This is a 3 song self released MCD from this French unit. I’m not sure I can cleanly pigeon hole this for you. The music mixes elements of Metalcore, Heavy Rock, some blast beats, pseudo Doom, old Thrash and even some Punk. Yet given all of that it somehow manages to not sound terribly unique. The vocals are of the raspy scream variety, and work pretty well most of the time, though at others don’t quite fit the music. There are moments when I think this is pretty good, and at others it seems pretty awful. All in the span of three songs mind you. Ultimately I can see this as one of those bands that gets popular and no one understands why when they really think about it. For as many different elements that are here, it’s not a disjointed or experimental release on the surface, it still manages to sound like it’s part of some well established path. I’m confused. – Scott
Behold… The Arctopus – Arctopocalypse Now… Warmageddon Later
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
The only problem with this release is that it’s too short. At 2 songs, 11 minutes, the drool has just begun to coagulate in my mouth when the (3″!) disc stops spinning. This kind of stuff is heaven for me, as there are few musical phenomena more likely to please my ears than overtly technical heavy music, and Behold… the Arctopus fit that bill perfectly, as they resemble “math metal” like Dysrhythmia, The Fucking Champs and The Kickass having a fight with a cracked-out post 70’s King Crimson. A trio consisting of guitarist Mike Lerner, drummer Charlie Zeleny, and “super guitar” (sometimes known as Chapman Stick or Warr Guitar) player Colin Marston, Behold… the Arctopus are pushing the envelope of instrumental chops-driven heavy music. Somehow they manage to be simultaneously more technical than the oft-referenced Dillinger Escape Plan and heavier than the aforementioned “math metal” bands. Despite sometimes playing 3 “eads” at once, the music never seems cluttered or clashing, and the 3 musicians play together quite well, leaving space for one another when appropriate. This 11 minute mini-cd goes a long way toward establishing Behold… the Arctopus as one of the leading bands in the “technical for technicality’s sake” school of metal. Part jazz, part hard rock, and part metal – I call for an Arctopocalypse Now! – Aaron J. Klamer
SELF-RELEASED
http://www.beholdthearctopus.com
info@beholdthearctopus.com
Axis of Advance – Obey
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
For those of you out there who are not yet familiar with Canada’s Axis Of Advance, shame on you. My first exposure to this band of militant psychos came from a tape trade back in 1999. When I heard the brief “Landline” MCD that was dubbed for me I knew this band would soon become an unstoppable beast, and in my opinion, they have. This is their third full-length since that initial MCD and they continue to impress with their spastic drumming, rabid and intense vocal bursts, and a newly beefed up guitar tone that would not feel out of place on any of your early 90’s Swedish classics. I can easily see some people comparing Axis Of Advance to Conqueror or Revenge, but I don’t like that comparison because I feel that this material is far superior to anything those two bands have done. One of the main reasons I feel that way is because of the experimentation that is allowed to take place within Axis Of Advance that is not allowed in those other projects because they have the strict limitations of the war metal genre placed upon them. I would instead say that Axis Of Advance has some of the same qualities and appeal that bands like Stargazer, Sacramentary Abolishment and Voivod have. If you are looking for something that is a bit outside of the conventional box yet still able to retain all the heaviness and intensity that underground metal should offer, look no further. – Lance Rogers
RED STREAM
Adrenaline O.D. – Humungousfungusamongus
