Excommunicated - Skeleton Key

Excommunicated
Skeleton Key
Underworld Records

After fifteen years in existence, and four full-length releases to their name, Baton Rouge (Louisiana, U.S.) based black/death metal outfit Catholicon decided to call it a day in 2009. Rather than simply fade into obscurity, vocalist Chad Kelly quickly put together a new line-up together, and with ex-Despondency guitarist/bassist Jonathan Joubert and ex-Suture guitarist/bassist Jason McIntyre, Excommunicated came into existence in 2010 (Kelly also foundered Underworld Records).
Twelve months after first coming together, Excommunicated, along with the help of session drummer David Kinkade (Borknagar), finally wrapped up their recording sessions, and have duly released their debut full-length effort ‘Skeleton Key’.
Not unlike Kelly’s work with Catholicon, Excommunicated is a conceptual project, with the lyrical content of ‘Skeleton Key’ based on the corruption and dark history of the Catholic Church in medieval times. Musically, the band doesn’t stray too far from where Catholicon left off either. But while Catholicon and Excommunicated are firmly rooted in the black/death metal genre, it’s clear that Kelly has definitely pushed his latest musical endeavour to incorporate a greater measure of diversity from song to song than anything he’s presented within his former group.
Excommunicated begin the album in a rather subtle manner, with the two minute instrumental piece ‘The Abandonment Of Hope’ featuring some great melodic lead work over a gentle backdrop. While the track itself is impressive, it does fade out a little too quick, which does take away from the impact it really should have had.
Next up is ‘The Incorruptibles’, which is more along the lines of what you would expect from the group. Bordering on black metal in the riff department, Kelly’s dual vocal approach (Guttural growls and high end rasping shrieks) adds a distinct death metal influence to the song, while Kinkade’s relentless and varied drumming work throughout adds a bit of a grindcore feel in places. Overall, ‘The Incorruptibles’ is definitely one of the album’s true highlights, and definitely one of the more eclectic offerings from the band.
‘Cry To Heaven’ is another strange hybrid track that’s clearly influenced in part by a strong folk metal vibe in its construction, but given a twist with Kelly’s vocals that gives the song a melodic death metal vibe within the choruses (Bringing to mind Amon Amarth), while tracks such as ‘Minutes Of The Corpse Trials’, ‘When Death Claims Its Most Righteous Dead’ and the technically executed ‘The Vatican Orgies’ are straight out blasts of sheer death metal brutality.
On the guest appearance side of things, ex-Wolfen Society/Nocturnus/Acheron guitarist Vincent Crowley adds a special vocal performance on the slower and menacing ‘The Birth Of Tragedy’, while King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque adds a distinctive guitar solo to the otherwise sinister and thrash like ‘Keys To The Kingdom Of God’.
Finishing up the album is ‘The Sum Of All Life’s Pain’, which like ‘The Abandonment Of Hope’ is a haunting and darker doom-like atmospheric piece, and one that sums the album up on a high note.
While the album does have some serious flaws (The fade out on some of the songs does seem a little hasty, and the song writing on the more straight forward death metal numbers seems a little unremarkable), ‘Skeleton Key’ is a solid and diverse sounding debut effort from Excommunicated, and the kind of album that will appeal to those who don’t mind their black/death metal a little more on the unconventional side of things.

For more information on Excommunicated, check out - http://www.myspace.com/excommunication

© Justin Donnelly

The Horde - Thy Blackened Reign

The Horde
Thy Blackened Reign
StormSpell Records

Hailing from Iowa City (Iowa, U.S.), The Horde are a speed/thrash act that emerged onto the scene with a vengeance with the release of their debut E.P. ‘From Empire To Ashes’ in 2008 (Through Scenester Credentials Records). Now two years on, and after a revamp of line-up, The Horde (Comprising of vocalist/bassist Duncan, guitarists Derek Joseph Ahrens (5th Dawn/Ageless) and Tim Matthews and ex-Lividity/Cygnus Loop drummer James Whitehurst) are back with their debut full-length effort ‘Thy Blackened Reign’ on the retro metal specialist label StormSpell Records.
Picking up exactly where their E.P. last left things, ‘Thy Blackened Reign’ sees The Horde maintaining their mix of N.W.O.B.H.M. (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal), speed/thrash metal and primitive black/death metal (In the vein of Venom and Bathory) in the sound sense, while retaining a distinctly Viking/ Norse mythology/war theme on the lyrical front.
The description mentioned above does lend its weight to a fair amount of expectation, especially given the rise of speed/thrash metal over the last five years. And while ‘Thy Blackened Reign’ is far from an absolute classic, The Horde has managed to produce one mighty fine album indeed.
The opening riff of ‘Death Foretold’ gives you the impression that The Horde is primarily a thrash act first and foremost. But it isn’t until you’ve really given the remainder of the track a good listen that you fully understand the many levels of influences that make up the band’s sound. Traces of melodic death metal, old-school metal (Which is more than evident in the raw and unpolished production values, and the Iron Maiden like dual guitar work and gallop) and thrash (Especially within the shredding lead work) all have their places within the song, and all come together to give The Horde a sound that’s hard to pin down, yet so appealing.
The title track ‘Thy Blackened Reign’ reveals a bit of a thrash/punk vibe with its faster passages and rather simplistic choruses yelled out in primitive form, while the darker feel of ‘Hell Beast Of The Pale Frost’, the hammering ‘Supertusk’ and the slower paced/doom like ‘War God’ are monumental slabs of old-school metal.
Elsewhere, tracks such as ‘Vengeance For A King’ (Which is preceded by the short instrumental piece ‘A Kingdom Cries’) and the closer ‘With Death (Comes The Horde)’ (One of the rare exceptions where the band explore atmospherics, moods and tempos within a single track to create something of an epic) are some of the stronger highlights to be found on the album.
Pinning down any one particular sound or genre to a band’s album can sometimes be a real drawback, especially if the songs on the album seem to drift from one genre to the next. But in The Horde’s case, it works in their favour. Their collective influences work in a way that doesn’t make much sense, but sounds great nonetheless.
In terms of the production, ‘Thy Blackened Reign’ could have benefitted from a bit more time, and Duncan’s vocals could do with a little more help or back-up (The choruses do lack in some places). But despite these few problems, ‘Thy Blackened Reign’ is a great album for what it is, and should be sought out by any self-respecting old school thrash metal-head.

For more information on The Horde, check out - https://www.facebook.com/hordemetal.

© Justin Donnelly.

Atriarch - Forever The End

Atriarch
Forever The End
Seventh Rule Recordings

The groundswell of praise for Portland (Oregon, U.S.) outfit Atriarch has been slow and steady over the last couple of years, with many hailing the band as one of the best up and coming acts within the blackened/doom metal scene in some years. And with the four piece act (Comprising of ex-El Cerdo/Tree vocalist Lenny Smith, guitarist Brooks Blackhawk, ex-Graves At Sea bassist Nick Phit and ex-Get Hustle drummer Maxamillion Avalon) having signed to Seventh Rule Recordings for their debut full-length offering ‘Forever The End’, we can finally determine whether Atriarch can live up to the hype.
Comprising of four tracks, and running for a little over thirty-six minutes, it’s clear that ‘Forever The End’ is not the kind of album for those with short attention spans. Atriarch isn’t in any rush to get their point across, and it’s well and truly clear from the running length of the four songs presented here.
Musically, the blackened/doom metal tag given to the group’s sound gives the listener some idea of what to expect from the band’s compositions. But if you dig a little deeper, you can also find traces of some old school gothic influences dotted throughout the album as well (We’re talking Bauhaus and Christian Death rather than anything new here) through some of the atmospheric touches on guitar tones and the album’s overall dour and morbid vibe.
In terms of the songs themselves, ‘Plague’ opens up proceedings and sets the tone of the album with its slow tempo, smothering and suffocating mix of rumbling bass and drums, haunting guitar work and a rasping vocal performance from Smith that is part screaming and part agonised mourning moan. Although it’s hardly the most complimentary description of Atriarch’s sound, there’s a dark and foreboding feel to the band’s song writing and sound that definitely works here in a way that ensures that despite the simplistic nature of the song’s construction, it never overstays its welcome, or loses its cold and distant mood for a single moment.
From here, the formula doesn’t stray too far from what Atriarch laid down on the opener, with ‘Shadows’ sounding every bit as bleak and devoid of any real light, but stands apart with some cleaner vocals, a little extra rawness on the instrumental side of things and the hint of melody and gothic edge to the guitar riffs (And vocals too to some extent), while the epic fourteen minute ‘Fracture’ is the album’s obvious centrepiece, with the slow building introduction and its eventual move into a crushing doom metal direction proving to be one of the album’s definite highlights.
Finishing up the album is ‘Downfall’, which is not only the shortest track on the album, but also one of the more traditional doom/black metal based efforts as well. Although a little faster than what the rest of the album has to offer, the change of direction and vibe doesn’t take away from what was offered up previously, and instead showcases another side to the band’s overall sound.
‘Forever The End’ is not an easy listen, and one that will most likely appeal to those who enjoy doom metal in its purest form. But if you happen to be a doom metal fan, and prefer the darker and ‘devoid of light’ side of the genre, then you’ll find that Atriarch certainly delivers that in spades.

For more information on Atriarch, check out - https://www.facebook.com/AtriarchOfficial.

© Justin Donnelly.

Deadfall - New Light

Deadfall
New Light
Independent Release

Worcester (Massachusetts, U.S.) based outfit Deadfall is a newly formed musical project from recent Berklee Collage Of Music graduate Eddie Kim (Guitars and drum programming) and Sean Dusoe (Bass), who have released their debut E.P. in the form of ‘New Light’. Deadfall’s sound and direction is very much within the ‘djent’ mould, which means that stylistically, the band’s music is in the same musical vein as Periphery, Tesseract and Meshuggah.
Comprising of five tracks, Deadfall open up proceedings with ‘Shades Of Inception’, which starts off gently, before the pair settle into a grinding groove of bending riffs coupled with warm rich bass tones. Unlike some of the other ‘djent’ acts mentioned above, Deadfall manages to keep things quite melodic and progressive in places, giving the instrumental duo a sound that’s different enough to be quite interesting. The only real negative that can be drawn from ‘Shades Of Inception’ is that the programmed drums do sound artificial at times, and that the production (Courtesy of Kim and Dusoe) is a little thin in places. But despite these small niggling points, the song itself is strong and original enough to stand out for all the right reasons.
From here, Deadfall don’t alter the formula too much, with the follow up track ‘The Divergence’ sticking closely to the direction the opener took (A slow build up, followed by some brutal riffing over an atmospheric backdrop), while ‘In Death’s Path’ does signal a slight departure in tone, with the overall vibe exuding a slightly heavier and menacing feel with its jagged riffing and complex Meshuggah-like odd time signature notes adding the songs darker vibe.
The title track ‘New Light’ is definitely a favourite with its strong melodic slant and progressive overtones, while the closer ‘Utopia’ is another stand out cut with the song sounding like a culmination of all the different ideas and sounds that Deadfall have in their repertoire. Aside from that, the song is also graced with some tasteful melodic lead work around the latter half of the track.
Forging a new sound in the growing ‘djent’ movement is not an easy task, especially given that acts such as Meshuggah and Tesseract pretty much cover everything the genre has to offer. But despite this, Deadfall have managed to put their own individual stamp on things, with ‘New Light’ injecting a little more melody into the sound, and all without the aid of a vocalist.
Fans of the ‘djent’ movement will definitely find plenty to enjoy here. My only hope that is that by the time Deadfall are ready to put together a new album, they fill out their sound with a drummer, and that their music will still retain its instrumental prowess without resorting to a vocalist to provide the necessary melodic edge.

For more information on Deadfall, check out - http://www.deadfall.bandcamp.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Trivium - In Waves

Trivium
In Waves
Roadrunner Records/Warner Music Australia

Orlando (Orange County, Florida, U.S.) based outfit Trivium have always had the drive and enthusiasm to be the biggest band in the metal scene, but if there’s one thing that’s always held them back, it would have to be their music. Trivium is hardly a terrible band, having produced their fair share of stellar moments throughout their near decade long career. But that’s where the crux of the problem lies. Despite writing some great material here and there, Trivium has yet to translate that consistency over the course of a whole full-length effort.
Three years after the release of their rather confused sounding ‘Shotgun’ in 2008, Trivium has returned with fifth full-length effort ‘In Waves’. And while the band have always laid claim that each and every one of their new albums is their strongest to date, this time around Trivium seem to actually have a point. Although far from perfect, ‘In Waves’ is no doubt Trivium’s most daring and diverse release ever, and one where the band’s song writing seems to have finally found that comfortable balance between the melodic and the aggressive, without drifting too far into either extreme.
The album is opened up in an intriguing fashion with the slow building piano/militaristic mark instrumental piece ‘Capsizing The Sea’. As the track comes to its conclusion, the band (Comprising of vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy, guitarist/backing vocalist Corey Beaulieu, bassist/backing vocalist Paolo Gregoletto and new/ex-Maruta drummer Nick Augusto) get the album off to a crushing start with the title track ‘In Waves’ (Which is also the first single released from the album). It’s immediately clear that they’ve experimented a little more on the song writing front, with the forsaking of complexity in the guitar riffs for something a more straight forward and crushing, which the mix of melodic verses and guttural choruses sound far more thought out and playing to their strengths. In a sense, the band seem to have tried hard not to make the song sound like an epic classic, and have instead gone with their natural instincts. And the result speaks for itself.
Augusto’s performance on the relentless ‘Inception Of The End’ is a real stand out, and as a consequence adds a sense of urgency to the brutal/melodic track, while on ‘Dusk Dismantled’, ‘Chaos Reigns’ and ‘A Skyline’s Severance’, the band rely heavily on strong simplistic grooves alongside straight forward chorus structures, which in turn provides the album with just three of the album’s more memorable efforts.
But ‘In Waves’, it’s not all about brutality and aggression, with tracks such as ‘Watch The World Burn’, ‘Black’, the latest single ‘Built To Fall’, ‘Forsake Not The Dream’ and ‘Of All These Yesterdays’ showcasing a greater melodic influence. Unlike Trivium’s melodically inclined efforts in the past, all these songs work, with Heafy’s mix of clean vocals and growls working perfectly together to give the songs enough bite when required, and enough hooks to give the listener something to latch onto.
As mentioned earlier, ‘In Waves’ is far from perfect - there are weaknesses (The lyrics are a little cliché in places, and there’s a couple of songs that don’t stand out as memorable as the others), but there’s a whole lot more in terms of strengths. Given the patchiness of the previous albums, it’s not hard to see that Trivium have definitely raised the bar with ‘In Waves’, and created one of their best efforts to date.

