Mystery surrounds London based Sermon, whose debut release this is. Formed in 2017, little else is available information wise but don’t let that put you off. Birth Of The Marvellous is an intense 40-minute ride that is melancholic, emotional and combines some stunningly creative and poignant musicianship. Vocals that echo Jonas Renkse of Katatonia, a combination of influences that provide a unique listening experience from the opening The Descend through to the concluding epic eight-minute plus The Rise Of Desiderata. The majestic The Drift deviates from progressive elements to raging death metal in the space of seconds, Contrition includes more than a touch of Katatonia to it, along with splashes of fellow Swedes Opeth and huge chunks of aggressive riffing which links with the sound perfectly, whilst Chasm simply drips with atmosphere, its ethereal delicate opening underpinned by an air of malevolence which builds and builds magnificently. This album improves on ever listen. Put simply, buy it, close the curtains, pour a glass of wine and immerse yourself in the Birth Of The Marvellous. This is something special. 9/10
Damaged Reich: Death Becomes Us All (Damaged Realm Media)
Thrashing quintet Damaged Reich hail from Oxfordshire. Formed in 2017 the band were invited to play the Jagermeister Stage at Bloodstock in 2018, quite an achievement so early in their evolution. The band was created by members of other local bands including Dedlok, Empire Divided and Retribution and with a slot at Amplified this year the band are clearly on the rise. So, what does Death Becomes Us All sound like. Well, unsurprisingly, it’s solid thrash in the vein of Exodus, Overkill and the like. Fast paced, slashing riffs, roaring vocals and insanely fast drumming. Yep, it ticks all the boxes necessary.
Whilst Unevil Genius opens the album at 110mph, The Unknown follows at a slower, stomping pace whilst The Truth Was Never Known is one to get those circle pits moving with its groove and chug, with a riff very similar to Slayer’s Mandatory Suicide. Joe Samuels possesses a decent voice, a little restricted in range but his gravel-soaked delivery fits comfortably with the overall old school thrash sound that Damaged Reich achieve with ease. There isn’t a duff track on this release. It smashes hard from start to finish and in Victims Of Their Own Crime the band have an anthem that you can’t resist smashing the head up and down to. The band play Fuel in Cardiff as special guests on 18th May during the Metal To The Masses second semi-final. I’ll be away on holiday, but I urge you to get to the Welsh capital to catch these guys. You won’t regret it. 7/10
Gods Forsaken: Smells Of Death (Soulseller Records)
With a name such as this and an album entitled Smells Of Death you knew this wasn’t going to be a sleaze rock or AOR scented release. Gods Forsaken, described in some quarters as no-nonsense death metal, hail from Sweden and Norway. Formed in 2016, this is their second album following on from 2017’s In A Pitch Black Grave. The title track which opens this album leaves you in no doubt what you are going to get for the next 40 minutes with chainsaw guitars, bludgeoning drumming and a vocal roar that sounds like a bear with a sore throat. It’s absolute carnage and it unsurprisingly doesn’t stop for the entire album. They Crawl is fast and furious, a blur of musical notes thrown into cacophony of death metal which welds together to create a quite terrifyingly intense battering. Of course, when you peel back the flesh of Gods Forsaken, you realise exactly why this is such a viciously intense release.
Helevorn: Aamamata (Self Released)
Gothic doom metal isn’t something you associate with the Balearic Islands, a part of the world usually bathed in bright sunshine and warming temperatures. Yet, Helevorn have been active for over two decades, honing their art and focusing on creating their own brand of doom with a gothic twist. Aamamata is their fourth album and follows 2014’s Compassion Forlorn which by all accounts was a bit good. On first play, this is like much of Paradise Lost’s earlier and recent work, albeit with some more oriental and Eastern influences. Aurora for example, contains both death growls and deep clean vocals, with ethereal female voices adding to the mix; crushingly slow riffs bring the heavy whilst there is ample melody to give the song lift. Opening with A Sail To Sanity, an immediate wall of crunching riffs confronts you, supported by growling vocals and a deep, powerful textured sound with the combination of clean and death vocals works excellently. Blackened Waves contains a sorrowful narrative which adds to the sorrow contained within the song, whilst Forgotten Fields continues the mournful, reflective theme, the drums battering as the song thunders by in classic doom style.
