Reviews: Night Legion, Aasar, Webb, Subterranean Disposition (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Night Legion - Fight Or Fall (Massacre Records)

If any metal releases after 1989 fill you with dread then I urge you to pick up the new album from Aussie band Night Legion. Fight Or Fall is their second album and introduces new vocalist Louie Gorgievski to their ranks though the creative force is still Aussie metal scene veteran Stu Marshall. He and Col Higginson are the twin axe attack of this muscular power metal record, vicious and biting, It's a sound that is proudly retro, stuck in the 80's but with some 21st Century production, Night Legion are 'classic metal'.

Drawing inspiration from the horror themes of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes on The Hounds Of The Baskerville, this first track defines the rest of the album really, with histrionic vocals, shredding riffs and solos and dynamic shifts where special guest Mike LePond gets to do some nifty basswork. From here it’s an assault on the senses, commanding you to turn up the volume and throw your fist in the air. The pace started by the speed metal of Soaring Into The Black, is stopped by the beginning of the title track where Glenn Williams (bass) and Clay Tchakalian (drums) bring a mid paced stomp, leading into At World’s End.

The remaining songs on the album follow a familiar pattern, a slow opening that builds into classic metal riffage. It’s nothing new but Stu Marshall is a veteran of this kind of music so it’s all done well. Not a difficult second album, just more of the same from Night Legion. 7/10

Aasar – From Nothing To Nowhere (Seek & Strike)

Another slab of something freaking heavy from Seek & Strike. Italian band Aasar drag you into their monochrome world view with the industrial throb of intro Rise Of The Dark Ether, inspiring visions of endless concrete buildings and oppressive control. 

From Nothing To Nowhere is the new EP from Aasar and its brutal industrial death that takes from bands such as, Fear Factory, Mnemic, Xerath as well as the names mentioned in their PR like; Humanity’s Last Breath, ten56 and Vidhjarta. Sonically dense and mechanical, lyrically the inspiration is more spiritual with pagan mythology, life/death cycles and the meanings behind science fiction. The title track is technically impressive, fast blasts and slow grooves meet with ease as the vocals just rage, the guitars adding lots of intricate leads behind the wall of noise. 

Wasteland goes down more tech death styles before Fall Into Oblivion adds more industrial soundscapes and black metal fury. They experiment with sound across this 6 track EP, with Valerio Quirini adding his skills to the monstrous Court Of The Unknown. Blast beats, grooves, tremolo picking, breakdowns, electronics and a general mood of ominousness, From Nothing To Nowhere comes a as a statement EP for Aasar and another load of heavy for Seek & Strike. 7/10

Webb - Deadly Sins And Virtues (Self Released)

Hailing from the South West of England, Webb are a prog metal trio fronted by vocalist/guitarist Ryan Webb. Deadly Sins And Virtues is full of messages about toxicity in a modern society, digital exhaustion and the plight of the planet, Webb use positive messages in their varied musical styles, inspiring hope with lyrics from Sonya Webb. 

Musically they are quite diverse, but stick to the darker, heavier end of things, the mastering of Dave Collins making it sound big and boisterous. From the grooving Gojira-like riffs on Spread Your Wing, there's some SOAD meets Godsticks alt crunch on You're Going Down and the thrashy Hate, while the classic prog metal of Hope relies on lots of emotion. Bassist Luca Massidda and drummer Nigel Powell guiding the changes in style and cadence that are major parts of Webb's music, on Don't Ask Why before letting it all go mad on Hate. 

As I said stay towards the heavier end of the prog spectrum, the clean/harsh vocals are balanced, their own songs are the stand outs but they do a pretty good doom cover of Knights In White Satin, originally by The Moody Blues. Deadly Sins And Virtues reminds me a lot of Rob Chapman's band Dorje, techincal music but choruses that are made to hook you. Webb are definitely showing what they can do. 7/10

Subterranean Disposition - Individuation (Hypnotic Dirge Records)

Looking to release the digital version of this album with a show supporting Esoteric, Subterranean Disposition are an atmospheric, funeral death/doom band who have returned with their first album in seven years. This long gap has resulted in a long record, based around the beginnings of doom, there's death metal, black metal and jazz sax. Yeah...I said jazz sax, that particular brass instrument used throughout these 5 labyrinthine songs inspired by Carl Jung. 

Subterranean Disposition’s mastermind is Terry Vainoras, a veteran of the Aussie metal scene, I get the impression the band started out a solo project, but on this third album drummer Dan Nahum returns and live bassist Justin Min makes his studio debut. Vainoras handles everything else, vocals, guitars and sax, the latter used similarly to Pantheist’s organ, a band Subterranean Disposition are similar too. Flowing long form tracks make up this record as the crushing doom riffs give way to some blasts of death metal (the vocals are growled exclusively) and the unbridled aggression of black metal on Haunted Optimist.

Though for me it’s the use of sax and the atmospheric passages that impress most, the title track being the most potent, the sax used in a similar way to how Shining or Rivers Of Nihil employ it, it can be a transport to another dimension of the song. Individuation is a journey through one’s own self set to experimental music based around heavy funeral doom. Give it time and it will get under your skin. 7/10