Isis’ Live VII (Ipecac Recordings) is the newest live offering (the 7th in a limited series) from the retired band originally from California, by way of Boston, MA. Technically, the show isn’t new, but the release on Ipecac Recordings is. Recorded on their “farewell tour in 2010, those that were holding their breath for a comeback since then can breathe a brief sigh of relief. Isis Live VII is all that an Isis fan would love and expect from them. Continue reading
Opeth will be releasing Sorceress on September 30th via the bands own label Moderbolaget Records, thanks to their new deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment.Continue reading
Hammers of Misfortune’s Dead Revolution (Metal Blade) marks the band’s sixth release after a lengthy hiatus. The name is a rather amusing one as the album as a whole fails to deliver any kind of revolution and is, in my opinion, dead. Well, maybe not quite. It is neither amazing nor terrible, it just…Exists in time and space as we know it.
I would like to tell you that I found one or two redeeming songs on the record but that was not the case here. Even with repeated listens, there wasn’t really anything that stood out to me as memorable. This applies to the title track, ‘Dead Revolution’, as well. It’s just your generic rock and roll anthem with a keyboard added to the mix.Continue reading
The PR notes accompanying Decathexis (Third-I Rex), the second album from Cagliari firebrands VIII, advise comparisons with Extreme experimentalists Deathspell Omega and Manes. The reality, however, is a progressive aural violence full of invention.
Opener ‘Symptom’s early exchanges see a stripped down, Blackened underpin, quirky in its structure and graced by WLKN’s snarled growl, suddenly tempered by maudlin drops which lend themselves to a Shoegaze feel. That Manes comparison manifests itself with a Jazzy sax, which introduces a dream-like sequence: a piano-led ambience; a street walk followed by a nightmarish descent through rapid atonal chords, Freeform pace changes and hostile growls, with those ivories beginning the road to a sample-laden coda in hair-raising fashion.
The early stages of the ensuing ‘Diagnosis’ beautifully blend an emotional, atmospheric Doom with more of that wistful saxophone and the kind of Deathly, downward spirals perfected by the likes of Pyrrhon. A meander through eerie gentleness is followed by a rampant, horrific explosion, the throat morphing from growl to Blackened rasp in a terrifying escalation of anger. This is the depiction of a war zone yet, replete with a subtle piano centrepiece, the apocalyptic, heartbreaking aftermath of battle is gloriously displayed also.
There’s a Blues-Punk edge to the bludgeon of closer ‘Prognosis’ which lends a more traditional edge but the experimentation is still evident: the sparing, neurotic riffs given a tremolo effect; the atmospheric blast of classical acoustic; the brief, gradual drop once again full of melancholy and portent. It’s WLKN’s voice which again provides the savagery, especially in the tolling, Avant-garde atonality of the second movement: his screams and whispers demonical in accompanying the hydraulic Industria and Marco Porcu’s staggering stickwork.
This constant movement through disparate fundamentals can lead to ‘Prognosis’ occasionally feeling a touch difficult to engage with, its cosmic yet serene finale an ineffectual end to the urgency of the previous 45 minutes. The whole is nevertheless an absorbing tour de force, its manic nature running in perfect tandem with a moving ambience to incite all manner of emotion. By no means an easy listen, Decathexis is nevertheless a hugely rewarding journey.
8.0/10.0
PAUL QUINN
I first saw Croydon bludgers Slabdragger three years ago and, having been completely flattened by their bone-crunching resonance, immediately bought first album Regress (Holy Roar Records). Despite it being good, I subsequently felt they were a band to be witnessed rather than merely heard.That all changes here. Sophomore long-player Rise of the Dawncrusher (Holy Roar Records) is a mammoth, sprawling journey through the black holes of the cosmos, an achievement all the more amazing given the setbacks the band has suffered in recent years. The musical twangs of opener ‘Mercenary Blues’ carry enough portent to warn of the forthcoming walls of forest-levelling sound and, despite the melodic hollers of Yusuf Tary and Jim Threader, the ensuing riff grabs your soul and sticks it in a blender. Stoner-Sludge in tone and feel yet Psychedelic in its warping terror, the difference here is the wonderfully enlivening, Progressive nature of the linking passages: versatile verses with vocal switches between Blackened screams and guttural roars, still underpinned by the cavernous yet occasionally cascading stellar pathway.
