Meshuggah "Immutable" (2022)

 

The Swedish extremity is back! This ninth installment Immutable has been out for over a month now. In that time Ive spun it plenty, trying to let this record settle in a little deeper before sharing my thoughts. Why you ask? Because this band have in all likelihood had the biggest influence on the shape of modern Metal. Pioneering the use of virtual drum rigs, reshaping guitar tones with amp modeling, the popularization of seven and eight string guitars, most of all, the so called poly-rhythms. Meshuggah have carved an undeniable legacy among musicians and fans in the know. That reputation perhaps soured my expectancy of more fresh ground to be conquered that The Violent Sleep of Reason, released six years back, sadly did not offer.

As a lengthy one hour bludgeoning of deafening groove, incessant percussive pounding and hypnotic rhythmic sways, Immutable surfaces now as a more encompassing record that reflects back over the bands trajectory. Little is new is offered. The tweaking of tone and subtle realignment of their now formulated brutal aesthetic goes to battle with new mathematical ideas. Chopped and twisted riffs hide their numeric patterns in a vortex of overlapping measures, techniques and chugs that tend to loose that simplistic primal charm in a pursuit of new complexities.

Wedged between the new ideas, or lack of, the record shines when the group fall back onto previously explored tones and ideas. Reaching as far back as Nothing, the last two decades of ideas reemerge with riffs, grooves and textures that could easily slip back into those eras. Its not the soul focus but seemingly a regular intervals the dulled bludgeoning gives way to familiarity. This manifests best with lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal's fantastical, zaney, mesmerizing alien melodies. On a couple of occasions the vibes reach back even further into the 90s stretch of their back catalog.

 Stripped of its bloat and stretches of monotony, this could of been quite the satisfying experience yet sadly a lot of the runtime feels stale. Many grindy section pound away lengthily with the best arriving from the overlapping with those alien lead guitars. Ironically the lengthiest They Move Below instrumental is one of the best tracks. Its scaling nature meanders and adventures through tricksy grooves and timings that go far beyond the droning low end groove. The albums shortest, Black Cathedral, plays like a guitar tone demo that got left in by mistake. The closer Past Tense is a nice throw back to previous acoustic works but not terribly interesting.

Haven given it a fair time to sink in, its clear these musicians can still churn out what they do so well. Keeping it fun and exciting but as expected seeking to expand on this with complexity just doesn't work. The best riffs and moments seemingly always come from the easier to digest time signatures and primal groove that made records like obZen pound so hard. I am definitely glad I gave this one adequate time but my conclusion is id much prefer a trimmed down version.

Rating: 6/10

Old Man's Child "Vermin" (2005)

 

On the first few spins, much of this record felt fresh to a long forgotten cast. As a reminiscent familiarity set in, fond yet faded memories of its existence began to re-emerge. This was then the newest of Galder's records to be released in the prime of my time enjoying his music. Somehow, it ended up over shadowed by the rest of his records. Revisiting it has been a pleasure, a lost joy I've re-acquainted myself with.

Strangely though, I feel I have the least to say about this record. Following his peak, In Defiance Of Existence, Galder's next move was a symphonic embellishment that has Vermin feel more like a bridge between the aforementioned album and Revelation 666 - The Curse Of Damnation that came before it. Despite my adoration of Revelation 666, it does admittedly drown in the rich symphony and over production.

Vermin is measured in approach, taking the refined song writing of In Definance and bringing a visibly more involved orchestration of darkly synths to its atmosphere. It does however frequently turn to the bombastic throws of evil Metal. Its big riffs are pitted against a careful arrangement of sinister melodies and devious guitar work. The momentum is splurged on simple breakdowns, often drenched in keyboard symphony.

With a lack of stand out moment, the shorter record plays through the defined Old Man's Child sound without anything experimental or unexpected. Perfect for a mood but lacking in anything to grab your attention otherwise. It does dabble with a brief cinematic sound design track to end off with. Its descending tone, hinted at in its titling, is a brief stint but hardly makes a lasting impression in new territory.

Rating: 7/10

Animals As Leaders "Parrhesia" (2022)

 

Following up on the three tracks of Gordian Naught, Parrhesia's six other songs follow in a typical vein for this band. Complexing instrumentals of rhythmic uncertainty resolving and instrumental aesthetic exploration yielding both unwieldy chunks of reactionary groove and beautifully scenic melodics. My exposure to the original three has perhaps tainted my experience, in the best way possible. To thees ears, the six new cuts have more gratifying shades of color when they blossom and more often too. This makes the churning of the cold polyrythmic density more bearable. The hard drives through the aggressive terrain of tightly jolting deep end guitar noise often leads to lavish explosions of emotion. The guitar tones and texture open up, brightening the mood and self illuminating in tandem with its melodies and chords.

 

A little infusion of synth key arpeggios along the way is a niche touch. Its blooms and respites between are often the most appealing aspect, as the band foray into Post Rock and Metal territory with textural landscapes breaking out of regular riffing structures. The immense talent of these musicians makes it a marvel to unfold in its best passages. The trio can be heard firing on all cylinders, giving all their instrumentation a density that needs unpacking. Drum patterns woven yet groovy and charming, Even some "lighter", acoustic led refrains have a dexterous depth.

