Reviews: Katatonia, Helfró, Werewolves, Witches Hammer (Paul H & Paul S)

Katatonia: City Burials (Peaceville Records) [Paul Hutchings]

2017 and Katatonia announced their withdrawal from the music scene. I admit I took my eye of the ball and assumed that the band would be mothballed before falling away forever. Their sound over the past 20 years had earned plaudits aplenty, but despite the occasional show at venues like Shepherd’s Bush Empire, they didn’t receive the success that their delicate and thoughtful music deserved. Katatonia’s line-up has changed over their musical journey but founder members Jonas Renkse (vocals) and guitarist Anders Nyström remain, alongside long-serving bassist Niklas Sandin and drummer Daniel Moilanen who remains in the stool after his debut on 2016’s The Fall Of Hearts. Newest member of the band is guitarist Roger Öjersson, whilst the luscious keyboards are once more delivered by Anders Eriksson who played on both Night Is The New Day and Dead End Kings.

Within seconds of the opening track Hearts Set To Divide you are reassured that this is Katatonia. Renkse’s voice is unique, his gentle melancholic echo enunciating in that eloquent delivery, whilst the subtle combination of guitar and keyboards lead into the main body of the song. Behind The Blood shows the band’s teeth, the first of several metal style riffs emerging in a song which vibrant and vigorous. The already released Lacquer drifts with a delicate, petalled feel, Renske’s vocals soaring, gripped by the raw emotion that is synonymous with the feel of Katatonia over the past decade. Rein is a nod to the older style, dramatic in feel and delivery. This wouldn’t have been out of place on Night Is The New Day, over a decade old but this is delivered with a modern twist.

There is the subtle delicacy of Vanishers, with the guest vocals of Anni Bernhard, of Stockholm art rockers Full Of Keys adding some wonderful ethereal harmonies. It’s a beautiful song, a sweeping soundscape of emotion. Pure and evocative, this is one of the standout songs on a quite majestic release. We have drama in Flickers, Eriksson’s keys playing an integral part in the composition whilst City Glaciers reintroduces the harder, guitar oriented edge that surfaced earlier. The double tracking vocals always works fabulously and on this track it excels. Penultimate song Neon Epitaph adds a new feel, the juxtaposition of jangling guitar riff and staccato drum linking perfectly. Having been an admirer of Katatonia for many years, there is little that they do that I don’t love. City Burials is a work of impressive quality. It is an album that requires time to absorb. Several plays are not enough to really do it justice. It is once more a piece of crafted art, containing complexity, maturity, and organic growth. Their absence was thankfully short; the return is most welcome. 9/10

Helfró: Self Titled (Season Of Mist) [Paul Scoble]

Helfró are an Icelandic duo who have been making music together since 2017. The band made up of Raynor S on Drums and Vocals, and Simon Þ on Guitar, Bass and Vocals. Raynor writes all the music and Simon arranges it. Helfró is the band's first album. The pair play a style of Black Metal that is fairly extreme, it has the density and discordance that I would associate with ‘Icelandic’ Black Metal, whilst also having a similarity with 3rd wave, Scandinavian Black Metal (1349, Koldbrann, Watain etc.). The main style is ably demonstrated by the opening track Afeitrun. Very tight, tremolo picked riffs over blast beating drums and very harsh vocals (all the vocals are harsh except for a few places where clean chanting is used). The track has some very nice dramatic flourishes, and there is a nice level of tunefulness, despite the harshness and savagery.

The style Helfró use on this album remains mainly the same, but has lots of little modifications to keep it interesting. Þrátt Fyrir Brennandi Vilja is slow and very heavy, there is a bit of a Blackened Doom feel to this track, and it is packed with very melancholic melody. The softer clean vocals that I mentioned earlier, are used to great effect. In both Ávöxtur Af Rotnu Tré and Hin Forboðna Alsæla clean, chanted vocals give the tracks a nicely devotional feel, that is very effective and fits in perfectly with the albums overall atmosphere. This album also has several absolute blasts of up-tempo, high speed blasting. Þegn Hinna Stundlegu Harma has a very fast tempo, it’s quite thrashy in style and has a brilliant feeling of speed and inertia. Katrín is another blast of fast, savage Black Metal.

It also features a few riffs that are maybe a little Old School Death Metal in style. The album comes to an end with Musteri Agans which is fast, savage and a little bit reminiscent of 1349. It’s packed full of energy and some very impressive drumming, beneath those incredibly spikey and harsh riffs. Helfró is a great debit album. This album takes no prisoners, but at the same time you will be surprised at how melodic and tuneful it is. This might be a debut, but it is a very mature work that has depth and maturity. If this is what Helfró can produce as a debut album, then I am eager to hear anything they produce from here on in. 8/10

Werewolves: The Dead Are Screaming (Prosthetic Records) [Paul Scoble]

Australian bruisers Werewolves have been together since June 2019. They also claim to have written and recorded their debut album The Dead Are Screaming, in a mere 3 weeks, just after the band formed. This all sounds a little bit unbelievable, that is until you realise that Werewolves are made up of Dave Haley (Psycroptic, Ruins, King, and Abramelin) on Drums, Sam Bean (The Antichrist Imperium, Abramelin) on Bass and Vocals and Matt Wilcox (The Berzerker, The Antichrist Imperium, Abramelin) on guitar. So, thats a lot of current bands and if you also add the band members former bands; The Senseless, The Amenta, Mithras and Akercocke, you have a list of some of the most innovative and inventive bands in extreme metal. So, forming and making a debut album in about a month starts to sound more believable. It becomes even more believable when you hear the album (I realise that sounds bitchy, but it really isn’t), because this is very simple, very savage metal.

The band themselves define their sound as Blackened Death/Grind, which is definitely a good description, although to me what this sounds like is Old School Death Metal, and very good Old School Death Metal at that. The album kicks off with Establish Dominance, a blast of old school Death metal riffs, blasting drums that have a definite D-Beat feel to them and some very nasty vocals. The riffs feel quite Scandinavian, maybe a little bit like early Entombed or Dismember, the song slow down for a very heavy ending. Know Your Place is probably more towards the grind end of the spectrum, at times it feels very punky and that D-Beat feel to the drumming is more obvious than on the first track. Dogknotted is an absolute blast of savage Death Metal, it’s really fast and extreme, this is verging on Drawn And Quartered or Pissgrave levels of intensity and and ferociousness. Fountains Of Bile is slower, but has an aggressive, driven fierceness that works really well. No More Heroes (not a cover of the The Stranglers song, although that would have been amazing) is another blastingly fast Death Metal. There is a Thrashy feel to the song, maybe a little bit of early Slayer or Kreator.
Beating Those We Despise is strait Death Metal, it reminds me a little of Bacterial Breakdown by Welsh Death Metal legends Desecration, and also features a slow and very heavy section near the end.

Gnaw Their Bones has that high speed Thrash feel to it, that was on No More Heroes, like early Sodom in its unhinged savagery. Irate is a beautiful sub three minute blast. It’s short, savage and powerful and such a great track. The album comes to a close with Showering Teeth, which has an old school Black Metal feel to the faster parts and also boasts a very slow and heavy section, and is a great way to end the album. The Dead Are Screaming is a cracking piece of (mainly) Old School Death Metal. It isn’t complex, it isn’t progressive and it isn’t subtle, but it was never meant to be any of those things. This album is meant to be blasting, simple aggressive Death Metal and Grind, and it succeeds at all of those things. If you are looking for complex, subtle or progressive I suggest you check out one of Werewolves members other projects, but if you are after some simple but very effective extreme metal, then this is what you are after. The Dead Are Screaming is a beautifully savage piece of extremity, it does one, simple thing, but it does it so well you won’t miss the complexity. 8/10

Witches Hammer: Damnation Is My Salvation (Nuclear War Now Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Originally formed in 1982, Witches Hammer achieved cult status as the first extreme band to emerge from the Vancouver area. Formed by 13-year olds Marco Banco and Alan Goddard, the band experienced numerous line up changes. A demo in 1985 was followed by further demo releases and one EP before the band split in 1990. The band are linked to the legendary Blasphemy, with Banco playing with them for several years. Having reformed in 2018, the band has now released a full-length collection of brutally evil speed metal which captures the atmosphere, feel and essence of those explosive early days when this type of music was very much still spawning from the grave.

