Initial Impressions: Obscura: Omnivium

Technical death metal has not historically been a favorite genre of mine, which is a little odd given the shared origins with slam and brutal death metal. Suffocation and Cryptopsy had as much to do with the advent of technical death as slam and brutal death. However, there are definitely groups that I have found extremely impressive. Obscura is one of those.

The technical death metal bands I typically enjoy are those that sound more organic. They are not as machine-like and sterile. Obscura fits that mold quite nicely whereas groups like Braindrill often suffer. Their songs actually sound and are structured like songs instead of overly technical guitar shredding with some vocals thrown in. Obscura is much closer to Decrepit Birth than Braindrill.

This album shows the band maturing their sound, taking leaps and bounds in improving from their last album. And I even enjoyed that one, so it is quite apparent how much I enjoy this one. Obscura uses a surprising amount of cleaner vocal styles on this release. The lack of diversity in the vocals is one thing that always bothered me about the aforementioned Decrepit Birth, so this is definitely a point in Obscura's favor. Beyond that, the guitar leads flow quite nicely with the rest of the music. The whole thing feels natural, which is rare in this style of metal.

This is a surprisingly good release from a still improving band. This band could get even better.

Sorry About the Lack of Posts

As many (or a few, I don't have an accurate grasp on my audience) have probably noticed, I have not been posting much lately. It is kind of difficult when you are running a business. Things have been extremely busy for me. Which is good. Business is thriving. Unfortunately, it means I have less time to spend on this blog. Maybe some day that will change again. I have no idea. I just have to kind of go with the flow. Hopefully you will all bear with me.

Initial Impressions: Warbringer: Worlds Torn Asunder

It would appear as if the retro thrash metal wave has passed. Most of the bands that populated the wave still exist at this time but we will probably begin to see a die-off with them. Only a few will continue, much like the first thrash metal wave. Only the strong will survive.

Warbringer is one of the strong ones. The band has rarely sounded like an imitator. It is very clear that they know the subject material well and have crafted their own take on it. It still sounds like Bay Area thrash, but it is Bay Area thrash done with a more modern twist.

Unfortunately this album is not exactly a step forward for the band. They are not treading any new waters with this release. It is very similar sonically to their prior albums. There is nothing really wrong with that per se. There are not a lot of bands out there who continue to put out innovative release after innovative release. Some are just content with the status quo. Warbringer appears to be one of those bands.

Their music remains aggressive with razor-sharp thrash riffs and in-your-face vocals. So basically, it is a Bay Area thrash metal record. No more, no less. As a fan of the scene, I have no problem with this. It is just not essential listening, that's all.

Initial Impressions: Vader: Welcome to the Morbid Reich

Everyone's favorite Polish death/thrash pioneers Vader are back with their ninth full-length album. Vader has been one of the most consistently amazing bands going for the last twenty years or so. Vader has never put out a bad album and still absolutely crushes live. This album is no exception.

This is a surprisingly dynamic album from the band. In previous works, Vader has mostly stuck to the same formula, brutal, take-no-prisoners death/thrash. While the general description has not changed much, the band has incorporated blazing guitar solo work complementing the riffs virtually non-stop. This has added a much more complex and melodic layer to the typical crushing riffs.

Beyond that, if you are at all familiar with Vader, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect with this release. The vocals and general musical formula have not changed. Vader sounds a lot more energetic this time out, which is really saying something for this band. They sound rejuvenated. This album could have passed for something they released in their early years.

The Saxophone in Metal

I know there have been recent posts about this on Invisible Oranges and possibly some other places, but I do feel qualified to make a post about this because I played the saxophone for eight years. I was pretty good at it too, winning several awards at solo and small ensemble contests and being a member of a high school jazz band chosen as one of 20 groups from across the country to perform at a contest honoring Duke Ellington's 100th birthday at Lincoln Center in New York. I have experience playing the alto, baritone, and soprano saxophones.

The saxophone has not made frequent appearances in heavy metal, it is typically a complimentary instrument and requires a guest appearance. Sigh is the only band I am currently aware of that employs a full-time saxophonist, Dr. Mikkanibal. While it would be interesting to hear a band use the saxophone full-time, the instrument often adds an eerie atmosphere to the songs in which it does appear.

So, after an exhaustive search through my collection, these are a few examples of the saxophone in heavy metal:











Anyone know any others I may have missed?

