44Mag: Outlaw Psychosis (2013)

Hmm.  My first thought looking at the band's name, logo, and the album title was that this would be some kind of Southern rock/groove-Hellyeah-style-whatever.  It would appear to be hard-rocking, beer-swilling dumbed-down music.  Some of the song titles don't really help with that.  Just look at "Brain Douche", "D.U.I.", and "Rock Smoker".  So I was prepared to hate this.

Despite all of that, the band is much more of a thrash/groove metal band, though one with a definite swagger that you would expect from a band fitting the description above.  There is a rather large amount of other influences in this, including straight-up hard rock, such as on "50 miles" which sounds like Guns 'N Roses gone a little more metal.  Other times they pull off the tough-guy groove metal sound of later Pantera, complete with Phil Anselmo-esque vocals.

It is pretty clear from the lyrics and song titles that this is a band that likes to party, get drunk, and have fun.  "D.U.I." is fucking stupid though and we don't need some meatheads glorifying driving drunk.  I have images burned into my mind from an alcohol-related motor vehicle homicide case that I had to defend.  It was a terrible case, and the two that died were not the drivers of the car.  I just don't care for this song at all because of it.

This is not a band that takes themselves too seriously.  Sometimes that is just fine.  We don't always need something that is overly thought-out, sometimes simple is just fine.  I did not hate this like I thought that I would.  It is fairly simplistic and the intentions of the band are very clear, it's dumb party metal.  Overall this is probably not something I would revisit often.  But others may like it a lot more than myself.

Teleport: Stellar Damnation (2013)

A lot of Slovenian bands have found me lately.  The latest is this thrash metal band that owes a lot of their sound to bands like Voivod, Vektor, Coroner, and other technical bands.

This is a short, three-song demo, Teleport's third such release since 2010.  The first track is simply an introductory instrumental track that builds up into the second song, which is far more representative of what to expect from Teleport.  The sound is definitely a much more progressive and technical one, with mechanical-sounding riffs and frequent time signature changes.  The sound is one which would have been at home in the late 1980's when technical thrash was becoming more commonplace.  It is truly a whirlwind of riffs and once one settles in for awhile, it quickly changes to something else.

The lyrics deal with a lot of science-fiction and Lovecraftian themes, furthering the comparison to Voivod and Vektor.  The vocals are delivered in a raspy shriek that calls to mind early blackened/death metal bands.  It fits in reasonably well with the music and lyrics but may not be the most appropriate style.

The only real issue I had with this is that some of the riff and time-signature changes seemed a little jarring.  This has the effect of feeling like multiple recorded sessions that were thrown together in editing.  This is a young band though and the chances are pretty good that they will be able to write more fluid songs in time.

I was impressed by this demo.  I like the style of metal, there are just a couple of minor things to work out, and I hope that they do.  I will be watching for a full-length.

Desecrater: Wretched (2014)

I think they spelled their band name wrong.  Oh well.  I suppose that should be expected from band members who have spent time in groups like Striktnyne and Arsnic.  Apparently it's an epidemic.  Or "epedemyq".

I can overlook all of that if the music is good and Desecrater does impress.  Playing an unholy mix of death metal and thrash metal, Desecrater have some downright killer riffs and pounding drums, resulting in a chaotic and ugly sound that will make you bang your head.  Shockingly, this is only Desecrater's debut album.  It is one hell of a debut.

Desecrater is absolutely relentless in their onslaught.  They hammer the listener with riffs that steamroll the listener.  Songs like "Cursed", "Avenge the Dead" and others do a terrific job of maintaining a slow burn throughout the entire runtime.  "Dark Holocaust" starts out with an extremely impressive guitar solo and builds on from there, and it is the best track on the album.

Desecrater's debut is a very impressive thrash/death hybrid with some great riffs and great songs.  I will definitely be keeping my eye on Desecrater.

Torchia: oNe (2013)

I have been getting a lot of melodeath bands sent to me lately.  Torchia is yet another one.  I have mentioned before that Finland has an impressive melodeath scene these days.  And Torchia is another Finnish melodeath band.