Three remastered tracks sit comfortably alongside newly written ones. An old school production adds to the authenticity of the album and whilst it may only be the penetrating shredding of Banco and the devilish rasps of singer Ray Prizmic who link the band with the 1980s, the new recruits AJ Kovar (bass), drummer Steve Shaw and guitarist Jesse James Jardine do a stellar job in recreating those original demonic flavours. Raw, gnarly, and ferocious, Damnation Is My Salvation contains eight powerful tracks crammed full of energy and fiery intensity. It is a must for fans of those early formative years of the thrash and extreme metal movement. 7/10

Reviews: Cirith Ungol, Embodiment, Elephant Tree, Trick Or Treat (Paul H, Charlie, Matt & Simon)

Cirith Ungol: Forever Black (Metal Blade Records) [Paul Hutchings]

It’s been 29 years since the might of Californian epic battle metal legends Cirith Ungol released their Paradise Lost album. Having reformed in 2015 following coercion from Keep It True festival curator Oliver and Night Demon engine Jarvis Leatherby, the band started gigging again. They released their first ever single Witch’s Game to accompany the animated movie The Planet Of Doom in 2018 and now we are graced with their fifth full-length release, Forever Black. You’ll recall me reminiscing about the recent remastered version of King Of The Dead, the 1984 album the band released. Well, Forever Black is as heavy and epic as that seminal release. Opening with a long horn blast, The Call summons the band’s fans, the legions. What follows is possibly the fastest Cirith Ungol song ever; the racing Legions Arise, a call to arms for the band’s fans worldwide. It’s tight, powerful and dramatic with Tim Baker’s distinctive vocal roar showing no signs of age. In truth, Forever Black is the natural follow up to Paradise Lost. It contains all the classic hallmarks of the band, but with a fresh drive and pace that allows Cirith Ungol to straddle both generations and decades.

For the uninitiated, Cirith Ungol play a blend of classic heavy metal which combines the power of Manowar with the fantasy fiction of Blind Guardian. The inevitable Tolkien namechecks are present in the band’s name, although they take their literature influences more from the horror of HP Lovecraft and the fantasy of Michael Moorcock. Nowhere is this more evident than on Stormbringer, the mournful tale of the sword forever bound to Moorcock’s character Elric. A brooding, heavy doom filled ballad, Stormbringer allows Cirith Ungol to slow the pace without losing any power. By contrast Fracttus Promissium’s riff heavy power harks back to the 70’s power trio Budgie, with a nod to Ray Phillips in the drum patterns and fills. Few bands can pull out this classic style doom filled metal, and even though time is not on their side (several members are over 60), in Forever Black Cirith Ungol have released an album that sits comfortably with their back catalogue. The title track which closes this record is a clear statement: Cirith Ungol have returned to reclaim their throne. Join the legion! 9/10

Embodiment: Palingenesis (Self Released) [Charlie Rogers]

It’s been a while since we’ve been graced by a new Embodiment release, and as a fan of their work so far I was eager to hear what the boys had in store this time. The first record set the level very high with bangers like Infested, Carcass, and of course The Beast, will Palingenesis reach the same lofty heights? Reverence Through Disgust opens the album with a gentle introduction, neatly setting the table before Harry Smithson’s signature roar slaps down a meaty portion of vocals. The tempo picks up, the instruments follow suit, and the metal kicks into gear.

I’m immediately impressed with the vast soundscape the album paints, the mix is spot on with room to hear every single part of the four-piece’s dynamic ensemble. Soaring guitar leads from Finn Maxwell, accompanied and underpinned by the relentless clanking of Kieran Hogarty’s powerful bass-playing propel the song forwards, with the powerhouse that is Leslie Preston providing the V8 double kicks and tasteful cymbal abuse keeping the machine in check. But there’s more to the sound than these four musicians - plenty of synth and effects add to the songs to bring more to the table than one would usually get from a local band. This is no different to the Embodiment we’ve been enjoying for the past couple of years however, and I’ve got no doubt their live sound is going to continue to mirror what’s produced here.

The album sets forth with a mix of full songs and interludes, creating a very modern death metal atmosphere. My one big criticism of the record is that the interludes sometimes slow the momentum down, and interrupt the flow. I think the energy would maintain at a higher level if some of these were shorter or even removed. Perhaps that was the point though, and my thick skull isn’t appreciating the breath of air given between the riffage. Speaking of riffage, there’s plenty of it on the album. Each song is absolutely fit to burst with guitarwork, both rhythmic riffing and melodic leads. Satisfaction In Extermination in particular highlights the palette of styles and dynamics on display from the group, hitting hard with sewerlike gutturals and machine gun blasts, yet also featuring an open, airy passage of bass and guitar dueling that wouldn’t be amiss on any great prog record. 

Clocking in at just over 33 minutes, the record seems well timed, and definitely doesn’t feel drawn out. There’s enough there to satiate pretty much all tastes, and aside from the excessive interludes it’s all welcome. Stand out tracks for me are the two singles Reverence Through Disgust, Tyrant, and the aforementioned Satisfaction In Extermination with the final track Harvesting The Seeds Of Vengeance closing the album with one final uncontrollable headbang, but only while you’re listening. I found it hard to hum back much of the tracks after the record had ended, only pieces of riffs stuck in my head for much longer than the next track length. I think the album is supposed to be enjoyed as one long piece, with the tracks flowing into each other almost seamlessly, but that’s where it differs from the first record the most. I’m not sure the stand out tracks are quite as catchy as everyone’s favourite singalong about a cat (The Beast), but that was a tall order from the start anyway. In summary, this album rips pretty hard, and is definitely worth your time. 8/10

Elephant Tree: Habits (Holy Roar Records/Deathwish Inc) [Matt Bladen]

Ah Elephant Tree a band who can be described as having vibes...heavy vibes...but mainly vibes. Habits is their third album and it's their most accomplished record by far, adding more sonic deviations than before while also holding on to their thunderous prog-psych-doom that bleeds Pink Floyd and King Crimson artistry with the fuzz of the Melvins and the blues drenched psychedelic desert rock of Kyuss et al. Just listen to Bird to hear what I mean, the swirling guitars soaring into the stratosphere as the pulsating bass just catches the part of your brain between conscious and subconscious, Bird has all of the desert rock sounds raging through it, while Wasted ramps up the psychedelic doom, rarely releasing the fuzz pedal. Elephant Tree have always managed to play a very appealing style of music for anyone in the stoner/doom sphere.

They were even set to be headliners at Stonebaked festival in June (though probably not anymore), it's all encompassing drawing from everywhere for a complete audio experience. Lofty vocals almost chant rhythmically over the changing musical landscape, the epic climax of Broken Nails is a slow building final song that moves from acoustic folk, into crippling heaviness over 7 minutes. At the front end of the album Sails is thumping track to open things with groove while Faceless washes over you with waves of heavy hitting those doom notes, however The Fall Chorus takes away any distortion with a folky bewitching track that evolves into some Floyd worship counterpointing the thunder like a calm eye of the storm. Habits is difficult to put into words (not useful for a written review) but there's an otherworldly quality to it that needs to be listened to, perhaps a few times, to let it sink in deep. It seems old habits die hard but there's always room to adapt too. 9/10

Trick Or Treat: The Legend Of The XII Saints (Scarlet Records) [Simon Black]

When I started listening to this, I thought that this sounded like a poor man’s Helloween so I was not surprised to discover that Trick Or Treat started life as a pumpkins’ tribute act. They hail from Italy, so the other part of the mix seems to be a liberal portion of Rhapsody Of Fire to add a more operatic tone to the proceedings, which is probably not surprising given that their frontman is Alessandro Conti (ex-Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody).

The concept is based on the manga/anime character of Saint Seiya. Nope, means nothing to me either, but after possibly the cheesiest clichéd Power Metal introduction I have heard in a while, the album launches into a twelve track amble around the twelve key knight characters of the source material, all named after signs of the zodiac, then topped off with a closing track. To some extent it’s also a bonus edition compilation album, as the 12 core tracks have already been released as singles last year, but the whole thing makes much more sense as a single release - although it deserves credit for having such a novel approach to build crowdfunding support to fund it over a such a long period of time.

The album itself took me a couple of attempts to get my head round, but having given it some time I have found myself moving away from my initial lukewarm reaction, especially one I discovered a little more about their history and influences. This is a really solid Power Metal album, with strong musical performances and an absolutely top notch screamer on the mike. They may be tipping their hat to Michael Kiske but when Conti can hit the notes as well as him, then a certain amount of respect is due. Although the Rhapsody influence is there, this is Power not Symphonic metal, so what keyboards there are there very much for atmospheric overlay – the guitars clearly rule here, with some lovely twin-axe interplay between Guido Benedetti and Luca Venturelli.

