Tag Archives: James Conway

Keep of Kalessin – Epistemology

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With the departure of long-time vocalist and fan favourite Thebon in 2013 as well as the inevitable backlash from the trve kvlt brigade after flirtations with that most Satanic of institutions Eurovision; the future was not looking bright for Keep of Kalessin. The gap was widening since previous album Reptilian in 2010 and many thought the band had blown it, a depressing development after their successful rebirth in 2003. However, founding member Obsidian Claw refused to admit defeat and after assuming vocal duties has released sixth full-length Epistemology (both Indie Recordings) along with seasoned veterans Vyl and Wizziac along for the ride. It’s a decision that looks set to pay off for the trio, for they have recorded one absolute belter of an album.

For those who would rather cut off their own nuts then listen to another turgid Darkthrone rip-off with an artificially engineered ‘raw’ production job or who refuse to accept that only one-man losers who have never got past copy-and-paste Burzum worship have a monopoly on black metal, Keep of Kalessin are the band for you. Firmly rooted in the melodic side of the genre, although crucially leaving the dual-lead guitars to the Dissection fan boys, the band knows how to pen relatively straightforward compositions that deftly merge brutality and bombast. In short, they are the band that Dimmu Borgir should have become after Death Cult Armageddon (Nuclear Blast). Factor in a high quality, widescreen production job that makes the bass-drum sound like a jack hammer and gives the wailing leads a truly grandiose feel, and you have all the ingredients for a stone-cold classic.

With pretty much all tracks, from the soaring clean vocals and brutal guitar lines of nine-minute opener ‘The Spiritual Relief’ to the choppy melo-death workout of the closing title, following the same expertly written path of pomp and bludgeon, Epistemology may appall traditionalists but will delight those who like to look to the stars as well as into the pits of hell. Thanks for sticking around, guys.

8.0/10

Keep of Kalessin on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


A Forest of Stars – Beware The Sword You Cannot See

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Given Britain’s tendency to produce eccentrics, the emergence of Leeds troupe A Forest of Stars in 2007 may have caused a few heads to turn, but their glorious weirdness, even in a scene as narrow and regimented as black metal, has always worked to their advantage. Existing in their own interpretation of Victorian England where decadence, occult magick and narcotic experimentation reigned supreme, the septet’s three previous albums were all well received, with plaudits given for their enthralling storytelling and atmosphere as well as explorations into psychedelic territory and pastoral folk amid the crushing black metal dynamics. Further accolades look set to follow, for fourth effort Beware the Sword You Cannot See (Lupus Lounge/Prophecy) is an unabashed masterpiece.

With a concept heavily focused on death and rebirth, this is the album that shows A Forest of Stars transcending the rigid parameters of their earthly shackles and soaring off into the unknown with aplomb. The thunderous tremolo picking and double-bass assault evident on tracks such as ‘A Blaze of Hammers’ leaves the listener in no doubt that the band aren’t going to do an Opeth on us, but it’s the surging progressive flourishes and sense of ambition that makes this such a special listening experience, as demonstrated by the ascending chords and lush female vocals courtesy of violinist Kathryne Queen of the Ghosts on the magnificent album opener ‘Drawing Down the Rain.’ Speaking of ambition, the six part odyssey that is ‘Pawn on the Universal Chessboard’ which comprises the latter half of the album is mind-boggling in scope, ranging from spacy Tangerine Dream style synths on ‘Mindslide’, masterful dark prog on ‘Have You Got a Light, Boy?’ to pummelling black metal orthodoxy on ‘Lowly Worm.’

Special mention must go to vocalist Mr Curse for a truly astonishing performance where he shrieks, yelps and dips heavily into theatrical spoken word delivery to tell the story of the album, producing some fantastic lyrics (“Fuck you and the worms you rode in on!”) and acting as demonic ringleader to this spectacular carnival of unearthly delights. It may be too early to call A Forest of Stars the British answer to Enslaved but if they keep on producing records as excellent as this then their status will be in no doubt.

Early contender for one of the albums of the year.

