Tag Archives: Static Tension Records

Allfather – Bless the Earth With Fire

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Allfather - Bless the Earth With Fire album cover ghostcultmag

Bless the Earth With Fire (Static Tension) is a relatively short first album from Rochester UK quintet Allfather but, my God, is it an utter brute. Played at a largely sedentary pace, the Sludgy sensibilities are offset by Hardcore-flavoured guitars which boot the monstrous bedrock squarely up the arse at frequent intervals.

Opener ‘Raskolnikov’ is the first of four fairly brief tracks which nevertheless crush boulders whilst fired with a rampant anger: its howling solos giving the bone-grinding, occasionally shredding riffs some emotional substance and lightening the slurring emphysema of vocalist Tom. The repeated roar “I’m a murderer!” is truly nerve-twanging, the rhythm and squall rising in turn to give the full threatening effect.

It’s a sound that brings to mind the bludgeoning hostility of Hang the Bastard, whilst possessing more invention and vitality. Follow-up ‘The Bloody Noose’ displays more vicious weight before dancing buzzsaw riffs awaken a marauding monster, sure to whip up pits everywhere. The Hardcore Thrash of ‘Mouth of the Beast’ subsequently rips along yet retains a remarkable heaviness, its colossal coda terrified by manically squealing leadwork; whilst the diseased Stoner of ‘Dark Actors’ attracts comparison to High on Fire, almost matching the Californians’ mammoth intensity with a mid-section of pulverising riffs and drums.

The rather splendidly-titled, eleven-minute closer ‘Death, and Hell Followed With Him’ is an epic which again displays the full flourish of the band’s creative hand. Wonderfully emotive and often atmospheric without ever losing potency, and with a perfectly timed quickening, it does however highlight the slight flaw in the make-up. Tom’s unflinching scour is often suited to the task yet sometimes appears tired and limited, always seeming more effective when the scream is employed – which is all too briefly. Thankfully here it’s overshadowed by marvellous instrumentation which gives fans of all Metal persuasions something to revel in.

The Bandcamp version has a bonus track, ‘Blood Red Sunset’, which barrels along at a medium pace, its devilishly groovy riffs and wailing solo ensuring rambunctious fun. Altogether Bless the Earth With Fire displays Allfather’s near-ideal balance of Goliath’s size and David’s lightning-quick devastation to the full.

7.5/10.0

PAUL QUINN

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Curse of the North – Curse of the North: I

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COTN cover

Setting out with some hefty tribal drumming and a slow, burning riff, you know what’s coming from Curse of the North: I (Static Tension), the second album from Seattle marauders Curse of the North. Almost. It’s easy to expect lumpen Stoner, yet what bursts forth in the second movement of opener and single ‘Sleep While You Can’ is a rampant blast of Blues-infused Trad metal, electrified by intricate riffs and solos.

Christiaan Morris’ leadplay in the ensuing ‘Wheel of Swords’ is Angus Young-like and ushers in more melodic bludgeon, only marginally let down by a plodding centrepiece which tests the limits of Morris’ throaty roar. The delicate acoustic of ‘Into the Trees’ is initially reminiscent of The Electric Boys and allows Morris to show a gentle, harmonic side to his voice which evokes the first time you heard James Hetfield attempt the same tack: whilst the savage parts of this stirring track’s second segment bring to mind the rhythmic explosions of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’.

Despite the frayed edges of Morris’ able, yet unspectacular and flawed larynx there’s a real life here: the melodies mixing with the fearsome intensity borne from the staggering drumming of Burke Thomas and those slashing, clubbing riffs. The occasionally lightning-fast ‘The Tower’ has a Punk-like vibe shot through with lightly dancing leadwork: whilst the versatile rise-and-fall of ‘The Electric Wall’ remains beset by periods of wonderfully brutal yet tuneful savagery. It’s this delightful reliance on a bedrock of supremely executed speed that gives the sound its refreshing spark. ‘Blessed Burning’s moody verses are lit up by greasy riffs and those pummelling, dictatorial drums, also adding omen to the jangling leads injecting lightness and melancholy into the ferocious groove of ‘Oceans Rise’.

The pensive feel reaches its apex alongside Morris’ vocal in the hulking, brooding closer ‘Faceless Killers’; the fathomless whisper of its verses exploding into a vicious yet maudlin crush which is illuminated by sparkling yet understated soloing. This instrumentation is both the impetus and effervescence of a highly enjoyable offering, an infectious battering ram of brute force, subtlety and creativity.

 

7.0/10.0

 

PAUL QUINN