Incorporating more of their personal influences, rather being constrained to stick within one genre, Blood Incantation have opted to present their 3rd album as 2 compositions, split into 3 tracks each. There’s no doubt some symbology there that’s flown right over my head, but I’m hired to speak about the music rather than rustling through the hidden meanings on these things. Self describing the record as “a 70s Prog album played by a 90s Death Metal band from the future” (again, best not to question the maths on offer here), the claim within the promotional pamphlet is that the record is “unlike anything you’ve ever heard before”.
Hype aside, from a purely technical analysis of the musical offerings, this claim falls flat. It actually does sound like someone who is into 70s prog, 90s death metal, film score, and even a tinge of modern death metal did their best to write a coherent overture as an introduction to their tastes - nothing in and of itself novel or ground-breaking, however it is done with expertise and there’s high craftsmanship on offer. As for that being a unique experience I’ve never heard before, I’m fairly sure the same effect can be replicated if my iTunes library shuffled a track from Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds to Suffocation’s Effigy Of The Forgotten, then to Rush’s Moving Pictures, finishing up with Baphomet’s The Dead Shall Inherit.
Strewn among the songs are callbacks to previous Blood Incantation releases, with some passages being reminiscent of their prior works, bordering on what I guess you’d call their signature riffs. There’s floaty, ethereal, atmospheric sections that encapsulate the feeling of drifting through nebulae. Spoken word over proggy noodling reminded me of Dream Theater’s masterpieces Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, and Scenes From A Memory. There’s even a tasty slam in The Message (Tablet I) which caught me by surprise the first time I heard it, further proof that this style of riff is most effective when done sparingly. The musicianship on display is superb, as one would expect from the Denver 4 piece by now. Riedl’s vocal barks suit the mood perfectly, bringing a darkness and gruff edge to the already angular and writhing death metal sections.
Production is clear and precise for the most part, however the track to track transitions are a little jarring, with all digital versions that I’ve checked out so far having a little road bump for your ears that should’ve been ironed out properly. Guitars and bass sound magnificent, and the drums are perfectly levelled, including the non-drumkit-drums. I’m guessing the flute on The Message (Tablet III) is actually done via a synthesiser, but it does sound very convincing. Definitely a record you’re meant to play in it’s entirety, from start to finish, it’s a bold ask of today’s media consumers to commit to 45mins of uninterrupted attention on effectively 2 pieces, but it’s one that I’m glad Blood Incantation have put forward.
Strewn among the songs are callbacks to previous Blood Incantation releases, with some passages being reminiscent of their prior works, bordering on what I guess you’d call their signature riffs. There’s floaty, ethereal, atmospheric sections that encapsulate the feeling of drifting through nebulae. Spoken word over proggy noodling reminded me of Dream Theater’s masterpieces Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, and Scenes From A Memory. There’s even a tasty slam in The Message (Tablet I) which caught me by surprise the first time I heard it, further proof that this style of riff is most effective when done sparingly. The musicianship on display is superb, as one would expect from the Denver 4 piece by now. Riedl’s vocal barks suit the mood perfectly, bringing a darkness and gruff edge to the already angular and writhing death metal sections.
Production is clear and precise for the most part, however the track to track transitions are a little jarring, with all digital versions that I’ve checked out so far having a little road bump for your ears that should’ve been ironed out properly. Guitars and bass sound magnificent, and the drums are perfectly levelled, including the non-drumkit-drums. I’m guessing the flute on The Message (Tablet III) is actually done via a synthesiser, but it does sound very convincing. Definitely a record you’re meant to play in it’s entirety, from start to finish, it’s a bold ask of today’s media consumers to commit to 45mins of uninterrupted attention on effectively 2 pieces, but it’s one that I’m glad Blood Incantation have put forward.
I can’t imagine how jarring and mood ruining this experience would be if the songs were to be interrupted by adverts, or other vibe altering nonsense, so there’s a strong argument to go out there and get your hands on the vinyl, CD, or buy the digital tracks from Bandcamp. Sit back on your sofa with a strong beverage, and commit to letting the soundscape take you away from reality for a short while. It’s an enjoyable experience, and no doubt a contender for a lot of people’s AOTY. 8/10
The Crown - Crown Of Thorns (Metal Blade Records) [Mike Pickett]
Crown Of Thorns by The Crown is an impressive showcase of how far this Swedish Death Metal band has evolved since their formation in 1990. The album transcends traditional death metal, pulling in elements of Black Metal, Thrash, Speed, and their own brand of Melodic Death Metal, making it a dynamic and captivating listen from start to finish.
Each instrument stands out without ever blending into an indiscernible wall of noise. The production ensures that the guitars, bass, drums, and vocals are all distinct and balanced, creating a powerful, clear sound. Marko Tervonen’s rhythm guitars are an onslaught of brutal, yet clean, death metal riffs, while Marcus Sunesson provides lead guitar work that elevates the album's complexity. The harmonies between lead and rhythm guitars on various tracks add another layer of depth and musicality, creating some truly memorable moments. The opening track, I Hunt With The Devil, sets the tone immediately with face-melting riffs, establishing a relentless pace that doesn’t let up.
