Witchlords have come out swinging in full force with this monstrous debut album. It’s a lot grittier than most power metal albums, with low guitar chugs and high-pitched heavy vocals on some songs adding a neat touch of evil to the demons and sorcerers-themed songs. Now the heavy vocals are one thing, but something has to be said for the impressive clean vocals too, sitting comfortably at mid-range (or at least what could be considered mid-range in power metal) but able to stretch to King Diamond-worthy highs as well.
Full-sounding production is pretty essential in the songs with multiple vocal tracks, and the booming drums really thicken out the sound, notable on tracks with tom-rolls galore like Tomb King and Blood For The Bloodgod. There’s a lot of killer riffage packed into these 10 tunes, and most of the guitar solos totally rip. Sure, Withclords is just a little independent band at this point, but with this record under their belts, they’re not just your buddy’s band you’d catch playing background noise to 20 people at some local bar. Keep it up, Witchlords. 8/10
The Flaying: Angry Undead (PRC Music)
Now, if there’s one thing to say about The Flaying, it’s that they’re just awesome. Simply put. And that’s not just because they’re Canadian. What is it with Quebecers and technical death metal anyway? The Flaying’s newest offering is a total onslaught of brutality, with just the right amount of technicality. Not so much that it sounds wanky, not so little that it sounds like an afterthought. Most of it comes in the form of wicked bass runs, especially on the short instrumental Egocentric Predicament, and while the bass work is what particularly stands out here, the guitars, drums and vocals all get their moments in the spotlight too.
The albums intro, Ouverture écarlate (The Very Art Of Flaying) lasts only 35 seconds before giving way to an unrelenting barrage of eight breakneck songs. There’s not a track on the record that wouldn’t facilitate a huge mosh in a live setting, but the real beauty is that there’s so much to experience just sitting and listening to the album as well. Some of the songs are real highlights, like the insane Genuflect and the intense Angry, Undead, but the best way to listen would be to just play the album through instead of checking out a song or two. Great work all around on this one. Can’t we get bands like this representing Canada instead of Nickelback? 9/10
Volt: The Unseen (Independent)
Volt: The Unseen (Independent)
A little thrash here and a little death there, the first release from Canada’s Volt is a pretty solid debut from a pretty cool new band. There’s some big hooks and tasty licks throughout the record, and a nice groove on some of the tracks like the aptly-titled Thrashocalypse. Oh, and the vocals are wonderfully evil-sounding too. There’s something new to hear in every song, which isn’t to say they don’t fit together as an album as well. Volt are able to prove themselves versatile musicians and writers within the thrash and death styles, while incorporating a few surprising elements too. The black metal-tinged Malicious Communion, the blues-infused Serene Deletion and the classic metal-injected The Hall Of The Northmen are all testaments to these musicians’ adaptable writing chops. With all the different factors that snake into these tunes, though, there’s none of that try-hard copycat feel. Not bad at all. 8/10
Angel Black: Killing Demons (Rockshots Records)
Arizona heavy metal quartet Angel Black have already been garnering some attention with this brand-new release. It’s pretty straight-up, just hitting all the heavy metal hallmarks and doing a satisfactory job of it. All the parts are in place, but at certain times the tunes are just a little underwhelming. Some of the solos just don’t soar high enough, some of the choruses just don’t sound as big as they seem like they should, and the vocals lack power and depth on some songs. There are exceptions, like the headbang-inducing Cyber Spy and the thunderous Black Heart. But starting on the lukewarm Strikeforce sets a tone the rest of the record tries to shake off. Unfortunately, the slow-to-mid-tempo Death Mill kicks in only three songs in, long before a slower song is due, threatening the album’s cohesiveness and making the recovery more difficult as well. The record eventually picks up some steam in its second half, but with only eight songs on the album, it comes a little late and is over too soon. Maybe a different order of songs would make this record easier to listen right through, but here it just feels like getting halfway through is a chore before it gets really fun. This is only the debut album, so while Angel Black haven’t completely come bursting through the gate, they have the potential to get better with time as they hone their musical chemistry. 6/10
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