Bölzer: Soma (2014)

This is now the third release from the Swiss genre-defying band Bölzer.  I have previously covered their first full-length from 2016 and their first EP from 2013.  So, I have definitely taken a weird sequence to get to their second EP, which actually came before their first full-length.  It kind of makes exploring their evolution a little difficult.

This is a two-song EP, and each of the songs is somewhat long.  The sound most closely resembles the previous EP instead of the later full-length.  The songs are generally built around a few ridiculously heavy, grinding riffs with swirling leads and some of the harshest vocals I have heard from the band.  This is possibly the heaviest release I have heard from the band.  I can only imagine  how much of a shock it was for the band to go from this sound to the much lighter and catchier Hero.

So I guess it is time to ask the same question I asked when I reviewed Aura.  Which release is better?  I guess I could rank them.  I actually prefer Soma to Aura personally.  I was not sure which of the releases between Aura and Hero was better previously, stating that it depended entirely on whether I was in the mood for something heavy or catchy.  I have since come around to preferring Hero and I still think I like it the best out of the three.  

Bölzer: Aura (2013)

After being thoroughly impressed by Bölzer's only full-length to date, I figured I should at least take a look at some of their other material.  The aforementioned release is somewhat controversial among long-term fans of the band apparently as Bölzer went in more of a Mastodon-esque sound, which was not present in their earlier material.  This EP was released three years before and was Bölzer's second release overall, after a demo in 2012.

This is a short, three-song EP, though the run-time is not particularly short.  The sound on this release is not easy to categorize.  There are a lot of elements present, but it typically ranges somewhere between death, black and sludge metal.  The riffs are murky and incredibly heavy, but there is melody underlying everything.  Stranger still is how remarkably catchy and infectious the songs are.  There is a lot going on here and it takes a few listens to fully catch everything, but this is a rewarding listen.

Now, the question is whether this EP is better than Hero or not.  Honestly, I think it depends on what you are looking for.  Hero is significantly more melodic with catchier songs, and some almost sing-along choruses.  This release is significantly heavier and more chaotic.  So it comes down to personal choice.  Personally, I somewhat prefer Hero, but this one is damn close.

Bölzer: Hero (2016)

Bölzer was recently recommended to me by my friend and law school colleague Kelly of the seemingly defunct blog Full Metal Attorney.  We exchanged recommendations and I decided to check the band out.  I had never heard of them before checking out this release.

Bölzer is a Swiss black/death metal band, though that categorization is a bit simplistic, particularly on this album.  Now, many of the Swiss bands that have come out over the years are difficult to categorize because they cross over into a variety of other genres.  Just look at the bands Tom G. Warrior has been in (Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Triptykon) and Coroner, along with Eluveitie.  Just kind of hard to pigeonhole.  Bölzer follows suit on this release.

The album kicks off about as well as it possibly could with the hard-driving "The Archer" which has a terrific riff and some stunning vocals.  The band basically sounds like a black metal version of Mastodon, particularly through the bellowing vocals.  The guitar tone has a Gojira-like heaviness and mechanical sound to it.    The album more or less continues in that style throughout.  The riffs are heavy and sludgy, but with some melody shining through at times. 

Despite the fact that this is officially Bölzer's debut album, it caused some controversy.  Apparently long-time fans of the band were not happy with a perceived softening of the band's sound.  I am not sure I agree that the sound has softened (and yes, at this point I have heard both Aura and Soma, the band's prior EPs).  There is more melody and the vocals are a little cleaner, but I still definitely hear the same band, albeit with more of a stream-lined sound. 

I came away quite impressed with Bölzer.  Enough that I went back and picked up a couple of their earlier releases.  They have the kind of sound that is likely to capture some mainstream appeal, so I think it is a matter of time before they break out.

Reevaluating To Mega Therion by Celtic Frost

First off, I am never going to claim that I did not care for this album at any point.  This has always been my favorite album by Celtic Frost.  And it has never been particularly close.  The album is legendary and for very good reason.  There are multiple classic songs here, songs like "Circle of the Tyrants" and "The Usurper".  And so it has earned its legendary status.

The album stands as a landmark in the creation of a number of extreme metal genres, including thrash, death and black metal.  What I have realized however, is that it may contain some of the very first death/doom metal tracks.  Death/doom is largely considered to have started in the early 1990's with groups like Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Morgion.  But several songs on this release (and several on the criminally underrated Journey Into Mystery by Dream Death) have all of the elements that came together into the fusion genre.  Songs like "Dawn of Megiddo", "Necromantical Screams" and the aforementioned "Circle of the Tyrants" all sound like something that could easily be on an early Paradise Lost album with their slow and lumbering, yet massively heavy riffs.  And the tone on the guitar and bass during the riffs is something of which Asphyx would be proud.

Finally, I think that "Endless Summer" is one of the most underrated songs in the entire Celtic Frost library.  It never seems to be mentioned among the band's many classic songs, but it absolutely should be.  That opening riff is absolutely amazing and it is one of the heaviest and fastest songs the band has ever released.

I am by no means saying anything controversial when I refer to this album as a legendary release.  It gets massive amounts of credit for its influence on death and black metal, I just think it is equally important to the genesis of death/doom as well.

My Favorite Metal Band from Switzerland

Okay, I listen to a few bands from Switzerland, but most of them are basically the same band. Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, and Triptykon are essentially all one band. So, because Celtic Frost was around significantly longer than the other two versions of the band, they get the honors. Plus, it's damn hard to beat To Mega Therion. Celtic Frost of course was hugely influential on several styles of extreme metal. So they get the win here.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Coroner
Eluveitie
Hellhammer
Samael
Triptykon