For more information on Trivium, check out - http://www.trivium.org/

© Justin Donnelly

Black Country Communion - 2

Black Country Communion
2
J&R Adventures/Fontana Distribution

Nine months after the release of their overwhelmingly well received self-titled debut effort, Black Country Communion has returned with their highly anticipated second full-length effort ‘2’.
Given the chemistry between those involved within the group (Ex-Deep Purple/Black Sabbath vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes, lead/rhythm guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Jason Bonham – along with unofficial fifth member Kevin Shirley as producer/mixer) on their debut effort, it’s not all that surprising to find that the group’s follow up album is every bit as strong as their debut. But while the short gap between recordings will have many assuming that ‘2’ is nothing more than a continuation of ‘Black Country Communion’, the truth is that the albums really do have completely different personalities and vibes.
The opening track ‘The Outsider’ (Which is the album’s first single) sees the band shifting up a gear from where they last left listeners, with Sherinian’s playing alongside Bonham around the latter half of the energetic hard rock tune taking on a greater prominence than anything heard on their first album, while Bonamassa showcases a slightly harder edge within his playing, which gels perfectly with the heavier sound the band were clearly aiming for this time around.
The follow up track ‘Man In The Middle’ (Which is the first song to be given the promotional video clip treatment) maintains the heavy feel of the opener, with the grit and deep tones from the bass and guitars balanced perfectly against Hughes’ aggressive vocals.
It isn’t until ‘The Battle For Hadrian’s Wall’ that Black Country Communion taper their heavier stance for something a little laid back and traditional sounding (In the classic rock stance), with Bonamassa taking over the vocal duties, and the acoustic guitars guiding the bulk of the song. While Hughes is no doubt a big driving force within the band, Bonamassa’s contributions don’t fade into the background one bit. Boasting some subtle Led Zeppelin influences, and featuring some stellar keyboard work from Sherinian, ‘The Battle For Hadrian’s Wall’ is easily one of the album’s strongest cuts, and one of the clear examples of just how much the band have come together as musicians since the release of their debut.
The lengthy ‘Save Me’ is another track where the band channel their Led Zeppelin influences on the musical front, with the song bringing to mind ‘Kashmir’ with its touches of orchestration and middle eastern chord progressions within its classic hard rock casing.
‘Smokestack Woman’, the funk driven ‘Crossfire’ and ‘I Can See Your Spirit’ are full-on rocking efforts that demonstrate the spark and energy within the band’s line-up, while on the Hughes led blues based ‘Little Secret’, Bonamassa really gets his opportunity to step up to the plate and play up a storm.
The Bonamassa sung ‘An Ordinary Son’ is another personal favourite where the gentle ebb and flow from gentle atmospheric passages and total rock out passages and seamlessly interwoven throughout flawlessly, while Hughes saves his best performance until the end, with the slower and haunting blues atmosphere within ‘Cold’ evoking the mood that was last heard from the legend on his overlooked classic ‘Addition’ from 1996.
The gap between Black Country Communion’s first and second release wasn’t a huge length of time, but the differences between the two are more than evident. Their debut certainly had its fair share of great tracks, but I can’t help but feel that on ‘2’, there’s more of a collaborative, band-feel to the songs and playing.
Often, supergroups have a lifespan of one or two albums at best. On the strength of ‘2’, I can’t help but feel that Black Country Communion is only just starting to get warmed up. Let’s hope that’s the case.

For more information on Black Country Communion, check out - http://www.bccommunion.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Goregast - Desechos Humanos

Goregast
Desechos Humanos
F.D.A. Rekotz

Originally conceived as the short lived Distress as far back as 1993, Goregast came onto the scene in 2004, and have since then managed to produce two well-received full-lengths (2005’s ‘Viva El Animal’ and 2007’s ‘La Revancha’). After a lengthy period of down time, the German outfit have returned with their third full-length effort ‘Desechos Humanos’ – which is their first for F.D.A. Rekotz.
With a Spanish title accompanying an album from a Berlin based death metal/grindcore act, I really didn’t know exactly what I was going to get here. But after giving the album a few spins, I can attest that if your musical tastes lean more towards primitive death metal with a crushing production, you could do a whole lot worse than checking out F.D.A. Rekotz.
On ‘Desechos Humanos’, Goregast (Who comprise of vocalist Rico Unglaube, guitarists Steve Kleinert and Rico Krause, bassist Ronny Thiel and new/ex-The Ocean/Mozek Motors drummer Torge Ließmann) have managed to produce a fairly solid death metal release, and one that incorporates flourishes of grindcore in places. And while my initial prediction suggested that the band would be a cross between Brujeria (Given that some of the songs are sung in Spanish) and old Entombed, the band actually have more in common with acts such as Deicide, Nasum and Carcass, for the most part.
The opening title track ‘Desechos Humanos’ (Which translates to something along the lines of ‘Human Waste’) provides an impressive start to the album with a haunting introduction that eventually settles down into an absolutely punishing barrage of primitive death metal that is strangely enough every bit as chaotic sounding as it is measure. Unglaube’s vocal efforts sound ravaged and harrowing, but it’s the way the guitarists lay down their buzzing guitar groove that makes the whole thing work in ways you wouldn’t expect.
‘Puerco De Dinero’ (Which could be interpreted as ‘Pig Money’) is a short blast of intensity, but sadly doesn’t have enough song writing finesse to make it really stand out as anything special, while ‘Honor The Dead’ in comparison is infinitely more thought out and interesting in terms of offering up some diversity and innovation in the riff and tempo department.
And it’s that duality in quality that really makes for an inconsistent and frustrating listen. For every good track, such as the blast beat enhanced ‘Corta La Coleta’ (‘Cut The Queue’), ‘The Boozer’ and the Napalm Death-like closer ‘Unslave Yourself/Outro-bliteration’, the band fall well short of really making an impression with some plodding and predictable efforts like ‘Nice Guy Next Door’ and ‘Capa’.
In some ways, Goregast prove that they have what it takes to really produce some truly intense and quality death metal songs. The unfortunate thing is that sadly, they obviously can’t do it all the time.
‘Desechos Humanos’ is far from a complete disaster, but had the band been a little more selective in terms of the final track listing and offered listeners an album that featured only the best of what they had, it really could have been a more recognised piece of work.

For more information on Goregast, check out - http://www.goregast.jimdo.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Sick Puppies - Tri-Polar (Deluxe Edition)

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Silverstein - Rescue

Silverstein
Rescue  
Silverstein Music/Roadrunner Records/Warner Music Australia

Although failing to hit their intended target on a few of their albums, for the most part, Ontario (Canada) based post-hardcore outfit Silverstein have remained fairly consistent throughout most of their decade long recording career.
After a somewhat lukewarm reception to their 2007 effort ‘Arrivals & Departures’, Silverstein returned with a vengeance with their follow-up effort ‘A Shipwreck In The Sand’ (2009), with their live 2010 C.D./D.V.D. effort ‘Decade (Live At The El Mocambo)’ only reinforcing their return to form. Now some two years later, the five piece outfit (Comprising of lead vocalist/additional guitarist/keyboardist Shane Told, lead guitarist Neil Boshart, rhythm guitarist Josh Bradford, bassist/backing vocalist Billy Hamilton and drummer Paul Koehler) are back with their highly anticipated fifth full-length album ‘Rescue’ – which is their first album to be released after ending their long standing relationship with Victory Records.
Looking over the whole of Silverstein’s recorded output over the last decade, it’s clear that the band have a fairly established sound and direction, with the only variation coming in the form of strength and quality of the songs themselves. So in a lot of ways, it’s not too hard to imagine exactly what ‘Rescue’ is going to sound like well before hitting the play button on the C.D. player. In that respect, there are no real surprises in store to be had. But in terms of consistency, ‘Rescue’ is undoubtedly one of the band’s strongest releases to date, with virtually no filler tracks to be found anywhere.
‘Medication’ is everything you would expect from an album opener, with the song’s slow build up eventually making way for a hard hitting track that really leaves a lasting impact. Told definitely puts in a powerful performance, and combined with the aggressive guitar work and well executed moody and melodic tail end, ‘Medication’ is definitely one of the album’s more memorable efforts.
‘Sacrifice’ (Which originally appeared on 2010’s ‘Transitions’ digital E.P.) is a worthy addition here once again with its infectious and catchy structure, while ‘Forget Your Heart’ and ‘Good Luck With Your Lives’ takes the melodic lead of the former track and runs with it, with Told sticking primarily to clean vocals for the most part on the tracks – and with great results.
From here, Silverstein deliver quality song after quality song, with those standing out including the guitar driven/screamed ‘Intervention’, ‘The Artist’ (Which features a guest vocal appearance from Counterparts’ Brendan Murphy), ‘Live To Kill’, the rocking ‘Darling Harbour’ (Another track resurrected from the ‘Transitions’ E.P.) and ‘Texas Mickey’ (Which features a guest vocal appearance from Bayside’s Anthony Raneri).
As an added bonus, this deluxe edition features a whole swag of bonus tracks, starting out with acoustic renditions of ‘Burning Hearts’ and ‘Replace You’, both of which translate well in their newfound form.
The inclusion of three demo tracks (‘Texas Mickey’, ‘Intervention’ and ‘In Memory Of...’) are interesting, but pretty much unessential after an initial listen, as too is the piano version of ‘Forget Your Heart’. But while some of the bonus cuts border on the filler side of things, the inclusion of ‘Dancing On My Grave’ from ‘Transitions’ is well and truly worthy.
While ‘Rescue’ doesn’t see Silverstein step outside their comfort zone, the album doesn’t have any real weaknesses, which means that while the album isn’t likely to win over any new fans, existing devotees will definitely view ‘Rescue’ as another great release from the band.

