Reviews: Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Age Of Apocalypse, Poison The Preacher, After Taste (GC & Rich Piva)

Thus Spoke Zarathustra - I’m Done With Self Care, It's Time For Others Harm (Prosthetic Records) [GC]

If you’re a fan of heavy music, as I am sure you are if your reading this review, you should probably just put the overly fancy sounding philosophical name aside, and just look at the title of this album,  I’m Done With Self Care, It's Time For Others Harm, then this alone should peak your interest and make it be worth looking into! Thus Spoke Zarathustra has got my attention.

It takes a while for GGO to really kick into action and when it does we get some crushingly heavy deathcore full of savage beatdown riffs that mix a beautifully melodic style of death metal into the blatant thuggery of hardcore and it makes for a fantastic start and flying directly into I Can’t Save You gives you no time to prepare for the oncoming onslaught, it a short, sharp that really shows how to do deathcore right, the slower bits are crunching and brutal and the fast parts are unrelenting and powerful and this is all done in just over 2 minutes, its brilliantly done and engages the listener expertly! 

Gage Lanza 2 Return Of The Red Hammer is a title that is clearly inspired by their love of ‘’Myspace-era deathcore’’ as back in the day the more nonsensical the title the better, so skipping past that the minor annoyance the music is also heavily inspired by a more old school approach to deathcore, with the tempo being faster throughout and no real nuance to the song its just a full on chugganaught from start to finish and will be making you grab that extra small t-shirt, do crab claws and start brushing aside an imaginary black fringe just like it was 2006 all over again, nostalgia isn’t something usually involved with deathcore but this is dripping with it! 

Its, another wacky tile for I Never Believed In Magic Until My Dog Turned Into A Snake and musically it’s another whirlwind ride of amazing drum work, interweaving with the three guitars that are all doing something different at every turn, not just chugging, or twiddling or adding background effects they all do this and then at suddenly all at same time ITS TIME TO CHUGG and when they do it is an absolute pleasure and just sounds so heavy! 

The Final Blow Will Bring Blood is back to the more focused, short attack style of a song but also incudes some of the most blatant hardcore and thrash influences so far and mixing it up a bit more offers for a fresh perspective on things, because yes being stupidly heavy is always good but also offering a new sound is a way to keep thing interesting all the way through. 

Santosha keeps the songs length on the short side and of course this can help because a lot of bands tend to keep playing the same stuff and it gets repetitive, predictable and boring, not here it’s just, song starts, savage brutality for 2 minutes and then it’s over, thank you very much, a lot more bands could pay attention here! 

All I Feel Is Cold hones in on a very melodic death metal sound and has duelling guitars in some parts that play off each other beautifully and once again throws in a massive hardcore influence but is never too far away from then just absolutely pummelling you to the ground for no good reason and the way all the elements are put together and don’t confuse or sound out of place is expertly done, The Difference Between You And Me Is I Never Got Caught relies heavily on the guitars all working as one big sound, as here they all play together and don’t really mix anything up and while it sounds planet shakingly heavy it does tend to lose a bit of its energy in places.

Mithrandir doesn’t grab me at first, it’s another almost anthemic sounding but heavily melodically tinged track but some of the bits sound like they don’t fit together and it sort of throws me off a bit. Bereft of Light then re-energizes everything and is everything that has been good about this album all in one song, it has the speed and also melodic beauty of death metal mixing with the ungodly heaviness and disgusting brutal ignorance of deathcore and it comes just in time as the last couple of tracks were lacking a little something, but here everything is 100% executed in the perfect way for a stunning end to the album.

When their music sound as good as this album does, Thus Spoke Zarathustra can have as fancy a name as they want because it wont take any attention away from what has being recorded, the heaviness and precise nature of almost every note on this record was wonderful, there were parts of melody disguised under a blanket of horrible noise but even they managed to shine through! I have said it before but when its done right deathcore can be some of the best music to listen to and on, I’m Done With Self Care, It's Time For Others Harm its all done right! A truly spectacular record that I highly recommend you listen to immediately! 9/10

Age Of Apocalypse - In Oblivion (Closed Casket Activities) [Rich Piva]

I know I write a lot about stoner, doom, and the like, but I am very much someone who came up loving hardcore. I was into pretty much all the scenes back in the early to mid-90s, especially the NYHC stuff. You can be a hardcore kid and a metal kid too, so when a band like Life Of Agony came along it was musically life changing for me. Those guys had it all, blending hardcore and metal with some melodic tendencies to create what is one of the greatest records of all time, River Runs Red. 

