Today’s Pips puzzle focuses on tile orientation, high-number zones, and strict Equal/Greater Than rules. Vertical placements matter most, and rotating tiles is often the key to meeting tight totals like 10, 11, and 12. A challenging day that rewards careful counting and smart positioning.

#NYTPips #PuzzleSummary #Nov24 #TECHi

Read Full Article Here :- https://www.techi.com/nyt-pips-hints-and-answers/

Stuck in the Filter: November and December 2024’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

Seeing as how it’s already almost February, you must be wondering why we’re still talking about shit from 2024. Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I didn’t give my minions grueling tasks just so that I could not take the glory for their labors. That wouldn’t embody this blog’s continual aspiration of being terrible capitalists! And so, we press on, searching and rescuing worthy—but not too worthy—pledges for the barbaric, Hunger Games-esque event that is Stuck in the Filter.

BEHOLD! Gaze upon these late-year candidates with the appropriate levels of awe, ye ov little consequence!

Kenstrosity’s Wintry Wonders

Caelestra // Bastion [December 13th, 2024 – Self Release]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For this sponge, I know something is beautiful when it ensnares me into otherworldly environments unlike those which mirrors terrestrial mundanity. UK post-metal one-man act Caelestra specializes in such ethereal worlds, with debut record Black Widow Nebula catching my attention under its blazing miasma of Countless Skies lushness, Astronoidal optimism, and Dreadnought-esque compositional vibrancy. Follow-up Bastion treads much the same path, but with an added emphasis on cathartic spells of intensity reminiscent of current Irreversible Mechanism (“Finisterre”), Kardashev (“Soteria”), or Devin Townsend (“The Hollow Altar”). Balancing these potentially disparate references, mastermind Frank Harper’s compositions flow with an uncanny smoothness without falling into a pit of homogeny. Bastion thereby represents a varied and textured affair built upon compelling guitar leads, unexpected riffs, multifaceted vocal techniques, and athletic percussive movements (“Finisterre,” “Lightbringer,” “The Hollow Altar”). Choosing the long form as Caelestra’s primary vehicle for this musical journey only deepens the experience, as each act offers a wide spectrum of moods, a rich tapestry of characters, and a lush layering of story to enrich any listener’s journey through Bastion (“Lightbringer,” “Eos”). Yet, the whole coheres tightly into a memorable and accessible forty-eight-minute span, easily replayable and effortlessly enjoyable. That, more than anything, makes Bastion a neat little triumph worth checking out.

Earthbound // Chronos [November 26th, 2024 – Self Release]

I have the honor of claiming this find all to my own—something that hasn’t occurred as often this past year as it has in those preceding. Bristol’s Earthbound offer a particular brand of melodic death metal that I want to love more often than I actually do, but they checked all my boxes here. Occupying a space somewhere between Amorphis, Countless Skies, and Dark Tranquillity, Earthbound’s style is simultaneously effervescent, introspective, and crushing on debut record Chronos. Boasting chunky riffs, soaring leads, classic melodeath rhythms, and buttery-smooth baritone vocals, Chronos throws blow after blow for forty-nine minutes of high-engagement material. Looking at standout tracks “A Conversation with God,” “The Architect,” “Cloudburst,” “Aperture,” and “Transmission,” Earthbound’s compelling songwriting tactics and knack for a killer hook recall underappreciated gems by modern contemporaries Rifftera and Svavelvinter. Some of their most accessible moments almost, but not quite, veer into pop-levels of accessibility, further accentuating Earthbound’s infectious energy (“Change,” “Flight,” “Transmission,” “Chasing the Wind”). This works marvelously in Earthbound’s favor, not only making Chronos a joy to listen to in its own right but also impressing me with how polished and professional the band is with only one full-length under the belt. Don’t let this one fall through the cracks!

Flaahgra // Plant Based Anatomy [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]

WWWWOOOOOORRRRRRMMMHHHHHHOOO… wait, what? Oh, no, this is Flaahgra. But, the riffs sound like my beloved Wormhole! What’s going on? Oh, well this explains it. Sanil Kumar of Wormhole fame is responsible for Plant Based Anatomy’s guitar work. Rounded out by Tim “Toothhead” Lodge (bass), Chris Kulak (drums), and Anthony Michelli (vocals), this Baltimore quartet concoct a fast-paced, riff-burdened blunderbuss of gurgling vegan slam meatier than the fattest flank this side of Texas. It may be based around plants (and Metroid), but there are enough muscular grooves, neat lead work, and boisterous percussive rhythms here to keep even the most ravenous death fiend stuffed to the stamen (“Blood Flower,” “Toxic Green Fluid,” “Solar Recharge,” “Plant Based Anatomy”). Oversaturated with killer hooks, Plant Based Anatomy feels every bit as headbangable as this group’s pedigree indicates, but their application is delightfully straightforward, allowing Sanil’s standard-setting slams to shine brightest (“Plant Based Anatomy,” “Garden Cascade,” “Venom Weed Atrocity”). At a lean twenty-five minutes, Plant Based Anatomy rips through my system as efficiently as any grease-laden, overstuffed fast-food chimichanga, leaving just as vivid an impression in its wake. If there was ever a quick and easily digestible example of what differentiates really good slam from two-buck upchuck, Plant Based Anatomy is it. FFFLLAAAAHHHHGGGRRRAAAA!

Tyme’s Time Turners

Solar Wimp // Trails of Light [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]

The richly dense knowledge and tastes of the commentariat here at AMG are a marvel. And despite the long hours of hard work the staff put in writing and keeping Redis at bay, not to mention the gut-wrenching task of pumping the n00b sump pit every Friday1 we continue to scour tons of promo to bring you the best and the rest of all things metal(ish). Invariably, some things trickle up from our most precious readers that deserve more attention than a few rando comments and respects. Such is the case with L.A.’s Solar Wimp. It was during my most recent stint in2 continued n00bdom that I scoped one of our commenters pimping the Wimp‘s who released, sadly to me now, their last album, Trails of Light, in November. As my ears absorbed the immediately quirky dissonance of the opener, “Entwined with Glass,” I was reminded of how blown away I was upon hearing Jute Gyte for the first time, this more due to my un-expectations than anything else. What followed was a journey I happily embarked on through fields of saxophonic freedom (“Strand and Tether”) and forests of long-form avant-garde brilliance (“Shimmer”). The black(ish) metal vocals and tech-jazz guitar histrionics of Jeremy Kerner, combined with Justin Brown’s bassinations and Mark Kimbrell’s drums, imbue so much passion into the music on Trails of Light, it has me guessing Solar Wimp may have very well saved their best for last. While I’m sure you’re ready to move on from 2024, I’d encourage you to dip back into last year’s well for a bit and give Solar Wimp’s Trails of Light a listen or five.

