Would you believe it if I told you there were The Chasm imitators popping up in the underground now? I wouldn’t have thought it likely either, but the similarities to them in both of these bands are rather apparent. Ancient Gods begins this CD with four songs of fast, heavy death metal filled with the same kinds of dark melodies that have become associated with Daniel Corchado’s style of playing. They are a little more unique sounding than Infinitum Obscure and are probably the slightly better band of the two, even though I thought their last MCD had a bit more originality. Like the first MCD, Antonio Leon (from The Chasm) plays drums on this recording and turns in an impressive performance as usual. Mexico’s Infinitum Obscure ends this CD with four songs of fast, heavy death metal filled with the same kinds of… wait a minute–this is sounding awfully familiar. I’m not trying to degrade either of these bands, because this release is certainly better than most of the garbage coming out these days, but it’s going to be necessary for these guys to try to find a more original style in the future that won’t be so reminiscent of The Chasm (even if they aren’t exactly a household name to most people yet). – Brian Woodworth
SEMPITERNAL PRODUCTIONS
Ancient Gods – Split w/ INFINITUM OBSCURE – Cosmic Evil / Ipsus Universum
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentAmoral – Decrowning
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
There are rare cases where mature adults are frightened of showering or washing. One theory is that as a child these people put their hands in sinks with burning hot water or around stoves with boiling water. They associate water with pain – a hypersensitivity disorder. I’m beginning to have the same feelings with Candlelight promos. They usually mean another triggered drum sound, sharp and punchy guitar riffs, and over-the-top accessibility to any listener of the today’s extreme bands. At what point did bands just do what they needed to do? Whatever happened to the monumental death metal albums? Have bands been so fortunate to find willing labels that they lost their drive to create something within their capabilities? Amoral is an incredible band and I sincerely mean that. Their tightness is catchy and there are plenty of hooks to be found. The problem is that they’re in all the right places. It seems to be a formula bands get too comfortable with. Edge of Sanity found their niche in pop structures and, to some extent, made them stand out against the other popular death metal bands of their era. Today these perfectly placed hooks just upset me. Its as if they’re trying to tease me with brutality or originality only to destroy it with mundane riffing a few bars later. The song “Tiebreaker” (these song titles are ridiculous) is a prime example with a riff at 2:25 completely destroying in a nu-death kind of way. Riffs like those come randomly throughout the album. Again, my criticism is based on the fact that so many predictable riffs come out in these songs. It makes it difficult to enjoy one riff or give it breathing room before the mood is destroyed by pseudo-Meshuggah chugging, nonsensical noodling solos, or slowed down Coroner rip-off riffs placed in the filler sections. To the credit of Amoral, there aren’t any breakdown riffs for baseball cap crowd (the vocals and sample on “Raptus” are surely enough to please them). I would like to see bands as capable as Amoral do something worthwhile with their talents. They know how to write great riffs and their direction is as desirable as anything Terrorizer would rave about. At some point I believe we all want to tell a band to do something different or give up. Personally, I’d like to see Amoral stop basking in their “brave” accessibility. Someone should make them think about what they mean for the future of metal in the presence of one of the many worthy, old and classic death metal bands from their country THEN make them hang out with one of their adolescent fans for a day and leave such a decision up to them. -TRA
SPIKEFARM/CANDLELIGHT
Aldebaran – Pleasures Of War
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a two song seven inch from the new project born of the remains of Tusks of Blood. “Pleasures Of War” is the A Side track, and lays down some droning Black Sabbath inspired Doom Rock. The vocals, heavy with reverb, focus largely on drawn out screams and are mixed low, which lends a nice touch of atmosphere that more out front vocals wouldn’t have. Side B gives us “Astoroth” and begins with a movie sample invoking zombies and their dermatological issues, then rips into a thick lurch of mid tempo riffs, and more prominent vocals than the previous track. There is a dirtier feel to it, and a memorable hook that transcends the Doom you might be expecting from the first track. Also of note is the guitar/bass tone which is meaty and somewhat primitive, in a very good way. I personally preferred the second track over the first, but I don’t bite as hard on the Sabbath worship as a lot of people do. Either way a nice introduction. I’ve seen them live a couple times and I look forward to hearing some of the other tracks in their studio incarnation because they sound great live. – Scott
PARASITIC RECORDS
All That Remains – Behind Silence and Solitude
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Here’s more melodic Swedish styled death metal from American shores. They’re not bad at all, but as with most of these bands it’s not exactly original. I don’t particularly mind the fact that they’re not offering anything new to the genre because they’re competent songwriters. The writing is a little bit more creative than the standard when it comes to this stuff, especially for American bands. “Follow” breaks out some twisted slow rhythms and fluid leads that bring “Heartwork” to mind. “Clarity” is one of the most well rounded tracks herein, offering consistently powerful riffing, a great acoustic break, tons of lead runs… the works. And “Home to Me”, which, like “Clarity”, is one of the lengthier pieces, offers greater tempo variation and some really unique chord progressions as well as another excellent clean break – complete with a really dissonant clean solo. Nice. I’d really like to hear more of the energy demonstrated here. I really like the lead breaks throughout the record a lot. The solos tend to be ever so slightly faster than everything else, hence the backing rhythms speed up, and that really kicks the songs into overdrive. If the verses and choruses had that slight edge to them I think this would be a stronger record as a whole. The production isn’t too shabby. The drums sound tasteful (i.e. not too rigid or clicky), there’s a decent bass presence, the vocals sound very forceful, and the guitars are loud and up front. I tend to prefer a slightly cleaner guitar tone for this style, but they’re very close. The lead tone is great, and the rhythm sound has a lot of texture to it, there’s just something missing. A bit more definition to the bass guitar might help to round things out. The problems with the guitar tone really aren’t so noticeable until one guitar drops out to let the other handle a brief rhythm segment, etc. I’m not that big on the layout. I actually like the front cover, but strangely the rest of the layout follows an entirely different color scheme. The text is presented in a crisp and legible format, though. So that’s a plus. As far as the lyrical content goes things are back and forth. The message is usually a personal one, it’s just a matter of how things are handled. At times the delivery is a bit predictable, using clichéd metaphors and what have you, but at times there are passages that have a bit more bulk: “Can not a man of modern day, Find truth in what he’s learned, Or all the seventh days a waste, A fool for all the lies I’ve prayed yet I’m strong, I’ll place no blame, Although misled I’ve found the truth…” When it all comes down to it this is a solid record that’s not quite anything to jump at. They’re a band to watch for in the future though, that’s certain. – Andrew Westerhouse
PROSTHETIC RECORDS
Alethes – Aletheia
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This album is so simple, and yeah so absolutely stunning. It’s a small miracle that these elements haven’t been assembled with this kind of power and breath before. Alas they have not, at least not in anything that has found these ears. Alethes play a primitive style of Dark Folk, that at its core is shares more with a Doom Metal release than anything from the Neo/Apocalyptic Folk circles. Simple acoustic guitar, deliberately played with a forceful hand, old world ritual percussion supplied by Markus Wolff , and tasteful, recessed violin and cello round this out. Vocally, it features an earthy groan, that bares a noticeable similarity to Steve Von Till, but is certainly not without its own dynamic. Joshua Phillips and Exile are the two primary creative forces behind the project both of whom are involved in a myriad of other obscure projects known to haunt the back country of the Northwest, Sacrificial Totem & Rain among them. There is a raw and rustic quality to this when combined with the droning cadence that gives it an air that is truly unique, and ultimately “heavy.” Were you to imagine these songs played through a distorted wall of amps rather than on acoustic guitar they would level you. The dreary progressions with the almost muttered vocals and calculated dirge of a pace makes for an engrossing and hypnotic listen. It is difficult to really pin down what the magic of “Aletheia” is. There is no superfluous melody or layers and details that wrap you up, but the sincerity and girth of this record is beyond question. It is perhaps the simplest epic I have ever heard. To wrap this up, the packaging is appropriately gorgeous. Packaged in a 6×6 gatefold in a heavy (truly) matte black paper that has the feel of suede to the touch and all text and graphics applied in a black foil stamping. I don’t know if I did this record justice here, but suffice to say, this is most recommended. – Scott
