And now some Deathcore. It is not that I have a problem with Deathcore as a whole, I can appreciate the craft involved in writing and performing in much the same way as Thrash or Death Metal, it’s just that it has never really done anything for me. I’ve never got a jolt or visceral thrill from it, and I suppose it might be due to an age thing.
Anyway, Phenomena II delivers as expected. The songs are heavy with a crushing guitar tone, typically extreme vocals and drums that don’t quit. Castle In The Sky is our opener, a repeating keyboard pattern then the guitars drop in. The problem I have is with the guitar tone, its heavy but it feels overly processed and sounds so similar to a lot of extreme bands out there, none of which I like.
Going out on a limb I don’t know if they are using 7 or 8 strings (I’m sure someone will put me right) but it feels as though they have settled for hammering away on that lowest string which ultimately makes for a boring song. Daywalker continues along that same path with an arrangement that takes a lot from Castle, except they throw in some progressive touches with some quality melody lines, but I can’t get past the willingness to readily deploy the use of that extra string instead of exploring the rest of the neck. What do I know, it is entirely likely that I am out of date and should get with this sound and embrace it. Except I’m finding it difficult to do that. I’m also conscious of the fact that I am desperate to avoid a negative review just because it’s not what I like.
Demon Killer comes in next, and what can’t be criticised is the drumming on this, it is absolutely phenomenal. Demon Killer also has moments whey they bring some wizardry into proceedings, from about 2.00 mins in, there is storming guitar line which is just mint. On this one, it feels as though it is more organic, as opposed to following a rigid pattern. Level 12 is a mind-bender of an instrumental which takes some of the wizardry from Demon and makes a song out of it which provides a welcome reset. Its back to normal though with Eater Of Words, fast and frenetic, but it is not connecting with me on any level, and this is the main takeaway I have with this.
The Last Son has a more measured approach, with effective use of keys to give their sound that extra layer of atmosphere and provide more to the listener than just being hit over the head with percussive guitars whilst Chaos Reigns attacks on the front foot but doesn’t offer anything different from what we have heard before. Death Mask is another instrumental, leading into Corruption which picks up the baton named repeat. I know that sounds snarky, and I suppose that it is but by this point I’m calling it as I see it.
Nothing is landing with me, and it is frustrating because on paper it ticks all the right boxes for extreme metal, yet it is tiring me out. Getting to the final song, Enigma II was a challenge because I could have just turned it in after Eater Of Worlds. The closing track is another instrumental and to be honest you feel that if they had dropped this, or any one of the others you wouldn’t have missed them.
Ultimately, it is not for me. 6/10
Alleviate - DMNS (Arising Empire) [GC]
If I have never heard of a band before I usually have a quick check to see who they are and what they are about, deathcore band Alleviate are tagged on their labels site as a ‘’supergroup’’ and when I see the bands the individual members are in, I’m not really sure why as I have heard of exactly zero of them? Anyway, they have released some singles and are about to release their debut album DMNS.
From the very beginning notes of the opener DMNS it quickly becomes clear that the deathcore label is not really merited because what we get in my opinion is djenty metalcore and to my ears there is no death metal influences here and more to the point it’s a more polished and ‘’new’’ sounding metalcore at that, the guitars have that annoying overly electronic sound that makes them sound like ducks quacking and they swap between 2 different vocalists for clean and harsh vocals both of which could be lifted from any other band you want and not make one bit of a difference.
Ultimately, it is not for me. 6/10
Alleviate - DMNS (Arising Empire) [GC]
If I have never heard of a band before I usually have a quick check to see who they are and what they are about, deathcore band Alleviate are tagged on their labels site as a ‘’supergroup’’ and when I see the bands the individual members are in, I’m not really sure why as I have heard of exactly zero of them? Anyway, they have released some singles and are about to release their debut album DMNS.
From the very beginning notes of the opener DMNS it quickly becomes clear that the deathcore label is not really merited because what we get in my opinion is djenty metalcore and to my ears there is no death metal influences here and more to the point it’s a more polished and ‘’new’’ sounding metalcore at that, the guitars have that annoying overly electronic sound that makes them sound like ducks quacking and they swap between 2 different vocalists for clean and harsh vocals both of which could be lifted from any other band you want and not make one bit of a difference.
Trying To Survive follows the well-played path of angry intro, breaking down into an atmospheric soft verse and big chorus and it’s just so insipid & bland, like it’s been done better so many times before and honestly it’s just so predictable and boring, Broken has a bit more too it than previous songs and doesn’t feel as dialled in performance wise and this may be because there is a bit more variation in the guitar work and the clean vocals aren’t as prominent and don’t really reach the ear piercingly high pitch of previous tracks so don’t suck everything in when they happen!
Forevermore offers more in the way of just heavy and forgoes and clean vocals and once again it benefits the song massively as you can just focus on what is happening instead of waiting for the inevitable soft break bit that usually ruins the song. It doesn’t take long for Gravity to fall back into familiar territory and mix the cleans back into the mix but this time even with the higher tones they actually don’t make your ears bleed and mix in nicely and the balance works well with the more overtly djent influenced song, lead single Alive mixes in some electronic twiddling into to the already very heavily electronic sound and has an added melodic depth needed to lift the song up to another level not previously managed but while it’s all done well enough, you know exactly what is coming and it just becomes very predictable.
Better follows the usual angry, heavy bit merged with high pitched singing bits that doesn’t really add anything new to proceedings and just really merges into everything else. Die For Me has the next single written all over it as it follows the well-trodden path of angry verse that builds towards the singalong chorus and the video has rain and water splashing all over, and predictably it quickly becomes a case of heard it all before. Within Worlds gives the clean vocals a rest again and is a good effort at creating a heavy and angry noise that huffs and puffs but ultimately its ability to inspire is long gone, My Demise is one last attempt to grab the attention but really by now it’s just another cut and paste track that is again predicable and unfortunately just a bit boring, as most of the album has sounded like this so I am more than happy that it’s the last track.