This is a short, three-song demo from Torchia and it exhibits the stereotypical characteristics of the genre.  The vocalist snarls and growls throughout the release, the riffs are pretty standard Gothenburg-style riffs, and the songs fly by pretty fast.  The lead guitarist is pretty impressive and his blazing soloing throughout the songs is probably the most impressive aspect of the sound.  They do also show some influences from Finnish bands like Children of Bodom, Norther, and Kalmah in their riffing style, in particular with regard to how fast some of the riffs are.

I will give credit to the band for their enthusiasm for the music.  They had a blast recording this thing and it is very clear from listening to it.  This is certainly not the most original-sounding band ever.  But this is just their first release.  With time some more original ideas may creep their way into the music.  Only time will tell.  

Eternal Storm: From the Ashes (2013)

It is possible that Spain is becoming a new hotbed for melodic death metal.  Possible, but I am not totally sure about this because so far I only know about this one and Dawn of Tears.  My knowledge of Spanish heavy metal scenes is not remarkably high so I am likely just writing stuff for the sheer purpose of writing stuff at this moment.  I will stop now.

"Unfading Memories" kicks things off with a very pretty acoustic guitar melody.  Metalheads know what is coming next.  The title track kicks in and features a lot of Slaughter of the Soul-esque riffing.  That is pretty much how this album unfolds.  Eternal Storm is clearly influenced by a lot of the bands from both the Stockholm and Gothenburg death metal scenes of the early 1990's.  The band lists In Flames, Edge of Sanity, Dissection, At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Hypocrisy, and others as their influences and that pretty much tells you everything you need to know right there.

The songs are all fast and reasonably melodic, and most are fairly short, reinforcing the comparison to the At the Gates masterpiece mentioned earlier.  Some come across as surprisingly brutal, such as "Boundaries of Serenity", which has a much heavier main riff and deeper, more guttural vocals.  The songs are catchy and the album is short and fast enough to be an enjoyable listen.

Eternal Storm do a pretty decent job at combining the sounds of the two major Swedish death metal scenes.  What results is an often-powerful, yet melodic take on the style.  This is not the most original sound in the world, but it is an impressive enough debut.

Alghazanth: The Three-Faced Pilgrim (2013)

This cover reminds me of Black Swan.  I don't really know how to feel about that.  On the one hand that movie bored the crap out of me, on the other hand Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman lesbian scene.  So there's that.  But really, Black Swan has nothing to do with black metal, at least I don't think it does.  So this album cover does not really seem to match Alghazanth's sound.  But that wouldn't be the first time an album cover was deceptive.

Alghazanth is another of those bands who have been around for quite a long time, yet their existence has completely alluded me.  The Finnish black metallers formed in 1995 and have released seven full-length albums now.  But since Finland has not been the site of any big black metal scenes, Alghazanth has flown under the radar for quite some time.

Alghazanth pepper their Second Wave Norwegian-style black metal with symphonic flourishes, lengthy and progressive song structures, haunting melodic interludes, and some surprisingly impressive musicianship.  The songs are all epic-length, but the band really does a terrific job at composition because the songs do not really drag.  The mention of "symphonic flourishes" probably caused some people to envision bad Dimmu Borgir moments, but that is pretty far from reality.  Yes there are moments, but they do not overwhelm the song and they are more there as complementary elements.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one.  Alghazanth is not reinventing anything here and they do not do anything a bunch of other bands have done, but the music is effective and interesting to listen to.  Sometimes that is enough.

Dawn of Tears: Act III - The Dying Eve (2013)

Dawn of Tears is a band that I am very familiar with.  Their 2007 debut was one of the strongest melodeath albums in years.  Seriously, it is that good.  The Spaniards captured just the right balance between extremity and melody.  Since that release though, Dawn of Tears only released a less-than-impressive EP in 2009.  Until now.