GLASS THROAT RECORDINGS
Alioth – Channeling Unclean Spirits Demo #1
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
A welcomed surprise. Alioth present themselves with an intensity and confidence rarely executed so well on a recording of this era. “Channeling…” sounds like an excavation of the ancient metal tombs of Greece in their greatest era with a notable influence from Varathron and Rotting Christ. Do you remember the first time you heard “Walpurgisnacht”? The middle section of “Tleilaxu (The Unborn Child)” with its the thrashing triplets and quick, subtle leads or the clean, sorrowful, reverberating guitar interludes on “Casseopeia’s Ode”? Perhaps the trademark rhythms found on “Non Serviam”? They’ve all been revisited on this recording with superb musicianship and a great appreciation of the ancient sound. Vocals as precise and convincing as the masters of old and a drum machine programmed by an actual drummer find a favorable mix into these unholy hymns. Its amazing how capable some are with what they have to work with and how wretched others are with their attempts (read: common era drum machine black metal). This demo should be a monument for its peers to kneel before – basking in its every nuance. Before you question the idea of a total “clone band”, ask yourself what you’ve been trying to pass over as black metal the past 12 years. Darkthrone rip-off #21387340? Burzum clone #092340918A? All sorts of children guised under Occult imagery to distract you from the fact their metal is weaker than the rules their parents still impose on them. Bands like Varathron didn’t have to play the games that bands have to play today. There didn’t have to be descriptions with words like “suicide” or “kvlt” for their music to be appreciated for what it was. Alioth doesn’t have to play these games today either and, despite the obvious influences, are one of a kind in the small handful of recent bands with releases of this caliber. They are what they are, they do what they do, and judging from this debut demo, they do it fucking well. – TRA
STARLIGHT TEMPLE
Aliengates – Dark Days Quantum
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a pretty damn professional looking self-released effort. The CD comes in a complete jewel case with a full color layout, booklet, lyrics… the works. The artwork is actually pretty decent, too. The color scheme and typefaces are consistent, the band logo is nice (too bad the name sucks), etc. Unfortunately, the music doesn’t live up to the presentation. Remember that band Epidemic? They were a fucking good band that was really heavy and moderately paced, resting somewhere in between death metal and something that was fighting categorization. This sounds sort of like a slightly more experimental Epidemic, except it’s somehow not that good at all. There’s a lot of midpaced heaviness and melody, but they also try and get a bit complex sometimes, and they just can’t pull it off. The playing is sloppy, and the guitars/vocals really run the show. The drumming is some of the most stagnant and boring I’ve ever heard, and the bass just mirrors the guitars with simple rhythm notes. These types of compositions would allow plenty of room for the rhythm section to move around, but they’re not taking advantage of that at all. “Saintfilth” has a memorable chorus, the title track starts out with some catchy riffing, and “Heartless” brings in some nice female vocals, but they often ruin such elements with stunted time changes and choppy rhythmic breaks. The more I listen to it the more I hear a subtle Swedish influence a well. And that’s not their strong point. Their strong point is slow, plodding, melodic heaviness with just a little bit of atmosphere. They just need to work on writing stronger, more cohesive songs with a better sound. The recording needs some work but it’s not awful. The drums are way too rigid for my tastes, especially since that draws attention to the stagnant, simplistic, and redundant performance. I can hear bass, but it needs more definition, and I’d just clean up the guitar distortion a little bit. The sneering vocal shouts sound fine. I’m not into the lyrics at all, though. They just make no sense, “We are the bulletwhores that work and reach for a terrorlord, We are the hammertongues that speak the nail of the neverword, Poisoned and infected with desperation, Aimless bastards reign this dead colonization, Where only your flesh can sell…” I don’t know. Potential? Sure. But where will they take it? Parts of this I really like, parts of it do nothing for me. – Andrew Westerhouse
