Tag Archives: James Conway

Torch Runner – Endless Nothing

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Just when you thought that grindcore couldn’t get any more punishing, with recent releases by Nails, Columns and Misery Index plumbing new depths of aggression and hate-filled violence, along comes Torch Runner, a three-piece from Greensboro, NC, who with new record Endless Nothing (Southern Lord) look set to cause even more cerebral haemorrhages and broken bones than your average night at an unlicensed boxing match.

Clocking in at a mere 22 minutes, Torch Runner waste little time in creating an atmosphere of unease and tension with the squalid feedback and unhinged brutality of the likes of ‘Attrition’ and ‘Bound by Misery’ causing merry havoc. Aided by a brutally thick guitar tone and a vocalist who sounds like he’s on the verge of escaping from his straightjacket, the songs on offer here are short, sharp and about as pleasant as being on the receiving end of a cup full of battery acid. However the band aren’t just another set of one-dimensional speedfreaks as the tortured crawl of ‘Godlust’ and the skin-crawling sludge of ‘Circle of Shit’ emphatically proves. The latter in particular features a bass guitar tone that could bring down trees, while the intrusive feedback is reminiscent of Eyehategod at their most unpalatable.

While the members obviously have an appreciation for the crustier side of things as so many on the grind spectrum do, here the influence has been carefully imbued into the songwriting process, rather than smeared haphazardly on the surface like a layer of, well, crust. This gives Endless Nothing a feeling of authenticity that many of the bandwagon-hoppers just can’t manage.

A truly horrible and violent album that will have fans of Nails and Brutal Truth foaming at the mouth even more than they usually do on a daily basis.

8.0/10

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JAMES CONWAY


Winterfylleth – The Divination of Antiquity

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While British Black Metal has never been regarded as the crème de la crème of the genre (despite inventing the bloody thing), the tide has turned in recent years with the likes of Anaal Nathrakh, The Axis of Perdition and Fen doing Albion proud. One band it has been impossible to ignore from these fair shores has been Manchester quartet Winterfylleth, whose odes to Blighty’s ancient past have struck a chord with those searching for a bit more meaning in their homegrown talent. After three albums of high quality “English Heritage Black Metal”, Winterfylleth are sitting pretty and new album The Divination of Antiquity (Candlelight) looks set to continue their ever-so glorious reign.

With a concept referencing the lessons we learn from history, The Divination of Antiquity shows a band looking back at past glories for inspiration, but also addressing old mistakes. While the influences remain obvious for those with a keen ear; early Borknagar, Ulver and Drudkh being key reference points, Winterfylleth’s sound is entirely their own, with the soaring riffs and epic melodies of Chris Naughton and Mark Wood flowing thick and fast, while the ceaseless battery of Simon Lucas behind the kit ensures proceedings are urgent and alive. While previous full-length The Threnody of Triumph (Candlelight) had a tendency to fall back on repetition and too-familiar song structures, the nine tracks on offer here each present something different and wholly engaging.

The title track kicks things off with a flurry of violent riffs and aggressive motifs with Naughton’s trademark howling vocals sounding utterly assured while ‘Whisper of the Elements’ wraps a variety of mournful melodies around a steamroller of a riff, employing the mix of aggression and calm that comes so naturally to the band. ‘Warrior Herd’ harks back to the blurry black metal of debut album The Ghost of Heritage (Profound Lore) while ‘A Careworn Heart’ sees the first appearance of the solemn acoustics and choral vocals that fans have come to love and expect before the mid-paced riffs that follow allow the band to branch out slightly and experiment with unfamiliar themes. We only get one instrumental this time with the gorgeous acoustic strains of ‘The World Ahead’ showing how folk should be done while the measured yet crushing guitars of closing track ‘Forsaken in Stone’ carry us off over the peaks to reveal the glory below.

