Vitriol – Suffer & Become (Century Media) [Dr Claire Hanley]
As one of the standout albums of 2019, Vitriol had already set the threshold for excellence pretty damn high with their debut full-length offering. For this very reason, I (among countless others) have awaited the follow-up to To Bathe From The Throat Of Cowardice with the kind of anticipation and excitement reserved for kids at Christmas, but unlike the aftermath of many a visit from jolly ol’ Saint Nick, Suffer & Become actually lives up to expectations.
The opening track, Shame And It's Afterbirth, grinds into life following an ominous introduction that instantly sets you on edge. What follows can only be defined as organised chaos; melodic yet unhinged lead guitar lines, over-layed against a rhythmic section that is grounding but no less relentless. This theme continues throughout and frankly everything about the record is unfathomably uncomfortable (in the best way).
The opening track, Shame And It's Afterbirth, grinds into life following an ominous introduction that instantly sets you on edge. What follows can only be defined as organised chaos; melodic yet unhinged lead guitar lines, over-layed against a rhythmic section that is grounding but no less relentless. This theme continues throughout and frankly everything about the record is unfathomably uncomfortable (in the best way).
Emerging from this auditory anarchy, an exquisite display of technical prowess from frontman Kyle Rasmussen; who possesses a quality few extreme metal guitarists do - the ability to evoke raw emotion with their axe. The late-great Chuck Schuldiner springs to mind by way of comparison and there are transcendent moments within the solo section that truly feel as though they’re “ripping at the spirit”. A unique, immersive experience all round and this is just the first track.
The crushing weight of The Flowers Of Sadism stands in opposition to its fast-paced predecessor, while retaining the layers of dissonance as rabid vocals fight for dominance against the instrumental onslaught; powered by the low end, courtesy of bass powerhouse, Adam Roethlisberger. There is zero breathing space until the mid-section emerges like a relative moment of lucidity. Nursing From The Mother Wound also features dynamic shifts between conflict and clarity.
The crushing weight of The Flowers Of Sadism stands in opposition to its fast-paced predecessor, while retaining the layers of dissonance as rabid vocals fight for dominance against the instrumental onslaught; powered by the low end, courtesy of bass powerhouse, Adam Roethlisberger. There is zero breathing space until the mid-section emerges like a relative moment of lucidity. Nursing From The Mother Wound also features dynamic shifts between conflict and clarity.
New addition to the band, drummer Matt Kilner, does an insanely impressive job of keeping the double kicks flowing here (and in the next track) as lightning-fast, black metal influences become increasingly prominent. The sonic equivalent of someone with a well-managed multiple personality disorder, The Isolating Lie Of Learning Another has a multitude of distinctive elements vying with each other yet is experienced as perfectly balanced and cohesive. High, raspy, tortured vocals mesh with blackened riffs (think late 90’s Marduk) but are juxtaposed by Tungsten-level heavy death metal chugging and even a soaring solo section. If it wasn’t already evident, this was never going to be easy listening but somehow it flows seamlessly.
The addition of an instrumental track is always a gamble; execute it well and it immeasurably enhances the record, while the reverse will resign it to filler. Survival’s Careening Inertia most definitely belongs to the former category. Beginning with clean guitars accompanied by a healthy dose of reverb and imploding into a catastrophic swath of blastbeats, it expertly showcases the painful progression the record speaks to - born one thing and becoming another. It’s perfectly positioned to unleash the lower-end dominance of Weaponized Loss onto our already ravaged ears, which again conveys the value of being fuelled by life’s events as opposed to being consumed by them.
The addition of an instrumental track is always a gamble; execute it well and it immeasurably enhances the record, while the reverse will resign it to filler. Survival’s Careening Inertia most definitely belongs to the former category. Beginning with clean guitars accompanied by a healthy dose of reverb and imploding into a catastrophic swath of blastbeats, it expertly showcases the painful progression the record speaks to - born one thing and becoming another. It’s perfectly positioned to unleash the lower-end dominance of Weaponized Loss onto our already ravaged ears, which again conveys the value of being fuelled by life’s events as opposed to being consumed by them.