ALIENGATES
www.aliengates.com
Aion – Symbol
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
God damnit! what’s with all the horrible music this go round? Based on the artwork I thought this one had some potential. I wasn’t sure what style of music to expect, but it looked like it would be professional. Then I pop it in and it starts with an incredibly weak nu-metal groove and jumps into some lame electronics with a bass/drum rhythm and some dramatic vocals that, when combined, make for a silly sort of goth vibe. I sort of wonder if this band used to be good and ended up sucking, as they do here, because there are small bits and pieces that sound pretty cool and suggest that these guys could do a lot more if they really tried. There are a lot of creative little lead guitar passages here and there that seem progressive rock inspired, and tracks like “Image” and “Unfulfield Hope” (“Unfulfield”?) have memorable choruses, but sadly for the most part the compositions are formulated in much the same way: Boring grooves to start, bass/drums/keys and vocals during the verses, semi catchy choruses at times, brief solos, etc. Sometimes they’ll throw in some clean or acoustic guitars and that’s a nice touch, but they really need to get rid of the groove and work with a more dynamic vocal style. A lot of the vocals are spoken or sort of shouted in a combination singing/speaking manner. It’s hard to explain. The guy has a heavy accent though, so it doesn’t sound right. The production needs work. The bass, the synths, and the percussion sound pretty good, as do the lead and clean guitars. But the mix is off, and the distorted guitars need a lot of work. The tone isn’t heavy enough, nor does it possess the roundness of the bass tone. The vocals are just mixed too loud. There’s a lot of separation as well. It would sound better if everything was full and seamless. Sometimes the combination of electronic and live percussion thins things out, but the distorted guitar tone is the biggest problem area. The dryness leaves all of the heavy parts sounding incredibly flat. The layout is pretty cool. I don’t like the cover as much, mainly because it’s really colorful and everything else is bleak and sort of washed out in shades of grayish blue and stuff. But the lyrical text is arranged in an interesting manner and I like a lot of the textures and stuff inside the booklet. The words themselves? Well… lots of clichés are at work, “Today I’ve understood what feels a man torn away from hope, It is like taking the Earth all her flowers away… Tomorrow I’ll resurrect heartbroken, Will the birds ever sing for me again?” It’s a shame… I really think this band could do something if they tried to be a bit more creative. I don’t understand what the hell they’re going for with this mix of nu-metal, progressive styles, and goth rock, but they sound sort of like a band that even Nuclear Blast would throw away. Although, with a good recording budget, even this record would have been a bit more tolerable. – Andrew Westerhouse
METAL MIND RECORDS
Alone In Silence/Marspiter – Split
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a 3″ CDR with one track from each project… Alone In Silence is first up with their piece, “Abandon,” coming in just shy of the 12 minute mark. It is minimal and simplistic Dark Ambient driven by slow, reverb soaked synth tones and a sparse and distant percussive beat. There is very little layering, evolution to this, in fact virtually none that I can discern. Thus the track tends to makes its point well before its over, and becomes a bit redundant. Marspiter has christened their track “Forimido” and given it a life span just over 11 minutes. This is again rather minimalist Dark Ambient, it’s a quietly toned piece, rooted on deep bass tones, but that simple concoction of drones is fleshed out with pokes of melody, and a muttering of distant samples, and builds a substantial atmosphere out of it… a bit like looking down on some ancient Middle Eastern city from a far away hill. The ambiance of activity exists in the relative stillness. – Scott
FORESHADOW PRODUCTIONS
Age of Silence – Acceleration
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment(Age of Silence is spelled: 4ge of sil3nce)
