Judicator – Concord Review

By Iceberg

Seven albums into their career, Utah’s Judicator are back with another platter of American power metal designed to raise both your horns and your calorie load. Originally the epitome of Blind Guardian worship, Judicator began moving away from their Hansi-centric style with the departure of founding guitarist Alicia Cordisco in 2022. This coincided with the release of The Majesty of Decay, an album that saw Judicator adding prog to their power core, a move that satisfied the Eye of Holden but didn’t sit so well with resident power metal maven Eldritch. Their latest LP, Concord, has Judicator tackling the American West, a mythos that’s rightfully earned its reputation as good, bad, and ugly. With this timely subject matter in tow, can Judicator and sole remaining founder John Yellend find their new voice in power metal, or will they leave us looking over our shoulders at better days and greener shores?

Judicator remain a reliable band for fans of quality, USDA Choice Power, while managing to streamline their songwriting approach. The orchestral grandiosity of Blind Guardians meets the rabid thrashing of Iced Earth, but this time around there’s a more straightforward, heavy metal sensibility not unlike genre titans Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Gone are the long, experimental windings of The Majesty of Decay, and in their place are truncated song structures, sharpened riffcraft, and a renewed focus on powerful, hooky choruses. Yellend’s bright tenor carries the brunt of the workload here, shining in the barreling, traditional power metal moments (“Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Concord”) but sounding slightly out of place in the slower, quieter passages (“Johannah’s Song,” “Hold Your Smile”). Yellend’s lyrics seem genuine, though, relating tales of lost valor (“Call Us Out Of Slumber”), the call of the wilderness (“Sawtooth”), the massacre at Wounded Knee (“Imperial”), and Cormac McCarthy’s harrowing epic Blood Meridian, an apt epilogue for an album about the scarring legacy of Manifest Destiny.

For all their pushing and rearranging of the genre envelope, Judicator are still a power metal band at the end of the day, and they shall be judged on the memorability of their hooks. I’m happy to report that after shying away from the magic of the chorus on The Majesty of Decay, the earworms have made a triumphant return. Singalong anthems pepper the album, less cheesy than the Italian variety and more like the unabashed brawniness of Manowar or last year’s Nemedian Chronicles (“Sawtooth,” “Hold Your Smile,” “Concord”). The riffs on Concord eschew the lightning-fast runs one might expect from Dragonforce-core and opt for a grounded, foot-stomping aesthetic that fits neatly into the album’s concept (“Imperial,” “A Miracle of Life”). Replayability is also helped by the album’s editing, running 51 minutes across 9 tracks, with a closing epic whose structure is well executed, justifying its runtime (“Blood Meridian”).

Concord feels like a turn in the right direction for Judicator, but it hasn’t fully avoided the pitfalls of its core genre. While the album is stuffed with some real crowd-pleasers, some songs don’t quite make the same impression as their brethren. The relentless major key optimism of “Johannah’s Song” feels like a musical idea that hasn’t been fully formed, and the narrative-dependent “Weeping Willow” never seems to find its footing. Tracks set up in a storytelling format often have clunky lyrics, a little too on-the-nose, and fall prey to power metal’s reputation for cringe (“Johannah’s Song,” “Weeping Willow,” “Hold Your Smile”). But Judicator succeed in channeling a genuine love for their genre on the lion’s share of Concord, and its hard to be untouched by their infectious enthusiasm.

Concord represents a laudatory return to form for Judicator. Cuts like “Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Sawtooth,” and the embedded title track have monster choruses that threaten to secure slots on my SOTY playlist, and the album as a whole has the gift of memorability. While not breaking any new ground, it feels as if Judicator have finally found the feet to stand on since losing Cordisco, and not a moment too soon. Some may find the closing scene of “Blood Meridian”–ripped straight from the epilogue of the book–a bit hokey, but I think it sums up Judicator’s current state nicely. As the din of fiddles and revelry thickens, Judge Holden whips the bar patrons into an inebriated frenzy and repeats, endlessly, with a menacing snarl, “I will never die.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlindGuardian #Concord #HeavyMetal #IcedEarth #JudasPriest #Judicator #Manowar #Mar24 #NemedianChronicles #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #USMetal

Sorcerer – Devotion [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

By Mystikus Hugebeard

French melodic hardcore act Sorcerer released Devotion all the way back in March, and I’ve been listening to it regularly since then. It made quite an impression on me in that time, but I feel it necessary to admit that the strongest impression left on me is the expression of the man on the album cover. Every punch his face has suffered stripped away another wall, revealing in turn indignation, sorrow, confusion, exhaustion, acceptance, and even a subtle bloodlust. It’s the face of a man lost in his world of violence, as senseless as it is inescapable, and Devotion paints a vibrant and unforgettable image of this violence.

One of the strongest aspects of Devotion is simply how great it sounds. Devotion is unquestionably hardcore music, but it’s much deeper and dirtier than most hardcore I’ve heard before. This isn’t to say the production is raw or anything. The guitars are crisp with a subtle buzz that shines during the heaviest riffs, and the bass has a hefty chug like it’s throwing its full weight around. What really sticks out for me are the vocals; hardcore music can live or die on its vocals, and I can comfortably say that Sorcerer’s vocalist is a cut above. He has a coarse, exhausted yell that sounds both professional and like a passionate newcomer screaming their voice to shreds. It’s a shockingly good vocal performance that sounds unhinged without losing control. The guest vocalists on “Fortress” and “In the Arms of Mortality” are both solid screamers, but I’d be lying if during their sections I wasn’t selfishly thinking to myself “alright yeah but bring back the other guy.”

The strength of Devotion’s sound allows the music to cut all the deeper, lending an unstoppable momentum to the riff onslaught. The strongest, heaviest sections aren’t imprisoned only to the breakdowns, allowing entire songs to be dynamic and memorable. There are standard thrashers like “The Eternal Grief” and “Devotion” if you want a quick fix of violence. Still, I love the more adventurous songs, like the seven-minute closer “Someone Else’s Skin” which closes on my favorite kind of escalating riffs with growing layers of noise. “The Bell Jar” is a crazy fun tune that cycles through tons of catchy ideas at a fast pace, and the massive opening verses of “Badlands” and “In the Arms of Mortality” are addictive. The aggression and energy is always high, but it feels focused on a single point; if I were to describe the spirit of hardcore music as the frenetic chaos that comes with the flailing of arms in a mosh pit, then the music of Devotion is targeted violence, focused into a singular, unstoppable beat-down.

At just over 30 minutes, Sorcerer’s Devotion is a slick and brutal album with violence in its heart and without any low points that I’ve been revisiting like clockwork for months now. It’s just the right kind of heavy that hits all the harder for how focused it is. I’d wager that the beefy guitar tone and stellar vocal performance might even convert some listeners who have never been all too into hardcore music. Or maybe I’m wrong, in which case Devotion will leave you lookin’ like the guy on the cover.

Tracks to Check Out: ”Badlands,” “In the Arms of Mortality,” “Fortress,” “The Bell Jar,” “Someone Else’s Skin”

#2024 #DelivranceRecords #Devotion #FrozenRecords #Hardcore #Mar24 #MelodicHardcore #Sorcerer #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024 #TYMHM

Stuck in the Filter: March 2024’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

While it was cold and gloomy just a couple weeks before writing, now it’s blisteringly hot and humid. Such is the transition from February to April in the land of Ken. It’s May now, of course, so we are once again traveling back in time to when our Filter was brimming with scabs and scaled plucked from the Hides of March. As is my prerogative, I sent my minions, which are legion, into the thick of it to retrieve those lost gems which would otherwise be damned for musty eternity.

So, without further ado, my I interest you in our March Filter wares? The answer is always yes (or else)!

Kenstrosity’s Singular Stipend

Saturday Night Satan // All Things Black [March 15th, 2024 – Self-Released]

Obviously, I was bound to spin this record. A kitty on the cover? Sold. That’s literally all I needed to know I was gonna dig Greek occult heavy metal duo Saturday Night Satan. Lo and behold, their debut full-length All Things Black RAWKS. The first five songs, from rollicking opener “5 AM” to “Lurking in the Shadows,” constitute perhaps the best and most addicting introduction to a new band that I’ve heard in ages. Jim Kotsis’ (Black Soul Horde) swaggering riffs, buttery-smooth bass, and infectious rhythms consistently motivate this record through high-octane, bar-ready romps and doom-y crawls with equal liveliness, proving himself to be a versatile and exciting musician. Meanwhile, Kate Soulthorn croons and belts her way across this record with a venomous, but brassy and clear delivery oozing with charisma (“Rule With Fire,” “Lurking in the Shadows,” “Witches’ Dance”). While the record loses just a touch of momentum in the middle (“By the River, Crown of Arrogance”), there are no bad tracks to be found. Furthermore, repeat spins yield even greater enjoyment, as this record has only grown on me since my first spin and I don’t expect that trend to taper anytime soon.

Tales From the Garden

Molten // Malicide [March 6th, 2024 – Transylvanian Recordings]

Sometimes a band does one thing so well you don’t really need anything else to be great. Molten doesn’t stand out because of its vocals, a serviceable but somewhat limited growl. The drums are likewise decent, but nothing to cream your pants over. But the riffs! If that hurly burly bouncing up the stairs riff of “Pathogenesis” doesn’t put your facehole in a grin, it may be time to call it quits on death metal. Same for the insane, blistering solo that punctuates “Scorched” or the absolute neck-snapping title track. The latter is also the best place to spot the skillful bass parts that sneakily elevate the guitars to sound as good as they do. With a bunch of short ‘n snappy tracks showcasing Molten’s chops, a sudden 9-and-a-half-minute thrash epic sounds like a disaster in waiting, but the riffs, the solos and the serpentine bass are all high enough quality that I don’t want the San Fran boys to stop firing their big hooky shit at my face anyway. Malicide is a humble package, utterly crammed with infectious fun and riffy goodness, so get on that shit or get off the death metal pot.

Saunders’ Smoldering Cinders

BRAT // Social Grace [March 15th, 2024 – Prosthetic Records]

Look beyond their questionable moniker and self-proclaimed ‘Bimboviolence’ tag, and NOLA up-and-comers BRAT impresses on their debut LP, Social Grace. Listeners would be foolish to pass over this band as some sort of gimmicky modern metal act, the rugged, ugly musical form BRAT composes packs a serious punch. Social Grace present a thuggish, volatile concoction where the crossroads of grind, death and powerviolence meet. Factor in sludgy hues and seedy NOLA tones adding layers of extra grime and grit to short, sharp, stabbing cuts that pull no punches. The blasty, belligerent throes of old school grind meets sludge stomp of “Hesitation Wound” showcases BRAT’s deft ability to shift gears and compliment rabid blasting and grindy chaos, with infectious riffs and brawling grooves. Social Grace features similarly raw examples of gnarly, unbridled menace. Amped aggression, throaty vocals and speedy surges are complemented by fun, headbanging riffs and toughened grooves, lending the album a catchy edge and solid replay value reflected on gems such as the rifftastic title track, contrasting charms of “Truncheon,” and feedback-drenched grind-punk fury of “Human Offense.”

Suicidal Angels // Profane Prayer [March 1st, 2024 – Nuclear Blast]

Unsung Greek institution Suicidal Angels have pumped out material since the early aughts, crafting Euro-flavored thrash with a heavy dose of American influence, including Exodus and Slayer. Throw in an occasional atmospheric, melodeath twist, and you are left with a dependably solid batch of meat and potatoes goodness. Although rarely blowing minds, Suicidal Angels’ retro thrash platters, such as Dead Again and Bloodbath, represent potent examples of the band’s trusty formula. Following a five-year recording gap, Suicidal Angels return with their eighth LP, Profane Prayer. Profane Prayer follows a familiar trajectory, yet sounds fresh, full of energy and armed with fiery, aggressive riffage. These dudes are a tight unit, and the explosive speediness and exuberant performances shine alongside killer old school riffage, slashing solos, and technical embellishments. Ferociously infectious thrashers like “When the Lions Die,” “Purified by Fire,” “Crypts of Madness” and ‘Virtues of Destruction” sound more inspired than I’ve heard from the band in some time. Profane Prayer has moments of bloat, but the pros outweigh the cons, resulting in a largely enjoyable and explosive thrash platter. Props to the band for stretching their wings on the epic, progressively leaning journey of “Deathstalker,” and similarly adventurous closer “The Fire Paths of Fate,” showing Suicidal Angels still have some tricks up their sleeves.

Thus Spoke’s Forgotten Findings

Carrion Vael // Cannibals Anonymous [March 29th, 2024 – Unique Leader Records]

I was introduced to Carrion Vael by Dr. Grier’s review of their 2022 LP Abhorrent Obsessions where he deemed it “a beast of a record,” and I wholeheartedly concurred. Fortunately for all of us lovers of the Indiana melodeath/deathcore/generally heavy bunch, Cannibals Anonymous largely picks up where the previous one left off. It’s vicious, and satisfyingly slick, the rapidly descending/ascending scales, smooth, fast transitions between always-driving-forward tempos, and cutthroat snarls once again betraying a Black Dahlia Murder influence, but with a bit more of a deathcore angle. The riffy kind of deathcore. Because yeah, this thing has riffs (see especially ” “Love Zombie,” “Discount Meats,” and “Pins and Needles”)—as well as gore—spilling out of its every orifice, and they’re great. Also surprisingly fun are the further extended use of cleans now appearing on most of the album’s tracks, which only serve to make them more catchy, compelling, and fun, whether they’re shouty and atonal (“Discount Meats”), or genuinely mellifluous (“Savage Messiah,” “Pins and Needles,” “Augusta’s Dead”); and they’re more often the latter. Carrion Vael also lean a little further into the urgent-minor melodic refrain territory that made Abhorrent Obsessions so sticky, with “Savage Messiah,” “Pins and Needles,” and “Everything/Nothing” standing out. This isn’t changing the scene, but goddamn it if you won’t have a fucking fantastic time chucking some heavy weights around or generally vibing with a massive grin on your face whilst listening to it. Go on, you know you want to.

Dear Hollow’s Deafening Debris

Givre // Le Cloître [March 29th, 2024 – Eisenwald]

It’s not often that a black metal band willingly discusses Christianity in a somewhat endearing light, so the Quebecois Givre is a bit of a conundrum. However, in the most brutal fashion possible, this trio discusses examples of female saints and each respective trail of pain left behind in the pursuit of holiness. Given the subject matter, you can imagine the cross that is borne across its forty-two-minute runtime. Each track carries with it a mood and style of its own, united as a whole through the atoning power of agony, as all characters throughout have suffered greatly for the sake of Christ. That being said, this is regardless a hopeful album, and in many ways, La Cloître feels like a meditation, fluid movements whose organicity revolves around gentle plucking. While tracks like opener “Marthe Robin (1902-1981)” and “Sainte Thérèse d’Avila (1515-1582)” embrace this aesthetic of prayerful lamentation, it does not stop the winding riff punishment of “Louise du Néant (1639-1694)” from scorching the surrounding soil, or the mysterious, nearly Southern rock-oriented, “Sainte Hildegarde de Bingen (1098-1179)” and desperate start-stop riffs of “Sainte Marguerite de Cortone (1247-1297)” from commanding otherworldly planes. While the stylistic choices differ and may be jarring to listeners, it is cemented by its theme as it pursues God down lesser-trodden trails of atonement through flagellation.

Profane Burial // My Plateau [March 1st, 2024 – Crime Records]

The Norwegian black metallers channel nearly everything they can get their grimy claws onto in My Plateau. Profane Burial professes to be “cinematic black metal,” and that is an accurate description in its boundary-pushing of atmospheric and symphonic texture: imagine if Midnight Odyssey and Septicflesh met at a midnight showing of The Exorcist. Besides its more contemplative moments, you’ll find that My Plateau is a deceptively mammoth listen, as chugging guitars and colossal drums collide with grim symphonics and haunting ambiance. The opening title track, “Fragments of Dirge,” and “Disambiguate Eradication” are aptly bombastic kabooms in mad waltzes of demonic proportions layered with rich symphonic textures, while the blasts colliding with chugs and piano trills in “Moribund” and “Righteous Indoctrination” add to the Wreche-on-crack vibe, while the triumphant battle cry in closer “Horror Code” is equal parts macabre and pummeling. For being inspired by horror scores, Profane Burial is scatterbrained and wonky, but it doesn’t stop My Plateau from embracing the bombast in a fun-as-hell symphonic black metal foray touched by madness.

#2024 #AllThingsBlack #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #BlackSoulHorde #BRAT #CanadianMetal #CannibalsAnonymous #CarrionVael #CrimeRecords #DeathMetal #Deathcore #Doom #Eisenwald #Exodus #Givre #GreekMetal #Grindcore #HeavyMetal #LeCloître #Malicide #Mar24 #MelodicDeathMetal #MidnightOdyssey #Molten #MyPlateau #NorwegianMetal #NuclearBlastRecords #OccultMetal #OccultRock #Powerviolence #ProfaneBurial #ProfanePrayer #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #SaturdayNightSatan #SelfRelease #SepticFlesh #SepticFlesh #Slayer #SocialGrace #StuckInTheFilter #SuicidalAngels #SymphonicBlackMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ThrashMetal #TransylvanianRecords #UniqueLeaderRecords #Wreche

Ecr.Linf – Belluaires Review

By Dear Hollow

Post-black isn’t a style I would normally associate with themes of viscera or ritualism. Stereotypes and caricatures exist as Deafheaven school of thought, quite cheery affairs with sanguine post-rock melodies atop a foundation of distant blastbeats and shrieks. Ecr.Linf offers no such grace. Belluaires’ breed of post-black offers its full and textured, melody-first approach, but adds an animalistic urgency. Recalling the likes of Decline of the I or The Great Old Ones. Atmosphere is foremost but twisted into the warped image of desperation and intensity. A final cry of humanity is what it promises – does it exit with a roar or a whimper?

Ecr.Linf, the moniker taken from Voltaire’s famous maxim “ecrasons l’infame,”1 in one take translated to “crush the monster,” is a French black metal five-piece with history from acts like Svart Crown, No Return, and Jarell. Their Belluaires debut is a tour-de-force, undeniably French, recalling acts like Celeste and Déluge in its incorporation of hardcore and noise textures. It promises an unlikely combination of post-black and dissonant black, swirling riffs, manic and warlike blastbeats, and desperate barks commanding a dense and thick fog punctuated by moments of clarity. Ultimately, while these newcomers pale in comparison to more seasoned acts, Belluaires nonetheless makes one hell of a statement when it gets going, even if its buildup and on-the-fence compositions temper the hype.

There are two flavors to Belluaires: outright punishment and the ominous build-up to the punishment. Opener “Le Désespoir Du Prophète” and “Missive” offer the latter, that while thick and vicious riffs are in no short supply, spoken word and pulsing percussion indicate more patient crescendos. Meanwhile “Tribunal De L’âme” and “La Danse Des Crânes” are taken from the Celeste playbook, ritualistic percussion colliding neatly with mammoth riffs, plus a symphonic flare and wonky accordion closing out the latter doesn’t hurt. However, it’s not until the second half that Ecr.Linf gets their footing: beginning with the mad waltzing rhythms of “Le Royaume Du Vide,” Belluaires begins capitalizing upon the dissonant portion of their sound. “Ultime Projection” and “Valetaille” are easily the best tracks and comprise a walloping one-two punch. Each deals in more subtle songwriting from warped dissonant clarity to a dark and warming melody of blackgaze, punctuated by sprawling contemplative passages dwelling and shuddering in the wake of the colossus, concluded by dusty breaths of a gentle piano. For a black metal album, Ecr.Linf does a stellar job making Belluaires sound as huge as possible, touching upon post-metal, its density saturating every space within it.

For all its hugeness and formidability, I wish Ecr.Linf made more songs like “Valetaille.” Much like the likewise “dissonant black” genre-mates Sisyphean’s Colours of Faith, too much of Belluaires is spent mingling between post-black warmth and ominous dissonance. I’m grateful that Ecr.Linf arrive in grandiose fashion, but the first five tracks, with the exception of “La Danse Des Crânes,” are simply pleasant blackened affairs with a bigger sound, but little else. “Tribunal De L’âme” is largely forgettable, the spoken word of “Le Désespoir Du Prophète” verges on awkward, and “Feu Pâle” is a completely unnecessary closer, comprised of just a few warbling major chords, after the earthmoving and despondent ending of “Valetaille.” Belluaires comprises a very French sound from the despair to the vicious barks. This palette inevitably pales compared to the similarly built but more experienced offerings of Celeste, Amesoeurs, and Alcest.

Ecr.Linf promises a unique fusion, and only periodically do they deliver. While there’s little blatantly wrong with Belluaires in its punishing ritualistic hugeness, but expectations temper it quite a bit. It finally finds its footing in the second act with tracks “Ultime Projection” and “Valetaille” finding a powerful balance of vicious dissonance and post-black warmth in an undeniably atmospheric but relentlessly punishing sound. Ultimately, although initially I was overwhelmed by its weight and rabid intensity, it ends up neither a whimper nor a roar, but rather a firm tone to signal the end of humanity.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: My Kingdom Music
Website: facebook.com/Ecr.LinfOfficiel
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024

#25 #2024 #Alcest #Amesoeurs #Belluaires #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #Celeste #Deafheaven #DeclineOfTheI #Deluge #DissonantBlackMetal #EcrLinf #FrenchMetal #Jarell #Mar24 #MyKingdomMusic #NoReturn #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #SvartCrown #TheGreatOldOnes

Divided – Light Will Shine Review

By Dear Hollow

Throughout the tapestry of shimmering tones, weighty riffs, and desperate fry vocals in Light Will Shine, a common thread courses, of vulnerability and tension. Belgium’s Divided offers a style not unlike Glassing, Amenra, and Envy, with crystalline melodies colliding with unforgiving heaviness, with a distinctly unfriendly guitar harmonic approach. However, it professes a soundtrack for anxiety, recalling the tragically short-lived Sufferer project in its depiction of inner struggle and striving for better. Light Will Shine offers no easy answers, but is a voice through the storm.

Influenced by acts like Chat Pile, Brutus, and Psychonaut, the four-piece fuses post-metal, screamo, post-hardcore, and noise rock in shifting sands of beauty and ugliness alike. Its debut Light Will Shine is built around jagged movements and melodies with nowhere to go, drummer/vocalist Pepjin Vandaele the backbone in his manic Converge’s Ben Koller-esque percussion, complemented by Staf Walschap’s pulsing bass, and vocal pendulum between vicious fries and grungy Chino Moreno drawls, while guitarists Jelle Rouquart and Torre Maertens bouncing between sprawling chugs, scathing tremolo, and delicate plucking. Nothing feels hardened and jaded, but a bleeding heart plastered firmly onto Divided’s sleeve. Light Will Shine is far from perfect, but for its unique and captivating portrayal of mental struggle, it is worth a look.

Most notable about Light Will Shine is Divided’s use of melody, which for the purposes of its anxiety-induced theme, make good use of the unsettling. Tracks like “Cinder,” “Remaining in Limbo,” and “The Warped Loop” utilize this fluid and warbling use of upper fretboard magic to create dissonant harmonies alongside a punchy trainwreck of mathy-meets-post riffs that squawk and clatter alongside vicious shrieks in ways that recall Oceana’s Birtheater. The solid blend of the subdued and the dissonant pervade tracks like “The City Slowly Undresses,” in which piano and flute collide in wonky ways with stinging melodies across its slow crescendo, or closer “Sleepers,” which relies on a nearly midwestern emo plucking motion recalling American Football warped viciously by these crashing melodics and a noise rock Melvins-esque vocal approach. The melodies that are utilized here toe an odd line between intentionally disconcerting and unintentionally awkward, but best utilized in nine-minute epic “The Vicious Circle,” they swarm and bleed but find no resolution.

When the melodies turn questionable and the songwriting becomes jarring, occurrences which admittedly happen often, Light Will Shine takes on an awkward feel. Tracks like “Days Undone (So Long)” and “Remaining in Limbo” feature these melodic snafus, which feel too derailing to be intentional, while the shifting passages in “The Warped Loop” fall short periodically. At its worst, Divided can be too unpredictable in its shifting passages (the jolting whiplash in “The Vicious Loop” is both allegorical and simply too much) and then too repetitive in its ambition (the extremely repetitive ending of “Sleepers” nearly renders the track a detractor). In spite of an interesting and wonky blend of manic shrieks and grungy drawls, Vandaele’s vocals are simply too loud in the mix, while the latter croons feel awkward in tracks like “The Vicious Loop” or “Days Undone (So Long).”

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression this past year, and much of Divided’s sound feels like the crushing fear of insufficiency or imposter syndrome that I’ve realized has plagued me most of my life. In particular, the slowly unwinding melodics of “The City Slowly Undresses” nearly made me jump out of my skin with how close it felt to be stuck in my head. In this way, Light Will Shine feels like a masterwork. However, in the odd fusion of post-metal, screamo, post-hardcore, and noise rock, the quartet regularly toes the line between masterful avant-garde composers and those who have just picked up a guitar for the first time. Divided’s sound will feel like a broken home to some and a broken speaker to others – which is perhaps the greatest conundrum and compliment I can offer for this piece of art.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: ~190 kb/s mp3
Label: Dunk! Records
Websites: dividedbelgium.bandcamp | facebook.com/dividedbelgium
Releases Worldwide: March 29th, 2024

#2024 #30 #Amenra #AmericanFootball #BelgianMetal #Brutus #ChatPile #Converge #Deftones #Divided #DunkRecords #Envy #Glassing #LightWillShine #Mar24 #Melvins #NoiseRock #PostHardcore #PostMetal #Psychonaut #Review #Reviews #Screamo

Drungi – Hamfarir Hugans Review

By GardensTale

I love ‘for fans of’ or ‘related artists’ shorthands. In lieu of the endless genre discussions, it’s a great shortcut to match potential fans with new music. It has its shortcomings, of course; for one, you need to actually know the bands to get a feeling for whether it might be up your alley. Furthermore, bands can abuse it by referencing a bunch of popular bands, even when their style is only tangentially related. Case in point: the promo sheet for Drungi’s self-released debut Hamfarir Hugans included such a baffling spread in their FFO, I was immediately skeptical. Sólstafir, Skálmöld, Black Sabbath, Gojira and Manowar. What on Earth could possibly sound like all of those at the same time?

Against all odds, Hamfarir Hugans actually manages to tick most of those boxes in one way or another, without losing any cohesion. The first reference is the nearest kin: Sólstafir’s bleak mood and post-folk-metal textures are recognizable right away. But instead of despondent icy landscapes, Drungi uses that palette to draw crude cave paintings of primitive war and dark rituals. The coarse vocals recall their countrymen’s typical style of black metal, but the staccato delivery, occasional cleans and female backing vocals give a more tribal, primal vibe. As do the riffs, which are relatively simple and straightforward, but contain a marching, warlike spirit that fit perfectly with the band’s sonic aesthetics. The band doesn’t neatly fall into one genre or another, containing elements of traditional-, epic doom-, folk- and black metal, conglomerating into a sound that might appeal to Hangman’s Chair fans in addition to all the above.1

Of course, the most important is whether Hamfarir Hugans is any good, and I can happily confirm that once more! Opener “Alda” serves as a kind of microcosm for the album at large, serving a somewhat repetitious riff with enough verve and spirit to stave off the threat of repetitiveness, including whispers and female chants for atmosphere, and a more traditional-hewing solo that breaks up the track nicely. This kind of simple but mature songwriting is key across the record, along with a consistency in the performances that implies the band members have much more experience making music than their empty Metal Archives histories account for. A hazard of a young band with a very particular sound is over-reliance on the sound without accounting for variation between tracks, but Drungi know to compensate for that. Mid-paced stompers like the opener contrast with higher charges like “Skjálfti” or “Ófærð,” and the melodic solos provide a nice change of pace.

Even so, the band never dips into either outright doom- or speed metal pacing, keeping a tight grip on the reins. Perhaps a bit too tight, as my sole nit to pick with Hamfarir Hugans would be an unadventurous spirit. That may sound odd when I’ve spent so much time building up the band’s unique sound, but my gripe is less with the album as a whole as it is with the progression of each track individually. It’s a consequence of the focus on that primal sound, where each track is primarily centered around one central riff that varies little as the song goes on, keeping the pacing, energy and atmosphere largely stagnant from the beginning of the track to the end. That’s part of what makes the solos so effective a break, too. There’s evidence Drungi is aware of this flaw; “Kvika” introduces a nice break in the middle and builds toward the solo from there, but then returns to its main riff unnecessarily at the end.

Still, it’s a petty complaint, especially for a band who have managed to dig out a niche of their own with a unique yet cohesive sound and solid performances for their first and unsigned album. It speaks of a combination of lethal talent, inspiration, and a hell of a working ethic. I hope Drungi is willing to dig deep and mine the most out of its style, because this outfit has the potential to go very far indeed. Hamfarir Hugans is just the first step.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: drungi.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/drungiiceland
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlackSabbath #DoomMetal #Drungi #FolkMetal #Gojira #HamfarirHugans #HangmanSChair #HeavyMetal #IcelandicMetal #Manowar #Mar24 #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Skálmöld #Solstafir

Kólga – Black Tides Review

By Iceberg

Texas-based Kólga bill themselves as a “blackened surf rock collective.” With a descriptor like that, and an album cover like THAT, there’s no way I could pass up on seeing what lurked beneath the Lizard People pool. Boasting members from a boatload of bands from across the spectrum (Dead to a Dying World, Cleric, Tyrannosorceress, Sabbath Assembly, to name a few) this is Kólga’s first stab at a full-length: and barely at that, running at a lithe 27 minutes. But if the band calls it an LP, then an LP it is, and a review it receives. Unsure if I’ll get Dick Dale in corpsepaint or Euronymous in board shorts, I let the churning waves of the opening seconds of Black Tides wash over my frozen skin.

Blackened surf-rock is certainly a facet of Black Tides, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. The idiosyncrasies of surf-rock do indeed form the floor of the album: lightly distorted tremolo melodies, and that classic double-tap snare drum pattern. The blackened portion of the album is confined mainly to lo-fi cavernous vocals (“Space Beach Massacre,” “Squall of Cthulu”) and some heavier, more distorted passages that feel a little more Black Sabbath than black metal (“Tethis,” “The Kraken”). Much of this album would be better described as bad-trip surf rock, with shades of the psych-revivalist The Black Angels or even the theatrics of Alice Cooper. It’s also important to point out that this is predominately an instrumental album, though the band has a formidable treasure chest of timbres and textures on hand to keep the sound from stagnating (plenty of synth pads, auxiliary percussion like guiro and tambourine, a theremin, and even a waterphone, an instrument I’ve certainly heard before but never seen in action).

It’s this diverse palette of sound, along with a slavish adherence to their tongue-in-cheek concept, that gives Black Tides it’s je ne sais quois. Black metal and surf rock share more DNA than you may think, thanks to the prevalence of tremolo melodic guitar lines and fast single-stroke fills down the drumkit. Guitarists Jason Mullins and James Magruder do an admirable job of making me believe I’m in Surfin’-USA-gone-wrong with creepy laid-back numbers (“Squall of Cthulu,” “Endless Bummer”) and more maniacally driven ones reminiscent of a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack (“Riptide,” “The Kraken”). The vocals—by Mullins as well—revel in their role as a caricature of second-wave black metal (“Space Beach Massacre,” “The Kraken”), or a de-tuned acid trip narrative (“Squall of Cthulu,” “Tethis”). The band feels at ease in their performance, playing it a bit fast and loose with the timing, but not so much that it sounds like a jam session. And with the aforementioned lean run time, Black Tides manages to leave an impression without wearing out that inherent weirdness.

While Kólga aim to revel in their monster mash-up of a style, not everything on Black Tides has me buying what they’re selling. While bookends “Space Beach Massacre” and “The Kraken” make me believe the band is serious about Scandinavian Surf, the interior of the record strays from the thesis. Other tracks feel pulled from 70’s doom (“Tethis”) psychedelic rock (“Squall of Cthulu”) or straight surf rock (a sagging three-song run of “Riptide”-“Is This Real?”). These pieces are by no means poorly executed, but the divergence from the original genre pitch feels like the band threw everything at a wall to see what would stick, making for a listening that feels more unfocused than confident. The mix also feels a hair thrown together, with the drums—cymbals especially—feeling less crisp and seated than the rest of the instruments. I commend Mullins for committing to the bit with his vocal performance, and while I enjoy his Davy-Jones-on-LSD voiceover in “Squall of Cthulu,” the clean singing at the end of “Is This Real?” is strained and beginning to replace parody with cringe.

Gripes aside, Black Tides manages to provide a wacky, whimsical, yet under-baked detour from the more self-serious sides of metal. While I’d like to see the collective create a more cohesive and focused sound for future records, I can envision myself using a few of these tracks as background for Halloween or other mind-enhancing get-togethers. The band seems to have had fun making this record, and I hope they return to the project to make it bigger, bolder, and weirder. Now to find out the going rate for used waterphones on Ebay…

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ottis Media Records | Bandcamp
Websites: facebook.com | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 29, 2024

#25 #2024 #AliceCooper #AmericanMetal #BlackMetal #BlackSabbath #BlackTides #Cleric #DeadToADyingWorld #DickDaleAndTheDelTones #Kólga #Mar24 #OttisMediaRecords #PsychedlicRock #Review #Reviews #SabbathAssembly #SurfRock #TheBlackAngels #Tyrannosorceress

O Zorn! – Vermillion Haze Review

By GardensTale

Like many older millennials, a big part of my childhood was watching the same 10 or so movies on VHS tape. Some of those tapes were not necessarily great for kids, though my parents were diligent in keeping most horror away from my sister and me. The most adult kids’ movie in our collection was Watership Down, based on the 1972 book by Richard Adams, it was a harrowing tale of a band of rabbits looking for a new warren and running afoul of a fascist dictatorship. Most of this movie’s scenes are burned into my memory, and one of them is the return of the heavily wounded Captain Holly, the sole survivor of the old warren’s destruction and escapee from the fascists. ‘All dead!’ he cries as he crests a ridge, shaking and bleeding. ‘O Zorn!’ Zorn means destruction or calamity in Lapine, the rabbit language, and so I was hoping for a Watership Down-themed raze.1

Thus picking up Vermillion Haze sight unseen, I was a little disappointed to find neither raze nor rabbits, as O Zorn! doesn’t use more than the name from Adams’ tale and plays a fairly straightforward style with elements of stoner and post-metal. Texturally the band has some similarities with a simplified Mastodon, not in the least due to the somewhat nasal drawl of the vocals. The big differences are the structure and pacing. Shying away from progressive leanings, the music is staunch in its adherence to verse-chorus constructions and the tempo sticks to a Goldilocks zone where it never feels either hurried or overly slow. O Zorn! has existed since 2010, but it took until 2020 for their debut to take shape, and Vermillion Haze, too, has all the markings of a band that fine-tunes its music until it’s completely confident in its quality.

And indeed, there are few obvious flaws to be found. The vocal style is the most divisive element, though it’s fairly familiar in this style of metal, and the riffs are sturdy with enough life to keep the music buoyant, and enough hooks to make it memorable. But at the risk of sounding prog-obsessed, much of Vermillion Haze is a little too simplistic. Almost everything adheres to rigorous 4 or 8-part structures, musical phrases repeated with scant variations, before moving on to the next. Verse to chorus to bridge to chorus. The ambulatory performances underline the unexciting nature of the songwriting, with few flourishes or standout moments. If there’s a variation, the next iteration has the same one. It’s a very safe record, in short, and rarely do I feel like I need to hear more than one verse and one chorus to get the gist of the song.

As is natural, the best tracks become those that break up the monotony, like “I See Through You” and “I Got Mine,” both of which grow in intensity throughout and avoid too many repeating patterns. On the other side of the coin, the lethargic “Slow Mood” and overlong closer “Ricochet” are the worst combinations of repetitive and predictable, making for inoffensive but rather tiring listens. This issue isn’t immediately apparent, however. The riffs and hooks are solid enough that first contact with the record is rather enjoyable, even if it’s not terribly exciting, and there is enough shake-up from track to track. There is every chance O Zorn! is falling victim to a dichotomy between reviewers and casual listeners. To review something properly, we have to listen to it often, but some albums aren’t made for that, thriving most under less rigorous circumstances. I have the distinct feeling Vermillion Haze is one of those.

Whatever the case, Vermillion Haze has left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s a solid album without many immediate shortcomings, that I surmise is most suited for occasional listening sessions or background music. On the other hand, I have little desire to spin it again, and I don’t see that changing in the future. O Zorn! is a solid band, but doesn’t do itself any favors playing it too safe and too predictable.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Seeing Red Records
Websites: ozorn.bandcamp.com | ozornrocks.com | facebook.com/ozornrocks
Releases Worldwide: March 15th, 2024

#25 #2024 #AmericanMetal #ElAhrairah #Mar24 #Mastodon #OZorn_ #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #SeeingRedRecords #StonerMetal #VermillionHaze

Thornbridge – Daydream Illusion Review

By Eldritch Elitist

I love Teutonic power metal. I love how basically every band sounds like Gamma Ray or Blind Guardian in varying degrees, as well as their wocalists’ perpetual inability to pronounce the phoneme v. There’s a comfort to be found in the formula; lucky me, then, that Germany tends to produce a greater ratio of quality power metal bands than most other regions. Thornbridge is a prime example of such quality, a relatively young yet proven band that favors the sub-sub stylization of Orden Ogan worship. Their debut What Will Prevail impressed with its eclectic vigor, and its follow-up Theatrical Masterpiece streamlined the formula as well as any sophomore effort ever has. Daydream Illusion, Thornbridge’s 5-years-later third round, further narrows their scope. The ol’ reliable atmosphere of cheesy Teutonic comfort food remains satisfying, even if something is amiss in the execution.

Where Theatrical Masterpiece saw Thornbridge culling much of their heavier elements in favor of stronger lead guitar emphasis, Daydream Illusion nixes heaviness almost entirely. This results in a more traditional power metal record with a purely melodic focus, one that I can’t say I prefer over Thornbridge’s prior efforts, but that nonetheless stands out in the band’s burgeoning discography. This means cuts like the wistful “Kingdom of Starlight” and the band’s debut ballad “Send Me a Light” are totally distinct in Thornbridge’s catalog, and are particularly memorable as a result. Thornbridge still excels when indulging in outright speed, with “Sacrifice” and “Final War” making for explosive high points. Even with its lighter riff-deficient thesis, Daydream Illusion is still immediately recognizable as a Thornbridge album, proving they have crafted a singularly enjoyable sound despite their obvious sources of inspiration.

As enjoyable and addictive as Daydream Illusion is, its absence of aggressive riffs ultimately makes it a less impactful offering. Yet putting the riffs aside, when stacked against its preceding sister records, the record’s energy feels lacking. Many of these songs, while melodically compelling, chug along at a tempo that invokes a motorist stubbornly cruising in the fast lane just under the speed limit. Sure, “Island of My Memories,” “My Last Desire,” and “Lost on the Dark Side” technically qualify as “fast” power metal tracks thanks to their steady double bass drives, but they feel as slow as they could possibly be without actually qualifying for “mid-paced” territory. This makes the actual mid-paced cuts somehow feel more vigorous by comparison. The resulting pacing imbalance is frustrating, especially because it feels like Thornbridge could have improved this record’s presence greatly by stepping on the gas just a bit harder.