Gods Forsaken: Smells Of Death (Soulseller Records)
With a name such as this and an album entitled Smells Of Death you knew this wasn’t going to be a sleaze rock or AOR scented release. Gods Forsaken, described in some quarters as no-nonsense death metal, hail from Sweden and Norway. Formed in 2016, this is their second album following on from 2017’s In A Pitch Black Grave. The title track which opens this album leaves you in no doubt what you are going to get for the next 40 minutes with chainsaw guitars, bludgeoning drumming and a vocal roar that sounds like a bear with a sore throat. It’s absolute carnage and it unsurprisingly doesn’t stop for the entire album. They Crawl is fast and furious, a blur of musical notes thrown into cacophony of death metal which welds together to create a quite terrifyingly intense battering. Of course, when you peel back the flesh of Gods Forsaken, you realise exactly why this is such a viciously intense release.
Vocals are delivered by Caligari, more widely known as the legendary Jonny Pettersson, vocalist and guitarist with Wombbath, Ursine and a whole host of other death metal bands. Alongside Petterson stands lead guitarist Gustav Myrin of Just Before Dawn, Alwin Zuur (bassist with Dutch death doomsters Asphyx amongst others), Schwieck (Anders Biazzi) – guitarist for Just Before Dawn and drummer Mr Harbinger (Bryjar Helguten) who is another member of Just Before Dawn, along with Crypticus, Megascavenger and US/Swedish bruisers The Grotesquery. Smells Of Death contains some incredible servings of death metal, such as the head stoving The Process Of Death and the thrash induced The Dead Laughed. The more this album progressed the more enjoyable it became. If you fancy your death metal that leaves you feeling like your head has been through the shredder, this bad boy is for you. Brutality at its best. 8/10
Helevorn: Aamamata (Self Released)
Gothic doom metal isn’t something you associate with the Balearic Islands, a part of the world usually bathed in bright sunshine and warming temperatures. Yet, Helevorn have been active for over two decades, honing their art and focusing on creating their own brand of doom with a gothic twist. Aamamata is their fourth album and follows 2014’s Compassion Forlorn which by all accounts was a bit good. On first play, this is like much of Paradise Lost’s earlier and recent work, albeit with some more oriental and Eastern influences. Aurora for example, contains both death growls and deep clean vocals, with ethereal female voices adding to the mix; crushingly slow riffs bring the heavy whilst there is ample melody to give the song lift. Opening with A Sail To Sanity, an immediate wall of crunching riffs confronts you, supported by growling vocals and a deep, powerful textured sound with the combination of clean and death vocals works excellently. Blackened Waves contains a sorrowful narrative which adds to the sorrow contained within the song, whilst Forgotten Fields continues the mournful, reflective theme, the drums battering as the song thunders by in classic doom style.
A combination of textures and flavours adds to this album as it progresses, with the darkness lightened through keyboards and some intricate guitar work. Nostrum Mare (Et Deixo Un Pont De Mar Blava) is the standout track on this album. Using the lyrics of a poem by Catalan writer Miquel Marti I Pol, it focuses on the changing use of the Mediterranean Sea, how it was and what is nowadays. With the poem sung in eight different languages from the band’s cultural area (Greek, Maltese, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Italian, French, and Hebrew), Helevorn had friends and fans of the band do the vocals with the melodic vocals completed by Julia Colom. The result is an epic, deep and gothic song which stands as the centrepiece of the album. The mix of gothic overtones to the heavier, oppressive doom elements works for much of the album, although the inevitable repetition means that there is a bit of flagging in enthusiasm towards the final tracks. Regardless of this, Aamamata is a deep, thought-provoking release, with themes of solitude, dreams and history evident throughout. 7/10
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