Whatever Slabdragger had before, the ability to flick such a heavy pattern through the chords has multiplied their appeal tenfold. With four of the five tracks here easily surpassing the ten-minute mark, the listener is in for the long haul, yet will not for a second feel dragged along. The elongated coda of ‘…Blues’ possesses an electrifying emotion that rips apart the fabric of the template; while the segue into the bulldozing, YOB-tinged ‘Evacuate!’ pulverises the ears and introduces a rampant, occasionally nasty Jazz-infused groove. Severin Black’s drum pattern following the ominous intro of ‘Shrine of Debauchery’ is simple yet potent, hauling Tary’s terrifying bassline in its wake and setting the tone for the claustrophobia of the swelling, pulsating body.
And this is merely halfway in. The album’s last two tracks cover 33 minutes and crush so comprehensively they create a vacuum, riding and bouncing off planets as they travel along. The beauty of this second slab of vinyl is the paradoxical compatibility between its extremes: the implosive power of ‘Dawncrusher Rising’s opening gambit begins so steadily, growing almost unnoticeably to a gravestone-cracking rut whilst remaining compelling, hypnotic, masterful. The monstrous Blues of closer ‘Implosion Rites’, meanwhile, is Cream slowed to a crawl and delivered by Zeus, Poseidon and Hades: the slowed rhythms fulminating and muscular, the harmonised vocals Ozzy-esque yet resplendent, the pedal effects gradually halting the earth’s rotation.
Quite simply, and to retain the mythical analogy, this is Atlas: utterly despondent, pissed off with his fate, and deciding to fling the planets around after a few beers and a reefer. Rise of the Dawncrusher is fucking incredible, an unmissable masterpiece of both its genre and its times.
9.5/10.0
PAUL QUINN
[amazon asin=B0183KM64Q&template=iframe image1]
Those who are already aware of the strange vagaries of Sevillan heavyweights Orthodox may not be surprised to hear that ‘Suyo es el rostro de la muerte…’, the opening track from fifth album Axis (Alone Records), is layered with husky, mellow horns and a squealing saxophone. Despite Marco Serrato’s hulking yet dextrous bass notes and the careering, joyously expressive rhythms of Borja Diaz, the impression given by this and the bookending horns and strings of closer ‘Y a ella le sera revelado’ is of a Progressive soundtrack to a 70s US cop show, harking back more to second album Amanecer en Puerta Oscura than the Doom fest of 2011’s Baal (both Alone Records).
Having parted with long-time guitarist Ricardo Jiménez last year, this is the first album from the band as a duo, the remaining members seemingly free to indulge their panoply of influences whilst retaining that low-end core. ‘Axis / Equinox’ flings around trumpets, flutes, a sawed violin and atonal piano in a freeform chaos before allowing Serrato to intone over a quelled cacophony, while the rhythmic bass of ‘¡lo, Sabacio, lo lo!’ is graced by delightfully soaring African percussion and choruses.
Single ‘Crown For A Mole’ and the brutal ‘Canìcula’ sees the resonant boom of the band’s more sinister material return to its fullest, albeit enlivened by those syncopated structures. The mournful opening to the fearful ‘Medea’, meanwhile, is laden with Spaghetti Western-style high notes and the odd piano flurry: the subsequent crashing lead effects and cymbals haunting the slow, quaking, pummelling rhythm for what is arguably the most stirring ten minutes in Orthodox’s history. Here Serrato’s unique, warbling bellow is chilling; the roared “There’s nothing there…” ripping the soul from the body while retaining its curious melody.
It is the rhythm department, however, which produces much of the magic of Axis: blending a crushing claustrophobia with those proud Jazz influences, it is often overlooked yet it is the lynchpin of the band’s sound. The portentous groove of ‘Portum Sirenes’, for example, is dictated by bass notes that plough through the solar plexus and warp agonisingly around the loins, whilst pounding drums create mighty patterns for the hypnotic, tuneful flurries to dance through.
The whole, a meld of all manner of naturally rhythmic styles with elements of bright light and a heavy, heady horror, is the dazzling result of perfect alchemy. This most ambitiously unifying project yet is also Orthodox’s greatest statement, and affirms its status as one of the most vital bands from any genre of music.