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I loved this band when they were around, and like the Cryptic Slaughter re-issues, this was a wise choice for Relapse because they were not appreciate as much as they should have been on their first pass through the scene. Adrenaline O.D. were very near the top of the Speed Punk/Crossover game. Mixing raging speed with punk sensibilities and a hearty sense of humor they brought the fun and energy of punk to meet the speed that at that time was much more a part of the metal scene. The vocals are a clean sort of sung yell, and the music driving with a melodic flavor. The tempos vary, but when the speed comes A.O.D. did it like few others of their day. There was a running argument one summer of my youth about who was faster, Cryptic Slaughter or Adrenaline O.D. the purchase of Napalm Death’s “From Enslavement To Obliteration” gave me the checkmate, but you get the idea. Let’s pause for a moment to ponder lovingly the intellectual wars that take place with a skateboard under your feet. There’s 19 track here from the original release, and 6 bonus tracks all of which are either TV theme songs or covers. I think bands like A.O.D. laid the frame work for bands like Stikky that followed, and if not laid the frame work than certainly belong mentioned along side them. In fact both Stikky and A.O.D. cover the Spiderman theme. – Scott
RELAPSE RECORDS
Auburn System, The – The Auburn System EP
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Trying to find where to begin with bands like The Auburn System can be a trial in itself. Despite the galloping guitars and halfway decent drumming The Auburn System blends grindcore and hardcore together, but adds nothing new and nothing interesting. The spattering slurred vocals range from down right funny as hell, to just plain embarrassing to say the least. Following along with the vocals, the guitars fire with a solid chugging and then for some reason declines into this high pitch break which seems to appear in every song. The only song that stood out a small bit was the first track of the EP “New Old One.” The EP Sounds like a mock up of Pig Destroyer and the Dillinger Escape Plan with a purloin of jazzcore. If the drummer found a couple of other musicians to play with then maybe the creative gap that seems to be a huge factor in bands like The Auburn System could finally be closed. Metal now a days is some how being dashed with these pretty boy pseudo-frat types, that may have all the talent in the world but no imagination or originality to follow through on. If you like that sort of unintelligible waffling then by all means check out this album. There’s a bazillion other bands out there just like this one. – K
FIVE POINT RECORDS
A Fail Association/The Cherry Point – Split
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a one sided 7″ with one track from each project. Newcomer A Fail Association, is first up with “…Some Kind of Solitude” a grinding bit of abrasive noise that whose frequencies tear at each other slowly rather than in a manic fit. This gives the piece mood and atmosphere rather than simply beating the crap out of you and works well. The Cherry Point, combines corrosive, rusty distortions with slow feedback, for a droning but jagged track called “1983 Forever” I really liked both of these contributions, as they are thick and incorporate a harsh edge, but move slower and convey more feeling than a lot of harsh tracks do. – Scott
TRONIKS
As All Die – Split w/ FHD – North American Underground Alliance CD
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentAs All Die and FDH each present three exclusive tracks on this split, the first release of the Absolute Zero Media label. According to one of the members (not-so-coincidentally, also the guy who runs AZM), “As All Die is for Fans of Der Blutharsch, Death in June, Puissance, Folkstorm, Militia”. Yeah, possibly – if all those projects and artists died suddenly in a plague and you were just ITCHING to hear something remotely militant, no matter how pretentious. Even in that case I’d recommend putting in a release by any of those listed above. Because no matter how many times you’ve heard them, they’ll sound fresh compared to As All Die. In order to keep myself awake during their tracks, I typed the lyrics. Here are some gems: “Civilization wracked with parasites. Dying one by one. The weak, the unworthy, the subhumans, the ones who inflict their suffering upon the pure of spirit as the army of iron rise from the west the centers of religion ad government will be consumed in flames so high that night shall seem as day.” Now, if you find that enlightening, definitely seek this project out. If it strikes you as trite to the point of hilarity, steer clear of these guys because it doesn’t get any better. In fact, the second track titled ‘Where Falcons Soar’ rhymes fly, sky, and die multiple times – as in, “Watch the sky where the eagles fly as we all die”. Seriously.