Thus Spoke’s Fallen Fragments

Yoth Iria // Blazing Inferno [November 8th, 2024 – Edged Circle Productions]

Yoth Iria’s sophomore Blazing Inferno arrived with little fanfare, which is a shame because they’re very good at what they do. Their brand of Hellenic black metal even charmed a 3.5 out of GardensTale with their 2021 debut As the Flame Withers. The new album very much picks up where its predecessor left off, in musical content as well as the fact that Yoth Iria clearly have a thing for giant demonic figures dwarfing human civilization. In a refreshingly to-the-point format, the group3 serve up some solid, groovy Satanic triumphalism that belies the relatively diminutive breadth of the songs that contain it. With thundering drums (“In the Tongue of Birds,” “We Call Upon the Elements”), spirited guitar leads (“But Fear Not,” “Mornings of the One Thousand Golds”), and a collection of classic growls, ominous whispers, and cleans, Yoth Iria craft engaging and very enjoyable compositions. Tracks manage to hold atmosphere and presence without detracting from the dopamine-producing tremolo twists and wails of drawn-out melody (title track, “Rites of Blood and Ice,” “Mornings…”) that draw it all together. This is black metal that makes you feel good about allying with the light-bringer. Not in any highbrow way, of course, just with great riffs, the right amount of tension and nuance, and convincingly massive compositions that steer away from the overwrought and cringe-inducing. It’s just plain good.

Botanist // VII: Beast of Arpocalyx [December 6th, 2024 – Self-Release]

Though recorded all the way back in 2016, the music of Beast of Arpocalyx has not seen the light until now. The seventh installment in the esoteric, botanical saga, VII: Beast of Arpocalyx focuses on plants with mythological animal associations. In comparison to last May’s Paleobotany, this is the solo work of founder Otrebor yet the heart of Botanist’s music has never been compromised. The distinctive tones of hammered dulcimer, make the black metal ring—literally and metaphorically—with playful mysticism when they engage in chirruping and cheerful refrains (“Wolfsbane,” “The Barnacle Tree”) and a weird eeriness when they stray into the dissonant (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “Floral Onyx Chiroptera”). Nothing is substantially different here, but Botanist’s style is an enjoyably quirky one that I, at least, am always happy to indulge in. In many ways, this is not far removed from raw black metal, with the prominent chimes of (not always tuneful) melodicism wrapping snarls and rasps in an iridescent veil that makes the psychedelic turns from whimsical peace to urgent and barbed blastbeat aggression (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “The Paw of Anigozanthos”) very compelling, pleasant even. Yeah, it’s kind of weird to hear chorals or synths under blackened rasps and clanging drums, while a dulcimer warbles along. But when the weirdness nonetheless succeeds in developing an atmosphere and inducing a desire to garner a similarly obsessive knowledge of flora, I can’t really complain.

Killjoy’s Atmospheric Attractions

Nishaiar // Enat Meret [December 5, 2024 – Self-Release]

2024 may technically be over, but there were a few releases in December that keep dragging my attention back to last year. First up is Nishaiar from Gondar, Ethiopia, whose sound resides at the unlikely intersection of traditional Ethiopian music, post-black metal, and Enya-style New Age. Coming off an arduous release schedule that yielded an EP and 5 full-lengths in only 4 years, Nishaiar took some extra time to recharge since Nahaxar in 2021. The results are readily apparent–Enat Meret features some of the punchiest material the band has written to date. “Yemelek” combines folk instruments, vibrant male chanting, and rending screams. An important element that elevates Enat Meret is the addition of a full-time female vocalist, whose moniker also happens to be Enat Meret. Her voice ranges from ethereal (“Idil”) to wistful (“Enat Midir”) to commanding (“Beheke”). There is some bloat—intro track “Semayawi” repeats itself for too long and “Awedal” through “Alem” leans too hard into atmosphere to be suitable for active listening. Even so, this is an album unlike any other you’re likely to hear anytime soon.

Atra Vetosus // Undying Splendour [December 20, 2024 – Immortal Frost Productions]

Next up is Atra Vetosus, who came to me by way of rec-master TomazP. Undying Splendour is a captivating work of atmospheric black metal that tempers the wanderlust of Skyforest with the melodic trem-picked fury of Mare Cognitum. It’s stuffed with triumphant, uplifting guitar melodies that contrast compellingly with mournful, anguished shouts and screams. Like a flowing stream, the graceful orchestrations smooth out any rough edges in their path, pairing exceptionally well with the rhythm section in the intro of “Forsaking Dreaded Paths.” The brawny bass lines throughout the album add satisfying oomph and the drumming is constantly engaging with lots of fleeting tempo shifts (“This Fallow Heart”) and expansive tom rolls (“Elysian Echoes”). Atra Vetosus have perfected the difficult art of long-form atmoblack—all the proper songs on Undying Splendour are between 7 and 11 minutes long and, crucially, feel purposeful without meandering. Though atmoblack is often maligned, I’ll happily get behind Atra Vetosus as one of the new standard bearers of the genre at its very best.

Skagos // Chariot Sun Blazing [December 21, 2024 – Self-Release]

They say that good things come to those who wait. Skagos makes an excellent case for this expression with Chariot Sun Blazing, an appropriate title given the tremendous glow-up that the atmospheric black metal group underwent since releasing Anarchic in 2013. While their woodsy black metal has always maintained similarities with the likes of Wolves in the Throne Room (who are also based in Olympia, Washington), this time around the music is infused with a real live string quartet and a two-horn section4. The effects of this additional instrumentation run way more than skin deep; Chariot Sun Blazing feels and flows like an actual symphony. For instance, the combination of the Wagner tuba with guitar plucking in the beginning of “Which in Turn Meet the Sea” evoke a misty morning which gradually warms up with guitar and string crescendos to thaw the leftover frost. The compositions are introspective and intimate, which is refreshing when compared with the usual grandiosity and bombast of symphonic music (metal or otherwise). While there’s nothing wrong with the raspy vocals, this is a rare instance when I would be completely okay if this were an instrumental album. This is an experience absolutely not to be missed.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Late-Blooming Bustles

Alarum // Recontinue [November 8th, 2024 – Self Release]

So many bands in the progressive and technical lanes forget to have fun. Not long, unheralded Australian prog/thrash/jazz fusion-heads Alarum, though. Truth be told, I had forgotten this band existed sometime before their 2011 release Natural Causes all up until about September of 2024 when I caught wind of this new release, Recontinue. Their oddball, heavily Cynic-inspired 2004 opus Eventuality… had stood the test of time in my archives plenty for its wild fusion antics woven into a riff-tricky, bass-poppin’ technical platform. And here, twenty years later, little has changed at Alarum’s foundation. A few things have shifted for the better, though, namely Alarum finding a more balanced resonance in production brightness and clarity, which helps highlight the flirtatious bass play of tracks like “The Visitor” and “Footprints” come to life. Additionally, this crisp and cutting mix allows the joyous neoclassical shredding escapades to carve a blazing path toward textures and alien warbles with a Holdsworth-ian charm (“Zero Nine Thirty,” “Awaken by Fire”). But, most importantly, Alarum continues to bring an ever-shuffling thrash energy similar to early Martyr works (“Imperative,” “Unheard Words,” “Into Existing”) while continuing to remember to toss in off-the-wall detours, like the funk-wah intro of “A Lifelong Question” or the bossa nova outro of “The Visitor.” Recontinue, as a late-career release from a continual dark horse from the land down under remains a consistent joy for the ears. If you’ve never heard Alarum to this point, and you’ve always wished that a jazzy, Cynic-inspired band would come around with a more metal attitude than the current trajectory of their inspirations, get Recontinue in your ears as soon as possible. And if, like me, you’ve fallen of the righteous path, know that time can correct all sorts of silly mistakes.