As enamoured as I was by the record to this point, my enthusiasm was diminished towards the end of the album, albeit temporarily. Flood Of Predation and I Am Every Enemy, while both solid tracks, added comparatively little by way of variation to my aural appreciation but Locked In Thine Frothing Wisdom features a seriously catchy hook, and the atmospheric and awe-inspiring He Will Fight Savagely, with its audacious, blackened riffs, rounds off the record having kicked the dynamics back up a notch.
This certainly isn’t your typical death metal record and I say that as a definitive strength. Suffer & Become is a bludgeoning album, though at times the intricacies that made the first half so captivating are somewhat absent towards the end. Crucially, rather than riding the wave of the first album, Suffer & Become demonstrates clear evidence of evolution; both musically and thematically. Lyrical content laden with failure, loathing, and persecution has given way to that of purpose, fortitude, and self-actualisation; as the title would suggest.
This certainly isn’t your typical death metal record and I say that as a definitive strength. Suffer & Become is a bludgeoning album, though at times the intricacies that made the first half so captivating are somewhat absent towards the end. Crucially, rather than riding the wave of the first album, Suffer & Become demonstrates clear evidence of evolution; both musically and thematically. Lyrical content laden with failure, loathing, and persecution has given way to that of purpose, fortitude, and self-actualisation; as the title would suggest.
Expertly mixed/produced by Dave Otero, the intensity and aggression of the previous record remain present but are encapsulated within a more polished but no less savage outlet for all that anger. Likened to the concept of finding beauty in destruction, Vitriol have done the impossible and somehow made accounts of the darkest of subject matter seem heartfelt, and worshipping violence feel like a worthy pursuit. Simply put, there is an energy, conviction and above all else sincerity to the composition and execution of this album that render it (pleasantly) painful to listen to and I’ll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. 9/10
If I were to guess I would have said these guys were from somewhere in Europe, not from Cleveland, Ohio via Austin, Texas, at least from the feelings I get from Master Of The Stone. Total Sahg vibes are found on the opener, Sold My Soul To Satan. Straight ahead heavy rock with satanic lyrics seems to be a sweet spot for me because I can’t get enough.
I love finding new bands writing for this blog. Ancient VVisdom will go down as one of my favourites that I discovered this way, as Master Of The Stone is some Occult Rock goodness that should be gobbled up by those who dig bands I mentioned above. 8/10
Abyssius - Abyssius (Self Released) [Mark Young]
Described as being both atmospheric and technical death metal, Abyssius’s component parts have come together from Taiwan, Norway and the USA. This is their debut album, following the earlier release of three songs from it last year.
So, starting by avoiding an unnecessary intro track so prevalent these days, Dreadnought comes in and weaves a melodic spell, mixing in clean and dirt vocals and offers a great start with some admittedly tech moments without losing sight of the need for a decent song. Its apparent from the start that they have more of an eye with atmospheric/melodic metal than their bio would suggest and I’m totally fine with that.
The Animus And The Anima with a subtle start into another top melody line that seems simple but works so well, it allows the song to build around it with an almost light feel to it whereas Ripped Apart goes dark with a more bottom-end focused guitar piece, with some savage drumming coming in, this is possibly the most brutal of the tracks because of that darker edge to it and there is nothing wrong with that at all.
Nihil continues in that darker vein, going for more of a brutal attack, extended guitar solo/mixed vox and like Ripped Apart shows they can harness a blackened edge to their music if they wish. Everfall closes the door on a great debut and maintains the very high level of quality shown throughout the 30 or so-minute run time. This one has it all going on, hook/melody lines, harmony breaks, and a top all-round performance with some fret-burning guitar lines.
This is quite a strong debut from the Abyssius team, songs are well built with a very powerful vocal performance, but the key is how they have approached their craft. I’ve said elsewhere that with the Technical tag, there is always the issue that skill overshadows the song making it a vehicle for said skills. Here, they know that the build has to blow you away with all parts working in unison.
Circling back to the band itself, Zack Carter brings all the guttural growls you could ever want, with a performance that makes the songs tick. I know this may sound odd but if you imagine that this music needs a towering vocal presence, and you have that here. That is not taking anything away from the guitar and bass, the leads are impressive knowing when to be tasteful and when to unleash fire from the fretboard, step forward Jake Bedard. Rhythm duties courtesy of Haitao Yang (G, production) and R.J. Xie (bass) do their bit to make these songs fly.
It’s probably not a huge surprise once you’ve spent time with Lower Form Resistance to discover that this debut album is performed by a Canadian outfit. Yes, Dissimulator hail from Montreal and as they say in their press release, this is one shock on the auditory and sensory nerves.
Echoing the mighty Voivod in many ways, the sci-fi thrash that they deliver combines with a death metal edge to present an intoxicating combination of angular riffage, inconvenient and challenging time changes, and robotic manner. It all mashes up into an intriguing, sometimes uncomfortable yet highly progressive assault on the cerebral cortex.
Neural Hack is rather routine in comparison to what follows, each track slowly increasing in length, complexity, and intensity. Warped sees the band divert from any traditional style to mix curious vocals that have an android feel with guttural death roars. It’s a phenomenal and complex collective, and one that rarely allows the listener to relax.
There are only seven tracks here, spread over 40+ minutes. That evidently provides opportunity for Dissimulator to flex their creative muscles, and they do that through Automoil & Robotomil, central track Cybermorphism / Mainframe through to the glorious finale of the title track. At times, there are bursts of more standard metal, but these are quickly dispelled by a relentless battery of Philippe Boucher’s drums, Antoine Daigneault, and vocalist/guitarist Claude Ledec.
Whilst the band sit firmly in the left field craziness of Voivod, there are many other influences which are soaked deep into this release. If you like the technical style of Atheist, Meshuggah and Decapitated, as well as Voivod, this is an album that should be on your list. 8/10
Ancient VVisdom - Master Of The Stone (Argonauta Records) [Rich Piva]
Occult Rock has made a huge comeback led (obviously) by Ghost, and I am here for it. The latest band that I am experiencing is Ancient VVisdom, a band that has been around for a while but only now have I come across their ode to Satan stylings. Think a more produced Pentagram or Witchfinder General, or a band more contemporary to compare to would be Sahg, these guys bring it on their latest, Master Of The Stone. As I said these guys are just new to me, as they have been together since 2009 and shame on me for missing them all this time because they rock.
If I were to guess I would have said these guys were from somewhere in Europe, not from Cleveland, Ohio via Austin, Texas, at least from the feelings I get from Master Of The Stone. Total Sahg vibes are found on the opener, Sold My Soul To Satan. Straight ahead heavy rock with satanic lyrics seems to be a sweet spot for me because I can’t get enough.
The Adversary and Apollyon are cut from the same excellent cloth leading into World’s Demise which reminds me more of New Model Army than it does Ghost or other bands of that ilk. The heaviest and my favourite track is Ashes From On The High which chugs along and could be a King Diamond track with lower, echoey vocals instead of Mr. Diamond’s trademark falsetto. The title track is a doomy number with great guitar work and clean yet emanating from Hell vocals, bringing more of the heavy side to Masters Of The Stone. This is also the closest to Ghost you will find amongst the eight tracks.
Taking inspiration from Type O and Ghost, Demon Est Deus Inverses is another excellent song on Master Of The Stone, with the guitar work standing out on this one. I love how the record wraps up, with the acoustic The Devil’s Sermon which sounds more like Murder By Death than it does an occult rock/metal band.
I love finding new bands writing for this blog. Ancient VVisdom will go down as one of my favourites that I discovered this way, as Master Of The Stone is some Occult Rock goodness that should be gobbled up by those who dig bands I mentioned above. 8/10
Abyssius - Abyssius (Self Released) [Mark Young]
Described as being both atmospheric and technical death metal, Abyssius’s component parts have come together from Taiwan, Norway and the USA. This is their debut album, following the earlier release of three songs from it last year.
So, starting by avoiding an unnecessary intro track so prevalent these days, Dreadnought comes in and weaves a melodic spell, mixing in clean and dirt vocals and offers a great start with some admittedly tech moments without losing sight of the need for a decent song. Its apparent from the start that they have more of an eye with atmospheric/melodic metal than their bio would suggest and I’m totally fine with that.
Hollow comes in with a simple hook line from which they build spidery lines of guitar riffery around it. Strong growled vocals coming in over the top and as with Dreadnought, it favours a more melodic edge than just being technically proficient. The synths add that extra layer to an already wide sound and deploying the clean / dirt vocal attack works.
The Animus And The Anima with a subtle start into another top melody line that seems simple but works so well, it allows the song to build around it with an almost light feel to it whereas Ripped Apart goes dark with a more bottom-end focused guitar piece, with some savage drumming coming in, this is possibly the most brutal of the tracks because of that darker edge to it and there is nothing wrong with that at all.
Nihil continues in that darker vein, going for more of a brutal attack, extended guitar solo/mixed vox and like Ripped Apart shows they can harness a blackened edge to their music if they wish. Everfall closes the door on a great debut and maintains the very high level of quality shown throughout the 30 or so-minute run time. This one has it all going on, hook/melody lines, harmony breaks, and a top all-round performance with some fret-burning guitar lines.
This is quite a strong debut from the Abyssius team, songs are well built with a very powerful vocal performance, but the key is how they have approached their craft. I’ve said elsewhere that with the Technical tag, there is always the issue that skill overshadows the song making it a vehicle for said skills. Here, they know that the build has to blow you away with all parts working in unison.
Pointing to a great example here is The Animus And The Anima which has a cracking melody line that runs through it. It isn’t super-widdly or crams a million notes in, its just there pulling the whole piece together. The riffs are what I would class as technical, but they are memorable and engage on an emotional way. The songs, especially The Animus... could be used as a boss-fight soundtrack, thinking of a Devil May Cry scenario.
Circling back to the band itself, Zack Carter brings all the guttural growls you could ever want, with a performance that makes the songs tick. I know this may sound odd but if you imagine that this music needs a towering vocal presence, and you have that here. That is not taking anything away from the guitar and bass, the leads are impressive knowing when to be tasteful and when to unleash fire from the fretboard, step forward Jake Bedard. Rhythm duties courtesy of Haitao Yang (G, production) and R.J. Xie (bass) do their bit to make these songs fly.
One question I do have is the drummer because they are responsible for some rapid-fire moments on here without being overtly flash in approach. Whoever that is, wonderful job! This is one of those under-the-radar releases that will please a lot of people. Yes, it has technical moments, but this isn’t guitar-fest or drum athletics it’s a decent collection of songs that lean into a number of different approaches and come out the other side with a good story to tell. 7/10
Dissimulator – Lower Form Resistance (20 Buck Spin) [Paul Hutchings]
Dissimulator – Lower Form Resistance (20 Buck Spin) [Paul Hutchings]
It’s probably not a huge surprise once you’ve spent time with Lower Form Resistance to discover that this debut album is performed by a Canadian outfit. Yes, Dissimulator hail from Montreal and as they say in their press release, this is one shock on the auditory and sensory nerves.
Echoing the mighty Voivod in many ways, the sci-fi thrash that they deliver combines with a death metal edge to present an intoxicating combination of angular riffage, inconvenient and challenging time changes, and robotic manner. It all mashes up into an intriguing, sometimes uncomfortable yet highly progressive assault on the cerebral cortex.
Neural Hack is rather routine in comparison to what follows, each track slowly increasing in length, complexity, and intensity. Warped sees the band divert from any traditional style to mix curious vocals that have an android feel with guttural death roars. It’s a phenomenal and complex collective, and one that rarely allows the listener to relax.
There are only seven tracks here, spread over 40+ minutes. That evidently provides opportunity for Dissimulator to flex their creative muscles, and they do that through Automoil & Robotomil, central track Cybermorphism / Mainframe through to the glorious finale of the title track. At times, there are bursts of more standard metal, but these are quickly dispelled by a relentless battery of Philippe Boucher’s drums, Antoine Daigneault, and vocalist/guitarist Claude Ledec.
Whilst the band sit firmly in the left field craziness of Voivod, there are many other influences which are soaked deep into this release. If you like the technical style of Atheist, Meshuggah and Decapitated, as well as Voivod, this is an album that should be on your list. 8/10
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