Reviews: Monument Of Misanthropy, Barbarian Hermit, Vanitas, Mister Misery (Reviews By Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Monument of Misanthropy - Vile Postmortem Irrumatio (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Mark Young]

I think this is a first for me. A death metal concept album that is based on real-life events, specifically that of Ed Kemper. I know that serial killers have been used extensively (Slayer, Dead Skin Mask as a starter for ten) but I’ve not heard of an entire album devoted to one person. You know that this is going to be some trip, and in terms of the label ‘Brutal death metal’ they live up to that title here. 

It might be worth a few lines on who Ed Kemper, who was nicknamed the co-ed killer due to murdering 7 women and one girl in the early 70’s. This included his mother and her friend. Before then, he’d killed his Grandparents although incarcerated, his high IQ and manipulation of psychiatric testing meant he was released. It’s also for the best not to google the album title either (other search engines are available).

With a canvas like this, you could argue that Monument Of Misanthropy could just throw a load of growls and blast beats at you and call it a day. Not so, they have taken the time to put this together in a way that tells this horrific story in the finest way possible. The opener, First Time It Makes You Sick To Your Stomach (even the titles are a step above) comes at you like a first-rate horror film. Voiceovers whilst it gradually builds in the background then boom, How To Make A Killer detonates. 

It’s a full-on assault – rapid-fire drumming, vocals that fit the grisly tableau, and a satisfying guitar come together, as intense as you like. The Atascasdero Years comes at you like a frenzied beast from the shadows, taking the initiative and running with it as they deploy some off-kilter riffing. This is the soundtrack of nightmares, and its fantastic. It’s not just one riff or just blast beats, the build strikes like it’s been written for a scene in a film. 

Hits One And Two drops some technical wizardry amongst the brutality, and almost kills the song, it feels too bright if that makes sense especially when sat with the fully-fledged brutality of the track. The actual playing of the piece is great, it doesn’t fit here but I’ll let it slide. Manipulating The Experts is pure class, it’s a simple riff but the whole song is devastating in attack, pushing and digging forward while the title track is phenomenal. 

If you ask what brutal death metal should sound like, well it should sound like this. George “Misanthrope” Wilfinger on vocals absolutely nails it here. Delivering lyrics of murderous intent that you can actually hear. There is a guitar line on here, running in support of the chorus/mid-section that is mint. The Devil's Slide fights with the title track for best song here, this time the virtuosity deployed fits, expanding the track to mesmeric levels as it takes flight, pummelling you on the way past. 

We finish with Pueblo Paranoia, a spoken word track over the band until George growls his way in, riffs are thrown out with ease, the use of scales to invoke a sense of panic are fabulous. I’ve got to mention the machine behind the kit, Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse) for the precision and speed displayed here. It is a fitting end, closing an album that has no weak points or duff songs and should be held as an example of how to do brutal death metal. 

The use of spoken word extracts gives the album a level of authenticity, as well as adding a layer of darkness over everything. It reinforces that there are people like this out there and gives the songs extra heft. It’s a bonus that is added to the songs, songs that are so well-built, that deliver on the promise of being truly brutal. They are as brutal as the source material, and in doing so have dropped one of the albums of the year. (yes, even with an intro piece) 10/10

Barbarian Hermit - Mean Sugar (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]

 
Manchester's big bad Barbarians are back. In fact they have gone right back with original vocalist Simon Scarlett re-joining the fold in 2020. So on this second album they have expanded on the maturity they had on 2018's Solitude And Savagery but brought back the raw riffage that appeared on their debut EP One, which was the last one Simon performed on. 

One itself was given an audio makeover and re-released by APF in 2021 so you could say Mean Sugar is really a sequel to that and on the title track we get going with the phasered heavy doom. Yep those grumbling bass rhythms from Rob Sutcliffe drive the heavy alongside Gareth Manning's massive drumbeats, coming back with something similar on Stranger Than Fiction.

The thick syrupy grooves and distortion are back on the menu then boys, it sounds meaty, recorded by Joe Clayton at No Studio and mastered by Chris Fielding (Foel Studios), swaggering smashers such as Battle Of Kompromat come out of the sludgesphere and while sludge, doom and stoner are touch points here. Barbarian Hermit try to infuse their collective influences into it as well as make sure they are telling stories with their songs. Stories about politics, a pandemic cost of living crisis and war, these demons exercised by playing loud music with your mates; be it the sinister sycophants on the southern/gospel tinged Who Put 50p In You, the psychedelic meandering on Stitched Up, Simon can growl, grunt and croon over it.