Initial Impressions: Iced Earth: Dystopia

One of the most difficult things to get used to in my formative years as a metalhead was the idea that sometimes bands changed their lead singers. I think the first bands that I noticed this with were Black Sabbath and Cannibal Corpse. Now obviously bands have been changing lead singers for years, but when I was younger and more naive the lead singer seemed like the most indispensable member.

All of the above is meant as an introduction to Iced Earth's latest release, with new singer Stu Block. Iced Earth has had a number of singers over the years, so it is really no surprise that the band is on their fifth different lead singer, with Matt Barlow serving two stints. Block was previously with progressive melodeath band Into Eternity, which is a band whose last couple of albums I have definitely enjoyed. I was interested in hearing how Block would do with Iced Earth. Iced Earth has always been guitarist Jon Schaffer's band. He is the creative force behind them and the only stable member over the years.

Iced Earth was a little stagnant on their last album. It sounded stale and was largely a disappointment. Sad considering that it was the second stint with Barlow. So, the question was whether the addition of Block would reinvigorate the band. That question was answered with an emphatic yes.

This is Iced Earth's best album in years. I think I prefer it even over the albums Tim Owens appeared on. Block actually sounds a little like a cross between Owens and Barlow in places. It is their fastest and most energetic album in a while. The riffs are still typical for the band, meaning galloping Iron Maiden-esque melodies.

Iced Earth has released a very good album here. While it is no match for their best albums at the height of the band's career, it is fairly impressive for a band going for a quarter of a century.

Reader Submission: Xpulsion: War is Imminent EP

Well that was fast. Within a few days after reviewing their new song, Nicolas from Xpulsion contacted me again to inform me that they have finished up their EP. The first song is on there, so I won't rehash anything about it. But there are three new songs on this EP.

The songs are structured similarly, with the exception of the closing title track. The first three songs each start out slow with a bass or drum rhythm leading into fast and frenetic thrash riffing. This band definitely utilizes speed. Usually about halfway through the song, the vocals kick in, which are fairly typical shouted vocals, normal for thrash metal.

The title track is the standout here as it kicks into high gear right away and never lets up. It closes with the ominously spoken name of the song, ending the EP on an impressive note.

The musicians are all highly competent and the music is pretty good. However, it does not really offer anything new, so people who are not fans of thrash metal already really will not find anything to change their minds.

Reader Submission: Xpulsion: "Welcome to Yourself"

Just a quick one-off here. Nicolas MacDuffee from California thrashers Xpulsion contacted me to listen to their new song and review it. I don't normally do one song reviews, but I figured what the hell.

The song starts off with a slower bass riff, but immediately kicks into high gear after that. From that point on it is just pure unadulterated thrash. The song remains fast and furious for the rest of its run time.

The band has a bit more of a classic Exodus-meets-Overkill style. It's raw and a little bit light-hearted but nevertheless razor-sharp. Xpulsion knows their source material well and they do an admirable job with this track. Looking forward to the EP.

This is definitely an old-school styled thrash metal track, so if you don't care for that kind of thing, don't listen. It is well-documented that I am a thrash fan.

Reader Submissions: Cadaverous Condition: Burn Brightly Alone

Recently Wolfgang Weiss of Austrian extreme metal band Cadaverous Condition contacted me to review his band's album. The band has apparently been around a very long time, forming in 1990. However, I was not familiar with them.

I went into the album expecting some sort of death metal with maybe some other influences thrown in. I was not expecting this. Cadaverous Condition do definitely have some rather straight-forward death metal songs, but a lot of the tracks are more acoustic folk-sounding, yet retaining the death metal vocals. It was pretty shocking to say the least. Included in the tracks was "We Both Go Down", which could be one of the clearest examples of a death metal love song.

Some of the songs are, as previously alluded to, fairly straightforward and simple riff-based death metal tracks. The band has been around a long time, so this is not unexpected. They do have a more old school approach to death metal, there are no technical or modern influences here, it's just good, old-fashioned death metal. These tracks are fine but are not where the band really shines.

It is the more folk-inspired tracks that really make this album. The melodies are often incredible. While the vocals do not really match the atmosphere of these tracks, they do not detract from it either. They often featuring haunting background vocals as well.

I was pleasantly surprised with this album. The music was not what I initially suspected to a large degree. The band has a terrific grasp on melodies and use their gift to some impressive results.

Bandcamp page.