Gorging Shade // Inversions [November 11th, 2024 – Self Release]

With a sound that is as otherwordly and looming as it is terrestrial and bass-loaded, Gorging Shade has taken a vigorous and shaking progressive death metal form. The proficiency with which every performer weaves disparate melodic lines through echoing, ghastly samples and chaotic, witchy background chatter does not come entirely as a surprise, as the entire roster consists of the members of instrumental progressive act Canvas Solaris. Mood, atmosphere and a bellowing howl, though, separate this incarnation of Georgia’s finest. But the eerie space that Inversions inhabits too has manifested as a collective of talents on display with another offshoot from this act, the dark industrial Plague Pslams (composed of bassist Gael Pirlot and drummer Hunter Ginn, who also currently plays with Agalloch). As an experience layered between the history of sounds these tech wizards have created, Inversions lands dense and challenging. At its core, a rhythmic stomp propels each of its tracks alongside percussive riffs that echo the constant motion of Cynic, the blackened scrawl of Emperor, and the melancholy triumph of Ulcerate swells. But in a package uniquely Gorging Shade, a world emerges from each carefully constructed narrative. Sometimes energy rushes forth (“Disease of Feeling, Germed”). At others, noises creaking and crawling lay teasing grounds for careful exploration (“Ordeal of the Bitter Water,” “A Concession of Our City to Modernity”). Whatever the mode of attack, Gorging Shade delivers in a classic and meticulous wall of sound—perhaps a touch too volume-loaded on occasion—that hits first in waves of melodic intrigue, second in aftershocks of plotted and studied efforts. Its later in the year released may have kept Inversions’ treasures more hidden than I would have liked. The beauty of music, of course, is that we may sit with it as little or as long as we wish to parse its tireless arrangement.

#2024 #Agalloch #Alarum #AmericanMetal #Amorphis #Astronoid #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AtraVetosus #AustralianMetal #AvantGardeMetal #BlackMetal #BlazingInferno #Botanist #Caelestra #CanvasSolaris #ChariotSunBlazing #Chronos #CountlessSkies #Cynic #DarkTranquility #DeathMetal #Dec24 #DevinTownsend #Dreadnought #Earthbound #EdgedCircleProductions #Emperor #EnatMeret #Enya #EthiopianMetal #Flaahgra #GorgingShade #GreekMetal #Holdsworth #ImmortalFrostProductions #Inversions #IrreversibleMechanism #JuteGyte #Kardashev #MareCognitum #martyr #MelodicDeathMetal #Nishaiar #Nov24 #PlaguePsalms #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Recontinue #Review #Reviews #Rifftera #RottingChrist #SelfRelease #Skagos #Skyforest #Slam #SolarWimp #StuckInTheFilter #Svavelvinter #TechDeath #TechnicalDeathMetal #TrailsOfLight #UKMetal #Ulcerate #UndyingSplendour #VIIBeastOfArpocalyx #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #Wormhole #YothIria

Filii Nigrantium Infernalium – Pérfida Contracção do Aço Review

By GardensTale

I’ve been doing this opinion-spewing thing long enough that I’m starting to forget some of my reviews, where even reading the prose I wrote myself is like reading someone else’s. However, this fate will not befall Filii Nigrantium Infernalium. Over 6 years since I wrote up Hóstia, two things still stand out in my mind like burning neon signs: the ludicrously, hilariously offensive cover art, and the unhinged vocals screaming the album title over infectious blackened heavy/thrash. Finally, the Portuguese have risen from their slumber once more, and one look at the album art suggests they haven’t given up on their quest to sweep the ‘offensive cover art’ awards.

Pérfida Contracção do Aço largely continues where Hóstia left off. A wild wail kicks off the blistering “Beata Fornicanda,” where the first wave black metal holds the most sway. Filii Nigrantium Infernalium’s mission statement is written in raging blastbeats and trilling melodic leads; fucking shit up in very short order. Yet it’s quickly clear that some screws have been tightened and rattling bolts fastened compared to Hóstia. The hoarse howling vocals remain every bit as insane, but the musicianship is more precise and more diverse, leaning less on sheer speed and madness to carry the music over any speedbumps. The pacing doesn’t get much higher than “Beata,” though barn-burner “Cristo.Rei.Animal.” certainly tries. But the other uptempo compositions like “Negros Hábitos” and ” Holocausto Molto Vivace Ma Non Troppo” thrive on the strength of the catchy thrash riffs. The title track even employs a diverse, almost progressive composition full of tempo changes both fast and slow, but never getting boring or tedious.

And that’s not the only curveball on Pérfida. “Comes Carne” announces itself with ominous horns and strings like an orchestra from Hell before it begins flipping between Black Sabbath doom and Hellripper destruction. Belathauzer’s vocals don’t lose any of their weird, twisted allure when the bpm plummets, taking on a more haunting quality like an insane priest. But this is taken to the next level with “Vaticanale,” the 10-minute penultimate epic. Repeating stanzas of simple mid-paced riffs gradually incorporate choirs, clarions, and chants until it is spun into a resplendent storm of blasphemy that would make Behemoth blush. Frankly, I would not have expected the same band that made the ramshackle Hóstia to be capable of a buildup so subtle yet effective, and it shows Filii Nigrantium Infernalium is not done growing as artists.

With growth come growing pains though, though the pangs are gentle. I love the buildup of “Vaticanale,” but it does take a long time to start properly building, and cutting down on waiting time at the start would have conserved more momentum. Furthermore, whilst I enjoy the more experimental material in the back half, its simpler tracks are a step down from their catchier and more engaging cousins from the front. A bit of a shuffle in the tracklist to improve the flow and consistency would be a welcome improvement. But these all seem barely worth mentioning, especially when all the small yet significant steps made include a really rather delicious production that balances rawness with fidelity and gives a lot of room to the sweet punky bass.

Filii Nigrantium Infernalium plays by its own rules. Once again the cover art is a study in ugliness, the album name has become even more complicated than the band name, and the vocals will put half the prospective listeners off on the first spin. But there is a ton of musical talent underneath this veneer of insanity, and though the improvements are incremental, Pérfida Contracção do Aço successfully refines and adjusts an already energetic and addictive formula. At this rate, it’s gonna turn real lethal, real damn soon.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Osmose Productions
Websites: filiinigrantiuminfernalium.bandcamp.com/album/p-rfida-contrac-o-do-a-o | facebook.com/FiliiNigrantiumInfernalium
Releases Worldwide: November 29th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Behemoth #BlackMetal #BlackSabbath #FiliiNigrantiumInfernalium #HeavyMetal #Hellripper #Nov24 #OsmoseProductions #PérfidaContracçãoDoAço #PortugueseMetal #Review #Reviews #ThrashMetal

Ante-Inferno – Death’s Soliloquoy [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

By Mystikus Hugebeard

That was one hell of a November 22nd this year, huh? We had new releases from bands like Múr and Panzerfaust, blog favorites Fellowship and Defeated Sanity, and even the industry titans Opeth. Yes, the metal community ate quite well that day—so well that certain releases might slip through the cracks, such as Death’s Soliloquoy, the third full-length by English four-piece black metal act Ante-Inferno. But I refuse to allow Death’s Soliloquoy to be overshadowed because Ante-Inferno have made one of the most compelling and devastating releases of the year.

