Iberian extreme metallers Noctem have partnered with Ghost Cult today to stream their new single, ‘Pactum With The Indomitable Darkness’. The track comes from their forthcoming album Haeresis, due out via Prosthetic Records on September 30th. Continue reading
Trap Them will be unleashing their new album, Crown Feral, to the world on September 23rd via Prosthetic Records, and just to get you more excited for it’s release, we have two new songs streaming for your ears.Continue reading
One of this year’s standout offerings is Behind – Beyond (Prosthetic Records), the debut from one-man Arizona outfit Spirit Adrift: a preponderance of power and emotion leaving its listener slack-jawed. Continue reading
New York City’s Netherlands may have yet to come across the average metalhead’s dashboard but with the release of their third fuzzed out LP (making their début on Prosthetic Records), they won’t be foreign for much longer. Founder and multi-instrumentalist, Timo Ellis, already has an impressive repertoire with having created and produced music for over 2 decades, releasing work under his own name as well as working with artists like The Melvins and Ween. But now, with the help of Zach Eichenhorn (drums) and Ava Farver (synth bass) since 2010, he’s channeling his heavier side…and it sounds oddly familiar. Not the ‘I’ve heard it before’ familiar but the ‘I totally know what your influences are’ familiar. It’s without a doubt enough to call your ears to attention.
This 9-track journey through distorted astronomy and psychedelia clocks in at a bittersweet 28 minutes. And I guarantee that you’ll feel the emptiness of a trip cut too short. From the Black Sabbath-y falsetto vocals combined with the foundationally Sleep-like wall of guitar riffage and just enough Ty Segall-approved fuzz to tickle one’s fancy, the track ‘Elephuck’ is enough to generate genuine excitement. Especially with the attractively dark lyrical theme of a dying sense of self as a result of religious mind control. What’s there not to like? The fellow slow-tempoed sludgey track ‘Bottom of the Ocean’ is the definite sweet spot of the record for the vocal variety alone. From the preachy chanting to the layered angelic whispers of world disasters and oncoming death (all over top of the gloomiest guitar riff of Audubon), Netherlands has more than honed in on a signature style.
Timo’s talent for intelligently hypnotizing guitar riffs and intriguing vocal organization is apparent in the fact that there is something attractive about each track on the record. Even the weakest track (and regrettably the opening track which is surely to throw some patrons off the scent) ‘L.M.M’ doesn’t get interesting until past the 1-minute mark when chaos and fuzz ensue to better fit Timo’s airy vocals.
Overall, Audubon is a solid release. Netherlands would surely benefit though in moving towards lengthier progressions to develop their tracks from being simply ‘a ride around the block’ to a fully dark and psychedelic experience.
7.5/10
EBONIE BUTLER
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With a few days to go before its release, Skeletonwitch is streaming their new EP, The Apothic Gloom (Prosthetic), over at Decibel Magazine. You can hear the new EP at this link:
The band is currently on a headline tour promoting the EP, and ahead of their tour this fall with Iron Reagan, Oathbreaker, Gatecreeper and Homewrecker.
Skeltonwitch – The Apothic Gloom track listing
1. The Apothic Gloom (5:58)
2. Well of Despair (3:54)
3. Black Waters (3:47)
4. Red Death, White Light (7:12)
The Apothic Gloom is available for pre-order on CD, LP and Cassette tape at this link. Vinyl is currently available on 180 gram black and limited-edition yellow/white marble (800 copies total), clear variants are now sold out. Cassette tapes are limited to 125 copies each of light grey and metallic gold variants.
Digital pre-order’s – which include instant downloads of two singles (‘Well of Despair’ and ‘Red Death, White Light’) – are available at the below sites:
iTunes – https://itun.es/i6hg2bF
Bandcamp – skeletonwitch.bandcamp.com
Amazon – https://amzn.com/B01G84TFCU
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Skeletonwitch has released a new single, from their forthcoming EP The Apothic Gloom, due this summer on Prosthetic Records. You can stream ‘Red Death, White Light’ and see a visualizer for the track at this link below:
The Apothic Gloom track listing:
1. The Apothic Gloom (5:58)
2. Well of Despair (3:54) (watch)
3. Black Waters (3:47)
4. Red Death, White Light (7:12) (watch)
Digital pre-orders are available now at the following locations:
Physical pre-orders are now available at store.prostheticrecords.com/bands/skeletonwitch. Options include:
– 180-gram black vinyl (1000 copies)
– White/yellow marble vinyl (800 copies)
– Clear vinyl (100 copies)
– Light Grey Cassette Tape (125 copies)
– Metallic Gold Cassette Tape (125 copies)
– Digipak CD
Skeletonwitch previously released another single, ‘Well of Despair’. The band is kicking off a headline tour this August to support the EP release.
