As we begin to delve into the sonic trip of Profiler’s self-titled E.P we are greeted with 8-Bit rumblings of baritone voiced guitars and faint swells of some punchy drums before the pulverising ensemble hits us like a tidal wave with low tuned nu metal attitude. Following from this, the head banging continues with Miserable, which keeps the energy up with it’s up beat drumming and it’s interval jumping riffs. Miserable also features the transitions between harsh and melodic vocals preformed over ghost noted drumbeats and exotic sounding clean sections.
The Nu-metal vibes continue with Glitch which combines Fear Factory inspired sledge hammer riffs and ambient cleans which play along side Rage Against The Machine style rapped verses and Post grunge sounding chorus. Alpha Nine carries on the modern post grunge sounds with a nu-metal twist reminiscent of bands like My Ticket Home and Cane Hill especially when they combine the eastern sounding riffs that reminds me of the Restoring Force and Dead World era from Of Mice Men. Their closing track Hypocrite brings back the djenty nu metal slap but flavours it up with jazzy chords that you would hear from bands like Issues and Periphery but yet still manages to meld those Silverchair and Puddle of Mud sounding post grunge choruses to maintain their rough and smooth approach.
Throughout this 5 track journey it is proven that this band is on it’s way of craving a bigger audience especially with songs like Miserable, Alpha Nine and Hypocrite under their belts. This was passionate and genuine listen but does not re-shape the wheel. 7/10
This record is a winding, sprawling collection of progressive and dark death metal, with haunting riffs, tortured vocals, and oppressive atmospheres. Each song is a dark foray into dissonant death metal, with heavy doom influence (especially found in the tracks Opening The Passage and Inauspicious Prayer as well as post-metal, black metal, and traditional death metal elements combining together to create this unique sound. The production on Ascetic Reflection is generally good, with a gritty guitar tone and solid drum sound, however the bass and vocals have a tendency to get almost completely buried beneath the dissonant textures and synth lines. That said, the production does generally serve the sound well.
Rend Them Asunder – Existence To Entrails (Self Released) [Matt Cook]
In any form of entertainment, if the audience senses the performer lacking enthusiasm or desire to be on stage, it’s uncomfortable and offensive. A waste of time. An insult to the people who chose to devote their time and/or money on the lacklustre affair. Furthermore, if you don’t have anything worth its salt, stick with what you do have and focus your efforts accordingly. Nobody told that to Rend Them Asunder, because they sink the vessel before it even leaves the dock. Grainy production and hazy drumming on Existence To Entrails wasn’t so bad (at first).
Except the record swiftly dissolves into grossly formulaic milieu. The decision to relegate guitar solos to the final dying seconds of Blasphemy and Devoid Decorum felt less like a creative decision and more of a panicked effort to try and include them before the songs ended. Shrapnel Disembowelment loosens its grip on Caine Butcher, allowing for energy and exploration. Corrupted Innocence has chuggy riffs, but any more praise than that is quite frankly over-selling the record. Devoid Decorum, a seven-plus-minute song, is placed there as logically as a sauna on the beach. It’s foolishly jogging in public topless to let people know you have abs when no one really fucking cares to see them.
Amazingly, Rend Them Asunder throw their hat into the grindcore ring in the lamest way possible: a six-second abomination (Salvo) presumably trying to mimic Napalm Death’s 1.316-second song You Suffer. Leave that to the pros, lads. It’s akin to Machine Gun Kelly claiming to lead a punk rock revival. How’d that go? If the artists can’t even be arsed to put in the hours in the studio, why should I listen to it when there are literally hundreds and thousands of other options? The only saving grace is I didn’t have to waste any money on the music. Though I won’t be getting that time back. 4/10
Altars – Ascetic Reflection (Everlasting Spew Records) [Zach Scott]
Altars – Ascetic Reflection (Everlasting Spew Records) [Zach Scott]
This record is a winding, sprawling collection of progressive and dark death metal, with haunting riffs, tortured vocals, and oppressive atmospheres. Each song is a dark foray into dissonant death metal, with heavy doom influence (especially found in the tracks Opening The Passage and Inauspicious Prayer as well as post-metal, black metal, and traditional death metal elements combining together to create this unique sound. The production on Ascetic Reflection is generally good, with a gritty guitar tone and solid drum sound, however the bass and vocals have a tendency to get almost completely buried beneath the dissonant textures and synth lines. That said, the production does generally serve the sound well.
The songwriting, too, is solid; the use of linear song structures means that riffs and sections weave in and out of each other with a free feel – going from heavy doom riffs into black metal blasts and back again. Some sections feel stilted and less thoughtfully written, and unfortunately some moments just fall short of the overall sound of this record. All in all, Ascetic Reflection is a solid album, with an interesting blend of various styles written well and performed to a high standard; however, the level of songwriting still has a way to go but it is clear from this record that it can definitely be achieved to a fantastic standard. Altars is certainly a band to watch, as this record proves strong potential in the coming years. 6/10
White Tygër - This Is The Life (Self Released) [Finn O'Dell]
This is the debut album from these boys from the UK. These guys are bringing back some sounds from the 80's, but with their own flare. Let's dive into these 9 jams and see how they fare. Permanent Vacation opens with the grit of early Skid Row and I am so digging it. Nip Turner's vocals here are a dead ringer for Sebastian Bach. Heartbreak Hotel opens with some blistering guitar and has a heavy rock party feel with a hook loaded chorus and a final scream as top shelf as any I've ever heard. By the time Runaway Bride hits, I can confirm, these guys are mailing that hair metal sound of the 80's. Lovin' it.
Midnight Lovers continues the jams and then Forever And Always slows things down with a Whitesnake-ish ballad with a pinch of Firehouse. Scum Town bounces back to the rock sounding a bit like Warrant. This Is The Life, the title track, it out of the gate with a fast paced rocker and I can't say enough about the vocally thick choruses. Speed Demon is another banger leading up to the final cut, No Fucks Given. The closer's title says it all - pure hard rock attitude with no holds barred. Enough raunch here to draw an obvious comparison to Steel Panther.
There are few bands that really can bring that truly gritty hard rock sound from the past these days, in my opinion (Steel Panther being another exception to that rule). This album nails it and is a good time classic. 9/10
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