Ante-Inferno play a sort of misanthropic atmospheric black metal that blends the biting chill of second-wave black metal with an atmospheric, beautiful melodic clarity. The evocatively titled opener, “The Cavernous Blackness of Night,” reveals the two sides of Death’s Soliloquoy’s coin. The first half of the song wallows in an atmosphere of dissonance through aggressive, sawing guitars that grind out a macabre melody, before almost exactly halfway through, the song shifts gears into a more pronounced melancholic beauty. The gnashing tremolos become gentler, but still vital, as the melody grows clearer and stronger. “Cold. Tenebrous. Evil.” delves deeper into the dissonance, while “No Light till Life’s End” leans further towards the side of melody without sacrificing aggression, but both shades of Ante-Inferno are omnipresent and crucial. The stellar production greatly helps this contrast work. The rhythm guitars vibrate with a wintry second-wave buzz, and the atmospheric side is absorbing and dense. The vocals, which range from distant, crestfallen shrieks to hoarse shouts, come from the primary songwriter Kai. Death’s Soliloquoy is inspired by Kai’s own experiences of depression and hopelessness, and her existential misery is felt in every word.

That misery is the lifeblood of Death’s Soliloquoy, as the whole album radiates the same black light of sorrow as Kai’s vocals. The shorter tracks (“Cold. Tenebrous. Evil,” No Light till Life’s End”) are aggressive and full of emotion, but the real impact of Death’s Soliloquoy is felt in the longer tracks. The bleak riffs of “The Cavernous Blackness of Night” and “Towards Asphyxiating Darkness” evolve slowly and frequently return, like a lingering sadness that’s impossible to break away from. The subtly repetitive nature of the longer songs, paired with their length, might turn away some less patient listeners, but I think this approach is to the music’s benefit. Across the length of the album, a crushing, hypnotic weight sets in as the density and intensity of the music marches on with a suffocating constancy, and Ante-Inferno iterates upon their riffs and ideas enough to keep the energy high and the pace from dragging. Everything that comprises the nature of Death’s Soliloquoy collides in the genuinely sublime “An Axe. A Broadsword. A Bullet.” Here, dissonance has been cast aside for an assault of riffs that burn with a cold fury, while the melodies, almost crystalline in their clarity, carve a path through the indifferent noise. It commands your attention with paramount urgency, and like Death’s Soliloquoy as a whole, is hopelessly, heartbreakingly bleak.

Ante-Inferno have crafted an incredible piece of atmospheric black metal that, for my money, is the best release to come from this historic November 22nd. It’s possible that Death’s Soliloquoy may take some time to fully sink in. I surprise myself by admitting that even I was unimpressed on my first listen, before the slow riff and anguished scream at about 4:55 into “An Axe. A Broadsword. A Bullet.” moved me in such a way that the full album was re-framed in my mind, and now, to this day, every listen is better than the last. Death’s Soliloquoy is everything I love about black metal—it’s heavy, harrowing, and honest.

Tracks to Check Out: “The Cavernous Blackness of Night,” “Cold. Tenebrous. Evil,” “An Axe. A Broadsword. A Bullet.”

#2024 #AnteInferno #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #DeathSSoliloquoy #Nov24 #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024 #VendettaRecords

Record(s) o’ the Month – November 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

It’s the penultimate month of 2024 and the last installment of Record(s) o’ the Month for this trip around the Sun. We had some good times, didn’t we? Remember when we got some of these pieces posted on time? Yeah, that was great. Remember when you all agreed with our choices? I don’t, but I’m getting on in years and my mind isn’t what it once was. Anyway, it’s been a blast and I can’t wait to restart the vicious cycle in 2025. Onward.

Opeth is a fascinating band in the trajectory of metal because it’s difficult to say that there are other bands who have quite done what these Swedish legends have done. Throughout Opeth’s long and storied career, this legendary outfit has shown itself to be unafraid of change—but also pretty good at it. The Last Will and Testament (out November 22nd, 2024 from Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget) is remarkable in that it is an extension of the style that Opeth has been building toward since 2011’s much-maligned Heritage, yet it once again has recreated the band’s sound. And while The Last Will and Testament has been sold as Opeth returning to its roots, I disagree. Opeth in 2024 is writing songs that do not resemble the Oldepeth we all fell in love with and yet sound like no one but Opeth. The songs are contained, the concept is methodical, the lyrics are intentional and considered, and the sound is unrelentingly jazzy. Suppose there’s a knock on this album. In that case, it’s that the tendency towards abstraction and unresolved chord progressions can at times make the writing feel like it wanders or suffers from the same kind of unmemorability affliction as Wintersun’s latest. Yet unlike Finland’s most persistent vaporware developer, Opeth delivers. And The Last Will and Testament is something unique, well-crafted, and impactful. With a kind of surgical joy, El Cuervo concurred in his excellent review: “The Last Will and Testament doesn’t yield any weaknesses. On their fourteenth go-round, Opeth has once more delivered something exemplary in conception, performance, and production.” And honestly, if Opeth has reached the overwrought rock opera concept album stage of their career, I am fucking here for it.

Runner(s) Up:

Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — England’s Fellowship put all the Fromage back into Europower and then some. 2022’s The Sabrelight Chronicles was dripping with saccharine leads, uplifting choruses, and it oozed more positivity than a week-long Tony Robbins retreat.1 It scored a rare perfect rating here and fans of cheesecore rejoiced the world over. They followed that triumph up with more of the same on The Skies Above Eternity, serving up the joyous, happy times pop-infected power candy that Helloweenies crave and the world deserves. The Skies Above Eternity is packed with songs forged to stick in the brain giving the world a rosy tint. As a fanboying Eldritch gushed, “This record doesn’t just confirm that Fellowship’s initial success was anything but a fluke; it assures me that they both understand and have preserved what made them so special in the first place.” Europower is as Europower does.

Stenched // Purulence Gushing from the Coffin [November 26th, 2024 | Me Saco Un Ojo Records | Bandcamp] — As the name suggests, Stenched plays ugly, reeking death metal of the foulest order. A one-man project from Mexico, Stenched delivers all the oozing, cavernous, sub-basement gut swill anyone could want and even offers the added bonus of well-written, interesting songs. Yes, it’s pure filth and as grotesque as possible but Purulence Gushing from the Coffin has that “it” factor that keeps you coming back for another dip in the scum pond against doctor’s orders.2 As a shocked and appalled Steel gasped, “Purulence Gushing from the Coffin is Plato’s ideal form of a death metal album, and Steel is with that old toga-wearing bastard on this one. It combines everything I love dearly about Incantation, Carcass, Demilich, and Chthe’ilist into one savory mouthful, and brother, it is toothsome!” Go smell what Stenched is cooking.