The problem for me is the low end guitar work. Initially a draw, something I'm fond of, Animals As Leaders get a little to into themselves on this outing. With the extremes of technicality, polymeasures and oddities as they present them, the pursuit often feels soulless. Thoughts And Prayers a keen example of the choppy chugging getting lost within itself and going on a meaningless tangent. The band is all about swaying between its two temperaments, finding interesting middle ground along the way. For me, the self serving aggression has sadly lost its attraction.

Rating: 6/10

Old Man's Child "In Defiance Of Existence" (2003)

Having now joined the ranks of longtime friends Dimmu Borgir, Galder returns to Old Man's Child with a masterstroke of composure. For all his bold and gallant melodies, the darkly power chord shredding and blushes of symphonic might. On this occasion, his ideas arrive united with a seamless cohesion as the enjoyable yet cheesy and simplistic pleasures fall wayside to musical ideas executed with vision and purpose.

From start to end In Defiance Of Existence drives its devious themes with intent that delivers many remarkable outbursts of color and energy between the foundations of extreme metallic intensity. Pivoting away from pure power chords, Galder unleashes his new found tremolo shredding heard on Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. He also revives the Spanish acoustic guitar to great effect, complimenting the distortion guitars on occasion and gracing us with the stunning interlude In Quest Of Enigmatic Dreams.

So much of the albums pleasures derive from the simplicity of composition. Subtle background synths enrich fiery guitar riffs. Galder's screams are measured, deeper in tone, essentially subdued forms of the raspy howling serpent that came before. The distortion guitar texture is gorgeous, a thick and versatile tone that doesn't overpower. Best of all its drum aesthetics are on point. The snare snaps, the bass kicks pop. Sounding crisp and sharp, its fit for any blast beat or bouncy groove that is demanded.

There is a question to be asked, how much this fine production shapes Galder's music? To my ears, a shift is present in his writing style. He seeks out gratification through a songs trajectory, with frequent luminous, wondrous guitar solos and climactic riffs built up to with craft and care. The keys do drop in with big melodies on occasion but mostly they follow the growing momentum of a track. There is a variety of tones too, sometimes exchanging its roll as the lead instrument. With this approach the nine songs have a lot to offer without a single weak spot.

Its clearly Old Man's Child's finest hour, a nightly ride of fiery, fun and passionate Symphonic Black Metal. Its extreme yet appealing to the warmer sensibilities of melody and rhythm than its evil theatrics suggest, like much of the back catalog. With news of another album in the works, I hope the absence brings Galder the inspiration to reach these peaks again as this record is an affirmation of his musical brilliance.

 

Rating: 9/10

Old Man's Child "Revelation 666 - The Curse Of Damnation" (2000)

 

If Galder's previous effort Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion in anyway informed the direction of Spiritual Black Dimensions, the inverse in beyond obvious with this next installment Revelation 666. Now working alongside Peter Tägtgren of Hypocrisy, who produced SBD, the albums aesthetic blueprint is practically a mirror image of Dimmu's lavish symphonic wonder released the year prior. In my youth I absolutely adored this one without considering its construct under any scrutiny. After all, the record is full of over-the-top extreme metal embellished by walls of glossy synths in pursuit of evil.

It is a massive step up from his previous records, which seem all a touch bare in the wake of this wall of sound. Galder's melodies and knack for groovy riffs gets wrapped up in the moment. Barely taking foot of the gas, its a sonic assault from start to end. With frequent plunges into manic blast beats, everything is amped up on their momentum. Its twists and turns onto synth leads and dazzling piano licks is a riot. Most notable are how much more animated the percussion is. If everything has been amplified, the biggest advance lies in the drums which deliver the blasts unlike before.

Overall, the album toys with vivid darkness, a cheesy sense of evil as instrumental arrangement push big and bold melodies off the back of pacey power chord shredding and chugging palm mute grooves. The melodies often interchange between lead guitar and keys with big stabbing synth punctuating with potent emphasis. Early on, some chord progressions and synth tones emulate SBD quite closely, however as the album grows Galder's identity dominates the direction over its appeasing aesthetic.

With that said, his constant barrages of melody, pivots into big riffs and general song writing approach has its formula, one which I enjoy. Lending a critical ear it could be said these ideas do manifest within a narrow scope. In comparison to Dimmu's SBD, there is a notable lack of variety and progression present. These songs churn through the riffs with little in the way of a bigger picture or sense of direction. The opening Phantoms Of Mortem Tales experiences a little of this with its big opening sequence and guitar solos either side of a tense interlude. More creativity could of served it well.

I must conclude that Revelation 666 is more of a personal pleasure than an objective recommendation. In my youth it was exactly what I was looking for. Me and my friends would binge it endlessly. Looking back now that magic is still there however its flaws are more obvious too. The best is yet to come but for me, this Old Man's Child album is a treasure, a part of that Symphonic Black Metal niche I just simply adore.

Rating: 8/10

Haunted Shores "Void" (2022)

 

Out of the dark, a welcome suprise! Misha Mansoor of Periphery and Mark Halcomb have returned, seven years on from their Viscera EP. Void is a technical feat, a high octane bombardment of tight, jolting music set to electrify. As an instrumental, Djent adjacent Progressive Metal project, its guitars and drums play in tandem, tightly woven with both being intensely involved in the musical direction. The pair chew through maddening chops of chugging brutality and feisty rhythmic abuse, only to erupt into emotive surges. The intensity subsides for enigmatic guitar leads to usher in hazy Post-Metal leads and expand the atmosphere from its heavy chains.

This relief aids the records successes, for otherwise it would be a masturbatory exercise in instrumental proficiency as much of the music gets lost in machinations of extreme dexterous performance. Laying out animated, finger bending riffs and inhuman drumming in many sections across the album, it can sound like a self indulged Technical Death Metal record. Fortunately some songs are also propped up by what I can only describe as VGM melody, something about its tunefulness feels distinctly fit for that world where a lead instrument talks with voice as its tune.

The chemistry is apt but balance skews into lonely into the extremity a little to often. Broken up with a couple of lofty atmospheric interludes it plays well into its conclusion Nocturnal Hours. Bringing in the dizzying saxophone playing of Jorgen Munkeby, it infuses a little jazzy madness, a blend of instruments that sounds exceeding good. It may have been nice to of heard more of this! The studio production and sharp aesthetic is pure class, bringing the percussion right to the focal point, Misha makes a feast of whats on offer. All in all Void is wondrous in scale and ambition but perhaps all too obvious in its path to the scenic riff oriented Metal the pair deliver together.

Rating: 7/10

Dimmu Borgir "Death Cult Armageddon" (2003)

 

A conclusion for now, the last of the great Dimmu Borgir records. Death Cult Armaggedon was the first release I lapped up as a fully fledged fan. Its nostalgia is immense for me. Having convinced my circle of sixth form friends to buy it on release, it became a soundtrack to our friendship exploring the world of extreme music. The reason I say Its the last of their greats is because DCA ventures into the lavish orchestral avenue, ditching traditional key tones. Both Galder and Silenoz's guitar styles undergo an evolution away from constant power chords too. Although these songs are a far cry from their classic sound, this stride is phenomenal and everything they tried is golden. I can't say the same for the following In Sorte Diablo.

Song after song is utterly embellished by the orchestral instruments. Dimmu's extreme metal aesthetic would sound lost without it. The union is wonderful, bringing a rich sense of cinema to the drive of Barker's batter drums and aggressive guitar grooves which stomp and grind from end to end. A couple songs, namely Lepers Among Us and Cataclysm Children, ride the storms without the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra behind them. Evenly spaced, they break up the albums flow, injecting more devilish brutality as Dimmu get into some of their hardest, crunchiest songs to date.

The album excels on all fronts but as Dimmu do, their song structures always lead to interesting places. Plunges of darkness and other abstract arrangements give each song a real trajectory to venture upon after the verse and chorus have been established. Each song has a defining component, a special musical passage, making it hard to skip a beat. Perhaps more so than any record before it, they get a little closer to a whole experience. DCA is one album I love to listen to all the way through.

Everyone is pretty much on their best game. Shagrath delivers his demonic howls as usual with some adventurous manipulations too, possibly with the aid of pedals. It contributes to the albums lean and mean texture, occasionally with an Industrial brush as mechanical noises and swells of ambiguity feature sporadically. Its a harsh, rapid storm of malevolent metallic music that evolves across its ambitious arc. First with Blood Hunger Doctrine, DCA open up. A slower tempo pounds out a thumping groove from the rhythm section and offers respite on journey to a fantastical conclusion.

ICS Vortex unleashes his beautiful heathen voice on the albums second Norwegian track. The chemistry with the pianos is stunning. I love how this band can fit illustrious melodies between rapid blast beat assaults. Eradication Instincts Defined is where the concluding magic begins. Its orchestra into so memorable and vivid. One can picture the devastation war brings over the natural beauty of mother earth, as if flying over the fields of war. Shagrath crashes the song into a fury with a length scream that sets this epic on its way. Its lengthy venture leads us into the sirens of war and devastation as the albums longest number unfolds after it.

Unorthodox Manifest's audio scenery of war depicted against the cry's of hail Satan sets off a chilling saga. The band pivot from what seems like a regular song into some of its harshest blasts, leading into a roaring epic, flush with melodies and amazing guitar solos that interchange and play off to the highest magnitude. Its such a surge of energy, that seems like only a fade out was appropriate, unable to land the beast they unleashed with a single strike. Its one of the bands more remarkable songs.

Although I often consider the three prior albums to be superior, writing my thoughts out on DCA makes me reconsider. This was a group of musicians with far more maturity and direction then they had armed themselves with before. Galder and Barker brought much to the band, transitioning them again to the frontier of Extreme Metal. Although Dimmu are considered Black Metal, its far from the tradition. They are their own powerhouse of evil and on this occasion manifested a vision to perfection.