So, when I first heard Age Of Apocalypse’s first record I immediately connected with it, given how much it sounded like LOA both musically and vocally. On what is now their third record, Age of Apocalypse dialled up the hardcore and thrash more and drifts a bit further away from the LOA comparisons with the ten quick rippers that make up In Oblivion.

With a band like Turnstile blowing up big, you would think AoA would be able to get in on some of that, and they should if enough people get their ears on In Oblivion. There is a fleeting glimpse of the trippiness that makes Turnstile so great, but the straight-ahead aggression partnered with some melodic moments is where I can certainly see some overlap. These guys are from NYC, and you certainly can tell with the hardcore ripper, Mortal Coil, that opens In Oblivion up. I bet these guys are Vision Of Disorder fans too, based on the opening track. Did I mention there are some harmonies on this one? Oh, and it works so very well. This may be the most complex track in their discography, with the tempo changes, instrumentation, and clash of styles. Breakdown!!! 

The addition of the acoustic guitar continues on the very metal opening of Maximum Suffering, which brings more of the vocal harmonies but also some old school hardcore to the pit as well. There is a lot going on here, in all the best ways. A metal riff with some machine gun drumming welcomes us to Gilded Hatred, but only to lead us to some of the most melodic work the band has done, until it isn’t. So good. The title track and the one after, Equalizer, blend all of the goodness together I have mentioned thus far, and both lean most into the LoA RRR comparison, with those backup gang vocals, with the latter really ripping up the place. 

 The second half of the record starts with Apocalypse Intro, an early thrash-like interlude that chugs its way to the next track, Impulse, that leans into the thrash side of the band, with excellent vocals to go along with it. I mentioned VoD earlier, and Snake Oil God gives me those vibes again. Speaking of heavy, Symbol Of Mourning crushes, and somehow, I hear early Biohazard in there, for a more know reference than I was going to go for. How about something totally different, the closest to a ballad a band like AoA could do with the closer, Over Mine, which harkens back to some of the best work Killswitch Engage ever did.

Age Of Apocalypse’s In Oblivion is one of if not the best hardcore record I have heard in a very long time. Hardcore, with some crossover thrash metal, some melodic moments, and some vocal harmonies, this record is killer and should really boost these guys to the next level. Their heaviest and most melodic record yet. Oh, and their best too. 9/10

Poison The Preacher - Vs The World (Seek & Strike) [GC]

I took one look at Colombia’s Poison The Preacher’s band photo and then the album cover, and my first guess as to what they would sound like was hardcore/thrash/crossover, then I found a bit of info on them and that’s EXACTLY what I am about to get on debut album Vs The World, generally this sort of style is very hit and miss for me so I’m not sure what to expect.

I will instantly tell you what I don’t expect from a 9-track album and that is an intro which is exactly what Future Tense is just 50 seconds of guitars and atmospheric sounds that really isn’t what I need but that is just me, I guess? Sucker Punch gets things going with some wonderfully old school 80’s thrash that blends with the hardcore influence nicely then switches between tempos and styles and while it is done well it feels a little underwhelming in places, I think I was expecting a bit more speed then I am getting, I know I am only one track in but it just feels a little lacking? 

Dying Every Day feels like a much better example of what I was expecting, the tempo is quicker, and the foundation of the song is nicely tied together with the heavy stomp of hardcore but the catchy rhythms of thrash and includes a few nice breakdowns to change everything up every now and then, more of this and we are onto a winner! 1312 starts slow and builds up towards a nice crescendo with some catchy guitars colliding with some ferocious soloing and the varying mix of hardcore and thrash is all done well enough but it’s just missing something to take it all to the next level, there just doesn't feel like there is enough intensity at times and that seems to stunt everything slightly.