#2024 #BlogPosts #Fellowship #Nov24 #Opeth #PurulenceGushingFromTheCoffin #RecordOTheMonth #RecordSOTheMonth #Stenched #TheLastWillAndTestament #TheSkiesAboveEternity #Wintersun

Kingcrown – Nova Atlantis Review

By Steel Druhm

Written by: Nameless_N00b_90

Kingcrown may be a relatively new band, having formed in 2018, but its frontman, Joe Amore—or Jo Amore if you’re olde—has been rocking the world for more than four decades. Much of that time was spent with Nightmare, first on the drums and then, after a hiatus, as the lead vocalist, where his raspy voice received high praise from our ape overlord. In fact, The Steel One enjoyed Amore’s singing so much that he even dredged up Kingcrown’s last album for the March 2022 Filter. Kingcrown bills itself as French power metal and features similarly middle-aged, though not quite as experienced, musicians. It’s clear that Nova Atlantis takes a lot of influence from the ‘80s music these artists likely listened to growing up. There’s always an audience for retro-style metal. The question is whether these aging musicians have the chops to make it relevant for a modern audience.

Though Kingcrown cites such influences as Iron Maiden and Helloween, other styles from the ‘80s rock and metal scene pervade their music as well. On this melodic journey, you might hear a snippet of Mötley Crüe, sniff a hint of Def Leppard, or catch a whiff of King Diamond. Kingcrown plays power metal that ranges the gamut from speedy thrash to mid-tempo hard rock to a gently-sung ballad, but pay close attention and you will find some surprising touches. There’s the Maiden-like strumming that introduces and concludes “Judgement Day,” and the synths on “Letter of You” that will take you back to Europe’s “The Final Countdown.” When the solos scream out at a high pitch on “Endless Journey,” I couldn’t help but think back to glam metal-era music videos complete with bad hairdos and even worse outfits. But Kingcrown is not simply ‘80s worship—with these unmistakable influences, Kingcrown manages to make Nova Atlantis sound modern.

There’s a wide variety of melodies on Nova Atlantis, which keeps things fresh and exciting. While Kingcrown sticks to the basics of heavy metal instrumentation, they occasionally reach to less conventional sounds. The title track makes use of a mandolin or ukulele accompanied by orchestral strings, and it ends up being my favorite verse on Nova Atlantis. Bob Seliba and Ced Legger mix up their guitar styles throughout, so that on the ballad “A Long Way to Valhalla” they play with a soft harp-like plucking, and then on “Souls of Travelers” they kick up the speed with thrash-like riffing. From song to song you’re likely to find something surprising, such as the call and response between vocalist and lead guitars on “Utopia Metropolis.” This variety is a good thing because the musical compositions and guitar riffs can come off as generic.

When I think back on ‘80s metal, I recall the memorable hooks and catchy choruses of songs like Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” or King Diamond’s “Abigail,” and Kingcrown emulates those qualities to varying degrees of success. The interplay of Seliba and Legger’s dual guitars with Sebastian Chabon’s bass on “Real or Fantasy” represents one of the best hooks on Nova Atlantis. While I never sang along with the chorus, I found myself humming to it long after the album was over, Amore’s soaring vocals earning additional airtime in my head. But “Guardian Angels,” immediately following, has a much blander composition that fails to stick. At 49 minutes, Nova Atlantis could find improvement in trimming bloat such as this. While not all choruses land, most songs have enough of an imprinting quality to earn space in my brain rent-free.

Digesting Nova Atlantis proved to be an enlightening experience in its throwback charm. At AMG we pride ourselves on not liking things, and I tried. I really did. But Joe Amore’s adherence to the carefree ‘80s vibe broke through my defenses and won me over. Nova Atlantis is certainly not a perfect record, but Kingcrown’s musicianship and their occasional creative flourishes more than make up for any flaws in their songwriting. While I wish Kingcrown had used more of the tonal switch-ups that pulled away from the traditional heavy metal experience, I also hope that Joe and co. can keep this act running for a couple more joyous decades.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Rockshots Records
Websites: kingcrownmgtm.wixsite.com | kingcrownofficial.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: November 22, 2024

#2024 #30 #DefLeppard #Europe #FrenchMetal #HeavyMetal #Helloween #IronMaiden #KingDiamond #Kingcrown #MotleyCrue #Nightmare #Nov24 #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #RockshotsRecords

Septaria – Astar Review

By Steel Druhm

Written By: Nameless_N00b_87

It’s hard to believe Gojira’s From Mars to Sirius will be celebrating its twenty-year anniversary next year. The now famous metal quartet from Bayonne, France has ascended the metal hierarchy since the release of their landmark record, culminating this year in a mainstage spot in the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics. But as a longtime fan, I feared that their performance, no matter how awe-inspiring, would add further fuel to an ever-growing wildfire of imitation by a legion of aspiring musicians seeking to emulate their captivating sound. Enter Septaria, one such young aspiring band from Southern France who are ready to unleash their debut album Astar.1 The foursome has garnered somewhat of a buzz with their existential blend of Gojira’s modern metal and Slowdive’s dreamy post- rock, resulting in the group becoming the latest signees to Guillaume Bernard’s2 Klonosphere label. Let’s find out if these young lads can escape the shadow of their Godzilla-like influences and carve out their own path.

Septaria wastes little time channeling Gojira’s signature sound. From the rhythmic staccatos and pummeling double-kicks of From Mars to Sirius, to the double octave pitch shifts highlighted on Magma‘s “Centaure,” to the harmonic tremolos and melodic tapping of L’Enfant Sauvage, the Gojira tropes dominate Astar’s drawn-out runtime with lackluster results. And to cover the vocal inconsistencies that shredders Hugo Thevenot and Maxime Ayasse produce, the duo run their ethereal cleans, guttural roars, and reverberating screams under thick layers of reverb and delay while toying about with periodic bouts of throat singing and ethnic chants. Drummer Hugo Leydet, who offers his best impersonation of Mario Duplantier’s heavy grooves in both performance and tone, teams up with the low rumble of Baptise Trébuchon’s bass to round out the quartet’s familiar backbone. Though clearly talented, Septaria fail to show much originality outside of a few strong swelling and groove-laden moments peppered throughout Astar that provide a glimpse of the ensemble’s artistic vision.

Septaria’s overindulgence and lack of originality make Astar’s excessive length unjustifiable, bloated, and monotonous. Clocking in at 68 minutes, Septaria’s twelve lengthy, Gojira-inspired tracks rely on post-rock’s epic builds stretched out beyond necessity, resulting in a listless and tedious listening experience. “Being,” for example, is an immense ten-minute track that takes forever to arrive at its apex before the energy dies against four minutes of atmospheric feedback and ominous bass tones. Elsewhere, the lifeforce of Ledet’s hypnotic drumming in “Skys Words” deflates in the song’s bloated second half, offering an uninspired, spacey, and drawn-out construction that clashes with its grandiose form. And the cacophony of whammy bar manipulations and screams of “Saggitarius” shatter all momentum after its midpoint. Meant to offer respite, Septaria attempts to combat Astar’s bloat through strategically positioned intermezzos (“Abyss,” “Persephone”) intended to break the record’s flow into more palatable portions. Instead, these diversions quickly devolve into filler, serving as stagnant pools of rogue riffs.

