Avatarium - Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead (AFM Records) [Matt Bladen]
Avatarium were founded over 10 years ago and initially very prolific as a continuation of the doom sound created by Candlemass bassist Candlemass, featuring ex- Royal Hunt, now also Soen man Marcus Jidell on guitars and the evocative, earthy vocals of Marcus' wife Jennie-Ann Smith, it was the same but different for the doom originator Edling, embracing more of the Scandinavian gothic doom style. Especially on their last album Death, Where Is Your Sting.Their new record then keeps them on course of juggling their pure doom days with classic rock/prog and romantic dark modern doom..Marcus Jidell's prog/melodic rock beginnings at their most influential alongside the powerhouse rhythm section of Andreas Habo Johansson (drums & percussion) and Mats Rydström (bass), production/mix from Jidell keeps it modern but organic while Svante Forsbäck's mastering seals the deal.
Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead begins with classic doom on Long Black Waves, shuddering fuzz and long slow riffs before the Dio-esque opulence of I See You Better In The Dark shifts the tone between doom and goth. The latter comes on the My Hair Is On Fire (But I'll Take Your Hand), the jazzy percussion perfectly carrying the track, "I Am A Goddess" sings Jennie-Ann here as the album then segues into Dark Americana meets The Doors psychedelia of Lovers Give A Kingdom To Each Other.
Then it's back to doom with Being With The Dead, down-tuned and anthemic, while Until Forever And Again puts epic doom against Bond theme grandiosity, this track may just be my favourite of the whole record. As we head towards the end of this new masterpiece from Avatarium, Noted From Underground has Jidell showing off his guitar prowess with an instrumental track while the album closes on a cathartic note with the title track.
The closer washes over you with shimmering guitars and fragility from the vocals, inspired by Pink Floyd and an artist such as Anna Calvi too, it completes this new album with a sense of melancholia as Avatarium evolve their sound again combing all three elements they've been juggling with previous records. 9/10
The Great Old Ones - Kadath (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]
Lovecraftian Black Metal? Don’t mind if I do!!
Except I don’t think that calling this Black Metal does it the justice it deserves.
Kadath comes some six years since Cosmicism, which given what has happened in that period is not surprising. I don’t know a lot about Lovecraft and the worlds he built but I am acutely aware that its mythos has permeated everywhere, continually inspiring literature, films and music. For album number 5, they are looking to make a slight departure: From Season Of Mist -
“They are venturing (instead) into the Dreamlands.”
A quick look online and we find that it is an alternate dimension that can only be reached by entering a dreaming state. Its no wonder bands go to Lovecraft for inspiration, as the outcome is limited by your own imagination. This is a colossal record, in scope, execution and sheer breadth of ideas that constantly rush over you from the minute Me, The Dreamer kicks off to the final salvo from Second Rendez-Vous.
The problem I have is in trying to articulate what is so good about it and why its worthy on your time (it is). Normally, you can go through each one identifying relative strengths and weaknesses and out of that a review Is formed. Not on here, where it becomes apparent that we are not in Kansas anymore and that this is more than just Black Metal with hints of Lovecraft here and there. It’s an odyssey, a soundtrack that is practically perfect.
So, it starts with Me, The Dreamer and early on they start to drop these little bombs where they change things up and down and around whilst maintaining a forward stamp at pace. There are traditional black metal ideas in there but they don’t linger on them for any length, They don’t allow anything to become sterile because with the opening track clocking in at 10 minutes and 55 seconds it has to hit the ground running.
So, it starts with Me, The Dreamer and early on they start to drop these little bombs where they change things up and down and around whilst maintaining a forward stamp at pace. There are traditional black metal ideas in there but they don’t linger on them for any length, They don’t allow anything to become sterile because with the opening track clocking in at 10 minutes and 55 seconds it has to hit the ground running.
And, yet, knowing this they put the brakes on at half-way as a set up for a frankly monstrous riff that crushes. The latter half is just frenetic, and I’m going out on a limb right here: Its one of the best songs you will hear this year. Well, until you get to Leng which co-incidentally is track 6 on this. Reading that back, I don’t think I have properly captured how good this is and it feels like a massive cop-out to say: ‘ITS ACE’.
My impression of the writing and recording process for this album, they got together in a room with a whiteboard and wrote EPIC on it. In massive letters. And this is what they do, Those From Ulthar comes next with just a heady balance of melody and brutality into what could be described as the second most normal sounding black metal on here, where they descend In The Mouth Of Madness.
My impression of the writing and recording process for this album, they got together in a room with a whiteboard and wrote EPIC on it. In massive letters. And this is what they do, Those From Ulthar comes next with just a heady balance of melody and brutality into what could be described as the second most normal sounding black metal on here, where they descend In The Mouth Of Madness.
They just can’t help themselves in shaking everything up, moving into the realms of prog but keeping that visceral excitement in place. Under The Sign Of Koth comes screaming in, supplanting Those From Ulthar as the most normal sounding black metal song on here. Until they just start move through the gears and change it. And this is the thing, whatever they change, at whatever stage it just works. The Gathering is their intermission and it heralds the arrival of Leng.
Leng is a 15-minute-long piece of art. It is also an instrumental. It is something else, alighting at every metal stop you can think of. It is perfect, and they could have stopped at this point and I would have just applauded. I realise that I’ve tried to talk about each song when I said I wouldn’t. Anyway, Astral Void (End Of The Dream) is next and maintains the incredibly high bar of quality that they set at the start.
Which brings us to the masterwork that is Second Rendez-Vous, and its classically tinged opening parts. The whole thing has a dynamic feel to it, and it is chock-full of mint riffs. Like Leng, its an instrumental and in both cases, vocals are not missed at all. I cannot recommend this album enough because it has classic written all over it. It has everything you could possibly want or need and over the course of an hour and 12 minutes you are completely entranced and wonder where the hell they have come from.
It is a phenomenal piece of work. 10/10
Martyrion - Gaia Uprising (Self Released) [Mark Young]
Gaia Uprising is the latest offering from Martyrion and has been a long time coming. The band started putting ideas together back in 2016 following the release of Our Dystopia in the same year. Like a lot of bands, progress hit the buffers once our friend Covid descended. Not only that, but line-up changes also added more confusion and it must have felt that any made ground was slowly disappearing in front of their eyes.
Leng is a 15-minute-long piece of art. It is also an instrumental. It is something else, alighting at every metal stop you can think of. It is perfect, and they could have stopped at this point and I would have just applauded. I realise that I’ve tried to talk about each song when I said I wouldn’t. Anyway, Astral Void (End Of The Dream) is next and maintains the incredibly high bar of quality that they set at the start.
Which brings us to the masterwork that is Second Rendez-Vous, and its classically tinged opening parts. The whole thing has a dynamic feel to it, and it is chock-full of mint riffs. Like Leng, its an instrumental and in both cases, vocals are not missed at all. I cannot recommend this album enough because it has classic written all over it. It has everything you could possibly want or need and over the course of an hour and 12 minutes you are completely entranced and wonder where the hell they have come from.
It is a phenomenal piece of work. 10/10
Martyrion - Gaia Uprising (Self Released) [Mark Young]
Gaia Uprising is the latest offering from Martyrion and has been a long time coming. The band started putting ideas together back in 2016 following the release of Our Dystopia in the same year. Like a lot of bands, progress hit the buffers once our friend Covid descended. Not only that, but line-up changes also added more confusion and it must have felt that any made ground was slowly disappearing in front of their eyes.
And despite all of the obstacles they are here in front of you with what can be described as a bold statement from them as Gaia Uprising tells the story of a future where survivors eke out a life whilst the planet heals itself. It’s a concept album, and it’s one thing to have a story to tell or a message to send, the music behind it has to be able to back it up.
Imminence Of Judgement is the entry point, a brief introduction with whistling birds that moves along into Being At Nature’s Mercy, and we start off properly, bringing an emotional arrangement with it. It has a solid mid-paced stomp to it and some deft lead work that doesn’t overplay its hand. Wisely they opt for a relatively short playtime but it is still enough for it to show off some of the melodic touches that will come in later.
Imminence Of Judgement is the entry point, a brief introduction with whistling birds that moves along into Being At Nature’s Mercy, and we start off properly, bringing an emotional arrangement with it. It has a solid mid-paced stomp to it and some deft lead work that doesn’t overplay its hand. Wisely they opt for a relatively short playtime but it is still enough for it to show off some of the melodic touches that will come in later.
It’s a solid but unspectacular opening and its one that Natural Selection leaves in its dust. It’s a tight exercise in controlled fury from them, mixing in some top riffing with slower passages that allow for Marian Freye (vocals, rhythm guitar & orchestrations) to switch between the guttural and the higher range vocalising. It shows that where required they can find another gear and again there is some spot-on lead work here from Felix Lüpke here. What I am finding is that there are recognisable patterns coming in – the fast work into the slow and I’m hoping that this isn’t an indication that the remaining songs will follow that lead.
Shadow, to an extent does exactly that. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it feels as though they are fixed in shoehorning a melodic section into it, where possibly just going for it in the speed stakes would have been better. The introduction of cleans towards the end of the track does work with that slower build but for me this was crying out for a blitzkrieg early on. It’s a brave move in any event but if I’m getting 10 or so tracks that basically repeat the same approach then it will lose me.
I hoped to be proved wrong, but The Disease, as immediate as the main verse build is (and it is, with a central riff that motors) they still pull back on the attack and unfortunately, I am starting to lose interest in it because it follows that initial blue-print that was set out early on. They compound this felony with Memories, a gentle interlude which had the preceding songs battered me into the ground would have been a welcome break.
Shadow, to an extent does exactly that. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it feels as though they are fixed in shoehorning a melodic section into it, where possibly just going for it in the speed stakes would have been better. The introduction of cleans towards the end of the track does work with that slower build but for me this was crying out for a blitzkrieg early on. It’s a brave move in any event but if I’m getting 10 or so tracks that basically repeat the same approach then it will lose me.
I hoped to be proved wrong, but The Disease, as immediate as the main verse build is (and it is, with a central riff that motors) they still pull back on the attack and unfortunately, I am starting to lose interest in it because it follows that initial blue-print that was set out early on. They compound this felony with Memories, a gentle interlude which had the preceding songs battered me into the ground would have been a welcome break.
The Great Revelation, however, comes in like a severely annoyed rhino. This is more like it, as they bring the low-end in until the expected pull-back comes in. However, they punctuate this by keeping the tempo up, at least for some of it. The vibe is different here, it speeds along with a decent zip and shows what has been missing from the earlier tracks.
Ignorance Is My Bliss keeps this good work going, this time they unleash some great work and whilst they follow their blueprint again, the main riff is a corker so all is forgiven. This is what they should have been dropping on us earlier and like the songs before, the build they choose for them is spot-on, you cannot argue with that at all but they needed this low-end chug to them in order to make them hit harder.
The final pair…and Darkness Embraces Us and Maelstrom Of Misery are the closing statements. Of the former, it screams into life with a stomp and some delicious, pinched harmonics. Will they go for a melodic (read slow bit) piece? Of course, but at least, they give us a frenetic lead with some storming double bass coming in to support. I desperately wanted it to just batter me from start to finish because it is painfully apparent, they can do it but alas, no.
Ignorance Is My Bliss keeps this good work going, this time they unleash some great work and whilst they follow their blueprint again, the main riff is a corker so all is forgiven. This is what they should have been dropping on us earlier and like the songs before, the build they choose for them is spot-on, you cannot argue with that at all but they needed this low-end chug to them in order to make them hit harder.
The final pair…and Darkness Embraces Us and Maelstrom Of Misery are the closing statements. Of the former, it screams into life with a stomp and some delicious, pinched harmonics. Will they go for a melodic (read slow bit) piece? Of course, but at least, they give us a frenetic lead with some storming double bass coming in to support. I desperately wanted it to just batter me from start to finish because it is painfully apparent, they can do it but alas, no.
Final song is Maelstrom Of Misery, and I guess that if you wanted a representative sample of what the album is about, I’d say listen to this. It riffs when it needs to and is melodic elsewhere. For me it is missing that visceral touch where it excites you as a listener.
On one hand, this is a very polished set of songs that sound great and are ultimately solid in execution. I think that fans of their earlier output will appreciate it. On the other hand, it feels a little too safe. I applaud them for setting their stall out and then sticking with it but it cries out for some material whose mission is to crush. Without that, it feels like it is metal-lite and for me missing what heavy metal is all about. 6/10
On one hand, this is a very polished set of songs that sound great and are ultimately solid in execution. I think that fans of their earlier output will appreciate it. On the other hand, it feels a little too safe. I applaud them for setting their stall out and then sticking with it but it cries out for some material whose mission is to crush. Without that, it feels like it is metal-lite and for me missing what heavy metal is all about. 6/10
Kosmogonia - Aella (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Based on Greek mythology of around 350BC in Thrace at the Scythian invasion the album is a narration of the daughter about her parents story, two sides of warring factions who fall for each other with the narrator as a result. This ancient story is told through folk driven melodic death metal influenced by Eluveitie, Akona and Korpiklaani.
Kosmogonia are from Athens so they know the story and make sure that is sounds suitably epic by using keys and flute on top of the thrash/melodeath sounds that guitarist Kostas Magalios has created since the beginning of the band. After some line up changes they adopted their current sound and it's led them to a second album which we have here.
Kostas of course drives the metallic riffage, I assume with bass too as Nick's drumming gives pace. Odysseus' keys and orchestrations are the cinematic part of the album, the battles, the love story all scored by his keys and Ismini's flutes which brings a sense of romance and mystical elements to tracks such as Hold Me.
No folk/symphonic metal album is complete with our dual vocals, here Kostas gives the growls while Vaya provides the counterpoint cleans. It's this duality in the vocals that tells the story. Theatrical folk metal Kosmogonia impress with this latest conceptual record Aella. 8/10
Based on Greek mythology of around 350BC in Thrace at the Scythian invasion the album is a narration of the daughter about her parents story, two sides of warring factions who fall for each other with the narrator as a result. This ancient story is told through folk driven melodic death metal influenced by Eluveitie, Akona and Korpiklaani.
Kosmogonia are from Athens so they know the story and make sure that is sounds suitably epic by using keys and flute on top of the thrash/melodeath sounds that guitarist Kostas Magalios has created since the beginning of the band. After some line up changes they adopted their current sound and it's led them to a second album which we have here.
Kostas of course drives the metallic riffage, I assume with bass too as Nick's drumming gives pace. Odysseus' keys and orchestrations are the cinematic part of the album, the battles, the love story all scored by his keys and Ismini's flutes which brings a sense of romance and mystical elements to tracks such as Hold Me.
No folk/symphonic metal album is complete with our dual vocals, here Kostas gives the growls while Vaya provides the counterpoint cleans. It's this duality in the vocals that tells the story. Theatrical folk metal Kosmogonia impress with this latest conceptual record Aella. 8/10
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