2011 in Review: Albums I Missed

DISMA: TOWARDS THE MEGALITH
EVILE: FIVE SERPENT'S TEETH
VEKTOR: OUTER ISOLATION
TOXIC HOLOCAUST: CONJURE AND COMMAND

2011 in Review: Top Ten

10. SKELETONWITCH: FOREVER ABOMINATION
Despite arriving around the same time as the retro thrash metal movement and being largely considered one of the bands in said movement, Skeletonwitch has proven to be a much more resilient and impressive band. The band's take on old school blackened thrash with a modern approach has really come into its own. I have enjoyed all of their albums so far, but this one has been the best yet.

9. PRIMORDIAL: REDEMPTION AT THE PURITAN'S HAND
Ireland's top metal band has released yet another classic album with this year's release. While it is not quite as good as their previous release, it definitely still has its moments. Of course the band would not be nearly as impressive were it not for its stunningly talented lead singer.

8. THE GATES OF SLUMBER: THE WRETCH
Traditional doom metal has of course been making a major comeback in recent years and The Gates of Slumber is at the top of the movement. The band has an impressive sound without sounding too retro. The power trio seems to get better and better with each successive album.

7. CROWBAR: SEVER THE WICKED HAND
Crowbar returned for their first new album in nearly six years in 2011 and Kirk Windstein had a whole lot more pain to sing about here. Dealing with overcoming a drug addiction is an extremely painful process, one which the band covers on this incredible release featuring some of the band's best riffing in years.

6. DECEASED...: SURREAL OVERDOSE
Yet another band with a new release after a long time without any new full-lengths, Deceased... has been quietly one of this country's greatest unknown bands. The first band to sign to Relapse Records, Deceased... is still largely the same band that was an early pioneering death metal band.

5. SEPTICFLESH: THE GREAT MASS
Probably my second favorite Greek metal band, next to the amazing Rotting Christ, Septicflesh's sound is much more of a symphonic death metal band. Their music can best be described as epic. It is surprisingly catchy for a band of this style.

4. FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE: AGONY
It was apparently a good year for symphonic death metal as Fleshgod Apocalypse released a stunning album as well. The band's second album was even an improvement on their first album. We are witnessing the growth of an incredible new band.

3. REVOCATION: CHAOS OF FORMS
The thrash metal album of the year was from a band that was largely derided as a retro thrash metal throwaway for some time. But the band's other influences shined through on this release. Their technicality has improved and even some jazz influences popped up.

2. ULCERATE: THE DESTROYERS OF ALL
New Zealand's Ulcerate was born out of brutal death metal and added some surprisingly effective post-metal dissonant guitar melodies. The drumming has remained rooted in brutal death though. This was very nearly the album of the year.

1. SATAN'S HOST: BY THE HANDS OF THE DEVIL
Metallattorney's Album of the Year comes from this Colorado metal band that has released their finest album in years. Their blackened thrash metal material over the last few years has been impressive enough, but reuniting with original singer Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin of Jag Panzer has been a revelation. It can best be described as blackened power metal. An incredible album from start to finish.

2011 in Review: Newest Albums

Some albums I just received recently and have not had a chance to sink in yet. Here is a list of those albums:

BODYSNATCH: INSIGHTS OF A ROTTEN THEATRE
CONDEMNED: REALMS OF THE UNGODLY
DYSENTERY: INTERNAL DEVASTATION
ICED EARTH: DYSTOPIA
INSOMNIUM: ONE FOR SORROW
OBSCURA: OMNIVIUM
VADER: WELCOME TO THE MORBID REICH
WARBRINGER: WORLDS TORN ASUNDER

2011 in Review: Disappointments

MEGADETH: TH1RT3EN
I have mentioned time and time again how big of a Megadeth fan I am. Even when they were declining rapidly in the 1990s and early 2000's, they still usually put out something at least somewhat interesting, which is what makes this album such a disappointment. It is just so bland. I loved their last album Endgame, so this was a smack in the face for me. It's unfortunate.

SCAR SYMMETRY: THE UNSEEN EMPIRE
It's official, Scar Symmetry no longer has anything left. They went from being a wildly talented and catchy band to boring mainstream metal in the span of just a few albums. I blame the loss of singer Christian Alvestam. After he left, the band lost its most recognizable feature. Their last album still had a few good songs, but this one is just sort of there.