9.0/10
PAUL QUINN
[amazon asin=B0186KU13Q&template=iframe image]
Following 2012’s Civil Disobedience for Losers (Sargent House), stoner duo Indian Handcrafts release Creeps (Sargent House) to kick off the last quarter of 2015. I was first introduced to this band when they toured with Red Fang back in 2013. They were impressive as a two piece back then and have yet to let up.
The first few songs of the album are pretty good, as expected. However, it isn’t until ‘Maelstrom’ that things change and the music really grabs you by the literal and/or metaphorical nads. This is a great song that showcases just how talented this duo is. It opens with some guitars that throw you back to the eighties for a moment before morphing more into something that you would expect to hear in a new installment of Heavy Metal. It’s so heavy and fuzzy, I love it. Whether you’re banging your head or shaking what your mama gave ya, this track will make you move.
‘The Divider’ is another groovy, riff filled track. This is one of those songs that gives me a case of what the kids call the “feels” when things slow down around the three and a half minute mark. It hurts so good though. I would absolutely love to see this played live. Even without providing me with my beloved bassist, Indian Handcrafts still shreds creates a depth and warmth to their sound that is difficult to duplicate.
This album has a lot of catchy riffs sprinkled throughout it, but the second is where it takes on a life of its own, sprouts wings, and drags you along for the ride. That alone makes this worth a listen. At the very least, do yourself a favor and check out the two songs I mentioned above. Don’t forget to catch Indian Handcrafts currently supporting Kylesa on a tour date near you. See you in Boston!
7.5/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
Being stuck between three cultures is interesting, although also difficult at times. The metal and rock worlds always draw me back in but so do my Boricua roots so it really shouldn’t have been any surprise that I became emotional over a recording of Coquis singing. Like the saying goes; la sangre llama.
Today’s review is brought to you by the letter R, as in, Ramon Ortiz and his second album, Portal (Self-Released). Taking a look at the title track, ‘Portal’, has some groovy moments with a lot of weedly, weedly, woo. The chorus sounds like something that could have been featured in an action cartoon from the 80’s. I believe that it would be one that I would look back on with fondness.
At twelve and a half minutes long, closing track ‘Yukiyu II’ is a beautiful mix progressive metal elements with Spanish guitar and touches of Latin percussion. This is also one of the songs where you can actually make out the bass in the background every once in a while. The downside is that this eventually turns into your standard progressive metal track around the eight minute mark. It makes a slight recovery once you get to ten minutes before dropping off again soon after.
It may not be salsa or merengue but then again, Puerto Rico has always been a melting pot of cultures and music and Ramon is a great example of what can come out of it. I would have liked to have heard more Latin influences but maybe we get enough of that when Ramon’s running around with Puya. Personally, the albums highlights for me were the use of Spanish guitars. I may be biased, but I prefer Ortiz’s fusion style and this record has a bit too much of a general progressive metal record vibe to it. I was hoping for some more experimentation and expansion.
7.0/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
Hailing from Ohio, US death/thrash outfit Unkured self-released their sophomore album, Mutated Earth, late last year. Sliptrick Records has signed the band and re-released the album to give it a better chance of reaching a wider audience.
Currently a two-piece consisting of Cody Knarr (Vocals & Guitars) and Ben Stanton (Bass) after the recent departure of Adam Green (Drums) the band are progressively-leaning Thrash/death crossover outfit with some big ambitions. Knarr’s vocals are very reminiscent of Chuck Schuldiner’s tortured screams, both in sound and phrasing, while the music behind it is equally adventurous as Schuldiner’s later albums with Death.
An ever-changing maelstrom of riffs, no two minutes on Mutated Earth are the same, let along two tracks. From the opening assault of the title-track, Mutated Earth is a swirling barrage of staccato shredding, blast beats and snarling vocals. It’s relentless but the sheer volume of riffs on offer keeps this sounding fresh.
Aside from the heavy Death influences and a general aura of 90s death metal, there are moments recalling classic Slayer and the occasional nod the more melodic elements of Gothenburg-based melo-death, especially in the solos. The likes of ‘Anti-Terraforming’, ‘…Into Crumbling Ruin’ and ‘They Live, We Sleep’ are vicious but intricate, combining the seriously brutal with some impressively technical musicianship – especially on the solos and in the outgoing Green’s drumwork.