Astar’s stronger moments appear when Septaria rely on their post-rock and groove-laden core to drive creativity. The dreamlike and celestial bridge that triggers the ending in opener “Moment Présent” signals that these Frenchmen have the capacity to write catchy, somber, and atmospheric grooves with emotional impact. Astar’s best moment arrives with the closing of “Embers” where Ledet’s back-beat shuffle coalesces with Thevenot’s and Ayasse’s harmonic tapping and ominous low tremolos to create a head-bobbing groove. Despite these highlights, however, Septaria’s hesitancy to escape the comfort of their predecessors’ shadow stifles their creativity, leading them to eventually revert to a predictable, borrowed riff.

Septaria is a young band that possesses loads of talent and ambition. However, Astar falls victim to Septaria’s overindulgence and lack of originality. This reliance on a well-established formula, coupled with the inability to craft compelling and concise compositions, results in tedious and underwhelming listen. Astar is a testament to Septaria‘s potential, but it is potential that remains largely untapped. I’m left disappointed with what could have been with Astar, and hope Septaria strives to step outside of the confines of imitation with their next steps.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Klonosphere Records
Websites: septariaofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/septaria.band
Releases Worldwide: November 15, 2024

#20 #2024 #Astar #FrenchMetal #Gojira #KlonosphereRecords #Nov24 #PostRock #PostMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Septaria #Slowdive

Tommy Concrete – Unrelapsed Review

By Ferox

Written By: Nameless_N00b_87

Scottish solo artist Tommy Concrete (aka Tomas Pattison) has a proclivity for creating music that is experimental, rebellious, and seldom boring. Since 2001, the avant-garde musician has self-produced a surplus of releases dipping into punk, progressive metal, doom, black metal, hardcore, industrial, and almost everything in between. 2021’s Hexenzirkel found the Scot experimenting with epic long-winded prog compositions á la Devin Townsend. It was received negatively by AMG’s resident Frog. Fast forward three years and Tommy is back to give it another go with his tenth full-length Unrelapsed,1 and this time he’s using blackened hardcore as a therapeutic means to cope with his struggles with addiction. Considering Tommy’s affinity for genre-hopping and complicating his music, I approached Unrelapsed with the hope that he had found a more focused sound.

Unrelapsed proves that old habits die hard. In typical Tommy fashion, the epic prog of Hexenzirkel has been napalmed by an eclectic mix of blackened hardcore that oscillates between industrial (“Anger”), black metal (“Denial”), thrash (“Ambivalent”), drum and bass (“Depression,” “Unrecognisable”) and even trip-hop (“Debt”).2 For Unrelapsed’s thirty minutes, Tommy blazes through twenty-two songs of short, emotionally violent arrangements that are frenzied and chaotic. Tommy’s guttural and dissonant vocals convey hostility (“Psycho”), anguish (“Relapse”), depression (“Blame”), and even desperation (“Lost”) as they drift over technically proficient—yet asymmetric—instrumentation that fuses Imperial Trimphant’s experimental chaos with The Locust’s breakneck fluctuations. Piercing drums—with enough snare to wake the dead—form the core of Tommy’s madness, sitting center stage in a peaking mix as the interplay of effects, subtle organ passages, and meandering guitars further amplify the intense emotions that beleaguered Tommy’s journey to sobriety. Together, these elements forge an intensely personal record rooted in adversity, reflection, and catharsis.

Intense and personal may be the point, because Unreleapsed is a whirlwind of chaos and disorder. Tracks like “Paranoia” and “Abandoned” arrive and disappear rapidly without any sense of direction. Many others barely hold any semblance of song structure before buckling under their own weight and crumbling into audible storms of phaser (“Lying”), odd noises (“Blackout”), wandering guitar (“Unrecognisable”) and hectic beats (“Depression”). And in the instances when Tommy manages to settle into a coherent song structure for longer than thirty seconds, he frequently derails everything with nomadic jazz fusion or psychedelic guitar noodling that drains Unrelapsed’s scant reserves of flow and momentum.

Accordingly, Unrelapsed is a difficult and toilsome listen that drove me to contemplate my exit within ten minutes of pressing play. Although Tommy Concrete’s performances show prowess and the underlying emotion is derived from real-life experience, the frenetic energy of the compositions, coupled with Tommy’s deeply personal themes, creates an overwhelming experience. While the potent one-two punch of Unrelapsed’s themes and its avant-garde assembly should be a strength, they become too overpowering too quickly, leaving me feeling frayed and confused instead of appreciating Tommy’s authenticity and creativity. Tommy’s choice to remain self-produced was also dicey but, ironically, the album’s production may be its saving grace. Yes, the drums are overpowering and everything is way too loud, but the mix is balanced and adds some much-needed depth and complexity to Unrelapsed’s sonic onslaught.

Unrelapsed offers a cathartic exploration of addiction and little else. It’s a chaotic and fragmented frenzy that quickly exhausted me by its lack of cohesion, overwhelming pace, and constant sensory overload. At the same time, however, Unrelapsed mirrors a struggle that many have endured but few can comprehend, and I genuinely hope Tomas found solace in its creation. Perhaps that alone should be deserving of a higher score. But the fact remains that Unrelapsed is plagued by persistent troubles— both old and new— and will only resonate with those who have a high tolerance for disorder and raw emotional expression.

Rating: 1.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Howling Invocations
Websites: tommyconcrete.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/TommyConcrete
Releases Worldwide: November 1, 2024

#10 #2024 #BlackenedHardcore #DevinTownsend #Hardcore #HowlingInvocations #ImperialTriumphant #Nov24 #Review #Reviews #ScottishMetal #TheLocust #TommyConcrete

Rotpit – Long Live the Rot Review (Happy Rotsgiving to All)

By Steel Druhm

2023 was a good year for death metal, and amidst all the quality knuckle-dragging, Rotpit’s Let There Be Rot debut was a most welcome unearthing. Spewed forth by fiends from such acts as Heads for the Dead, Wombbath, and Revel in Flesh, Let There Be Rot blended the worst angels of the Swedish and American schools of decay to deliver an entertaining dose of infectious medical waste with a shocking number of greasy hooks. It’s an album I return to often and it still sounds freshly deceased. This is why I was so surprised to see the Pit boys back only a year later with Long Live the Rot. With their commitment to all things rotten firmly in place (5 of the 10 tracks contain “rot” in the title) and a new drummer on board, can these pit demons once again show us where the slime lives while keeping things interesting and appropriately grotesque? Welcome to the first ever Rotsgiving!

Things open on an especially dank, brown note with “Sewer Rot” which is really the worst kind of rot if you think about it. It’s cavernous, slimy, slithering and oh-so unclean. It offers all manner of ear contamination, but somehow feels less bestial and brain-stimulating than the offal served up on the debt. The overall style is much the same as last time, with cuts like “Massive Maggot Swarm” and the title track throwing reverb-thick riffs and horrid vocals at the cavern wall to see what sticks. Enough does to keep you listening, but the overall fun levels are less than what I was hoping for. The Incantolation influence of the title track is quite endearing nonetheless. Prime cut “The Triumph of Rot” feels like it drops a cubic ton of wet concrete on you with its thick plodding advance that borrows muchly from Bolt Thrower. Standout “Tunnel Rat” is more urgent and in-your-face with a punky d-beat leading the way. It sounds like the earliest Entombed material and that’s always a good thing. “Funeral Mock” also stands tall with meaty riffage and enough aggression to infirm a femur.