HATE ETERNAL: PHOENIX AMONGST THE ASHES
I just do not get it. Metalsucks has a massive hard-on for this band and has for years. I hear middle-of-the-road death metal with pounding and incoherent drumming. It's not that I dislike Hate Eternal really, it's that I do not think they should get the adulation that they seem to get in Metalsucks and Decibel. It just is not anything that a ton of other bands are doing better.

PENTAGRAM: LAST RITES
The U.S.'s original(?) metal band returned for the first new album in several years. While it is not a bad album really, it just did not really meet my expectations. I was hoping for some great traditional doom metal, and there are some tracks that meet that, but many sound like typical modern rock fare. That just is not going to cut it for me. I loved it on the first few listens, but that eventually changed as I continued to listen to it.

I DID NOT EVEN BOTHER WITH:
METALLICA AND LOU REED: LULU
MORBID ANGEL: ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS

2011 in Review: Favorite Songs

2011 in Review: Some Bands Never Change

AMON AMARTH: SURTUR RISING
Amon Amarth changes ever so slightly, to the point that each album is only slightly different than the one before it, but if you listened to this album as well as their first one back to back, it's obvious something has changed, it's just not noticeable unless you really pay attention.





AMORPHIS: THE BEGINNING OF TIMES
Obviously Amorphis has changed a great deal since their early days, but they have been releasing the same album each time for the last three or four times. I do not really have a problem with it in this band's case though because their progressive metal output blows their death metal stuff out of the water in my mind. Maybe that's just me though.



DEICIDE: TO HELL WITH GOD
Deicide has released the same album time after time after time. While their Anti-Christian lyrics are ridiculously over-the-top, Glen Benton seems like such a goofball that they have become less threatening and more humorous over the years. Benton does his own thing and really could care less about what any one thinks of it. Particularly Jesus.

2011 in Review: Best Album Cover

2011 in Review: Growers

These are a few albums that I did not really get on the first listen or so, but gradually grew on me.

ULCERATE: THE DESTROYERS OF ALL
It did not take me much to get really into this album, but it did take one or two listens before it really started to make sense. Ulcerate is a band that combines brutal death metal and post-metal into something almost otherworldly. It is very clear that the band's background is in brutal death and that influence shines through in the drumming, but the riffs are chaotic and dissonant, almost freely forming with very little structure. It's like Isis meeting Origin.

REVOCATION: CHAOS OF FORMS
The thrash metal album of the year came from an unlikely place, one of the very best retro thrash metal bands that has formed in the last few years. Revocation really found their sound on this one. Even though I have liked their material in the past, this one blew that away. However, the first few listens were not terribly impressive and it took me some time to realize how fresh and exciting this album really is.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Heathendom
Wishdoom

2011 in Review: Best Reissue

This one was pretty easy. It's not so much because the reissue is itself so good, but the circumstances. My wife bought me this for Valentine's Day. Nothing like Napalm Death for Valentine's Day. Of course this boxed set collects three mid-era Napalm Death albums together, when they were experimenting more with death metal. It's my favorite era the venerable band went through and here it is collected in one place.

HONORABLE MENTION: Bitter End

2011 in Review: Best Reunion Album

It was an interesting year for reunions as we got long-awaited new material from Pentagram and Autopsy, but the one that really surprised me was Anthrax's new album. With all of the drama leading up to its release, this one really looked like the thrash metal version of Chinese Democracy. I was morbidly curious about it so I checked it out on a whim, and I am very glad that I did. This album sounds great. It's particularly surprising given that I have never really been that big of an Anthrax fan in the first place.

HONORABLE MENTION:
Autopsy

2011 in Review: Best of 2010 I Did Not Hear Until 2011

For the first 2011 in Review post, I have listed five great albums from 2010 that I did not hear until 2011.

5. INQUISITION: OMINOUS DOCTRINES OF THE PERPETUAL MYSTICAL MACROCOSM
The album title and song titles are definitely a mouthful and Colombia's finest black metal band put out an album as monstrous as their vocabulary. With a sound similar to Norway's Immortal, Inquisition is easily one of the better pure black metal bands currently going. The band is clearly modeled after the aforementioned Immortal through their vocal style and riffing.

4. GHOST: OPUS EPONYMOUS
This album was not released in the U.S. until early in 2011 so it is not really my fault I missed it. This album blew my mind. Ghost sound similar to Blue Oyster Cult, but with blatantly Satanic and Anti-Christian lyrics. The lyrics contrasted stunningly with the often surprisingly beautiful music and the dry vocals. It was absolutely shocking. Unfortunately, I have a feeling this is a novelty and the next album will not be met with as much adulation.

