was losing creative steam being dogged down by unsuccessful experimentation.

Experimentation is kept a very base minimum here as the album opens to aural punishment that is ‘Call to Destruction.’ We are then hit with the swift hyperblast one-two of ‘Negating the Abominable Coils of Apep’ and ‘Liber Stellae – Rubaeae.’ This is the kind of fiery death metal that hurts so good like Dying Fetus or early Gorguts. Also for the real tech heavy crowd check the finger cramping opening riff in ‘Evil To Cast Out Evil.’

But it’s not all fire and brimstone as death jams like ‘In the Name of Amun’ and ‘Age of Famine’ give way to breadth and dizzying tempo changes. Title track ‘What Should Not Be Unearthed’ also follows this pattern and allows for a real nice low and slow breakdown. And even when operating at a more gradual cadence, human drum machine George Kolias makes sure to load up the double-bass pummel.

In a genre where many of their peers are still spewing out murder fantasies and are fascinated with the undead, Nile stands out with a mix of intellectual lyrics and musical proficiency. If the prog fans and metal elitists can get past the death grunts and learn to love the blast beat they may just find a band fawn over other than Dream Theater.

9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