While no track is completely barren of merit, the overall excitement and intrigue levels are lessened and none of the material hits as hard as the best stuff on the debut. I like that there are bits and pieces that recall the earliest days Paradise Lost, and the expected nods to Entombed and Dismember are fine (and, you know, expected), but the album feels overly restrained, which is not what one would expect from a band called Rotpit. Take “Dirt Dwellers” for example. It rides along in a doomy dirge with only brief hiccups into mid-tempo chuggery. It’s not bad, but it’s fairly dull and never takes flight. Maybe it’s just me, but I want more menace and anger in my mass grave of moldering corpses. At a svelte 35-plus minutes, Long Live the Rot doesn’t feel like a chore to get through, but a few cuts have flabby love handles that could have been trimmed. The production is cavernous, full of reverb, and skews a bit muddy, muting the instruments more than it should while lacking a big, oppressive guitar tone. That’s a miss for me, dawg.

Once again Jonny Pettersson (Massacre, Heads for the Dead, Wombbath) handles guitar and bass and brings chonky leads and gravely grooves to the decay ditch. His playing reeks of the early 90s Swedeath scene with frequent side quests into classic Incantation cave swamp doom riffage and the shitfun of Autopsy. I’m a sucker for the blueprint and when he executes it well, the songs crackle and pop like a diseased boil. However, the tendency to remain in a mid-tempo space for too much of the album saps a lot of energy from the material and truly killer riffs are few. Ralf Hauber (Heads for the Dead, Revel in Flesh) offers excellently ginormous, echoey death roars that suit the music and he sounds as large and in charge as last time. He’s the right man for the job and makes everything sound extra moist and squishy. New kit-man Erik Barthold (Darklands) brings plenty of percussive brutality to the crime scene, but again, things end up too restrained for him to work up a good mouth foaming.

I get the feeling the minds behind Rotpit spent the last year binging on old Incantation and Immolation albums and that oozed into their writing this time. The result is less about an orgy of violence and more about murky atmospheres. I prefer a potent blend of both and thus, Long Live the Rot leaves me feeling partially unburied.1 This gives me the sadz, and on the first Rotsgiving no less! I truly enjoy this project since it’s essentially the modern-day Death Breath, so I hope they have a longer shelf life than those Swedish sickos did, and that they can regroup to shove us deeper into the putrescence in the future. In the meantime, I’ll still celebrate the Rot season so give me a maggoty turkey leg and a bottle of hobo pruno and I’ll go sulk in the pit corner.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: War Anthem Records
Websites: facebook.com/rotpit666 | instagram.com/rotpit_official
Releases Worldwide: November 29th, 2024

Felagund

The band’s name is Rotpit. Half the songs on their sophomore album Long Live the Rot have the word “rot” in the title. This is knuckle dragging, club wielding, marsh-dwelling caveman metal. This is grimy, slimy, choking-on-swamp water metal. So if you’re here desperately searching for a review of the latest avant-garde post-metal release by a critically-acclaimed one man black metal project, I suggest you take your frontal lobe and shove it (preferably into the steaming heap with the others), because the noise the Neanderthals in Rotpit produce is only fit for plaque-addled amygdalas. As the proud owner of such grotesque brain matter, I found their 2023 debut Let There Be Rot to be a splendidly nasty affair. But can the same be said for their follow up? Can Long Live the Rot live up to the brutish power of its predecessor? Will I walk away once more, id pulsating and hip waders overflowing with viscous offal? I should be so lucky.

This may come as a shock to many of you, but Rotpit don’t appear to be overly concerned with musical evolution or artistic growth. The band that so disgusted you last year are back with a vengeance in 2024, and not much has changed. Long Live the Rot continues the pummeling assault Rotpit introduced on their first album, bashing in your eardrums with landslides of rumbling riffs, driving drums, and serpentine solos that slink between and above the perilous mountain of ichor. But as the record thunders onward, you can’t ignore the whiffs of Entombed or Bolt Thrower, nor can you overlook the understated but no less pungent stench of Sanguisanibog or the odoriferous Acid Bath riffs. But taken together, Rotpit continues to be their very own disgusting thing, an ethos that is driven home on Long Live the Rot.

“Sewer Rot” is a serviceable, fetid opener that boasts burly riffs, a doomy chorus, and plenty of buzzsaw guitar work. But in my estimation, the album truly finds its greasy footing on second track “Massive Maggot Swarm.” You’ve got an Acid Bath-infused main riff that disappears and reappears in between bouts of thick, trudging guitar, punishing double bass, and searing solos, all played through what sounds like a generous coating of soggy slime mold. Truth be told, most of the tunes on Long Live the Rot conform to a version of this approach, weaving in impenetrable walls of murky sound alongside heaving, repetitious riffs, mid-paced grooves, cavernous death growls, and understated drums that maintain momentum even when the guitars refuse to be moved. “Long Live the Rot” and “Funeral Mock” are album standouts, equipt as they are with both choruses and riffs that find their success through repetition. And while “Triumph of the Rot” and “Tunnel Rat” bring some welcome freneticism to the party, I’m here for the buzzy grime; the kind of oozing, musical muck that would make Anton Arcane gag.

It’s hard to have too much of a good thing, and thanks to a tight runtime and their ability to strike just the right balance between brutality and brevity, Rotpit have crafted a fun album that knows exactly what it wants to be. That’s not to say that every song is a prime cut (although they’re all beginning to turn). “Dirt Dwellers” is probably the most egregious example, sandwiched as it is between two stronger tracks and falling victim to that age old problem of death metal maniacs everywhere who traffic in the big, the dumb, and the grungy: monotony. Fortunately, while the dreaded M-word may rear its head from time to time, Rotpit knows not to overstay their welcome, and Long Live the Rot is all the better for it.

While this type of metal won’t be for everyone, I found Rotpit’s second album to be a grimy good time. And while I admit to being overly critical of “serious” artists in my opening, I can’t close without identifying what I believe to be the overarching ethos permeating Rotpit’s entire oeuvre. Tongue planted firmly in cheek though it may be, titles like “Triumph of the Rot” speak to a larger ideal; a philosophical undercurrent demanding that we, the listeners, learn to accept, embrace, and ultimately laugh at our own fleeting immortality. Just as Camus demands that we imagine Sisyphus happy, Rotpit demands that we imagine Sisyphus, well…rotting. In this way, Rotpit compose album-length memento mori, inviting us to reflect upon the inevitable. …But they also have a song called “Shitburner,” so what do I know?

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Ferox

Ah, Rotsgiving… a holiday for those of us who feel most alive when contemplating our own demise. We gather round the butcher’s block, as did death metal fans of yore, to celebrate an abundance of decaying riches. The Rotsgiving Day Parade plays in the background while Steel Druhm and Holdeneye prepare a traditional feast of Mystery Carcass and N00b Innards. Felagund spins tales of the Olde School while Maddog and Thus Spoke argue for novel ingredients and a cruelty-free Rotsgiving. Some of us are at home here in the mausoleum, and some stop by to visit from time to time. Cherd reminds everyone to slow down, that sometimes death is best appreciated with a side helping of doom. Have you been off traveling for a spell, like Mark Z.? Welcome back to Rotsgiving–and even if you can’t make it home this year, we always leave a place open for absent family members like Kronos and Ferrous Bueller. There’s even a kid’s table, where Doom et Al is free to blather while Kenstrosity and Dolph mash everything on their plates together and rate the resulting slop a 4.5.

