Wormrot – Hiss (Earache Records) [Matt Cook]
Nearly everything about Wormrot is ironic. To start, the name. Furthermore, their first album in six years is called
Hiss and the grindcore effort is under Earache Records. This all sounds right and well. Except the trio hails from Singapore, a place that is routinely voted the cleanest in the world. How’s that for a juxtaposition? Getting to the music, Hiss is an explosive 21 tracks condensed into a 33-minute window.
More appealing is the plethora of hardcore elements, owing to how the subgenre was first formed. This can be heard most pointedly on the hardcore/punk style background chanting on When Talking Fails, It’s Time For Violence! and the chugger that is Voiceless Choir. The grind is omnipresent – as it should be. The album jump scares to life and descends into marble-mouth growls. Your Dystopian Hell showcases drumming akin to a head chef working every station alone during Friday dinner service. The pumice-laced record doesn’t shy away from flat-out abrasive sounds and noises. Weeping Willow screeches, scratches and squeaks its way to a migraine-inducing flurry.
All Will Wither takes charge shortly after by injecting vocals which are whispered yet still hoarse. Wormrot capped off the performance with closer
Glass Shards, not only the longest track on
Hiss (4:29), but also a song with a violin/string solo. It works in tandem with the subtle but effective melodicism that escaped earlier on
Desolate Landscapes. Singapore might pride itself on its spotless global reputation. Luckily that doesn’t translate into its music scene. Besides, how else could grindcore be created? 8/10
Sinner - Brotherhood (Atomic Fire Records) [Finn O'Dell]
For those, like myself, unfamiliar with the name of this band, Sinner has been for 40 years and this is their 18th album. The front man, for whom the band is named (Mat Sinner), may be more familiar to some (me again) as a member of Primal Fear. For this album, they wrangled some special guests - Erik Martensson, Ralf Scheepers, Ronnie Romero and Tom Englund among them. All that said, I am really looking forward to this. The album takes off with some heavy killer riffs with Bulletproof.
Sometimes outside sounds fit in a song, but I am not a fan of the gun action sounds at the beginning and end of the song - corny and doesn't sound like it belongs. We Came To Rock, well rocks. Personally I am generally not a fan of songs like this lyrically - kind of like movies breaking "the 4th wall" and acknowledging the audience. Do what you do, don't tell the obvious of what your doing. That said, Sinner does it with metal flare. The title track, Brotherhood, serves as a good reminder of not being alone. The Last Generation slows things down a little but delivers the passion.
My Scars is probably my personal favourite with a groove filled riff throughout. There is a bonus track here that is a cover of an older song by The Killers, When You Were Young. Overall, this album is an adrenaline pumping machine that just doesn't stop. This is a slightly lighter version of Primal Fear for sure. So glad Sinner exists and looking forward to checking out their whole discography. Highly recommend. 9/10
Ambrius – Effigies Of Time (Symphonic Sabotage Records) [Rick Eaglestone]
The start to this debut EP by Ambrius has already given me goosebumps, the short piano laden title track
Effigies Of Time it’s a prefect build up full on atmosphere and intrigue before the seven and a half minute
Self Reflection break through with an onslaught of riffs, pounding drums and interchangeable vocal arrangements. Breathe is hands down my highlight track it’s absolutely littered with everything the previous track has but the melodies in the track are just fabulous as are the guitar solos.
The tracks all are all over the minute mark, but all still manage to keep hold of the listeners enthusiasm take for example the Spanish guitar parts on The Unavoidable Path – they only add another dynamic that blends in fantastically well. I must admit I has spent a lot of this year listening to death and black metal, but this has just some divine good old heavy metal elements that my body seems to crave as much as it feels the need to stay hydrated right now.
Red takes my previous statement and sandwiches it with a modern twist, there are some great growls embedded in the subtle nevermore sounding vocals, big fan of this track too. Lastly The Pulse And Purpose ends this particular journey but I’ve got a feeling it wont be long before I on the same path again. Ambrius is most likely a new heavy metal band you've yet to discover 7/10
Vanquisher - An Age Undreamed Of (Stormspell Records) [Matt Bladen]
Swedish, epic metal based around Robert E. Howard's stories about Conan and Hyborian Age? Yeah count me in! An Age Undreamed is this Swedish hordes debut album and they have come out of the blocks with an absolute battle cry of a record. Drawing lyrical inspiration from the swords and sorcery epics of Howard's works and putting them with muscular, warpaint daubed, works of epic heavy metal that is so macho it makes Manowar look like a bunch of whining old men (I bet Vanquisher don't fall out with festival promoters as frequently either). No Vanquisher is much more akin to bands such as Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol and Virgin Steele. Bands who haven't sullied their name by being divas just playing the music for the love of heavy metal.
It's one of those albums that will fulfil the question of "what is metal?" you can safely put down your war axe and give them a copy of this record. The band use pseudonyms linked to their Norse heritage they have Niord of Nordheim (vocals), Heimdal the Warlord and Horsa the Untamed (guitar), Wulfhere the Executioner (bass) and finally Gorm of the Pounding Hooves (drums), together this warrior horde from the frozen North spread the tales of Conan Of Cimmeria across the world. Horses loaded, weapons sharpened we go into battle. A spoken word intoro to welcome us into the Hyborian Age as The Pride Of Aquilonia gets the album going proper with as marching pace Manowar stomper, fists in the air anthemic choruses and lyrics about raising banners, it's followed by thrashing Storming Venarium, Gorm's pounding hooves taking it full pelt towards the solos.
I can't get over how similar Niord's vocals sound like Eric Adams, but he also adds some harsher strains for Ode To The Slain. Recorded and produced in Stronghold Studios and Studio Tvåtakt by the band with help from Cederick Forsberg, An Age Undreamed Of was mix and master by Niklas Johansson at Harm Studios, and it's one of the epic heavy metal albums of this year. In this recent heat what better way to listen to music than in your finest loincloth body glistening with sweat and Vanquisher on as loud as hell!! 9/10
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