Ohio musician Andrew Della Cagna has been a a got it name on the Ohio trad metal scene for a long time now. He's been a part of Brimstone Coven and Icarus Witch but Ironflame has always been his pet project. It's Cagna's solo outfit as he writes, plays and sings everything in true multi-instrumentalist, virtuoso fashion.
Founded in 2016, Worlds To Conquer is the fifth full length on which Cagna can show off his passion for classic heavy metal and it is a passion that has meant this album has been been recorded over three years, as Cagna's live guitarists add solos, it's also the first Ironflame record where Cagna mixes and masters to give it a retro contemporary sound.
Building from Night Closes In, through the driving Legions Of Fire, there's plenty of heavy metal history contained in these tracks and while Ironflame never fully get into the lane of speed metal, through Crimson Shores gets close, Worlds To Conquer has a lot of anthemic heavy metal with tracks such as Shadow Slave and the battle hymn of Valhalla Is Calling.
It seems there are plenty of Worlds To Conquer for Cagna and Ironflame with this fifth studio record. 7/10
Only Echoes - Born Adrift (Braeburn Records)
Instrumental post metal act Only Echoes have dropped a conceptual, six song 35 minute EP which concerns a journey through hostile waters.
It certainly begins with hostility as with the title track you can feel the churning waters cascading all around you, open water and very little hope as Only Echoes begin this journey with that feeling of desperation, their innate heaviness separating them many of the other post-metal bands.
It's metallic, instrumental storytelling at its most potent, the brilliant producing, engineering, and mixing from Austin Minney capturing the dynamic power of the band as they go though shimmering tones and more heaviness on Tempest which segues into the synth forward Inter we step into the Dreamlike state of Steps Ahead Of Drowning, the heaviness sprawling into ambience, creating the drama in this concept record.
With the final of Shimmering Death, the chapter closes on this harrowing tale told through musical intensity. A record to avoid if you have aquaphobia but if thrilling journey for those who enjoy cinematics from their post metal. 7/10
Castiel - All Returns To Hollow And Silence (Seek and Strike)
I struggle with deathcore, that's it, that's the review, it really has to do something to make me pick up and take notice.
Unfortunately Austrian deathcore bands are exactly the reason why the genre is tough for me. Their new EP All Returns To Hollow And Silence, is four tracks but that's enough, there's only so much start-stop chug, into double kick blasts, into punch riff breakdown hangs I can deal with.
I get it's supposed to be atmospheric and immersive, especially as this is concept release but I find it boring when there such little deviation, give me a melodic part, an electronic part, something other than just breakdowns and chuggage. There's some strings that add to the story being told here and I'm sure if you're a fan of deathcore in all it's formed there's a much higher level of understanding.
Unfortunately even with quite a few previous releases I don't find too much to get excited about on All Returns To Hollow And Silence, except when it returned to silence, but that's just me I'm sure. 5/10
Suffer UK - Soul From Flesh (Self Released)
Yet more deathcore, this time from Wolverhampton but unfortunately it may be the same result as their Austrian freunde. Categorised as brutal and slamming it's deathcore just how you would want it, with as much brutality as you can get but not much of anything else.
Soul From Flesh is also an EP and begins with an intro track that sets a symphonic element that is more pronounced, but it's still chug, chug, blegh even in what they call their 'third chapter' after more line up changes that has lead to a new vocalist and guitarist.
I will say the vocals are often much closer to black metal than death so there is a raw quality to their music but again it's the lack of variation that distracts me from enjoying it, there'll be lovers of this but I had to Suffer to get anything from it. 5/10
Unfortunately even with quite a few previous releases I don't find too much to get excited about on All Returns To Hollow And Silence, except when it returned to silence, but that's just me I'm sure. 5/10
Suffer UK - Soul From Flesh (Self Released)
Yet more deathcore, this time from Wolverhampton but unfortunately it may be the same result as their Austrian freunde. Categorised as brutal and slamming it's deathcore just how you would want it, with as much brutality as you can get but not much of anything else.
Soul From Flesh is also an EP and begins with an intro track that sets a symphonic element that is more pronounced, but it's still chug, chug, blegh even in what they call their 'third chapter' after more line up changes that has lead to a new vocalist and guitarist.
I will say the vocals are often much closer to black metal than death so there is a raw quality to their music but again it's the lack of variation that distracts me from enjoying it, there'll be lovers of this but I had to Suffer to get anything from it. 5/10
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