Bolt Thrower "The IVth Crusade" (1992)

I may have said I was done with this journey for now but one curious listen alone had me thinking this was hands down the best Bolt Thrower had to offer. If War Master, their previous effort, was a pivotal moment of evolution for the bands sound, then this is the mastery of that transformation. Dispensing off with the Grindcore hangovers of frantic guitar noise and plunges into manic blast beats, the band shed the scars of their youthful music and lean full tilt into their championed formula of dense low end grooves that croon against frequent rises of catchy leads. Pairing power and might with satisfying swigs of mean melody, the endless sways are endlessly enjoyable.

 

Despite being fully accustomed to this mid-tempo Death-Doom temperament, these songs seemed to hit the hardest of all and with a little more pace than usual. With a crushing resilience, the production brings about a dense, feisty tone that carries the relentless percussive pummeling so well. Track after track hammers away with intense, pounding drums rattling off a heavy framework for the thick, meaty distortion guitars to grind out an arsenal of riffs that carry well. These songs are simpler, to the point and with a refined execution the head banging is ceaseless!

Many of the common tricks are turned here, the timely breaking of intense drum patterns to half times on the ride or hi-hat symbol are in frequent circulation. The guitars offer up balance with the constant swaying on the ranges of the fretboard. Above it all Willets gives another mighty performance with his steady barking of guttural growls as mean and gritty as ever. Despite being a familiar experience, the excitement sustains as the sharpest ideas are delivered stunningly. Within the Death Metal context, the angle of war and the suffering it causes delivers a tempered beast of crushing might and majesty that's somehow unlike anything adjacent to them.

Embers stands out for sharing the same recurring riff as Powder Burns and Cenotaph but taking the biscuit is closer track Through The Ages where the band offered up a little novelty to their sound. Light choral synths back one of their broodiest riffs in the closing phase after a spoken word narrative listing of a long history of wars throughout human history. It ties itself to the thematic concept of the record seen in title, album art and lyrics. Just by stepping aside with an alternate idea they create a truly memorable song as the dates listed reinforce the magnitude of human created suffering by war, only then to be shadowed by this swell of musical might. Its powerful.

 At some point I will probably get around to the missing Bolt Thrower records I am yet to unearth. My entire time with the music I was trying to figure out where they fit into Death Metal's legacy. Thinking of other pivotal records in 92 like Clandestine and, Tomb Of The Mutilated this was certainly not at the forefront of the musics evolution but right at its peak they came through with a matured sound that didn't hinge on gimmicks as subsequently can be appreciated well through a historical lens. If I've not made it clear, this is thee Bolt Thrower album to check out! A brilliant moment in time.

Rating: 8/10

Bolt Thrower "War Master" (1991)

This is it! The pivot I was listening out for, a moment of change but one that surprisingly comes as a full on swing. With a touch of Doom Metal restraint, the band find the steady footing for their brutality to march hard at mid tempo, with powerful grooves thrusting its momentum forth with the energy I enjoy. Bolt Thrower still strike me as a band in identity crisis. Yet to land on the appropriate theme of war, their Warhammer inspired image and tacky name seemed at odds with the early Death Metal sound. These are all details that don't really matter if the music is good.

In War Master lies a big step forward in fidelity and song writing. The rhythm guitar finally finds its tempered aggression that defines later records. This aforementioned pivot is massive but not without the blemishes of their previous efforts. It actually adds a little flair as wild plunges into loose blast beats and the hangover of Grindcore guitar noise give it brief tangents to break the tone. Otherwise all the pieces are in place. Big and powerful power chord arrangements routinely switch into tremolo picking as lively drum patterns pick up pace, delivering that heavy sway of grooving aggression.

Best of all, Karl Willets's voice opens way up. This could have been aided by the decent fidelity of this record. His breathy, throaty guttural growls are very audible for this seasoned listener. I found myself catching many of his doom and gloom lyrics, expressing disgust and commanding punishment and persecution for the human race. Its all light heart stuff! He rides the music like that extra layer of noise but the amount of texture and grit is endearing. Its not often a vocal performance catches my ear.

All being said, my excitement is steered heavily by finding this "linking" moment where the band stumbled into their own brilliance. That being said, it sounds like a total switch up to my ears with only the occasional blast beats and eruptions of lead guitar noise having much of a link to what they did on Realm Of Chaos. I'd be curious to learn what the band themselves thought of this evolution. With only two other records to digest, I think I'll put this one on ice again for now.

Rating: 6/10

Blood Incantation "Hidden History Of The Human Race" (2019)

 
Catching wind of high praise thrown its way, Hidden History Of The Human Race is a well articulated Death Metal record for fans new and old, a bridge between styles within a sub-genre normally tired to the bone after thirty years of evolution that has stagnated in recent memory. Denver based Blood Incantation hit a fantastical stride on this sophomore album, boasting four dynamic, progressive songs, one of which is a lengthy eighteen minute epic that in all reality feels like two songs bolted together through effect soaked acoustic interludes that play up its alien, cosmic theming, both present in the music, song names and on the otherworldly album artwork.

Its Opens up with an aggressive plunge of snarling fretwork deploying pinch squeals, a battering of blast beats and the oldskool roar of Paul Riedl. The groove and bombast lasts but a minute before the atmospheric dimension opens up. Howling guitar leads, frantic drumming and alien melodies drill in its angle before chopping through a riff fest interspersed fiery bursts of guitar lead and crushing growls that permeate the music through its dense reverberations. At times it borders Doom Metal with slow, drawn out groans that brood with intensity in a menacing manor.

This shade of brutality has it all, flickers of Nile, Morbid Angel and Thrash infused era Death show their influences on the guitar work. Whats best is how these songs open up into atmospheric lunges of crawling pace, the percussion breaks down and livens up again in bursts of energy. The albums third song explores these dynamics further with a guitar tone led song, playing into Post-Metal territory as its acoustic guitars get awash in a haze of textural distortion. We even get treated to a flickering of psychedelic old school synths emerging from a foggy synth interlude on the eighteen minute juggernaut. A brief moment but one that signifies all elements have purpose.

The spur of excitement this band conjure is not a short one, every listen has been lively and fruitful. These songs hold up as its alien, cosmic inspired atmosphere holds a lasting curiosity, conjuring mysterious imaginations of what could be out there. It has been a common theme in recent years for bands to play the nostalgia card, yet pulling off truly inspired music. This is another one to add to the pile, Blood Incantation clearly derive ideas, tones and techniques from the greats that walked before them but in this instance they have pulled it altogether with a touch of class felt best in its frequent lunges into shivering atmospheres of alien unease. With great vision and a wonderful execution, the album is one for any fan of the brutal genre.

Rating: 8/10

Pallbearer "Forgotten Days" (2020)

 

Doom Metal is not my forte however this young and highly praised band caught my attention with their Progressive approach to one of Metal's older incarnations. They've struck me as a band that take time to love and Heartless grows on me still with each occasional return. Forgotten Days, the groups forth outing, may just suffice a similar fate. After many listens I find myself stunted by its opening stylistic halves, in awe of one, dulled by the other. Fortunately the album quickly moves beyond this fumble.

The opening title track illuminates their chemistry with its dull contrast. It kicks off, churning out burly descendings of southern swampy groove from its hazy distortion guitars. Its a sound all to akin to New Orleans based Down, a similarity heard on occasion. For this song the band focus on raw groove within a monochromatic tone. Sludgy low end riffing takes a slow, measured approach, building momentum among steady chugs and palm mutes. It of fair craft but a damp and stale, colorless delivery.

Its refrain brings relief as illuminating chorus soaked guitars light up the scene with color and emotion, singer Brett Campbell opens up his tone after sounding very much like Ozzy Osbourne beforehand. Fortunately, Forgotten Days doesn't return to this rhythm oriented stint. Of course the music is laden with interesting grooves that sway within the changing temperaments. Its main focus is the swelling saturation of melodies and harmony that emerges from this inherently gloomy aesthetic.