Six years later, Dawn of Tears has finally released their second full-length album and it definitely recaptures the sound that made their debut so impressive.  This is melodeath, but it is still heavy and it still kicks ass.  Which is much more than I can say for a lot of melodeath bands out there these days.  Obviously the songs are very melodic and infectious as the plague but the band writes some killer riffs as well, keeping things interesting.

Dawn of Tears follows the Insomnium theory of melodeath, which is to write somber, dramatic melodic death metal.  It is all very emotional and powerful.  There are some definite moments where the band comes perilously close to gothic metal, with the female vocals and the keyboards and the overall dark and moody atmosphere.  Luckily a well-timed blazing guitar solo or crushing riff typically comes in to rescue it from going too far down that rabbit hole.

This is an incredible album, very close in quality to their debut release, which is still one of my favorite underrated melodeath albums.  This one will likely join it.

Mad Hatter's Den: Welcome to the Den (2013)

My knowledge of the stories of Lewis Carroll is very slight.  So I really do not know much about the Mad Hatter.  I saw the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland many years ago and remember very little about it.  I did not see the Tim Burton version with Johnny Depp.  All I think of when I think of the Mad Hatter is the tea party.  So the Mad Hatter does not strike me as a terribly metal character.  Maybe that's just me.  But I was a little apprehensive about checking out a metal band using the Mad Hatter to name their band.

It does not shock me in the least that Mad Hatter's Den plays a kind of middling heavy/power metal.  I could guess that just based on the album cover.  Mad Hatter's Den definitely have some impressive moments, but this album is largely a forgettable standard modern heavy metal album.  The band is definitely at their best when they focus on shorter, harder-edged tracks such as "Shadow Lord".  At those times, Mad Hatter's Den is compelling and fun to listen to.

Then there are the other moments.  Some of the songs in the middle are much longer and much more of a chore to make it through.  "Sinister Monologue" is the metal equivalent to R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" debacle: long, melodramatic, and boring as all hell.  The dueling guitar and keyboard solos are definitely outdated as well.  And then there's the ridiculously slow and boring "Journey" and...holy shit is that a harp?!

Thankfully the band does get back on track to close out the album with some harder songs again.  I like heavy and power metal as much as the next metalhead, but it is a really easy genre to mess up.  Although "Sharks of Power" is one of the oddest song names I have ever heard.  I'm not even sure what that means.

This is listenable, but it is ultimately forgettable.  There is just not much here that really stands out.  And they don't even attempt to tell us the similarities between a raven and a writing desk.  Damn them.  

Dead End Finland: Season of Withering (2013)

I have said it before and it bears repeating: Finland has taken over the throne of melodic death metal from Sweden.  Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, and several other bands have continued to succeed where In Flames, Soilwork, and others have fallen by the wayside.  Well now add Dead End Finland to the list.  Despite the regrettable name, Dead End Finland are another fairly impressive Finnish melodeath band.

The opening title track sounds very much like Raintime, the now-defunct Italian band.  The combination of the reliance on keyboards for atmospheric effects, crunching guitar riffs, and clean-and-extreme vocals have been a staple of that band's catalog.  Dead End Finland definitely focus far more on the melodic side of things for this genre.  Those going into this expecting a straight-forward melodeath album will likely be disappointed because of the focus on melody and catchiness.

This is not to say that the death metal parts have been lost, there are still frequently heavy parts.  Extreme vocal styles do show up from time to time.  There are some crushing riffs and pounding drums.  It is just that these moments are combined with more melodic elements, such as symphonic-sounding keyboards or cleaner vocals.

Above all else, this is an infectious album.  It is a fun listen and this means that replayability is high.  Those seeking something really extreme will likely be disappointed.  This is just a good time album, and there is something to be said for that.

Lycus: Tempest (2013)

I discovered Lycus some time ago when I was seeking out funeral doom metal bands on Bandcamp.  I had looked into their 2011 demo at that time.  I noted that the band was a little faster for a funeral doom metal band and that their sound was probably more closely-related to doom metal bands with death metal vocals.  Overall, my impression was pretty positive and I even mentioned looking forward to this release.  Well here it is.

Lycus has put together a very worthy successor to their 2011 demo.  They still play a little bit faster than many of their funeral doom contemporaries.  The riffs move a little faster and the atmosphere is not quite as hopeless and desolate as say Evoken.  The melodies flow a little bit smoother and the compositions feel much more like complete songs than like random instrument noodling.

The band does a great job at creating a bleak atmosphere that is driven by the ultra-deep guttural growls and the incredibly slow guitar melodies.  The pounding drums keep things nice and heavy.  Once per track though, Lycus speeds things up to the point that it is almost a slower death/doom.  These moments are complemented by tremolo riffs and shrieked vocals.  These are often the most impressive parts of each track.  But these moments are fleeting and soon the devastation and desolation returns.

The last seven or eight minutes of closing track "Tempest" are a little unnecessary.  The song is basically over, it just keeps going with some ambient noise for awhile.  Not much else.  Cutting it out entirely would help the flow a lot more.

Funeral doom is still a very underground genre with very few well-known bands.  If Lycus keeps putting out records like this, they stand a very good chance of leaping to the front of the genre.

Lovijatar: Pimean Tuoja (2013)

Huh.  Of all of the subgenres of metal to combine into a new sound, I would never have expected stoner doom and folk metal to be entwined.  What's next?  Actually, I can't even think of a more unlikely combination.  Thrash metal and funeral doom I suppose.  That is now going to be the genre of my one-man band.  I will call it Speed Reaper.

Before I get to composing though, we need to talk about Lovijatar.  The name comes from Finnish mythology, as might be guessed.  Lovijatar is the blind daughter of Tuoni, the Finnish god of death.  The band is made up of members of Battlelore, a band for whom I am familiar, and Elephant Bell, a band for whom I am not.  Lovijatar is a true combination of those two bands' sounds apparently as Battlelore comprises the folk metal influence and Elephant Bell the stoner doom influence.

The riffs are thick and meaty with a lot of bass.  The stoner doom influence is very evident in the guitar riffs.  The folk metal influence permeates everything else, from the lyrics and vocals to the interludes to the extra instrumentation that is sometimes present.  Some of the melodies are also clearly folk-influenced, at least those that are not driven by the heavy stoner doom riffs.

The songs on this album are shockingly catchy and infectious.  I found myself tapping my foot along with it quite frequently.  The musicianship is incredible and the vocals really drive the album, the dual vocals on "Uhrilehto" in particular.  Some of the songs are much softer and far more folk-influenced, but then something like the High on Fire-esque riff in "Kulje Kuu Pala Paiva" happens, dragging it clearly back into the metallic.

I really enjoyed this album.  Apparently stoner doom and folk metal mix quite well when done by musicians of this caliber.

Incarceration: Sacrifice (2013)

I don't really think of death metal when I think of the name "Incarceration".  I have a fair amount of experience with incarceration, being a criminal defense attorney, and if I had to pick a style of metal that would fit best with the term, it would be thrash metal.  But we are not here to trifle over names.  Just know that Incarceration is a death metal band from Brazil that relocated to Germany.

The music here is a very impressive mix of the early Swedish death metal of Nihilist, Carnage, and Dismember with the more typical South American influences of Morbid Visions-era Sepultura and Sarcofago.  It is incredibly fast and intense with breakneck riffs, pounding drums, and hoarse, shouted vocals.  The guitars have a little bit of that buzzsaw quality that defined the early Swedish death metal scene, but the attitude and swagger definitely comes from mid-80's Brazilian metal.  The three songs presented here are take-no-prisoners barn burners.

The production is a little strange.  It has a kind of bizarre echoing quality, like it was recorded in a cave, or a jail cell.  Maybe that's where the name comes from.  It was a little distracting at first, but over time it is not as noticeable and just adds to the dark atmosphere of the EP.  The drums are a bit high in the mix and not really doing enough interesting stuff to be that noticeable.

I am definitely impressed by this band.  I will be looking forward to more material by them in the future.

Incarceration Bandcamp.

Paganus Doctrina: Omnipotense Aeternae Diabolus (2013)

I am not sure I have yet heard a metal band from Costa Rica.  That has changed with this release from Paganus Doctrina.  The band released a demo in the mid 1990's that garnered some attention and followed that up with a split before breaking up.  They re-formed in 2006, released another split and finally released this, their debut full-length album in 2013.  So here we are.

Apparently Central American metal is just as raw and filthy as South American metal.  I assumed this was a possibility.  The initial track is incredibly creepy and does a very good job of building a terrifying atmosphere, from the rain introduction to the tortured wailing and inhuman shrieking of vocalist Lord Demogorgon, it is a truly horrific-sounding track.  It is definitely one of the more impressively frightening tracks I have heard in some time.

After that, the band settles into an unholy concoction of the nastiest, grimiest forms of black, death, and thrash metal imaginable.  The reference points are obvious for anyone who knows the bestial South American scene.  Even though Costa Rica is farther north, Paganus Doctrina clearly fits into that sound.  The album does manage to hold up its horror movie vibe and continues to sound eerie throughout.  The absolutely insane vocals continue as well.

So yeah, this album rocks, seriously.  It captures the creepy aesthetic that good occult extreme metal is supposed to achieve.  It is dark and chaotic and downright frightening.  Not one to listen to while alone in the dark.

Countess: Sermons of the Infidel (2013)

Countess is a Dutch black metal band that has been around since the early 1990's.  Yet this is the first time I have had an occasion to listen to them.  Surprising considering how prolific they have been, releasing close to an album per year since their inception.  Countess is made up of two members on this release.  Orlok is the main driving force and sings and plays keyboards, bass and drums.  Zagan provides the guitar parts.

Given their name, Bathory is a band that came to mind when I first began looking into this band.  Countess Bathory, you know.  But that appeared to be a fairly apt association.  Countess sounds very much like a combination of the rawer blackened heavy metal of Bathory's early recordings and the much more epic-sounding material of the more viking metal-oriented releases.  The opening track is a perfect example of this with its keyboard-driven melody and simple blackened riff.

Much of the rest of the album continues along in this vein, trading keyboard melodies, riffs, and the occasional blistering solo.  The vocals are typically delivered in a standard black metal rasp.  The keyboard melodies really stand out on this album and are incredibly infectious and memorable.

The only real complaint that I have about this album is that it seems to be missing the kind of sinister feel that most of black metal is built upon.  This is more of a blackened heavy metal album than a black metal album.  The keyboards and solos are so clean and give off a feel of power and epic atmosphere that the black metal elements are overwhelmed.

That being said, I did enjoy this album and will have to look into Countess's impressive back catalogue.

Murder Cafe/Earth Burnt Black: Desperate (2013)

When something is billed in my email as "the most interesting split EP of the year", I am fairly skeptical.  And with good reason, I am a cynic after all.  This is a short, five-song split that was sent to me by To the Head Records, a small label out of Colorado.  Here we have two bands, neither of whom I had heard before.  So this should be fun.

First up is Murder Cafe, a band from Grand Junction, Colorado.  Grand Junction has some really bad associations for me.  If this were more of a personal blog, I would share my reasons.  It isn't, so I won't, but know that I cringe a little with the mention of that town.  Murder Cafe is kind of an interesting doom metal band.  The bass and drum rhythms are not really typical for metal.  It sounds jazzier than is typical for metal.  The songs are kind of a strange take on metal in general, with some spoken word vocals at times, and the ever-present bass riffs driving everything.  The intro track is a complete waste of a minute and a half.  This side of the split is just very strange.  I am not sure what to think of this band.

Next, we have Greeley's Earth Burnt Black.  This band is heavy.  But the first song is ridiculously slow and does not really do much of anything other than feature power chords and screaming.   The second track is a little bit more conventional, and certainly a lot more interesting in that there is actually some progression and semblance to an actual song, rather than some random rhythmic strumming and singing.  It is definitely the best track on the album, but that is not really saying an awful lot here.

This might be grower material.  Both of these bands are taking somewhat unorthodox takes on doom metal.  On initial listens, it is not terribly impressive, but if you asked me after repeated listens, perhaps my mind will change.  Or perhaps not.

Vorna: Ajastaika (2013)

Kicking things off in a manner lifted from Black Sabbath's self-titled epic is "Taakse jaa".  Every self-respecting metalhead knows the beginning.  The pounding rain and the church bells.  But instead of leading into the pioneer's dark masterpiece, we get a swirling black metal riff.  That eventually leads into some Finnish folk elements, and that is where we stay for the rest of the release.

It has been quite awhile since I have heard a truly worthwhile folk metal release.  When I first discovered the genre it was pretty exciting and every band offered something new and different.  But I have been a bit jaded by the genre for a little while.  I think it occurred when Eluveitie steadfastly refused to switch up their formula on subsequent albums after Slania.  I realized too much folk metal sounds exactly the same.  Luckily, Vorna offers something, while not exactly unique, certainly interesting.

That something is the absolutely epic atmosphere of Vorna.  The music is lush and textured, with a lot of stuff musically going on beyond just the guitar riffs.  Vorna's songs are very melodic and this melody contributes to the epic sound of the band.  The band utilizes organs and keyboards along with the riffs that sound incredible.  The vocals are usually delivered in a gravelly growl and they fit the music well.

As I said, it has been awhile since I have heard a really good folk metal album.  This album is one such really good folk metal release.

Metal Briefs: Slovenian Bands

This is another catch-up post in which I put several bands together in one post.  These bands were all sent to me by the same promoter and they have one thing in common: they are all from Slovenia.  Slovenia is not exactly a metal hotbed.  According to Metal Archives, there are 217 documented metal bands from Slovenia.  Here are three of them:

ARMAROTH: FALSE VISION (2013)

Here we have a fairly young death metal band, releasing their first EP in 2013.  Armaroth plays a somewhat unique combination of slow and fast death metal.  At times, the riffs plod along at a snail's pace, but they often complement that with some surprisingly fast sections.  The slower parts are fairly typical for modern death metal, heavy, down-tuned riffs, and deep, grunted vocals.  The faster parts that connect verses or choruses to verses are often the most interesting parts musically.  The band is able to shift tempos fairly seemlessly, and do so quite often.  "Labyrinth of Greed" is the standout here, with its generally faster pace and rampaging riffs, along with an impressive solo.  This is a solid death metal EP from a rising group.

MIST: DEMO (2013)

Mist is a group of five Slovenian women playing doom metal in the vein of Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and other masters of the genre.  This is the band's first release, a demo of two songs.  Mist play real doom metal, the way that it was played when the genre was conceived.  It is slow and heavy, but with a lack of distortion so that the riffs really shine through.  The vocals of singer Nina Spruk are clean and haunting, adding to the occult feel of the songs.  This is an extremely impressive first recording.  I am anxious to see what else this band can do.

MOTHERMOUND: THE BURDEN OF TOMORROW (2013)

Mothermound was previously known as Expulsion and were active from 1995 to 2005.  In that time period, they only released on full-length.  After a hiatus, the band re-formed in 2009 under the name Mothermound.  Reference points for the band's sound start with the early bands at the forefront of combining doom metal and death metal, groups like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, with a little bit of progressive metal thrown in a la Opeth.  The band kicks things off with the epic length "Aurora Awaken", which is a little unusual.  Typically the epics come at the end of the album, so right away it is clear that Mothermound thinks a little outside the box.  The band typically utilizes clean riffs, with the occasional acoustic section, very much like Opeth.  The band does not follow the typical verse-chorus-verse progression, another similarity to Opeth and the other aforementioned bands.  Vocals are alternated between a gravelly growl and a clean wail which sounds very much like Layne Staley at times.  Not a bad album, although it does tend to drag a little at times, which is not unusual with this brand of metal.

VladPromotion Quick Reviews Pt. 3: The End is at Hand

Finally, this is the last post from the stuff sent to me from Vlad Promotions.  Most of these bands have been thrash metal bands from a variety of countries.  I always like discovering new thrash metal.

MAD MAZE: NO TIME LEFT... (2010)

Mad Maze is Overkill-worshipping thrash metal from Italy.  This is a fairly short release, with just four songs on it, but it was Mad Maze's first release.  The band has the same attitude and swagger as the famous New Jersey thrashers and the vocalist even attempts the sneering vocals of Blitz.  The only thing missing is the speed.  Mad Maze does not play nearly as fast as Overkill.  But this is just their debut and there is something here.  I would be willing to check back on them.

ROARBACK: FACE THE SUN (2012)

Changing things up a bit here, as we take a break from Italian thrash metal and get a Danish death/thrash band.  This is also Roarback's first release and the music sounds most like a combination of early Death, when they were still basically thrash metal, with a little bit of Demolition Hammer thrown in.  It is definitely heavier thrash, but the riffs are a little too simplistic.  The songs do not really go anywhere terribly interesting.  It is a decent attempt, and since it is a first release there is a learning curve.  They have their debut full-length coming out this year.

RUSTED BRAIN: HIGH VOLTAGE THRASH (2013)

Polish thrash?  With a name like Rusted Brain, I would expect kind of silly party-thrash/crossover.  Something like Municipal Waste or D.R.I.  It starts off silly with what sounds like a sample of war sounds over classical music, I think it's a sample from Apocalypse Now.  The music kicks in and it is very fast and intense, and yes, fun.  It is just a frenzy of riffs and pounding drums, and it is simply relentless.  This is the kind of energy Metallica had on Kill 'Em All.  The Metallica reference also fits because the singer sounds like a young James Hetfield.  This is probably my favorite of the releases I have reviewed for Vlad Promotions, by a long shot.  It is definitely the most refined.

SKULL HAMMER: DESTROYERS OF THE FAITH (2012)

Alright, Canadian thrash!  This one was listed as Terrifier, so I had some difficulty finding anything about it until I found out Terrifier were originally called Skull Hammer.  I would have stuck with Skull Hammer personally, because Terrifier is too common.  As would be expected there is a fair amount of Sacrifice, Razor, and Slaughter in Skull Hammer's sound.  This sounds like something you would expect to have been released in the mid to late 1980's.  It is very authentic-sounding Canadian thrash, and there is definitely something to be said for that.

WOSLOM: TIME TO RISE (2010)

Finally, we have Brazilian thrashers Woslom.  Woslom has been kicking around for a few years, releasing a series of demos prior to this release.  In that time they have refined their fast and furious brand of thrash metal.  There is no clear-cut influences on this one, the band seems to take their ideas from a variety of bands.  The singer sounds a little like Chuck Billy of Testament when the band used more clean vocals.  The riffs are very impressive and the songs interesting enough to retain attention.  This is a very impressive release.

Frostland Darkness: Ad Moriendum Dei Gratia (2013)

I generally like those one-man black metal bands that are ambitious musically.  You can only hear so many ultra-lo-fi, raw, bedroom black metal bands.  I like the ones that try hard, like Burzum, Dodsferd, Lament Configuration, and others.  As you must have inferred by now, Frostland Darkness is a one-man black metal band.  Mantus Nord is the man behind the project, and he is from Finland.

Opening track "Rienaaja" is slow-paced with the same riff repeated over and over.  It does speed up in the final third, but the riff does not really change, making for a fairly dull listen.  Much of the rest of the album follows in the same general pattern, though most of the tracks start out much faster and just never really relent in speed.  The problem is that this is definitely more along the lines of the simplistic one-man black metal bands as mentioned before that I do not care as much for.

