It started with Apocalyptica, the use of cello as an instrument to play 'metal' on, away from the po-faced classical music scene, but using those conservatoire learned skills to bring a whole new sound into the rock & metal world. While the Finns seems content with Metallica covers these days, there are a few artists that compose brilliant soundscapes of their own, collaborate with bands who you wouldn't even consider need a cello and captivate audiences in metal festivals across the world.
Notable names such as Jo Quail, Helen Money of Verbow and Raphael Weinroth-Browne have all defined a genre all of it's own, showcasing the cello as an instrument that more than stands up to distorted riffs and heavy grooves. If you were to make a comparison then I would say the solo cello artists feel very familiar to anyone who is a fan of the post rock, post metal, sound of repeating rhythm loops, extensive use of pedals and glimmering atmospherics against evocative darkness.
With his new album Lifeblood, Raphael Weinroth-Browne, displays not only his virtuosity with his instrument but does so through smartly composed songs which have all the excitement and dynamism of a metal band. Having appeared alongside Leprous, his music has the same pathos and power as his co-conspirators, but using just his one chosen instrument.
There is some Apocalyptica style Metallica worship on Neanderthal but mostly Raphael forges his own path. Take the Middle Eastern motif of Possession, or the drama that emboldens Serpentine, its music that lays it's hat on the cusp of classical, but perhaps more electric proms rather than the traditional ones. Winterlight too is heavy, not in terms of distortion or blast beats but smothered by emotion, the insistent background buzz breaks any silence, as Ophidian takes and industrial throb.
The music on this record is the Lifeblood of Raphael Weinroth-Browne, it's pumps through his veins, curating every moment of this album. Cello innovation at virtuoso level, a fantastic record. 9/10
Vernon Reid – Hoodoo Telemetry (Mascot Label Group) [Cherie Curtis]
Vernon Reid, known primarily from the band Living Colour hands us a hefty one this week. Hoodoo Telemetry is 14 tracks of 70s - esque soundscapes of expert instrumentals with little to no vocals to start with. Tracks like Door Of No Return and Freedom Jazz Dance are 5 minutes of pure organised mess and chaotic genius. These tracks tell a story and sound to me like something you'd hear in the background of an avant-garde indie movie. The guitar is sharp and highly unusual, and the frequent use of snares and cymbals shift fast in pace which makes these tracks creative and unique.
The album feels a bit long to start with and myself not being familiar with this specific genre was on the fence however; Hoodoo Telemetry taught me the values of patience before being stunned by Vernon Reid's outstanding vocals. Beautiful Bastard is lucid and indulgent, it’s slower and gentler than the previous instrumentals. Politician is slightly more theatrical with elements of soul; it’s one to get you moving with its catchy chorus, raw and emotive vocals with some amazing brass elements.
Black Fathom Five is interesting as it features some sound samples with spoken/rapped verses with lilting guitars. It’s cool, fast and a refreshing change of pace from its counterparts. This album covers all bases; there is something for everyone to enjoy here, if you don't like what you’re hearing, give it five minutes because this album is the definition of range.
Overall Hoodoo Telemetry is stunning, highly conceptual with some great storytelling, it feels like an experience more than music in my opinion. Its well-produced and written, it’s technical and its clear the level of effort that went into creating this album - It’s timeless. 9 /10
Valdur – Guilded Abyss (Bloody Mountain Records) [Spike]
With Guilded Abyss, Valdur deliver a record that perfectly straddles the line between punishing aggression and immersive atmosphere. From the first note of Hailing Molten Meteors, the listener is thrown into a soundscape that is simultaneously immense and claustrophobic. A world of tremolo-picked guitars, thundering drums, and vocals that claw from the shadows. This is an album that doesn’t merely ask for your attention; it demands full immersion, dragging you into its intricately crafted darkness.
The second track, Mangled and Rotting (Spiritus Mortuus), accelerates the assault. It combines sheer technical precision with an almost ritualistic sense of menace, riffs coil and snap like barbed wire, while the drums land with bone-crushing authority. Guilded Abyss, the title track, is the album’s centrepiece. Here, Valdur excel at balancing ferocity with a sense of spatial awareness, allowing the layered guitars and cymbal crashes to breathe within the storm. The track twists between pummelling passages and stretches of eerie melody, making the intensity feel both overwhelming and purposeful.