We have high hopes for this year’s main course. Various religions exist to sell you on what happens to your soul after you die. Sweden’s Rotpit knows what happens to your body, and that’s all the inspiration this trio of diehards needs. On the band’s 2023 debut Let There Be Rot, guitarist and Guy in A Lot of Bands Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath, Berzerker Legion) teamed with fellow Heads for the Dead-head Ralf Hauber for a slab of scuzzed-up death built around the question: “What if the meaning of life is to provide food for maggots after you die?” The album resonated bigly with Steel Druhm and with death-inclined staff and readers. A scant year later, Rotpit returns to bestow the blessings of Long Live the Rot upon all who celebrate Rotsgiving. Will the staff leave the holiday table satisfied, or is this just reheated fare?

The ingredients in Long Live the Rot are the same as the ones in last year’s meal, even if this dish emerges from the oven with a subtly different mouthfeel. Pettersson’s reverb-basted guitars still dominate. A Rotpit jam typically kicks off with a stomping, stöopid down-tuned riff, after which a dental-drill lead guitar line asserts itself. This is scabby, dank death metal in the vein of Undergang or Autopsy. Pettersson tamps down his gift for hooks in favor of an approach that emphasizes grime and atmosphere. Ralf Hauber’s vocals always sound like he’s nauseated, which suits these songs about decay and the maggots that cause it. So what’s different? Let There Be Rot found an elusive sweet spot between murk and mirth, managing to engage even as it sickened. Long Live the Rot, in contrast, goes heavy on the scuzz and fuzz at the expense of songwriting. It’s still a fast and fun listen, but the new album finds Rotpit falling back into the death metal pack.

Not to air my controversial opinions during Rotsgiving dinner, but the best songs on Long Live the Rot are the ones that have good riffs. Standouts like “Triumph of the Rot” and “Funeral Mock” entice even as they envelop you in Rotpit’s signature fetid cloud. “Tunnel Rat” kicks off with a killer passage that evokes a tunnel borer drilling through tons of earth. If the album came fully stocked with riffs of this quality, Long Live the Rot would be a worthy companion piece to Let There Be Rot. Instead, there are songs and sections where the perfunctory riffage makes it difficult to distinguish one ode to decay from another (“Eat or Be Eaten,” “Dirt Dwellers.”) Maybe Rotpit needed more time between albums, or maybe the concept is already losing steam. Either way, Long Live the Rot is a perfectly nice set of scabby death metal anthems… which makes it a disappointment compared to the band’s opening salvo.

So maybe the main course is drier than we hoped. That doesn’t make Rotsgiving a disappointment. Look around the table. There’s a tray of Stenched that just came out of the oven. The Void Witch and Noxis courses should be along shortly, and I hear there’s Ripped to Shreds for dessert. As for this dish? Meat and potatoes always have their place.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

#2024 #30 #AcidBath #Autopsy #BoltThrower #DeathMetal #Dismember #Entombed #HeadsForTheDead #Incantation #InternationalMetal #LetThereBeRot #Nov24 #ParadiseLost #RevelInFlesh #Review #Reviews #Rotpit #WarAnthemRecords #Wombbath

Spider God – Possess the Devil Review

By Doom_et_Al

Black metal goes with just about anything, so they say. Shoegaze? Check (Deafheaven). Rock ‘n’ roll? Check (Kvelertak). Hell, even dream-pop has been incorporated (An Autumn for Crippled Children). Black metal covers of famous songs are now fairly standard (Fleshgod Apocalypse’s cover of Eiffel 65’s “Blue” and Children of Bodom’s cover of “Oops!… I Did it Again” stand as fairly notorious examples). But when Spider God released their infamous set of covers, Black Renditions, in 2022, the combination of overt pop sensibilities with legit black metal bona fides made metalheads take notice, if only for some to turn their noses up. Two full-lengths of varying quality followed (2022’s Fly in the Trap was a tonal misstep, corrected by 2024’s more energetic and fun The Killing Room). Now, the final part of the trilogy, Possess the Devil is here. Trilogies are notoriously hard to conclude well. Is this The Return of the King? Or The Godfather Part III?

For those who haven’t been keeping up, Possess the Devil follows the mysterious disappearance of ex-band member, Faustus, who got caught up in a deadly online game called—you guessed it!—”Possess the Devil.” This album promises to bring the mystery to an epic conclusion. Or something. I’m not sure that many people care when the vocals are indecipherable. What they might care about, however, is the sound. Spider God promise to not only continue the pop sensibilities noted on previous albums but to incorporate metalcore as well. Now… we have an awful lot of genre cooks in this particular kitchen. And they’re starting to throw things at each other…

The major issue with Possess the Devil is that, to my ears, the addition of new elements has unbalanced a sound that was perched precariously to begin with. The wonderful sense of melodicism remains, but the black metal has been almost entirely discarded, and what’s left is melodeath/metalcore with screeched black metal rasps. But there’s a reason the best melodeath bands have versatile vocalists: the songs rely on melody, and require vocal support to highlight the material. Spider God’s monochromatic growls jar instead with the music. In addition, the aural assault is so all-consuming, so front-and-center in the mix, that the album becomes wearying by the halfway point. This is a real pity because when you give it the time it deserves (and allow your ears a break), the material is some of the best Spider God have put out in their career. The pop has given way to a more Gothenburg-esque sound (think early Tribulation) which feels more natural than the pop/black metal of earlier stuff. Ironically, the best tracks are the ones that abandon the black metal aesthetic altogether. Musically, this is the best musical material of Spider God’s career. I just wish it were better integrated.

I’m also not entirely convinced the ‘mystery’ schtick works at this point. The band clearly loves True Crime and unsolved mysteries, and there’s nothing wrong with incorporating what you love into your work. But the pop and melodicism just don’t gel in my ears with the subject matter. Imagine Britney had sung, “Oops!… I slit her throat again!” Metal fans would rejoice, but it would be kinda weird for everyone else. Possess the Devil is kinda weird, not helped by the fact that the mystery element is totally pointless without a lyric sheet and, frankly, not all that interesting.

Possess the Devil is an odd duck. As the band moves ever away from black metal, the quality of their sound is refined and improved. Yet the reliance on black metal tropes (including the vocals) unbalances the sound. The “true mystery” vibe is also running dangerously thin. While fans of their material will undoubtedly enjoy this, I don’t think it’s persuading the doubters. I am glad this trilogy is over because I think it represents an opportunity for a talented band to think about where to next. Spider God feel like they’re caught (like a Fly in a Trap?) between their past and their future. This transition album is a flawed testament to that. It will be fascinating whether they march forward to melodeath/metalcore, or head back to their roots of underground black metal. Either way, I will be listening.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Repose Records
Websites: spider-god.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/spidergodband
Releases Worldwide: November 14th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlackMetal #Deafheaven #EnglishMetal #Kvelertak #Metalcore #Nov24 #ReposeRecords #Review #Reviews #SpiderGod