For more information on Silverstein, check out - http://www.silversteinmusic.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Cryptborn - In The Grasp Of The Starving Dead

Cryptborn
In The Grasp Of The Starving Dead
Dark Descent Records

Put together as a side project outside of death metal outfit Maveth, Cryptborn is a relatively new group to emerge from the Finnish death metal scene, with the five piece act (Comprising of Maveth vocalist Christbutcher, Maveth drummer Ville ‘V.M.’ Markkanen (Although he contributes guitars to this outfit), guitarist K.L., Maveth bassist Jani ‘J.N.’ Nupponen and drummer AtomosM) having only formed in 2010.
‘In The Grasp Of The Starving Dead’ is Cryptborn’s debut E.P. effort, and was originally released earlier in the year in limited numbers (Three hundred and fifty apparently) on cassette through Belgium’s Detest Records. But within a couple of months, the band caught the attention of Dark Descent Records, who have duly re-released the E.P. in C.D. form.
Given Dark Descent Records’ track history in the past, it doesn’t take much to figure out what style of death metal Cryptborn hope to deliver to listeners. And sure enough, it’s every bit as old school as you can get.
There’s nothing new under the sun in terms of old school death. After all, bands such as Entombed, Dismember and Grave virtually laid down the template on which most bands model their sound on. But while some bands manage to surprise with their reinterpreted and reheated rehash of the classic sounds of old, some acts just can’t seem to add enough of their own personality into their sound to make it stand out as anything more than simply sounding like a complete carbon copy of the original.
In Cryptborn’s case, it’s very much the latter.
Things start out impressive enough, with the short introductory piece ‘A Feast For The Grave’ boasting an oppressive guitar tone and sound that is equal measure of doom and death, and Christbutcher’s low guttural growls adding plenty of menace and death to proceedings.
The faster paced follow up track ‘Gift Of Rotten Flesh’ is a worthy effort, and one that showcases the band’s firm grasp on what makes up the classic death metal sound. But while the song does have its merits, it also has its fair share of drawbacks as well. Most notably is the dreadful production. Whether this was the kind of sound the band were aiming for is unclear, but the dull thump of the drums adds nothing to the power the band are obviously trying to project. The other niggling point is the band’s song writing. Yes, it’s hard to be totally original, but even after giving the song several listens, it’s still hard to remember much about the song, let alone thinking it was all that fantastic just after it was finished.
Unfortunately, the issues that bring down ‘Gift Of Rotten Flesh’ tend to carry through to most of the E.P.’s remaining five tracks. The title track ‘In The Grasp Of The Starving Dead’ does have a strong groove, and some cool lead guitar passages, and ‘A Nebulous Parting’ and ‘Atonement From Hell’ are generally the pick of the remaining tracks, but overall Cryptborn’s debut effort is a fairly by-the-numbers effort.
Cryptborn do show some promise on their debut, and there is some hope for the future should the band focus on writing songs that sound a little more distinctive and unique, and put a little more thought into the production side of things.
If you’re after some old school death metal, you could do a whole lot worse than checking out ‘In The Grasp Of The Starving Dead’. But I could also say in the same breath that you could also do a lot better too, because while Cryptborn are good, they’re still far from great.

For more information on Cryptborn, check out - http://www.myspace.com/cryptborn

© Justin Donnelly

Crown The Lost - Cold Pestilent Hope

Crown The Lost
Cold Pestilent Hope
Gas Can Music

Two years after the release of their critically acclaimed second full-length effort ‘Blind Faith Loyalty’, Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, U.S.) based power/thrash metal outfit Crown The Lost are back with their highly anticipated new release ‘Cold Pestilent Hope’.
A lot has changed within Crown The Lost since their last album, with the line-up of the band undergoing a huge makeover prior to entering the studio, leaving founders/guitarists Joe Bonaddio (Who plays lead, and provides additional vocals) and David E. Gehlke (Rhythm) the band’s sole remaining original members.
Joining Bonaddio and Gehlke is vocalist Leon Mallah (Who prior to joining the band, was primarily a guitarist), bassist Timothy J. Boyle (Who previously played guitar in Grave Desire) and drummer Argel Marchelletta. Under normal circumstances, replacing half of the band would generally result in a drastic change of sound and direction. But that’s not the case for Crown The Lost, with ‘Cold Pestilent Hope’ sounding very much like a natural progression from where the band last left listeners on ‘Blind Faith Loyalty’.
As if to prove that the band have not lost anything with the change of members, the revamped Crown The Lost open up their latest album with ‘Pray For Death’ – a downright groove based thrashing two and a half minute instrumental piece that showcases the band’s ability to totally shred (Especially on the lead guitar front), while maintaining a sense of catchiness and hook for the listener to really latch onto.
It isn’t until the follow on track ‘Separate Blood From Waste’ that we finally get to hear what Mallah has to offer up. On the surface, it would appear that the differences between Mallah and former vocalist Chris Renaldi are minimal at best. But after repeated listens, it soon becomes clearer that while there is a similarity in sound, Mallah does have a slightly broader range, which means that most of the issues I had with Crown Of Lost’s last album (A vocalist who was sometimes a little monotone in his approach) have been well and truly addressed. Musically, things have changed as well, with the band refining their song writing where the overall song structure seems to flow with a bit more thought into utilising the riff structures to their full extent, and allowing the choruses to really stand out. In other words, the focus seems to be more on writing songs, rather than simply dazzling the listener with their technical abilities, which means that songs resonate more and remain memorable long after they’re finished.
In terms of highlights, ‘Cold Pestilent Hope’ has plenty of great songs throughout. But those worthy of singling out include the ‘Breathe Into Emptiness’ (One of the select tracks where Mallah really shows what he’s capable of on the vocal front), the strong grooved based instrumental thrasher ‘Solitude And Failure’, the aggression driven title track ‘Cold Pestilent Hope’ and the duality of genres (The shift between melodic power metal and modern thrash) within the closing track ‘Inexorable’.
Although Crown The Lost has borne the brunt of some line-up upheavals within the last year, you certainly wouldn’t know it after giving ‘Cold Pestilent Hope’ a listen. If anything, Crown The Lost have taken bar set down by ‘Blind Faith Loyalty’ and raised it with their latest effort.
Overall, ‘Cold Pestilent Hope’ is another strong effort from Crown The Lost, and worthy of every bit of success it will no doubt achieve with the passing of time.

For more information on Crown The Lost, check out - http://www.crownthelost.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Leprous - Bilateral

Leprous
Bilateral
Inside Out Music/Century Media Records/E.M.I. Music Australia

For a lot of so-called modern day progressive metal acts, influences generally begin and end with Dream Theater. Granted, some do vary their sound by incorporating a bit of a melodic edge, or taking their sound into more of the power metal side of things. But by and large, there are a lot of acts attempting to emulate Dream Theater’s style and sound, and it sounds like it.
But not all progressive acts have the same set of ideas; and positive proof of one act that’s definitely doing something fresh and different within the progressive rock/metal realm is Norwegian based outfit Leprous.
Founded ten years ago, Leprous have within that time produced an E.P. (2004’s ‘Silent Waters’) and two full-length efforts (2006’s ‘Aeolia’ and ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’) - all of which have been met with a positive response.
But despite all this, Leprous have remained a fairly underground act for the most part, with the group gaining more attention for their role as ex-Emperor front man Ihsahn’s live backing band.
But after several years in the wilderness, the five piece act (Who comprise of vocalist/keyboardist Einar Solberg, guitarist/vocalist Tor Oddmund Suhrke, guitarist/backing vocalist Øystein Landsverk, newly added bassist Rein T. Blomquist and drummer Tobias Ørnes Andersen) have moved on from Sensory Records and signed up with Inside Out Music - delivering their latest effort in ‘Bilateral’. And what a release it is.
The opening title track ‘Bilateral’ literally lives up to its name, with the band fusing together strong melodies and unconventional approaches to progressive rock’s typical song writing structures. Yes, some of the familiar technically inclined musicianship traits still exist within the song, but it’s not the entire basis of Leprous’ approach to song structure. Instead, the band focus on giving the listener something a little unexpected (The odd time changes, and the equally odd sounds and textures on the musical front), all the while keeping things melodic, catchy and infectious with Solberg’s incredible voice.
The lengthy ten minute epic follow up track ‘Forced Entry’ is a definite stand out on the album, with the guitarists providing some innovative and varied passages of riff/lead work, while Solberg’s showcases his extraordinary range throughout, especially on the screamed efforts towards the song climatic close.
‘Restless’ brings to mind a melodic variation of U.K. outfit Oceansize in places, but is otherwise a deceptively complex and dense masterpiece of progressive rock, while ‘Thorn’ (Which features a guest vocal appearance from Ihsahn) is another noteworthy track with the song drifting into heavy territory, all the while incorporating trumpets into the hybrid mix of sounds. It all sounds a little avant-garde in the vein of Pain Of Salvation, and that’s a good thing.
Elsewhere, ‘Mb. Indifferentia’ echoes some of the more melancholy and free flowing/ever changing mood of Porcupine Tree (As to does the operatic influenced ‘Acquired Taste’), while the effects driven ‘Waste Of Air’ is by far the album’s strangest and heaviest track, and definitely a personal favourite.
For the remainder of the album, Leprous maintain the heavier sound of the former track through ‘Mediocrity Wins’ and the quirky ‘Cryptogenic Desires’, before closing out the album with the extended polyrhythmic jam of ‘Painful Detour’.
Progressive rock/metal is supposed to be exploratory and adventurous, and take the listener on a journey where expecting the unexpected is the norm. And if ‘Bilateral’ is anything to go by, then it’s clear that Leprous have a firm grasp on what the genre is all about.
How the album fares in the future is still unknown. But in my book, this is easily one of my favourite progressive rock/metal albums of 2011.