Where it could be all to easy to feel burdensome and sluggish, the band bring a weighty emotion that toys with beauty and struggle as a strangely uplifting melancholy permeates these scenic songs that journey through stunning musical ideas, each track building to its own crescendo of sorts. The inclusion of a zapping synthesizer on Stasis, droning in to add texture to the punch is timely. Short bursts of it appear on other songs too but its not an indulged idea on this record.

Silver Wings losses a little steam at the mid point with its gloomier setting but otherwise Forgotten Days is a fine record delivering thoughtful music that only dulls in the greyer shades of its aesthetic design. The inflections of color through melody and plucked chords are enchanting, Campbell often acts as the voice to unite it all together under is soaring, yet grounded presences. He has an endearing rawness that's quite capable of delivering delightful harmony with his fellow band mates. Having already plucked a few favorites, more may yield with time and familiarity. I am not completely swooned but I feel its always possible with this band.

Rating: 7/10

Bathory "Twilight Of The Gods" (1991)

Twilight Of The Gods represents some truly new territory as a part of my nostalgic journey. Bar a couple songs, most of the record was fresh and thus had a challenge in the face of all the praise I heaped on Hammerheart. Its temperament is similar, more of this heathen viking Metal but with a duller edge. Its title track and Song Of Blood have a gloomy tone. They make up twenty one minutes of the record as the pair steady the ship for slower tempos. It shifts focus from guitar to its choral voices that conjure rural life of this inspired era of history. In a few rare moments of gusto, the guitars feel held back by the production which doesn't give them enough punch. Its very much an atmospheric affair and that gloomy feel does subside in parts but mostly these two have a burdensome vibe that drags on.

That temperament is felt throughout, however the middle tracks get to embellish their themes and stories with rocking riffs and choruses that bring some much needed excitement. The tone is dominating though, even Quorthon's excited explosions of lead guitar seem dulled. If its composition or production, I can't get away from this moody tinge, its almost indulging but mostly for me lurches in the shadows of the mythic, heritage charged music that came before it. This time around the vision of culture lost to time is distinct but lacking an enticing energy.

Blood And Iron gets a nod for its stunning glossy acoustic guitars that ring out metallic chords. Its a gorgeous compliment to the driving song beneath, breathing much needed colour into the icy, cold and stiff production that I'll say again feels a fraction away from being an endearing quality. The album ends on a high though, the Hammerheart song an anthemic out poor of triumphant singing that works in some of Gustav Holst's timeless music from The Planets. Its an epic conclusion to an otherwise disappointing record that is a little to self indulged in its droning tone and off-key singing, which again feels a fraction away from something great in its pursuit of authenticity. The bellowing call of the hard life of vikings resonates with that same hardship. A flawed record which has Its moments, I am doubtful it will grow on me.

Rating: 6/10

Beastmaker "Eye Of The Storm" (2019)

It feels like there may be a trend emerging in Metal, one of quality too. Since Ghost have risen to prominence, inklings of classic Metal ideas are resurfacing in the likes of Puppy, Green Lung & Baroness, the latter bearing a strong influence on this group. Beastmaker are a three piece outfit from California who off the back of two full lengths spent 2018 banging out ten four track EPs. That's a prolific output and this new four track is their first of the year, its also my introduction to the group. I'd also like to compliment the group on their awsum record artwork aesthetics, a sharpened revival of 60s satanic horror defined by high contrast and bold use of selected de-saturated colors. Its fantastic and a really alluring, eye grabbing style that brought me to them.

The bands music is a hybrid of "traditional" and Doom Metal. A raw, gristly distortion lays down temperate, forward moving chunks of rhythm and melody over equally gritty and fuzzing baselines. The two link up at times like a pair of rhythm guitars, gnarly in the deep end and smoothing out into the higher notes. It allows them to sound like a four piece when the solos light up like a rocket. They have all the makings of classic styles, taking off with an eruption to capture your attention and swoon with their colorful presence. The music also deploys timely bells and synth elements, not over played, sounding very natural. Its a little ugly with its power chords but as classic Iron Maiden like leads come to fruition it finds a magic driving through with its melody licks.