I find it infuriating when you get to the end of an album and all you can think is either, I’m glad that’s over or, well that was boring and that is the overriding feeling with DMNS there were some bits that were ok but nothing ever excited me or made me want to hear it again, it all just sounded by the book and safe with no real redeeming qualities or longevity because once you listen to this you wont be revisiting it for years to come, because you will hear it once and think yeah, that was ok and then forget about it. 5/10
Mike Tramp - Songs Of White Lion Vol. 2 (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]
I generally keep it positive when I do my reviews. I can only think of two instances where I hated what I listened to so much it created a visceral response that required some venom to be spit. The two were the most recent record from Monster Truck and the debacle where Mike Tramp redid a bunch of White Lion classics with disastrous results. Surely, I will not feel that way again about…wait, I am getting word that there is a Volume 2 of Mike Tramp running more White Lion classics, this time covering a bunch of songs from my favourite record, Mane Attraction. This can’t be true...but wait, I am getting word that is it really a thing…and it is also just as much of a shameless money grab where Tramp takes his classics pretty much destroys their legacy.
Overdo stuff much? How about all of the freaking layers on Lights And Thunder? Is Tramp even trying? His karaoke voice over some layered will a million singers vocals is a shit show. Sure, try to add keys to the track and think that will make it better, because it doesn’t. What the hell is going on with the vocals on the pride deep cut Lonely Nights? I hated Till Death Due Us Part the first time around, I didn’t think that track could get worse, but somehow Tramp makes this happen. Kudos for taking on El Salvador from Fight To Survive, but no kudos for what was done to it.
Overdo stuff much? How about all of the freaking layers on Lights And Thunder? Is Tramp even trying? His karaoke voice over some layered will a million singers vocals is a shit show. Sure, try to add keys to the track and think that will make it better, because it doesn’t. What the hell is going on with the vocals on the pride deep cut Lonely Nights? I hated Till Death Due Us Part the first time around, I didn’t think that track could get worse, but somehow Tramp makes this happen. Kudos for taking on El Salvador from Fight To Survive, but no kudos for what was done to it.
Same for The Road To Valhalla, but maybe even worse. What hut me the most is what he has done to one of my favourites, All You Need Is Rock And Roll. I mean these records back in the day were overproduced, we can all agree to this, but somehow it took it even further. His effort on the chorus of this song is a crime and his microphone should be taken away from him immediately. Crimes against classics is the charge, and this MF is guilty as charged. The countrified Farewell To You took all my strength to not start dry heaving. Crimes against classics is the charge, and this MF is guilty as charged. Farewell indeed. Get out and stay out.
I really dug White Lion back in the day, especially Mane Attraction and Pride. It is his prerogative to record whatever he wants, but someone should have talked Mike Tramp out of re—recording his best material and making it considerably worse, twice now. Just awful, making Songs Of White Lion Vol. 2 the most unnecessary release of 2024. 1/10
Loss - Human Factor (DMG) [James Jackson]
There’s a leaning towards the more mainstream heavy metal/thrash played out on Metallica’s Black album and the Youthanasia through Risk and Cryptic Writings albums by Megadeth, that offers a strong appeal throughout this album.
The Brazilian trio consists of Marcelo Loss on bass and lead vocals, Adriano Avelar on guitar and vocals and Teddy Bronsk on drums, this is their second album, the first, Storm, released in 2022.
Human Factor showcases the band’s musical acumen, borrowing from blues, groove, metal and rock in order to craft eleven songs that each contain enough vocal melodies that instantly hummable and riffs that soon become something to nod along to.
There’s a familiarity to the tracks, perhaps they’re a little too close to sounding like something else, but I vaguely remember a quote that says something to the extent that all of the good riffs have already been written; so a sense of the familiar isn’t so unexpected.
I really dug White Lion back in the day, especially Mane Attraction and Pride. It is his prerogative to record whatever he wants, but someone should have talked Mike Tramp out of re—recording his best material and making it considerably worse, twice now. Just awful, making Songs Of White Lion Vol. 2 the most unnecessary release of 2024. 1/10
Loss - Human Factor (DMG) [James Jackson]
There’s a leaning towards the more mainstream heavy metal/thrash played out on Metallica’s Black album and the Youthanasia through Risk and Cryptic Writings albums by Megadeth, that offers a strong appeal throughout this album.
The Brazilian trio consists of Marcelo Loss on bass and lead vocals, Adriano Avelar on guitar and vocals and Teddy Bronsk on drums, this is their second album, the first, Storm, released in 2022.
Human Factor showcases the band’s musical acumen, borrowing from blues, groove, metal and rock in order to craft eleven songs that each contain enough vocal melodies that instantly hummable and riffs that soon become something to nod along to.
There’s a familiarity to the tracks, perhaps they’re a little too close to sounding like something else, but I vaguely remember a quote that says something to the extent that all of the good riffs have already been written; so a sense of the familiar isn’t so unexpected.
A few tracks stand out in a peculiar fashion, the slide guitar led acoustic track Right Or Wrong holds a very bluesy sound to it and is criminally too short, it’s a brief mid album interlude that could’ve easily become something more, the other is Novena and the easiest (or laziest) way for me to describe it would be to reference Sepultura’s Kaiowas or any of the more Brazilian culture inspired and influenced tracks from Roots - for obvious reasons.
Whilst the album doesn’t offer a particularly new or unique take on the genre, there are times, as discussed, where things feel familiar but it’s a good all round album. 6/10
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