Rating: 10/10

Animals As Leaders "Gordian Naught" (2022)

 

Now approaching six years since The Madness Of Many, this technical trio led by the trailblazing Tosin Abasi and his phenomenal guitar skills, have another album set for release next month. I'm unaware as to if these tracks will grace the record but I must comment that a preference is to be found in this trio of songs in a shorter context. Without a vocalist, looping structures and repetitions often feel drawn out despite the magnetism the band have. At eleven minutes, Gordian Naught is a bite sized delight of the latest cuts from the Animals As Leaders camp.

Sadly, despite much enjoyment, the needle has not moved far in terms of style. The group are still exploring the veracity of timely executions dissecting chugging rhythm and dense aesthetic. Often abstract guitar and bass noises become a facade for extreme polyrhythms and dissonant grooves. The percussion is a particular persistence of ambidexterity. A technical feet of ability, weaving in detailed beats flush with delicate intricacies around the battering picking sequences.

Its best moments are at the intersection with convention. Luminous colors arise from its electronic synths or melodic lead guitars, breaking up the impressive but monotonous drives of its intricate rhythms. These moments are gorgeous, open and expansive. Pivoting from the dark and mechanical into streams of uplift and light. Its jazzy, emotional and soothing yet doesn't come along often enough.

Title track Gordian Naught is the chugging powerhouse concluding with a mighty discordant breakdown. The Problem Of Other minds opens up the colors with synths and leads. Monomyth then elaborates further, its curious background bells giving its grooves feeling. As it drives harder into the mechanical feet, its pivot out feels more gratifying. In that moment it is the most satisfying, better of these new songs.

Rating: 3/10

Stormtroopers Of Death "Speak English Or Die" (1985)

 

This classic record has been on my radar for years. Having finally plunged in and gotten to know its flavor of chaos, the year of release endows a context of immense appreciation. Before Slayer unleashed the unbridled fury of Reign In Blood, here stands one of the first Crossover Thrash projects encroaching on that timeless intensity. Stormtroopers Of Death is somewhat of a "supergroup" uniting musician from either side. With an intentionally unsavory and controversial, politically incorrect theme, they converge at a furious intersection of Thrash Metal and Hardcore Punk. The result is a wild, uncompromising assault on extreme music of the time. Perhaps Metallica's Kill Em All was the cutting edge before this? Although it may seem tame today, I find myself stilled stunned this was released in 1985!

Boasting big gritty distortion guitars, the fast and choppy slaps of power chord shuffling gets amplified by a fantastic percussive performance. Charlie Benante is a powerhouse of Hardcore groove and Grindcore blasts as his drumming often derails from mosh stomps into loose thumping rattles of chaos. Its an old-school flavor of blast beats so uncommon now yet it sounds utterly fantastic when unleashed. Its the duality with Scott Ian of Anthrax who, for a Thrash guitarist, gets the Hardcore energy just right. The constant shuffling between moshing grooves and unrestrained extremity is fun and fast. The songs blitz through an arsenal of riffs and ideas that simply excels.

The majority of songs clock in around two minutes. A helping of very short stunts chime in too. The six second Anti Procrastination Song a particularly fun one, an idea preceding Napalm Death's Guinness world record holding "You Suffer". All ideas are explored swiftly, rarely lingered on for more than a grasp of whats going on. They tend to roll into one big wash of frenetic aggression as its pummeling charges roll out the punches over and over again across its twenty one tracks. It does end on a bit of a whimper, limping out on a string of jokey seconds long songs that don't land well.

Often abbreviated to S.O.D, I realized the song Pussywhipped was mistaken for System Of A Down back in the file sharing days of Napster, a common issue with the service. It brought quite the smile to hear an oldie from my school days. I always thought it was an early band demo or something along those lines. Its also one of the albums best songs with razor fast riffs switching into big bouncing grooves as the drums batter down hard with snare rolls. I'm left with no illusions about how significant this record is in the landscape of extreme music. I reckon it will only ever grow on me with time. If id discovered this in my youth, I'd probably be worshiping it till this day!

Rating: 8/10

Zeal And Ardor "Zeal And Ardor" (2022)

 

If Metal has stagnated in recent years, then Zeal & Ardor would be at the forefront of bands exploring new avenues for the genre. This self titled sophomore effort rides the wave of their profound chemistry, an unlikely marriage of anti-christian Black Metal theatrics and the historical struggles of an African American experience housed within its dark relationship with slavery. Clearly mastering both the inspirations and aesthetics Manuel Gagneux has carved for his band, this latest forty four minute effort feels strongly leveraged on a new idea. Frequenting the record are sharp, hard hitting, precise breakdown riffs that levy its personality with thrusts of mean anger as angular guitars jolt fast and choppy riffs, executed with a cold mechanical precision.

The gamble pays off wonderfully as a rather atypical metallic approach exchanges with bluesy Blackgaze and folksy Gospel music with a grim grounding. Its brutal rhythmic force and precision timings play up the fun of obnoxious Metal yet never truly escape the weighty emotions of the burdensome soulful experiences that precede them. If anything they seem to give them a sense of conclusion as a lot of slower paced and gloomy atmospheres are given a fist of fury to punch the listener with.