There’s nothing resembling hooks or choruses; this is complex and demands your attention to be fully appreciated. Mutated Earth is heavy, ambitious and adventurous. Not afraid to show off its influences, it balances paying tribute without being derivative better than most. Well worth a listen if you want to hear the music of Death brought back to life for 45 minutes.
8/10
UnKured on Facebook
DAN SWINHOE
This month’s Under the Surface has us travelling from our friends in the great north, Canada to the comfortable confines of Boston all the way down to North Carolina and finally making our last stop across the world in New Zealand. This of course is all in the pursuit of the latest and greatest in unsigned or undiscovered metal music.
We begin with one man wrecking crew Justin Chorley and his latest musical endeavor, Hirsute. Still Waiting is melodic doom metal of the highest order. It’s a bit baffling that there can be an act of this caliber that hasn’t already been nabbed by Relapse or Southern Lord. And this isn’t just fanboy hyperbole. Chorley singlehandedly may have brewed up the depressing lovechild of Opeth and Paradise Lost. Not unlike Deafheaven’s Sunbather, the key to Still Waiting is how it casts light and shade. In order to really appreciate the storm and soul-crushing riffs you need the quiet, introspective moments of songs like ‘Sang the Bird from its Cage’ and the title-track. But don’t take my word for it. Find Hirsute on bandcamp and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
9/10
From one man’s metallic vision we move to another’s in Pyramids on Mars. The instrumental brainchild of Hamilton Ontario’s Kevin Estrella, Pyramids on Mars focuses more on melodies and very clean/technical guitar passages. With no singing and drums only there to keep time, Estrella’s shredding is truly the marquee event here. When he shreds, he shreds. It’s the stuff that the John Petrucci hideous t-shirt crowd loves as evidenced on ‘Descending Saturn.’ But when we don’t have an abundance of fancy fret work and are only left with the thin sounding programmed drums and synths that’s when Pyramids on Mars starts to lose momentum. Come for Estrella’s axe skills, but he’s yet to find a reason for you to stay.
5/10
Following the more progressive metal route are Boston’s own, Chronologist. In the wake of Periphery and djent fever sweeping across all local markets it’s beyond gratifying and exciting to hear a new collective that isn’t just aping Meshuggah palm-muting and calling themselves “progressive” like every other band at the Palladium these days. It’s unclear if Chronologist will continue to move forward without a vocalist, but it’s working for them. Songs like ‘Bazooka’ and ‘San Juan’ have enough dynamics and intricate guitar work that it eliminates the need for singing. Going instrumental is something even more established prog-metal acts should consider (looking at you Dream Theater). To be around for barely over a year and have an instrumental Demo be better than most of your peer’s LPs is a strong start. Keep up the fine work, gentlemen.
8/10
All Hell’s The Devil’s Work is the kind of LP that sounds like it was released 30 years ago, conceived after many brews and bong rips. Down to the production and riffs, it’s an album that reeks of Venom and Hellhammer, yet it’s a power trio from Asheville, North Carolina. If you have a fine appreciation for early 80s metal particularly the darker side of the British Wave of Heavy Metal you can have some fun with The Devil’s Work. When it finds its pace it alternates between Show No Mercy and Orgasmatron. Which is awesome but when it teeters off it has a hard time figuring out if it’s an homage or if it’s just dated. Especially since today there are many young bands like Skeletonwitch and Toxic Holocaust who balance an old-school sound without sounding rehashed. Here for every rager like ‘The Reaper’s Touch’ you have to deal with a dud like ‘Firewalker.’ Dang shame that it’s inconsistent, but there’s enough thrash on The Devil’s Work to warrant still wearing your bullet belt.
7/10
Lastly we have the new 7” Burn the Witch EP from Southern California’s enigmatic Son of Man. Since they refuse to play shows the only thing we can really determine based on their limited output is that they are angry and also have appear to have an affinity for metallic hardcore. Unlike All Hell, Son of Man is balancing some tried and tested genres (thrash, hardcore, doom) without sounding like you’ve heard it before. It hammers its point home quickly in similar fashion to Black Breath and leaves you wanting more. Actually it would have been nice if this was a proper LP with even more pummeling and properly timed breakdowns.
8/10
HANSEL LOPEZ