With each band member contributing more and improving in skill with each release, Winterfylleth are a joy to behold. In a scene renowned for gimmicks and plagiarism, their brand of sweeping, epic black metal just keeps revealing more with each release, and while the concepts explored in their lyrics won’t have you running out to join UKIP, they may just make you think a bit about your heritage and your connection to the landscape. And while they may sing about the past, with songs as strong as these, the future of British Black Metal is safe in the hands of Winterfylleth.

8.5/10

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JAMES CONWAY


Decapitated – Blood Mantra

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After triumphantly re-emerging from the other side of horror after the truly horrific bus crash of 2007 which claimed the life of drummer Vitek and left front m n Covan in a coma, Polish Death Metallers Decapitated have been on the ascent after 2011’s Carnival is Forever (Nuclear Blast) firmly re-established them as one of the genre’s important bands. Despite a few line-up shuffles, 2014 sees the band utterly at the top of their game with sixth full-length Blood Mantra (Nuclear Blast) the album they have always been threatening to make, and one that should leave the competition choking on (human) dust.

From the second that the searing guitar lines that open first track ‘Exiled in Flesh’ begin until the washed-out, apocalyptic starkness of closing track ‘Red Sun’ fades into the distance, the band seizes you by the throat, shakes every last bit of resistance from your aching body and leaves you utterly spent yet begging for more. The thick, full-bodied production gives each track a monolithic intensity while the subtle yet sinister atmosphere lurking just out of sight in the background gives proceedings an eerie and desolate air not usually found in Death Metal.

But without the songs to back it up, this would be meaningless. Thankfully that is not the case by a long shot.

It’s hard to pick favourites when there are so many choice cuts on offer but the blitzkrieg lunacy of ‘The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation’ should win prizes for sheer intensity as well as most over-the-top song title. The sickeningly catchy riff and merciless percussion of ‘Veins’ is so ludicrously tight and neck-snappingly awesome that it should come with a government health warning, while the chugging brutality of the title track is the kind of song Slipknot would write if they knew anything about heavy music. The accessibility of these songs will no doubt gain Decapitated a whole new legion of mainstream fans, something wholly deserved for not an ounce of integrity or brutality has been sacrificed in the process. They’re just that damn good.

Elsewhere the dead-eyed, clinical technicality of ‘Nest’ flirts with industrial themes before unleashing a gloriously epic solo while the sprawling, progressive riffs of ‘Blindness’ carry us off into the distance to pastures unexplored yet soon to be conquered. All of this would not be possible without the vision and skill of guitarist and band leader Vogg whose talents increase with every record and is firm proof that Death Metal can be innovative and enthralling whilst remaining skull-crushingly heavy and challenging to listen to. Credit must also go to vocalist Rafal Piotrowski who eschews the usual death growl in favour of a hoarse bellow that sounds like he’s coughing up his very soul for all to bear witness to. The rhythm section is flawless, with the new arrivals on bass and drums locking into so many tight grooves it’s almost tempting to believe they possess psychic abilities.

Like their countrymen Behemoth, Decapitated have conquered tragedy and emerged stronger than ever before. However, with no visual aspect to fall back on like Nergal et al, they have had to rely solely on their musical talents to remain relevant in a scene still bursting at the seams. But with this much skill at their disposal, looking back it almost seems embarrassing that they were ever doubted. To use a lazy comparison, Decapitated are like (Marvel Comics anti-hero) Blade; they possess all of the strengths of Death Metal and none of its weaknesses. And it’s increasingly evident they cannot be killed. Quite simply Blood Mantra is one of the finest Death Metal albums to be released now or ever and it’s difficult to see how it can be topped. One thing is for sure though, Vitek would be proud.

9.5/10

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JAMES CONWAY


Holy Tongues – Weak People

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The demise of angry yet thoughtful hardcore types Ruiner back in 2010 was mourned hard by those who preferred a little more variety with their tough-guy rage workouts, but ultimately their passing wasn’t noticed by the masses. However several members of the band in question have decided to re-group and have another go in the form of Holy Tongues, playing a style of music with one foot in the hardcore camp but seemingly eager to leave old habits behind.

Weak People (Melotov Records) is the debut effort by Dustin Thornton, Stephen Smeal and Joey Edwards; all previous members of the aforementioned Ruiner. Clocking in at thirty-four minutes, the album is a short yet interesting exploration of the uncertain ground where melodic hardcore meets noise rock; imagine Unsane playing around with a few old Poison the Well B-sides and you have an idea of the sounds captured on Weak People. The rhythm section is particularly impressive with the twanging bass guitar and playful drums establishing a solid background while the guitars lay down just as many squalling noise and melodic lines as they do anything approaching the thicker riffs one might expect from this sub-genre.

Tracks such as ‘Filters’ build nicely along a hefty bassline with the guitars brooding in a confident manner while ‘92’ kicks out the jams in fine punkish style. Elsewhere, the melodic introspection of ‘Bright Light’ proves to be an engaging listen with the soul-searching lyrics painting a bittersweet picture of the life of a young band-member.

For all the thoughtfulness however, there is no real energy or passion evident on Weak People with the band clearly still finding their feet. However, given time, there is potential for something special to emerge.

6.0/10.0

Holy Tongues on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Horned Almighty – World of Tombs

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Black metal has diversified in recent years with bands employing elements from other genres such as post metal, industrial and thrash to make them stand out from the crowd and reach new audiences. But Danish four piece Horned Almighty couldn’t give a fuck about such deviations and probably think bands that veer off the left hand path are a bunch of snivelling poseurs, for they play black metal the way it was meant to be played; reeking of sulphur, smeared in the foul juices of Bathory and Darkthrone and evil as hell.

After the well received Necro Spirituals (Candlelight Records) dropped in 2010, the band have honed their sound into a well-oiled, blackened machine with enough riffs at their disposal to raze a dozen churches. After the systematic battering of the title track, the utterly infectious ‘Diabolical Engines of Torment’ arrives to wreak havoc on your flesh with its razor sharp leads, pummeling rhythms and deliciously Necro old-school vibe. The swaggering assault of ‘Unpure Salvations’ is nastier than an orgy at the Vatican as the band lock into a disgustingly tight groove while the vicious old-school thrash influenced ‘This Unholy Dwelling’ calls to mind the best of the South American scene in its slavish devotion to the most bestial of bands.

Finishing things off with a gloriously feral cover of Autopsy’s ‘Twisted Mass of Burnt Decay’, Horned Almighty leave no-one in doubt that old-school black metal still has a place in this increasingly grim world of ours and with World of Tombs (Scarlet Records) have crafted a thrillingly blasphemous creation that should unite fans of the old school with those who still believe that bullet belts, the riffs of Quorthorn and sticking two fingers up to progress is still the way forward.

 

8/10

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JAMES CONWAY

 

 


Bloodsoaked – Religious Apocalypse

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Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Bloodsoaked is the vision of one Peter Hasselbrack, a scene veteran who handles all the instruments and songwriting himself, and as can be expected by his chosen band name, plays brutal death metal. New EP Religious Apocalypse (Comatose Music) is actually lengthier than all three of their previous full length outings, but instead of a whole set of new material, we are instead offered three new tracks, two covers and four live cuts. For an introduction to Bloodsoaked it serves a fine purpose. Unfortunately any new listeners are unlikely to hang around too long for there’s little worth seeing here.

As with most brutal death metal bands, there’s a strong emphasis on gore, trebly, low-end guitars and guttural vocals, although to his credit, Hasselbrack has decided to branch out slightly by attempting to imitate early Deicide in the new tracks on offer, especially on ‘Abomination’ and the title track. Opening number ‘Devouring’ features some hefty chugs and a satisfyingly thick bottom end, although the drumming and songwriting remain strictly average. Far better are the covers of ‘Shake Me’ by Cinderella and ‘You’re in Love’ by Ratt, which are fun in a goofy way, although it may be a case of smearing lipstick on a dead hooker as these songs were terrible to begin with. The live tracks are well recorded, but nothing special with even the cheers at the end sounding half-arsed.

