Gadzooks, people! I am so lucky This album absolutely rips. Metal this pure hasn’t been cut into lines like this since sometime in the 80s when I walked into that room I wasn’t supposed to walk into where on a small coffee table the blade met the mirror through the little pile of white powder.
Danava’s approach incorporates sick twin guitar attacks, charging bass lines, galloping wizardry behind the kit, and a voice conjuring – most prominently to my ears – Ian Gillan. Ever more awesome: the mix has an almost smokey classic sound awash in a light mossy fuzz. It’s not just their musical style that borrows and bends from a mystical past, but also how they are captured in the studio. Listening is akin to playing a lost album from a special time.
Only formed back in 2020 and consisting of members of Dark Funeral and Scar Symmetry Swedish 3-piece Ironmaster are back with what is already their 2nd album Weapons Of Spiritual Carnage there are some big-name bands involved here and they are from Sweden so, I think I know what to expect and I can tell you that my hopes are high for this one!
And I can say that Solemn Pestilence does NOT start as I expected, I was expecting that classic Gothenburg DM sound but what I actually get is a scathing and vicious black metal beginning that is absolutely non-stop and before you know it, there it is the trademark almost melodic death metal you expect but it doesn’t last long as they intertwine between both of these styles to create something energetic, urgent and vital, Oceans Of Searing Hatred then has a brief orchestral intro before an huge wave of thrashy death metal is unleashed and in places it reminds me of Nile in the Black Seeds Of Vengeance era which is nothing to be ashamed of at all, and a special nod to drummer Janne Jaloma because he is fucking unreal and absolute machine!
While previous releases from Danava might lean more toward Hawkwind space-rock noodling strangeness, the references on Nothing But Nothing, released on Tee Pee Records, run the gamut from UFO, Deep Purple, and Dio-era Sabbath to the NWOBHM era of Maiden, Priest, and others. This is not to exclude various other roots that reveal themselves: Motorhead and early Anthrax are also here. On Enchanted Villain, my favorite song on the album, I even hear some Styx.
Essentially, though, each of these songs packs a solid punch of incredible energy and musicianship weaving catchy riffs, emotive solos, and neck breaking jams with catchy melodies and fist raising choruses. This is not background music. It is not made for passive listening.
We start with the title track, Nothing But Nothing, which charges forward with urgency. Right away I’m struck by how live they sound. I expect the floor to be vibrating with the massive volume coming from the stacks. The guitars, bass, and drums are an overwhelming force of early-Maiden love. Greg Meleney’s voice hits those high pitches smoothly and draws melodies over the assault of metal mayhem that sets the stage for a lot of the rest of the album, as do the wild solos traded across the blacktop laid down solid on the low end.
We start with the title track, Nothing But Nothing, which charges forward with urgency. Right away I’m struck by how live they sound. I expect the floor to be vibrating with the massive volume coming from the stacks. The guitars, bass, and drums are an overwhelming force of early-Maiden love. Greg Meleney’s voice hits those high pitches smoothly and draws melodies over the assault of metal mayhem that sets the stage for a lot of the rest of the album, as do the wild solos traded across the blacktop laid down solid on the low end.
Let The Good Times Kill, the first single, has an undeniably catchy hook, cuts Camaro-rock grooves, and lets the guitars fly. Again, though, while there’s absolutely frenetic and fantastic fretwork on the soaring and dive-bombing guitars, I can’t emphasize enough how good the bass playing is on this album. Season Of Vengeance is a kick ass instrumental that keeps the fast tempo of the first two tunes while running through a series of dueling guitars and bass that’ll squeeze any classic Maiden fan’s iron heart.
My current favorite song on the album and its second single, Enchanted Villain, is an epic narrative that sounds like a combination of Dio-era Sabbath and Grand Illusion-era Styx. The tempo slows a bit, mystical and dark imagery abounds with synths and entrancing but brief choral sections. Trading solos for the last minute and a half, the guitars are the ultimate pay-off, the ear candy the song leaves you with as Meleney comes back to close on the main chorus.
My current favorite song on the album and its second single, Enchanted Villain, is an epic narrative that sounds like a combination of Dio-era Sabbath and Grand Illusion-era Styx. The tempo slows a bit, mystical and dark imagery abounds with synths and entrancing but brief choral sections. Trading solos for the last minute and a half, the guitars are the ultimate pay-off, the ear candy the song leaves you with as Meleney comes back to close on the main chorus.
The opening riffs of At Midnight You Die gear you up for another up tempo rocker. It’s a slab of NWOBHM with more guitar solos and the unrelenting forward march of the bass and drums. (There are so many Maiden references in this album that I’m afraid to drop their name more, but it’s kind of inevitable.) Strange Killer is a fantastic mid tempo ripper that conjures UFO and draws me to repeated listens. Of course the guitars dominate, but the tones captured here are somehow deeper, and the brief section of evil synthesized vocals halfway through are a killer touch.
Meanwhile, Nuthin But Nuthin, which is not a replay of the title track that kicks us off, could have fit on any 80s Priest album. The record concludes on Cas, a heartfelt, hard ballad. I don’t know who is singing or what language they’re singing in (sounds Slavic?), but it certainly feels like something intensely felt is being expressed.
The riffs, the blue collar, hard working vibe, the early speed metal tempo and ankle breaking changes recall so many touchstones, some fleetingly, some outright, but the freshness of Danava’s almost lo-fi style and full-on embrace of these roots lends to their wholehearted uniqueness. While they rock an old-school vibe, it’s not a gimmick and they are very much a band for the present.
The riffs, the blue collar, hard working vibe, the early speed metal tempo and ankle breaking changes recall so many touchstones, some fleetingly, some outright, but the freshness of Danava’s almost lo-fi style and full-on embrace of these roots lends to their wholehearted uniqueness. While they rock an old-school vibe, it’s not a gimmick and they are very much a band for the present.
There’s no better indication of how much Nothing But Nothing rocks and how deeply this album caught my attention–repeatedly–than the fact that while making notes for this review, I started doodling their logo. I don’t think I’ve done that since 1987. Horns way up! 9/10
Ironmaster - Weapons Of Spiritual Carnage (Black Lion Records) [GC]
Ironmaster - Weapons Of Spiritual Carnage (Black Lion Records) [GC]
Only formed back in 2020 and consisting of members of Dark Funeral and Scar Symmetry Swedish 3-piece Ironmaster are back with what is already their 2nd album Weapons Of Spiritual Carnage there are some big-name bands involved here and they are from Sweden so, I think I know what to expect and I can tell you that my hopes are high for this one!
And I can say that Solemn Pestilence does NOT start as I expected, I was expecting that classic Gothenburg DM sound but what I actually get is a scathing and vicious black metal beginning that is absolutely non-stop and before you know it, there it is the trademark almost melodic death metal you expect but it doesn’t last long as they intertwine between both of these styles to create something energetic, urgent and vital, Oceans Of Searing Hatred then has a brief orchestral intro before an huge wave of thrashy death metal is unleashed and in places it reminds me of Nile in the Black Seeds Of Vengeance era which is nothing to be ashamed of at all, and a special nod to drummer Janne Jaloma because he is fucking unreal and absolute machine!
Weapons Of Spiritual Carnage keeps the same sort of rhythm going and has some delicious mid-tempo sections that spread everything out expertly and really grips your attention all the way through and the solos from Jonas Kjellgren add another nice layer to the whole sound. Infinite Virulent is an absolute juggernaut of scathing and hellish vocals form Roberth Karlsson and the song that back it up never relents on the savagery and when it does slow down its only to build up towards some more soaring solos mixed into some delightful and huge death metal riffing that’s an absolute pleasure to listen to, when death metal is done this way, it doesn’t get much better!
Monolithic Suppressor Engaged might the most straight forward death metal track on offer on the whole album but don’t let that dim your enthusiasm because its full of rich harmonies and glorious guitars that bruise and attack all the way through and it’s a thrill ride all the way to the end! Finally Cast Into The Hollow eases off the pace with a melancholic and sparse guitar intro and then of course decides to absolutely trample you into tiny little pieces with a barrage of vicious death metal brutality that again has a nice dose of thrash going through it that even has a sombre and echoey guitar interlude to break up the violence for all of 30 seconds.
Monolithic Suppressor Engaged might the most straight forward death metal track on offer on the whole album but don’t let that dim your enthusiasm because its full of rich harmonies and glorious guitars that bruise and attack all the way through and it’s a thrill ride all the way to the end! Finally Cast Into The Hollow eases off the pace with a melancholic and sparse guitar intro and then of course decides to absolutely trample you into tiny little pieces with a barrage of vicious death metal brutality that again has a nice dose of thrash going through it that even has a sombre and echoey guitar interlude to break up the violence for all of 30 seconds.
Implications Of Sacral Time is a 37 second acoustic interlude that really isn’t needed but it does make you appreciate the black metal/thrash infused banger that is Lies Of Apathy all the more, this puts its foot down and does not let up in anyway for its entirety and it’s a beautiful display of brutality, Bringer Of Deception has another paired back and slow intro before some more inhuman drums kick in and lead the way into another thrashy/death metal triumph of a song and its onto Dismantling Eternity to finally finish us off and it does of course do this in gloriously violent fashion and has all the hallmarks of a future genre classic, bold claims I know and if you don’t believe me then just listen to it.
This is how all albums of this genre should sound, its modern but mixed with classic tinges, its savage but still manages to throw in some light with the guitar harmonies, the pace hardly ever relents, and this keeps you interested all the way through, each individual nails their respective performances and to absolute perfection! There really was nothing I didn’t like about this album, it was a triumph and really deserves to be listened to by everyone, if death/trash/black metal is your thing then listen to this immediately, if it isn’t, this album might just make you re-think that stance! It really is that good! This is a special album and deserves to be right up the top echelons of the AOTY lists! Stunning Stuff. 10/10
Ignea - Dream Of Lands (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
Electronic, symphonic conceptual and full of native folk instrumentation, Ignea bring another modern, melodic, metal album bursting with influences and musical talent. Inspired by Ukrainian photographer and documentarian Sofia Yablonska (1907-1971), who was known for traveling to very distant corners of the world while documenting the lives of tribes and natives, Ignea pair the slick, heavy modern sound of contemporaries Jinjer with the epic symphonics of Epica and traditional instruments/sounds of Asia mainly which feels like The Gentle Storm project from a few years.
This is how all albums of this genre should sound, its modern but mixed with classic tinges, its savage but still manages to throw in some light with the guitar harmonies, the pace hardly ever relents, and this keeps you interested all the way through, each individual nails their respective performances and to absolute perfection! There really was nothing I didn’t like about this album, it was a triumph and really deserves to be listened to by everyone, if death/trash/black metal is your thing then listen to this immediately, if it isn’t, this album might just make you re-think that stance! It really is that good! This is a special album and deserves to be right up the top echelons of the AOTY lists! Stunning Stuff. 10/10
Ignea - Dream Of Lands (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
Electronic, symphonic conceptual and full of native folk instrumentation, Ignea bring another modern, melodic, metal album bursting with influences and musical talent. Inspired by Ukrainian photographer and documentarian Sofia Yablonska (1907-1971), who was known for traveling to very distant corners of the world while documenting the lives of tribes and natives, Ignea pair the slick, heavy modern sound of contemporaries Jinjer with the epic symphonics of Epica and traditional instruments/sounds of Asia mainly which feels like The Gentle Storm project from a few years.
Tracks such as Nomad's Luck are incredible, displaying how brilliantly Ignea deliver their music with the Oriental influences mixing with crushing heavy metal, from Dmytro Vinnichenko (guitars), Oleksandr Kamyshyn (bass) and Ivan Kholmohorov (drums), on Opitimist which features Tuomas Saukkonen of Wolfheart. The vocals of Helle Bohdanova growl and snarl, The Golden Shell adding the other side as her clean voice soars beautifully over the cinematic backing of keyboardist Yevhenii Zhytniuk, who also provides the oscillating, surging electronics and synths to tell the tale Yablonska's interpid exploring and boundary breaking at a time when women didn't do things like she did.
Singing two songs in their native language Ignea are proud of their Ukrainian heritage and it's pioneers such as Sofia, they pay tribute with some genuinely excellent music. 8/10
Orphans Of Dusk - Spleen (Hypnotic Dirge Records) [Rich Piva]
Orphans Of Dusk bring the gloom on their new album, the interestingly titled Spleen. You get all sorts of gothic doom on Spleen, with some elements of death/doom, and is an album where the band wears their influences firmly on their sleeves to the point that we may want to replace the word “influence” with “worship”. This is not always a bad thing. How many times have I written “Sabbath Worship” in a review? A lot. But let’s see if the band can forge their own path instead of re-creating from the masters.
Type O Negative comes right to mind when you hear the real opening track after the instrumental interlude. You can hear it in the voice for sure, leaning towards the heavier and doomier Type O material. But to me, this band is Woods Of Ypres more than anything else. Wasted Hero sounds like it could have been in Woods IV without skipping a beat. The Woods comparison holds up more, mostly because of the death/doom aspects of Spleen. With Type O you get more sense of humor, whereas Woods was always more serious to me, which is why I would lean more in that direction. But you get really cool atmosphere on the track. I love the subtle keys in I’m Going To Haunt You (When I Die), which opens with some death growls, but morphs into a catchy chorus which you have no choice to harken back to David Gold’s vocal and lyrical work with Woods.
Orphans Of Dusk - Spleen (Hypnotic Dirge Records) [Rich Piva]
Orphans Of Dusk bring the gloom on their new album, the interestingly titled Spleen. You get all sorts of gothic doom on Spleen, with some elements of death/doom, and is an album where the band wears their influences firmly on their sleeves to the point that we may want to replace the word “influence” with “worship”. This is not always a bad thing. How many times have I written “Sabbath Worship” in a review? A lot. But let’s see if the band can forge their own path instead of re-creating from the masters.
Type O Negative comes right to mind when you hear the real opening track after the instrumental interlude. You can hear it in the voice for sure, leaning towards the heavier and doomier Type O material. But to me, this band is Woods Of Ypres more than anything else. Wasted Hero sounds like it could have been in Woods IV without skipping a beat. The Woods comparison holds up more, mostly because of the death/doom aspects of Spleen. With Type O you get more sense of humor, whereas Woods was always more serious to me, which is why I would lean more in that direction. But you get really cool atmosphere on the track. I love the subtle keys in I’m Going To Haunt You (When I Die), which opens with some death growls, but morphs into a catchy chorus which you have no choice to harken back to David Gold’s vocal and lyrical work with Woods.
Aurora Australis is a real slow death/doom burner, with alternating screams and clean baritone vocals and is a song that is gloom personified, with more of those keys sprinkled into the funeral procession. The track does pick up a bit throughout the eight-minute dirge but always brings you back way, way down. The minimalist middle parts of a couple of the songs is right out of the Type O playbook, along with the guitar slide to bring us back to the heavy. The title track is killer goth/doom and would be the song I would play to get folks interested in the record, with a section that is so Type O you may think you are hearing a lost track. The closer, Falling Star, is my favorite track on Spleen, opening with some rather cheery synths (for this band) and sounds the least like a B-side from the bands mentioned above.
If I had some feedback to give, it would be some of the tracks drag a bit and occasionally the record feels longer than the fifty-minute run time, but even the best Type O records can feel long. The difference is those albums actually are. I would also love to see the bad venture away from the worship and forge some of their own path while leveraging their love of those great bands, like they did on Falling Star.
This album is not for the faint of heart or for anyone looking for a pick me up. Spleen is as gloomy as it gets. If you like the bands I mentioned and can hang with some of the death growls, this is some solid goth/doom. I you had a Peter Steele poster on your wall or still long for the snowy Canadian death/doom of Woods Of Ypres this one may be of interest to you. Spleen is well executed with zero excuses given by Orphans Of Dusk for sounding like their musical heroes. 7/10
If I had some feedback to give, it would be some of the tracks drag a bit and occasionally the record feels longer than the fifty-minute run time, but even the best Type O records can feel long. The difference is those albums actually are. I would also love to see the bad venture away from the worship and forge some of their own path while leveraging their love of those great bands, like they did on Falling Star.
This album is not for the faint of heart or for anyone looking for a pick me up. Spleen is as gloomy as it gets. If you like the bands I mentioned and can hang with some of the death growls, this is some solid goth/doom. I you had a Peter Steele poster on your wall or still long for the snowy Canadian death/doom of Woods Of Ypres this one may be of interest to you. Spleen is well executed with zero excuses given by Orphans Of Dusk for sounding like their musical heroes. 7/10
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