Skeletonwitch- “No Sleep ‘TIL Vancouver” Tour Dates:
Aug 02: Once Ballroom – Boston, MA
Aug 03: Nectart’s – Burlington, VT
Aug 04: L’Anti Bar – Quebec City, QC (Official Heavy Montreal Pre-Party)
Aug 05: Ritual – Ottawa, ON (Official Heavy Montreal Pre-Party)
Aug 06: Katacombes – Montreal, QC (Official Heavy Montreal After-Party)
Aug 08: Rum Runners – London, ON
Aug 09: Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON
Aug 11: Crocks – Thunder Bay, ON
Aug 13: Windsor Hotel – Winnipeg, MB
Aug 15: Amigos Cantina – Saskatoon, SK
Aug 16: Mercury Room – Edmonton, AB
Aug 17: Dickens Pub – Calgary, AB
Aug 19: The Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC
Aug 20: Logan’s Pub – Victoria, BC
Aug 22: The Pin – Spokane, WA
Aug 25: The Frequency – Madison, WI
Aug 26: Firebird – St. Louis, MO
Aug 27: Ace of Cups – Columbus, OH
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Every year there are highly-anticipated annual tours and every year many of them put together not so great lineups. When it comes to The Decibel Magazine Tour, I am happy to say that each year is a killer lineup and this year was no different. On April 14th, 2016, the Boston, MA crowd at Royale in the theatre district received quite a treat via artists: Tribulation, Skeletonwitch, High on Fire, and the legendary Abbath. From start to finish, this show is setting the bar high for the rest of the annual tour circuits.
Tribulation kicked off the night to quite an ovation for even an opening band. Fortunately, these guys have been around quite a bit supporting bands of all sorts and have constructed quite a second home in the Boston area. Although it was a short set, a majority was tracks from their latest, and arguably best album, The Children of the Night (Century Media Records). Opener ‘Strange Gateways Beckon’ starts off the set with a bang and then comes full circle a short while later with ‘Holy Libations’. Although only five songs in the set, it seemed just right to get warmed up for the rest of the night.
After a quick set up, Skeletonwitch was on the stage destroying the crowds with riff after riff. The biggest part of the set was to see how new vocalist, Adam Clemans, did replacing former vocalist, Chance Garnette. I was very pleased with what Adam brings for the table and I look forward to what comes next for the group. As for the set, the Boston crowd received mostly tracks from the latest full-length, Serpents Unleashed (Prosthetic Records), such as ‘From a Cloudless Sky’ , ‘Beneath Dead Leaves’ , and one of my favorites, ‘Burned From Bone’. The other half of the set was a mixed bag between a couple of albums including tracks like ‘Chock Upon Betrayal’ and ‘Beyond the Permafrost’.
Due up next was the return of Matt Pike and High on Fire. Regardless of what band he is touring with, it is always a privilege to watch Matt lay down some serious riffs. With a new album dropping less than a year ago, Luminiferous (Entertainment One), it wasn’t a surprise to catch mostly new tracks like ‘The Black Plot’ and ‘The Falconist’. However, the group did touch upon every other album in their discography once to provide a full cornucopia of their sound. Some of my favorites of the night were classics such as ‘Fertile Green’ , ‘Rumors of War’, ‘Blood From Zion’, and the closer (and usually fan favorite), ‘Snakes for the Divine’.
Finally, it was time for the almighty Abbath to grave the stage with his iconic corpse paint and silly faces. For years I wanted to see Abbath up on stage with his former group, Immortal, and play some classic black metal tracks. Fortunately, Abbath was the true force behind Immortal anyways, and his set was equally Immortal tracks as there were Abbath solo tracks. Not to discredit the solo material, Abbath (Season of Mist), was one of the earlier albums to come out this year, yet still finds its way into my playlists. From this record, we got to see songs including ‘To War!’ , ‘Winter Bane’ , ‘Fenrir Hunts’ , and ‘Root of the Mountain’. From the Immortal side of the set list, ‘One by One’, ‘Solarfall’, ‘All Shall Fall’, and closer ‘In My Kingdom Cold’. There was not a dull moment in the entire set and it was everything I had hoped for, including Abbath on stage. In fact, this entire tour package did not have a weak point at all outside of the short delays in between sets. Decibel, once again, has cemented themselves as one of the leading annual tours once again.
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WORDS BY TIM LEDIN
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There’s a shimmering, spectral beginning to Light the Way (Prosthetic Records), the fourth full-length from Arizona trio North and the first to feature bassist Evan Leek as lead vocalist. Its gently stirring sound suggests no little emotion or drama ahead, and that’s certainly what unfolds. The stark, Post chimes of opener ‘Moonswan’ carry through into the title track and penetrate the heart; whilst Zack Hansen’s Doom-paced drums and Leek’s gravelly Stoner-Sludge roar, appearing less strained than that of long-time predecessor Kyle Hardy, deliver both ferocity and weight.
There are elements of both Kowloon Walled City and Black Sheep Wall here, but with a more noticeable pain and sadness: the plaintive, desperately sad music polarised by the brute force and slow pace of the rhythms, and the vocal nastiness. The sinister bass and wailing guitar opening ‘Weight of All Thoughts’ lead to a pulsating riff which at times hops and crushes with gay abandon, seemingly at odds with the soaring, emotive leads puncturing it. Similarly the Low-end, plangent hostility of ‘Earthmind’, again dictated by portentous tub-thumping and Matt Mutterperl’s colossal riff, is gradually invaded by heartfelt undercurrents.
