Catching Up: 2020 Part 3

Here we are again with another sampling of five releases from 2020.  Let's just dive in.

GATECREEPER: AN UNEXPECTED REALITY

I was kind of disappointed by this one.  All of the elements are there for a great death metal release.  Gatecreeper's style of death metal seems very rooted in Dismember style Swedeath.  If I had to pick a favorite Swedish death metal band, Dismember would be near the top.  And I loved the previous full-length releases from the band.  So, I really don't know what it is that did not quite resonate with me.  It is an EP technically, even though there are eight tracks, only one of them lasts longer than a minute and a half.  Maybe that's the issue, it is much more of a hardcore/death metal release than a real death metal album, though there are some real riffs.  I am not sure what to make of the track "Superspreader" given that this release came out in the midst of COVID either.  I just wanted more from this band that has impressed me so much in the past.  

MR. BUNGLE: THE RAGING WRATH OF THE EASTER BUNNY DEMO

This really is not a NEW full-length.  It's a re-recording of the first Mr. Bungle demo from 1986 with a couple extras thrown in for good measure and a couple tracks moved around.  Most of the original lineup returns with Mike Patton (Faith No More), Trey Spruance and Trevor Dunn, but they are joined by Scott Ian (Anthrax) and human metronome Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, virtually every other band).  Because this is a re-recording of a time before the band started fusing a lot of other elements and going completely bizarre in sound, the release comes across as a much more straight-forward thrash metal assault, albeit with a few surprises and the same sense of humor.  So those looking for the avant-garde sound of their three 90's releases best look elsewhere.  Patton remains one of the most compelling vocalists in metal and turns in a terrific performance on this release but does not exhibit his incredible range.  I think this is a worthwhile listen, and as a general thrash metal fan, I really enjoy it, but I could see die-hard Mr. Bungle fans not caring for it much.

NITE: DARKNESS SILENCE MIRROR FLAME

Nite got a little of buzz going for them in the metal scene for a bit with their 2022 release.  This one seemed to go a little more unnoticed though.  Much of the buzz centered around a description of them as black metal with hair band solos.  That is not entirely accurate really.  The band is made up of members of Dawnbringer, Satan's Wrath and High Spirits and is more of a traditional metal band with black metal influences, most obvious in the vocals.  This is a fun release that unfortunately doesn't really stick with the listener long after listening.  The solos sound great and the songs are impressive, but it just does not really sink in.  It's a good debut and the talent is obviously there for future releases, but it is a work in progress.  I will say the 2022 release is much better.

SKELETHAL: UNVEILING THE THRESHOLD

French death metal band Skelethal does a terrific job of blending old-school Swedish death metal influences with newer influences to craft an outstanding modern death metal classic.  The Dan Seagrave-looking album cover helps too.  This is one of my absolute favorite death metal releases of the year.  Between the Swedeath-inspired buzzsaw guitar riffing, croaking vocals and artillery blast drumming, all of the elements are there for this band to ascend to legendary status among the death metal genre.  This is just the band's second full-length release and they have already made a major impression.  I did pick up their 2024 release and just got it in yesterday.  I am looking forward to more of the same.  I admit I did get this band mixed up with similarly-named, also terrific death metal band Skeletal Remains, but I have gotten past that.

TEMPLE OF VOID: THE WORLD THAT WAS

I get Temple of Void and Venomous Maximus mixed up.  I am going somewhere with this.  I get them mixed up because they both play variations of doom metal and I discovered them around the same time.  I think I bought my first albums by both bands in the same order in fact.  Venomous Maximus has since broken up, but Temple of Void is still going strong.  The issue is that whenever I buy a new Temple of Void album, I think I am getting Venomous Maximus and their takes on doom metal are very different.  VM plays more of a traditional heavy metal style and it is catchy as hell, whereas Temple of Void is a death/doom style.  Don't get me wrong, they are damn good at it and their music sounds decayed and evil while crawling along like an eldritch abomination, it's just never what I am expecting to get.  That's my problem, not theirs.  This is one of my favorite releases from the band, second probably to Lords of Death.

Catching Up: 2020 Part 2

Things became pretty busy for a couple of weeks, so I have not been able to get through this stuff as quick as I would have liked.  Here are the next five random releases from 2020 I have picked up.

DARKENED: KINGDOM OF DECAY

Darkened is a newer Swedish death metal band featuring band members who have been around various bands for a long time.  This is their first full-length release.  Obviously Sweden has a storied tradition in death metal and Darkened definitely takes influence from the early 90's Entombed/Dismember/Grave sound, with a little bit of the grinding malice of Bolt Thrower thrown in for good measure.  Darkened show some impressive ambition with this release, opting for a varied approach in songwriting, rather than following the tried and true formulas of their predecessors.  There are some really dynamic moments on this release that keep things from delving into a rut.  This is a truly impressive first outing for the band and I need to follow up with them to see where they have gone from here.  

POUNDER: BREAKING THE WORLD

Pounder sounds like such an 80's metal band name.  And they definitely sound like an 80's metal band with music steeped in the traditions of the NWOBHM and speed/power metal acts like Exciter and Anvil.  The album cover even looks borrowed from the 80's.  Pounder also boasts the singing talents of Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Gruesome, Dekapitator, etc.), so there is definitely some credibility there. There have been an influx of acts that have based their sound in traditional heavy metal, so a band has to really be special in order to stand out.  Pounder have consistently powerful songs and a vocalist who does sound different enough from the rest of the bands out there that they manage to forge their own path.  This is an absolutely fun release that scratches the itch for good old-fashioned pure heavy metal of the denim, leather and studded metal variety.  

SCOUR: BLACK

This is just an EP, but since it is such a big deal, I decided to include it in this series of posts.  Scour is the black metal side project of Phil Anselmo who has enlisted some help with some other death/grindcore veterans.  Anselmo has long been involved in various extreme metal projects beyond Pantera and Down, so this was not too surprising.  This is actually the third EP Scour has released.  The sound is very raw with very little melodic going on, other than short interlude "Microbes".  The songs are all short bursts of energy without much in the way of a reprieve.  It really sounds like grindcore artists playing black metal as the guitar tone is much more chaotic and noisy.  Anselmo's vocals are fine, but again, would fit in more with death/grind.   I really cannot recommend it if anyone is looking for black metal though.  It just doesn't really FEEL like black metal, with the possible exception of closing track "Subprime".

SOLOTHUS: REALM OF ASH AND BLOOD

I was really getting into this band on this release.  Unfortunately they have since broken up, so this is the last release by Solothus.  The band is a death/doom metal band from Finland and they have a dirty, grimy sound similar to Japan's Coffins.  And like that band, the sound is basically Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, but slowed down to a crawl (though not quite as much as Coffins).  The intriguing part of the album is that there are melodic passages here and there that could almost be described as beautiful.  Then the album kicks back into the sludgy filth that makes up the majority of the release.  Solothus has shown some real songwriting chops on this album.  Hopefully the members stay involved in the metal scene.   

VISION OF CHOICE: MISTRESS OF THE GODS

Germany has a long and storied history in metal, dating back to the very early days of the genre with Scorpions and making a big name with Accept and then the German big three of thrash metal (Kreator, Destruction and Sodom).  Helloween and Blind Guardian also came from the country.  So I do find myself giving German bands a chance when I discover them and that's what led me to Vision of Choice.  What we have here is just a solid heavy metal album.  There is nothing mind-blowingly original about it, but all of the performances are impressive and the songs are relatively catchy.  I can't jump up and down and shout that everyone should check this out, but it won't be a waste of time either.