The vocals, provided by Johan Lindstrand, are clean growls—throaty yet discernible, allowing the lyrics to be heard without losing their intensity. Mattias Rasmussen's bass holds its ground in the mix, and Mikael Norén’s drums are earth-shattering, maintaining break-neck speeds and keeping the intensity at an all-time high.
The album as a whole feels cohesive, with each track building on the last. Fans of bands like Sepultura, Death, and Obituary will find much to appreciate here, as The Crown continues to push the boundaries of death metal while paying tribute to its roots. Crown Of Thorns is not just a standout release in The Crown’s discography—it’s a masterclass in how death metal can evolve without losing its essence. 9/10
Ad Infinitum - Abyss (Napalm Records) [GC]
Some weeks there are just so many releases knocking about at Musipedia Of Metal Towers that we all must take a risk and just grab something that normally wouldn’t be our usual style of music, and this is exactly what has happened here! I am usually the last person you would want to review symphonic metal but today dear readers I am doing just that in the form of Abyss the newest album from Swiss/German band Ad infinitum, not sure what I am thinking but here we go none the less!!
My initial reaction to the opening of My Halo isn’t actually one of disgust, its mainly one of intrigue because the atmospheric background is a bit on the cheesy side but, it’s Melissa Bonny’s vocals that keep me interested because it sounds like she has great voice and I want to see how it is used, throughout the song the music takes a bit of a sickly sweet, commercial rock radio metal turn and is not really for me even the ‘‘heavy’ bit tacked on towards the end seems a bit forced, having said that things do instantly improve with Follow Me Down which is a lot more raucous and aggressive, not in an overtly heavy way obviously but the injection of energy is pretty decent and unexpectedly gets the foot tapping and the mixture of vocal rhythms are beautiful and really the highlight of the track.
The Crown - Crown Of Thorns (Metal Blade Records) [Mike Pickett]
Crown Of Thorns by The Crown is an impressive showcase of how far this Swedish Death Metal band has evolved since their formation in 1990. The album transcends traditional death metal, pulling in elements of Black Metal, Thrash, Speed, and their own brand of Melodic Death Metal, making it a dynamic and captivating listen from start to finish.
Each instrument stands out without ever blending into an indiscernible wall of noise. The production ensures that the guitars, bass, drums, and vocals are all distinct and balanced, creating a powerful, clear sound. Marko Tervonen’s rhythm guitars are an onslaught of brutal, yet clean, death metal riffs, while Marcus Sunesson provides lead guitar work that elevates the album's complexity. The harmonies between lead and rhythm guitars on various tracks add another layer of depth and musicality, creating some truly memorable moments. The opening track, I Hunt With The Devil, sets the tone immediately with face-melting riffs, establishing a relentless pace that doesn’t let up.
The vocals, provided by Johan Lindstrand, are clean growls—throaty yet discernible, allowing the lyrics to be heard without losing their intensity. Mattias Rasmussen's bass holds its ground in the mix, and Mikael Norén’s drums are earth-shattering, maintaining break-neck speeds and keeping the intensity at an all-time high.
The album as a whole feels cohesive, with each track building on the last. Fans of bands like Sepultura, Death, and Obituary will find much to appreciate here, as The Crown continues to push the boundaries of death metal while paying tribute to its roots. Crown Of Thorns is not just a standout release in The Crown’s discography—it’s a masterclass in how death metal can evolve without losing its essence. 9/10
Ad Infinitum - Abyss (Napalm Records) [GC]
Some weeks there are just so many releases knocking about at Musipedia Of Metal Towers that we all must take a risk and just grab something that normally wouldn’t be our usual style of music, and this is exactly what has happened here! I am usually the last person you would want to review symphonic metal but today dear readers I am doing just that in the form of Abyss the newest album from Swiss/German band Ad infinitum, not sure what I am thinking but here we go none the less!!
My initial reaction to the opening of My Halo isn’t actually one of disgust, its mainly one of intrigue because the atmospheric background is a bit on the cheesy side but, it’s Melissa Bonny’s vocals that keep me interested because it sounds like she has great voice and I want to see how it is used, throughout the song the music takes a bit of a sickly sweet, commercial rock radio metal turn and is not really for me even the ‘‘heavy’ bit tacked on towards the end seems a bit forced, having said that things do instantly improve with Follow Me Down which is a lot more raucous and aggressive, not in an overtly heavy way obviously but the injection of energy is pretty decent and unexpectedly gets the foot tapping and the mixture of vocal rhythms are beautiful and really the highlight of the track.
