Cleveland blackened thrash punks Midnight are currently on a North American tour supporting Obituary and Abbath while waiting for the upcoming full-length “Rebirth By Blasphemy” set for an early 2020 release via Metal Blade Records. At The Forge in Joliet Midnight impressed the crowd with a thrilling performance full of unrestrained raw energy and a quite distinct sound, don’t miss this awesome tour!
To celebrate the latest crushing release “Outstrider”, available via Season Of Mist, Norwegian icon Abbath returns to North America accompanied by an excellent band and armed with a blackened energy well known to those who have been following him since his days with the mighty Immortal. A shroud of frost surrounded The Forge in Joliet as Abbath took the stage with his towering presence wearing an armor and ready to conquer the audience with the expected black metal fury and alluring icy melodies. The intense setlist included some of the finest offerings from the new album such as “Bridge Of Spasms”, “The Artifex”, “Harvest Pyre” and “Hecate”, but also Immortal’s classic “One By One” ensuring an unforgettable diabolical live experience.
So many have been anxiously waiting for the return of Norwegian metallers Borknagar and after spending three years writing and rebuilding the line-up the new album “True North” comes to life through epic dynamics with a true Nordic spirit.
As the album begins with “Thunderous” you can immediately appreciate the impeccable detailed composition that aims to blend multiple styles as gelid atmospheres, gorgeous somber melodic progressions and solemn clean vocals certainly hold a crucial role in contrast with the tormented blackened rhythmic segments & venomous growls.
“Up North” successfully channels a multitude of feelings through the cold guitar tonalities and the consequent melancholia infused melodic splendor that will constantly engage the listeners with the variegated guitar phrases and the smooth rhythmic variations following a fascinating prog rock inspiration.
The dramatic essence and the wintry feelings of “Wild Father’s Heart” are naturally generated by refined soulful guitar melodies that inevitably evoke a profound sense of nostalgia accompanied by poignant vocals within a graceful instrumental ensemble further enriched by shimmering atmospheric arrangements.
The lengthy track “Tidal” still focuses on a spellbinding melodic palette perfectly embodied by the inspiring melodic passages as the guitar work is destined to steal the spotlight crafting many memorable leads while the occasional powerful heavier momentum still demands fiery riffage and thrilling rhythmic crescendos.
“Voices” shifts the focus on an opulent melancholic soundscape almost leaving behind the harsh rhythmic blasts to create an intricate atmospheric maze around the utterly sorrowful vocal harmonies and to fully emphasize an introspective melodic approach.
At this point the music style of Borknagar has acquired an ex novo diversity a bit distant from their black metal roots but definitely destined to attract a wider audience with compelling melodic aesthetics and the genesis of “True North” symbolizes such natural evolution leading to a grandiose multifaceted opus.
Known for his work with the experimental black metal band Botanist, Dylan Neal has created the haunted electronic project Thief inspired by sacred chant music and the sophomore album “Map Of Lost Keys” definitely has a distinct mystical flair.
The mood of “Frost Breath” shifts from calm spacey moments to anguished atmospheric crescendos emphasized by mysterious electro accents and somber vocals.
“Pyromancy” often feels like an esoteric experience with distant filtered chants emerging through blurry atmospheric waves and claustrophobic electro beats entwined with noise elements.
The slow monochromatic rhythm of “With Love, From Nihil” evokes a fragile serenity as the synths craft melancholy infused atmospheres with an evident gothic inspiration accompanied by fragile whispers.
“Unsafe” again relies on multilayered atmospheric arrangements surrounding ethereal dreamy melodies that will eventually reach a rhythmic acme with increasingly urgent electronic beats.
“Without A Master” has a darkened aura that influences the wistful atmospheric tapestries until everything becomes a bit chaotic with unexpected harsh noise accents.
“Spirit Archery” feels more intricate with an intense spiritual energy that naturally generates trippy moments combining smooth eerie harmonies, hazy classical chants and evidently darker electronic segments.
The experimental drive behind “Map Of Lost Keys” showcases the intriguing sonic evolution of Thief leading to enigmatic soundscapes and surprising catchy electro beats that can certainly appeal to a niche audience.
As frontman of black metal icons Immortal Abbath certainly gained a fundamental role in the Norwegian black metal scene and back in 2016 his eponymous debut album as a solo artist generated massive interest. Now the time has come to impress the audience even more with the menacing new offering “Outstrider” which promises the expected blackened fury as accompanied by solid musicians Abbath presents to the world his intriguing music vision.
The softly gelid acoustic harmonies of “Calm In Ire ( Of Hurricane)” foreshadow an utterly dark sonic realm in fact Abbath’s vocals sound absolutely ominous accompanied by a killer mixture of somber melodic guitar licks and hints of pure black metal fury but certainly the classic heavy metal blasts and groovy rock elements render everything quite catchy.
The rambunctious rhythm of “The Artifex” comes from the obvious blackened roots and the groovy rock dynamics effortlessly generated by bold drums and fierce guitar riffs are enriched by the tenebrous aura of the vocals but the song gets even more interesting when guitars add bewitching melodic phrases and flamboyant soloing.
