I’ve had the chance to review the last couple of releases from this Italian Symphonic Metal outfit, and it has been interesting watching their evolution. Whilst still retaining a Symphonic route, their last couple of albums varied the format a bit, stretching from the more Stratovarius sounding Lunaris (2020), to the more straight ahead Symphonic with a touch of Power Metal approach of Animus (2022).
This album seems to have stepped back a little and pulled the best elements of all that experimentation and distilled it into a single entity, which proves for once and for all that their house sound is the fusion of all these sub-genre elements a bit more interchangeably.
I suspect a huge contribution to this distillation effect is the fact that this band has retained a consistent line-up across their four albums and knows what works with their audience. This was a case of experience professionals coming together in the first place, and when that happens a lot of the hitches, snags and pain a new band has of building a brand from the ground up are side-stepped, because everyone involved has done this all at least once before and there’s that all-important network of reliable professionals to bring to the party for everything non-musical.
The first thing to note is that this is a much more accessible release than a lot of their back catalogue. First and foremost, they’ve adopted a straight-ahead approach to the song writing with only one of the ten tracks here daring to creep significantly over the four-minute mark. They don’t sound like they are trying to write hit singles (most bands will tell you that trying to do that inevitably fails), but there’s a couple of belters on here that clearly are going to have a chance at hitting that water mark – notably Chase The Light – which is a punchy anthemic hit single if ever I heard one.
Chiara Tricarico’s vocals have always had huge power and range, but this time out she’s really pushing herself to deliver in places a way gutsier Metal performance, which really helps with the impact of the music. Even when things go back into the past a bit with the more Operatic ballad L'eco del Silenzio it works, because Italian is such a beautiful language when sung in Tricarico’s full on Soprano delivery, and it’s the perfect counterpoint to the heavier tracks peppering the release.
This feels a much consistently better release than both of its predecessors, retaining the Symphonic and highly technical musical touches of the past as icing on the cake of the well-crafted song structures. You know they can get incredibly technical or Neo-Classical if they needed to, and they subtly hint this in some of the instrumental breaks, but it’s not at the expense of the song and that all important accessibility. 8/10
Degenerate - Rituals Of Rage (Self Released) [Simon Black]
Now let’s get one thing straight. There’s very little of the more extreme end of the Metal spectrum that appeals to me, and since our esteemed editor knows this, I had to assume he knows something I don’t when I found this sophomore release from this Dutch outfit in my inbox.
As ever, he’s bang on the money...
…And as ever, that’s very annoying.
Part Melodic Death Metal, but way more traditional and hugely technical Thrash, this unexpectedly drove right up my street, completely ignoring the one-way signs, the speed limit, any traffic calming measures, pedestrians and an unfortunate cat to beat me rather violently with its very metal fenders.
This album drips energy like you wouldn’t believe and for a self-funded independent act has a level of depth and maturity that is more than a little impressive. It’s all the more impressive for the fact that they are a four piece, with powerhouse vocalist Rens Hilgers also covering some of the meaty guitar work, but this is an incredibly tight and cohesive set of really rather tight musicians.
This is fast and furious for the most part, but with lyrics that are still mostly intelligible despite the guttural tones Hilgers spits at us. This always makes a difference for me, and half my beef with Extreme Metal is that the lyrics might as well not be there, but here you do, which hugely helps with emotional impact of what they are trying to achieve here.
There’s also an unexpected commercial undertow here, with slower pieces scattered throughout, plus some subtle melodic interludes and keyboard work that take you in directions unusual, without detracting from the fire and fury of the heavier stuff. Independent or not, these guys clearly know their chops, and the result is forty-one minutes of blisteringly contemporary, yet traditionally influenced Death Thrash that has forced me to once more advise our editor that he is correct, which his ego really does not need. 8/10
I suspect a huge contribution to this distillation effect is the fact that this band has retained a consistent line-up across their four albums and knows what works with their audience. This was a case of experience professionals coming together in the first place, and when that happens a lot of the hitches, snags and pain a new band has of building a brand from the ground up are side-stepped, because everyone involved has done this all at least once before and there’s that all-important network of reliable professionals to bring to the party for everything non-musical.
The first thing to note is that this is a much more accessible release than a lot of their back catalogue. First and foremost, they’ve adopted a straight-ahead approach to the song writing with only one of the ten tracks here daring to creep significantly over the four-minute mark. They don’t sound like they are trying to write hit singles (most bands will tell you that trying to do that inevitably fails), but there’s a couple of belters on here that clearly are going to have a chance at hitting that water mark – notably Chase The Light – which is a punchy anthemic hit single if ever I heard one.