By comparison, the FDH tracks are a relief. No apocalyptic monologues or third-grade rhyme schemes. That’s not to say they’re great either. According to the label info, “FDH is for Fans of Raison D Etre, Lustmord, Post Rock (sic) and More”. More? Anyway, the tracks are synth noodling with some organic sounds and instruments thrown in for good measure. It’s pleasant enough, but nothing makes me sit up and take notice. In fact, I listened to the FDH tracks three times before I could write about them. They just didn’t stick. But then, I’m not a huge fan of Raison D’Etre or Lustmord either, so if you enjoy those projects, you may find something you like here. But I doubt it. To my ears, this just sounds second-rate and amateurish. There could be some potential here, but I don’t expect any genre classics to come out of Frank den Haan (FDH – get it?). If this split is supposed to prove that North America is a contender in the global noise/ambient/whatever ‘scene’, then it’s a failure. In fact, it does the opposite, making me think that we Americans have a lot to learn. – Christine Lett
ABSOLUTE ZERO MEDIA
Arkhon Infaustus – Perdition Insanabilis
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentI haven’t heard much from this French band in the past; just a song here and there from a release or two, but what I heard always left me thirsty for more. Arkhon Infaustus is heavy, intense and able to create an evil aura within their music. Those are all things that I look for and appreciate in an underground band. They achieve this through a well balanced mix of both the black and death metal aesthetic with neither style overpowering the other. This is something that is obviously not as easily attained as one might think given the massive amount of bands that attempt it and fail. There are also different tempos used on “Perdition Iinsanabilis” to keep each song sounding fresh and alive. Some tracks clip along at a furious in your face pace while others take you on a slow winding demented path into the depths of your own mind. This is a good album with a solid production that should hold equal appeal to fans flung as far across the metal spectrum as those of Averse Sefira and Immolation. – Lance Rogers
RED STREAM
Agalloch/Nest – Split
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a split 10″ picture disc, and a nice picture disc at that, with one track from each project. The record comes with two postcards with the respective track information on them. The Agalloch track is called “The Wolves Of Timberline” and follows the more Neo-Folk side of the project. It’s an introspective instrumental of acoustic melody, cello, mandolin and windswept atmosphere. Nest’s track is called “Last Vestige of Old Joy” (I believe, the title and logo kinda blend together). This track features J. Haughm on vocals, and the distinctive acoustic guitar work of D. Anderson, both from Agalloch, added to the more traditional instruments and synth work of Nest. I wasn’t familiar with Nest until then, and initially I saw this really as a glorified Agalloch track given the presence of so much of that band in it. After further listens the traditional instruments and general feeling of history and age that they ad, does give the Nest piece a unique feel that is not as similar to Agalloch as I had originally perceived. It’s a very nicely done Ancient-Folk sort of feel that keeps the vocals to the middle of the mix rather than out front. Limited to 1000, so don’t wait. – Scott
INFINITE VINYL/THE END RECORDS
Argile – The Monotonous Moment of a Monologue
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Argile is a side project of S.A.S de L’Argiliere of the French band Misanthrope, in which he indulges his Into the Pandemonium worship along with his inner thespian. L’Argiliere brings along Jean-Jacques Moreac from his main band to perform bass, drums, keyboards, and guitars, with himself handling vocals and some guitar solos. As if it weren’t obvious enough from the music, “Into The Pandemonium” is written all over Argile’s bio, and they’re obviously meant as practically a tribute to that avant-garde, influential, and pompous album. That being said they do offer their own original flair on the style, even throwing in a cover of Darkthrone’s “In the Shadow of the Horns” sung in French. This version in no way approaches the original, but it’s kind of cool to hear. There are some other doom and metal influences present, and the result is a decent dark metal album which is often marred by dramatic pretension and transparently obvious stylistic nods. The Monotonous Moment of a Monologue has good credentials, being recorded at Studio Fredman and released by Holy Records, but it doesn’t do much for me. Then again, I’m not that big a fan of “Into The Pandemonium”. – Aaron J. Klamer
HOLY RECORDS
Ares Kingdom – Return To Dust
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This Kansas City based band features former members of Nepenthe, Order From Chaos and Vulpecula. As you might expect with a line-up of seasoned metal veterans such as this, listening to the music of Ares Kingdom is like traveling backward through a metal time warp. You can hear bits and pieces of just about every cool thing that the metal genre has offered up in the last thirty or so years in just about every second of “Return To Dust”. I don’t mean to imply that Ares Kingdom sound “dated” as that is simply not the case. Rather, I mean to say that they sound experienced and well versed in the metal arts and lore. They do a terrific job of bridging the gap between the metal of old and the metal of today. For instance, the tone of the guitar bringing forth these classy riffs is as thick and heavy as the tone you remember from any of your Swedish death metal classics, yet the notes being played could easily be found an any of your Venom or Maiden albums. The soloing found on “Return To Dust” is equally as classy as the riffing. Also, the vocals would work equally as well on a death, black or thrash album as they are a perfect blend of the three with no one style emerging dominant over the others. I wish I had more to say about this album as it probably deserves a more lengthy review, but I have pretty much summed up my feelings on it. This is a very cool disc to spin when you want to rock out, relax, have a few beers and get all nostalgic. – Lance Rogers
NUCLEAR WAR NOW!