As said before its mainly on the singing style that Baroness have a influence on singer Church. Something about the inflections, timing of delivery and strains on his voice feels strikingly alike to Baizley. The trio have a vibe and with creepy, Horror and Occult inspired lyricism. It brews a fun, expressive stage of theatrics, very much contained within the musics setting. These songs play out with strong fundamentals. A good ear for riffs and linking them together in solid structures that often play into melodic breaks that evolve into solos or climaxes. Its pure Metal and they rock their niche well. I will have to have a poke around through their now extensive collection of records for something else of interest as I do very much enjoy this classic, revivalist sound!

Favorite Tracks: Eye Of The Storm, My Only Wish

Rating: 5/10

Green Lung "Woodland Rites" (2019)

An unexpected pounce of musical might caught us off guard. Walking into a small London club to watch Puppy, we were captured by an immediately gratifying sound. Fellow English band Green Lung and their brew of Doom, Stoner, Psychedelic and Heavy Metal rocked the club. It was a performance of thunderous riff led groves, electric melodies and soaring vocals that had me buy this debut record after the show. It was worth every penny, however to my surprise the studio recordings are even more magical than the live show. Despite it engulfing my interest, the live show could perhaps do with some tightening as the record is far more ingrained in its own style.

With a helping of witchcraft and the occult, Green Lung offer up a esoteric theme to their sound which serves as icing on the cake, a fun gloss of topicality not to be taken too seriously. Its a mysterious front for the core of brilliant guitar work that marches forth with riffing intent. The rhythm guitar delivers a slew of extended grooves that spider around the fret board, sometimes into the upper reaches, merging with melody. The lead guitar has that in abundance and so often do the two work in tandem to deliver infectious hooks and steer the music into its progressive passageways of sequential riff jams and rising guitar solos. They also makes occasional use of a church organ synth. It rises like an ominous fog from the swamp. It greatly compliments the tone but is rarely deployed, would have been nice to hear more.

This fantastic poise of re-imagined music reminds me of Ghost. They seem to have brought about an emergence of bands who can spin new angles on fusions of old ideas. Much like Puppy have their influences yet feel entirely unique, one can draw parallels to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and other Heavy Metal bands yet it doesn't sound like a rip. Now that I think about it, their vocalist is similar to Ozzy Osbourne with that dense nasal strain. I would of said the singing here were good enough but despite not feeling over the moon about them, a lot of the lyrics have gotten wedged in my mind and I do like the way he fits into the musics flow, his voice soaring up like a beacon from the cesspit of sludging guitar groove. Great record, it has a string of stunning songs in its opening stretch that I adore, may have to grab their EP too!

Favorite Tracks: Woodland Rites, Let The Devil In, The Ritual Tree, Templar Dawn

Rating: 8/10

Swallow The Sun "When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light" (2019)

Finish Doom Metal band Swallow The Sun have been around for many a year, however this is the first time I have heard of them. Its their seventh full length release as the group approach a second decade of existence. That experience shows in these classy compositions and my initial listen to this record was like a revelation. A seemingly "new" take on Doom Metal and the gothic, sorrow soaked dynamics of shifting between the bleak black and melodic melancholy was initially mesmerizing. It led to my binging of the eight songs and ultimately transitioning to a more neutral position as the freshness wore off and its construct and genre tropes became clearer.

When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light is a deceptively brilliant approach to the age old formula of grandiose, symphonic, Death Doom hybrids. Its a genre I am not well versed on but reminds me fondly of a gem by Desire, once plundered when dipping my toes into the musical history of Doom. Its as if all the components have been pulled apart, given a polish and put back together again, the final result feeling different, yet objectively similar. There is plenty of sorrowful, emotional melodies bled slowly alongside gothic lyricism and the occasional use of contrasting heavies. Deep guttural groans of darkness make an appearance with other typical stylings. I think what separates it at the surface is the vocals which more often than not bring howl more akin to Black Metal and plenty of palatable clean singing approaches, both male, effeminate and occasionally esoteric.