Chiara Tricarico’s vocals have always had huge power and range, but this time out she’s really pushing herself to deliver in places a way gutsier Metal performance, which really helps with the impact of the music. Even when things go back into the past a bit with the more Operatic ballad L'eco del Silenzio it works, because Italian is such a beautiful language when sung in Tricarico’s full on Soprano delivery, and it’s the perfect counterpoint to the heavier tracks peppering the release.
This feels a much consistently better release than both of its predecessors, retaining the Symphonic and highly technical musical touches of the past as icing on the cake of the well-crafted song structures. You know they can get incredibly technical or Neo-Classical if they needed to, and they subtly hint this in some of the instrumental breaks, but it’s not at the expense of the song and that all important accessibility. 8/10
Degenerate - Rituals Of Rage (Self Released) [Simon Black]
Now let’s get one thing straight. There’s very little of the more extreme end of the Metal spectrum that appeals to me, and since our esteemed editor knows this, I had to assume he knows something I don’t when I found this sophomore release from this Dutch outfit in my inbox.
As ever, he’s bang on the money...
…And as ever, that’s very annoying.
Part Melodic Death Metal, but way more traditional and hugely technical Thrash, this unexpectedly drove right up my street, completely ignoring the one-way signs, the speed limit, any traffic calming measures, pedestrians and an unfortunate cat to beat me rather violently with its very metal fenders.
This album drips energy like you wouldn’t believe and for a self-funded independent act has a level of depth and maturity that is more than a little impressive. It’s all the more impressive for the fact that they are a four piece, with powerhouse vocalist Rens Hilgers also covering some of the meaty guitar work, but this is an incredibly tight and cohesive set of really rather tight musicians.
This is fast and furious for the most part, but with lyrics that are still mostly intelligible despite the guttural tones Hilgers spits at us. This always makes a difference for me, and half my beef with Extreme Metal is that the lyrics might as well not be there, but here you do, which hugely helps with emotional impact of what they are trying to achieve here.
There’s also an unexpected commercial undertow here, with slower pieces scattered throughout, plus some subtle melodic interludes and keyboard work that take you in directions unusual, without detracting from the fire and fury of the heavier stuff. Independent or not, these guys clearly know their chops, and the result is forty-one minutes of blisteringly contemporary, yet traditionally influenced Death Thrash that has forced me to once more advise our editor that he is correct, which his ego really does not need. 8/10
Hellgrammites - Ethos EP (Lost Future Records) [Mark Young]
I like EP’s because generally they are short, not too demanding on your time and can deliver some unexpected treats. I’m not sure that Ethos falls into the latter category of a treat, but it is an engaging experience, nonetheless.
I like EP’s because generally they are short, not too demanding on your time and can deliver some unexpected treats. I’m not sure that Ethos falls into the latter category of a treat, but it is an engaging experience, nonetheless.
There is no messing about on here, its straight in with the punishment on Body Shamer which mixes up punk/hardcore/thrash and then spits it at you. It is a ferocious opening statement that doesn’t just rely on one speed of attack, it changes gears to suit but all are built around a Helmet style riff that provides the base from which the song develops. Its pretty cool and they are repeating the same trick on Plight Of The Boar.
When I say that, I don’t mean it’s a straight repeat of the opening track I meant how well the song is built, moving at different speeds whilst giving vocalist Erik Petersen the platform to vent a spleen. The way they put the little bits together is spot on, and I’m warming to these. Pendulum is another well-crafted stab of noise with a brilliant riff line that is just so effective and efficient at the same time.
There is no wastage anywhere on these songs, each of them are lean and even with the slower songs, Ethos the build is once again engaging with multiple vocals, red hot riffing and that feeling of intensity that hasn’t dropped a jot since I pressed play. Discord is the order of the day with Bayonet and rattles along at a decent pace, leading us to the final song.
The last track is Rather Be Dead, which is noted as being written by Refused. I can’t say if this is good or a band cover having never heard the original but it sit wells alongside their songs and overall is a decent ending statement from them.
They don’t do noise for the sake of it, everything is there because it’s meant to be there. Yes, its heavy, frenetic when required, methodical elsewhere but always interesting. Yes, Erik’s vocals occupies the same space across each of the songs but that works in their favour because the music behind it offers a counterpoint instead of just being heavy or fast or bleak.
The last track is Rather Be Dead, which is noted as being written by Refused. I can’t say if this is good or a band cover having never heard the original but it sit wells alongside their songs and overall is a decent ending statement from them.
They don’t do noise for the sake of it, everything is there because it’s meant to be there. Yes, its heavy, frenetic when required, methodical elsewhere but always interesting. Yes, Erik’s vocals occupies the same space across each of the songs but that works in their favour because the music behind it offers a counterpoint instead of just being heavy or fast or bleak.