9.0/10

JAMES CONWAY


Kjeld – Skym

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After forming in 2003, Dutch quintet Kjeld has finally got round to releasing their debut album, with the wait presumably down to the difficulty the band has had in translating their lyrical concepts of anti-cosmic mysticism and the nature of death into the Friesian language, a difficult tongue to master. Well, the wait was worth it, for Skym (Hammerheart) is a suitably grim piece of Second-wave worship that fans of Gorgoroth and Enthroned will lap up like blood from a chalice.

With a knack for imbuing searing black metal riffs with a feeling of unease and coldness like the true greats of the genre, the band members have evidently put a lot of thought and effort into crafting the songs for this debut effort. The slightly murky production, with the snare drum in particular high in the mix, ensures that the atmosphere is claustrophobic and full of dread while the pace remains varied throughout.

Although rooted in the light-speed riffing of the Norwegian great and good, as demonstrated on the aggressive opening salvo of ‘Tûzen Sinnen’ and the title track, the lurch into mid-paced suicidal depressive black metal territory on the Forgotten Tomb-worshipping ‘Gerlofs Donia’ is evidence that the band have a few tricks up their sleeves, further demonstrated by the monolithic power of classy album closer ‘Bern Fan Freya.’

While their fellow countrymen Sammath failed to stake a claim for the importance of black metal from the Low Countries with the disappointing Godless Arrogance (Hammerheart), Kjeld has proven that relatively gimmick-free black metal still has a future and that there’s a lot to be said in waiting to ensure you get your debut release right instead of rushing things and being disappointed with the result. On that basis, Kjeld have begun their career in just the right way.

7.0/10

Kjeld on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Hiram-Maxim – Hiram-Maxim

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In an age where physical releases are going the way of the dodo thanks to the all-conquering march of the digital epoch, it’s heartening when new bands still care enough about their fans to not only produce something that buyers can hold in their hands, but also to put real effort into making each copy a thing of beauty. The self-titled debut album from Cleveland, Ohio based Hiram-Maxim comes complete with a 100-page art book courtesy of local graphic designer Ron Kretsch, and his disturbing black and white images are the perfect accompaniment to the thirty-seven minutes of sprawling, oppressive psychedelia that comprise this debut release.

Spread over four tracks, the music on Hiram-Maxim (Aqualamb) sounds mostly improvised, giving it a genuine feeling of unease as the four band members craft sounds that could be the soundtrack to undergoing a particularly intense k-hole whilst locked in a Salvador Dali museum overnight. The loose, free-form approach often gives way to violent bursts of noise such as on the brutally harsh ‘Can’t Stop’ which sounds as if Throbbing Gristle had been force-fed mescaline. Elsewhere, the tortuous waltz of album opener ‘Visceral’ at least makes an attempt to appear normal in a kind of Sonic Youth-gone-wrong manner while the sparse post-rock melodies and languid singing of ‘One’ fight for prominence with buzzing drone and dissonant drumbeats to create an atmosphere of bemused melancholy.

Offering so much more than your average meat-and-potatoes heavy band, Hiram-Maxim may not have a clue where their compositions are going, but the terrain they visit on the way is freaky and challenging in the way all good psych should be, and crucially never feels pretentious. If you fancy a ramble into dissonant soundscapes where anything could happen then give this impressive first effort a spin and tune your mind into something very strange yet oddly nourishing.

7.5/10

Hiram-Maxim on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Bleak – Bleak EP

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Given the uncompromising starkness of their moniker, which makes any kind of internet research on them an exercise in frustration, it’s fairly safe to assume that Syracuse, NY quartet Bleak isn’t here to make friends and win fans. According to their FB page (which can be found with effort) “The only thing we hate more than ourselves is you” and after giving their debut, self-titled EP (Blasphemour) a listen, you’d be hard pressed to disagree.