The switches in tempo of the bruising ‘Primal Bloom’ display the band’s skill and versatility, whilst not straying far from the template. The gentle beauty of the nevertheless ominous ‘Rhef Anad’, however, does show a willingness to depart from a sound which would have proved wearing if unbroken for a full album. Indeed there’s a certain tedium in the oft cumbersome nature of the aptly-named ‘On a Beaten Crooked Path’, and the staccato ‘From This Soil’ which, although seismic and lively, loses a certain amount of impact from that unflinching vocal.
In spite of this, the juxtaposition of suffocating heaviness with sparkling, introspective chords emits attractive shards of light and shade which does win out overall. The gorgeous yet melancholic thrum and jangle of the instrumental closer ‘Relativity’, harking back to North’s earlier days, shows the band in its true light. Its delicate anger finalises a listenable set, showing enough of the invention and emotion of old to offset the intermittent chunks of flab.
6.5/10.0
PAUL QUINN
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As if torn from the comic book origins I obsessed over as a child, Spirit Adrift’s past, like their members identities are shrouded deep in mystery. I didn’t know much about these newly signed to Prosthetic Records purveyors of the finest psychedelic doom we have heard in a long time, going in. But what I can tell you with certainty: with just two songs this band is ready to knock the US doom scene flat on its ass.
Comprised of the cryptically named JK on guitar and vocals, UB on drums, and DD on bass, and ascribing to the ancient philosophy of “Musica Universalis”, the band is as ambitious with songwriting, especially as they are secretive. obviously wishing to just suck you into their tractor beam with only the music, these songs are immense feeling. Behind Beyond clocks in at a nearly 28 minutes combined. Every note, trilled guitar riff, swooping bass glide, or crashing cymbal hit is deliberate, but very loose sounding too. ‘Specter of Ruin’ leads off with a contemplative plucked riff and an almost nautical feel, before the riffs smash your ears apart. JK’s otherworldly singing voice and harmonies are excellent. I actually wonder what the band will do live, since these vocals are crucial to the sound. After a chilled out mid-section it advances to a marching waltz cadence, and some more amazing riffs. The major key and the epic sounding drums are downright sunny and uplifting.
‘Perpetual Passage’ is even more obtuse and eerie. A very somber opening is more in the vein of trad doom influences. JK’s lead playing is the icing on the cake for the entire release. Just close your eyes and soak in the glory. suddenly the band jumps a few more decades ahead flavor-wise, praying to the altar of Matt Pike, the Jehovah of all jammage. Fully formed, the song is as big as the celestial bodies the band references. The end of the track swells and recedes over and over in your head like a mantra.
If this is just the start of what Spirit Adrift is going to offer us, I cannot wait for their full-length to arrive later this year.
8.0/10
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Formed in 2010 in Stockholm, Swedish band Grieved finally announce themselves with their first full length release, the eponymously titled Grieved (Prosthetic Records). The band already have an eight track 12” called ‘Samaritans’, a four track 7” called ‘Ageing’, and a shared EP with Hardcore/Punk band Runes (all on Anchors Aweigh Records) under their belts, but hopefully this release should be the one that gains them a much wider audience.
Ostensibly a Hardcore band, Grieved appear to have a more nihilistic attitude than most, showing little to no interest in expressing uplifting messages of empowerment and self belief, but wanting to create a colder, darker atmosphere in which to vent their anger. There’s little to no reliance on speed either, with most of the songs being slow to mid-paced affairs. On some (fairly brief) occasions the band even appear to have just as much in common with some Doom and Black Metal acts as they do Hardcore.
Opener ‘Opaque’ begins with dissonant distorted guitars before being joined by drums and a thick, rumbling bass. From then on, singer Marcus Lundqvist takes over as he roars and screams his bleak message over slow but effective chugging riffs. ‘Fogbound’ follows with a slightly more uptempo feel, but not for long as the song slows down to a crawl halfway through, the drums used to inject short bursts of urgency along the way.
‘June 22’ is a distant and cold sounding guitar instrumental which acts as a segue into the next track ‘Drain’, another slowish song with a simple riff and broken glass vocals. ‘Turn Cold’ is up next and follows a similar pattern, and is followed in turn by ‘Losing Touch’ which again does the same thing until halfway through when, after lulling you into a false sense of security, it suddenly wakes up, speeds up, lashes out and smashes you around the face with furious blastbeats.
‘Shattered’ is chunky and heavy and gets to the point in just over a minute and a half, and is followed by ‘Synesthesia’, a second, but quite different guitar instrumental. Penultimate track ‘Asunder’ starts slowly but gathers pace quickly and is over almost before you know it. Closer ‘Reverie’ begins with strummed open chords before gaining momentum and building purposefully towards a suitably dark and melancholic climax.
On first listen, you could be forgiven for thinking some of the songs sound rather samey or follow a similar format, and while that might be true to a point, further listens reveal that each track does actually have its own distinct texture and personality while interlocking perfectly with the others to make a superbly solid, cohesive sounding record.
8.0/10
GARY ALCOCK
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