Sometimes when I have a stack of new CDs, I drop them in the tray without even looking at them. My listening thus begins with no pre-conceptions based on my knowledge of the band or the artwork. So after about 30 seconds of this Age of Silence disk, I immediately thought, “Hey, Solefald has a new album.” Turned out I was wrong of course, but Lazare’s vocals have such a distinctive character, both in terms of sound and stylistic choices, that it’s really hard not to think of Solefald when listening. I liked Solefald’s “Pills Against the Ageless Ills” from 2001, but not enough to seek out their next album, “In Harmonium Universali.” I don’t like Age of Silence nearly as much as I like Solefald, though this is listenable. It’s just a bit dull. Too frequently, Lazare makes simple vocal choices – specifically in 3-4 songs when he leaps up to the tonic note on a strong beat. When he’s more adventurous, the music works. His sense of harmony is unique, though, and there’s something to listen for in almost every song. Unfortunately, he’s singing atop weak material, as the guitars are mostly straightforward and the music is a bit too consistently mid-paced for my taste. A bit more variety in those elements would make this a more exciting album. – Jeff Herriot
THE END RECORDS
Aes Dana – Formors
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I was expecting a rewarding and engaging experience from this listen based on the bio’s description of “Celtic Black Metal”. I have long been a fan of bands like Suidakra (early works) and more recently the incredible Gauhaert. Not to mention I have always found an ear for traditional Isles and Celtic music. When bands step outside of their metal influences to incorporate other styles of music I believe it should always be applauded (so long as they are fitting of course). “Formors” comes across as an honest attempt at combining two styles of music not commonly associated to each other. When the decision is made to do this, compromises have to be made. Is it a “Celtic Metal” band or a “Metal Celtic” band? There is a difference. Look at Skyclad. They were much more at home in the folk world than the metal world. The “metal” ties seem only fitting because of Martin’s involvement in Sabbat. Thus, Skyclad’s crossover appeal was more varied than the bitter ideas or opinions commonly found in metal communities both today and yesteryear. A relatively unknown band like Aes Dana doesn’t have experience as a wealthy pot to take away from like the aforementioned (despite existing for well over a decade). So how do our ears find “Formors”? After giving this repeated listens I did find a majority of the material enjoyable but not memorable and the album’s flaws seemed to outnumber the strengths. The performance is excellent. You can instantly tell these are all seasoned and tested players. But the approach to “Celtic Black Metal” suffers from a focused idea of just what that style should or might sound like. There are several sections of “Formors” that sound completely Celtic. But as the guitars start heading in more black metal terrain – the flute seems almost forced and aimlessly following the key of the music without any direction or significance other than its own novelty. Another thing I found a problem with were the fierce vocals. While they are performed well, they don’t seem to find a niche within the musical aims and, instead, seem out-of-place to the parts of this album that almost seem to actually work. It’s as if the two genres are battling each other rather than coexisting on an even playing field. That, ultimately, was my biggest problem with “Formors” along with its clean but lifeless production. I would still urge people familiar with bands like Mael Mordha to give this a listen and decide for themselves if this album fits their own specific tastes. I will keep an ear out for Aes Dana as I believe they have the talent and potential to create the album I know they are capable of making. – TRA
OAKEN SHIELD
Act of Gods – Stench of Centuries
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
For those unaware, Act of Gods is a new band formed by ex-members of the classic French death metal bands Mutilated and Abyssals. Those who are aware will probably know how incredible both those bands were, even though they were able to release only 3 demos combined between them. Act of Gods must be seen as a completely new band separate from both, because they sound nothing like either of them. The 11 songs on this CD have a very modern feel comparable to newer Immolation, complete with the quirky, repetitive riffing they are now known for. The drummer seems to be pretty tight and can blast with the best of them–thankfully, he plays with much more variation than most drummers in this style. This CD is fairly heavy and better than many new death metal discs, but it lacks the dark atmosphere and feeling associated with real ancient death metal, which is always a disappointment to me. On ‘Scent of a Burning Angel’, they even throw in a guitar part that has black metal overtones, something I didn’t expect from this band. For death metal, this isn’t a terrible CD, but there are many other bands who have released far better albums recently (Arghoslent, Equinox, Verminous, Serpens Aeon, and Unholy Ghost, to name just a few). – Brian Woodworth
OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS
Amber Asylum – GardenOfLoveAutonomySuiteStillPoint
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a 3 song 10″ on nice heavy vinyl, and it marks the first new release from Amber Asylum in five years. “Garden Of Love” opens the A side with deep cello moans and slow and deliberate percussion that has an organic almost Funeral Doom feel to it. It is somewhat sparse, but even in that the power of the composition builds a grandiosity. The vocals are delivered in an soft understated manner, and given some distance with reverb that further bolsters the lost in mourning feel of the track. Then a sharp swell of high end violin draws the track up from the murk like the last desperate flail of the drowning and the girth of everything is increased, heavier drums, louder strings, more forceful vocals, and it falls back again into nothingness. “Autonomy Suite,” an instrumental piece, is the other track on the A side, and the strings on this track really floored me, the pain and nervous energy in the manner of bowing used gives this track a rare kind of energy. The dynamics of the track swell and withdraw against a march like cadence, bold and delicate at varying moments and it works wonderfully. The B side is made of up “Still Point,” which is delivered in two movements. A fragile lilt of strings and minimal piano are soon met by the heart squeezing ethereal vocals and a soft trumpet. Almost at an unnoticeable pace the drama of the track begins to build, gradually, the elements gain more distinction in the mix, and have their own moments of accent as the first movement draws to a close. The second movement opens with a stronger focus on the cello and trumpet melody and the piano clinks in relative isolation in the background. There is a very cinematic quality to it that suggests tension and remorse as it slowly fades away. This is a band that I have had a special appreciation for for a long time, and I felt their five year absence. This is a welcome return and another nice evolution to their organic and evocative chamber dirges. The band self released this, and with a few exceptions, is only selling it direct and at shows, so if you want a copy you may well need to go right to the source… something that is never a bad idea anyway. Beautiful. – Scott
BIO-FIDELIC
Andy Ortmann/The Cherry Point – Split
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentThis is a 20minute split cassette that comes in a little green cloth bag. Ortmann, gives us three tracks on his side. It begins with little more than a cycling low electronic hum for the first couple minutes. That stops and there are isolated pounds, like hitting a bucket that eventually give way to some quirky noise eruptions. This shifts into a sub bass hum with a slow rhythmic beat, and minimal vocal yelps. When this stops, we get crickets chirping, and a quick clip of live crowd noise and that’s it. The Cherry Point’s single track is called “Guts Bloody Guts.” It’s a lo-fi mix of crumbling low end, mid range distortions and feedback, that sounds like it could have been recorded live because there is a live/room ambience to it all. The liner notes don’t indicate anything about it though. The track is fairly constant in it’s roar for the first half or so and becomes a bit more throbbing towards the later half. Yep. – Scott
SRR
Angel Of Decay – Covered In Scars
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Angel of Decay is a another project from Jonathan Canady, the man behind the now defunct Dead World and Deathpile projects among others. This time Canady is focusing his energy on creating evocative Dark Ambient using minimal analog gear, and that’s exactly what he has done. The premise for the album is drawn from his own experience with nightmares, and there are liner notes included that state all text was written down upon being awoken from these nightmares. This accompanied by the gorgeous and unique artwork set a fitting table to begin. “Blood On The Cement” opens the disc, it’s a subtle slowly shifting groan of deep bass and sweeping wisps of electronics. “Severed Living Dog’s Head” is the next track and provides the first bit of grime into the equation with a throbbing pulse and pained, yowling reverberations. There is a chained agony to the sounds, which probably sounds melodramatic, but really to hear it that is all I can picture. The slow throb providing a steady base to these tormented creaks and swells it’s so visual, and acute, its curious to see the brief liner notes for the track state simply, “Severed living dog’s head, I was