Mid-album tracks like Doomed Pt. II and Drinking From The Chalice Of Banishment give the record texture. Doomed Pt. II is tight and mechanical, a relentless engine of riffs and double-kick precision, while Drinking From The Chalice Of Banishment slows things down, allowing the listener to feel the oppressive weight of the album’s atmosphere. It’s in these moments that the production truly shines, each layer is clear, the bass rumbles deep without muddying the guitars, and the vocals slice through the mix with icy menace.
The penultimate track, Stars Of Belial, shifts gears again, blending blackened tremolo with death metal stomp to create a track that is both devastating and cinematic. The album closes with the bonus Waves Of Boiling Water / Hailing Molten Meteors Pt. II, revisiting motifs from the opener while pushing them into new, more chaotic territory. The result is a satisfying arc, a sense that the album has taken you on a journey through fire and shadow.
Throughout Guilded Abyss, Valdur demonstrate an impressive mastery of tension and release. Every riff, every drum fill, every vocal inflection is calculated to keep the listener off-balance, but never at the cost of clarity. It’s an album that rewards close attention. 8/10
Notable names such as Jo Quail, Helen Money of Verbow and Raphael Weinroth-Browne have all defined a genre all of it's own, showcasing the cello as an instrument that more than stands up to distorted riffs and heavy grooves. If you were to make a comparison then I would say the solo cello artists feel very familiar to anyone who is a fan of the post rock, post metal, sound of repeating rhythm loops, extensive use of pedals and glimmering atmospherics against evocative darkness.
With his new album Lifeblood, Raphael Weinroth-Browne, displays not only his virtuosity with his instrument but does so through smartly composed songs which have all the excitement and dynamism of a metal band. Having appeared alongside Leprous, his music has the same pathos and power as his co-conspirators, but using just his one chosen instrument.
There is some Apocalyptica style Metallica worship on Neanderthal but mostly Raphael forges his own path. Take the Middle Eastern motif of Possession, or the drama that emboldens Serpentine, its music that lays it's hat on the cusp of classical, but perhaps more electric proms rather than the traditional ones. Winterlight too is heavy, not in terms of distortion or blast beats but smothered by emotion, the insistent background buzz breaks any silence, as Ophidian takes and industrial throb.
The music on this record is the Lifeblood of Raphael Weinroth-Browne, it's pumps through his veins, curating every moment of this album. Cello innovation at virtuoso level, a fantastic record. 9/10
Vernon Reid – Hoodoo Telemetry (Mascot Label Group) [Cherie Curtis]
Vernon Reid, known primarily from the band Living Colour hands us a hefty one this week. Hoodoo Telemetry is 14 tracks of 70s - esque soundscapes of expert instrumentals with little to no vocals to start with. Tracks like Door Of No Return and Freedom Jazz Dance are 5 minutes of pure organised mess and chaotic genius. These tracks tell a story and sound to me like something you'd hear in the background of an avant-garde indie movie. The guitar is sharp and highly unusual, and the frequent use of snares and cymbals shift fast in pace which makes these tracks creative and unique.
The album feels a bit long to start with and myself not being familiar with this specific genre was on the fence however; Hoodoo Telemetry taught me the values of patience before being stunned by Vernon Reid's outstanding vocals. Beautiful Bastard is lucid and indulgent, it’s slower and gentler than the previous instrumentals. Politician is slightly more theatrical with elements of soul; it’s one to get you moving with its catchy chorus, raw and emotive vocals with some amazing brass elements.
Black Fathom Five is interesting as it features some sound samples with spoken/rapped verses with lilting guitars. It’s cool, fast and a refreshing change of pace from its counterparts. This album covers all bases; there is something for everyone to enjoy here, if you don't like what you’re hearing, give it five minutes because this album is the definition of range.