3. DENOUNCEMENT PYRE: WORLD CREMATION
After years of releasing singles, demos, and EPs, Australia's Denouncement Pyre finally released their debut full-length album in 2010, which I promptly missed out on until 2011. The band is made up of well-seasoned veterans of Australia's underground metal scene, so there was never any doubt that they knew what they were doing. This album was absolutely crushing.

2. GRAND MAGUS: HAMMER OF THE NORTH
Grand Magus released my Album of the Year in 2008, so it was surprising that it took me nearly seven months from the release of this album to finally track it down. Once I did, obviously I was not disappointed. Grand Magus has found a way to make 1980's traditional metal sound as fresh and vital as it did back then. Grand Magus is easily one of the more interesting bands going right now.

1. WITHERED: DUALITAS
Withered took blackened death and combined it with sludge and post metal to release an album that could have easily competed for the Album of the Year last year. This album still takes my breath away every time I hear it now almost a full year later. This is a mindfuck of an album.

Happy New Year's

All this week, I will be posting end-of-the-year lists. I decided to change from my usual style which was to do one huge post. It should be more time-effective. So feel free to come in with any comments.

Christmas Haul and Upcoming Posts

Well it was a pretty decent Christmas for me. My wonderful wife felt bad that I have been unable to buy many albums this year, so she bought me three. They were the new albums by Iced Earth, Vader, and Warbringer. My little brother also bought me the new Obscura album, so four new albums after several months with only one or two.

Next week, I will begin my end of the year lists, so look out for those. My big jury trial scheduled for the entire week settled just recently, so I should have time to do some posting.

Reader Submission: Jehovah in Pain: Demos '09-'11

I was recently contacted by Max from Australian death metal band Jehovah in Pain to check out his band. It has been a little while since he contacted me and I do want to apologize that it took so long to get this out.

Jehovah in Pain is a band that prides itself on performing pure death metal with no alternate influences and nothing really accessible about it. While definitely influenced by death metal, it is not as if their music is completely inaccessible. This is music influenced heavily by the classics of the death metal genre but also having some modern sound as well. The songs are surprisingly catchy for a band claiming that their music is not accessible. This is heavy, groove-laden death metal with a fuzzy, heavily-distorted guitar tone and snarling vocal style.

The band clearly hates Christianity, as the song titles make obvious. We have "Downward, Christian Soldier" and "Re-Animate the Christian Corpses (So We Can Slay Them All Again)" as well as the simple and direct "I Hate Christians". It gets a little silly. I am not offended by this. Anti-Christian lyrics are not something I feel particularly strongly about. It just gets a little redundant after awhile.

Despite that one complaint, the music is not bad. This is a relatively new band just trying to find their way. They have an interesting sound. They have some room to improve. That's not rare.

Link.

Reader Submission: Monarch

I was recently contacted by Alex Pickard, bassist of the Vista, CA thrash metal band Monarch to check out his group. Being a big fan of thrash metal like I am, I was very interested in hearing them. I must say, I came away very impressed.

Monarch is an old-school thrash metal band with some brutal thrash influences. If I had to try to explain their sound, it would be a mix of Slayer and Dark Angel with some Demolition Hammer thrown in. The music is fast and intense with some absolutely shredding guitar parts. The songs presented on their page really do resemble something that would have been released in the mid to late 1980's.

Monarch has recorded four songs for their page, link can be found below. Each track is a monument to the thrash metal greats of the 1980's. The songs fly by with lightning speed amongst a fury of chaotic riffs, pounding drums, and shouted Araya-esque vocals.

The production values are also extremely impressive. The album sounds clean, but it does not lose any of the aggressiveness inherent in this style of metal.

I am very impressed with Monarch. I look forward to hearing more from them.

Link.

Reader Submission: Outrage: Go to Hell

Why is this the first I have heard of this band? Outrage is a German blackened thrash metal band in the vein of early Hellhammer, Venom, and Sodom. That happens to be one of my favorite styles of metal, so it's bizarre that this band has escaped me. Especially since the band was around in the mid 1980's before hanging it up and then returning in the early 2000's.