careful not to hurt the stump. It seemed happy.” The shortest track here at just over 5 minutes is “Sick Time Frame” which is up next. This track uses a more subdued and wind swept approach, deep rumbles and swells, heavy low end and a surreal sort of accent with mid and higher ranged bubbling electronics. “The Crash” is the longest piece at almost 14 minutes. The anticipation that builds through this track is handled so well. The subtlety and ease of transitions and the cautious restraint as things build and contract. The premise here is one of seeing a helicopter crash and the aftermath when the pilots are alright, but the citizens crushed beneath are not, the text contains more details that are intriguing. “Her Head Was On The Floor,” lurches to life with a deep slow swell, that rises and falls through out the track among lots of creaking metallic reverberations and boiler hisses. There are smooth high tones that sweep through and give a nice balance to the abyssal lows. “JFK Circus”, “Face Print” one of the dreary highlights here, and the title track round out the release. This whole record has a richness of tone and a tangible dread that encompasses everything within it. Reading the liner notes quickly puts a context to the sounds you are hearing whether abstract or concrete. It is such a visual album that without those notes it would fill your head with images of something equally unsettling. There is nothing obvious in the sonics that frames the imagery in the text either, it’s a very open to interpretation undertaking that doesn’t dictate anything to the listener and truly feels like an record you could lose yourself in if you take the time out of your day to give it the proper attention. This is a great release, and the inclusion of the liner notes is something I personally really appreciate as it’s rare to get that kind of insight into this kind of music, particularly when it’s something this personal. I have heard just about all of Jonathan Canady’s output over the years and “Covered In Scars” may well be my favorite. – Scott
DESOLATION HOUSE
Vorkuta – Into the Chasms of Lunacy
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Cold and churning traditional black metal, twisted by atypical harmonies and bleak breakdowns that inject a bizarre feel into this material. “Into the Chasms of Lunacy” is a well-produced creature, which is rare for underground black metal, but it seems like the true filth of this material is locked within the perverse riff ideas and scorched black vocals of Blizzard. As the album plays, you get the nagging feeling that you should have heard this before, but as the music turns off into left field, or locks in on a creeping synth instrumental, or passionate clean guitar lines, a breath of fresh air is exhaled from the body of this CD. Bands like Hungary’s Vorkuta are demonstrating to the scene that traditional black metal doesn’t have to fall into a lifeless, trend worshiping formula, rather it’s ok to follow your influences as long as you look into your own creative arsenal and arrive at something you can truly call your own. “Into the Chasms of Lunacy” succeeds in this manner and is a smartly paced and adventurous when it needs to be album that should appeal to those of you who enjoy your same-old, spiced up with a bit of imagination. -Marty
PARAGON RECORDS
Vardan – Hidden in a Tomb
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Quite possibly one of the more lifeless and uninteresting 1 man black metal bands I have heard in a long time… which says a lot. Imagine singular/dimensionless riff ideas pushed by a simplistic and quick drum beat (the more I spin this, the more the drums sound synthetic), plus a clean bass sound to achieve that Transylvanian Hunger essence. Swing and a miss! The essence wasn’t captured at all… just horribly resuscitated for another pathetic retardation of a sound that once was a bold statement and blast of cold arctic grimness. The music on Hidden in a Tomb lacks the interesting songwriting, riff writing and vocal prowess needed to salvage the songs, which incidentally, end up all sounding completely interchangeable. Heavily reverb soaked, mid ranged screams that sound very frail, like cartoon talking, hide behind a bass drum thump that ends up dominating the mix. This is by far the most identifiably weak and ineffective element on this album. Tremolo dominant riff ideas rise and fall in a heap of wandering and unchallenging structures that do little to hold my interest for 2 minutes, let alone an entire album. This is the 1st of 4 albums soon to be unearthed by Vardan and Folter Records and if the newer material also lacks the body, imagination and content found on display here, I think it’s probably best to keep the whole of Vardan’s “sinister” filler, “Hidden in a Tomb”. -Marty