Arctic Circle – Forcing the Astral
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Canadians Arctic Circle take cues from the diverse styles of their country mates Revenge and Voivod, but don’t do justice to either. Their first full length on Profound Lore after three self-released demos, “Forcing the Astral” is touted (from the label information) as ‘upholding the ferocity of Canadian war metal, Canadian classic thrash, and the unforgiving bursts from bands such as Aura Noir and early Dodheimsgard’. Listening to the release, one definitely hears all of these influences clearly. However, whereas some bands are able to fuse these elements into a cohesive whole, Arctic Circle come across as confused and choppy. The two short instrumental interludes on “Forcing the Astral” are so abrupt as to be distracting. “A Little Bit of Climate” is especially so as it’s sandwiched between the end of one thrashing track and the beginning of another. Those who are into individual songs instead of whole albums will most likely find something they like here, as it encompasses so many subgenres. For those like me who listen to entire albums, this disc is not something to seek out. Combining multiple styles of metal is admirable – it’s too bad that lack of creativity and mediocre musicianship have turned it into a jumble that likely won’t please anybody. – Christine Lett
PROFOUND LORE
Agalloch – The Grey EP
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is just a two track MCD, limited to 1000 copies, but the music comes in at close to 21 minutes. The first track on here is a reworking of the “The Lodge” off of “The Mantle” called “The Lodge (dismantled)” (wink) and reflects the alternate version of the track that the band played on their recent brief touring stints. It’s a layered, droning instrumental, with a sweeping and grandiose quality built from what is really a very simple structure. The melody and atmosphere is that which you would expect from Agalloch, but executed in a slightly different fashion than you have previously heard from them, leaning much more toward Post rock influences than Metal more so than ever before probably, and ending with a good three minutes of guitar noise and feedback. The second track is a remix of “Odal” also from “The Mantle” as executed by Nothing, which for those that don’t know is the Dark Noise project of Agalloch bassist JWW. The track uses only “Odal” as source but ultimately bares virtually no resemblance to the “Odal” you would be familiar with from the record. Its begins with a low, percussive throb that gives way to a humming backwards melody. Reverberating tones, percussion and clanks eventually build up around that and descend away again, to a variation of the opening gritty pulse and then a brooding loop with a beleaguered grandfather clock feel emerges to wind the piece down. “The Grey EP” is the final chapter in a trilogy that also includes “The Mantle” and the “Tomorrow Will Never Come” 7″. – Scott
VENDLUS
Apostasy – Cell 666
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
It’s really encouraging to see bright, young bands using such unique monikers as “Apostasy”. Not quite as encouraging though is 98% of the black metal genre from the last ten years, this Apostasy included. I’m one of the last people you should ask about frilly, keyboard-raped black metal, but I almost feel like an expert after hearing this, their 2nd official CD, since it must be one of the absolute hallmarks of the style. The massively sappy keyboards rob this recording of all aggression and most of its heaviness, but Apostasy probably doesn’t care about that stuff. Norwegian products rarely fail to induce sleep, I’m afraid, and “Cell 666” is no exception. – Brian Woodworth
BLACK MARK
Apostasia – Martyrs of God
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Eight tracks of relatively typical atmospheric black metal from this French duo. They’re definitely drawing heavily on a lot of influences from Norway (with some Cradle of Filth thrown in), so most of what they’re doing has indeed been done before. It’s not bad, but it’s not that great either. I like a lot of the guitar playing, and the vocal performance is a strong offering of high screams backed by the occasional lower midrange growls. But, as is the case with many of these bands, the keyboards pretty much ruin everything. The synth lines don’t fit in with the rest of the compositions very often, they’re mixed far too loud and they ruin the real atmospheres of the songs by adding in their own confusing elements that just come off as cheesy – they sound almost like fucking lullabies or something. The drums are also a huge problem. I’m pretty sure they’re programmed, because they certainly sound like a machine, and they’re also far too loud, rigid, and distracting. Aside from being on the lengthy side the songwriting is okay, aforementioned problems aside. There’s a good mix of tempos, tasteful melody (sometimes in the dual guitar harmony vein, others more subtly), some great dissonant riffs and sparse clean breaks, etc. I tend to enjoy the slower material more than the blasting fast stuff, but that’s