For more information on Leprous, check out – http://www.myspace.com/leprousband

© Justin Donnelly

Staind - Staind

Staind
Staind
Flip Records/Atlantic Records/Roadrunner Records/Warner Music Australia

For a five year period, Massachusetts (Springfield based) alternative rock outfit Staind couldn’t do a thing wrong, with a couple of multi-platinum selling albums to their name (1999’s ‘Dysfunction’ and 2001’s ‘Break The Cycle’) and a legion of fans that ensured that the tours undertaken were nothing short of record breaking. But somewhere along the line, things started to get a little stale creatively within the Staind camp, and over the course of the next few years (In which time the band released 2003’s ‘14 Shades Of Grey’ and 2005’s ‘Chapter V’), some of the fire within the band seemed to die out. By 2008, the band seemed all but defeated, with their last release ‘The Illusion Of Progress’ representing a dull and lifeless clutch of songs that sounded little more than a pale imitation of the once powerful group’s finer efforts.
It’s been three years since then, and the four piece act (Comprising of vocalist/rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki) have managed to produce a brand new album. According to the band, the making of their seventh album was anything but smooth sailing (Which is not surprising given Wysocki’s departure from the group following the completion of the album), but did result in an album that sees the band returning to the heaviness and aggression heard only on their earlier albums. While the same line was dished out from the band and their management prior to the release of their last album, it would seem that this time around, there’s truth in their statement.
The band lay down their mission statement with the opening track ‘Eyes Wide Open’, which is needless to say one of the heaviest sounding efforts the band has recorded to date. Lewis’ vocals are full of angst and venom, while retaining a sense of melody, while the guitars actually have a place within the song, rather than merely fading into the backdrop scenery (Which was a genuine cause for concern amongst fans on the songs from their last few albums).
The single/promotional video clip ‘Not Again’ is definitely one of the album’s stronger and more memorable efforts with its continued heavy sound direction of the opener, but with a chorus that really stand out, while the slower paced ‘Failing’ is a brooding Alice In Chains like number that bridges the band’s return to heavier territory and the remnants of their not too distant alternative rock sounding directional past.
‘Wannabe’, despite its nu-metal vibe and feel (I’m thinking Limp Bizkit), is noteworthy for the band’s collaboration with Snoop Dogg that doesn’t sound anywhere as bad as it does on paper, while ‘The Bottom’ (Which originally appeared on the ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ soundtrack earlier in the year), the energetic ‘Now’ and the metallic ‘Paper Wings’ are further highlights dotted on the latter half of the album.
Of course, Staind’s self-titled effort isn’t without its weak moments, with ‘Throw It All Away’ and ‘Take A Breath’ sounding a little mundane and pedestrian in comparison to most of what is offered up throughout the album.
The closing track ‘Something To Remind You’ does at least close out the album on a high note, with Lewis accompanied by nothing more than a sole electric guitar, which allows Lewis to put forward an emotive and passionate performance primarily through his vocals.
Staind’s latest effort isn’t a huge departure from what they’ve done in the past, but it is at least a return to form for the band after a few album releases that saw them stray a little into the void of mediocrity. In other words, if you preferred the direction Staind took on their first few releases, then you’ll certainly want to pick up their latest effort.

For more information on Staind, check out - http://www.staind.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Grand Atlantic - Constellations

Grand Atlantic
Constellations
Independent Release

Brisbane based outfit Grand Atlantic have enjoyed some success here in Australia, but it’s in the U.S. where the band have really been welcomed with open arms, with the four piece act (Comprising of vocalist/guitarist Phil Usher, guitarist Morgan Hann, bassist Sean Bower, and new Mat Von Diehm) touring stateside with considerable success.
Not wanting to lose any of the momentum they’ve built up with their three releases to date (2006’s ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ E.P., 2007’s ‘This Is Grand Atlantic’ and 2009’s ‘How We Survive’), the band started song writing for their new album when time allowed, and in late 2010/early 2011, relocated to Seacliff Lunatic Asylum (An abandoned psychiatric hospital near Dunedin, New Zealand) with producer Dale Cotton to record their latest and highly anticipated third full-length effort ‘Constellations’.
It’s hard to tell whether it was Cotton’s influence, the fact that recording in such a strange and unusual location, or whether the band had already made a conscious decision to try something new – but either way, ‘Constellations’ is a little different from what we have come expect from the Grand Atlantic. The pop influences that have infiltrated their former work is still very much evident within the band’s eleven new tunes, but it’s the overall darker and heavier sounding shoegazer influences that masks the pop/rock side of the band’s sound that really dominates the overall feel of ‘Constellations’. It does not signal a complete reinvention of Grand Atlantic, but ‘Constellations’ at least hints at a band who aren’t prepared to go the safe option and simply repeat themselves time and time again.
‘Searchlights’ gets the album off to a relaxed and confident start with the band locking into a moody groove that evokes a bit of a reflective feel with its gradual ebbs and flows and soaring choruses, while the up-tempo and rhythmic follow-up ‘Central Station Blues’ sees the band turn everything up to deliver something that sounds like a cross between The Stone Roses and Jet.
From here, the band seamlessly mix moody atmospherics with energetic rock elements on tracks such as ‘Carved From Stone’ and ‘NML’, while elsewhere unleashing their inner psychedelic rock inhibitions on blistering efforts such as ‘Poison To The Vine’, ‘Little Traps’, the title track ‘Constellations’ and ‘Fresh Ideas In Home Security’ (Which is the first single/promotional video clip from the album).
But what really makes this album interesting is the diversity from one sound to the next, with the title track ‘Mountains Too Steep’ showcasing a touch of the blues/folk seeping through the band’s song writing, while the hint of classic rock within ‘Voyager’ and the stripped back acoustic closer ‘Queenie’ are definite favourites.
Given the success the band has enjoyed up until this point, it could have been really easy for Grand Atlantic to simply build upon their proven formula on their new album. But the fact that they’ve chosen to do something a little more daring shows that there’s more to Grand Atlantic’s career than merely achieving recognition on a global scale.