 
Providing the riffs as per usual are Mike Regan and Adam Robertshaw, with the repeating fuzz of the Big Muff into an octave shifter on the beginning of Deadbolt gets quickly shifted into chugging, but it's with tracks such as Kick Up The Dust they get squidgy with the riffs linking them with some organs/synths for a a bit of classic hard rocking, further distancing themselves from being lumbered with the doom/stoner tag, the closer Heal The Tyrant wrapping up Mean Sugar as the beginning of the new Barbarian Hermit, one where they still pay lip service to the scene they were born from but take risks to spread their wings a bit. Music for beer drinking and hell raising. Turn it up! 9/10

Vanitas - Chaos Theory (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Birmingham purveyors of cinematic djent return with their sophomore release and it's just more, more than what they have done before, sweeping orchestral add a feeling of soundtracking, be it video games or fantasy films. There's massive swathes on E.D.G and the title track, the latter a bit more nuanced as they take a similar vein to Symphony X's sound on Paradise Lost.

The orchestral movements come from Dakesis/CapsAarx man Matt Jones who also mixed and mastered the record but obviously these orchestral are the topping to a very strong prog metal cake. The bands experience with opening/playing with some of the best around shows on tracks such as the full frontal prog of Queen Of Nowhere, it's heavy and aggressive.

Jade Maris utilising the full breadth of her voice from the aggressive roars to the soaring cleans, a trick she repeats a few times but it never gets old, both styles of vocal managed perfectly against the heavy djenty backing that sees rhythm section of Jon Willingham (bass) and Jackson Cann (drums) get to impress with the start stop riffs on Grey Morality and the grooves of Lies while the guitar duo of Mitchell Barlow and Elijah Storer, alternate between those chugging riffs, widdly leads and speedy thrash.

Vanitas return with a much heavier sound than they have had before this and it pays off well on their second release. 8/10

Mister Misery - Mister Misery (AFM Records) [Mark Young]

Now you can appreciate the graft that goes into pulling any artistic endeavour together, especially when it is then thrust into the world with high expectations and receive the kind word of strangers (such as me) who review such efforts. It has to be a little disheartening when after all that work someone (like me) pops up and declares ‘he didn’t like it’. 

The self-titled new album is their third since forming in 2018. This is certainly a metallic effort, but I just couldn’t get on with it. I’ve said this before that it’s not aimed at my ‘vintage’ and would find more traction with younger ages such as those who are in their formative years who may find this music new and exciting. 

Their bio is positive enough noting that they are leaning into the Horror Metal area and wear the corpse paint and look the part, but what about the songs? 

Are you sitting comfortably? Let’s begin.

Root Of All Evil comes in with a great chunky riff, pounding steadily with some decent death vocals from Harley Vendetta and its promising, even with what feels like a deathcore feel to it. Its rapid which I dig and then the clean vocals, presented in a way that is meant to be anthemic and suddenly my spider sense starts to tingle. There’s something about it that is making my teeth itch but in the interests of giving it a fair crack of the whip I’ll stick with it but as the song progresses that clean refrain returns, transitioning into a lead break which is admittedly impressive, but the dye is cast. 

There is a place for that dirt / clean vocal approach, but this feels as though it is a blatant attempt at writing a metal hit. They continue with Erzsébet (The Countess) with an arrangement that reminds me of so many other bands. The way it’s put together again suggests that emphasis has been placed on having hooks and sing-along moments, again aimed at a certain fan-group. It’s too transparent and as a result of that it makes me feel that it is a cynical act on their part. 

Which is a shame, because they have a knack for melodic metal, Eye Of The Storm has a great build but the cleans ruin it, as does the expected ‘hooky’ moment as well as the vocal inflections that accompany it. Same dance with Hand Of Death, the actual guitar work is great when it’s in heavy mode, it’s the cleans that drop the ball. 

Unfortunately for me, this theme continues for the remainder of the album – great riffs and ideas ruined by the singing. No, that is incorrect. It’s the way that they have consciously shoe-horned that sing-along piece into every song. It’s too clean, too polished, and doesn’t feel dangerous in any way at all. I think this is the first time I’ve thrown the towel in after only 4 songs. It’s better this way, because as I wrap up this review, I will point out the positives without wasting my time and becoming unnecessarily bitter and twisted about it. Which I think is fair.  

Musically, it performed well. The guitars are heavy and there are great riffs on here as well as some tasty melodic parts that could serve them well going forward. I know they aren’t for me or even aimed at me and that is fine. 5/10