With death metal in rude health, bands like Bloodsoaked really should be trying to raise their game rather than relying on standard formulas and silly covers. Existing fans may lap it up but for the band to rise above their current place in the also-rans, they will need to offer much more in future.

5/10

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JAMES CONWAY

 


Set and Setting – A Vivid Memory

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Just when you thought that post metal had run its course with the demise of Isis and Cult of Luna going on hiatus, along comes another set of bearded types who love Explosions in the Sky more than they do employing a vocalist. That’s not to say they’re not welcome to hang around for a while however, for St. Petersburg, Florida five piece Set and Setting have some gloriously hazy sights to show us, which they do with aplomb on sophomore record A Vivid Memory (Prosthetic).

With a name referencing the importance of one’s mindset and location in order to best appreciate an experience with psychedelic drugs, it would be lazy to lump Set and Setting in with those bands who rely on their listeners being wasted to make up for their own musical shortcomings, but it is true that the kind of woozy, gradually building post metal they play would go well with some mind-bending substances at hand. The repetitive melodies and surging rhythms of opening tracks ‘Waves of Luminescence’ and ‘The Inevitable Cycle’ will delight fans of Mono and Pelican, especially with the latter’s bursts of speed indicating that the band haven’t nodded off just yet, while the clinical squalls of ‘Acceptance’ has the members getting the most from their instruments.

Track lengths increase as the album progresses as the band explore the void even deeper with the blurring of post and black metal on the searing sheen of ‘Descending Sun’ which at times sounds like Deafheaven devoid of vocals. The dual percussive assault is maintained throughout the album, giving proceedings a hypnotic feel while the visual impressions of dramatic landscapes and blurred impressions are enforced by the use of repetition and occasional forays into drone and even Shoegaze territory. However the band never tries to outdo themselves and know that the best way to produce a memorable song is to make it worth listening to again. A Vivid Memory has plenty of such tracks and although you don’t have to be baked to fully appreciate them, it wouldn’t hurt.

7.5/10

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JAMES CONWAY


Eluveitie – Origins

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In theory, an eight-piece Swiss folk metal band who sing partly in Gaulish and feature instruments as arcane as tin whistles and a hurdy-gurdy should be a recipe for disaster, but this isn’t the case for Zurich’s Eluveitie who continue to draw massive crowds whenever they take to European festival stages. They also keep delivering albums full-to-bursting with catchy Celtic melodies, lethal melo-death riffs and enough identity and passion to torch a plastic sword and Viking helmet producing factory with ease.

While the title Origins (Nuclear Blast) may suggest that the band is looking backwards for inspiration, this is only the case in their lyrical themes which once again deal with the time when the Celts held sway over Europe. The music continues to advance forward while maintaining the formula that has served them so well ever since breakthrough album Slania (Nuclear Blast) announced their arrival back in 2008. The opening double-punch of ‘The Nameless’ and ‘From Darkness’ are lively, if standard Eluveitie fare, while the frantic melodies of ‘Celtos’ and the thunderous bombast of ‘King’ push all the right buttons and leave other folk metal acts looking distinctly bereft of ideas.

The increasing role of female vocalist and hurdy-gurdy player Anna Murphy is evident on Origins with her lush vocals enhancing the songs whenever they appear, especially on the more commercial sounding ‘The Call of the Mountains’ as well as offering a fine cheese to Chrigel Glanzmann’s rough chalk. New guitarist Rafael Salzman’s riffs are solid rather than jaw-dropping, yet the venom shown on the Soilwork-esque ‘The Silver Sister’ is most welcome.