For more information on Grand Atlantic, check out - http://www.grandatlantic.org/

© Justin Donnelly

Mordbrand - Necropsychotic

Mordbrand
Necropsychotic
Deathgasm Records

Mordbrand (Which means arson in Swedish) are a relatively new act on the Swedish death metal scene, with the trio having formed a couple of years ago. But despite this, there’s plenty of experience within the band, with vocalist Per Boder once a member of cult underground act God Macabre (Who released the highly acclaimed ‘The Winterlong’ back in 1993), and guitarist/bassist/backing vocalist Björn Larsson and drummer Johan Rudberg still retaining their membership in the thrash band The Law, and in the crust/grind outfit Karensdag.
With such credentials, I was surprised to find that the band had already released a split E.P. with Evoke last year. But then given the rather low profile of the label it was released on (The U.K. based Me Saco Un Ojo Records), it’s probably not that hard to figure out why there was little mention of the release anywhere.
Despite this, Mordbrand have signed up with Deathgasm Records, and returned with a new E.P. in the form of ‘Necropsychotic’. And while I was excited with the prospect of hearing what the trio could come up with, I must say the end results are a little underwhelming.
In all fairness, it’s hard to break new ground as a death metal band that originates from Sweden. Anything that could have been done with the genre has been done, and countless times over and over again. In that respect, I don’t expect Mordbrand to seriously unearth a new sound or direction.
What I did expect was something that would excite and perhaps linger in the mind once the E.P. was finished. Unfortunately, as solid as Mordbrand’s batch of six new songs are they’re far from sounding anything above O.K.
The opening track ‘Eaters Of The Void’ gives listeners a fair indication of what the band are about in the musical sense, with the band mixing old school Swedish death ‘n’ roll (Which is evident by Rudberg’s d-beat drumming efforts) with a touch of brutality in the vein of Dismember, Vader and Grave.
‘Graveyard Revisited’ and ‘Deathbound’ are essentially Entombed worship efforts without the guitar buzz and dense production values, while ‘Skärseld (Return To The Unholy)’ takes on an even heavier and darker tone than the former, which inevitably earns its place as the E.P.’s strongest track.
The melodic riff work within ‘The Fall Of Flesh’ is notably well done, but the slow moving groovy closer ‘Deliverance’ seems to lack the spark of some of the other tracks - finishing the E.P. on a bit of a weak note.
Mordbrand are a good band, and ‘Necropsychotic’ is an O.K. E.P. But with so many other bands sounding good, and releasing O.K. efforts, this release just doesn’t have enough to make it stand out.
Hopefully with their next release, Mordbrand will finally deliver something that raises the bar on their former efforts, rather than simply settle for more of the same.

For more information on Mordbrand, check out - https://www.facebook.com/officialmordbrand.

© Justin Donnelly.

Sigh - Scorn Defeat (Deluxe Edition)

Sigh
Scorn Defeat (Deluxe Edition)
Deepsend Records

One of the strangest and more unpredictable bands to emerge from the east would have to be Tokyo (Japan) based outfit Sigh. For near on two decades, and over the course of eight full-length efforts, Sigh have continually redefined their sound and direction with every new release, which has both confused and earned praise from fans and critics alike for the avant-garde extreme metal act.
In the build up towards the release of Sigh’s upcoming ninth release later in the year (‘In Somniphobia’), Deepsend Records have decided to put together a deluxe edition reissue of the band’s debut full-length effort ‘Scorn Defeat’.
Taking up the first seven tracks on the first disc of this deluxe reissue is the band’s debut full-length effort ‘Scorn Defeat’. Although there’s no mention of a remaster, ‘Scorn Defeat’ still holds up remarkably well to today’s standards, despite having been released as far back as 1993 (On Mayhem guitarist Øystein ‘Euronymous’ Aarseth’s underground label Deathlike Silence Productions). Although Sigh would quickly move on from the black metal sound that made up most of their debut, it was clear right from the start that the band (Who at the time comprised of vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Mirai Kawashima, guitarist Shinichi Ishikawa and drummer Satoshi Fujinami) were anything but a straight forward act, with their take on black metal anything but traditional in terms of what the Europeans were producing at the same time.
Whether it be the doom-like undertones of the morbid opening track ‘A Victory Of Dakini’, the bizarre keyboard introduction to the thrash based ‘The Knell’, the eclectic hybrid of sounds within the experimental ‘At My Funeral’, the predominately instrumental piece ‘Gundali’ (Which despite the absence of guitar, is one of the album’s genuine highlights), the lengthy and progressive influenced ‘Ready For The Final War’, the sonic blackened blast of ‘Weakness Within’ or the slow and menacing vibe within ‘Taste Defeat’, ‘Scorn Defeat’ is a varied and forward thinking black metal release, and worthy of its underground cult classic status.
Closing out the first disc are the three tracks (‘The Knell’, ‘Desolation’ and ‘Taste Defeat’) that made up the band’s ‘Requiem For Fools’ E.P. from 1992 (Which led to the band’s signing with Deathlike Silence Productions), and the two tracks that appeared on the band’s split E.P. release with Greek black metal band Kawir from 1994 (‘Suicidogenic’ and the cover of Venom’s ‘Schizo’). As you would expect, the sound is a lot rawer than anything heard on their debut album. But while the sound isn’t anywhere near as polished as anything on ‘Scorn Defeat’, it does present listeners with another side to Sigh’s multifaceted sound, albeit in an aggressive and angry form (Especially ‘Schizo’, which is an obvious highlight).
While the first disc is a worthy purchase alone, it’s actually the second disc that will really appeal to Sigh devotees, with the disc getting off to a ripping start with two enthusiastic Venom covers (‘Black Metal’ and ‘The Seven Gates Of Hell’, both of which appeared on the band’s Sigh’s official bootleg tribute ‘To Hell And Back’ from 1995), followed by an equally worthy cover of Mayhem’s ‘Carnage’ (Which has only appeared on the vinyl re-release of ‘Scorn Defeat’).
‘The Zombie Terror’ (From the obscure Evil Records ‘Far East Gate In Inferno’ compilation from 1994) is an interesting inclusion here as it highlights the more avant-garde side of the band’s song writing.
But the real prize here is the addition of the band’s highly sought after (And damn near impossible to find!) ‘Desolation’ demo from 1990 (‘Weakness Within’, ‘Desolation Of My Mind’ and ‘Mentally Numb’) and their ‘Tragedies’ demo from 1991 (‘Death Throes’, ‘Sigh’, ‘Mentally Numb’ and ‘Desolation’). While the recordings are rough and raw at best (And at worst, kind of un-listenable!), they do provide an insightful look into how the band started out, and ultimately progressed to the point where they released ‘Scorn Defeat’. Hardly essential, but definitely interesting.
Overall, Deepsend Records have managed to put together the ultimate deluxe re-release of Sigh’s ‘Scorn Defeat’, with everything from the track listing right through to the packaging presented in the way a genuine deluxe edition should be put together.
In summary, if you have an interest in Sigh’s early days, or avant-garde black metal, this is one release that should be on your list of essential purchases.

For more information on Sigh, check out - https://www.facebook.com/sighjapan.

© Justin Donnelly.

Denial Fiend - Horror Holocaust

Denial Fiend
Horror Holocaust
Ibex Moon Records

After previewing a brand new track to the compilation album ‘After Party Massacre (Death Metal Soundtrack)’ earlier in the year, Valrico (Florida, U.S.) based death/thrash metal outfit Denial Fiend have returned with their brand new full-length effort ‘Horror Holocaust’ – the long awaited follow-up to 2007’s rather impressive ‘They Rise’.
In their four years away, Denial Fiend has undergone quite a transformation, with guitarist Sam Williams (Massacre/Down By Law/The Spears) and bassist Terry Butler (Massacre/Death/Six Feet Under/Obituary) the only members remaining from the line-up that recorded ‘They Rise’. Taking on the vocal duties from Kam Lee is Blaine ‘Zippy’ Cook (The Accüsed/The Fartz/Toe Tag), and Rob Rampy (D.R.I./The Spears) has been behind the drum kit since the band’s split with Curtis Beeson in 2008.
With the band effectively changing half its members, you can be sure that there’s bound to be a change in sound. And sure enough, those who enjoyed ‘They Rise’ will be in for quite a shock with Denial Friend’s latest offering ‘Horror Holocaust’.
The most immediate shift in direction for the band between releases is made abundantly clear with the opening track ‘Corrupted Flesh’. Unlike Lee’s traditional death growls, Cook adds a demented and somewhat chaotic punk vocal to the band’s sound, which inevitably means that you’re either going to love it or hate it. Musically, not a real lot has changed, with the band still delivering a fast paced crossover/thrash like sound, with a slight influence of death metal detected in the solos and the locked in groovier passages.
Over the course of the album’s thirty minute running time, Denial Fiend bash out eight tracks of quality crossover/thrash metal, with highlights coming in the form of ‘Stuck Pig/Bleeding Out’, the fairly straight forward (And more death metal inclined) ‘Flesh Coffin’, the catchy ‘A Fiend Without A Face’ and the closer ‘Hell Asylum’.
What’s really surprising is that ‘After Party Massacre’ (Which was released as a stand alone split single release with Incantation earlier this year) is one of the album’s less than stellar efforts, and along with the sound effect enhanced instrumental piece ‘Dunsmoor’, it’s what you could very well call the album’s filler efforts.
If you’re a fan of crossover/thrash, and don’t mind Cook’s vocal style, then ‘Horror Holocaust’ is an album that you should track down. ‘Horror Holocaust’ is short, fun and a horrific bloodfest from start to finish.
If, on the other hand, you’ve never taken to Cook’s rather unique singing voice with The Accüsed, then don’t expect this album to change your mind otherwise.

