Satyricon: Deep Calleth Upon Deep (Napalm Records)
It’s been four years since Satyricon, the eighth album from the Norwegian duo of Satyr and Frost. The band hasn’t been idle in the meantime, releasing Night At The Opera and Frost of course, drumming with 1349. To label Satyricon as Black Metal is probably a challenge these days but whilst they certainly have taken a different path from the evil of Dark Medieval Times and Nemesis Divinia, Deep Calleth Upon Deep still has its roots deep in the black metal earth. Satyricon was loaded with more accessible tracks such as Nekrohaven. Deep Calleth Upon Deep doesn’t have that initial spontaneity about it, with much of the album slower paced and brooding. Frost’s drumming retains the inevitable fills and blast beats and Satyr’s vocals remain harsh and gravel soaked. It’s only on about the fifth listen that I really got to grips with it.
The sharp edge of the guitar, the subtle undertones of the keyboards all combine with a staccato construction, change of pace and smouldering intensity. After the opener The Midnight Serpent, Blood Cracks Open The Ground grabs the attention with some neat hooks and a slightly chaotic sound. The atmospheric title track rattle along with some enhanced female wailing adding to the sinister sound. My biggest complaint with the album is that it often blends into one. So each track is very similar to the previous one. That isn’t a problem if the tracks are all immense but they just aren’t here. The Ghosts Of Rome has a different feel to the rest of the tracks, almost indie in its feel, but the female backing vocals repeat exactly what was heard on the title track. Good but could have been better. 7/10
Anubis Gate: Covered In Black (Nightmare Records)
Danish outfit Anubis Gate have been delivering progressive metal since their debut release Purification back in 2004. Covered In Black is their seventh release and their first since 2014’s Horizons. The band comprises Kim Olsen (guitar/Keys), Henrik Fevre (bass/vocals), Michael Bodin (guitar) and Morten Gade Sorensen (drums). The band specialise in soaring, sweeping melodies similar to Fates Warning with intricate time changes and variations in depth and power. Opener Psychotopia is a classic example, building to an operatic crescendo before closing and merging into
The New Dehli Assassination which has an Eastern flavour. There are some crushing guitar riffs hidden in tracks such as The Combat. Anubis Gate vary their style throughout the album, with Fevre’s clean vocals prominent. It might be a little overblown in parts but there is no doubting the quality of the band and the similarities to bands like Dream Theater do become more apparent as the album progresses. In fact, by the time you reach A Journey To Nowhere this is even more obvious. The trilogy of Black, Blacker and Blackest are impressive as is the nine-minute Operation Cairo which is another track with Eastern flavours and climbing walls of sound. Covered In Black is a strong album which will won’t appeal to all. However, if you like your music with an intricacy that not all bands can follow, Anubis Gate will certainly appeal. 7/10
Dead Cross: Self Titled (Ipecac Records)
Take Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Mike Patton (Faith No More) , Mike Crain (Retox) and Justin Pearson (The Locust Head, Retox) and you get Dead Cross, who distribute 27 minutes of high intensity hardcore punk and metal which pulls no punches. There’s hooks, and even a bit of melody on occasion but mainly it’s just a hefty blow to the bollocks. I’m not a huge fan of hardcore punk and this does little for me with its snarling aggression and Patton’s screaming vocals.
Of course, Patton wasn’t the original vocalist but stepped in when Gabe Serbian left. Patton subsequently recorded his own vocals to the existing tracks which included amending the lyrics. Highlights here? The gothic tinge of Bela Lugosi’s Dead and the car crash of Church Of The Motherfuckers. Some will love this. I don’t. 6/10
Night: Raft Of The World (The Sign Records)
The opening 4 minutes and 45 seconds of track one of Swedish rock outfit Night’s album Raft Of The World was enough. Fire Across The Sky was a reasonably decent hard rock track until Oskar Andersson opened his mouth. I couldn’t reach for the off button in time for track 2, Surrender to start but by then I was waving the white flag to make it end. As Mrs H said, “it was nice when it stopped”. The remaining seven tracks may be great. I’m not taking the risk. 2/10
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