“Harvest Pyre” is an addictive track due to the monumental blackened grooves courtesy of the perfectly frostbitten guitar tonalities sometimes embellished by nostalgic vibes within the galloping rhythmic section while of course Abbath’s signature croaking growls always convey an irresistible sinister mood.
The title track might surprise you with a major melancholic mood naturally expressed by the laid back arpeggios in the intro and the finale but the rest of the song offers plenty of heavier and utterly darkened rhythmic dynamics keeping a robust black ‘n roll framework.
“Hecate” rightfully continues to rely on a savage series of blackened rock grooves maintaining a catchy flow with loads of chunky guitar riffs but definitely benefits from the addition of sumptuous epic arrangements and dramatic atmospheric nuances.
The world of “Outstrider” is a perennial winter that somehow makes you feel comfortable as in the midst of a blackened blizzard Abbath clearly pays homage to the glorious old school metal but confidently follows his own sonic evolution to ultimately create an entertaining opus.
Swedish enigmatic band This Gift Is A Curse shares with the world a malignant blackened sonic manifesto that will leave you breathless and shattered within the visionary realm of the third album “A Throne Of Ash”.
It’s not surprising to hear how vicious “Blood Is My Harvest” can sound with a cohesive series of ruthless rhythmic patterns mixing black and sludge elements with thick guitar riffs and menacing growls following the drumming breakneck speed through a pitchblack atmosphere.
The impending doom of “Monuments For Dead Gods” leads to introvert guitar melodies and even if the rhythmic segments often follow a slower dramatic tempo the whole instrumental work maintains an impenetrable darkness amplified by the utterly desperate growls.
The asphyxiating atmosphere of “Wolvking” introduces a violent sonic assault as the brutally fast rhythmic approach demands chaotic guitar riffs, crushing drums and borderline experimental noise elements.
“In Your Black Halo (Mass 317)” is full of creepy dissonant sounds creating a suspenseful mood but all the noisy feedback foreshadows the beginning of an occult ritual and the band proceeds to offer immensely darkened guitar riffs marching through the aggressive rhythmic maze and the occasional calmer yet intensely ominous segments.
The arcane aura of “Wormwood Star” is naturally generated by dense atmospheric layers reminiscent of familiar post metal dynamics that become a crucial element consequently guitars put aside the usual frantic approach to focus on foreboding melodic textures that lead to an alluring hymn to darkness.
This Gift Is A Curse are clearly devoted to absolute darkness in fact “A Throne Of Ash” dwells within a limbo between a physical and an astral plane and can sound immensely ferocious with an unstoppable extra heavy approach mainly fueled by the band’s major classic black metal roots.
After many years Anneke van Giersbergen returns to North America on an extensive stellar tour with Amorphis and Delain. We all know Anneke’s prolific work as vocalist of The Gathering and as a solo artist she also collaborated with several amazing bands and musicians, but this time she brings a very intimate live experience with an acoustic set that simply delighted the crowd at The Forge in Joliet. It was a pleasure to see that Anneke’s passionate performance included the famous The Gathering song “Saturnine”, “Ih-Ah!” from her collaboration with Devin Townsend Project, the melancholic “Circles” from her solo album “Everything Is Changing” and to end the show Anneke delivered a stunning cover of the classic Iron Maiden song “Wasted Years”. It was a truly unique acoustic concert and we hope to see Anneke back on the road in North America in the near future!
Following the great success of the new album “Queen Of Time”, available via Nuclear Blast, the mighty Amorphis are back on tour across North America. The show at The Forge in Joliet proved once again that Amorphis have garnered a truly loyal fanbase in North America and everybody appreciates that they are playing live here more often. The stellar setlist covered a lot of Amorphis extensive discography including “Into Hiding” and “Black Winter Day” from the breakthrough album “Tales From The Thousand Lakes” and the iconic “My Kantele”. Amorphis also played many songs from “Queen Of Time” including the popular “The Bee” and “Wrong Direction” while one of the memorable highlights was certainly “Amongst Stars” featuring a lovely duet with beloved guest vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen who joined them as special opening act on this tour.
Dutch symphonic metal band Delain have built a solid reputation in the last few years and are currently co-headlining with Amorphis on tour across North America. Earlier this year Delain have released the successful EP “Hunter’s Moon” via Napalm Records and few days ago the video for the brand new single “Burning Bridges” which they are performing for the first time live on this tour. As expected the show at The forge in Joliet was packed as the North American fanbase keeps on growing exponentially every time Delain are back on tour and the crowd was quite impressed with the new single “Burning Bridges” and clearly in love with favorite songs such as “Fire With Fire”, “Hands Of Gold” and the melancholic ballad “We Are The Others”. Vocalist Charlotte Wessels delivered bright vocals with great confidence and interacted with the fans throughout the show while despite the absence of drummer Joey De Boer due to visa delays, substituted for now by Jan Rechberger of Amorphis, the band’s chemistry was evident from beginning to end.
