As I sit in the comforting glow of a Christmas display, amongst tinsel and Mariah Carey giving it large, I'm drawn back to Fasornas Tid and what is a frankly savage blast of freezing cold black metal. The de rigueur intro piece is stamped on by The Seer, which attacks straight from the off and announces that while they might reflect current trends of bringing a touch of melody into their sound, searing guitars and epic arrangements are the order of the day. The Seer starts exactly how you want it to with blasting drums, trem picked guitar and an almighty scream that sets a high vocal bar for Draakh Kimera.
I hope they forgive me for this, but it has an almost jaunty build to it but don’t let that put you off. Its energetic and is a statement of intent of what is to follow with some blinding riff-work and even when some cleans pop up, they work within the context. It flies along at pace, background keys giving it just enough atmosphere without distracting from the visceral attack.
Tornet is another straight for the throat blast, foot down and is a storming one-two with The Seer. I’ve said before I’m not massive on black metal, but if its good I’ll like it, whatever the genre (well, maybe not folk) and if it makes you want to play it then that is another plus point. And this I like. Make that three for three as the title track comes in, riding on some maniac drumming from C-G it pelts along until they decide it’s time to back off a little. That cracking sense of melody is front and centre on this one.
Before The Crows Have Their Feast is sublime, absolutely sublime and is my favourite track, just a perfect mix of melody, atmosphere and a furious attack whilst Savage Messiah brings a controlled tempo that allows for more muscular guitars and a grand feel. The lead break that comes in mid-way is excellent too, measured so well and like everything else purpose built for what it needs to do.
An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon with C of Avslut contributing (Also on Tornet) sees them reset and reach into that bag labelled ‘Grand Arrangements’. The keys play a bigger role on this, making for an expansive sound and one that feels warmer than the songs that preceded. But by Crom, it’s another stormer in an album of stormers. Black Angel is next and is possibly the most throw-away track here. There is nothing wrong with it at all, it’s just that I have been spoiled by the tracks that preceded it.
Barren Paths is a latter album instrumental/interlude, with some gorgeous playing on it and leads us into the final act. The Serpent’s Kiss is first up and continues with that brilliant mix of aggression and melodic touches. I know that in getting to this point there are two instrumentals/intro’s so basically this is the 8th proper track, and they are still hitting that high bar of quality.
An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon with C of Avslut contributing (Also on Tornet) sees them reset and reach into that bag labelled ‘Grand Arrangements’. The keys play a bigger role on this, making for an expansive sound and one that feels warmer than the songs that preceded. But by Crom, it’s another stormer in an album of stormers. Black Angel is next and is possibly the most throw-away track here. There is nothing wrong with it at all, it’s just that I have been spoiled by the tracks that preceded it.
Barren Paths is a latter album instrumental/interlude, with some gorgeous playing on it and leads us into the final act. The Serpent’s Kiss is first up and continues with that brilliant mix of aggression and melodic touches. I know that in getting to this point there are two instrumentals/intro’s so basically this is the 8th proper track, and they are still hitting that high bar of quality.
I mentioned that Black Angel was ok (in the context of the album) but let me be frank, both are very good songs and I think that there are a lot of bands who would love to be able to write songs like this. Det Svarta (vocals from Goth Gorgon) brings a colder touch with it, and a more stripped back approach that is very 90’s and of course quite speedy.
The final track is Age Of Fire and represents the sound of a band that is quite literally on fire with this album. Ending it in the same way as they started with an arrangement that perfectly balances the need for melody, brutality and atmosphere Mörk Gryning show that they can do it all, and do it very, very well. 10/10
KillerKorp – Vices (Self Released) [Zak Skane]
Formed in 2018 the five piece British act consists of Ben Lyddiatt (vocals), Jakey Day (lead guitar), Jon-Luke Bloomfield (rhythm guitar), Daniel Lyddiatt (bass), and Sonny Wright (drums). Since then KillerHorp has paved ways in the under ground live scene with their high octane live performance gaining them shows with UK heavy weights such as Raised By Owls, Celestial Sanctuary and Beyond Extinction. Through out their seven years the band they’ve released their debut E.P in 2019 Vile and their stand alone singles The End in 2020 and their 2021 Death Day. Now in the end of 2024 of the band have released their new E.P Vices.