just because the mix is so unbalanced and messy. There’s a fair amount of low-end to the recording, but it’s all coming from the synths and the percussion. I can’t hear even one note of bass guitar, and the guitar tone is a little bit thin (though effectively so). The layout is pretty weak. The cover art is boring, and the inner booklet contains a bunch of random images that, to me, don’t really apply to the concept of the album. Lyrics are omitted in favor of telling the story of the concept, and it’s a pretty lame one, basically summed up with the first lines: “Fourteenth century. Church and its army strangle the whole Europe, only the Christian belief has the right to exist. Other ways of thinking and prying are simply hunted and destroyed…” Things go on to deal with a lot of witchcraft and searching for the truth and that sort of thing. Not my cup of tea. If you’re into atmospheric black metal that’s not as polished or as arrogant as shit like Dimmu Borgir, you might get into this. Me? I think they should toss the synths, get a real drummer, and just write some straightforward black metal songs. The chances of that happening are slim to none, but oh well… – Andrew Westerhouse
ADIPOCERE RECORDS
Agathocles – Alive & Mincing
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
From one of the most prolific projects this side of Merzbow we get 28 tracks recorded live in Germany in September of 2000. Given their amount of releases is actually more difficult to have not heard this band than to have heard them, but for those that haven’t, Agathocles play the furious Punkified Grind. Short no frills tracks, raw and simple with a dual vocal attack of shrieks and growls. They have been at it for years and distilled the style to its primitive essence. “Alive & Mincing” features a pretty decent recording, definitely live and a bit on the treble side, but everything is listenable and enjoyable once your ears make the adjustment. Maybe not the first release you’d want if you haven’t heard them because it’s live, but definitely worth checking out once you have familiarized yourself. – Scott
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
Animas Herilis – Recipere Ferum
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
What can you expect when you hear a band is from France? Pretty much anything. “Recipere Ferum” is proof of that. The cover offers view of a sick looking cloaked statue with one arm raised toward the sky and another clasping a staff… a good image to have in hand before the first chord strikes. Starting off with very primitive riffs before exploding into more virtuous paths and thrash riffs (especially on “Virus Celeste”), “Recipere Ferum” obviously has more to offer than the anti-evolution approach stated in their bio. The guitars have a warm, mid-ranged sound to them and move into a lot of fairly traditional arrangements within a post-black/thrash framework. “L’autre Monde” begins the album perfectly in that it shows glimpses at everything that is to come in the more stylistically focused songs found later in this work. Furious grinding chords and leads played very smoothly in accordance with the percussion and bass. The vocals are buried perfectly for an emphasis on the work itself. Apparently this band has existed for 13 years even though their first demo didn’t come out until 8 years after their inception. We can only presume that they will use their experience and dedication to continue on the same path. I see nothing but good things happening here. – TRA
OAKEN SHIELD
Anima Damnata – Agonizing Journey Through The Burning…
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
My only previous exposure to this band came from a split release they shared with Throneum. I was not terribly impressed with Anima Damnata on that release, but I had bought it for the Throneum tracks and was already agitated that I had to sit through the one to get to the other. Now on to the newest release of Anima Damnata, fully titled “Agonizing Journey Through The Burning Universe And Transcendental Ritual Of Transfiguration” fully titled indeed. Stylistically, this is somewhere between the realms of war metal, and death grind. The vast majority of the material is played fast, leaving much of it to blend together. In fact, I think they even bleed all the tracks into one another here so that there is not a moment of silence on the entire disc. If you are going to do something like that, you had better have more distinguishable and memorable songs than this. When they do slow down, the songs take on a bit more identity, but with pseudonyms like “Nocturnal harvester of Christian lambs and the great messenger of subliminal satanic messages” I doubt they aim to do much aside from blast in blinded blasphemy for the majority of their career. There is some cool old school packaging on this release that kind of reminds me of the artwork of Chris Moyen, only not quite as good. If you like bands like Black Witchery and don’t mind more of a death metal vibe, check these guys out. – Lance Rogers
PAGAN
Ahlzagailzehguh – Black Destinations