Hate Too Much is another frustrating listen, you can feel that something could happen but for some reason they spend a minute or so trying to build up to something and when they do finally get going they break it all up and probably try to be doing to much, the fast thrashy bits in this song are probably some of the best on the record but its just mixed in with lots of stuff it doesn’t need, cutting about a minute off this song would have made it brilliant but eventually it just sounds like a missed chance. 

Congelado An El Tiempo introduces us to their South American roots with it percussive intro that plays into the tempo of the main song, here they get everything spot on, tempo, mix of styles just everything they do here they absolutely nail, it also manages to bring in some death metal in that really forms the back bone of the track and it benefits greatly from it, Promise To Pay is an absolute blast of a track as they seem to really have focused and got everything honed to perfection, the vocals sound savage and nasty, the music has another more death metal focus and it feels when they focus on one style they smash it to pieces with ease, also it’s no coincidence that when they start playing a more death metal sound everything gets better!! 

I think on One Man Army they want to show they can also put some groove into their sound as a whole and sure they can but, do they need too? Not really, it makes it a bit too slow and plodding for me and gets a bit boring and one paced very quickly, Us Against The World is another track that could do with a bit of trimming, its about a minute too long again, I think it’s a case of they are trying to show everything that they can do in one last song so you don’t forget but some of it just doesn’t need to be included as it doesn’t really help make the statement I think they would have wanted to end the album on.

For me once I had finished Vs The World the main feeling was that it was an opportunity missed, there were times that you thought it sounded vibrant and energetic, heavy and scuzzy but then they always tried that to maybe do a little bit too much in pace and the songs/sound got lost in places. I can tell there is potential there and will look out for future releases in hope they have found the focus they need to really push on. 6/10 

After Taste - Hungry For Life (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

It is no secret that I love Type O Negative. They are like a top ten, maybe top five band for me. When I see Type O as a reference point for a band, I am immediately skeptical because of how much I love them. How much are you influenced by Peter and crew? Just enough to say you are both doom and goth, or a blatant rip-off? Before anyone gets all upset, I absolutely loved Neon Nightmare’s ode to the band last year, so let’s get that off the table right away. 

This brings me to the new album from Dutch band After Taste, their second and first since 2021, titled Hungry For Life. The band mentions all sorts of influences in their bio, including the aforementioned Type O Negative, Rammstein, Alice in Chains, Triptykon, Killing Joke, and Soundgarden, but to me this record firmly stands on the gothic metal side, and these guys execute the ten tracks on Hungry For Life very, very well.

Sustain Me starts us off, and the Type O vibes are strong, along with a My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost thing they have going on. A nice doomy riff, spooky, low vocals, and a bit of melody to go along with it. Love the solo on this, if we can call it that. Great song. Your Flesh is next, and the requisite female voice makes an appearance to add the sexy to the doomy, just like the boys from NYC used to do. This one is straight up dark and heavy goth goodness. The guitar work really stands out on this track. 

My knowledge of Rammstein’s material is minimal, but from what I do know, I feel like I hear a Rammstein/Type O mash up in Mind Over Body. The almost pop-like (for them) track Morning XTC gives My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend vibes while somehow channelling Gary Numan and I am here for it. Lost At Sea is quite the unique track, with a slower tempo and a lot of instrumentation going on, it is a welcome addition to the goth night party, with maybe a Marilyn Manson thing happening too. 

Methmouth is probably my favourite track on Hungry For Life. One of the more straight-ahead rockers and where I can finally hear some of those grunge influences they call out in their bio, specifically Alice In Chains. I can’t go a “goth” review without mentioning The Sisters Of Mercy, which is what Liquid Courage reminds me of, while Get Down sounds like something from The Tea Party’s Transmission. Sexy goth vibes aplenty with Centerpiece Concubine, while the closer, Back To You could be a Nick Cave song in all the best ways.

Yeah, it feels a bit long, and yeah, there is a lot of borrowing from a lot of great bands, but Hungry For Life is as fun as a goth metal record could possibly be. A very worthy addition to any heavy goth collection is what After Taste offers with their second record. 7/10