You’ve got fast songs aplenty on here, a couple of good out and out rockers, most noticeably the top notch One Hundred Dragons Force - which is clearly the festival sing-a-long moment, with the usual more ballad-orientated close down near the end. The album really manages to hold the pace for most of its hour and 6 minutes running time, but does feel a little like it ran out of steam for the last couple of tracks, but nonetheless a good album and another band I clearly need to delve into the back catalogue of. 7/10

Reviews: Forlesen, Ignea, The Vulcan Itch, Deaf Lizard (Paul S, Simon, Matt & Paul H)

Forlesen: Hierophant Violent (Hypnotic Dirge Records)

Forlesen are a 3 piece based in the Bay Area. The band have been together since 2018, and can be seen as a super group; Ascalaphus (Vocals, Guitar, Synths, Harmonium) is also in Botanist, Nero Order and Lotus Thief, Bazaelith (Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synth) is also in Lotus Thief, Botanist and Palace Of Worms and Maleus (Drums) is also in Kayo Dot and Vesper Moth. Hierophant Violent is the first material the band have released. The bands where the members of Forlesen do their day jobs should give you an idea of the general area that this album inhabits. This is an album that has lots of different styles and moods, you’ll need an open mind to appreciate it, as well as some patience.

Patience? Well, this is an album that doesn’t rush, it takes it’s time. Hierophant Violent is made up of two tracks both coming close to twenty minutes in length. The first track Following Light opens with a six minute fade in of ambient tones and the occasional note from a clean guitar. I’m reminded of the very long, slow fade up at the beginning of Pink Floyd’s album Division Bell. The track is then mainly Post Metal, with a definite nod towards expansive doom. The quieter parts of this track are a little reminiscent of Mono, and in the louder, more doomy parts there is a slight resemblance to Wolvennest. The track uses both male and female vocals; both clean, to great effect. Following Light is a great track, but it is all about patience and letting the track develop and grow in the first half, so that the second half washes over you and takes you somewhere special. The second track feels more direct and purposeful.

Nightbridge also has a long fade in, but this time it’s only two to three minutes. The fade in is brought to a halt by crashing drums, signalling that this track is much more driven and resolute. The track then goes into a doomy post metal section that feels expansive and huge, there is a very emotive guitar solo, before the biggest surprise that this album has comes crashing in. We are dropped into a harsh lo-fi Black Metal section that is very second wave in style and savagery. After this the track goes back to doomy post metal, but this time it’s much more aggressive and harsh, as if it has taken on the feel of the black metal section. The track has a short, clean guitar instrumental section before fading back into the firmament.

Hierophant Violent is an intriguing album. A lot of people won’t get it. For a lot of tastes, it takes far too long to get anywhere. If you are a fan of Pop Punk or any other style of music that requires instant gratification, you should probably steer clear of this album. However, if you are stoical and like your music to have some depth and profundity then this is something you will probably like, it’s evocative, expansive and deeply affecting. It needs time to appreciate it properly, but in my opinion, it’s definitely time well spent. 8/10

Ignea: The Realms Of Fire And Death (Self Released) [Simon Black]

It’s always nice when something new and refreshing lands in my inbox, and this is fascinating. Ignea hail from Kiev in the Ukraine, and this is the second full-length album - or their third if you count re-releasing the first one as an instrumental version. That alone tells you something about the musicianship you are going to get. It’s a fascinating sound they’ve achieved, which quite defies classification, taking influence from a whole range of styles to create something quite distinctive. There’s bits of Symphonic (but very light ones), a lot of Melodic metal, some straight old-fashioned Metal and Speed and a whole bunch of world music influences, most strongly a Middle-Eastern tone, with a few Oriental touches thrown in for good measure. If they need a style name, let’s call it Ignea-Metal, because it is so uniquely their own. If you want an example of how these eclectic extremes can work together jump to Gods Of Fire, which in its three minutes run time somehow manages to display all these characteristics without sounding odd or contrived.

When in metal vein, the tracks are in the main full on and atmospheric, with some nice touches of brutality, supported by Helle Bogdova’s distinctive vocal style that alternates effectively between clean and growled styles. When she sings cleanly it’s with a lovely tone, when she turns on the growl it’s as effective as Arch Enemy. Interestingly the lyrics alternate between English and (presumably) Ukranian, so this is clearly a band who do what they want. For an independent release the production is absolutely spot on – crisp and clear, heaviness where it needs to be and no-one predominating in the mix. The album is a concept, but the switches in language make it difficult to follow that thread, but to be honest I’m too busy enjoying the music to really care about that, although the blurb on their web site indicates that they are deliberately trying to create a balance between the brutal and the fairy tale in their concepts. This is a band that need a wider audience and I really hope you will give them a listen. 8/10

The Vulcan Itch: Self Titled (Lychnopolis Records) [Matt Bladen]

Athenian rockers The Vulcan itch are a hard rocking trio from the Greek capital. This self titled release is their debut record and it brims with attitude from the first moments with some brassy, bold rock riffs, that have a bluesy edge adding some slide guitar here and there, a big chunk of fuzzy riffs and a little bit of weirdness on songs like Lies which gives me an feel of QOTSA due to its groove. It's also one of the better songs on the record. Yes the writing is not really that mature with I Don't Give A Fuck and Hippie Hippie Shit are a little brainless but as the record wears on the songs get a bit better than just bouncy hard rocking. There's a lot of typical power rock trio sounds from bands like Danko Jones and Skam on The Vulcan Itch. There's melodic vocal which moves into raw shouts, focussed bass/drums and punchy riffs that keep the head nodding. It's a good way to while away a bit of time if you want a bit of derivative hard rock, but not much else. 5/10

Deaf Lizard: No Man’s Sky (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

The opening track on No Man’s Sky is a bowel emptying, bone shattering rumble of thunder which at 8:43 and fully instrumental paves the way for a glorious further 40 minutes of fuzzy psychedelic stoner rock. The four-piece from Oldenburg in Germany formed in 2014 and make no bones about their influences on this solid and frighteningly enjoyable debut long-player. There are elements of Sabbath, Kyuss, QOTSA and Monolord mixed into a heady soup which captivates and beats around the head at the same time. After No Man’s Sky there is the nine minute plus meandering Delphi, a startling escapade which builds slowly, a bluesy guitar cutting through the dirty fuzz to grab the attention as well as the mighty closing track, The Lizard. A dirty, low tuned soil scuffer of an intro that leads to a song which echoes and reverbs with a ferocity which is absolutely necessary. It’s deep, soulful as well as trippy as balls in parts. This is an album to blaze one up and put the world to rights. 7/10

Reviews: Transcend, Cadaver, Fovitron, Phe (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Transcend: Balance I (Self Released)

Montreal based band Transcend play prog, evocative, expansive prog. This EP s just four tracks long but two of them are over 10 minutes in length featuring elongated instrumental passages, stirring solos, expressive drumming, that takes some world music influences on Disillusion and big technical riffs that are bolstered by electronics and orchestrations (with some Oriental sounds on A Parallel Reflection I). Now these electronics and orchestrations come from the synth prowess of keyboardist Alexi Lagogianis who is clearly inspired by Jordan Rudess in terms of stylistic approach, the other two members of Transcend as Devon Butters plays four and six strings adding the crunching riffage that moves into the metal sphere, Disillusion shows this properly with a raging heavy section at about 7 minutes in where the guitars and keys duel in a expansive solo section, before the anthemic chorus comes back for the end.

Now what I noticed about this EP in comparison to their 2011 full length, is that the vocals of  Costa Damoulianos, who also plays guitar, have improved massively, he has really nailed it here, moving between a low croon and shouted passion. Where Are You Now shows this brilliantly as Sean Lang's drumming competes for you attention. This 7 minute tracks is a little like Devin Townsend's proggier moments with the album overall giving Haken and Karnivool vibes. These men are ultra-talented as not only have they written everything here but they have also produced, mixed and mastered this EP, making sound pin-sharp as you want with modern prog. Balance I is clearly the beginning of a journey that will be explored more on future releases, the final track A Parallel Reflection I, all 12:49 of it is a stunning conclusion to the record that indicates by it's title that it's only a beginning. This just being the first part (hopefully) there is a lot to look forward to from Transcend. 8/10

Cadaver: D.G.A.F (Nuclear Blast)

Cadaver were founded by Anders Odden and Ole Bjerkebakke in 1988. They were the first Norwegian band to release a death metal album, in 1990. They've changed line ups numerous times but Anders (nicknamed Neddo) is the only consistent member. They have once again returned from death metal history with Neddo bringing along Megadeth sticksman Dirk Verbeuren to reform the band in 2019. D.G.A.F is their first release on Nuclear Blast and it is three tracks of old school death metal, barking vocals on top of Neddo's guitar, grinding against the blitzkrieg drumming of Dirk. The title track slowly builds into some grooving death metal as Jeff Walker of Carcass adding his shouts to the chorus, Deformed Insanity rampages along with double kick flurries and repentless riffage while Disgrace frantically ends the album with the blistering 3 minute blast. Cadaver are back with vengeance, 3 tracks, 10 minutes, of no nonsense death metal. 7/10

Fovitron: Altar Of Whispers (Alcyone Records)

Fovitron classify themselves as "Symphonic Atmospheric Melodic Black Death Metal" which is a bit of a genre mind bender but basically it's Symphonic Blackened Death Metal. A string-led instrumental opens the record with Gothic overtones, evolving into a piano piece swelling into cinematics. The initial proper song is Inner Demons where we get some melodic cleans that moves into exactly what you'd expect from a band like this with a Behemoth/Dimmu Borgir edge to them. Magni's keys bring the symphonic sounds to the blistering drumming from Dammien as band leader Fovitrus (guitar) attacks his instrument savagely with tremolo picking coming at lightspeed while Sovereign's bass work keeps pace. Dramatic organs on Dreading The Night before we get yet more heaviness with more of death metal style here as Wasteland Of My Dreams has more black metal raging underpinned by the strings. 

