Tag Archives: polka

August Burns Red – Found in Far Away Places

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I loved Pennsylvanian quintet August Burns Red, purveyors of fulminating Metalcore with an extra double-shot of espresso in the form of dynamic, rabble-rousing screamer Jacob Luhrs. Then came the queer melodies and repetitive codas of the comparatively anodyne Leveler and Rescue & Restore (both Solid State Records)…

‘The Wake’, the opening gambit from seventh studio album Found in Far Away Places (Fearless), possesses the ferocity of former years: the extra edge to JB Brubaker’s rapid, Eastern-tinged leadplay assisted by Rob Greiner’s bludgeoning sticks and Luhrs’ tar-stripping larynx. The juddering, scything attack of ‘Martyr’ is a further improvement: trademark staccato breakdowns invaded by a gentle lead and string section break, while Brubaker’s delicate, intricate patterns show his continuing evolution.

The mix of light and shade is given a real kick in ‘Identity’, technical savagery traversing the same road as some seriously emotive guitar; an out-of-place 50’s Country / Rock ‘n’ Roll mid-section, however, raises eyebrows. The chaotic battery of ‘Separating the Seas’ is similarly affected by a tango / polka-style bridge, and all of a sudden we’re back in the silly country of the last two albums. The machine-gun riff of the Jeremy McKinnon-graced ‘Ghosts’ is brutal, and even the faux-emotion of the clean vocals is acceptable in the intensity of their surroundings. The howling melodies of ‘Majoring in the Minors’, however, can’t save it from a ludicrous ‘cartoon western’ interlude.

Here, it seems, we have a band who have grown so keen to display the breadth of their invention and myriad influences that utterly pointless incursions into whimsy appear de rigeur: breaking any flow and leaving us wondering what in the blue blazes is occurring.

The soaring, moving lead breaks of standout track ‘Broken Promises’ are far more fitting and more organic, whilst the wanton aggression of ‘Blackwood’ and ‘Twenty-one Grams’ is beautifully tempered by Brubaker’s increasingly judicious, occasionally dainty solos. Repeated plays focus the listener on the overwhelming positives of the album but, lads, for the sake of all that’s holy, stop the excursions into surreal fancy. They cheapen the memorable output of a largely incredible band of musicians.

 

7.0/10

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PAUL QUINN


Ensiferum – One Man Army

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Ensiferum’s last album, 2012’s Unsung Heroes (Spinefarm), was met with pretty harsh reviews when it came out, though the Finnish quintet look to be back on track and making things right with their sixth effort, One Man Army (Metal Blade). While the band – Markus Toivonen (Guitars), Sami Hinkka (Bass), Petri Lindroos (Guitars & Vocals), Janne Parviainen (Drums) and Emmi Silvennoinen (keyboards) – haven’t drastically changed their sound, the usual combination of Viking-themed folk, bombast and thrash is present, it is simply that the quality has just been improved.

Intro track ‘March of War’ sets the tone; there’s chanting, pipes, and a real sense of preparation as if for some unnamed medieval battle, before segueing straight into the furious ‘Axe of Judgement’ – it’s a furious combination of shredding guitars, epic synths and Lindroo’s rasping vocals where you can perceptively hear the urgency, all captured in analogue warmth by award winning producer Anssi Kippo (Children of Bodom). ‘Heathen Horde’ is a stomping mid-paced sing-along anthem, while title track is almost pure melo-death bar the huge operatic chorus, before ‘Burden of the Fallen’ provides another medieval interlude for respite. There’s plenty of rousing chant-along moments that will have live audiences eating from the palms of their hands, big moments that are cleverly worked into what are often out-and-out thrash songs complete with some blistering solos, and are a sizeable part of what makes this such an enjoyable listen. It’s hard to remember the last time an album made me want to see a band live the way One Man Army does.

‘Two of Spades’ is a bit of a wildcard and sees a polka/disco sound sneak in – Turisas’ cover of Boney M.’s ‘Rasputin’ is the nearest comparison. The second half of the record then sees the band delve into more progressive territory, containing both the seven minute ‘Cry for the Earth Bounds’ and eleven minute epic ‘Descendants, Defiance, Domination’; the former  a slow epic featuring clean female vocals, while the latter is more upbeat and even hints at 70s prog and boasts spoken word segments. With clean female vocals and country guitar, closer ‘Neito Pohjolan’ barely sounds like the same band.

On top of a great main album, the bonus disc is worth hunting down purely for the Ensiferum’s take on the classic Rawhide theme tune, while their cover of Barathrum’s ‘Warmetal’ is addictive. Overall, One Man Army is a very enjoyable experience, combining heavy with epic bombast and folk touches. Best of all, though, this is damn fun.

A definite return to form.

 

8.5/10

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DAN SWINHOE


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