For more information on Denial Fiend, check out - http://www.myspace.com/denialfiendband

© Justin Donnelly

Falls Of Rauros - The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood

Falls Of Rauros
The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood
Bindrune Recordings

When it comes to finding strange and unusual acts that dwell within the black/folk metal realm, you can count on Bindrune Recordings to unearth them, and introduce them to a whole new audience on a global scale.
Following on from recently successful releases from acts such as Obsequiae (‘Suspended In The Brume Of Eos’) and Forest Of The Soul (‘Restless In Flight’), Bindrune Recordings have signed up Portland (Maine, U.S.) based outfit Falls Of Rauros and released their latest full-length effort ‘The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood’.
Despite high praise for their two former full-length efforts (2006’s ‘Into The Archaic’ and 2008’s ‘Hail Wind And Hewn Oak’), I couldn’t say that I was all that impressed with Falls Of Rauros past efforts. Yes, the primitive production values played a part, but it was band’s lack of song writing strengths that really failed to grab me for the most part, leaving me with the impression that while there was potential within  the band, Falls Of Rauros still hadn’t quite hit their stride.
Now returning with their third effort ‘The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood’, the band (Alongside session drummer Austin Lunn of the Panopticon/Seidr who agreed to help out after losing their drummer following the release of their last album) have clearly stepped up in every way, and finally put together a release that is well and truly their strongest effort to date.
From the moment the band greet the listener with the instrumental piece ‘Earth’s Old Timid Grace’, it’s clear that a lot of thought and time has gone into the production this time around, with the clarity and the balance definitely standing out as a huge improvement on past endeavours. There’s also a greater acoustic influence in the band’s song structures, which definitely gives the band a sound that’s more atmospheric and progressive in nature, and infinitely more interesting than their song writing of old.
After the short introduction piece, the band takes on a heavier and denser black metal sound with ‘Banished’. Maintaining the shoe-gazer atmospherics of the former track, and balancing it out with a distinctly strong black metal influence, ‘Banished’ is a sweeping mix of melodic atmospherics and blackened aggression, with just the right mix of heavy riffs, harsh vocals and subtle melodic hooks and shades of captivating musicianship.
The equally lengthy ‘Awaiting The Fire Or Flood That Awakes It’ (Which clocks in at nearly fourteen minutes) is another stand out track with its ebb and flow of aggressive passages and moments of gentle serenity, while ‘Silence’ is by far the album’s most consistently brutal effort, while the closing instrumental ‘The Cormorants Shiver On Their Rocks’ offers up a sound that’s at the complete opposite end of the spectrum with its greater presence of acoustics and stringed instruments.
Despite the band’s lack of variation in the song writing direction on the album as a whole, and the somewhat overextended feel on some of the tracks, ‘The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood’ is an absolute triumph for Falls Of Rauros, and comes highly recommended for fans of Agalloch and Shroud Of Despondency.

For more information on Falls Of Rauros, check out - http://bindrunerecordings.com/

© Justin Donnelly

ICS Vortex - Storm Seeker

ICS Vortex

Storm Seeker

Century Media Records/E.M.I. Music Australia

ICS Vortex is well known within the melodic black metal scene, with his vocals adding a unique touch to works from Arcturus, Borknagar and Dimmu Borgir. After being unceremoniously dismissed from Dimmu Borgir in 2009, the Norwegian (Oslo based) vocalist decided to finally take matters into his own hands and put together a long overdue solo album.

Two years later, and with the help of renowned drummer Asgeir Mickelson (Ex-Vintersorg/Scariot/Spiral Architect/Borknagar/Ihsahn/Lunaris) ICS Vortex (Whose real name is Simen Hestnæs, and who provides vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards to the album) has finally unveiled his highly anticipated solo effort ‘Storm Seeker’.

Given Vortex’s vast body of past musical works, it wouldn’t be far fetched to assume that ‘Storm Seeker’ would slot musically within the melodic black metal genre. But after a cursory listen through the album, it’s clear that Vortex isn’t remotely interested in playing things safe and predictable. Instead, ‘Storm Seeker’ is an adventurous and diverse offering that ventures into unlikely areas such as progressive rock and folk metal, with the end results as equally mixed as the musical soundscape on the album itself.

The album’s opening track ‘The Blackmobile’ is by far the album’s most metallic and heaviest offering, with its faster tempo, thick instrumentation, relentless double kick work from Mickelson and guest guitar solo contribution from Cyrus (Sarke/Susperia) giving the song it’s force and drive. As you would expect, Vortex’s vocals stand out as the primary focus throughout, with Vortex utilising the off kilter melodies that has since become his trademark to full capacity – And to great success.

‘Odin’s Tree’, which again features Cyrus on lead guitar, is another stand out cut with its heavier vibe and instrumentation. But whereas the opener veered a little toward the strange vocally, Vortex keeps things fairly melodic and straight forward here, which helps the song stand out as one of the album’s stronger and more accessible efforts.

From here, the album starts to venture into the strange and undiscovered, with ‘Skoal!’ leading the charge. The swirling Hammond organ (Provided by Arne Martinussen) adds a very folk vibe to the song, while Vortex’s melodies are stretched out at times, giving the song a very schizophrenic feel.

The unexpected classic rock feel of ‘Dogsmacked’ and ‘Windward’ was a little unexpected, but no less worthy (Which means they definitely stand out for all the right reasons in my book), while the Opeth tinged title track ‘Storm Seeker’ is an absolute gem, and a personal favourite.

Elsewhere, Vortex has decided to drift off more into the experimental side of things in terms of choral structures and instrumentation, with mixed results. In terms of tracks that miss, ‘Aces’, ‘Oil In Water’ and ‘When Shuffled Off’ aren’t necessarily disasters, but are by far the album’s weaker efforts. Whether it be vocals that don’t quite hit the mark (The former two mentioned efforts), or just uninspired and overly simplistic (The latter). But in terms of tunes that do work in their experimental state is the darker and moodier ‘Flaskeskipper’ and the bizarre Pink Floyd like instrumental closer ‘The Sub Mariner’.

In the end, ICS Vortex’s debut solo effort may have a couple of weak moments, but is nonetheless rewarding and captivating enough to reward those who are prepared to expect anything but the predictable melodic black metal path Vortex could have easily taken listeners.

For more information on ICS Vortex, check out - http://www.myspace.com/icsvortex

© Justin Donnelly

Jasta - Jasta

Jasta

Jasta

Entertainment One Music/Shock Entertainment

Jamey Jasta is probably one of the hardcore scene’s busiest personalities, with the front man dividing his time between several musical outfits (Most notably Hatebreed and Kingdom Of Sorrow, and the lesser known Icepick), making guest appearances and managing his own business ventures (His record label Stillborn Records and his clothing line Hatewear). Somewhere in amongst his busy schedule, he’s managed to get together with a couple of friends (Guitarist/bassist Charlie Bellmore and drummer/additional guitarist Nick Bellmore) and assembled a new outfit under his own name, and who have duly released their self-titled debut release.

Solo albums from any artist firmly entrenched within a band of note are always an interesting prospect, and given the contrast between Hatebreed and Kingdom Of Sorrow, I was keen to see what Jasta would project sound wise on his own album.

If the opening track ‘Walk That Path Alone’ is any indication of what was in-store for the remainder of the album, then you would believe that Jasta’s solo album was little more than an extension of Hatebreed’s trademark sound. Full of aggression, tight knit riffing and Jasta’s hardcore bark, ‘Walk That Path Alone’ is a huge song, but nothing that truly stands as something completely separated from what is otherwise expected from Jasta.