Nuntius Mortis' has a brilliant voice, roaring with rage at the heavier sections while also having enough clarity to actually hear what he's singing about. (Always a bonus). Running at just over an hour the 9 tracks on this record are all quite lengthy (no four minute pop songs here) they all unravel their allure using the symphonic sounds to ramp up the cinematic style they are trying to attain. On Endless Whispers even uses Nancy Mos of Fortis Ventus to add some operatic female vocals to the mix. When black/death metal use symphonic sounds properly it can be very good indeed and this Greek act use it very well giving them very atmospheric edge especially on Remembrance and the 8 minute When Darkness Falls. With the weather so good outside Fovitron bring some Northern darkness via Greece. 7/10

Phe: Glooming Dawn (Self Released)

Riffs, that's what Phe deliver like a UPS carrier. Filthy stoner riffs straight out of the Netherlands. Touching on desert rock psych on The Lion & The Snake which has a spacey guitar break, they also bring doom to We Are Gods. In fact much of Glooming Dawn reminds me of Audrey Horne especially the vocals of Ruud who has the rugged emotion of Ian Asbury and Ralf from Mustasch while also playing some expressive drums on tracks such as The Asylum, which is hooked by Marcel's bass making for a heavy low end, Follow The Moon gets the pace moving again with Paul's staccato riff gets the first part of the track going strong leading into the woozy The Former Baptist Known As Phe. I'd never heard of Phe before this record and it really appeals to me with it's mix of stoner/doom, I'll be checking out their other releases for sure. 7/10

Reviews: Broken Witt Rebels, Cauldron, Steed Of Fury, Speed Queen (Reviews By Paul Hutchings)

Broken Witt Rebels: OK Hotel (Snakefarm Records)

Disappointing. No other word to describe this album. Clearly aimed at a wider more generic audience, the bland opening track Running With The Wolves suggests that Heart FM may well be the target of the Birmingham band. Money has a bit more about it, the swagger a cross between the Kings Of Leon and The Temperance Movement, but track three, the title track is genuine housewife country. It may be clever and perfectly crafted, but what the hell happened to the Southern blues drive that kept my spirits up on the mountain in the rain at Steelhouse 2017? Caught In The Middle lacks backbone and Take You Home is, well, pop light.Now, if that’s the way the band want to go, and it appears they have, then good luck to them. Kings Of Leon appeal to millions and the Birmingham quartet are focusing their writing on tracks appeal to a similar fanbase. A gentle, relaxed approach throughout that misses the cutting edge on every level. The closing tribute to their hometown, Birmingham, will no doubt stir emotions with those from the second city but it’s not for me. I’ve been there. I love the city but it’s not an idyllic location in any sense of the word. This is music for a middle-class dinner party. File next to Travis and move on. 4/10

Cauldron: Undercover Of Moonlight (Self Released)

A collection of tracks from sessions between 2006-15, this is by their own admission “some old tapes and hard drives … a digital slab of various cover songs recorded over the years. Some are mastered, some aren’t, most of ‘em are quick/rough mixes and/or live off the floor”. Some has been previously released but as Cauldron say, they aren’t going to waste time remastering, “if you want to support music, go out and buy the originals”. Put like that, it’s a bit of a challenge to write anything critical about this release. The Canadian trio, whose main style is that of traditional metal, cover a mass of genres here but there are a couple of real golden turds. The winner by a country mile is their mauling of the melodic cheese of fellow Canadian and housewives fave Bryan Adams. Run To You has comfortably the worst quality on the album and is also fucking awful – think cat with paw caught under a car wheel. Then there’s a mediocre version of Rising Power (AC/DC), and a toilet recording of Lay It On The Line by Triumph. Of greater interest is a bruising version of Bathory’s Sacrifice, a rip snorting Die Hard (Venom), some appropriate can opening effects before the thrash stampede of Tankard’s Making Noise and Drinking Beer and a faithful Necropolis (Manilla Road). Elsewhere the echoes of a live track (Fortress Doomed) by their previous band Goat Horn is delivered underwater and the sound of vocalist and bassist Jason Decay falling over is humorous for about a second of the 0:22. It’s hard to be too critical here but hey, that’s how we roll and as Cauldron say, you are probably better off buying the originals than listening to most of this. 4/10

Steed Of Fury: Motorised Horses (Tratore Records)

“Be kind” said Mrs H as I began this review. So here goes. Steed Of Fury are from Brazil. A five piece who follow the classic heavy metal style and formation. Two guitarists, singer, bass, and drums. All bases covered. Despite their heavily accented enunciations, there was the odd spark of promise on the title track that opens the album. Musically I have heard much worse from the NWOBHM stable in recent years. Reign Of Steel follows, and singer Diego Krugger is hitting notes that King Diamond would be proud of. Unfortunately, a lot of them are arranged in the wrong order, making it a warbling, tone deaf delivery. Meanwhile the engine chugs away in classic Priest style and if you can ignore the vocals, there is a solid unit underneath the bonnet. After a reasonably promising start, two songs follow which contradict everything I’ve written so far. Into The Battle is ponderous, Krugger wailing all over the top of a desperately poor song.

It doesn’t get any better on Death Squad, although the enunciation nose dives spectacularly and it’s hard to work out if Tony Angelino (look it up kids – cwwyyiingg!) has taken over the vocals or whether Krugger has developed a lisp. Suddenly we’ve moved to routine garage metal which suggests that the band’s material stretched to a 7” and not a long player. Monstroqueiros United is dedicated to the Monstroqueiros MC, located in the band’s hometown, Feira de Santana. I’m not big on insulting bikers but this is a dull, chugging track, with some atrocious harmonies. It may be a song of defiance, and I’m sure the heart behind this song beats strong, but god, it’s dire. By now, you know that the game is up and despite the urge to give bonus points for effort, this really is an album of low quality. The ballad Tamming the Dragon (I’m assuming this is just poor spelling) is the worst song I’ve heard this year (and I reviewed Thor remember). If you want to know how not to do it, then give it a whirl. Otherwise, don’t waste your time on one of the poorest albums of 2020. 2/10

Speed Queen: Still On The Road EP (HIgh Roller Records)

When you name your band after a brand of domestic appliances (dryers, washing machines etc) one must wonder. Not to be confused with the French rock band of the early 1980s (who were dire – hunt them on YouTube) Obviously, the Belgian ‘classic’ metal outfit who formed in 2016 probably didn’t name it after the brand with the slogan “Laundry is all we do. And we do it better than anyone” but I bet they wish they had. Their second EP, Still On The Road contains two studio tracks, the godawful Church Avenue and the much better rager Fire with two live tracks recorded in Hamont. Both tracks are distinctly average hard rock songs with Live Hard the worst of the two, containing the line “Grab your leather jacket and your sister’s jeans, it’s rock and roll if you know what I mean”. They may be part of the New Wave Of Belgian Heavy Metal (Clever – I see what they did there) but we can but hope that this wave runs out of power way before it hits land. Another reason why the Belgians should stick to beer, chips and chocolate. 3/10

Reviews: Turmion Katilot, Funeral Leech, Angel Vengeance, Victoria K (Liam, Matt, Paul H & Simon)

Turmion Katilot: Global Warning (Nuclear Blast) [Liam True]

The only exposure I've had to Industrial Metal is mainly Ministry, Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails. But I wouldn’t land these in the same genre as those bands. Think of Turmion Katilot as Crossfaith meets Heaven Shall Burn, intertwining the Electronicore elements of Crossfaith and the destructive vocals of MC Raaka Pee (Yeah, stupid stage name I know). With the album entirely sing in their mother tongue of Finnish, it’s hard to get into the vibe of the album, but the musical side is absolutely great. With riffs aplenty, high energy electronic vibes and enough breakdowns to rival Metalcore, it’s a great sounding album with the production being phenomenal as nothing is too overpowering to the point of it being indistinguishable. The only issue on my end, personally, is the singing. Granted they’re from Finland, but it’s entirely in Finnish, which for me is a big turn off. Yeah, they can sing how they want, and I respect that, but it’s hard for me to get into it and make head or tails while it sounds like I'm having a curse set upon me. All in all, though, it’s a very decent record, and if you’re into high energy Industrial Metal, give it a listen. 6/10

Funeral Leech: Death Meditation (Carbonized Records) [Matt Bladen]

New. York. Death. Metal. four words that will excite any fan of the heavier end of the metal spectrum. Funeral Leech encompass all that is great about death metal while adding the knuckle dragging sound of doom. With just 6 tracks on the record Death Meditation is 44 minutes of utter devastation from the storm effects of the crushing first number Downpour to the epic finale I Am The Cosmos, Death Meditation is some of the most uncompromisingly heavy music I've heard for a long while. A single cymbal crash moves into the pacier Statues which is driven by blistering kicks and grunting vocals, which come from the same guy (yes folks singing drummer!) before slowing again with huge grooves. The Burden Of Flesh and Lament bring back the towering doom riffs, the latter especially crawls out of the depths at the beginning dragging behind it the souls of the deceased, it's an ungodly noise for a trio! The bass and guitars down tuned grinding your ear bones into dust on tracks such as Morbid Transcendence. Brutal stuff from the outset Death Meditation is a record that needs full volume to enjoy properly. 7/10

Angel Vengeance: Angel Vengeance (Downfall Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Melodic power metal from Thailand. Well Angel Vengeance are more of a Helloween tribute, such is their closeness to the German legends. But I love Helloween so that’s okay with me! The Thai four-piece are tight as a duck’s arse and in vocalist Stout they have a singer who can hold a note or two. He hits the high pitches with ease and has a range that covers everything that comes at him. Having formed in 2017, their debut release should appeal to those who like over the top power metal. Stout also plays the bass, in a Steve Harris furious style, and this frees up the two guitarists Chen and Tuzz who can shred for fun. Their Maiden-esque duel attack soars on tracks such as Open Your Eyes and the centrepiece Karmageddon (Curse Of Evil) which flies along at breakneck speed. With Chen and Tuzz citing Malmsteen, Gilbert and Van Halen amongst their influences, it’s no wonder that there is screaming axe work from start to finish.

Stout’s driving bass links tightly with drummer Nomkhon who is a machine behind the kit. Whilst there isn’t anything here that hasn’t been done before, Angel Vengeance clearly had fun making this album. It’s well produced, and most importantly superbly played. They can mix it up a bit too, and whilst it’s power metal from start to finish, the quartet can bring the thunder as well, with songs like Burn The Night adding some extra heavy to proceedings. Clearly Angel Vengeance like their Maiden too as the title song’s start reeks of the Irons, circa 1994 but at about 300 mph faster. It’s Ride The Sky all the way home from here on in, charging towards the end of a quite brilliantly entertaining album. 8/10

Victoria K: Essentia (Rockshots Records) [Simon Black]

Victoria K hails from Melbourne Australia, and is a gothic influenced Symphonic Metal singer / songwriter about who I can find very little information. She’s brought out a couple of singles over the last couple of years (versions of most of which find their way onto here), but this is her first full length album, and it’s very much in the well-trodden grooves laid down by Within Temptation and Evanescence. She has a strong, haunting voice and this album also invokes early Nightwish, but her band are not yet in the same league when it comes to technical musicianship - with the possible exception of the quite blistering drum-work. The main criticism I have is that like Evanescence the tone of the album is fairly fixed and although the tracks are all fine each and of themselves, you miss the change of tone and pace that many other Symphonic acts have.

A number of tracks include Sheri Vengeance delivering a more extreme metal vocal layer, and these tracks generally stick their heads above the parapet by being more distinctive and, more importantly, effective from having the glaring contrast of the two vocal styles. The music avoids being sickly and overly melodic – it’s dark, it’s moody, and it has a nice deep metal undertone counterpointed by that haunting voice, but the guitars and the keyboards often verge dangerously into the background and blur together. I suspect the mix is to blame here, rather than the recordings or the writing, given that a couple of the tracks sounds like they were recorded in different sessions but overall this feels like an act emerging from a solo effort and still finding its feet as a fully fledged band. Nonetheless, one to watch. 6/10

Reviews: Symbolik, Hartmann, The Black Capes, Fallen Arise (Matt & Simon)

Symbolik: Emergence (The Artisan Era) [Matt Bladen]

One of the best comments I've seen on the internet comes on the Youtube video of Symbolik's song Corridors Of The Consumed, that comes off this new album. The comment simply says "There is a lot of squiggly wiggly guitar work going on" and that dear reader is probably the best way to describe Emergence the debut album from Technical Death Metal madmen Symbolik. Weaving a rich tapestry of symphonic swathes, death metal brutality, black metal speed and capping it all off with intensive, neo-classical guitar work outs, for guitar fans Emergence will take your breath away due to the almost inhuman guitar playing on display, it never relents, meaning that sometimes you are begging for a change of pace or for them to let a note ring out rather than just going back to peeling off flurries. 

I must admit Augury Of The Ancients does do this at one point but these moments are few and far between. Emergence has taken 8 years to fruition, with the tracks being layered with bass, drums, guitars (I'm then assuming more guitars, and yet more guitars) before we have the orchestrations and the dual screamed/growled vocals for the sci-fi storyline that accompanies this record. Symphonic Tech-Death bands are always a strange beast, much like the power metal circles they are usually favoured by those who play a lot of video games, read fantasy novels and have an affinity with Japanese Manga culture. It's space age music that is the sub-genre of a sub-genre though this fanbase may be narrow it is certainly voracious and I'm sure they will love the "Squiggly wiggly" guitar on Emergence. 7/10

Hartmann: 15 Pearls and Gems (Pride & Joy Music) [Simon Black]

Now I’m familiar with Oli Hartmann’s work on Avantasia, in which he is one of the core backbones of the touring ensemble Tobias Sammet pulls together increasingly frequently, but I had never really been exposed to the man’s main project Hartmann, which has been ticking along for the last 15 years. This release is an eclectic compilation showcasing some of the band’s work to date with a broad mixture of brand new material, five live tracks, five cover versions, plus the odd remix. It’s a good introduction to the band and is anything but a lazy compilation. Sammet and fellow Avantasia axeman Sascha Paeth also repay the compliment and put in a guest performance on the live version of Brothers, which to be fair is one of the highlights of the record.

The first thing that surprised me, was that although I was aware that he’s a phenomenal guitar player, I had no idea that he was such an accomplished singer too, with a bluesy rock’n’roll voice that can hit the rafters when it needs to. The production (also done by Paeth) is top notch. This is a man who really knows how to cut and mix a record, as his work elsewhere already indicates. Musically this is pure hard rock, rather than the Power Metal Avantasia fans might be expecting, but it’s got a well-rounded and well-written set of tunes, with live songs illustrate that this is a band that can cut their chops in the flesh as well. The new tracks are great – opener Can’t Stop This Train is pure rock’n’roll, and pulls you in to a record that passes in a flash, despite its not insubstantial run time. Of the covers, I particularly enjoyed the cover of Free’s Fire And Water – a track that has been covered so man time that it’s in danger of being a cliché, but is done so well here that it’s almost like hearing it for the first time.

What seems clear is that although Sammet’s Edguy may be a spent force and Avantasia is increasingly the main event, it’s nice that the family feel of the increasingly less than side act is allowing the other projects of its stalwarts to get a bit more focus. 7/10

The Black Capes: Lullabies For The Dead (DarkTunes Music Group) [Matt Bladen]

Produced by Peter Rutcho (Parkway Drive, Deez Nuts, Falling in Reverse etc) Lullabies For The Dead and clad in an album cover by  Angry Blue (Iggy Pop, Lil Wayne, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden etc.)  is the second album from Athenian band The Black Capes and if you can't tell from the title of the album they are a Gothic rock band inspired by the likes of Type O Negative, Sentenced and Paradise Lost, things start off with throbbing rocker And I Wait which is all moody and downcast, though Sprinkle Your Sand Morpheus adds more atmosphere. The entire album reminds me a lot of Draconian Times due to the baritone, at times, raw vocals of Alexander S Wamp on top of the doomy backing of Dorian Gates (bass) and Christos Grekas (drums) on From Beyond The Grave but it's Thanos Jan's intricate, melodic guitar playing that adds to overall atmosphere of this record. Gothic rock 101 from these Athenians but good for getting the guyliner out. 6/10

Fallen Arise: Reborn (Rock Of Angels Records) [Simon Black]

Fallen Arise are a Symphonic Metal act hailing from Greece, and this is album number three. Now normally I am a bit of a sucker for Symphonic Metal, so I was quite looking forward to this and the hope of having a new act to get all geeky about, but ‘twas not to be. For me this is a genre that works best when it tries to push the boundaries of a whole bunch of categories that don’t normally compute in the minds of the listener in an oxymoronic way - you know like ‘military intelligence’ or ‘soft rock’. What makes it work is it takes the two distinctive characteristics of the extremes and meshes them together in a way that screams ‘How?’ - ticking both boxes and giving you something new and original in the process. So the bastard love child of classical musicianship and good ‘ole metal with a monumental slab of dramatic edge thrown in for good measure needs to have the bar set quite high when it comes to technical proficiency, and for me this album just does not cut it.

The songs are quite short and to the point for a Symphonic Metal album (which tells you something to start off with) and attempt to check off all the things you expect from the genre, but sadly fail to do it with any power or imagination. The musicians can all play, sure, but there’s none of that even restrained virtuosity that one would hope for. That “I could play like Yngwie Malmsteen, but I’m not going to show off” feeling you get where a lick or a fill really hints at the musical skill underneath, but is being held back so that the overall effect of the song can take precedence. Nada. Zip. Just a bunch of songs that have very little to differentiate them and leave the listener feeling disappointed.

What Fallen Arise have got right on this is some really tight production values, with absolute instrumental clarity and instrumental sound. Too often in this genre guitars step into the background or become swallowed up by the keyboards in an attempt to create an epic effect, but you really can hear them clearly here. Equally, the female vocals are capturing a lovely voice in a beautifully way, although in contrast the male voice ‘metal’ vocals really don’t work. That kind of vocal sound needs to be either much more dirty or laden with effects (especially in the symphonic world) and so it just sounds out of place here. Sadly the production is not enough to save the album from being well … not very remarkable, and the net effect is a poor man’s Within Temptation. So not so much ‘Reborn’ as ‘Dead On It’s Feet’. 3/10

Reviews: Metal Church, Oranssi Pazuzu, Abysmal Dawn, The Ditch & The Delta (Rich, Paul S, Dr Claire & Paul H)

Metal Church: From The Vault (Rat Pak Records) [Rich Oliver]

From The Vault is a new compilation from Seattle metal legends Metal Church. As the title implies this is a collection of rarities and leftovers from the Metal Church vault. The album itself is split up into four sections - we get some newly recorded material, leftovers from the Damned If You Do sessions, some previously recorded cover songs and a couple of live tracks. The most effective part of this compilation is the newly recorded material. The three brand new songs are pulsing with energy with Dead On The Vine certainly set to be a live staple when Metal Church hit the road again. For No Reason and Above The Madness also ripple with that infectious energy channeled by the sublime vocals by singer Mike Howe. 

 The re-recorded version of Conductor from the Hanging In The Balance album is also suitably energetic and holds its own against the 1993 original. The leftovers from Damned If You Do are also very solid with False Flag and Mind Thief having that bounciness and catchiness. Things lag a bit with Insta Mental and 432hz being both instrumental tracks that lack the urgency of the material beforehand. The cover songs are all decent with Nazareth, Sugarloaf and Ram Jam getting the Metal Church treatment and the live songs taken from a show in Japan are well performed and recorded. Overall I would say that From The Vault is a decent collection of material from Metal Church. It is odds and ends collected together with the new material standing head and shoulders above everything else on the release. It is definitely a release for the Metal Church fans though and not one I would recommend to new or casual listeners of the band. 7/10

Oranssi Pazuzu: Mestarin Kynsi (Nuclear Blast) [Paul Scoble]

Black Metal is no stranger to experimentation. In fact with the genres dislike of conformity, experimentation is one of the most vital parts of black metal (despite what Norwegian Second Wave obsessives might think). Without constantly mutating and evolving Black Metal would have only ever been a footnote in Heavy Metals history. Some of the most creative and inventive music to come out of Heavy Metal has sprung from Black Metal's love of innovation. Although the Norwegian Second Wave Black Metal fandom has become a byword for close-minded individuals that haven’t listened to anything made after 1994, the second wave black metal bands themselves were doing something very different and innovative at the time they were writing and performing music. Just look at Ihsahn, still making challenging music and never settling on one particular sound; constant change is SO Black Metal.

So, I was very excited when I was asked to review the new album by Oranssi Pazuzu, the Finnish band that describe their music as Psychedelic Black Metal. The band have been well known for pushing boundaries since their first album; Muukalainen Pahuu came out in 2009. The Finnish five piece have been refining their sound through 2011’s Kosmonument, 2013’s Valonielu and 2016’s Värähtelijä. Over the years the bands sound has moved away from what would be called a ‘classic’ Black Metal sound, but with Mestarin Kynsi they are close to leaving it behind altogether. The album is incredibly heavy and extreme in many places but it’s not in an obviously Black Metal way (we’ll come back to ‘obviously’ later). There are only a couple of tremolo picked riffs on the album, the guitar is mainly quite low in the mix and the lead is taken by other instruments, a lot of them electronic.

The album is opened by Ilmestys, which starts with a simple, clean guitar, which feels brooding and builds; drums and bass come in, and it feels like slow industrial. Then harsh vocals are added, which are very Black Metal, the band might have taken a few steps away from classic Black Metal, but the vocals are still pure nastiness, they are like this most of the way through, very little nice, clean progressive vocals. Keyboards then join in the fun, and they sound very ‘dance’ like something you would expect from Techno, Trance or Drum and Bass, more layers are added until this is starting to feel fairly complex. Just as this you realise how complex it is, the whole thing calms down and we are left with the simpler feel that was apparent earlier. Suddenly, everything is back but much louder, and more complex, the bass-line is now the highest thing in the mix and drives everything along. The track is still mid-paced, but there are now many many layers of sound. The track slowly disintegrates in its last minute.

Tyhjyyden Sakramentti has a slow fade in of keyboard swells, before a trip hop beat comes in with additional electronic bleeps and bloops. A simple clean guitar riff in addition to the layers of sound that already surround the beat. There is a feeling of menace, which is amplified by the vocals, and more and more layers of electronics. Suddenly everything speeds up, the guitar and bass come up in the mix and we are dropped into swirling chaos. The bass and guitars in this passage have a slight droning quality that helps increase the feeling of chaos and hypnotic psychedelia. Then, everything stops for a moment, before a much more simple set of riffs come in, and for the first time in this track it feels like everything is pointed in the same direction, there is much more purpose and direction. As this goes on, the band start to add more layers, so it slowly builds back to the feeling of swirling chaos, but with a little more intent than before. The track then slows down for a big, powerful ending. 

Next comes Uusi Teknokratia which opens with urgent mid-paced drumming and layered flutes, guitar and keyboards, but with the main instrument being the Flute. The feel in this opening part is insistent and unrelenting, the vocals are harsh and exigent. This section has a hypnotic, hallucinogenic feel to it. This goes into a more direct part where the guitar is the main instrument and it feels much more riffy and metal. This then goes into a softer breakdown, where there are layered clean vocals that are strangely reminiscent of the sort of thing that Devin Townsend would do. Again this is blasted away by a much heavier guitar driven part, with the Flute returning for a solo over the top of all the chaos, which then gives way to a fairly harsh guitar solo. The track then gets fairly ambient till the end, and we are halfway through the album!

The second half of the album opens with Oikeamielisten Sali. We are greeted by a simple guitar lick, tout, minimal trip-hop style beat and eastern sounding strings. There is that hypnotic, layered feel that is all over this album, it’s a little Philip Glass. The track slowly gets more urgent and the simple elements of the track are pulled this way and that, it feels as if we are building to something….. Suddenly the track has far more purpose, the drumming becomes more direct and simple, the eastern feel is still there, but it is being driven forward. As the harsh vocals return the track has much more drive and has a more standard metal sense to it. This heavy part also has many elements and feels expansive and huge, like the entire universe jamming a Black Sabbath track. The track ends in a beautifully creative way, by basically removing elements until we end with a single keyboard riff, that becomes the start of the next track. 

Kuulen ääniä maan alta opens with said keyboard riff, before a tight, simple drum beat arrives, and shortly after a pulsing, droning bass line. The sound on this track is part industrial, part gothic, part harsh techno, simple driving drumming, droning guitar and electronics. In some ways it remind me of Killing Joke. There have been experiments mixing Dance with Black Metal, probably the most successful is Australian band Mesarthim, who on their last album Ghost Condensate, mixed Black Metal with full on Psy-Trance, but this is a far dirtier dance sound. The track slowly fades into droning keyboard swells, before fading out. Taivaan portti is the most Black Metal track on here. We are dropped strait into a blasting mass of tremolo picked riffs, pulsing bass and keyboard lines and harsh vocals. It’s nasty and hypnotic, as it swirls around your head. Harsh electronic noises jostle with the unpleasant riffs and vocals making this a multi dimensional head fuck of immense proportions. This insane chaos starts to slow, one by one individual instruments are removed, the track deconstructs itself until it fades into silence, and the album ends 

Mestarin Kynsi is quite simply spectacular. No matter how good you thought Oranssi Pazuzu were before hearing this album (and I for one thought they were an amazing, brilliantly creative band), Mestarin Kynsi surpasses anything I thought they were capable of. The band have gone the same way as Sigh, Solefald, Dødheimsgard, Enslaved or Ulver. Please don’t think I mean that they sound like any of those bands, because they don’t; all those bands have striven to make their work interesting and creative, with no thought to obeying convention, or doing as they were told. All those bands have let the music take them where it needed to go, rather than force it into any particular form. I did say earlier in the review that this album wasn’t ‘Obviously’ Black Metal. What I meant by that is how a lot of the tracks on this album are constructed. In Black Metal the riffs don’t tend to be massively complex as they are in say, Death Metal. In Black Metal the complexity comes from layering simple riffs together so the whole track has a complexity that is built out of many simple parts. 

Well, this album is packed with multiple layers, ok they aren’t always, or even often guitar parts, but the album is constructed from a huge number of fairly simple Guitar, Keyboard, String and Flute riffs. So, an album that I had previously said doesn’t sound that Black Metal, is actually very, very Black Metal in its construction. That's a very clever trick to pull off. It’s also a staggeringly good album, that will be remembered as a significant moment in this bands career. If you love interesting and creative music, then this album is essential, people are going to be talking about it for years to come. 9/10

Abysmal Dawn: Phylogenesis (Season Of Mist) [Dr Claire Hanley]

There is nothing more satisfying than being scissor kicked by an opening track that is all kinds of nasty. Mundane Existence does not disappoint; unleashing a series of thundering riffs and enough groove to last you from now, until the end of lockdown. Add the ferocious, inexorable bark of a vocal performance into the mix, and the album is off to a tremendous start. The Path Of The Totalitarian continues to deliver extreme levels of aggression, leaving eardrums demolished by what can only be described as a drumming juggernaut. This is definitely one of the signature tracks on the album; the technical prowess of the band highlighted by an array of expertly crafted guitar parts, which also allow the listener to witness the intricacy of the bass. Further displaying their mastery of composition, the syncopation in A Speck In The Fabric Of Eternity is utterly delicious - nothing like being thrown out of the ‘headbang zone’ to recalibrate your interest.

The jarring opening riff and spattering of sassy drum fills featured on Coerced Evolution are equally disgusting; which is, of course, meant as a compliment of the highest order. True To The Blind sees the vocal savagery and instrumental precision we’re now accustomed to, flow together seamlessly. There is some serious momentum to this track, so much so that the remaining material on the record fades in comparison. However, the bonus track is a noteworthy addition. You’ve got to have some pretty sizable cajones to cover anything by Death but Abysmal Dawn throw down one hell of a homage, with an amped-up version of Flattening Of Emotions. As if I hadn’t been thoroughly ravaged by riffs already, it’s pretty much Chuck et al. on ‘roids.

The title of the record references evolution and Abysmal Dawn are certainly pushing the boundaries of death metal. The issue with establishing a winning formula is the reluctance to deviate from it, and my only criticism of the album is that some tracks felt slightly repetitive. Overall, an album that signals substantial progress with room for refinement. 8/10

The Ditch And The Delta: S/T (Prosthetic Records/Sludgelord Records) [Paul Hutchings]

The Ditch and The Delta hail from the basin of Bonneville - a prehistoric dead lake, in the heart of Mormon-country, Salt Lake City, Utah. There must be little to do there if you consider the ire that surges through opening song Maimed. Angry, raging, aggressive. The raw pain doesn’t ease up on the rest of the album. Exile screams with venom, the huge bass lines and jagged guitar work enhanced by the desperate howls of vocalist/guitarist Elliot Screist. It’s an album that follows their 2017 debut Hives In Decline. The power trio view their mission to deliver sludge without some of the usual clichés. They have achieved this on an uncomfortable and challenging release, one that may well defy expectations and challenge preconceptions.

New drummer Brian Fell adds to colossal hefting riffs and an all-consuming intensity. Yet they retain a melodic feel in parts which lifts them into the ranks of bands such as Zozobra, Mastodon and Sumac. With a lyrical content described as ‘absolute depression and desperation with hints of lucid clarity and awe’, there is no escaping that this is heavy stuff. Unsurprisingly given their location and environment, there are multiple dark, and rage filled moments although the album closer, Tectonic Selves provides a glimmer of brightness. The album has been waiting for release for some time having been recorded in 2018. Produced by musician and producer Andy Patterson (Insect Ark, SubRosa) at The Boar’s Nest Studio, Salt Lake City, The Ditch and The Delta isn’t going to fill you with joy. It’s a painful, crushing experience. 6/10   

Reviews: Sigiriya, Khemmis, Validor, King Corpse (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Sigiriya: Maiden Mother Crone (Burning World Records)

It's been a long wait for any new music from Swansea Space Stoner rock band Sigiriya, in fact their previous album Darkness Died Today came out in 2014. Now that's due to many factors that include personal trauma, mental and physical health issues, and scarily their new drummer Rhys Miles coming very close to death. This has meant gaps in touring and writing meaning that Maiden Mother Crone the band's third full length has been in development hell for a while. However once it started to develop the album finally got recorded  at UWTSD Studios in Swansea by Adam Howell, with some extra tweaks by vocalist Matt Williams at Sunnyvale Studios, then it was mixed and mastered at The Bridge Studios & FX London by Richard Whittaker, who has mixed for Solstice, Orchid and Lord Vicar amongst others.

Finally Maiden Mother Crone was ready to unleash and it's surely the most mature record of the bands career, you can feel every hardship, every silver lining, every single herdle the band have had to face filtered through mind expanding stoner/doom rock. The record is both darker and lighter than anything previously, the woozy intro of Mantis opening up into a cavernous riff from Stuart O'Hara, the head nods independently whether you want it too or not. Behind this there's a menagerie of sounds, not just the crushing rhythmics of Rhys Miles (drums) and Paul Bidmead (bass) but I can hear some Middle Eastern percussion and strings before the track gets almost primal with it's thunderous riffage. Cwm Annwn is sonically more akin to groovy doom Matt 'Pipes' Williams using his gruff vocal style similarly to Orange Goblin's Ben Ward keeping it melodic but never straying from grit.

Now a few of you may know Acrimony the band that featured every instrumentalist on this record and yes there are still remnants of that sound here but ultimately Sigiriya are forging their own identity with meaty rockers like Cwm Annwn and Tau Ceti relying on the, tight as a medicine bottle lid, rhythm section of Miles and Bidmead, as does the hypnotic, almost Metallica-like Dark Call. While O'Hara can take some flights of fancy on the more psych influenced songs such as the closing double whammy of Arise (Darkness Died Today) which has a bit of bubbling organ and Crushed By The Weight Of The Sky an 8 minute spacey climax to this fantastic record. The Welsh stoner/doom scene has always been excellent, but Sigiriya are rightly still near the very peak of the mountain. If you have even a passing interest into stoner rock then you need Maiden Mother Crone. 9/10         

Khemmis: Doomed Heavy Metal (Nuclear Blast)

Now I like Denver Doomsters Khemmis. I really do. But this EP is a little...weird. Though it's weird times so it can be expected. It starts with three studio tracks, A Conversation With Death from their 7”split with Spirit Adrift and Empty Throne from the Decibel Magazine Flexi Series, the third is a dirtier version of RJD's Rainbow In The Dark which is really a doom band playing classic metal, though Khemmis have always had that traditional metal influence to their music. It's pretty decent, shitting all over Killswitch's Holy Diver. A Conversation With Death is more like the Khemmis people will be used to, dual guitar/vocal led doom with nods to The Sword, although it crawls with a sense of purpose with a gothic overtown that does get thrown out of the window due to the double tapped guitar solo explosion in the last part of the track. Empty Throne meanwhile is filthy, grinding dirty doom of the highest order. For completionists (and those that don't live in the USA) these two tracks will be well received. However there's more, the second part of the EP features three live cuts from the bands Two Nights Of Doomed Heavy Metal in 2018. If you've never seen the band live then it gives a good indication of the monolithian yet traditionally influenced power of Khemmis as live act. A curio for sure but one that will appeal to Khemmis' newly found wider audience. 6/10

Validor: In Blood In Battle (Symmetric Records)

In Blood In Battle was the studio debut of Greek Heavy/Power Metal band Validor, released in 2011 it was followed by Dawn Of The Avenger in 2012 and Hail To Fire in 2016. Now as they gearing up to record their fourth album, the voice and rhythm guitar of Validor: Odi “Thunderer” Toutounis, decided to re-record their debut release which was done with very little money in 2011. This audio improvement was put in the hands of instrumentalist/producer/label owner extraordinaire Bob Katsionis who has not only produced/mixed this record but also played the lead guitars, bass and keys with Apollo Giannoulis supplying the battery. All drum, bass, and rhythm guitar parts have been re-recorded but the vocals and solos have remained intact to keep things sounding a lot like the original release.

So who are Validor? Well they are a epic heavy metal band who play music fans of Manowar and Virgin Steele will love, Odi's vocals are very Eric Adams-like giving a low croon on the acoustic opening The Riddle Of Steel, yes folks this is fantasy themed heavy metal, with tales of swords and sorcery that will also bring to mind Blind Guardian especially on the galloping Sword Of Vengeance where Apollo's drumming is immense giving the song a propulsive feel. The Last Emperor starts with some cinematic orchestration before another fist pumping metal anthem gets you shouting along as Stealer Of Souls has some tasty lead guitar solos before Through The Storm ramps up the theatrics.

In Blood In Battle is a record that really shines due to its disregard for the fashions of 2011, this is epic metal done as well as any of the American originators (as they always are) and the re-recording really accentuates the musical force they are while retaining the raw ferocity of the original album. Let's hope it's a sign of things to come and that album four is their best yet! 7/10

King Corpse: Sacred Crimson (Self Released)

Ah sludge, a hard genre to discuss without mentioning the NOLA template laid down by Eyehategod and Crowbar and to be honest King Corpse rarely deviate from that template. Despite being from the Black Country Sacred Crimson sounds like those very early sludge metal albums that emerged from the Louisiana swamps all those years ago, especially in the production, which is god awful. Maybe it was meant to sound raw, or maybe it was the copy I had, I don't know but the production means that everything has the same level of distortion as everything else, there is no crispness anywhere. What also makes this album a bit of slog are the vocals which are nothing more than a tuneless drone most of the time with a bit of shouting here and there. I'll be honest when we saw the band live at HRH Metal earlier this year they were about average, I believe my colleague gave them 6/10, well it's live where they excel as this EP lasted all of about 3 songs before I switched it off. Maybe if you love sludge metal you'll lock in and just nod your head but I couldn't I'm afraid. 4/10

Reviews: Aborted, The Black Dahlia Murder, Bombs Of Hades, Traveler (Charlie/Dr Claire, Liam, Rich & Paul H)

Aborted: La Grande Mascarade (Century Media Records) [Charlie Rodgers & Dr Claire Hanley]

Aborted have graced our hearing holes with many a record over the years, so you might presume this is business as usual. Boy howdy, you are wrong - Aborted have leveled up. La Grande Mascarade is a masterclass in technical ability, surpassing the brutality the band are best known for. There’s a sense of trepidation as the opening sample to Gloom And The Art of Tribulation starts up. Then suddenly, the floor falls out from beneath you - the unstoppable blast beat train has left the station. Next stop Headbangsville. It’s impossible to sit still while listening to Ken’s machine gun drumming, fueling the momentum of this killer track. The intensity is so high there’s barely a moment to catch your breath, before you’d be catapulted back into the pit. This is sure to be one hell of a live track. Serpent Of Depravity treats us to inventive grooves and cheeky riffs linking sections, The guitarwork on this track stands head and shoulders above so many bands out there today, with Ian and Harrison clearly being given the green light to push the boat out and utilise their musical prowess.

The melodies are adventurous, and still the track is absolutely dense. Like a tungsten sousaphone. This is no doubt due to Stefano’s expert bass playing - effortlessly mirroring Ken’s rhythms. The devilishly complex finale threw us both out of the comfortable headbang groove we had fallen into - a welcome deviation that left us poised for the last track. Cast into a howling maelstrom, Funereal Malediction is Sven’s time to shine, showcasing his impressive vocal range; from the grotesque high sections, down to the earthquake-esque lows. Sven has earned his place at the death metal high table. His harrowing opening scream, paired with fevered blasts and chainsaw riffing, conjures an image of desolation. The track proceeds to bludgeon your skull with a hammering riff in the mid section, before ascending to an eye-popping solo section. Just as the album started with a drop into insanity, the song abruptly ends. Sound echoing out into the void. These three tracks left us salivating for more. A lesson in meshing intricacy with brutality. 9/10

The Black Dahlia Murder: Verminous (Metal Blade Records) [Liam True]

I’ve seen Black Dahlia live twice now and they’ve blown me away each time by how tight they are as a band. How spot on the vocals are to the record and their ability to work a crowd. But on record, I've never been able to get into them and I don’t know why. They’re a phenomenal band and they’re my type of music, but alas, I've never been able to enjoy them on record. Verminous is the same for me. Don’t get me wrong the record is solid. It’s a beautiful piece of Death Metal and the majority of the album is killer. While some of it is filler, but even that is just as good. I wish I could be more into them on Verminous but the thing is, to me personally, The Black Dahlia on record sounds messy, repugnant and just doesn’t sit with me. But throw me into one of their live shows and I'll have the best time watching, what I would describe as, ‘Death Metals least Metal band’. Black Dahlia are not a bad band by any means, but for me personally, they don’t do justice on record for me. But Verminous is a beautiful baby of it’s Death Metal forefathers reincarnated and it shouldn’t be passed by. 8/10

Bombs Of Hades: Phantom Bell EP (Black Lodge) [Rich Oliver]

Phantom Bell is the new EP from Swedish crusty death metallers Bombs Of Hades. Formed back in 2002 just to have an excuse to get drunk and bash out some old school crusty death metal, Bombs Of Hades have got four albums plus a vast amount of EP’s and split releases to their name. Frontman, guitarist and founder Jonas Stålhammar also plays in God Macabre, The Lurking Fear and At The Gates so we are in safe hands here. Phantom Bell comprises four songs - two new songs and two cover versions. It is clearly rooted in old school death metal with strong leanings into crust punk and doom metal as well as a clear Motörhead influence. The title track is a fast and pounding number whilst Bridge Of Sighs slows down the pace with a heavy doom influence and dirty sound. The cover songs are both decent though I am unfamiliar with the originals - Kamikaze by Flower Travellin’ Band and Lungs by Townes Van Zant. Lungs has a riff which more than bears a resemblance to the Motörhead classic Orgasmatron. This was my first exposure to Bombs Of Hades despite being a band I have heard of before. With only two original songs this is a decent introduction and shows there is more to Swedish death metal than the tried and tested HM-2 buzzsaw sound. Raw, gnarly and dirty. Just how I like it. 7/10

Traveler: Termination Shock (Gates Of Hell) [Paul Hutchings]

Bringing the old school metal to your door, Calgary five-piece Traveler have acted quickly to follow up on their eponymous debut with sophomore record Termination Shock. And to be fair, the only way this could be anymore rooted in the NWOBHM style is if we were travelling back to 1982. The frantic energy of Faded Mirror which opens the album is fabulously retro, but in a massively enjoyable style. The musicianship is solid, the riffs plentiful and Jean-Pierre Abboud’s vocals echoing with a warm, 1980s feel. The title track is a monster, an absolute beast of a song, full of power and pace, capturing both the old and new in a glorious four-minute blast. From here, with full interest obtained, it’s just a question of whether the Canadians can maintain the quality?

The answer is yes, the explosive Foreverman and the tribute-rich Diary Of A Maiden bringing contrasting styles. The duel guitar work of Toryin Schadlich and Matt Ries on this track is unsurprisingly reminiscent of those early duels between Maiden’s Murray and Smith, whilst elsewhere images of Messrs Flynn and Oliver of Saxon and Weir and Sykes on those early Tygers albums return. It’s the energy that I really appreciate here, and like their countrymen Cauldron, they’ve managed to give the old school much more than a lick of paint. This is fresh, full of vigour and a damn decent listen. 7/10