To start this E.P Vices greets us with some eerie sounding horror samples before we are sonically assaulted with some blast beats, and some thunderous sounding riffs that come with some black metal eeriness whilst still having this punchy attack. Through out this track it also features this organic production, which really highlights the raw emotion that the vocalist is launching from each word whilst the drums bring in this tight but humanistic delivery.
The final track is Age Of Fire and represents the sound of a band that is quite literally on fire with this album. Ending it in the same way as they started with an arrangement that perfectly balances the need for melody, brutality and atmosphere Mörk Gryning show that they can do it all, and do it very, very well. 10/10
KillerKorp – Vices (Self Released) [Zak Skane]
Formed in 2018 the five piece British act consists of Ben Lyddiatt (vocals), Jakey Day (lead guitar), Jon-Luke Bloomfield (rhythm guitar), Daniel Lyddiatt (bass), and Sonny Wright (drums). Since then KillerHorp has paved ways in the under ground live scene with their high octane live performance gaining them shows with UK heavy weights such as Raised By Owls, Celestial Sanctuary and Beyond Extinction. Through out their seven years the band they’ve released their debut E.P in 2019 Vile and their stand alone singles The End in 2020 and their 2021 Death Day. Now in the end of 2024 of the band have released their new E.P Vices.
To start this E.P Vices greets us with some eerie sounding horror samples before we are sonically assaulted with some blast beats, and some thunderous sounding riffs that come with some black metal eeriness whilst still having this punchy attack. Through out this track it also features this organic production, which really highlights the raw emotion that the vocalist is launching from each word whilst the drums bring in this tight but humanistic delivery.
The second track Last Grasp brings in some classic Hatebreed style bouncing riffs, whilst the vocalist brings in some hints Jamie Jasta influences with it’s optimistic lyrics whilst also being accompanied with some classic death metal vibes. Even with the rustic production Sonny's blast beats really sound concise and edge cutting.
Scathed opens up with the a classic cranked snare count in which is then followed up with some angry discord riffs that reminisce on the classic 2010s metalcore sound from which Emmure and Every Time I Die did in the mid 2000’s whilst also bringing in some classic tempo drops sections that get the groves down and dirty. Their eerie closer Weak brings in flanger effected guitars that bring in spooky sounding arpeggios that add to the creepy energy that the vocalist is channelling which crescendos into heavy sections. Through out this whole track we are getting Korn on steroids with it’s emotional driven vocals whilst bringing in a modern metalcore approached of the likes of Knocked Loose and Cane Hill.
Through out start to end, the five piece British bruisers have slightly strayed away from their death metal approach and gone for a more groovy direction whilst also showing no signs of the band mellowing out. Even with the rustic production, all it’s has done is sharpen their edges bringing in some classic Korn energy that reminisces on the Ross Robinson era of production.
Through out start to end, the five piece British bruisers have slightly strayed away from their death metal approach and gone for a more groovy direction whilst also showing no signs of the band mellowing out. Even with the rustic production, all it’s has done is sharpen their edges bringing in some classic Korn energy that reminisces on the Ross Robinson era of production.
The eerie sections in their opening track Vices to their closer Weak really see the vocalist challenging old school Jonathan Davies vibes whilst also bringing in some frantic aggressive vocals that only Spites’ vocalist Darius can muster in relation to the heavier tracks on the album. Jak and Jays guitar work brings in bludgeoning deathcore style riffs on tracks such as Vices with it’s slamming power chords followed by the chunky hardcore riffs on Last Grasp to it’s eerie arpeggios on it’s closing track Weak ensuring that the band have covered all heavy areas in this short run time.
For fans of Korn, Spite and old cool Emmure. 8/10
Magic Kingdom - Blaze Of Rage (Massacre Records) [Simon Black]
Belgium’s Magic Kingdom have been gently releasing this kind of Power Metal material since 1999, and remarkably have until this pointed resisted the temptation to release a dreaded concept album. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of Power Metal acts, but the genre is littered with many acts who repetitiously crank out overwrought sword and sorcery concept pieces with stories within endless multi-album arcs that no-one is going to bother to unpick, because frankly regardless of the skill of the musicians, there’s nothing stand out there to lure more casual listeners in enough to listen to overlong records end to end, never mind go back and unpick the story. Sadly, the Euro Power scene is rife with this, particularly the nearer you get to the Mediterranean…
First off, this record captures my attention by immediately demonstrating that there is no small amount of instrumental prowess amongst Magic Kingdom’s alumni, with the kind of well weaved keyboard and guitar parts that are less Neo-Classical and more Progressive, but with moments of wonderful shred which is a massive thumbs up for a start. Secondly stylistically, although it touches the Neo-classical and Symphonic, it bounces around the sub-genres as well, taking in Speed Metal, bits of Thrash complete with growl vocals and good old fashioned Trad Metal. This variety means despite the lengthy one hour and five minutes run time, it doesn’t get repetitious, although to be fair I would have preferred a punchier forty to fifty minutes, because inevitably there is more than a little bit of padding in here.
Vocalist Michael Vescera is into his sophomore run with this outfit, and like the instrumentalist can switch styles at will. The downside is sometimes he’s quite a way back in the mix, and you need a strong charismatic front presence to carry this sort of material off, but on the upside is this feels like a cohesive band working well together. Overall, I struggled to find any standout moments of ‘everyone’ hit appeal that kick down the doors to new listeners, but this is a band with a lot of skill and warmth that carries off well, if not perhaps enough to want to unpick that story arc… 6/10
Sequester - Cosmic Considerations (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
Sequester is the one-man prog/psych/grunge/metal/folk/everything else project of Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Boc, who really hits just about every genre on his latest outing, Cosmic Considerations. He also plays a whole bunch of instruments and shows how multi-talent he is on the seven tracks that makes up the new record.
This is the eighth release from Boc as Sequester and one that stays pretty firmly in the psych prog territory of the genres listed above. I really dig the opener, the catchy, synth and guitar combo platter of Universal Cycle. I like the spacy atmosphere, and while this one is heavy on the synths and less on the guitar, it still really works for me. Boc does a good job with his vocal layering on this one and throughout the album. The Hill is up next, and it is more of a space ballad that heads into an almost love-song era Chicago song, which also strangely works for me.
Venus By Tuesday starts off like a Guided By Voices song until it morphs more towards a lo-fi Hawkwind type deal, very heavy on the synths once again, but once again is pretty cool. The guitar makes more of an appearance here, but generally is too muted for my taste. I think you could turn the volume up on the guitar parts and still get the same vibe.
Egg is the perfect example of this as well where you have a nice riff that would have made this one more dynamic by bringing the guitar more forward in the mix. It is a great track though and fits perfectly in the album sequence. This one goes full on heavy prog in a good way. Into Perspective has an 80s vibe to it, once again in a good way, while Heartbeat stays in the decade but offers a Abacab Genesis type feel.
The closer, Pillars Of Eternity, is a synth driven nine-minute instrumental that shows off Boc’s multi-instrumental range. The one issue I have with one-man projects is when it sounds like it is a one-man project, and the tracks on Cosmic Considerations sound like one guy played all the parts and it was then constructed in the lab. It is a bit distracting while listening, but doesn’t take away from how good the songs are and how talented Boc is.
The new Sequester record is a fun listen and Cosmic Considerations should be considered for your listening pleasure. 7/10
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