The first single ‘Mourn The Illusion’ on the other hand is something altogether different. Musically the song falls a little more in line with the metalcore realm of Killswitch Engage with its melodic breakdowns and riffing. But what really stands out is Jasta’s own performance, where he mixes up clean vocals alongside his rasping screams. It’s really quite different and unexpected, and in a good way too.

‘Screams From The Sanctuary’ and ‘Set You Adrift’ are further surprising gems that mix the aggression of Hatebreed with a dual vocal presence that’s at times melodic and clean, and screamed at other points within the songs. But despite having a strong clean vocal, Jasta’s abilities sound a little stretched on ‘Nothing They Say’ and ‘Something You Should Know’ (Which features a guest vocal appearance from All That Remains’ Phil Labonte). The music is undoubtedly solid, but the somewhat repetitive chorus and lack of aggression at times does make the song sound a little drawn out and lifeless. It’s only on ‘The Fearless Must Endure’ (Which has a solo provided by Zakk Wylde) that Jasta seems to find the right balance of a solid hook and his clean vocal efforts without making the song sound like its falling into a pattern of repetition.

Returning to more familiar ground, ‘Anthem Of The Freedom Fighter’, ‘With A Resounding Voice’ (Featuring Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying), ‘Heart Of A Warrior’ (Featuring ex-Revolution Mother front man Mike Vallely) and ‘Death Bestowed’ (Which boasts a killer solo from Lamb Of God’s Mark Morton) are certified winners that will keep fans of Jasta’s work with Hatebreed satisfied to no end, while the teaming up of Jasta alongside Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe on ‘Enslaved, Dead Or Depraved’ is downright crushing.

Overall Jasta’s debut has enough kinks and new sounds to separate it from coming across as a poor imitation of Hatebreed, and yet has enough of Jasta’s trademark qualities to draw Hatebreed fans’ attention. Sure, the album has a few letdown efforts, but in terms of overall quality, ‘Jasta’ still manages to deliver.

For more information on Jasta, check out - http://www.jameyjasta.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Floating Me - Floating Me

Floating Me
Floating Me
Independent Release/Cross Section/Inertia Pty. Ltd.

Back in the early ‘90’s, Sydney based outfit Scary Mother were on the verge of big things. Their debut album ‘Tai Laeo’ (1994) was an amazing release, and an album that I considered to be one of the Australian metal/hard rock scenes overlooked classics. But despite the album’s success, and the band’s growing reputation as a live act, Scary Mother broke up soon after - never to be heard of again.
Throughout the years, I’ve often wondered what became of the various members within the group. So you can imagine my surprise to find an unassuming album some years later from a virtually unknown act called Floating Me, that not only features members of the almighty Scary Mother, but also some other well known names from Australia’s current progressive rock scene.
Founded in 2009, Floating Me boasts in their ranks three fifths of Scary Mother (Vocalist Andrew Gillespie, guitarist Antony Brown and keyboardist Tobias Messiter), as well as Karnivool bassist Jon Stockman and ex-Cog/Ezekiel Ox And The Fury drummer Lucius Borich. With such a promising line-up in place, my expectations for Floating Me’s self-titled album were really quite high to say the least. And in terms of musical direction, I tried to picture what a blend of Cog, Karivool and Scary Mother might sound like.
While I may have been way off the mark in terms of my predicted musical approach from Floating Me, I will attest that the band have exceeded any hopes I might have had for a fairly impressive debut effort.
Floating Me opt to open up the album in a rather slow and dark way, with the gradual build of ‘Deathless’ perfectly showcasing Gillespie’s deep and commanding vocal presence (Which in some ways brings to mind Jeff Martin of The Tea Party), and the band’s ability to craft a tapestry that is densely layered with heavier elements and haunting atmospherics.
The follow-up track ‘Narke’ is something completely different in both feel and sound, with the use of keyboards, programmed electronic sounds and big guitar riffs combined to give the song a modern progressive hard rock sound, without forsaking the strange haunting vibe that is projected through Gillespie’s presence out front.
The album’s first single/promotional video clip ‘Sugar’ is by far the most accessible, melodic and straight forward song from the album, and is sure to become a favourite of most listeners on the live front, while ‘Spirals’ and ‘Breaking To Breathe’ are similar in nature in terms of being more straight forward and heavy rocking sounding efforts, albeit with a little reworking in the studio with some effects and sound manipulation.
‘Piano’ sees the band exploring quieter territory initially, before finishing off the song in a heavier fashion when the band gradually switches to full-on mode, while Gillespie takes on the central role on the stripped back ‘Xtoto’, and with the help of vocalist Carla Werner, the emotive ‘Short Cuts To Feeling’.
The electronic and percussion driven ‘Bezhumous’ is an interesting detour into the unexpected, but an experiment that works nonetheless, while the acoustic driven ‘The Beautiful Fall’ stands out with its stunning melodies, and its somewhat brighter outlook in what is otherwise a dark album.
Finishing off the album is the lengthy epic ‘Across The Gulf’, which boasts some exceptional guitar work from Brown, a powerhouse performance from Gillespie and some equally mesmerising soundscapes courtesy of Messiter.
I expected great things from Floating Me given their line-up, and I wasn’t let down at all. Floating Me’s debut is nothing short of stunning, and hands down one of the best releases from an Australian act this year.
In simple terms, this album is an absolute must have for diehard fans of those involved.

For more information on Floating Me, check out - http://www.floatingme.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Obsequiae - Suspended In The Brume Of Eos

Obsequiae
Suspended In The Brume Of Eos
Bindrune Recordings

Bindrune Recordings may not have a vast array of artists on their roster, and they certainly don’t have a lot of releases to their name just yet, but what the label has released over the last few years has been of exceptional quality.
Their latest find is Minneapolis (Minnesota, U.S.) based outfit Obsequiae, and who’s debut full-length effort ‘Suspended In The Brume Of Eos’ has finally seen the light of day some two years after the release of their limited edition/hand numbered (To one hundred copies) self-titled demo was picked up by the same label.
Despite having only formed in 2007, Obsequiae is essentially a continuation of Autumnal Winds, who between 1998 and 2005, managed to release a handful of demos, before disbanding.
Having reunited under the name of Obsequiae, vocalist/guitarist Blondel De Nesle (Who’s otherwise known as Tanner Anderson, and is an active member of fellow Bindrune Recordings artists Celestiial) and guitarist/bassist/drummer Neidhart Von Reuental have moved on from where they last left things with Autumnal Winds, with ‘Suspended In The Brume Of Eos’ taking on a more melodic black metal vibe, but with a strong medieval/folk influence heard throughout the album’s dozen tracks.
While the fusion of melodic black metal and medieval/folk isn’t something unheard of, there’s something in the way that Obsequiae write and perform their compositions that gives the blended sounds a whole new perspective, and none more so than what’s heard in the album’s opening track ‘Altars Of Moss’. The sweeping folk-like electric guitar/bass riffs are balanced cleverly against a distinctly black metal vocal presence and drums (Which at times break into blast beats), providing listeners with a sound that’s as aggressive as black metal, but far from run of the mill structurally.
From here, the album alternates between aggressive blasts of melodic black metal (‘In The White Fields’, ‘Arrows’ and ‘Cabin Lights’), progressively edged/experimental black metal efforts (‘Atonement’, ‘The Wounded Fox’ and the slower paced title track ‘Suspended In The Brume Of Eos’) and medieval/folk instrumental passages (Such as ‘Sidhe’, ‘Wildes Heer’, ‘Estas Redit’ and ‘Boreas’) – which when combined, give the album a lot of depth, variation and separation from one track to the next.
Obsequiae’s don’t play the familiar melodic black metal with medieval/folk influences, and ‘Suspended In The Brume Of Eos’ is anything but the same old sound of most. This album really is something different.
Anyone familiar with Bindrune Recordings will know what to expect on Obsequiae’s debut – And that’s something really quite different. But if you’re a stranger to the label, and like your black metal to be a little more daring, ‘Suspended In The Brume Of Eos’ is well worth hunting down.

For more information on Obsequiae, check out - http://www.myspace.com/bindrunerecordings

© Justin Donnelly