Its what initially grabbed my attention and with subsequent listens the music between began to open up. A lot of similar ideas and compositions are heard again as on Stranger Fruit and Devil Is Fine. Usually the most interesting chemistries emerge when the light straddles the heavy and the two exchange. Early on in the record I also felt as if I were hearing far more electronic vst experiments. Springy unsettled sounds chiming in on breakdowns and big riffs. Götterdämmerung strikes me as the albums best track, a brilliant exchange of devilish melody, chuggy guitars and chain gang blues. This self titled record is a fine execution of their now established sound but its left me with one of those "time will tell" feelings as to the impression it may leave.

Rating: 8/10

Napalm Death "Resentment is Always Seismic" (2022)

As the uncompromising titans of extreme music, now spanning five decades of music, news of a Napalm Death will always have me excitable. One can rely on them for quality, their fervor and tenacity an enduring quality continuing to yield fantastic releases to this day. Somewhat alike Apex Predator, I came off this thirty minute EP a fraction lukewarm. If its a maelstrom of ferocious aggression or uneasy atmospheres of burden and disgust, Napalm deliver swiftly. Navigating around a couple of cover tracks the following songs don't quite deliver the edge of its opening numbers.

Kicking off with Narcissus we steadily drift, steamrolling without breaks, a runaway train accelerating steadily and perpetuating the madness of its dizzying speeds. Riotous power chord riff machinations and pummeling blast beats flex of the groovy interchanges, culminating in a stomping conclusion. The pace evaporates immediately as Resentment Always Simmers takes a brooding stroll into the darkness with its stripped down percussion and tremolo guitar lick churning away at the dissatisfaction.

The following original songs lurk in the shadows of the ideas explored here. The choppy assault of Harris's frenetic power chord splaying, Barney's "osculating larynx" and the powerhouse rhythm section never quite scale these peaks again. People Pie is an interesting cover, mostly its lyrical proposition of animals eating humans provides food for thought in a disturbing atmosphere led by massive rumbling basslines of might and gristly texture. Don't Need It stands out for its blitz Thrash Metal guitar chops, wild unruly Slayer akin guitar solo and screechy vocals.

The closing title track too, a Burial Dirge of haunting vocals, unwelcome synths and heavy gloom makes its mark too. The key take away for me was how the covers stood out as the other songs circled similar ideas to that of the opening. With a lot of albums circling the thirty minute mark these days I can see why this is actually labeled an EP, perhaps in the bands mind not reaching the threshold of quality reserved for full lengths. Either way, its always fantastic to tune in with Napalm and hear what they are up to! Resentment is Always Seismic offers up interesting ideas worth your attention.

Rating: 6/10

Arsis "A Diamond For Disease" (2005)

 

Here we have a phenomenal three track record, a thirteen minute title track epic accompanied by two other shorter and decent songs. I'm also shocked to learn this EP followed their debut release the year prior. Rather impressive for a band in there infancy, this song is a marvel that holds up well a decade and a half later. Notably the production also stands strong, it bold snappy aesthetic holding together a cacophony of dexterous drumming, littered with technical fills, choppy pedal rhythms and blast beats. Alongside, the guitars have brimming tones of dense aggression constantly in tandem with roaring lead guitars injecting their slew of blazing rapturous melodies.

Taking a page out of the Carcass playbook, Arsis bring forth a ferocious yet classic Melodic Death Metal sound, infused with a Technical edge led by the snarling serpent screams of James Malone who does not shy away from the inspirations of Jeff Walker. The song writing and execution is pure class, overshadowing any murmurs of imitation as Arsis step into the genre boldly with an arsenal of ideas and refreshing passion.

A Diamond For Disease is a wild ride of high octane action! Its title track assaulting on many fronts as it navigates several passages of busy instrumentation creating moments of uplift and madness as its endless fire of lead guitar licks bounces from bright melody to dizzying swirls of diminished notation. Behind it chug away fast paced stomps of grooves and complimenting power chords. The breakout of luminous classic Heavy Metal riffs reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne's The Ultimate Sin era, a keen moment I adored. Its a moment of refreshment between some seriously layered chops of brutality. It can be a task to keep up with how much is going on instrumentally.

This is of course a good thing. The musicianship is marvelous both for technicality and inspiration. The following song lets up on the density, going for more groove and melody at an easier pace to follow. The third follows on getting a little harder on the drums. Both are decent tracks but that thirteen minute epic is one to remember!

Rating: 7/10

Dagoba "What Hell Is About" (2006)

After writing about this French Metal outfits latest release On The Run, I realized I had already checked in with them a few years back on Black Nova. I'd forgotten much of that record and this one too, until a couple of spins had the nostalgia jogged with memories rushing back in! This was one me and my friends enjoyed on rotation during the heyday of the Deathcore scene, which they were not part of. With ICS Vortex lending his voice on a song, I suspect the discovery was related to Dimmu Borgir.