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a double cassette release in a traditional but oversized cassette case that’s pretty neat really. Both tapes are rather short, and could have been a single release easily, but obviously this was done for the cool factor, and it works for me. I’ve heard good things about this project but this was my first exposure to them. Tape one side one features the track “Staring At The Floor,” a turbulent harsh noise track consisting primarily of heavy low end with feedback and higher frequencies spiking through the onslaught. There are a couple of moments of isolated crumbling sounds that I quite liked, and they provide a nice quiet before the next burst. Tape one side two features two tracks, “Catatonic Rigidity” and “Lockdown.” “Catatonic Rigidity” is another piece that is rooted in a heavy and destructive low end, but features, more bursts of analog squirms and squelches, as well as pauses where the bass elements drop away to leave the mids and his scraping and chirping alone. “Lockdown” stays more in the mid range fried and sizzled texture zone, and incorporates a more open and atmospheric base. Tape Two side one begins with “Final Façade” a mix of looping distortions and low end bursts. “Triangle Eye” is next, it has slightly more disjointed take, with layers dropping out and popping back in abruptly, solitary tones ringing out, loops emerging by themselves from the chaos and I think even some voices buried in the mix. Tape two side two holds “Cornered Response” and finally “Away From All eyes Sight,” both of which continue the active, well mixed and executed direction of the previous tracks. While this a harsh noise release, the rise and fall of that noise, the way things are isolated and consumed, and the inclusion of really gritty yet reserved moments makes for some nice flow and an intriguing release. There is a lot of energy to these tracks, and clearly some craft behind them, very nicely done. After hearing it, is too bad this didn’t come out as a CD with a proper mastering job to really accentuate all of the biting and scarred frequencies because there are some really great sounds and jagged edges here. – Scott
TRUCULENT RECORDINGS
Ancient Rites – Rubicon
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Metal journalists are quick to call upon words like “progression” to justify a radically different approach to sound. Longtime fans are left with an unquenched thirst for the spirit of older material. More than often they yearn for the sound found within the first sparks of creativity pioneering familiar influence with unique attributes. Bands today like Samael, Immolation, and Dark Tranquillity have all cited progression and it seems the word acts like a blanket covering the real potential of these artists. Ancient Rites have been a longtime favorite of mine. I enjoy everything in their catalogue from the 1994 debut to “Rubicon”. While the music has changed, it hasn’t been dumbed down in any sense. “The Diabolic Serenades” was wonderful at offering hooks and catchy riffing with a distinctive sound Ancient Rites could call their own. Their sound has evolved since then and members have come and gone. Today, Ancient Rites is made up of 7 full-time members and with them comes a complex musical album. I think the greatest change for Ancient Rites was the guitar work from “Fatherland” to now. The chords still chug away but the guitar leads are more frequent and elaborate. Aside from what the synth and bass contribute melodically, “Rubicon” has incredible leads composed in a very different style. Its almost as if much of the melody was adapted from the synth and taken from there. Solos are precise and crystal clear. The album benefits greatly from the synth work which, as noted, offers a different kind of aura than the guitars. The melodies are not drifting up and down scales or noodling in some complex exercise as much as just laying down a very authentic medieval sounding tapestry. This is what makes “Rubicon” so versatile. They complement each other so well in slow, fast, bombastic, and atmospheric moments. Believe me, this album has a lot of variation within a central theme. Since “Fatherland” was released, many critics have decided Ancient Rites is now just a power metal band with brutal vocals. This is a mistake. Ancient Rites have found a niche far greater than the power metal craze. They have experience behind them and a consistent dedication to history, battle, and homeland, which are themes of power metal – but also themes that existed in Ancient Rites when they were more aggressive and raw. One has to respect the vision of Günther Theys as he has always taken us to his realm with each release. “Rubicon” is an incredible listen start to finish. I would encourage anyone into atmospheric/medieval themed metal to give this an honest listen. As Ancient Rites cross the Rubicon they leave a path of influence… Perhaps one that will not be immediately accepted with the obsession of “All things kvlt”. “Rubicon” is a testament to what progression should entail and Ancient Rites are a band worthy of respect in a scene of imitators. “Alea Iacta Est.” – TRA
SEASON OF MIST
Worm Gear 