Too often, bands have a similar vocal style which in itself is fine but when you have music that is one-note/repetitive the style soon grates on you. I’m glad to say that this is a fine EP and is well worth you checking out especially if you know the band already. If you don’t, then this is a fine as opportunity as any to jump on. You won’t regret it. 8/10
Korean Cars - #1 (Mas-Kina Recordings) [Mark Young]
And how about a change in pace? Does a mini album of 6 songs whet your appetite for something this weekend? Appreciate that I’m a week late with the review (sorry) but better late than never and this is a slice of alternative post rock from Korean Cars, with a debut release that veers between instrumental and sung tracks. It’s 27 minutes of well-engineered rock, and your enjoyment of it will depend largely on how you feel about post rock in general.
Korean Cars - #1 (Mas-Kina Recordings) [Mark Young]
And how about a change in pace? Does a mini album of 6 songs whet your appetite for something this weekend? Appreciate that I’m a week late with the review (sorry) but better late than never and this is a slice of alternative post rock from Korean Cars, with a debut release that veers between instrumental and sung tracks. It’s 27 minutes of well-engineered rock, and your enjoyment of it will depend largely on how you feel about post rock in general.
Is it heavy enough for you as a medium? Or are you turned on by musical journeys instead? Its more of the latter here, the first step being taken by Megalomaniac and they take no time in showing their musical abilities and the fact that they can put a song together that sounds fabulous and has that distinction of making you want to play along to it. For me, if a song makes me want to learn it in the same way I wanted to learn Time by Anthrax or Seasons In The Abyss by Slayer. There is a lot going on in this, all of it good.
Have I mentioned that I don’t really like instrumentals….
Drömtorp brings the vocals into play at the start and are then left out as they spin their way through another track until they are resurrected at the end. I’m not completely sold on this one, there is no issue with the singing, its more to do with that there is not a lot happening in its runtime.
Cheese Me Macaroni on the other hand comes to the party ready to play, and it’s a belter. It has a mint progression running through it, almost James Bond like in its play and they execute it perfectly. For me they could have launched straight into this after Megalomaniac but that is just me. Like the opener, each chord, each movement is just perfect.
Treeline Siren has a more mournful approach to it, with a measured start that is worked through until they decide enough is enough and get some movement going. Like Drömtorp they have vocals on here that maybe occupy the briefest part of the song and then leave the heavy lifting to the music that they have so carefully crafted. In all honesty, I’m glad that this is the case because I’m still not sold on post rock as a genre but I do like post rock instrumental music. Well, I do now.
1979 charts its own path and suffers a little in comparison to the earlier tracks on here. It is decent, but it doesn’t have the same highs as Cheese... and does have more vocal lines on it which means that all eyes are on The Billion Trillions. Will this be a strong ending from them? It is, with more of an expansive approach in how it unfolds but with a real sense of movement. It doesn’t rest and provides a fitting closing statement from them.
All in all, this is a very strong release that shows that Korean Cars already have the necessary tools available to them in being able to create engaging and memorable music that works well with or without vocals. Despite its reduced length, you do get a lot for your money with this as it is not something that you would get bored with after a couple of listens. If I’m honest, I preferred the instrumentals (which is odd, as generally they annoy me) and of those, Megalomaniac and Cheese are two belters. For those, it’s a 7/10
Have I mentioned that I don’t really like instrumentals….
Drömtorp brings the vocals into play at the start and are then left out as they spin their way through another track until they are resurrected at the end. I’m not completely sold on this one, there is no issue with the singing, its more to do with that there is not a lot happening in its runtime.
Cheese Me Macaroni on the other hand comes to the party ready to play, and it’s a belter. It has a mint progression running through it, almost James Bond like in its play and they execute it perfectly. For me they could have launched straight into this after Megalomaniac but that is just me. Like the opener, each chord, each movement is just perfect.
Treeline Siren has a more mournful approach to it, with a measured start that is worked through until they decide enough is enough and get some movement going. Like Drömtorp they have vocals on here that maybe occupy the briefest part of the song and then leave the heavy lifting to the music that they have so carefully crafted. In all honesty, I’m glad that this is the case because I’m still not sold on post rock as a genre but I do like post rock instrumental music. Well, I do now.
1979 charts its own path and suffers a little in comparison to the earlier tracks on here. It is decent, but it doesn’t have the same highs as Cheese... and does have more vocal lines on it which means that all eyes are on The Billion Trillions. Will this be a strong ending from them? It is, with more of an expansive approach in how it unfolds but with a real sense of movement. It doesn’t rest and provides a fitting closing statement from them.
All in all, this is a very strong release that shows that Korean Cars already have the necessary tools available to them in being able to create engaging and memorable music that works well with or without vocals. Despite its reduced length, you do get a lot for your money with this as it is not something that you would get bored with after a couple of listens. If I’m honest, I preferred the instrumentals (which is odd, as generally they annoy me) and of those, Megalomaniac and Cheese are two belters. For those, it’s a 7/10
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