Obviously with the above comparisons to early Hellhammer, Venom, and Sodom, most of you probably already know what to expect. Fast, raw, and filthy blackened thrash metal that is also surprisingly catchy. The guitar tone is extremely impressive, cutting through like a knife. The atmosphere is dark and evil-sounding, just how I like it. The vocals sound like a cross between Tom Warrior and Cronos, with the singer occasionally emitting some surprising shrieks, which sound a little goofy at first.

The only gripe I have is the production. It is a little too crisp and clean, which for this style of metal is not really the best fit.

Obviously this band is just out there to have a blast playing the kind of music they want to play. It's a hell of a fun ride. I am surprised that this is the first time I have heard of this band, but I will definitely look into their past material.

One and Done? Pt. 8: Outworld

Outworld was an extremely impressive progressive/speed metal band out of Houston, TX. Musically they sounded somewhat like a faster version of Symphony X with Painkiller-era Rob Halford belting out the lyrics. The band only managed to release one album, the self-titled release from 2006. They did put out a couple of demos, but even though there were some rumblings about a follow-up, it never happened. Vocalist Kelly Carpenter left the band some time after the release and the band just never put another full-length out. Such a shame, because the one and only release they did have was simply incredible.

Take a listen:

Reader Submissions: Nomad Son: The Eternal Return

This album was technically released last year, but Metal on Metal Records re-released it on vinyl recently and asked me to review it.

Nomad Son is another in a seemingly endless line of traditional doom metal bands that has popped up in the last few years. Nomad Son is from Malta, the first band from that country that I have ever heard.

Nomad Son, as a traditional doom metal band, obviously has a great deal in common sonically with Candlemass, Trouble, and other usual suspects. That is, medium-paced epic-sounding metal with a heavy crunch and powerful melodies. The songs do not fall into the same trap that those of other doom metal band songs do, that is they are a little on the long side but without losing interest or meandering on aimlessly, unlike this sentence.

The most impressive musical aspect is the use of Deep Purple-esque keyboard lines. This gives the music more of a 1970's traditional metal vibe.

The vocals are a little different, evoking King Diamond and Dio with a little bit of rasp thrown in. It is a little bit difficult to get used to initially. After a couple of listens though, they begin to sink in a little bit better.

This is Nomad Son's second album and there are still some things that could be improved, but the band shows promise. There are a lot of traditional doom metal bands popping up these days and Nomad Son does not really stand out much from the pack, but that does not mean that the album is not well-done and a good listen. The band just has some growing to do.

Reader Submission: Battlerage: True Metal Victory

Metal on Metal Records contacted me once again with a few new releases to look into. Among these was this new release from Chilean true metal warriors Battlerage.

Battlerage was not a band I was previously aware of, but after hearing this album, I will definitely be watching this band. Battlerage is a throwback to classic, epic metal bands like Manowar, Manilla Road, and Brocas Helm. They fly the true metal banner quite proudly, particularly evident in song titles like "Raw Metal".

Their music is energetic and infectious. It is difficult not to bang your head along with this. They are not the most original band in the world, but they know their source material well and are extremely capable musicians.

The vocals are the best quality here. Singer Fox-Lin Torres does not have a huge range, but he has a lot of character in his vocal style. Whether performing with a gravelly sneer or a Dracula-esque clean, soaring style, his vocals always draw the most attention.

Even though this is the band's third album, it is the first I have heard of them. I will definitely be looking into them some more though.

Reader Submissions: Veratu/Naakhum Split

Some time ago I was contacted by Pol Guasch of Naakhum to review the split album of two underground black metal bands Veratu and Naakhum.

This split is kind of strangely put together. The songs alternate rather than one band's songs appearing first. Veratu has the odd-numbered tracks and Naakhum has the even-numbered tracks. It is a little disorienting, but I suppose credit for doing things a bit different is due.

Veratu's music is a little bit more forward-leaning, giving off a somewhat industrial vibe to their black metal foundation. There are not a lot of really good industrial black metal bands out there, so hearing a good one is pretty rare. Veratu also incorporates some ambient passages into their music. The band frequently uses sound clips to add to the grim and disturbing atmosphere. The vocals are made up of the fairly typical black metal rasp. Each of Veratu's songs can best be described as unsettling.

Naakhum utilizes a lot of folk and ambient elements in their tracks. The vocal style is more of a sneering groan, similar to some of the works of Finntroll among other bands. Naakhum's music has more of an organic feel than the technological style of Veratu. The band's second track on this split was completely ambient. It was far more soothing than the erratic Veratu. Their third track had some interesting melodies opening up the song. It really did feel like a folk song with an almost Spanish melody to the acoustic guitars.

