Reviews: Astralborne, The Wise Man's Fear, Smiling Assassin, Dehumanaut (Matt & Paul H)

Astralborne: Eternity's End (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Originally self released last year, Astralborne have inked a deal to release this album on vinyl as part of a major label. Astralborne can be seen as an offshoot from Viking metal band Hammer Horde formed by Jayson Cessna (drums) and Derik Smith (guitars), it came about when they had some time on their hands and started writing lyrics that didn't fit with tales of Odin, Thor and Valhalla, they added Paul Fuzinski (bass, vocals) and things started to progress. The songs on Eternity's End are much more personal, realistic with some historical concepts that surround a central theme of death and decay covered as well. Despite the lyrical features changing the musical palette blends black, death and thrash metal similar to the Viking metal act two of the members come from, what you could class this as is melo-death, born out of the Gothenburg sound and refined through the American early 2000's adaptations.

This Ohio trio have made an album that will certainly appeal to the wider audience they will now have due their signing to Prosthetic. Now I've said before about some of the problems I have with melo-death but Astralborne keep you enthralled never letting the songs blend into one the drum and bass work battering you but also shifting between bounce and outright speed, this allows the the biting guitar playing to add some virtuoso melodies on tracks such as the anthemic sounding Transcendence Of Flesh where we get more atmosphere as opposed to the blistering Paragon Amiss or indeed the crushing Centuries (In Agony). With their roots in Viking metal you may expect some Amon Amarth styling but Astralborne are a much heavier prospect especially impressive when you consider there are just three of them. Quality Melo-death from the USA, Prosthetic have done a great job getting this record out to a larger audience. 7/10          

The Wise Man’s Fear: Valley Of Kings (Sharptone Records) [Paul Hutchings]

When you are more interested in the cover of the album you are reviewing that what you are hearing, it’s unlikely to bode well. Named after a novel by American author Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man’s Fear are deemed a fantasycore band from central Indiana. Now, I’m old, I accept that but fantasycore? What the actual fuck? I suppose the best way to describe it is a horrible mix of post-hardcore, alternative and a dollop of metalcore. The combination of growling roars and soaring cleans, the continual unnecessary time changes and movements makes this an album that was never going to appeal to me. I sat through it twice and found few redeeming features. This is a genre that will never excite me.

When on Tree Of Life the band introduced a penny whistle into the mix of jagged staccato riffs, it was time to put my coat on. I have no doubt the band can play. It’s tight, on point and neat enough. It reeks of angst and sorrow. It is crushingly heavy (such as on Sands Of Time) as well as lighter and mellow; see the gut-churning The River And The Rock. When everyone of your songs sounds like the one you’ve just listened to, and some of the vocals sound like Satan’s coughing up his lunch again, then it’s time to accept that maybe it just isn’t that good. My list of fantasycore bands starts and stops with The Wise Man’s Fear. It is unlikely to increase. I’m sorry. 4/10

Smiling Assassin: Plight Of The Millennial (Warren Records) [Paul Hutchings]

The smiling assassin is a term that can be traced back over a century. Search the meaning on the internet and you will find hundreds of definitions. They all point to the same general meaning. The backstabber, the two-faced villain or as Hardcore Punk four-piece Smiling Assassin define it, ‘a so-called friend who is really an enemy whose main weapons are inconsistency and unpredictability. They use rumour to undermine colleagues and adopt a passive-aggressive, indirect, dishonest style of dealing with people and issues. Basically, this is a friend who stabs you in the back’.

The rage that flows on this debut release fits neatly with the band’s name and the title of the album. Expressions of experiences and frustrations with the current economic and socio-political climate have never been higher. The anger that the Yorkshire outfit feel is evident from the intro which screams with the words “we’ve had enough”. From there it’s a 14-minute burner which is full force in your face. It screams outrage, resistance, and a voice for those who have none. Few albums, short as this one may be, capture the feelings of a generation like Smiling Assassin have here. Full of driving riffs, battering drumming and the intense vocals of George Garnett, tracks such as Divide & Conquer, News Corp. Monopoly and National Pride need no description. Suffice, and I’m no punk expert, this is punchy, fiery, and well worth a listen. It’s reassuring to know that bands of all genres are giving the finger to the powers that be. Music is art. Art is a reflection on society. There remains a glimmer of hope. 8/10

Dehumanaut: Dust In The Giant's Hand (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

If you've read this blog before you'll probably know that we spend a lot of time across the bridge in our second home of Bristol (at the moment though let's all stay where we are). However in all those times we've frequented the venues of Bristol and South Wales for that matter we've never come across Dehumanaut, a three piece based in Bristol. This is a shame as from listening to their debut album Dust In The Giant's Hand their brand of neck snapping extreme metal is right up our street. If you check out their socials (as the kids say) you'll see they are influenced by Kreator, Testament and Misery Index and it's clear to hear why they cite these bands, their musical style is built around the thunderous explosive drumming of Jon Rudin who blasts the kit like it's hurt him in a previous life and the finger bending riffs and solos of Katy Montgomerie, who also plays bass, manages to be Peterson, Skolnick and Di Giorgio all in one.

Especially on ragers such as In Ruins Of Light and The Noose Is Tight, bringing the rabid thrash assault to Ashes. Though the beginning of This Is Our War is pure bluesy doom before the speed comes back, repeating the same sludgy trick on final song A World Unmade, as Will Jones unleashes his wide and aggressive vocals style made up of snarls, growls and screams. Dust In The Giant's Hand is one of the most abrasive, aggressive albums I've heard in a while and I'm hoping that post lockdown we'll be able to enjoy Dehumanaut live. 7/10