The bands aesthetic is a sonic assault of elasticated exaggerated grooves, playing out on seven string guitars. With a rhythmic battering from the pedal clicking drums and the aggressive roaring shouts of Shawter, the band have an intense sound constantly erupting head banging riffs. The ace up the sleeve has to be the synths that frequently shift in and out of focus, often layering in simple chords or single notes to beef up the musics atmosphere with an astral coldness. The precise mechanical slugging of brutal rhythms in between help play up an Industrial Metal component too. This chemistry is ripe for the elusive Future Fusion Metal genre label that never stuck around.

These songs are well written, balancing out the aggression with an uplift and respite as melody and "cleaner" singing work there way into some tracks. It gives the record pacing as it can't rely solely on chugging stomps of low end guitar djenting and pinch harmonics for its forty four minutes duration. The production is very much of the time, clicky drums and dense guitar tones making progress in sounding clearer but still a ways to go compared to where we are now. Give it some volume and it will sound great. Revisiting What Hell Is About has been a blast! It is always nice to unearth forgotten records and get a dose of nostalgia in the process.

Rating: 7/10

Chaosbay "Boxes" (2022)

 

Taking a page from the Periphery book, this German Progressive Metal outfit have forged a fine fusion of sweet Pop sensibilities and chunky Djent guitars. It oozes at the seams with color as its fine aesthetic powers through a range of pummeling guitar grooves through to gorgeous washes of bright melody. The two ebb and flow breezily, elasticated between extremes that offer no contrast. The mid track Lonely People champions this sublime chemistry. Its a four minute attention grabber swaying in with their heaviest sledge hammer of a riff, cruising onto the catchiest of choruses with the "I am afraid, What have I done? I've got this feeling the machines have won" line.

Singer Jan Listing has a wonderful voice. Delivering meaty screams and ascending with a sharp clean voice that soars, he moves with the musics gravity. His presence often bridges the melody, fostering a link from the menacing brutality of Djent slabs that pluck in and out of focus to form mammoth grooves. Between it all the music is embellished by both technical prowess and inspiration as guitar solos and other creative compositions give the five songs a constant stream of excitement.

The albums production is clear and pristine, It feels dense as the two guitars play compliment to one another. The one focusing on power chords and low end guitar notes, the other adding the melody with glossy acoustic guitars and gleaming melodies. Its quite amazing how massive this four piece sound together. Drummer Patrick Bernath also puts out a wonderful show of dexterity and creativity. A continuous source of exuberance for these five tracks. I'm frankly blown away, this has been a fine introduction to a band touching on a decade together. More listening is required after this fine initiation.

Rating: 7/10

Hypocrisy "Hypocrisy" (1999)

 

I know little of any lore or significance behind the self titled naming of this sixth full length outing by the Swedish group. Perusing their catalog in my youth, this quickly caught my attention as one I should give more time too. Before long it was my absolute favorite and picking it up again all these years later, its got legs. Mostly, its the streak of bluesy emotion emanating from the voice of Peter Tägtgren that resonates the strongest. Alongside an arsenal of both galloping and broody atmospheric Metal, the record offers up a varied landscape of song styles that Hypocrisy have recycled since, all hinged around extra terrestrial paranoia and conspiratorial themes. Hearing it all again on Worship, I was keen to spin it again!

Opening track Fractured Millennium is an anthem of its own creation. The grand synths that open it up brew in anticipation of the epic riff that grace the highs and lunges into the low chords with great effect. Its a slower, atmospheric track peaked by a wonderful guitar solo reminiscent of Ride The Lightning. The rest of the record is scattered with a few more helpings of blazing guitar leads that always arrive just on time. Apocalyptic Hybrid pivots sharply into menacing Death Metal with a galloping pace tinged by melody as much of the record is. Although these tracks get tough and mean with hard hitting guitar grooves, its always a break or two away from a melodic theme, making its mark so much more enduring and memorable than brutal acts.

Later in the track listing Time Warp brings back that frenetic energy but otherwise the group lean into the atmospheric and find some unique magic as Peter opens his voice up to a burly, heathen, cleaner side. Elastic Inverted Visions and Paled Empty Spheres ushers in acoustics to take lead on sombre songs with darkly lyrics of struggle and tones of redemption seeking. Until The End and Disconnected Magnetic Corridors straddle the slow tempos with grandiose as the depressive, downtrodden tones struggle on in the rainy atmospheres that brood with no light in sight. The variety is magnificent and the track arrangement used to puzzle me. It always felt like you could chalk the songs into three distinct camps. Now I see that it offers a change in pace and respite from remaining in one lane continuously.

For the year of its production, the album reflects the Symphonic Black Metal sound, with Peter being a key influence on Enthrone Darkness Triumphant and Spiritual Black Dimensions. Probably speaks volumes to why I like it so much. The constant inclusion of synth lines behind the roaring of blazing mighty metal to much to resist! All these years later its magic has dulled a touch, more of a nostalgic affair than something to whip me off my feet but its still utterly terrific and full of fantastic peaking moments, usually those guitar solos which remind me of Kirk Hammett in some ways.