Picking a favorite out of the two of these bands really depends on what you prefer: harsh and disturbing black metal, or smoother folk-infused black metal. Both bands are impressive. I am curious as to the rest of their discographies.

Updates

Sorry it has been a very busy month. That tends to happen sometimes when running your own law firm. I have multiple trials in the coming weeks. Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know I am still around and hope to get back to posting more regularly very soon. I have a few bands that have contacted me recently and I will get those reviews out as soon as possible.

Reader Submissions: Amputation Spree: Three/Inferno EP

I reviewed some of Amputation Spree's material a few weeks back when I did Slam Week. Sole member Spencer Van Dyk apparently caught wind of this and contacted me when his band released this third EP for a review. He promised a leap in quality on this release. So I was pretty eager to check this out as I was very impressed with Amputation Spree's previous material.

This EP certainly delivers. Amputation Spree refers to itself as "thinking man's slam" and I can honestly agree with that. Amputation Spree pushes the boundaries of slam death. This is not a soulless and generic Devourment ripoff like so many other groups. This band has a lot of depth and utilizes progressive structures to go along with their increasingly heavy slams.

The biggest surprise on the EP is the inclusion of clean vocal moments. That's right, slam with some clean vocals. Who would have thought? The band also uses some occasional dissonant chord progressions which gives off the impression of a slammier Ulcerate and some downright Atheist or Cynic-esque moments in the second and third tracks.

Amputation Spree continues to push the boundaries of slam death metal, forcing the genre to evolve somewhat away from the simplistic style it has largely become known for. This is extremely impressive. This band should really be checked out.

Flashback Song: Queensryche: "Someone Else"

Black Sabbath Reuniting

Link.

I guess this was just a matter of time. Ozzy was becoming completely irrelevant and Heaven & Hell ended with the unfortunate death of Ronnie James Dio. A new studio album is in the works. I will probably check it out. Hopefully Ozzy will not have much creative input. The last several Ozzy albums have been pretty much terrible. I did enjoy the Heaven & Hell album though. I am just not sure how Ozzy's voice will sound along with that.

This is obviously a huge announcement. The original heavy metal band has decided to reunite. Hopefully this is more than just a cash grab, but I am not too optimistic.

Initial Impressions: Megadeth: Th1rt3en

I am a big Megadeth fan. Even through the years the band was putting out subpar material, I continued to loyally buy their music. I have made that fact fairly clear over the years. Even after the band released Risk, an album so bad that I prefer Metallica's Load, Reload, and St. Anger to it, I continued to be a Megadeth supporter. Thankfully, the band never released another album quite like that one. So it should come as no surprise that I picked up the band's latest album, despite the ill-advised title. After Endgame, I thought Megadeth was going to put out another very good thrash metal album.

Unfortunately I am kind of disappointed with this one. I can't really put my finger on it. It just feels off. Most of the songs are medium-paced and reasonably catchy. It is like they just did not know quite what to do on this album. It feels stilted, like they were trying too hard and did not have any real good ideas.

This album marked the return of David Ellefson, longtime bassist for the band. That along with their last album which was very impressive, made me think that they were due for a late-career resurgence. But things just fell flat. This album is not a bad album really, it just is not what it should be. And that is disappointing. All of the elements are there, Mustaine's incredible guitar skills and his trademarked sneer, Ellefson's thundering bass, and some impressive work done by the other members, but it does not add up to a really good album.

I suppose the best thing that can be said is that at least Megadeth did not recruit Lou Reed to provide vocals.

Initial Impressions: Immolation: Providence

Immolation's newest EP is available for free download on Scion's website. For those who are familiar with the venerable death metal band, this EP provides no surprises. Immolation simply does what they do, and that is dark and occult death metal with razor sharp, jagged riffs and a gloomy, morose atmosphere.

Immolation continues to prove with this EP that they have a lot left in the tank. This is a short EP with only five tracks, but each track is strong. These are not leftovers from some album, they are individually great songs that really could have fit onto any of the band's albums.

Ross Dolan provides his usual impressive deep-throated roar on the tracks. It has become one of the band's primary characteristics. The other being the Morbid Angel-on-steroids riffing style that the band has used since the beginning. Of course that is compounded with the heavy bass and drumwork. Immolation has been going strong for nearly 20 years and they certainly sound like they could go another 20 on this EP.