At nearly an hour long, Origins could have done with some fine-tuning and there is no excuse for the children’s choir or the cringe-worthy spoken word sections, however brief they may be. But these complaints are minor, for Eluveitie manage to make almost every song interesting, with so many melodies imbuing the songs with vigour and colour. They seemingly have no desire to sell out, are happy to explore new ground and are easily the most entertaining band affiliated with folk metal. Despite singing about the olden days, their time is now.

 

7.5/10

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JAMES CONWAY


Zgard – Contemplation

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So, there you were, thinking that Eastern European Black Metal is just a load of one-man bedroom acts who own too many Burzum and Summoning albums, love to stand in the snow in animal furs and think that it’s their national prerogative to play a flute, regardless of skill. Well, you’d be right to an extent. For while Drudkh and Negura Bunget have made a name for themselves by actually branching out from their microscopic scenes and making good use of traditional instrumentation, you will always get acts like Zgard who are content to sticking to what they know. Thankfully, they happen to know a fair old bit, which is why Contemplation (Svarga) may well surprise you.

This sixty-two minute odyssey into Ukrainian forests may be one that listeners have taken before accompanied by the two big name artists mentioned above, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of pretty sights to be seen along the way as the aptly named ‘Through the Forest’ proves with its rushing tremolo guitars, soaring melodies, mystical keyboards and subtle choral vocals. There’s echoes of revered artists such as Kroda reverberating through the trees and you soon get the impression that mainman Yaromisl has plenty more to show you, which he does with the crowd pleasing jig-along that pops up during ‘Highlands’ and the quirky polka mischief that opens ‘Incarnation Memory.’

It wouldn’t be an Eastern European BM album without an instrumental piece however and we get just that with the haunting and thoughtful ‘Silence’, which knocks the socks off the latest effort from Herr Vikernes. Not forgetting of course the frequent wind and rain sound effects to remind you just how cold it is behind the old iron curtain and you have everything you need and nothing you wouldn’t expect. Clichéd? Perhaps, but it’s a cliché with plenty of mileage left in it and while the forest is still this beautiful, it’s one that’s worth taking a stroll into.

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7.5/10.0

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JAMES CONWAY

 


Bastard of the Skies/Grimpen Mire – Split Album

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While the UK may lack the swamps or deserts that inspire our fellow Sabbath-worshipping cousins across the pond, we more than make up for it in grim urban sprawl, which is more than depressing enough to fuel our own fertile sludge scene. So what better time to take a look at a new split release (on Future Noise Recordings) from two homegrown lurking horrors that dwell down in the deep?

First up we have Blackburn trio Bastard of the Skies who have been knocking around for a good eight years or so now. While adhering fairly rigidly to the well-defined sludge template with the plodding, mid-paced rumble-along that is opening track ‘Yarn’, there is a pleasing undercurrent of menace and violence in the riffs and delivery which is just quite nasty sounding, frankly. This is exacerbated by vocalist Matt Richardson’s strained and haggard vocals which appear to have been recorded in some grimy cellar bereft of light and hope. ‘Bao Fu’ continues the trend, adding in a few Sourvein style anti-grooves before the brief curveball of ‘Wounder’ increases the pace. Closing number ‘Old Vessels’ veers into doom territory and makes good use of quiet/loud dynamics before locking into a monstrous groove to finish things off. Lovely stuff.

Erdington trio Grimpen Mire have also been doing the rounds for a similar length of time and their experience on the toilet circuit has clearly paid dividends for they have evolved into a tight and thoroughly abrasive unit with an appreciation for Black Flag at their most unpleasant. ‘The Hollow Wreck’ coils and slithers menacingly like a venomous serpent while ‘Vermin Hive’ does its best to wear the listener down with waves of monolithic misery. Eight minute closer ‘Fragments of Forgotten Craft’ starts slowly but then adopts some Wounded Kings-esque Hammer Horror vibes that go down a treat, ending things in suitably sinister style.

A cracking release that shows just how healthy (or should that be fetid?) the UK sludge scene currently is. Well worth a look.

7.5/10.0

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Grimpen Mire on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY