Tag der Polyamorie – 23. November
♾️ ❤️
Der Tag erinnert uns daran, dass Polyamorie am 23.11.2011 in Kanada legalisiert wurde, ein Meilenstein für Sichtbarkeit, für Beziehungsfreiheit und für die Anerkennung, dass Liebe nicht in starre Grenzen gezwängt werden muss.
Für die Freiheit, mehrere Menschen gleichzeitig zu lieben – ohne Hierarchie, ohne Zwang.
Ein klares Nein zu Stigmatisierung und Unsichtbarkeit.
ADEPTAPRIL/NOV23
Mistigram: 1, 1, 2, 3 … it’s a #FibonacciSequence, so today, 11/23, must be Fibonacci day! (Festivities will be off the hook in 2058.) How does one celebrate? I have no idea. But if you’re like AdeptApril, you draw an #ANSIart screen about it!
Secret Rule – Uninverse Review
By GardensTale
Well folks, it’s been a good run. This is without a doubt the longest I have gone without landing myself an awful corset-core album. I cherry-picked from the promo bin a little more, I got lucky with a few random rolls. But the dice always turn against you sometime, as any D&D player will attest. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the genre and the worst band name since Significant Point. Then I saw the cover and my fears were confirmed because LOOK AT IT! Gaze upon this absolute debacle and weep for laughter. No amount of Photoshop skill could have saved the ludicrous self-serious poses the band assumed here, and indeed, no amount of Photoshop skill was applied. Meanwhile, the promo text confidently declared Uninverse1 a masterpiece of emotional connection to the human experience. My expectations were below the floorboards before the first note started, so can Secret Rule prove me wrong?
Initially, I did not think so. The electronic beat that kicks off “Disorder” and the hushed repeated ‘you’re eeeeevil, you’re eeeeevil’ reactivated my funny bone within seconds. As is tradition in corset-core, the music comes second to the vocals, which in this case belong to one Angela Di Vincenzo. To be fair, her technique is not terrible. She has good power, and in the lower registers, her timbre has a Doro Pesch-like quality. She doesn’t hit all the notes, which is worrying on a studio recording, but I’ve certainly heard worse. However, her performance is stuffed with squealy pop affectations, presumably intended to emulate emotional engagement. With a voice that already tends towards the shrill in the higher registers, the squeaks make for an uncomfortable listening experience as I find myself wincing every other sentence. Combined with equally overused and forced vibrato and unfortunate amounts of ESL,2 the vocals overflow with pop excess that only becomes more off-putting the longer Uninverse plays.
But looking past the vocals and peeking under the hood, the songwriting is often surprisingly able. The focus is on the choruses, as expected, and across the album, those contain some strong vocal lines, which even Di Vincenzo’s over-singing can’t hide. Furthermore, beside the choruses, actual riffs dot the album, such as on “Time Zero” and “Gravity on Us.” The quality drum performance eschews the tedium of the standard snare-kick 4-count, adding fills and frills for a more dynamic style that brings actual variations in energy. Though the bass gets buried more often than not, a few passages allow it to shine. If it weren’t for most of the surface bullshit, a few excisions could have made this a passing power metal album.
But like a half-decent cake covered with a mountain of fondant, the surface bullshit ruins everything underneath. The vocals are only one symptom of this affliction. Several tracks give a leading role to the keyboard, and the keyboard is fucking garbage, an icepick assault to both eardrums even in short bursts. It is the leading cause of death of “Disorder”3 and has me afeared every time I see “I Am” or “From Null to Life” coming up in the tracklist. Between the keys, the pop-focus of the vocals, the clumps of electronic beats, and the flat, vocal-centered production all point to a band trying too hard to sound ‘modern’ and aging itself back to the cringiest leftovers of the 00’s.
I know you and I love a good takedown now and then. Hell, it was practically My Thing for a while here at AMG. Based on the cover art and the first track, Secret Rule seemed ripe for the plucking. But I couldn’t fully commit to the bash-fest here, because unpleasant though Uninverse might be, there is a modicum of talent hidden in the background that spills out through the cracks, which makes the end result more a tragedy than a comedy. Were this a younger band, I might express hope for their improvement in the future. But this is Secret Rule’s 8th proper album4 in 9 years. Hope is dead and the keyboards killed it. At least the band photos are a laugh.
Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Lucky Bob
Websites: secretrule.bandcamp.com | secretrule.it | facebook.com/secretruleband
Releases Worldwide: November 24th, 2023
#15 #2023 #Doro #ItalianMetal #LuckyBob #Nov23 #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SecretRule #SignificantPoint #SymphonicMetal #Uninverse
Neurectomy – Overwrought Review
By Felagund
I just couldn’t turn down an album by a band called Neurectomy. I’ve heard of a lot of medical procedures in my day, but I wasn’t as familiar with the process by which a nerve is severed or removed to reduce pain, never to grow back again. With a new “ectomy” added to my growing surgical lexicon, I was still apprehensive. But while tech death can certainly be hit or miss (with the misses often being tedious, forgettable affairs), I was far too interested in the band name and the album art to let something as silly as past experience impact my decision-making. And that is how I ended up with New York-based Neurectomy’s debut album Overwrought on my to-do list. And while I can’t speak to the band’s abilities when it comes to nerve-related removal, I certainly have my opinions when it comes to their brand of unrelenting technical death metal.
Some of my favorite tech death albums from recent years strike a key balance: they’re able to whip plenty of technical wizardry at the listener without sacrificing emotion, accessibility, or (just a drop or two) of melody. Groups like Carnosus, Archspire, Obscura and a host of others have found success (in my own bold estimation) by implementing this approach to varying degrees. Neurectomy certainly whip technical wizardry at the listener, bouncing as they do from one skillful, mind-bending solo to another. The problem is that Neurectomy were so focused on reaching such lofty heights of proficiency that they forgot to make actual, memorable songs. Why write a compelling riff when you can toss in another squealing, lightning-fast solo? Why leave room for an atmospheric interlude when you can delve into another whirlwind of impressive, soulless guitar noodling? If this sounds harsh, it’s because I know Neurectomy can write more balanced songs, they just chose not to.
Case in point: album opener “Abducted for Research” kicks off in a grimy, fetid fashion before finding a wonky, almost dissonant groove that immediately grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, this interesting groove is quickly abandoned in favor of less memorable, speed-demon technicality. It returns again near the end of the track, but is once more unceremoniously replaced by more “look what I can do!” guitar work. Following track “Culinary Cadaveric Art” also hints at Neurectomy’s ability to compose music beyond an array of bright n’ shiny solos. This tune features a big, thick riff that caused my ears to perk up. Could they be going in a different direction? Are we going to get more than undeniably proficient but utterly unmoving musicianship? No. The aforementioned big, thick riff disappears almost as quickly as it arrives, to be replaced by a brief bass solo and more gratuitous guitar wankery.
And it’s here, after only two tracks, that Overwrought truly devolves into flamboyant futility. The band Rush have an instrumental tune entitled “La Villa Strangiato” from 1978 that has a particularly apt subtitle: “An Exercise in Self-Indulgence.” And that’s what the following 6 songs feel like to these battered eardrums: a 32-minute opportunity to prove to the listener just how talented these musicians are. I cannot deny that the oddly-named track “Dolphin” features a stellar opening that feels like you’re being sucked into a black hole. I will gladly report that mid-album number “Zombified” includes an unexpected, jazz-tinged section. And I’ll happily exclaim that closer “Crimson Tsunami” flirts with an honest-to-goodness riff as well as a slower, more moody interlude (featuring a solo, of course). But all of these brief, shining moments are merely minor exceptions that prove the rule. Add in percussive, deathened growls that only serve to further punctuate this dizzying display, and you’re left with an album that, like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, is plenty shiny but has no heart to speak of.
Sometimes an album isn’t bad because the band aren’t talented, but because technical prowess becomes the sole marker for success. If we were to award Neurectomy points for stellar musicianship, the score below would indeed be a lot higher. It’s not that what they’ve produced is unlistenable; far from it. But it’s also painfully forgettable. It’s mad scramble to produce more squealing notes, more solos capped off by more pitch harmonics is impressive, but it’s also excessive. Perhaps I find this slab all the more frustrating because it’s clear Neurectomy are capable of finding humanity amidst the wizardry, they just refused to go that route. And the result? A debut that is overindulgent, overproduced, and exceedingly Overwrought.
Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: Best Guess | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: neurectomy.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/neurectomy
Releases Worldwide: November 17th, 2023
#15 #2023 #AmericanMetal #Archspire #Carnosus #Neurectomy #Nov23 #Obscura #Overwrought #Review #Reviews #Rush #SelfReleases #TechnicalDeathMetal
Stuck in the Filter – November/December’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
It is time for the new year, and yet we spend its initial moments reflecting on works of the past. That’s because the works of the past are clogging up our damn Filter, and we need that to breathe in this hellhole we call a headquarters. We toil in the snow and the slush, freezing as the gunk clings to our definitely OSHA compliant protective suits and face masks. All so that you can maybe like but more likely dunk on the nuggets of treasure we find here.
Regardless of whether you enjoy what we find, we expect payment for our services. You can submit tithes via Venmo, Paypal, Bitcoin, hobo wine, unicorns, and/or goat sacrifices. Anything less will result in summary dismissal from the Hall!
Kenstrosity’s Heaving Husks
Void // Jadjow [December 8th, 2023 – Brucia Records]
Weird shit is my shit. Challenging albums that dare to subvert my expectations of the music held therein will always garner my respect. Enter UK avant-garde black metal outfit Void and their fourth LP Jadjow. A bizarrely short window spanned between this release and their previous record—only two years compared to eight years between albums one and two, ten between albums two and three. Despite the tight turnaround, the quality of the writing here is nothing to dismiss offhand. Opening duo “Fables From a Post-Truth Era” and “Interdaementional” showcase twisted songwriting dynamics, haunting vocals, squealing black metal riffs, woody blasts, and funky transitions. Consequently, they remind me of Ved Buens Ende, DHG, and Khôra. Yet, Void prove that the art of the riff is not lost in a sea of weirdness, throwing in headbangable themes and windmill-worthy whirlwinds left and right (“Only For You,” “Self Isolation,” “Swamp Dog”). Striking this balance between engaging hooks (“Fables From a Post-Truth Era,” “Swamp Dog”), danceable grooves (“Oduduwa’s Chain”), and intelligent songwriting dynamics (“When Lucifer Dies,” “Iniquitous Owl”) is tricky business, and yet Void take on the task with effortless grace and poise. In turn, fifty-six minutes of oddball progressive black metal fly by in a flash. You blink, you miss it. Don’t blink!
Irityll // Schlafes Bruder [November 23rd, 2023 – Self Release]
Do you ever wonder what melodic black metal would sound like if it had the same HM-2 tone as the filthiest Swedeath around? I sure never have. Yet, Vienna, Austria’s Irityll chose that exact combination to craft their debut LP, Schlafes Bruder. Comprising of two musicians with notable experience in the deathcore and brutal death metal worlds (Spire of Lazarus, Monument of Misanthropy), Irityll unexpectedly nail the icy black metal sound which defines Schlafes Bruder, but enhanced by the novel twist of an HM-2 buzzsaw tone. Ominous melodies and vicious blasting abound, as choice cuts like “Leichnam aus Überzeugung,” “Deppade Leit,” and “Sternengeiβel” all demonstrate with aplomb. Written in the same epic style of bands like Immortal or Dark Funeral, Schlafes Bruder succeeds primarily thanks to a tasty combination of minimalist drama and riff-focused intensity. The way it ebbs and flows between soft passages and ripping black metal, blistering speed and militant marches, all feels natural, effortless, and leads to satisfying payoffs across the forty-four-minute runtime (“Schlafes Bruder,” “Reiter des Sturmes,” “Epitaphion”). And yet, it feels like just the beginning for Irityll. With more refinement and tightening of the screws, the duo could take even greater advantage of their novel sound profile with more distinct, individualized songwriting. I’m excited by that prospect, and you should be too.
Dolphin Whisperer’s Unparalleled Uncoverings
Closet Witch // Chiaroscuro [November 3rd, 2023 – Zegema Beach Records]
If you’re familiar with Closet Witch already, or the closely related in sound and style Cloud Rat, then you’ll know that the brand of caustically-styled, emotionally-chiseled grind that they represent wastes no moment. Equally weighted by the slowing churns of powerviolence and piercing tones of screamo, Chiaroscuro, a name taken from the classical art technique of shadow-use/darkness contrast that creates wholeness, depth, and tone in a piece, uses each of its identities to drill eighteen minutes of caustic music to your memory. Unfortunately for newcomers or passerbys to the sonic assault that Closet Witch embodies, either the fuzz-rattled and blackened riffage, the clanging and splashing kit abuse, or the shrill and shrieking throat sacrifice build like a wall of bleeding noise. But in practice, Chiaroscuro contains an uncanny ebb and flow, finding footing in rhythmic refocusing (“My Words Are Sacred,” “Well-Fed Machine”), noise-assisted tip-offs (“You, Me, and the Venus in Decay,” “To the Cauldron”), and pedal-down thrusts (“Haunting,” “Arlington Cemetary”) to dog ear its shifts and landmarks. In this case, a horror-synth “Intro” and de-escalating, crinkled found-sound “Outro” are necessary to respectively set the stage and close the curtains. You don’t want to go into this cold, but Chiaroscuro burns so hot that you need a cooldown.
Exulansis // Overtures of Uprising [November 17th, 2023 – Bindrune Recordings]
You ever sit there and wonder when you’re finally gonna find a melodic black metal album that’s actually cool? No? How about one that at least incorporates vibrant violin melodies, guitar identities outside of tremolo progressions, and actual growling bass presence? Well, if so, look no further than Exulansis, a folk-inspired four-piece who finds just as much home in the creeping doom of the string work that you’d hear in an old SubRosa jam as they do in the forested black metal of Wolves in the Throne Room. But in this case, Overtures of Uprising’s four tracks will require only thirty-two minutes (it’s not enough!!) of your hard-to-earn time, a healthy balance of two standard-length numbers against two longer explorations. Whereas their previous album, 2019’s Sequestered Symphony attempted to meld a lot more gothic folk into their sound, Exulansis went and trimmed that into a whole separate album (Hymns of Collapse) this go, which has left absolutely nothing to stand in the way of the bell-hammering drive of “Of Nature & Hatred” or the eerie and screeching “A Movement in Silence”.1 And when they do slow it down for the fanciful, classical violin melodies that signal the triumphant title track or the lurching doom of “Dawning,” Exulansis finds a way to capture the beat of an anxious heart. Unified by a melodic dread, Overtures of Uprising pushes this act closer to record that’ll grab me by the hand and never let go. Fortunately, I know these strong voices have more to say.
Saunders’ Slippery Subjects
Deathcode Society // Unlightenment [November 24th, 2023 – Osmose Productions]
My end-of-year filter was badly clogged amidst the rush to finalize Listurnalia and absorb the mammoth number of releases that either flooded through late or had been backlogged. Nevertheless, in the end-of-year wash-up, I stumbled across the sophomore platter from French symphonic black metal act Deathcode Society, and their powerful, bombastic LP, Unlightenment. Traditionally, I am incredibly picky with my modern black metal, and much of the overly symphonic variety tends to fall flat or overdo the cheese. Comprised of seasoned players, Deathcode Society balances the elements deftly to craft an intriguing platter, with modern sheen and orchestral flair roughened up by second-wave influences and whiffs of later-era Emperor. The sympho-black formula can sometimes veer too drastically into melodramatic territory, adding too much fluff to soften the black metal bite. Thankfully, Deathcode Society generally nail things just right. Within the style, Deathcode Society exhibit a versatile and confident approach, as their epic, carefully layered sound ebbs and flows through diverse pastures. A technical edge permeates material that blisters and tears with speed and aggression, contrasting these pleasingly vicious assaults with mostly tasteful symphonic layers, a varied vocal palette, and long, twisty arrangements. Highlights include the potent, blasty one-two opening punch of “Scolopendra” and “Shards” dominate with sheer scope, ferocity and memorability, while the stellar “Mazed Interior” and “Scales” offer in-your-face aggression and more ambitious, head-spinning turns with maximum impact.
#2023 #AvantGarde #AvantGardeBlackMetal #BindruneRecordings #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BruciaRecords #Chiaroscuro #ClosetWitch #CloudRat #DarkFuneral #DeathMetal #DeathcodeSociety #Dec23 #DHG #Emperor #Exulansis #Grind #Immortal #Irityll #Jadjow #Khôra #MelodicBlackMetal #MonumentOfMisanthropy #Nov23 #OrchestralBlackMetal #OsmoseProductions #OverturesOfUprising #ProgressiveBlackMetal #SchlafesBruder #SelfRelease #SpireOfLazarus #StuckInTheFilter #Subrosa #SymphonicBlackMetal #SymphonicMetal #Unlightenment #VedBuensEnde #Vøid #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #ZegemaBeachRecords
By Cherd
Hi, I’m Liam. I’m backstage right now because we’re doing a Christmas recital tonight. Everyone in my class is in it except for the Horowitz twins. Ezra and Esther don’t have to for some reason. Our music teacher Mrs. Ramsbottom was supposed to be here too but one of her organs blew up and she had to go to the hospital. It’s called an appendix and I’ve got one inside me too but my Mom says mine is ok and probably won’t blow up. Mrs. Ramsbottom was going to play the piano and we were going to sing but when she got sick we got a substitute teacher. Her name is Miss Tarja. She can sing really pretty but she talks kind of funny. Dad says it’s because she’s from Finland. I guess she’s kind of famous because my Dad knew who she was. He said she was in a heavy metal band called Nightwish. Mom asked him if that was one of his Cookie Monster bands he listened to in college. He said “Not really.” I asked him why she’s substitute teaching if she’s famous and he got sad and said “It’s hard to make money in the arts,” and then he got a bottle of brown stuff from the Grownups Only Cabinet and took it out to the garage. Mom looked kind of mad.
When Miss Tarja first showed up in class she was wearing a crazy outfit that was shiny and black and had lots of metal buttons and some black feathers. She looked like a vampire. My friend Aisha thought so too and asked her if she was a vampire and she said “No” but if I was a vampire I’d say “No” so people wouldn’t suspect me. Miss Tarja had us sing for her what we’d practiced for the recital. The whole time she kept rubbing her forehead with her super long vampire fingernails. Sometimes her eyes would get big and she’d say “Kamalaa! Katastrofi! Where is the passion?” When we were done she said “This will not do. But don’t worry my little Yuletide ravens, Tarja will fix this, and you will help her. Yes, Tarja will rise like the Star of Bethlehem over the darkest night of the soul!” When we came to practice the next day, we didn’t have to sing very much. Miss Tarja did most of it.
That was three days ago. Now I’m backstage and I’m hot and itchy. We were all going to wear funny Christmas sweaters tonight but Miss Tarja changed that, too. All this black leather is heavy and I’m really sweaty. She has contact lenses that make her eyes all black and her hair is super tall and she’s wearing a cape and a sword. She looks cool. We’re taking our places. The curtains just opened. These lights are really bright. Miss Tarja holds her sword in the air and yells, “Welcome! And behold my Dark Christmas.” She recorded all the instruments earlier so they just have to hit play in the sound booth. She starts singing “The First Noel” and waving her arms around like one of those balloon people where grown ups buy cars, but in super slow motion. I see Mom and Dad! They look really surprised. Everyone does. At first Miss Tarja sings the song really quiet, but then she gets really loud just before the end. She does that a lot.
We don’t sing much on some of these songs but next is “Frosty the Snowman” and it’s really fun. We sing the chorus, and then at the end we all get to say “ME! ME!” and it doesn’t even have to be in rhythm. Miss Tarja says details like that make this art. I’ve heard this song lots before but she makes it sound REALLY serious. Sometimes the music is sad like maybe she knew Frosty in real life and is sad he died. I guess that’s possible because it snows a lot in Finland. A couple of times the music gets really big like Frosty is a Marvel superhero in a movie. Iron Man was my favorite but he died and that made his son Spiderman really sad. Miss Tarja is waving around her vampire claws all slow and spooky. I bet they make it hard to make a snowman. No one in the audience has clapped yet, or coughed or moved or anything. Some vampires can do magic spells. Maybe she did one on them. Hang on, this is my favorite part! “ME…ME…ME…ME!”
Someone clapped! Miss Tarja sang “O, Holy Night” like she was in an opera and when she got to the “fall on your knees” part we all got on our knees and put our hands up and looked right at the really bright lights and that hurt, but then Jayden’s mom stood up and clapped really loud. Jayden’s nice but kind of weird and my Dad says his mom goes to all the school board meetings just to yell at people. Maybe she’ll like this costume change part, too. Some guys with ropes just pulled Miss Tarja up to the ceiling really fast and all the lights turned off. The audience is making LOTS of noise now. A bunch of people are saying “Whoa” and “Hey” and one person yelled “Jesus Christ!” It’s really dark. Ok, a light came back on, but only one. It’s shining on Miss Tarja up at the ceiling. Now she’s wearing a big white dress and her hair and face are all white like a ghost. That means it’s time to sing “Jingle Bell Rock.”
They’re lowering her back down to the stage and she’s singing the first part REALLY slow. When we practiced this song with Mrs. Ramsbottom, we danced all around and had a lot of fun. I don’t think there’s any way to dance to this. Miss Tarja made most of this music with special pianos that can sound like other instruments and violins and stuff, but some guy plays an electric guitar for this song. He’s over there in the corner. No one told us his name. He just showed up. I guess the guitar makes this heavy metal. We’re not supposed to dance to heavy metal. We’re supposed to just stand still. Miss Tarja said we can “glower,” but I don’t know what that means. She gets to wave her arms around and makes faces like she’s eating something really yummy or trying to remember something.
Principal Menendez seems really upset. I think he got mad when all those bags of rose petals got dumped and blown around with big fans while we were singing “White Christmas.” Miss Tarja says white’s too predictable and the roses make it look like we’re in a big snow globe filled with blood. It’s an artistic choice. Principal Menendez left the auditorium around then and he didn’t come back in until we were starting “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Now he’s pacing with his arms crossed and he keeps looking at his phone. “Rudolph” is my favorite song in the recital. We get to sing a lot on this one, and the music is extra scary. It reminds me of the music in movies when people are being chased by something. It makes me think about Rudolph chasing the other reindeer with a knife and then right at the end when the song gets really loud, that’s when Rudolph catches them.
Something’s happening. Miss Tarja’s trying to sing our last song but the microphone isn’t working. I think someone turned it off. Principal Menendez is coming up on stage. “Well, that’s our show for the night! I’d like to thank Miss Tarja for, uh, doing this, and Mrs. Ramsbottom’s second grade music class. You all did a wonderful job.” A few people are clapping, but now they’re getting quiet again because Miss Tarja is putting her hands up. She’s turning to us and winking. “Until next Christmas, my Yuletide ravens.” Now all the rose petals on the stage are starting to swirl around her like a tornado. The wind sounds really loud. WHOA, she disappeared! Everyone’s yelling and running on stage to grab their kids. I guess this means the recital’s over.
Rating: Let’s not ruin anyone’s child-like sense of wonder
Format Reviewed: streaming
Label: earMUSIC
Website: tarjaturunen.com
Releases Worldwide: November 10th, 2023
#2023 #DarkChristmas #EarMusic #FinnishMetal #MrsRamsbottomSSecondGradeMusicClass #Nightwish #Nov23 #OrchestralMetal #SymphonicMetal #Tarja #TarjaTurunen
Tariot – Drag Me to Hell Review
By Dear Hollow
Look, I’m one of like three metalcore apologists at Angry Metal Guy HQ,1 and I’ve had it up to here. No more sticky noted car, printer wrapped in festive holiday paper, or the squirting flower trick, okay guys? Plus the rubber rat with “BREAKDOWNS” scrawled with Sharpie was going too far. I already get my seven daily lashes from the Most Holy Gorilla when the punishment of metalcore promos seemed insufficient. As we approach the holidays, the last thing I want to do at the office Christmas party is to open my bonus addressed to “sellout.” Don’t even fucking think about it. And Jesus, Tariot sure ain’t helping my reputation. As such, I’m writing this review hunched over the keyboard like a monk in deep meditation to prove to the higher-ups that I’m working on some doom record or blackened prog album. As you may have guessed, Singapore five-piece Tariot is metalcore, featuring frantic fry vocals, noodly guitar fills, and breakdowns. Shit, hi Holdeneye, just working on that latest dissodeath review haha. No, no delays, and no -core influence. Of course all my reviews are always on time! Anyway, Drag Me to Hell is tough-guy metalcore through and through with some touches of post-hardcore, electronic, and nu-metal – like if August Burns Red, Cane Hill, and Our Last Night had a child. Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, would you quit that dry heaving? Go to the bathroom if you need to. Drag Me to Hell is an album with its moments but thanks to its confused structure, weak pieces, and excessive length, I’m comfortable keeping Tariot on the down-low.
Hey Maddog! No, I’m not trying to find the good in metalcore – ’tis foolhardy! Oh hi Doom_et_Al, found a new melodic black metal album to give 4.0? Nice. Anyway, Tariot actually features a few moments of excitement across its forty-two-minute runtime, even if the best feels like a knockoff Crystal Lake. While graced with wild guitar licks throughout, the best tracks balance the typical nimble riffs with densely crushing punishment. “Obsidian,” “Hell Hole,” and the previously released single “The Devil Inside Me” bring bottom-scraping heavy breakdowns to the song climaxes, which balance neatly with the fretboard wizardry and more urgent and aggressive tempos. Former Novelists vocalist Tobias Rische brings a much-needed grounding to “Alas,” while the vocals of Fairuz Ramlan add heat alongside one of the best riffs of the album in “Grave Future.” Used sparingly, nu-metal adds a tasteful intensity that nearly flies off the rails in tracks like “Alas” and “Hell Hole,” recalling acts like recent MouthBreather and early Darke Complex. The second half is the clear winner, with more infectious energy coursing through it. Oh hey Thus Spoke, haha, yeah metalcore sucks haha.2
The problem with Tariot’s Drag Me to Hell is twofold: there are weak songs present and those that are solid sound too much like previously established metalcore fare. Most damningly, the cleans that pervade always waver on the edge of out-of-tune, most painfully present in the aptly titled “Rain On My Parade,” “Eternal War,” and “Life of Nothing” which derail any energy with either post-hardcore- or grunge-influenced mediocrity that teeters into bad territory often. While not entirely detrimental, it leaves a bitter taste in solid tracks like “The Devil Inside Me” or “Lament,” which come unnervingly close to ruin. The nu-metal effect gets too much, especially in tracks like “Metamorph,” whose awkward gang vocals and mismatched climaxes worsen it, and “Hell Hole,” whose rap-influenced closing portions do not fit. Even some less problematic tracks like intro “Death by Seven” and “Eve” pale in comparison to their surrounding highlights (or nadirs) by sheer lack of memorability. However, even Tariot’s best still conjures the spirit of Crystal Lake’s “Prometheus” but missing the necessary charisma.
Ultimately, while the second half of Drag Me to Hell amps the intensity after a painful first half derailed by haphazard cleans and awkward nu-metal influence, but it feels largely like Tariot’s touchdowns in garbage time throughout a deceptively long forty-two-minute runtime; by the time “The Devil Inside Me” hits, the attention span would understandably be run thin. Tariot’s highlights are already mimicry at best with speedy riffs, thuggish breakdowns, and barked vocals, but given a horrendously inconsistent tracklist, it is difficult to recommend Drag Me to Hell for even most metalcore fans. So I guess maybe the sticky noted car was deserved.3
Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 160 kbps mp3
Label: Out of Line Music
Websites: tariot.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/tariotsg
Releases Worldwide: November 24th, 2023
#15 #2023 #AugustBurnsRed #CaneHill #CrystalLake #DarkeComplex #DragMeToHell #Electronic #MemphisMayFire #Metalcore #Mouthbreather #Nov23 #Novelists #NuMetal #OurLastNight #OutOfLineMusic #PostHardcore #Review #Reviews #SingaporeanMetal #Tariot
By Twelve
Leonov will always have a special place in my heart for being the recipients of the first review I ever wrote for this site (Wake, their sophomore release, and one I still return to on occasion). In the five years since that fateful October day, it’s been a fascinating exercise to see how my writing has progressed over the years, and indeed to compare my life then to my life now1. I suspect the members of Leonov feel the same way; five years is a long time, and Procession takes a step away from the “celestial doom” the band offered then, and focuses on doomy post-metal passages. Like most of us, Leonov are different this time around; has the passage of time improved their music?
As Procession slowly creeps into life, it establishes that Leonov haven’t missed a step since Wake. The grimy rhythm guitars still contrast the weeping cleans; the line between post-metal and doom is as blurry as ever; and the layered, emotive vocals are just as effective as they’ve always been. There is heaviness aplenty, such as the unexpected but strong harsh vocals that burst through towards the end of “Amer,” shattering calm and tranquility without breaking the flow of the song. Then there are quieter songs, such as “Mesos,” a beautiful march towards bleak horizons, hopeful and mournful at once. Procession is a dynamic album; it never fully decides which individual style it is, but becomes greater than the sum of its parts for how well the band blends styles to suit the needs of each song.
As a result of this, Procession is an album you will likely consider a triumph or failure based on its atmosphere. It is an extremely atmospheric album, never in any particular rush to reach the next hook or movement. This style puts a great amount of faith in singer Tåran Reindal’s slow deliveries for melody. Fortunately, none of this faith is misplaced—she is a very strong singer, and on songs like “Oreza,” her singing is the hook, while the guitars are both supporting players. Free from the endless reverb that marked Wake, her emotive calls are significantly more effective here. Of course, it’s not just her; it’s the way the “Rem” opens the album with a slow, foreboding build with clean guitars, or the way “Sora” opens with huge, doom metal guitar riffs crashing down on the listener. The drums and bass play vital roles here as well—the bass guitar is downright grimy, and the drumming is clever, helping manage the stylistic blend and provide that “metal” feel to the whole (especially towards the end of “Procession”—very strong work there).
For the most part, Procession is, in my view, a strong album for its atmosphere alone. I do, however, believe that Leonov lean a little bit too heavily into it in places, and this makes it feel a little over-long, despite a fairly concise forty-one-minute runtime. “Mesos” is a good example. While I certainly meant what I said earlier about the song being a beautiful one, it’s primarily built around two ideas, with a lot of repetition and a very slow build in intensity toward the song’s climax. I almost feel as if I can skip two minutes off of each half of the song and come out with a very similar experience. The title track and “Oreza” similarly tend to wander, just a little bit, relying in places on hypnotic melodies to carry the listener through. This is not itself a bad thing, but I do prefer my metal with just a little more substance than is offered here.
Procession is an album of feelings. There is such a strong sense of catharsis throughout that it can never dip below the threshold of being a good album—it is emotive, intentional, and strong, an album of feeling and power, bleakness and hopefulness. It is easy to become lost in this one, and, despite my criticisms earlier, I do think of that as a good thing overall. Albums like this one are perfect for increasingly dark autumn days, which is how I know I’ll be returning to it soon—and awaiting the next one before long as well.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Vinter Records
Websites: leonov.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Leonovband
Releases Worldwide: November 24th, 2023
#2023 #30 #DoomMetal #Leonov #NorwegianMetal #Nov23 #PostMetal #Procession #Review #Reviews #VinterRecords
Coven Japan – Earthlings Review
By Dolphin Whisperer
The past still lives around us—a phone booth dilapidated with its tethered telecommunications device extracted, an eerie, abandoned Sears parking lot, Def Leppard jammin’ for the 6:00 pm crowd at the grocery store. Even for new members of the heavy metal clan, the sounds of royalty—Maiden, Priest, Saxon—often line the path to whatever extreme they may later fall into. It’s no surprise, then, to read that new Japanese export Coven Japan declares themselves as a young band influenced by 70s bands like Angel Witch and 80s bands like Satan.1 It’s a dangerous proposition. When you wield such well-known and mighty names in your promo blurb, you better be ready to deliver the goods. Does Earthlings earn its place amongst the Gods?
To no one’s surprise, Coven Japan does not surpass the works of time-tested, riff-imitated classics. That doesn’t mean that Coven Japan can’t be fun, though, and that element of their 70s rock, 80s heavy metal stained sound shines through on Earthling’s most driving cuts (“Land of the Rising Sun,” “Apocalypse,” “Lost Humanity”). And among these tracks, which can remind me a little too much of hall of fame metalworks in riff identity for comfort (“Land of…” – “Aces High,”2 “Lost Humanity” – “Heading out to the Highway”), there lies the speed-driven, punky ambition of early Loudness and Anthem albums to keep Earthlings from being pure NWoBHM pastiche. In the same vein as their countrymen, Earthlings too possesses a warm, decently spacious production with crispy edges—not as clear and biting as the European bands that pioneered the sound. But that’s OK, this kind of louder, rawer construction channels the same windows down, knob-cranked attitude as you would expect from proper heavy metal.
Of course, as is the curse of many Japanese bands playing with this throwback temporal mindset—Significant Point and Risingfall come to mind—the vocals often can pose a hurdle. And, in a form true to this troubled expression, these issues come about most when the band dials back speed for ballad territory, the intro to “Night Flyer” posing the most challenging earuption of the run. The sing-song harmony has a quality to it that is fitting though, same with the quasi-ballad title track that follows. But really vocalist Taka’s wails shine best against an urgent bassline, jangling chords, and searing lead melodies (“What Goes Around Comes Around, “Apocalypse”). 2023 doesn’t need any more ballads.
What it does need more of are the rollicking, guitar-fueled excursions that Coven Japan brings to bookend the lesser clips throughout Earthlings. Good albums start with a bang, and the one-two burst of “Land of the Rising Sun” and “What Goes…” pack that same old school punch that you would find on scrappy classics like Iron Maiden3 or Fly to the Rainbow4 (Scorpions), right down to the leads that swell from thin amp pull to distortion flurry for maximum impact. The popping snare can get in the way from time to time, being one of the sounds borrowed from 80s and not in a great way. But when it comes to numbers that feel more of that time, the Satan-leaning “Apocalypse” or the stadium-ready “Return of the Souls,” it works well against loud riffcraft and bouncing, bluesy grooves. That overdriven heft helps the to-the-point closer “Lost Humanity” flourish in its reverb-soaked chorus chants and snappy twin-lead breakaway.
Coven Japan makes their fair share of missteps throughout this debut full-length outing—the repetitive epic “To Sanctuary – March for the Voiceless,” the over-balladization of a couple of choice tracks—but they do so with feet planted and volume set to rock. For an album that borrows so much from the elders of the halls of metal, Earthlings lands with scrapes and bruises of character from each stumble and success. To put it plainly, Coven Japan has heart and it pours through in every note, which goes a long way in pushing through some of the less-than-stellar moments. And did I mention how absolutely fantastic the cover is? If I remember nothing else of this later, I will remember lady demon with laser eyes. Likewise, if Coven Japan remembers tomorrow is a new day to shine, and that this outing is but a point of entry into future fan’s ears, then they’ll realize there’s no turning back on this path of heavy metal.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7| Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: coven.site | coven.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/coven.japan
Releases Worldwide: November 24th, 2023
#2023 #30 #AngelWitch #Anthem #CovenJapan #Earthlings #HeavyMetal #IronMaiden #JapaneseMetal #JudasPriest #Loudness #NoRemorseRecords #Nov23 #Review #Reviews #Risingfall #Satan #Saxon #Scorpions #SignificantPoint
Panopticon – The Rime of Memory Review
By El Cuervo
Though his work pre-dates the last decade, it was in the 2010s that Austin Lunn’s solo project entitled Panopticon became one of the best black metal bands currently operating. From the raw, political charge of Kentucky, through the rangy, transitory Roads to the North, to the delicacy and melodicism of Autumn Eternal,1 Panopticon fuses American heritage with Nordic musicality into an extremely compelling and atmospheric black metal package. The new decade brought …and Again into the Light which was a typically dynamic and emotively-driven affair and it’s now followed by The Rime of Memory. Can Lunn maintain his quality in quantity?
Lunn is ever the master of atmosphere. The brief introduction called “I Erindringens Høstlige Dysterhet” bleeds into the first (and longest) main track called “Winter’s Ghost,” building tension with nearly 10 minutes of moody neofolk. The slow, plodding feel and layers of acoustic guitars and cello set a doomy pace. Although the first heaviest passage on the record is a punishingly bleak and unmelodic streak of black metal, this transitions into proper doom metal territory. Rime of Memory’s despondent tone and doom instrumentation lend its music even more weight and gravitas. I may not particularly enjoy doom these days but where it’s used to set a tone and counter-point other sounds it works well. Rime of Memory is moody but not dull, poignant but not overwrought. It extracts you from your current circumstances and drags you into its desolate, frost-bitten world. There is little comforting here, at least until the closing two tracks which allow slivers of optimism to pierce the darkness.
The core concoction of atmospheric, folk-infused black metal comprises 4 daddy-sized tracks running between 12 and 20 minutes, the brief introduction and another 9-minute track for good measure. It’s a lot to consume and it feels like you experience Lunn’s raw, unfiltered, creative expression. He’s invested himself into maximum drama here. I’m familiar with his protracted style and glean great enjoyment from some of his other lengthy works. But Rime of Memory takes another step on that road towards 80 minutes, finishing just a few minutes shy of that mark. I admire the way that Lunn channels his singular artistic and emotional energy into his albums, but the counter-balance of another song-writing hand might help to refine the mass of music he inevitably releases. There are too few songs for the album’s length, resulting in what feels like a feast each time you hit play; what’s here is good but there’s a lot of it. This might work on a once-per-week or once-per-month basis, but trying to listen to the album regularly all the way through is a lot to stomach. It’s unnecessary that the shortest main track on this album is nearly 10 minutes long, and there are 4 longer tracks than this.
Moreover, the first two-thirds of Rime of Memory is less dynamic than other Panopticon albums; besides its opening 10 minutes, it features few extended quiet passages, few soothing interludes, and few pretty melodies. There are fewer moments I can point to that surpass other highlight moments from previous records. I like long songs as much as the next prog nerd but such length requires dynamism, namely tangible progression between heavy and light, between instrumentation, between tempo and melodies. Rime of Memory has just enough of this to sustain its weight but it’s close in places. Fortunately, the closing duo called “Enduring the Snow Drought” and “The Blue Against the White” revitalizes my energy and enthusiasm after a crushing run of music, turning through stronger melodies, bigger guitar solos and proper slow passages to frame the heavier stuff. The latter’s final passage feels appropriately dense and climactic, but also memorable and melodic, with hummable guitar melodies and a powerful string arrangement. The final 28 minutes of the record are a potent reminder of why I love this band.
All this results in an album that was tough to rate. If you already enjoy Panopticon you’ll undoubtedly enjoy Rime of Memory too. It’s powerfully atmospheric and emotively poignant, pulling you into its cold, harsh world. But its emotions are alienating, and its run-time difficult to digest. I’m generally reluctant to highly award an album that I struggle to complete in one sitting because this defeats the purpose of the album as a singular art form. But it also says a lot that Panopticon pulls me back for more listens despite this. My recommendation isn’t as easy as it was for …and Again into the Light, but it’s a strong recommendation nonetheless.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Bindrune Recordings
Websites: facebook.com/panopticon | panopticon.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: November 29th, 2023
Thus Spoke
So desperate to evade our inevitabilities…we will harness and destroy the very life force we thrive from to just have one more day of youth and ease…we will desecrate the sacred cathedrals of the wilderness, the havens of all life just so that we can have a simpler existence […] And then it comes. The well dries up. The forests burn. The smoke filled air choking our lungs […] It all served us nothing. There is no escape from death and grief and loss…So why did we do this? – A.Lunn
I won’t pretend to have any special personal connection to the Appalachian wilderness, because I don’t. I grew up in the South-East of England. Yet even to me, Panopticon’s music is so powerfully evocative, it almost feels like nostalgia. The forests and mountains, their history, their life, and their pain feel so real and so familiar. The albums are just as hard-hitting emotionally, progenitor Austin Lunn’s bleeding human heart palpable through the bewitching intermingling of bluegrass, folk, raw black, and atmospheric black metal. None have left me with dry eyes or a less than restless soul. Following up 2021’s …And Again Into the Light is a tall order, that previous record resonating particularly strongly—perhaps due to its release amidst the anxiety and isolation of lockdown fallout—and shooting to the top of my year-end list. But in characteristically understated fashion, dropping as the year draws to a close, The Rime of Memory is here to prove just how unmatched Panopticon is.
An allegory about time, aging, and the dying planet, The Rime of Memory draws from deep wells of passion and pain both intimate and universal. The dreamlike interplay of ferocious, frosted second-wave tirades, weeping strings, delicate plucks, and boundless, echoing atmospheres feels huge, and makes these emotions utterly undeniable. With a host of guest musicians providing said strings, piano, choir and harsh vocals, and poetry recitation (“An Autumn Storm”), both Lunn’s voice and his message is amplified and the sheer scale of this work totally envelops. In many ways, it’s the heaviest Panopticon has released in recent memory, a great deal devoted to the intense, archetypal surges of string-accented black metal and heart-wrenching screams, massive, clanging resonance (“Cedar Skeletons,” “An Autumn Storm”), and what is surely the most impassioned and impressive drumming of the project’s lifetime—especially on “Cedar Skeletons” and “Enduring the Snow Drought.” Quieter moments carry an analogous weight in stirring poignancy, wrought by liquid plucks and ethereal, fading tremolo, forlorn steel guitar plucking, and heaving sighs of string. Everything seems designed to enhance the drama, without ever overwhelming; cataclysmic climaxes fading into echo and stripped-back iterations of the theme. In mesmerized reverence you witness the pulsing post-metal grow layer upon layer, before exploding (“Winter’s Ghost,” and all the others).
‘Beautiful’ is almost too surface-level a word to describe The Rime of Memory, but it’ll do. Whether raging with near-dissonance (“An Autumn Storm”) or the dreaded major key (“Enduring the Snow Drought”), or being straightforwardly, gaze-ily gorgeous (“Winter’s Ghost,” “The Blue Against the White”), it is beautiful in an untamable, indescribable way. This is due to Panopticon’s proficiency for crafting exquisitely layered compositions, that weave the instrumentation together into inextricable ebbs and flows of urgent, plaintive, rage-filled sound. Such intricacies lead also to jaw-dropping, and tear-baiting catharses (“Winter’s Ghost,” “Cedar Skeletons,” “Enduring the Snow Drought”). Suffused with syrupy guitar, mournful refrains drifting upwards, morose spoken word or heaving screams, combining into a descending, explosive symphony led by the violins and cellos that carried the melody, chimes, choir, tumbling, accelerating percussion, emotion ringing into the atmosphere with melancholy strings. And the beginnings too—steel guitar, horn, cello and violin lament opening “Winter’s Ghost”
Even speaking of high points does little justice to the way the album flows and coheres as one. At a push, I would pull “Cedar Skeletons” out as not only the greatest on the record, but a strong contender for song of the year. There is nothing to remove, and nothing to add to The Rime of Memory, because with it, as with Panopticon’s other works, one must experience it as the cry of human solidarity, grief, and love that it is, as it is. Unbroken and unabridged. Many consider an album such as this that extends to 75 minutes simply ‘too long,’ and therefore deduct real or theoretical marks from their review or opinion of it. But being long is no inherent flaw. As it happens, 75 minutes is exactly the right duration for the drama and beauty of The Rime of Memory to play out.
I could wax lyrical even further but I imagine everyone is already very sick of me. The Rime of Memory epitomizes exactly why, and how far Panopticon exists in worlds beyond (post-)black metal peers. Another world to sink into, to muse on, to introspect, grieve, and hope to. The steel guitars and strings of “I Erindringens Høstlige Dysterhet” and “Winter’s Ghost” are starting again, and I’m already crying. Beyond words.
Rating: Excellent
#2023 #35 #45 #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BindruneRecordings #FolkMetal #Nov23 #Panopticon #Review #TheRimeOfMemory
Queeres Zentrum Düsseldorf e.V
Mistigris computer arts, est. 1994
Angry Metal Guy