Rating: 9/10

Killing Joke "Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell" (2006)

 

With a new year comes a ritualistic return to the extensive discography of Killing Joke, a band I've been exploring since this earliest days of this music blog. These English Post-Punk emergents have had a massive influence on the shape of Industrial Rock and Metal to come, Ministry being a keen sample of their ideas propagating to new frontiers. Once finding myself burned out, its now quite a pleasure to return to their particular sound with a new set of songs periodically. This one might be a new favorite in the collection. Released in 2006, it reminds me of my Download Festival poster from that year. They headlined the third stage and given all the cracking shows I've seen over the years in the top spot of the smaller stage. I often wonder what the was like? Sadly I didn't investigate their music until many years later, that's when I noticed they played on that legendary year, my first and unforgettable outing at Donnington!

 Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell is possibly the bands most engulfing feet yet. Riding on a backbone of pounding repetition and dense aggression, the aesthetic crushing of its gristly guitar distortions, beefy percussive strikes and Coleman's aged throaty shouts, caries the music into a hypnotic dimension. With a cold mechanical drive these songs drone with an unshakable pace on lengthy escapades that chew through its crammed assembly of instruments. Often with gusto in its step, the drums pound simple grooves as the guitars roar with uncompromising attitude, chopping up tight chugs and aesthetic marvels of discordant noise and pedal effects. Jaz tends to draw his vocals out, giving a little relief to the unfaltering march each instrumental sets out on. Its a strange chemistry to have two aggressive forces, playing one as relief.

Its fortunate that one can zone out a little with this record. The songs do churn a handful of ideas over and over in the meat grinder. Its atmospheric. Killing Joke have brought a curated collusion of their finest ideas to revel in the moment. If you have got the time, its a pleasure to go through. Every song comes with its own little spice. Invocation stands out for a superb integration of menacing Classical symphonics vaguely reminiscent of Kashmir. Majestic has a riff that gives me chills. The tone and progression almost sounds like a sample from a T.S.O.L. song. Walking With Gods unearths an obnoxious angular guitar noise to ride alongside the massive bass guitar, somehow finding a melodic crescendo to peak the synthetic oddities that arise.

I could go on. The point being each song has a strong intention and musical idea the band hammer out with this intense drive festering in the palm of their hands. The production aids it greatly. 2006 was a time where the loudness wars and wall of sound production still hadn't settled. Records from this era vary in quality and I feel like this was a looser, jostled production that actually aided the final result. A little low fidelity can often suit an agressive direction. Ive read that album is considered a creative peak for the band. If the next two records are not up to scratch, that is fine. Im happy to have found this one. If forced to make a list, Id put it somewhere near the top.

Rating: 8/10

Arkhtinn "二度目の災害" (2021)

 

Translated as Second Disaster, this latest Arkhtinn installment was a typical blasting of exhilarated, ferocious Black Metal from the cosmic void. To break format with its often Dark Ambient counterpart, both halves, two meaty twenty plus minute songs, are comprised extreme music led in by the beeping of Morse Code. The second track always strikes me as the better of the pair. Its resounding thumps of chunky groove and slick pedal kicks haunted by ghastly screams brings about a rhythmic distinction to an otherwise endless romp of blast beats and deathly guitar shredding.

Before it reaches that all too common intensity, the song embellishes a little Burzum alike discordance, something I would liked to of heard more of. Instead the howling choirs of fallen angels aligns with its perpetual plunges into darkness, competing with itself in a race to the bottom. The song structure and writing feels more apparent. Perhaps this is the first occasion I feel as if its low fidelity aesthetic holds things back. I'm reminded a little of Dimmu Borgir's PEM record as its fantastical darkly synths paint quite the wondrous madness within its hellish onslaught of crushing sound. After a while, the theme and search of new peaks to scale does get a bit tiresome as its main ideas circle back on themselves for a conclusion.

The first track explores a similar dimension with plenty of whirling astral synths buried between instruments. It comes through with some strong Industrial rhythmic chops and plenty of breaks in the flow with ambient interludes and build ups that loose sight of the bigger structure in its lengthy stay. Again its residing in furious intensities can be a bit grinding and the shifts can feel a little sudden in execution, rather than natural and flowing. All in all, the music follows the path laid out and given this Darkspace inspired sound is still interesting to me, its was a fun experience, however as always, new ideas and progression for the sound would be most welcome.

Rating: 6/10

Cradle Of Filth "Existence Is Futile" (2021)

 

 

Stuck in a familiarity fatigue, my soft spot for Cradle Of Filth still yearned. Their recent revival of form through Hammer Of The Witches and Cryptoriana had me tuning me again. Despite all its competence and theatrics, sadly this latest length installment of their Gothic Extreme Metal didn't spark the thrills I was hoping for. All the cardinal sins are intact, Dani's shrill animal howls and deep burly voices narrate the vampiric and Lovecraft themes. Blast beats and lively percussion houses flexible distortion guitars and an array of timely gothic synthetic keyboard tones to orchestrate the night.

 

His current guitarists expand a little with a few less restrictive guitar chops and leads that have a mellower edge but its only a handful of moments among a meaty arsenal of tracks. For the most part they stick strictly to the classic CoF formulae. Its opening track Existential Terror, however, tackles pandemic parallels with tales of plague thrust through a very orchestral Abrahadabra tone. Its big symphonic strikes of melody and archaic choir singing hailing back to that particular Dimmu Borgir sound.