Playing a hard-hitting form of groove metal that rarely gets above mid-pace, the band also draw elements from sludge and hardcore to produce a sound that will knock you on your arse. Quite simply, wimps and poseurs need not apply. Kicking things off with the savage groove of ‘Bridge Burner’ which roils and pummels like Vision of Disorder if someone had murdered their families, the band proceed to inflict a serious of devastating body blows over the course of eighteen punishing minutes. However, they’re not afraid to take risks, as the harrowing dark ambient of second track ‘Resplendent Repression’ emphatically proves.

The short, sharp shock of ‘Simple’ employs skittish mathcore anti-melodies amid its lurching chugs, coming across like a looser Ion Dissonance while the crushing beatdowns and feral roars of ‘Outflanked’ is some of the nastiest hardcore you are ever likely to hear.

What Bleak do isn’t big or clever and it certainly isn’t that original, but their uncompromising nihilistic approach and straightforward, bloody-minded aggression is refreshingly honest. They sound like they would beat you to within an inch of your life for no reason and in a scene full of chancers who like to talk big, Bleak are well primed to make a name for themselves.

8.0/10

Bleak on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Furor Gallico – Songs from the Earth

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One of the oddest things about metal is how it can strive so hard for originality and identity yet remain so indebted to established concepts and trends that the entire thing becomes an exercise in futility. Folk metal and its offshoots Celtic and Viking metal are three of the biggest offenders, recycling the same old tales of romanticised warriors spurning the advance of Christianity with their noble warriors and earth-worshipping traditions, and refusing to admit that Bathory stopped being good when Quorthorn swapped darkness and evil for pomp and circumstance. Throwing in as many ‘traditional’ instruments as the recording budget allows is apparently a measure of how authentic a band is and in an effort to prove this, Italians Furor Gallico have dug very deep indeed.

While the numerous band members can undoubtedly play their instruments very well, with the jovial Celtic melodies of the tin whistle ever flowing and the soothing violin giving proceedings a minor touch of class, the music itself is so heavily indebted to Swiss neighbours Eluveitie that one wonders why they just don’t declare themselves a tribute act and be done with it. From the budget melo-death riffs that fail to capture the imagination when the aforementioned whistle has ceased to the generic grunts and snarls of vocalist Pagan (yes, really), almost everything on the band’s sophomore effort Songs from the Earth (Scarlet) is derivative, cliché-ridden and has been already been done before and better. Some hope is offered by the Thin Lizzy meets Finntroll mashup of ‘Squass’ and the stirring melodies of ‘Wild Jig of Beltaine’ but this is scant reward for the eye-watering sixty-four minute slog the band have served up here.

If Furor Gallico put as much effort into forging their own identity and sound instead of expertly replicating their elders and betters then they could be something special. Until then, a lowly slot on the Paganfest tour will likely be the pinnacle of their achievements.

5.0/10

Furor Gallico on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Vision of Disorder – Still EP (Re-issue)

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Before metalcore became a pissing contest with success measured by how accurately bands had copied At the Gates’ magnum opus Slaughter of the Soul (Earache), the genre had genuine teeth and grit. One such pioneer was Long Island quintet Vision of Disorder, who successfully merged heavy metal and hardcore to produce a sound full of aggression, rhythm and anger which was tailor made for the live environment. After being killed off by nu-metal the band returned in 2012 with the magnificent The Cursed Remain Cursed (Candlelight) and have now decided to re-issue their debut EP Still (Dignified Bastard Inc) to celebrate twenty years in the game.

Long-time fans of the band will know exactly what to expect, for there is little difference here than on the group’s self-titled debut album. The surging, grooving riffs of the likes of ‘Through My Eyes’, ‘Beneath the Green’ and ‘Choke’ still sound as venomous today as they did all those years ago, with Tim Williams’ furious screams displaying a genuine sense of anger. Unfortunately his more melodic tones weren’t quite there yet and are thankfully only used prominently on a couple of occasions. This is only a minor quibble however, as the music more than makes up for any shortcomings, with the two-minute whippersnapper ‘Watch Out’ demonstrating just how lethal and vibrant the band were, and how much promise this blend of styles had.

