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Monday 20 June 2022

Reviews: Monasterium, Buried Realm, Foot, Thornhill (Reviews By Finn O'Dell & Matt Cook)

Monasterium – Cold Are The Graves (Nine Records) [Finn O'Dell]

Here we have a Polish epic doom/traditional metal band who started of in 2014. With 2 albums to their credit, they delivered the heavy for a third time on June 10th. Here a brief word on aesthetics - this album cover is DOOM! Musically, what we have here is some major talent bringing an offering to the gods of metal and doom. The Stigmatic opens with a meandering pace until the bottom drops out. Slow and heavy so we'll executed; textbook doom. Cimmeria has Michał Strzelecki belting out a few high screams to highlight his normally smooth tone, a combination that reminds me of early Queensryche. 

This song defines epic metal. Seven Swords Of Wayland harkens to a more Iron Maiden-ish story telling focus to a dirgish tune. Remembered is a stand out cut here, an acoustic and haunting reflective ballad. So much soul on display here. I kept waiting for some explosive heaviness, but they held the form throughout and it really works. Necronomicon brings the doom honoring Lovecraft. This album checks all the boxes for it's genre: music that brings the low thundering feeling of doom with lyrics drawing from history, legend and mysticism. Doom in the vein of Candlemass, you can't go wrong here. 9/10

Buried Realm – Buried Realm (Self Released) [Matt Cook]

It seems new music has been foisted onto us at an alarmingly historic rate, what with the world
desperately trying to inch back to whatever normal is. Because of that, some records inevitably slip
through the cracks. Buried Realm may have been receptive to this peril, but either way, their self-titled, self-released effort comes with enough vigor and life to lead one to believe it’s important to keep this band in the back of your mind. Or better yet, Josh Dummer, who takes care of everything. 

The calamitous trifecta – Spectral Light, Poison Palace, The Iron Flame – acts as a pulpit for Dummer on guitars. The acerbic work zigzags with technical but tame soloing while countering any fears of flaming out. The Iron Flame specifically employs a rip-roaringly complex guitar exhibition rife with lengthy, virtuosic finger-taping. Elder Gods is requisitioned as a pseudo-instrumental confidently relying on Dummer to riff their way to victory. If technicality deters you, Witch Bones succumbs to burly, death metal-laden greatness. It begins luringly with an imposing melodic/symphonic introduction. 

At the helm, the tandem of Dummer’s vocal reach presents an exquisite affinity for complementing both approaches. The synergy thrives on Spectral Light and Where The Armless Phantoms Glide, the latter allowing Dummer to perform with gruff and boldness. On the surface, Buried Realm risk getting, erm, buried under the titanic catalogue that’s been churned out since late 2021. A closer examination clearly reveals a bubbling puddle of magma, increasingly breaking through the ground, threatening all in its path. Melodic Tech-Death isn’t usually tackled by a single person, but you would never know from listening. 8/10

Foot - You Are Weightless (Copper Feast Records) [Finn O'Dell]

When I was first introduced to this band, it was their last full length album, The Balance Of Nature Shifted. Instant classic for me. This is their 3rd album and it doesn't disappoint. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, this 4 piece stoner band has shown some growth, delivering a fresh slab of fuzz on June 10th that should make some end of year lists. With only 7 songs, this album is the shortest of their collection (time wise as well). 

The first song, Bitter, displays more of a straight indie rock feel. Caged Animal's attacking intro fits it's title well, then easing into the opening verse. Really picking up on an Alice In Chains vibe throughout this tune. Fire Dance again leads with some heavy and quicker riffs and carries the same vibe. Gold Lion flips things with a chanting type anthem front end saving the riffs and nasty bass for later in the song. I'll Be Just Fine builds into a frenzied romping jam that has party written all over it. 

Impossible brings the fuzz with what seems to be becoming a trademark edginess. I'm Not Scared wraps up this fantastic album with a more laid back main body with a chorus that takes me back to some early grunge influences. This album shows us an ever growing band that embraces change well. They are not content to lay back and do the same thing they have done before, and the end result is a product that is way too easy to leave on repeat all day. No doubt having some Alice In Chains and Smashing Pumpkins moments, these guys own their own sound in a release I can't recommend enough. 10/10

Thornhill – Heroine (UNFD) [Matt Cook]

If ever there was a time to experiment and follow the tune of your own drum, it’s right now. Thornhill, in this case, chose to carve out an intricately precise slab of priceless progressive rock granite
by way of Heroine, the Australian-based five-piece’s sophomoric effort, via UNFD. The album progresses further than the label suggests, and is joined by elements of rap and hip-hop that convalesce as the record gains a solid footing. 

The Hellfire Club acts as an endearing bridge between the reverby, girthy goodness coming together with more conventionally prog, clean antics. The vocals are outright fencing one another on Varsity Hearts, though that overlap quite possibly was done on purpose, seeing as how the music comes together exceptionally well at the end, suggesting it’s not the novice musician, but the novice listener. The tables turn when Valentine goes straight hip-hop, assisted by muffled singing and an unequivocally not metal drum section. 

Casanova displays how those same drums can (and do) pop to life; the opening guitar riff is heavy, and Thornhill don’t shy away from electronic and industrial elements to further stir that pot of frothy fun. Post- fans will take a liking to the title track (post-rock that ends sounding like a lullaby) and ‘Leather Wings’ (post-hardcorey). This is all to say that Thornhill do as Thornhill will. The initial desire for more straight-up metalcore is eventually withered away by a persistent, intoxicating exhibition of experimental, poised progressive rock. 7/10

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