Category: Album Reviews

Auðn – Farvegir Fyrndar

Iceland is quickly becoming a burgeoning center for extraordinary underground metal and Auðn might have what it takes to be one of the leaders of such fervent movement with the new melancholic blackened album “Farvegir Fyrndar”.

Immediately “Veröld Hulin” evokes wintry mesmerizing atmospheres with arcane drum beats and soft arpeggios leading straight to a primordial ensemble of blackened guitar riffs and distant ominous growls that never truly overpower the inner melodic nuances.

“Lífvana Jörð” channels immense melancholy with ethereal guitar melodies bearing a remarkable crestfallen mood that continues to emerge throughout the entire song even if enraged vocals and faster guitar driven patterns often acquire particularly obscure tonalities.

“Haldreipi Hugans” continues to balance darkly poetic melodies and a mysterious blackened force as slow gentle harmonies are simply entwined to a massive dosage of aggressive guitar riffs and drums.

With similar bleak yet charismatic melodic textures “Ljósaslæður” gains hypnotizing power through surreal minimalist guitars and gloomy atmospheres that simply surround the harsher blackened core.

With crispy instrumental clarity “Skuggar” features a graceful crescendo of darkly captivating melodies genuinely evoking a rather emotional sonic palette that persists even through the scattered traditional black metal ferocious moments.

Channeling absolute darkness and multifaceted atmospheric black metal “Farvegir Fyrndar” holds the beloved Nordic mix of ethereal melodies and cold heavier sonic assaults as Auðn carefully weaves the elements of an essential winter soundtrack.

Antisect – The Rising Of The Lights

Anarcho- punk band Antisect has not released new music for over thirty two years yet suddenly has returned to the music scene delivering the powerful new album “The Rising Of The Lights” proving to be a relevant band with renewed energy and ideas rather than just a nostalgic trip.

On “Spirit Level” there are hints of fury and unstoppable anger with opinionated screams and untamed borderline aggressive guitar riffs that maintain a gritty punk attitude even if the whole instrumentation showcases a more modern catchy sound with additional metal elements.

With bold straightforward metal grooves “Acolyte” seems to lose the old school punk drive except for the chaotic screams and also delivers scattered pleasant melodic phrases.

“Welcome To The New Dark Ages” can be extremely melancholic with minimalist contemplative acoustic melodies but is also ready to pick up speed and distortion with monolithic guitar riffing and fierce vocals surrounded by a rather ominous atmosphere.

“Black” stands out for the intense & catchy grooves built by powerful bass lines and crunchy guitar riffs following familiar energetic metal dynamics while vocals shift to baritone delivery matching the general gloomy mood.

“Scared To Die” feels like an almost apocalyptic soundtrack starting with somber atmospheric nuances that suddenly give way to a more aggressive guitar driven rhythm deeply fueled by controversial punk attitude.

Inspired by strong political views and a will to survive despite the inevitable demise of human race Antisect delivers the visionary album “The Rising Of The Lights” with vibrant unrestrained artistic freedom.

Cloak – To Venomous Depths

Georgia based young band Cloak is eager to enter the chaotic realm that is the current metal scene with the promising debut album “To Venomous Depths”.

“To Venomous Depths/Where No Light Shines” dwells in the darkest limbo where rock and black metal meet and inevitably embrace. Cloak doesn’t refrain from crafting deliciously addictive guitar driven grooves that bear the malevolent heavy dynamics of doom and dark metal while fully embracing a mystical grim atmosphere that continuously fuel the song’s melodic core.

The compelling darkness of “Within the Timeless Black” is constantly enhanced by a similar black ‘n roll attitude that influences the whole instrumentation as the galloping mid paced rhythmic sections are naturally entwined with highly somber melodic passages filled of monolithic dark atmospheres.

There is an enchanting gothic feel on “The Hunger” reminiscent of the unforgettable early days of gothic metal. Here guitars focus mainly on the creation of melancholy infused melodies that reach a cathartic acme in a dreamy yet quite dreadful breakdown.

“Beyond The Veil” begins with a hymn to the darkest shades of metal and remarkable doom accents that will contribute to craft a more dramatic mood in the suspenseful introspective breakdown while a fair dosage of crunchy riffing and faster drumming keep an unrestrained blackened core obviously enhanced by proper vicious growls.

“Deep Red” starts with comforting somber melodic guitars that recall the ethereal darkness of Cascadian black metal but soon Cloak delivers a charismatic blast with entertaining classic heavy metal riffage and  gradually build loads of energetic rhythmic dynamics characterized by monumental blackened flavors.

While “To Venomous Depths” displays the expected rough edges of a debut album you can readily perceive the refreshing passion for dark music behind the work of Cloak and certainly we can expect much more on the band’s next endeavor.

Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – Vol 1

There was a time when Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats was still simply unknown and the very first music effort “Vol 1” was recorded on a low budget and pressed in small numbers. As the story goes, this album ended up acquiring a cult status and now songwriter Kevin Starrs has decided to re-release this charismatic D. I. Y. project finally mixed and mastered.

Maintaining its fashionable inner raw essence and rough recording style “Crystal spiders” introduces the vintage mixture of psychedelic and occult rock that characterizes Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats  as acidic guitar riffs build a series of massive retro rock bluesy grooves that lead to a glorious spacey guitar solo.

“Lonely And Strange” feels particularly irresistible with a deliciously spooky organ intro swiftly followed by full blown ‘60s-‘70s dazed psychedelic energy enhanced by spacey melodic guitars and vocals that will lead to a simply tremendous neverending trippy guitar solo surrounded by a moody melancholy.

“Vampire Circus” stands out for the entertaining dizzy & creepy guitar riffing that sounds like music straight from the ‘70s, absolutely not watered-down, and a guitar solo that holds an unpolished raw trippy psychedelic power.

The exquisitely groovy “Wind Up Toys” might have hints of retro doom that will inevitably make you space out as addictive galloping guitar riffs and a simply catchy chorus build up strength culminating in a visionary psychedelic rock par excellence guitar solo.

Initially released in 2010 “Vol 1” used to be a mythical item, a mysterious work of music and now all Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats loyal fans have a chance to finally own it and gain insight on the early days of the band.

Rikard Sjoblom’s Gungfly – On Her Journey to the Sun

A solo album from the frontman of the band Beardfish, takes the listener on quite a journey. This album is loaded with tons of great, memorable vocal melodies and very 70’s prog influenced sections.

Of the Orb: opens the album with over 10 minutes of music. What would a prog album be without that? Lots of cool vocal melodies happening here with some very nice chord progressions. There’s a pretty cool long solo section towards the end that’s very entertaining.

On Her Journey to the Sun: starts off with a bit of a Latin chord progression, followed by some very full and interesting sounding vocal melodies. The vibe I get is that the vocals play a very important role in this music. Everything fits together very nicely. The bridge is very pretty!

He Held an Axe: kind of brings things down a notch, but in a very good way. The story telling vibe really comes through here. Again there’s no shortage of very nice chord progressions here. Very well done, with some nice dynamics

My Hero: If you enjoy 70’s Genesis, well you’ll love this track. I know I sure do. There’s definitely a modern feel thrown in as well. This track really stood out to me.

Polymixia: This is prog done right. We’re just going to leave it at that…

Over My Eyes: is very dynamic, and haunting. The song almost pulls you into it, to the point that you forget where you are and become fixated with feeling. I guess that’s what music is supposed to do. This song adds some nice variety to the feel of the album.

Honeymoon Disease – Part Human, Mostly Beast

As the retro rock revival continues to trigger interest worldwide Swedish rockers Honeymoon Disease are ready to release the sophomore album “Part Human, Mostly Beast” generously packed with healthy rock & soul grooves.

“Doin’ it Again” obviously focuses on energetic guitar driven dynamics characterized by a lovely vintage sound and the song has enough catchiness and vibrant melodic quality to keep the listeners entertained.

“Only Thing Alive” keeps a straightforward electrified vibe with danceable quality as guitars and vocals keep up with the adrenaline infused rhythm that culminates with a readily enjoyable wild rock guitar solo.

The emotional warmth of “Rymdvals” delivers a pleasant change of pace as sincere vocals elegantly flow through guitar melodies that acquire soul tonalities and guitar solos are in charge of providing a wilder retro rock style with fashionable intensity.

With frenetic entertaining rhythmic patterns and lovely vintage lead guitar work “Four Stroke Woman” is another amusing track fueled by the unforgettable hard rock energy that still influences the current music scene worldwide.

Night By Night” adds a hint of melancholy to the raw high energy guitar driven grooves provided by the expected cohesive series of rock riffs and sparkling choruses.

“Coal Burnin” gradually builds rhythmic strength with loads of fuzzy riffs and a catchy melodic core always enhanced by intriguing guitar leads performed in proper traditional hard rock style and charismatic vocals.

At the very first listening “Electric Eel” feels sweaty and gritty as every hard rock anthem should with galloping guitars and thick bass lines focusing on the creation of quite accessible fuzzy rock grooves.

Even if “Part Human, Mostly Beast” doesn’t feel memorable all the way through, it would be enjoyed best if you play it loud with a party mood as Honeymoon Disease certainly demonstrate to have the ability to channel the dazed energy of the glorious ‘70’s.

 

Dawn Of Disease – Ascension Gate

German death metal act Dawn Of Disease has crafted the newest release “Ascension Gate” keeping in mind the band’s primordial extreme metal influences and offering a more modern melodic approach inevitably fueled by introspective melancholy.

At the very first listening “Perimortal” gives you a taste of the melo-death attitude that dominates this album. The remarkable guitar work should never be ignored as the crunchy fast paced rhythm always leaves space for loads of dreadful refined melodies carefully embedded in the entertaining solos.

The title track feels like a melancholic melodic death metal anthem as it begins with solemn atmospheric quality that simply embraces the intense growls cutting through a soulful crescendo of dramatic guitar melodies.

On the darkened track “Akephalos” you can definitely perceive the weight of Swedish death metal influence as the accelerated rhythmic patterns acquire harsh tonalities yet guitars also provide absolutely vibrant melodies.

Staying true to fashionable Nordic melancholy “Fleshless Journey” might be the most emotional song of the album as, despite being filled with extreme grooves, melodic guitars maintain a primary role crafting several contemplative moments with pleasantly impressive musicianship and sonic clarity.

“Mundus Inversus” certainly features a fair dosage of unrestrained rage with massive guitar driven grooves and tight rhythmic patterns yet, as it often happens throughout the album, guitars reach a terrific gloomy acme constantly and confidently creating deliciously sorrowful melodies.

Overall, “Ascension Gate” manages to include some of the brutal fundamental elements of traditional death metal yet Dawn Of Disease skillfully raises the bar introducing epic vibes and exquisite melodic textures.

Zaius – Of Adoration

In the overcrowded metal scene the emerging Chicago based instrumental quartet Zaius deserves to be on your radar as the debut album “Of Adoration” showcases stellar musicianship and intriguing songwriting skills that should not be ignored.

“Phaneron” opens the album with a refreshing modern sound supported by eclectic instrumental passages that channel the ethereal quality of post-metal as well as an undisputable fascination for slick tempo variations with a slight prog orientation. The main core here is rather melodic as elegant distorted guitars maintain polished tonalities but don’t necessarily refrain from occasional heavier accents resulting in an entertaining music blend.

“Sheepdog” begins with a heavier approach yet guitars maintain a charming clarity which inevitably favors a crescendo of convoluted melodic patterns that stand out particularly when the rhythmic section slows down evoking a comfortable serenity.

“Seirenes” is a refined sonic shape-shifter but certainly focuses largely on dreamy melodic guitars that eventually pick up higher dosages of distortion yet never truly leave behind the emotional kaleidoscope that the whole instrumentation strives to maintain through all kind of fancy prog tempo signatures.

“Colin” essentially doesn’t diverge from the mood that characterizes the whole album as guitars effortlessly shift from crunchy somber tones to mellower clean melodies always keeping a balanced harmonious flow and often leading to the exploration of hazy melancholic soundscape.

It must be noted that despite the instrumental complexity on “Of Adoration” there is a profound sense of relaxation in the smooth variations and sound clarity that bear the trademark of atmospheric post-metal and Zaius confidently demonstrates to have a precise music pathway in mind.

The 3rd Attempt – Egocidal Path

Looking for new creative outlets former Carpathian Forest guitarists Tchort and BloodPervertor joined forces to start the new band The 3rd Attempt and the sophomore release “Egocidal Path” is ready to unleash an explosive collection of moshpit friendly black n’ roll grooves.

With such a fitting title you know exactly what to expect from “Blood, Dope And Black N’ Roll”. The 3rd Attempt dwells in a world of pure darkness yet the tight guitar riffs and the upbeat tempo craft many stomping worthy grooves as well as majestic somber tonalities while diabolical screams and cold atmospheric accents channel the depth of traditional black metal.

“Into The Light” continues this darkly epic pathway with eerie atmospheric quality as guitars and drums provide memorable groovy patterns that require immediate headbanging while occasional clean vocals add dramatic vibes.

“Egocide” evokes an extremely darkened mood fueled by the particularly ominous theatrical vocal delivery and massive unrestrained guitar riffs that set in motion a heavier rhythmic approach and borrow the sinister tonalities of raw primordial black metal.

“I’ll Do It Now” begins with undisputed blackened fury with punishing drums and relentless guitar riffing but gradually acquires also a solemn mood with vigorous clean vocals.

“The Oath” still features accessible black n’ roll dynamics as guitars always carry catchy energetic vibes through a ruthless faster rhythmic maze and additional sonic variety comes with a slower mysterious breakdown amplified by passionate clean vocals.

Blackened guitar driven grooves are always entertaining and you will also find plenty of familiar wintry nuances on “Egocidal Path” as The 3rd Attempt delivers a cohesive work of music which aims to conquer new acolytes in the fervent underground metal scene.

Witchery – I Am Legion

Over two decades of existence is already a great achievement but Swedish extreme metallers Witchery still have a lot to say and with a revamped line-up and hard work the new full length “I Am Legion” emerges from the expected blackened abyss.

The sinister lead single “True North” is rightfully Introduced by the massive traditional crunchy blackened metal guitar riffing of “Legion”. With creepy keyboards and absolutely cold vibes “True North” showcases familiar bold grooves with thick black n’ roll riffing galore and diabolical growls that acquire surprising catchy tonalities in the chorus while the refined guitar solo channels melodic nuances.

“Of Blackened Wing” features hints of traditional doom oriented patterns moving at a slower comfortable pace but still favors the expected blackened essence as drums fiercely pick up speed followed by confidently vicious growls and guitar driven grooves.

With ritualistic vibes and devilish growls “Dry Bones” continues to unleash a crescendo of fiery guitar riffs that easily builds entertaining Nordic influenced rhythms and maintains a pleasantly dark mood even when a fancy guitar solo steals the spotlight.

On “A Faustian Deal” the unrestrained black n’ roll whirlwind becomes quite dominant as catchiness and heaviness collide to create a dazzling blend of gloomy melodies and icy cold riffing that deliver several memorable groovy moments.

Instead “Ragnarok” prefers to focus on an old school raw black metal approach that aims for faster rhythmic sections and ravenous galloping guitar riffs while another shredding guitar solo briefly interferes with such untamed blackened fury.

Creating music since 1996 Witchery has established a solid status in the metal scene and while “I Am Legion” might not be classified as an innovative work of music it still confirms that the blackened essence of the band is intact and ready to be unleashed worldwide with a renewed energetic blast.