That is not the case for the entire album.  "Tuhon Kirkkaudessa" has a melodic opening and is probably the most dynamic track on the album, even though it does settle into the familiar single riff song.  It definitely has the cold atmosphere that good black metal is supposed to have.  In fact, the atmosphere is one thing this album has a decent amount of.  The other interesting aspect is that all of the lyrics are in Finnish, as could be concluded from the song titles referenced.  However since it is black metal, the lyrics can not really be understood anyway.

The biggest problem with this album is that it is fairly boring.  Since it is pretty simple and there is a lack of dynamics, not much really stands out about it.  It is not particularly impressive musically and it is not different enough from any other black metal band out there to capture attention.  As such, repeated listens are not likely to be frequent.  

I do not think this is a bad album.  Far from it.  It is just kind of boring.  I have said before, sometimes that is worse.

Metal? Briefs: More Random Stuff

I figured I would tackle a bunch of the albums that have been submitted to me over the last few months.  This next collection were albums that do not quite qualify as metal.  This is a metal site, so from this date forward, it will be very rare for me to review a non-metal release.  I just wanted to get some stuff out of my email for now.  Some of these were decent, some were unlistenable, but I tried.  Again, from this point forward, I may not review a submission that is not metal.  I will still likely listen to it, but I will probably only review it if it is truly exceptional.

BLACK DEPTHS, GREY WAVES: NEVER FOREVER SIMPLY DONE (2013)

I tried to parse that album title, and I just can't.  I don't know what it means.  The music is some sort of industrial/drone/noise, something or other.  Two tracks, each one over 20 minutes, and just noise.  Nope.  Not for me at all.

Black Depths, Grey Waves.

COLD-FEET CONTROL: TALES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED PT. II (2013)

Okay, what in the hell is this?  It appears to be metalcore/screamo mixed with techno or something like that.  Seriously, I cannot even get through this thing.

Cold Feet Control.

DEAD DARK SLIDE: FEEL THE HEAT (2013)

I have gotten three or four emails pushing me to review this thing so I finally relented.  It was not worth it.  Dead Dark Slide is a gothic rock band with a lot of Marilyn Manson-isms in their sound.  The promo materials were incredibly deceptive, referring to this group as "industrial goth rockers" and mentioning "shredding guitars" and "death metal with a twist."  There is not a lot musically going on.  There are no riffs to speak of, just some atmospheric keyboard parts, drumming, and the occasional strumming on the guitar.  This is basically a heavier version of The Cure or Bauhaus.  Absolutely nothing metal about it, with the exception of the track "F-ck Haet", which does actually feature riffs and some more guttural vocals, but that's it.  And since I am not a goth, this really does not do much for me at all.  Pass.  Some of you may like it, I am not among you.

Dead Dark Slide.

END ALL ELEGANCE: PROMO (2012)

Huh.  This is decidedly not metal.  It is definitely more of a rock feel, the occasional heavy riff complemented by some softer sounds.  Definitely melodic and emotional.  The songs are reasonably interesting but not really all that different from a million bands we have polluting the airwaves.  Think most modern rock radio.  It's not bad, but definitely not something I am all that interested in.

End All Elegance Soundcloud.

LAZY BONEZ: VOL. 1 (2013)

Lazy Bonez is billed as a "heavy metal-oriented" (bad sign there) band featuring some members of Tarot, a Finnish metal band.  There are some decent-sounding songs on here, definitely some catchy stuff.  "First to Go-Last to Know" is an interesting track featuring vocals from Marco Hietala (Nightwish) and Udo Dirkschneider (if you don't know who he is, you shouldn't be reading this site).  But beyond that and the ridiculous "Poker Face" cover, there is not really a lot to say about the album.  It is not original in the least.  The talent is there and it is kind of a fun listen, but I would not say it is essential.

WHIPPING POST: THE CAT O' NINE TAILS (2013)

This one is kind of interesting because it really sounds like something that would have been released in the 1970's.  The guitar tone, use of keyboards, and the vocals all sound very much like classic rock from the '70's.  Think Kansas, Edgar Winter Group, Foghat, and others.  There's something to be said for something like this, but really, why not just listen to the bands from that time period?