Tempo issues aside, none of the material here falls short of goodness, even if the bulk of it is merely good. Much of Daydream Illusion’s likeability is owed to Thornbridge’s melodic chops. Most songs strike a tone that feels simultaneously triumphant and melancholic, much like Orden Ogan at their peak (back when Orden Ogan was peak). The sticky vocal melodies are delivered once again by Jörg “Mo” Naneder, who, in keeping with this record’s trimmed aesthetic, has disappointingly simplified his delivery. I think it’s safe to say that his aggressive vocal mode from What Will Prevail has been retired from Thornbridge, but his standard cleans have taken a hit in power as well, perhaps as a byproduct of Daydream Illusion’s legato melodic phrasing. He’s still a likable and charismatic singer and a great fit for the band, but I expect more from his performances by now.

And that’s the story of Daydream Illusion in a nutshell: a solid and thoroughly enjoyable power metal record, but one that would be more appealing had Thornbridge not previously elevated my expectations with better offerings. This album gives me an elusive yet highly specific feeling, one I eventually pinpointed as being identical to my feelings towards Invincible Shield. A quality record on all accounts, and one that has appealed to many who just want to hear Judas Priest doing Judas Priest things, but also one that pales when stacked against its creators’ greatest successes. On one hand, it’s a downer to hear Thornbridge hit this point on album number three. On the other, there’s assumedly ample time for the band to prove Daydream Illusion is but a momentary, still-entertaining speedbump on their road to further glory.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: thornbridge.de | facebook.com/thornbridgeband
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlindGuardian #DaydreamIllusion #GammaRay #GermanMetal #Mar24 #MassacreRecords #OrdenOgan #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #Thornbridge

Mutilation Barbecue – Amalgamations of Gore Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

After the slamaissance of 2023 which brought us genre-blended success from Afterbirth and Wormhole,1 the prospect of slam bringing the same kind of heat in 2024 felt hopeful, but as an enjoyer of the hammer-dropping arts, I remain ever so. You see, sometimes a name and cover say it all, and in a genre like slam, those kinds of gaudy statements may be the most worthwhile attributes of the sonic whole. So when I saw festering in our full and plump sump the name Mutilation Barbecue2 and the fanciful display of human consumption that adorns their debut full-length Amalgamations of Gore, I slapped my name on it with equal parts wonder and fear. With just only two brief EPs to their name, these Ohio death boys hadn’t yet had the chance to stand out amongst the Maggot Stomp roster of similarly visualized and slamming acts, but with grilling officially in season, can Mutilation Barbecue wear the tag of pit kings proudly?

Turns out, while Amalgamations of Gore definitely has slams (“Auto Anthropophagy,” “Trampled Under 18 Wheels”) and dumb slamples (1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers on “Xenomorphic Organ Rearrangement,” among others), most of this just over Reign in Blood-length smattering avoids falling too heavily into the most soul-sucking tropes of throw-away chugdown acts. Much of that eschewing of predictable tropes rests on the truth that Amalgamations is simply not a slam album, at least not first. Instead, Mutilation Barbecue plays a hardcore flavored, multi-influence brand of modern, 90s-toned death metal. In their frenetic riff tumbles and somewhat heroic leadwork, this young act comes off more like the persistent cut of an early Exhumed than other contemporary goremeisters like 200 Stab Wounds or Fulci. That difference goes a long way.

Despite nothing truly unpredictable happening throughout the whammy-addled and throaty run that Amalgamations spurts, its particular blend of sounds never feels tired. Well, it almost does with the built-for-stage slow build of the “Amalgamations of Gore/Skin Display,” but once that breaks away into its vocal-driven movement, Mutilation Barbecue can’t help but show a grooving swagger amongst its shredded barks and brain-rattling snare clang. And later, seeing this same kind of groove work amongst sneaky lead breaks, pinch harmonic flair, and foot-shuffling hardcore patterns, songs like “Abortion Ambulance” and “Trampled Under 18 Wheels” possess the manic energy of Acid Bath ripping through brutal death motions. I wouldn’t suggest that these spry buckeyes take little influence from death metal—a number of riffs ring tried and true to the tattered tremolo and trudge of bands like Skinless and others of that ilk—but there’s just a little extra under the hood.

Though, where enjoyment of Amalgamations can fly a bit off the rails is in its less-than-stellar production. I don’t expect death metal in this vein to be wildly dynamic, and at its lower DR value, the mix still has good placement of sounds and the kick has less clack than punch. Seasoned engineer of scuzzy acts Will Killingsworth provides a crusted warmth to this lively collection. However, volume-boosted leads and pinches collide against bright and sibilant crashes can cause momentary crackles that push beyond the acceptably crunchy live-action sound that Mutilation Barbecue chases. Were Amalgamations any longer or with more temporary breaks in tempo like “Carcass Compost,” these searing sounds could present a major issue.

As it stands, Mutilation Barbecue has left a greater mark on my memory than I would have assumed at a passing glance. Amalgamations of Gore does just about everything right that a scrappy death metal act could do in this saturated market. Alongside neighbors-in-state Abraded, Mutilation Barbecue fills a gap in pit-fiending Cleveland metro—the Midwest deserves to mosh too! Time will tell whether this troupe evolves in a matter that reflects their wild spirit rather than traveling down the underwhelming path of associates-in-grime 200 Stab Wounds or Sanguisugabogg.3 For now, keep an eye out for a show near you—these riffs have kick.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Maggot Stomp | Bandcamp4
Websites: mutilationbarbecue.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/mutilationbarbecue
Releases Worldwide: March 29th, 2024

#200StabWounds #2024 #30 #Abraded #AcidBath #AmalgamationsOfGore #AmericanMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #DeathMetal #Deathgrind #Exhumed #Fulci #MaggotStomp #Mar24 #MutilationBarbecue #Review #Reviews #Sanguisugabogg #Skinless #Slam