A crystal-clear re-mastering job from Michael Rosen ensures that every instrument is front-and-centre, with the parping bass guitar given a prominent role and drums cracking like heads hitting a New York sidewalk. Hopefully Vision of Disorder can take stock of just how awesome this recording is, and crack on with producing a follow-up to The Cursed Remain Cursed before they become just another nostalgia act. They’re too good for that.

7.5/10

Vision of Disorder on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Yesterday’s Saints – Generation of Vipers

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So many bands have referenced the devil in their songs over the years that it’s probably easier to list the artists that haven’t flirted with Old Nick than the ones who have. Still, that doesn’t mean the subject matter has nothing new to offer as Washington D.C. quartet Yesterday’s Saints are keen to prove on debut record Generation of Vipers (Draconum).

With a concept on the role of Satan throughout the history of mankind and the album assembled like an opera with three acts each focusing on different styles of music, it’s fair to assume that the band don’t lack ambition. Thankfully they have the requisite chops for such a feat, for Generation of Vipers is a truly fantastic first attempt.

Rooted in melodic death metal but with a healthy dose of thrash along for the ride, the band start strongly with the hard-as-concrete riffs of ‘Fall of the Ancients’ and ‘Origen Adamantius’ which are so thrilling and perfectly crafted it’s impossible not to get instantly hooked. These are the kind of songs that the likes of Machine Head and Arch Enemy would kill to call their own, with the sheer power emanating from the speakers reminding the listener just how gut-pummelling traditional metal can be when it wants to. A more melodic side is demonstrated in the mid-paced splendour of ‘Sangreale’ while the blistering workout of ‘The Divine Tragedy’ is hands down one of the best modern thrash songs penned in many a year.

While the thunderous riffs, precision blasts and lock-tight groove is joy to experience, the bands’ secret weapon is undoubtedly vocalist Matt Rice who can growl with the best of ‘em but his Warrel Dane style clean vocals elevate things to another level entirely and wholly justify that overused epithet ‘epic’. All these elements combine to make Generation of Vipers a contender for the most assured and enjoyable debut you are likely to hear this year, and one that any fans of ‘true metal’ should get their lugholes round as quickly as possible. Magnificent.

9.0/10

Yesterday’s Saints on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Finsterforst – Mach Dich Frei

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While folk metal may revel in being the life and soul of the party, its slightly more bookish cousin pagan metal is more likely to be found attempting to educate listeners about cultural heritage and ancient lore than waving a plastic sword around and extolling the virtues of wenches and mead. German septet Finsterforst (Dark Forest) may wear war paint but apart from that they’re gimmick free and are more interested in taking the listener on a journey of discovery via the medium of epic-length songs, full-blooded metal passion and a hearty sense of ambition.

With a crystal-clear production that allows every instrument to breathe and an impressively nuanced approach to songwriting, fourth full-length Mach Dich Frei (Napalm) which translates as ‘set yourself free’, carries on the epic and stirring tradition begun on debut release Weltenkraft (World Chaos Production) back in 2007. Influenced by the likes of Moonsorrow and Falkenbach, the band offer a variety of styles over the course of eight lengthy tracks, from the mid-paced stomp of ‘Zeit für Hass’ to the more hook-driven refrains of the title track, all the while ensuring that while grandiose may be the order of the day, things never get out of hand.

Traditional instrumentation plays a big part in the record with the braying horns of keyboardist Sebastian Scherrer in particular lending proceedings a cinematic feel. The guttural Teutonic lyrics of vocalist Oliver Berlin may soar over the heads of many listeners but his delivery is full of passion and grit, while the dual guitar attack switches tempos with ease, no better demonstrated on twenty-three minute closing track ‘Finsterforst’ which features everything from classy melodic interplay to snarling black metal whilst remaining exciting and authentic throughout.

Although a seventy-three minute album will be far too long for many listeners, the sheer quality of songwriting on Mach Dich Frei is enough to warrant many repeated spins and the band deserve every success in reward for their efforts to inform and entertain.

8.0/10

Finsterforst on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


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