Overall Hoodoo Telemetry is stunning, highly conceptual with some great storytelling, it feels like an experience more than music in my opinion. Its well-produced and written, it’s technical and its clear the level of effort that went into creating this album - It’s timeless. 9 /10
Valdur – Guilded Abyss (Bloody Mountain Records) [Spike]
With Guilded Abyss, Valdur deliver a record that perfectly straddles the line between punishing aggression and immersive atmosphere. From the first note of Hailing Molten Meteors, the listener is thrown into a soundscape that is simultaneously immense and claustrophobic. A world of tremolo-picked guitars, thundering drums, and vocals that claw from the shadows. This is an album that doesn’t merely ask for your attention; it demands full immersion, dragging you into its intricately crafted darkness.
The second track, Mangled and Rotting (Spiritus Mortuus), accelerates the assault. It combines sheer technical precision with an almost ritualistic sense of menace, riffs coil and snap like barbed wire, while the drums land with bone-crushing authority. Guilded Abyss, the title track, is the album’s centrepiece. Here, Valdur excel at balancing ferocity with a sense of spatial awareness, allowing the layered guitars and cymbal crashes to breathe within the storm. The track twists between pummelling passages and stretches of eerie melody, making the intensity feel both overwhelming and purposeful.
Mid-album tracks like Doomed Pt. II and Drinking From The Chalice Of Banishment give the record texture. Doomed Pt. II is tight and mechanical, a relentless engine of riffs and double-kick precision, while Drinking From The Chalice Of Banishment slows things down, allowing the listener to feel the oppressive weight of the album’s atmosphere. It’s in these moments that the production truly shines, each layer is clear, the bass rumbles deep without muddying the guitars, and the vocals slice through the mix with icy menace.
The penultimate track, Stars Of Belial, shifts gears again, blending blackened tremolo with death metal stomp to create a track that is both devastating and cinematic. The album closes with the bonus Waves Of Boiling Water / Hailing Molten Meteors Pt. II, revisiting motifs from the opener while pushing them into new, more chaotic territory. The result is a satisfying arc, a sense that the album has taken you on a journey through fire and shadow.
Throughout Guilded Abyss, Valdur demonstrate an impressive mastery of tension and release. Every riff, every drum fill, every vocal inflection is calculated to keep the listener off-balance, but never at the cost of clarity. It’s an album that rewards close attention. 8/10
Modder - Destroying Ourselves For A Place In The Sun (Consouling Sounds/Lay Bare Recordings) [Rich Piva]
Modder is a pretty dang heavy instrumental band out of Ghent, Belgium. They seem to exist to crush, and that is exactly what they do on their new slab of six heavy as hell genre bending tracks.
You get heavy psych, you get instrumental death, you get doom vibes, you get some synths, and some seriously chunky sludge. This is just in the first track, Stone Eternal. The riffs are plentiful and the drummer is a madman. Track two, Mather, has this djent thing going on and is also some crazy stuff, until it gets all sparse and we go loud quiet and back to loud again. Type 27 is just extreme instrumental metal that goes on for a long time.
You get heavy psych, you get instrumental death, you get doom vibes, you get some synths, and some seriously chunky sludge. This is just in the first track, Stone Eternal. The riffs are plentiful and the drummer is a madman. Track two, Mather, has this djent thing going on and is also some crazy stuff, until it gets all sparse and we go loud quiet and back to loud again. Type 27 is just extreme instrumental metal that goes on for a long time.
You get some breaks from the frantic nature of this song, just enough to catch your breath and have it assault you once again. The guitar work here is off the charts. Mutant Body Double turns up the doomy sludge dial while Chaoism has an almost industrial/Godflesh feel to it. The closer, In The Sun, is more sludgy goodness with quiet the hypnotic thing going on. Plus, we almost get vocals, in the form of a howling chant thing. Cool. Oh, then it goes all black metal too. Very cool.
Modder is heavy. The are insanely talented and keep stuff very interesting, especially for someone who doesn’t always connect with instrumental albums. If you are looking for some out there heaviness and have no use for words, check out Destroying Ourselves For A Place In The Sun. 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment