And now some UKHC from Sheffield!! The debut album from Rough Justice comes via MLVTD, a metal and hardcore label who are striving to bring you the best UK music they can. An upcoming tour with Malevolence in February should see their profile raised amongst the extreme music community, and rightly so.
Coward is all massive riffs and sets up the intent to follow with everything up and in your face. This is the sort of thing that is built for causing carnage in the pit. What strikes is the use of discord as a weapon instead of just mullering the bottom strings it is a great start and brings us into Overruled which has a more urgent attack than Coward while throwing in this transition at around 1 minute from breakdown to take off, which is absolute quality. It’s not content to stay with one approach which is something they repeat to great effect as the album moves forward.
Faith In Vain changes tack slightly, now mixing in cleans with the grit with a shout a long chorus section which is nailed on to become a pit favourite. With this it doesn’t feel shoehorned in and slots into great effect as the song plays itself out and again is a top example of how well they can build a song that moves and hammers you at the same time.
Acting as an instrumental reset, Rusting comes and goes allowing for When It Comes to commence its sledgehammer attack on your ears. Its furious, every utterance, guitar stab, drum strike is filled with an anger that seeps under your skin. This is a killer of a song that has everything in it that you could possibly want, and I think that if you wanted a song to introduce you to this band, you’d pick this one.
Boa Constrictor has got work to do in order to keep up with When It Comes so they opt for a short, sharp blast that feels looser in some respects but is no less aggressive whilst Backwards Mask (first single) stomps across with a measured opening with vitriol that is spat to great effect. And then Mind’s Eye comes in and says hello. It’s difficult to express just how well these songs, especially this one moves. It makes the breakdown more lethal where in other hands that energy just disappears.
The 8 songs whip past like the band themselves are in a mad hurry to get to the next phase in the journey. They avoid the pitfalls of repetition by each of their songs possessing a balance as well as understanding that just because it’s hardcore they don’t have to do what everyone else does. Like Guilt Trip, they understand the importance of building great songs that batter you instead of something where it’s the same thing repeated over 9 or so tracks. They are touring in Feb, and I would suggest you check them out because on the strength of these songs they are going to be massive live. 8/10
Ritual Earth/Kazak - Turned To Stone Vol. 9 (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
It is fitting that my first review of 2024 is something from Ripple Music, given three of my top five albums of the year from last year were from the best label in heavy music today. Also included in my year end list were the two most recent volumes of the incredible Turned To Stone Spilt LP series, numbers seven and eight, that once again brought two of the finest in stoner/desert/doom/proto as a tag team to smash us with some killer tunes on their half of a wax slab. The series never disappoints, and nothing has changed quality wise with Volume 9, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Ritual Earth, one of my favourite doom bands out there today, and atmospheric doom newcomers from Italy, Kazak.
Ritual Earth rules, so getting new material from the guys is very exciting, even if it is just three new tracks, but all three are next level excellent and somehow a step up from their already flawless (yet limited) catalog. In The Wake starts us off, with a great riff and some organ, which, if you have ever read one of my reviews, is the way to my heart. We have some heavy-soft-heavy going on here, led by the voice of one of my favourite vocalists today, George Chamberlin, and some great instrumentation from the band. I love the guitar work on this track when it really kicks in during the last 90 seconds or so. Great stuff.
As a reference point, think a more psych Soundgarden, but their slower songs. My new favourite RE track, Through The Interstellar Medium, blew me away on first listen and gets better and better each spin. Psych doom at its finest, Doom Floyd if you will. I love how the pace changes at about the five-minute mark, and of course those vocals. Rounding out this killer trio is Ominous Aurorae, an eight-minute psych doom epic, combining what I hear as a love of 90s grunge with heavy psych doom to create the perfect concoction of heavy goodness. All three tracks belong on a 2024 playlist, the are that good.
Italy has quite the doom scene going, including these new guys on the scene who fit in perfectly with all the quality music coming out of there. Kazak brings the Doom Floyd vibe as well, but less on the heavy, more of the atmospheric doom. Geometrical Alchemy has a chill yet haunting vibe with some cool chant like vocals that fit perfectly with the music.
Haze has a unique rhythm and some interesting instrumentation going on for an almost prog doom feel, especially with the keys they bring in. The unique vocal patterns make Kazak stand out amongst some of the other Italian doomsters out there today. You lose zero quality with the second half of their side of the split, with Sunset Symphony, that reminds me a bit of Obsidian Sea, and The 25th Hour, with a fuzzy opening riff and the most psych leaning of their four tracks.
Another year, another killer volume from the Turned To Stone series from Ripple. Yeah, I want more Ritual Earth, and yeah, a full length from Kazak would be great, but for now I am happy to bask in the glow of what I have in front of me, two psych doom powerhouses who bring it with their half of another split from Ripple Music. You will certainly see this on my 2024 list. 9/10
Yersin - The Scythe Is Remorseless (Trepanation Recordings) [Matt Bladen]
One of the final albums to be released on independent label Trepanation Recordings before it closes in May, Yersin's second album, The Scythe Is Remorseless, lives up to its billing as being just that…remorseless.
One of the final albums to be released on independent label Trepanation Recordings before it closes in May, Yersin's second album, The Scythe Is Remorseless, lives up to its billing as being just that…remorseless.
It's one of the loudest albums of the year so far, these Sunderland ragers bring various levels of extreme metal as the fringes of flesh ripping death metal are met with the rawness of black metal and the burning rage of hardcore, the end result a frothing pool of aggression and dissonance. The way they mix through all the components is commendable; there's grindcore on Lust For The Crust where the trio of Rob Scott (guitar), Chris Mallan (drums) and Chris Storey (vocals) bring lots of lovely groove, it’s desolate music for desperate people.
The soundtrack to an oncoming apocalypse as the title track comes from both crossover thrash and Swedish death metal, a track such as To The Masses blisters with hardcore as the closing number Doom brings some elements of that genre, slowly building into sludge that sticks to your skin like tar. Yersin wield anger as a weapon but they aren't a band who stick to just trying to abuse you, a track such as Triumphant brings gothic backing, others featuring shifts into melody. The Scythe Is Remorseless but the music is excellent. 8/10
Cariosus - Will, Until Beauty (Self Released) [Patches]
Cariosus is a Melodic Death Metal band formed in Illinois 2014 and release their first full length LP, Will, Until Beauty with members Alex Pfister (vocals/bass) and Kevin Kryszak (guitars).
The album opens with The Narrow Path containing tech death grooves in a similar manner to bands such as Allegaeon. Of course we must descend into dropped rumblings and pig squeals for a moment as this is now compulsory in the tradition of writing for modern metal. However, for me the highlight is a more spacious psychedelic assault of cacophony seeping into an almost death-gaze harmony. The beauty of brutality and decay before deciding “ fuck it, back to the first riff, Smash! we’re done here.”
Saturn Returns, Cariosus’ the newest single kicks off with what sounds like an early Slipknot demo but sung by Hunter Madison of Hunt The Dinosaur … if you can imagine such chaos. It’s not until the midpoint that this single really grabs my attention with another spacious invocation of something grander than the djenty stab of distorted binary code.
Apollo’s Lament instantly makes more sense as a single choice. Melodic, heavy, tech insanity from the get go into a discordant and diminished chorus that genuinely had the hairs on my neck stand to attention. It’s dark, destructive, and engaging. Kevin shows off some of his tight precise guitar chops with some tasteful aggressive blackened Neo-classical ostinato. Otherwise known as a good lick, which compliments this already great track.
How The Flesh Knows. How does it know? Nerves usually. The same nerves that you see on the face of a non-metal-listener’s face when they’re in the passenger seat and the driver decides to introduce them to Lorna Shore for the first time. With its present demonic presence, It’s when they take a dive back in time to the styles developed by early melodic death acts such as At The Gates that really pushes the try not to headbang test.
What Must Be Done = DEEEEEAAAAAATTTTHHHHHH!!! Double bass + ting ting ting. No more needs to be done. That’s what we’re here for right? ChugaChugChug—ChugaChugChug—ChugaChugChug—ChugaChugChug—ChugaChuChaah-ChugaChuChaah and repeat. Breakdowns!
Of course All Too Human starts with a synth. A nice sus2 to a minor chord sets the scene ( what number are we on now ? The Unforgiven 6?) Jokes aside, the common chord progression is built upon beautifully with flowing melodic bass lines and additional guitar notes harmonising and gelling with the flourishing droney synths. The brief respite is shattered by early Dark Tranquility-esque riffs and harmonies growing until a much more black metal conclusion.
Penultimate song Sword Of Damocles leads with a much more haunting feel. Picture somebody dropped a big old djent on the desolate big sad of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And then…… BBBLLLLUUURRRGGGG! awesome.
The last song on the album Heaven’s Portent contains some absolute monster riffs, sections for the headbangers, the half time chuggers and the blast beat bastards. In my opinion the most diverse song on the LP. Containing all the hallmarks of the previous numbers culminating into the portrait of a grim portent of a future we could be heading towards.
Will, Until Beauty is an impressive piece of work. And when you consider it to be the vision of just two men and released independently even more so. It shows the competency, skill and song writing abilities of many signed and more established artists in its respective genres and is highly recommended a listen to by any fans of melodeath. Saving the best to last like any sane human would do with a steak dinner, Heaven’s Portent steals the show for me. Although, songs like Apollo’s Lament are certainly up there.
Cariosus is a Melodic Death Metal band formed in Illinois 2014 and release their first full length LP, Will, Until Beauty with members Alex Pfister (vocals/bass) and Kevin Kryszak (guitars).
The album opens with The Narrow Path containing tech death grooves in a similar manner to bands such as Allegaeon. Of course we must descend into dropped rumblings and pig squeals for a moment as this is now compulsory in the tradition of writing for modern metal. However, for me the highlight is a more spacious psychedelic assault of cacophony seeping into an almost death-gaze harmony. The beauty of brutality and decay before deciding “ fuck it, back to the first riff, Smash! we’re done here.”
Saturn Returns, Cariosus’ the newest single kicks off with what sounds like an early Slipknot demo but sung by Hunter Madison of Hunt The Dinosaur … if you can imagine such chaos. It’s not until the midpoint that this single really grabs my attention with another spacious invocation of something grander than the djenty stab of distorted binary code.
Apollo’s Lament instantly makes more sense as a single choice. Melodic, heavy, tech insanity from the get go into a discordant and diminished chorus that genuinely had the hairs on my neck stand to attention. It’s dark, destructive, and engaging. Kevin shows off some of his tight precise guitar chops with some tasteful aggressive blackened Neo-classical ostinato. Otherwise known as a good lick, which compliments this already great track.
How The Flesh Knows. How does it know? Nerves usually. The same nerves that you see on the face of a non-metal-listener’s face when they’re in the passenger seat and the driver decides to introduce them to Lorna Shore for the first time. With its present demonic presence, It’s when they take a dive back in time to the styles developed by early melodic death acts such as At The Gates that really pushes the try not to headbang test.
What Must Be Done = DEEEEEAAAAAATTTTHHHHHH!!! Double bass + ting ting ting. No more needs to be done. That’s what we’re here for right? ChugaChugChug—ChugaChugChug—ChugaChugChug—ChugaChugChug—ChugaChuChaah-ChugaChuChaah and repeat. Breakdowns!
Of course All Too Human starts with a synth. A nice sus2 to a minor chord sets the scene ( what number are we on now ? The Unforgiven 6?) Jokes aside, the common chord progression is built upon beautifully with flowing melodic bass lines and additional guitar notes harmonising and gelling with the flourishing droney synths. The brief respite is shattered by early Dark Tranquility-esque riffs and harmonies growing until a much more black metal conclusion.
Penultimate song Sword Of Damocles leads with a much more haunting feel. Picture somebody dropped a big old djent on the desolate big sad of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And then…… BBBLLLLUUURRRGGGG! awesome.
The last song on the album Heaven’s Portent contains some absolute monster riffs, sections for the headbangers, the half time chuggers and the blast beat bastards. In my opinion the most diverse song on the LP. Containing all the hallmarks of the previous numbers culminating into the portrait of a grim portent of a future we could be heading towards.
Will, Until Beauty is an impressive piece of work. And when you consider it to be the vision of just two men and released independently even more so. It shows the competency, skill and song writing abilities of many signed and more established artists in its respective genres and is highly recommended a listen to by any fans of melodeath. Saving the best to last like any sane human would do with a steak dinner, Heaven’s Portent steals the show for me. Although, songs like Apollo’s Lament are certainly up there.
Heavy as a prehistoric cave bear dipped in molten Iridium, left to dry and then dropped under the immense pressure of the northern Pacific Ocean until its solidified metal corpse is plastered in Semibalanus cariosus (Large species of rock barnacles). Cariosus (which is a great name meaning decayed and nothing to do with rock barnacles) Will, Until Beauty is a whomping. 8/10
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