Outer Space actually shocks me slightly as the aggressive vocals lead the song and there is some lovely djenty guitars added in by Adrian Theßenvitz and it actually sounds really good, the more melodic and spacey verses mix in well and it creates a good mix of heavy and melodic that while obviously not groundbreaking, is still done very well. Aftermath carries on in the same vein and really just follows the same path and structure with the aggression opening, falling into the open and airy verses with the shouty bit popping up every now and then and of course it has been done better before but Ad Infinitum certainly know how to create a catchy tune!
Euphoria is probably the most Evanescencey type track on the album with its soft keys and big vocals interweaving with some nu-metal-tinged guitar work and while I can appreciate the musicianship it’s not my type of thing at all, Surrender has an altogether different vibe as when it begins it is chock full of electronic beats and is probably just a straight up pop song that then drops in a bit chunky guitar drop from nowhere that seems oddly placed and unnecessary really until you get towards the end and they do it again and this song gets a bit lost in itself as the varying styles don’t really mesh very well at all.
We then get to the most obvious single on the whole album Anthem For The Broken with another twinkly piano opening, followed by the mid paced chugging guitars and the echoy breakdown on the verse that build up to the inevitable big chorus and guitar solo’s for no reason, this is aimed directly at radio play and I wouldn’t bet against it getting a lot of it in time! To follow that you get The One You’ll Hold Onto which should be the next single as it is a bloody good song, its full of high tempo riffing and soaring vocals that really get you invested and there isn’t a let up in the tempo even the weird heavy bit that gets thrown in towards the end weirdly works!
Parasite in contrast is an absolute borefest and was probably destined for the cut but somehow survived its just a play by numbers angry song chucked in to add that little bit of edge and it just not needed and unfortunately Dead End doesn’t really finish on a high note the electronics sound really cheesy and the way the vocals are delivered made me cringe its just a bit of a poor song which is a shame as it had all been going so well!
Ok, so I am slightly shocked here, for all my ‘’I only like extreme metal-ness’’ actually I enjoyed Abyss it was fun and easy to listen to, yes there were some bits I really didn’t like but overall I have to say it wasn’t really what I was expecting and it surprised me in the best way, bravo Ad Infinitum, bravo! 7/10
10 Years – Inner Darkness (Mascot Records) [Zak Skane]
Hailing and formed from Knoxville Tennessee in 1999 the veteran alternative rock band 10 Years have a vast list of achievements under their belts. Through out their 25 year career, the band have had a consistent journey of sharing stages with the likes of Korn, Disturbed and Deftones whilst releasing most viewed singles such as Wasteland, Shoot It Out and Novocaine. Through out the last few decades the band still proves to be ones of the surviving alternative rock bands of the 2000’s whilst still putting out new music like their up and coming E.P Inner Darkness.
The Optimist featuring Conquer Divide opens the album with some garage rock vibes with the guitars coming in with some octave bouncing fuzzy riffs that are complimented with some chonky bass lines and pounding drums. The optimistic post-hardcore styled lyrics are traded off with Kia's are laced with megaphones styled fuzz, to soak the emotion and light it up with attitude. The following track Rise wears it’s 2000’s rock influences on it’s sleeve by bringing in some Breaking Benjamin vibes with it’s anthemic choruses accompanied with bouncing riffs. The Breaking Benjamin influences really come into fashion with the baritone strummed guitars in the bridges.
Speechless pushes the bass past the guitars to provide thundering sections alongside the pounding off beat drums grooves. The vocal patterns bring in some Maynard James Keenan approaches bringing it this progy edge and especially when the perfect circle sounding lead guitars come in. The gothic tinged track I remember brings in some H.I.M sounding keyboard melodies whilst their classic mid 2000’s alternative rock riffs punch through the mix. The Trench Master is the darkest song on the EP with it beginning with some Silent Hill styled soundscapes followed by crushing bass tones played over guitar layers and gothic sounding chorus effects helps highlight the dark lyrical themes of haunting past memories rising to the surface.
The closing track Gravity brings in the waltz feel with its Deftones influences holding this song by the hand with it’s huge sounding chord progressions, swinging guitar riffs and the layers of feedback. The track ends with this well arranged score that consists of ambient twanging guitars whilst cinematic string arrangement glide this track to a smooth finish.
The Knoxville alternative rock outfit has kept their delivery short but it is defiantly sweet. From it’s fuzzy bouncing collaboration with Conquer Divide on their opening song The Optimist to the symphonic outro of Gravity, it shows that the alt rock veterans know when if it’s not broke why fix it, but it doesn’t stop them whisking it up a bit. For fans of Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and A Perfect Circle. 8/10
The Knoxville alternative rock outfit has kept their delivery short but it is defiantly sweet. From it’s fuzzy bouncing collaboration with Conquer Divide on their opening song The Optimist to the symphonic outro of Gravity, it shows that the alt rock veterans know when if it’s not broke why fix it, but it doesn’t stop them whisking it up a bit. For fans of Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and A Perfect Circle. 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment