Having released a debut EP in 2019, Master's Call kicked down the door of blackened death metal gatekeeping, announcing themselves as a force to be reckoned with. From here's there was critical acclaim and many high profile shows. During the pandemic the line up changed a few times, but they are focussed and back with this killer debut full length.
The major change is vocally where guitarist John Wilcox has stepped up after losing three singers in total, he swaps his six strings for the mic, still playing the guitars on the album with co-founder Dave Powell but with new guitarist Bear now taking up the role of axeman.
As with the EP Master's Call bring a harmonious style of music that puts classic metal together with black and death idolising and inspired by Immortal, Morbid Angel, Emperor and Slayer along with fellow Black country bands Priest and Sabbath, these coming from the driving grooves of Lewis Chrimes (bass) and James Williams (drums), biting guitars riffs and melodic sections straddling the extreme and the classic.
Lyrically inspired by atrocities and the dark turbulence of life, A Journey For The Damned is a dark, violent album that will appeal to fans of the bands I mentioned earlier. All Hope In Fire begins this ritual with explosive blasts and thrashy riffs, the production of Kristian "Kohle" Bonifer making it vicious and needle sharp as they shift between the faster passages and the grinding doominess. Beyond The Gates brings black metal fury as Dimmu Borgir/Behemoth stand as the influences in the sound shifts and swirling riffs.
So far Master's Call improve on their EP with more progressive flourishes in their songwriting. The Serpent's Rise and the dual harmonies in Blood On The Altar are killer, Celtic Frost and Immortal thrown together. I have to praise John for stepping up as vocalist as he does a great job despite not having the role before, his croaky DM shout fits the grimy music.
As they pass through the closing trio of Damnation's Black Winds, Into The Abyss Once More and the 7 minute Pathways which closes out this excellent, extreme experience. Master's Call triumph with their debut full length. 8/10
Fawn Limbs & Nadja - Vestigial Spectral (Wolves And Vibrancy) [Joe Guatieri]
What happens when harsh noise act Fawn Limbs meets Canadian Drone Metal band Nadja? Vestigial Spectra takes a variety of different extreme metal subgenres and combines it with noise music making for a car crash of a record of a record in the best, most brutal way. Warning! Parental guidance is advised.
Cascading Entropy is an entry that is genuinely terrifying to me. It feels like you’re in a Clockwork Orange with your eyes being forcibly pulled back as you witness distressful footage that no human should ever see. Bordering on doom metal, especially within the low-end as powerful shots of bass hit you in your chest.
The following track Redshifted is the exact opposite of meditation. It’s so painful with its pulsating synths of different sizes whilst the background is polluted by painful screams of anguish throughout. The ending of the song is the complete opposite to the start of it and stands as one of the very few moments of calmness on this album as two creepy vocalists intertwine with each other in the distance. It evokes the image of two undertakers coming in to remove a lifeless body whilst they sing hymns of prayer.
Track six, Distilled In Observance is my favourite song on the record. The unforgiving nature of Vestigial Spectra is dialed up to a level on here that I didn’t think was possible as every single instrument, vocals and noise is beyond deafening in its intent. It is a step beyond industrial metal as things might have a pulse but the timing, especially within the drums feels impossible for any human being to be able to muster. This track is an achievement in intensity.
Overall, this record isn’t for the faint of heart; it will certainly not be to everyone’s tastes. However, Vestigial Spectra is the most unique experience of the year, simultaneously pushing the boundaries of metal and noise music whilst building to a perfect creation. It’s a nightmare of an art piece in a gallery of its own design. 10/10
Burden Of Grief - Destination Dystopia (Massacre Records) [Mark Young]
And now for some melodic death metal, courtesy of Burden of Grief. Noted as pioneers of melodic thrash / death metal and hailing from Germany, it is a band I’ve never come across before and as such I’m excited to give them a go.
World Under Attack kicks us off with a building introduction – chiming guitars, marching drums and soon we are into a Gothenburg style of riffology. Its ripping along nicely, vocals are barked so there is clarity there which is missing in other bands. It lays down a marker for the album as a whole and is a promising start.
Fawn Limbs & Nadja - Vestigial Spectral (Wolves And Vibrancy) [Joe Guatieri]
What happens when harsh noise act Fawn Limbs meets Canadian Drone Metal band Nadja? Vestigial Spectra takes a variety of different extreme metal subgenres and combines it with noise music making for a car crash of a record of a record in the best, most brutal way. Warning! Parental guidance is advised.
Cascading Entropy is an entry that is genuinely terrifying to me. It feels like you’re in a Clockwork Orange with your eyes being forcibly pulled back as you witness distressful footage that no human should ever see. Bordering on doom metal, especially within the low-end as powerful shots of bass hit you in your chest.
The following track Redshifted is the exact opposite of meditation. It’s so painful with its pulsating synths of different sizes whilst the background is polluted by painful screams of anguish throughout. The ending of the song is the complete opposite to the start of it and stands as one of the very few moments of calmness on this album as two creepy vocalists intertwine with each other in the distance. It evokes the image of two undertakers coming in to remove a lifeless body whilst they sing hymns of prayer.
Track six, Distilled In Observance is my favourite song on the record. The unforgiving nature of Vestigial Spectra is dialed up to a level on here that I didn’t think was possible as every single instrument, vocals and noise is beyond deafening in its intent. It is a step beyond industrial metal as things might have a pulse but the timing, especially within the drums feels impossible for any human being to be able to muster. This track is an achievement in intensity.
Overall, this record isn’t for the faint of heart; it will certainly not be to everyone’s tastes. However, Vestigial Spectra is the most unique experience of the year, simultaneously pushing the boundaries of metal and noise music whilst building to a perfect creation. It’s a nightmare of an art piece in a gallery of its own design. 10/10
Burden Of Grief - Destination Dystopia (Massacre Records) [Mark Young]
And now for some melodic death metal, courtesy of Burden of Grief. Noted as pioneers of melodic thrash / death metal and hailing from Germany, it is a band I’ve never come across before and as such I’m excited to give them a go.
World Under Attack kicks us off with a building introduction – chiming guitars, marching drums and soon we are into a Gothenburg style of riffology. Its ripping along nicely, vocals are barked so there is clarity there which is missing in other bands. It lays down a marker for the album as a whole and is a promising start.
This would surely open their live shows with A Daydream Of Sorrow being next. A solid pummelling affair which really showcases their craft with the chorus and the arrangement underneath it. These two would surely get the crowd moving, with a cracking solo break – excellent stuff.
And to be honest what comes after is more of the same, each of the songs has different proportions of certain genres I.e., Exposed To The Dark has more of a death metal tint to the melodic whilst Destination Dystopia has more of that rot n roll going on. Each of the songs are well done and follow a certain blueprint that students of the genre will recognise.
And to be honest what comes after is more of the same, each of the songs has different proportions of certain genres I.e., Exposed To The Dark has more of a death metal tint to the melodic whilst Destination Dystopia has more of that rot n roll going on. Each of the songs are well done and follow a certain blueprint that students of the genre will recognise.
Fevered Dreams showcases some fiendish drumming and has that rolling thump-thump riffing that is like a hammer on stone. Its frenetic stuff and it maintains that level of quality that World Under Attack stamped on proceedings at the start.
The Devils Bride has one of those dizzying guitar lines that would be royal to play. It goes for a more controlled, swing style that allows them to breathe (it’s still fast so no worries there) and its now a favourite of mine along with the triplet-tastic Mass Murder Society that has one of those storming chord patterns in the chorus that is mint.
The closing track, My Suicide does use that slow intro once more but is a beefy, mid-tempo stomper that keeps you engaged to the end. It’s a great closing piece and they have done themselves proud.
My initial worry is when bands use a label such as ‘pioneers of’ it’s sort of cringe. On Volume 8 – The Threat Is Real, Anthrax used Pioneers of Aggression within the PR / magazine adverts at that time. I’m a massive fan (still am) but I hated it. I never thought of them like that. Slayer, Yes. Megadeth, possibly but certainly more than Anthrax and I think here its apparent that they do the melodic stuff very well, it’s just that At The Gates did it better, and was doing it as these came into life.
The closing track, My Suicide does use that slow intro once more but is a beefy, mid-tempo stomper that keeps you engaged to the end. It’s a great closing piece and they have done themselves proud.
My initial worry is when bands use a label such as ‘pioneers of’ it’s sort of cringe. On Volume 8 – The Threat Is Real, Anthrax used Pioneers of Aggression within the PR / magazine adverts at that time. I’m a massive fan (still am) but I hated it. I never thought of them like that. Slayer, Yes. Megadeth, possibly but certainly more than Anthrax and I think here its apparent that they do the melodic stuff very well, it’s just that At The Gates did it better, and was doing it as these came into life.
That’s probably doing Burden Of Grief an injustice, but I can only be honest. What you have here is a very solid album, which is well built and represents a high watermark in how to do melodic metal and fans of it should be extremely happy with it. 8/10
Coven Japan – Earthlings (No Remorse Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Listening to the opening track on the debut album by Coven Japan, and one could be transported back to 1980, the UK, and the arrival of Iron Maiden as part of the burgeoning New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. That is, until the vocals kick in and then its confusion galore. Welcome to Coven Japan, a four-piece from Tokyo, inspired so much by the NWOBHM movement that they can’t stop playing in that style.
Over 42 minutes the quartet gallop through songs in a style influenced by Maiden, Priest, Angelwitch, Tytan, Satan, Mercyful Fate and Helloween (circa Walls of Jericho). There’s certainly some competent playing on offer here, whilst the vocals of singer Tara are an acquired taste. Perfunctory in many ways, they add a unique flavour to the band’s approach, even more so with the band’s decision to sing the choruses in English!
If you like the NWOBHM style then tracks such as Land Of The Rising Sun, Return Of The Souls with its Thin Lizzy dual guitar tracking, and the central pillar, To Sanctuary – March Of The Voiceless, all get you tapping the feet and nodding along. It’s not brilliant by any means, and the singing is probably the weakest part, for some of Akihiro Ito’s guitar work is on a par with most.
Coven Japan – Earthlings (No Remorse Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Listening to the opening track on the debut album by Coven Japan, and one could be transported back to 1980, the UK, and the arrival of Iron Maiden as part of the burgeoning New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. That is, until the vocals kick in and then its confusion galore. Welcome to Coven Japan, a four-piece from Tokyo, inspired so much by the NWOBHM movement that they can’t stop playing in that style.
Over 42 minutes the quartet gallop through songs in a style influenced by Maiden, Priest, Angelwitch, Tytan, Satan, Mercyful Fate and Helloween (circa Walls of Jericho). There’s certainly some competent playing on offer here, whilst the vocals of singer Tara are an acquired taste. Perfunctory in many ways, they add a unique flavour to the band’s approach, even more so with the band’s decision to sing the choruses in English!
If you like the NWOBHM style then tracks such as Land Of The Rising Sun, Return Of The Souls with its Thin Lizzy dual guitar tracking, and the central pillar, To Sanctuary – March Of The Voiceless, all get you tapping the feet and nodding along. It’s not brilliant by any means, and the singing is probably the weakest part, for some of Akihiro Ito’s guitar work is on a par with most.
However, there are a few weaker songs contained within the album. The intro vocals to Night Flyer are ropey, and the song doesn’t get that much better, plodding along, highlighting the Tara’s slight problems with remaining in tune throughout the track. The title track is clearly the big piece, and it draws deeply from Iron Maiden over the six-minutes.
It’s not very good; in fact, it’s probably the worst song on the album, although one can see where they were going with it. It’s rescued by the upturn in tempo and fiery guitar work that explodes into life after about four-minutes. This is welcome, for the proceeding few minutes are rather painful.
It’s an album worth a listen, just for novelty value of a Japanese band playing what is most definitely NWOBHM style heavy metal. Apart from that, it’s unlikely you’ll be rushing out to pick up a copy for any other reason. 5/10
It’s an album worth a listen, just for novelty value of a Japanese band playing what is most definitely NWOBHM style heavy metal. Apart from that, it’s unlikely you’ll be rushing out to pick up a copy for any other reason. 5/10
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