FOLTER RECORDS
Vader –
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
There is a track present on “Impressions in Blood” titled Helleluyah!!! (god is dead). I personally believe this to be true and I’m fairly certain that the cause of death was the merciless fucking beating inflicted upon him by Daray. Who is this Daray of whom I speak? Well, he is Vader’s current drummer. Thankfully Vader still know when to rein in the speed and inject some slow(er) material in order to abate monotony. Even so, the lasting impression left by this album is definitely that of its speed. Other Impressions left by this album would be those of talent, experience and experimentation. That final impression may confuse some of you who think that Vader has become a bit formulaic of late. While I may agree with that statement to some extant, it seems to me that they are always able to expand ever so slightly upon that formula in one way or another with each new release and “Impressions in Blood” is certainly no exception to this rule. Here you will find elaborate intros, outros and bizarre (at least for metal) drum patterns scattered throughout the nearly thirty-eight minute duration of this disc. For longtime fans, Peter’s wholly unique vocals and whammy-esque soloing are still omnipresent, so fear not as the formula hasn’t changed that much. – Lance Rogers
CANDLELIGHT
Underdark – I Am Above All
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Blood and conviction continues to flow out of the heart of the Ukrainian black metal scene and Underdark, a 2 man project featuring Amorth Incubus Magnum (ex-Drudkh, Astrofaes and Thunderkraft), is the latest musical entity from this Eastern land to reaffirm that this country is brimming with the most exciting BM sounds currently being created. Mystery, aggression and variety emits from the core of “I am Above All” with its very sharp, almost “Wolf’s Lair Abyss” reminiscent guitar tone sawing through the entrancing moods that keep this album moving along with interest and creative depth. Riff work soars between standard tremolo harmonies, before eroding off into unexpected turns, whether it is a disjointed crunch part, or bizarre chords that decay into melodious note fills. Underdark keep their verse riffs more stripped down and distinct, allowing Amorth’s dry, yet scathing vocals to find their own unique vocal lines, rather than simply following the exact changes in the riffs. The music breaks and the instrumental “Depth of Idea” is where the band embellish their guitar parts with more awkward changes and atypical movement, but Amorth’s drum work remains the constant rock beneath these compositions as he takes liberty to ensure that the tempo is always varied and interesting. Towards the end of “I Am All”, Underdark even inject a hint of folklore with what sounds like traditional folk harmonies, “blackmetalized” so to speak, before capitalizing on this minor influence by covering Kari Rueslatten’s song, “Hor min Sang” to end this album on a very interesting note. “I Am Above All” is pure and uncompromising black metal, ripe with the underground aesthetic, but Underdark work to distance themselves from the pack by nurturing their own musical identity, rather than rip off Darkthrone. By achieving this, they have created a solid album worth of material that keeps me interested throughout all 8 tracks. Definitely looking forward to this projects future endeavors. -Marty
WRAITH PRODUCTIONS
Totem – S/T MCD
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
A unique experience can be found on this meaty, 70’s bloated slab of doom. Sabbath-isms are hurled at the listener, though Totem’s overall sound is far more down tuned and more psychedelically tormented by a Hammond organ and the wah pedal soaked solos that blur the lines between reality and a waking hallucinogenic dream. Where the music is downtrodden, often times sluggish, the vocal delivery of Jex Thoth’s soothing feminine croon offers a distinct beauty to lie down with Totem’s fiendish beast. She offers some very angelic harmonies to co-exist with the organic, totally 70’s inspired analog tone and in a strange way, her style of phrasing and overall delivery does point to a fond appreciation of Ozzy’s vocal contributions to Black Sabbath. The music churns within smooth/laid back compositions that center on powerful chord riffs, never shying away from moving hooks when needed. Fans of old styled, acid enhanced doom found back in the hippy-infested heyday of the genre should really take to Totem’s unashamed emulation of that particular era. I’m sure in a live setting, this band is loud as hell and even more jammed out with elongated solos leading the charge along to a shaking tambourine and the pulsating push of this very authentic wave of sound. -Marty
I HATE
Worm Gear 