The nihilism never ends as Burner have always approached their music with a slash and burn style of incendiary rage.
On their last record If It All Returns To Nothing, they looked outwards, on this album they turn the lens inwards, looking at us the human race and the violence, destruction and division that we seem to continually create throught history. However its also about hope, how individuals are often the cornerstone to change or recovery, how sacrifice so often reaps biggest rewards.
So Burner return with another set of 11 absolute face rippers, the fast rise of Burner leading to some high profile guests vocalists such as Matthew K. Heafy (Trivium), Josh Middleton (Sylosis) and Anthony Lucero (Cult Leader), joining this record that straddles numerous genres. Death metal, hardcore, post metal and even black metal (A Shattered Visage Lies) all create these punishing atmospheres inspired by bands as varied as Trap Them, Darkest Hour, Bolt Thrower and Converge.
With The Third Revelation, Burner build the tension and then release it with some bludgeoning metal force, never fully letting you take a breath What Will You Give and Blood River both assault the senses. Harry Nott and Josh Middleton sharing the fury on the former while Matthew K. Heafy brings his unmistakable voice to Sunrise, Parabellum closing out this death/thrash trio.
A Shattered Visage Lies moves back towards an atmospheric doom crush that showcases the dynamic playing of Nathan Harlow (guitar), Finn Gannon (bass) and Jack Bryant (drums), as does the resonant and introspective The Agony Of Peace. The multi-discipline sound of Burner meaning they can move between tracks with melodic intensity and the more furious cuts seamlessly, never letting their extreme approach weaken.
No One Is Coming To Save Us? Perhaps then we should use this album as a catalyst to save ourselves. 8/10
Kongh - Dissolved In Time (Trust No One Recordings) [Mark Young]
For many, Sweden's association with extreme metal points towards a particular sound, namely the melodic death metal of bands such as At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity, and I'm no different. I had no idea there were other distinct and unique voices at play, one of which is Kongh. Who have released their fourth full-length album, Dissolved In Time, which also represents their return after nearly a decade away. I know nothing about their previous output and, as a result, will be going into this with an open mind. Three tracks stretched across 39 minutes suggests something intense, but also something that could easily outstay its welcome.
Staining The Ether is this album's big piece. Starting with a repeating guitar line that provides the base for drums and bass to come in and join, both building and adding until it really takes flight at around the three-minute mark, its sound suddenly expanding. It's unhurried and evolves naturally, changing shape and arrangement while always finding its way back to its core. It's all discord and grit, with vocals from David Johansson (who also handles guitars, bass and electronics) stamping a dense authority across the track and effectively moulding it to suit his vision.
I didn't expect it to be as melodic as it is, despite being as heavy as it is. It's a pretty perfect build in all honesty; everything sounds A1 and you can pick up on the little nuances that occur throughout, making it far more than just a hammer-and-nail exercise. If you're worried that a near 19-minute opening track might be a bridge too far, think of it as a series of mini songs glued together, all of which offer something different to the sequence that preceded them. This isn't a traditional doom song where the same riff is repeated until you instinctively reach for the skip button. It has a lot going on and genuinely needs that full running time to reach its destination.
It's a monumental song and an incredibly bold move to open the album with it because of the benchmark it sets for everything that follows. Still, putting that to one side, just absorb this for the majesty that it possesses. Epic stuff.
Guided To The End wisely goes for a quicker resolution, well, kind of. Where Staining The Ether was about having room to breathe, there is no lingering this time as the pace immediately kicks up a gear. Nothing has changed in the execution on display, it's just been given a charge. It's still heavy, but Christ, you could dance to this. Suddenly the influence of the opening track pares back a little as this one rips along, mixing clean and guttural vocals with one of the lowest bass tones imaginable.
So Burner return with another set of 11 absolute face rippers, the fast rise of Burner leading to some high profile guests vocalists such as Matthew K. Heafy (Trivium), Josh Middleton (Sylosis) and Anthony Lucero (Cult Leader), joining this record that straddles numerous genres. Death metal, hardcore, post metal and even black metal (A Shattered Visage Lies) all create these punishing atmospheres inspired by bands as varied as Trap Them, Darkest Hour, Bolt Thrower and Converge.
With The Third Revelation, Burner build the tension and then release it with some bludgeoning metal force, never fully letting you take a breath What Will You Give and Blood River both assault the senses. Harry Nott and Josh Middleton sharing the fury on the former while Matthew K. Heafy brings his unmistakable voice to Sunrise, Parabellum closing out this death/thrash trio.
A Shattered Visage Lies moves back towards an atmospheric doom crush that showcases the dynamic playing of Nathan Harlow (guitar), Finn Gannon (bass) and Jack Bryant (drums), as does the resonant and introspective The Agony Of Peace. The multi-discipline sound of Burner meaning they can move between tracks with melodic intensity and the more furious cuts seamlessly, never letting their extreme approach weaken.
No One Is Coming To Save Us? Perhaps then we should use this album as a catalyst to save ourselves. 8/10
Kongh - Dissolved In Time (Trust No One Recordings) [Mark Young]
For many, Sweden's association with extreme metal points towards a particular sound, namely the melodic death metal of bands such as At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity, and I'm no different. I had no idea there were other distinct and unique voices at play, one of which is Kongh. Who have released their fourth full-length album, Dissolved In Time, which also represents their return after nearly a decade away. I know nothing about their previous output and, as a result, will be going into this with an open mind. Three tracks stretched across 39 minutes suggests something intense, but also something that could easily outstay its welcome.
Staining The Ether is this album's big piece. Starting with a repeating guitar line that provides the base for drums and bass to come in and join, both building and adding until it really takes flight at around the three-minute mark, its sound suddenly expanding. It's unhurried and evolves naturally, changing shape and arrangement while always finding its way back to its core. It's all discord and grit, with vocals from David Johansson (who also handles guitars, bass and electronics) stamping a dense authority across the track and effectively moulding it to suit his vision.
I didn't expect it to be as melodic as it is, despite being as heavy as it is. It's a pretty perfect build in all honesty; everything sounds A1 and you can pick up on the little nuances that occur throughout, making it far more than just a hammer-and-nail exercise. If you're worried that a near 19-minute opening track might be a bridge too far, think of it as a series of mini songs glued together, all of which offer something different to the sequence that preceded them. This isn't a traditional doom song where the same riff is repeated until you instinctively reach for the skip button. It has a lot going on and genuinely needs that full running time to reach its destination.
It's a monumental song and an incredibly bold move to open the album with it because of the benchmark it sets for everything that follows. Still, putting that to one side, just absorb this for the majesty that it possesses. Epic stuff.
Guided To The End wisely goes for a quicker resolution, well, kind of. Where Staining The Ether was about having room to breathe, there is no lingering this time as the pace immediately kicks up a gear. Nothing has changed in the execution on display, it's just been given a charge. It's still heavy, but Christ, you could dance to this. Suddenly the influence of the opening track pares back a little as this one rips along, mixing clean and guttural vocals with one of the lowest bass tones imaginable.
And that central riff? Forget about it. Just top class. It's spacey, full of movement and an all-round cracker.
Which leaves us with the title track, Dissolved In Time. It starts with a thick sound and I genuinely can't think of a better way to describe it. I mean, it's absolutely massive and would probably render you with some form of injury if you heard it live. It moves with the same energy as Guided To The End, with the drums doing exemplary work in providing that little bit of sparkle that lifts the entire piece.
And then they pull the whole thing down, slowing it to a crawl.
It's ruthless in its execution. This is Sludge Metal 101 and everyone should be taking notes. It's amazing to think that Kongh had anywhere left to go after that opener and yet Guided To The End and Dissolved In Time have the same kind of impact while offering entirely different perspectives. Each track leaves its mark in a different way.
What is this like compared to their earlier material? No idea.
All I can say is that it's a magnificent album, and if this return leads to more material of this quality, fans of the genre have a lot to look forward to. 9/10
The Bleeding - Godless Communion (Redefining Darkness Records) [Matt Bladen]
Which leaves us with the title track, Dissolved In Time. It starts with a thick sound and I genuinely can't think of a better way to describe it. I mean, it's absolutely massive and would probably render you with some form of injury if you heard it live. It moves with the same energy as Guided To The End, with the drums doing exemplary work in providing that little bit of sparkle that lifts the entire piece.
And then they pull the whole thing down, slowing it to a crawl.
It's ruthless in its execution. This is Sludge Metal 101 and everyone should be taking notes. It's amazing to think that Kongh had anywhere left to go after that opener and yet Guided To The End and Dissolved In Time have the same kind of impact while offering entirely different perspectives. Each track leaves its mark in a different way.
What is this like compared to their earlier material? No idea.
All I can say is that it's a magnificent album, and if this return leads to more material of this quality, fans of the genre have a lot to look forward to. 9/10
The Bleeding - Godless Communion (Redefining Darkness Records) [Matt Bladen]
There's change in the house of The Bleeding, for over a decade the London death metal crew have been unleashing steamrolling, gore-soaked death thrash that's anchored in the underground. They've become more visible outside of their local scene with the release of last album Monokrator, gaining a following of death lovers across the UK and Europe. However long time vocalist Germ stepped down from the band during the recording process, with ex-De Profundis man Craig Land brought in behind the mic to continue the next chapter of The Bleeding.
In typical death metal fashion, to avoid the delays of having to re-record everything again, Craig's vocals joined the ones already recorded by Germ to bring an as yet untapped intensity to the music. It's almost like a celebratory release with a dual vocal assault bridging what is now and what came before as band founder/guitarist Tasos, bassist Guy and drummer Davide Marini deliver more ferocious death metal drawn from the inspiration of the most vile and vital bands in the genre.
Some are even homaged here as there's cover of Cannibal Corpses' Born In A Casket which features Ryan Howes of Sodomized Cadaver, as Adrie Kloosterwaardof Sinsuter appears on Bestial Bloodlust and original The Bleeding vocalist Themis K. appears on Death Eternal, making this the first record from the band with all three of their vocalists appearing.
You could consider Godless Communion to be a 15th anniversary release for The Bleeding and it's probably them with a renewed intensity and a return to their underground sound due to the line up shift, though it's an album with a lot of experience and craftsmanship behind it. UK death metal veterans that still kill the old way. 8/10
In typical death metal fashion, to avoid the delays of having to re-record everything again, Craig's vocals joined the ones already recorded by Germ to bring an as yet untapped intensity to the music. It's almost like a celebratory release with a dual vocal assault bridging what is now and what came before as band founder/guitarist Tasos, bassist Guy and drummer Davide Marini deliver more ferocious death metal drawn from the inspiration of the most vile and vital bands in the genre.
Some are even homaged here as there's cover of Cannibal Corpses' Born In A Casket which features Ryan Howes of Sodomized Cadaver, as Adrie Kloosterwaardof Sinsuter appears on Bestial Bloodlust and original The Bleeding vocalist Themis K. appears on Death Eternal, making this the first record from the band with all three of their vocalists appearing.
You could consider Godless Communion to be a 15th anniversary release for The Bleeding and it's probably them with a renewed intensity and a return to their underground sound due to the line up shift, though it's an album with a lot of experience and craftsmanship behind it. UK death metal veterans that still kill the old way. 8/10
Suffering Quota - Sisyphean Life (7 Degrees Records/Tartarus Records) [Mark Young]
There is something strangely comforting about listening to what probably best described as a twelve track sonic kicking whilst watching Last Of the Summer Wine (And yes, there are rumpled stockings, a tin bath and three old age pensioners rolling down a hill in Yorkshire).
There is something strangely comforting about listening to what probably best described as a twelve track sonic kicking whilst watching Last Of the Summer Wine (And yes, there are rumpled stockings, a tin bath and three old age pensioners rolling down a hill in Yorkshire).
This is their 4th album and is inspired by the myth of Sisyphus and the eternal struggle faced with repetition in life. In any event, should you be unclear in what they are about and how they do what they do, just press play and let the punishment begin. This is a hard record, and by its very nature a difficult one to review because they are not writing long, progressive music here. This is 18 minutes worth of blistering attack, of what you could call primal grindcore. This is stripped of anything that is unnecessary, each song hammered to its truest form.
It would be utterly pointless in trying to do a song by song deep dive on this. That would defeat the object and weaken its ultimate impact. This is supposed to be enjoyed (endured?) as a whole, not to dip in here and there. Strain opens and Striving closes and between there is no discernible drop in the fury that is at hand or in the standard of music provided here. I appreciate that won’t be a lot for someone to make a decision on, so I’ll narrow that focus slightly by saying that any fan of no-frills extreme grindcore will find Suffering Quota and their music to be a welcome blast of refined noise. 7/10
It would be utterly pointless in trying to do a song by song deep dive on this. That would defeat the object and weaken its ultimate impact. This is supposed to be enjoyed (endured?) as a whole, not to dip in here and there. Strain opens and Striving closes and between there is no discernible drop in the fury that is at hand or in the standard of music provided here. I appreciate that won’t be a lot for someone to make a decision on, so I’ll narrow that focus slightly by saying that any fan of no-frills extreme grindcore will find Suffering Quota and their music to be a welcome blast of refined noise. 7/10
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