Its a niche that doesn't stick and swiftly do the band land on familiar footing, leading to a record that shows no noticeable blemishes yet failed to really get my blood pumping. There are instances of choppy thrash riffs that get a little tiring but some fiery spurts of aggression too. Aesthetically it gorgeous and full of lively instrumentation. A lack of originality is probably a fault at times. All arrangements rehash old ideas, the closing Unleash The Hellion very distinctly reminiscent of their Vempire era. I couldn't pick out a favorite track, I think I've just found myself in a spot of tiredness without a cure. I'll probably swing back to this one whenever I snap out of it, if ever I do!

Rating: 6/10

Hypocrisy "Worship" (2021)

 

Of all the familiarity fatigue I've endured of late, I was actually itching for an unchanged dose of Hypocrisy's alien paranoia breed of mid-tempo Atmospheric Death Metal. Led by a key figure in the Scandinavian Metal scene, producer Peter Tägtgren resurrects his passion project after an eight year absence to show the formula is still fun. Thematically, the conspiratorial inspirations are oddly relevant again,  finding some adaptations to fraught social topics of our pandemic age. Where they are less relevant is in the Metal scene itself. Despite Peter's many accolades, Hypocrisy have always been an underdog in my eyes. Spotting a shirt or jacket patch at a Metal festival can be a perils task despite their relative consistency over decades.

Worship is business as usual. The dynamic melding of its thrashing, pummeling rhythm guitars and the soaring gleam shining from tangled melodic leads tinged in astral inflections are the riveting experience I adored this band for. The pallet sways between its heavier riff led intensities and thematic melodic gloss that embellishes its perpetual sense of other worldly matters. Over top roars Peter with his earthly guttural shouts. They are dense growls but the slower cadence lets the words decipher and emanate a brutal forcefulness to intact his conspiratorial words. The percussion reinforces everything with timely patterns and grooves, playing a subtle roll as blast beats and even double pedals are a little less infrequent than one might expect for Death Metal but of course Hypocrisy's angle has always been an emphasis on atmosphere and scenic imagination. The drum grooves emphasis that sense of scale.

These tracks don't have much in the way of variety between them. With straight forward song structures the album rolls on with not a lot of flash in the pan. The songs mostly rely on trixy dazzling guitar licks and stomping grooves with the occasional intensity change ups leaving the guitars out for a baseline to rumble. They recycle their identity for the most part with We're The Walking Dead feeling like a rehash of many previous takes of slow brooding mood and atmosphere. In fact much of the record dives into compositions that feels very akin to previous songs you could cherry pick from their extensive discography. They Will Arrive does spring a surprise with its gritty low chord chugging groove setting off an alarming horn of some sort. It was something different of which Worship doesn't have much, however I turned up to hear Hypocrisy do what they do best. All of these songs are class without a weak link.

 

On the lyrical front its conspiratorial topicality and confrontation with our modern ills of disinformation and institutional distrust seems like a headache avoided. There is on claim of injecting two million people with HIV but otherwise its mostly the classic tinfoil hat tales of Illuminati and shadowy cabals of conspiring between alien demigods and corrupt elites. Essentially the traditional themes are tainted by modern polarization. However the third track Chemical Whore strikes right on the nerve of the still ongoing epidemic of dangerous pharmaceutical drugs peddled for profits by a increasingly dubious medical industry. To my ears its all a fair game of perspective and expression with nothing nefarious within. Worship is a solid delivery on exactly what I was in the mood for. A great band to check out if your a Metalhead who's not crossed them before. Their self titled album is my favorite, one I'm tempted to write up on soon.

Rating: 7/10

Bæst "Necro Sapiens" (2021)

 

Released in March of this year, this attempted behemoth of Death Metal disgust, Necro Sapiens, managed to slip under my radar! In previous efforts I've described Bæst as the Danish Bloodbath for similarities musically but more notably for the dense guttural roars of Simon Olsen which mirror that of legend Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth.

At forty four minutes this third record has felt like a meaty affair on every occasion. Its search of grandeur ever-present as grueling themes play out with an unrelenting intensity. Reaching for the epic, its march of brutality is a grinding one. The music gasps for breaths of air while strangulated by the demonic roars of Olsen who drowns out any melodic refrains to lighten the tone. That intensity seemingly holding it back.

As so often a Death Metal record does, an arsenal of riffs is lined up for assault. Necro Sapiens deploys all forms, from evil melodic inflections to slamming pummels of chugging palm mutes with all in between. The bad news is the lack of originality or freshness. At this point in a stagnant genre, the ideas have all been heard before and the arrangements in search of greatness seemed to fall ill of its own medicine.

I can hear the vision, a careful composition of riffs exchanging brutality and dramatic themes with its unruly lyrics peering into wretched biblical filth of angels and demons and the scourge of humanity. Its all to be expected however it just doesn't click! I'm left with nowhere to point for an excuse, the performance and execution is excellent, the record sounds wonderfully rich and powerful yet with every listen these songs fail to muster that adrenaline charged excitement. I'm left wondering is it me or the music?

Rating: 5/10