The music itself is wonderful, a pristine fusion of sounds. In its darkly avenues ripping distortion guitars and throaty howls can suck the listener in. When suspended in the dreary states of limbo, rising synths, sparing stringed instruments and clean plucked notes on glossy guitars carry the suspense as foray of vocal styles mourn in human sorrow. Its propelled onward by punchy drums, a driving, slow, powerful momentum that solidifies the sense of scale. Over the fifty two minutes it finds many sweet overlaps and progressions that dial the various elements in, usually finding its way to climactic moments within the thematic setting. Clouds On Your Side does this best in its mid section where it feels like all elements collide and climax.

For all the obvious glory, I think I may have binged this one a little too hard. Its been utterly riveting and some distance will make it a fond arrival whenever the magic of shuffle blesses some absent minded listening. This record has convinced me more than other that there is more to be found in the Doom Metal genre, however over my experience I also became all too aware of its tropes and common practices which I apriacient and enjoy with a little more distance than that of other Metal counterparts. Great record, well worth a listen if your a fan of heavy music.

Favorite Tracks: The Crimson Crown, Clouds On Your Side

Rating: 7/10

In The Woods... "Cease The Day" (2018)

It was a huge surprise to learn of an In The Woods... reunion two years back. After sixteen years on ice, three of the original band mates reunited to create Pure, a close contender for My Top Albums Of 2016. I was pleased to see them write a follow up so quickly but disappointed to learn the Botteri brothers both quit the band, leaving just the drummer left. How much influence Anders Kobro has over the music may be irrelevant. This in no departure of style and a record I have enjoyed my time with. Cease The Day scales up its progressive scope, builds scenic pagan atmospheres and makes hints to its themes with an Elk stranded among the city lights.

Once again Fogarty's voice serves as the human spirit to soar above with a heathen heritage calling. Its an authentic performance, honest and striving, retaining his imperfections and charming with his strengths. He is central to the musics direction, chiming in with many of its peaks and the general flow. Its more occasional that other instruments become the central focus. Cloud Seeder lays down some narrow groove guitar licks before unleashing a ear worm melody with effects soaked lead guitar that wails in different keys. The songs chord progressions remind me fondly of Baroness.

The eight tracks are mostly lengthy epics that don't outstay their welcome and unfold with steady captivation. I'm astonished as to how often subtle tone shifts are within their expansive pallet, even some that call upon their past. Somehow between Psychedelic overtones and brooding atmospheres can they splice in Black Metal guitar riffs with a chirpy, jolting distortion aesthetic that hails back to their debut record. The same can be said of the synths using similar choral and choir chords which arise in an instant to enrich the scene at hand.

On casual listening one will be sucked in to these vivid soundscapes and journeys. Yet on closer exception you may notice the organic experience is comprised of rather jarring and bold shifts in both tone and style as the eclectic links at work here jostle in variation along with its instruments. Strike Up With Dawn opens on a rotation of power chord rock guitar before flicking a switch and hurtling into a shrill tremolo shredding of darkness as gloomy synths arise. In another flick they drop and we move into an estranged, lone groove guitar lick reinforced by horned instruments.

This is just one example of what occurs frequently throughout, many yearnings of influence and musical approaches mashed into one form that feels very natural and pleasing. For all my enjoyment I never felt any big peaks, crescendos or exceptional moments. Perhaps Transcending Yesterday comes close with its monstrous opening riffs and howling screams but my attention is often diverted to the mix of a live audiences cheers into the song, ending with a chant of the bands name. I'm just not sure what exactly I'm supposed to make of it. Really solid album, hard to pick favorites, its great as one long big song.

 

Rating: 7/10

Author & Punisher "Beastland" (2018)

 Lured in by a Noisy documentary highlighting this musicians use of beefy mechanical instrument controllers, I was warmed up to Author & Punisher through the Pressure Mine release earlier in the year. The project had drifted from my mind and so Beastland hit me like a tone of bricks. These monstrous droning industrial soundscapes of power and might play like a mechanical monstrosity facing the scorn of its creator. The pain and suffering imbued in the thick haze of flickering distortion is monumental. Its stride through the fire is wielding and burdensome as these pounding base kicks and snares fair through a wall of industrial noise smothering them with a cold, unforgiving darkness that every track runs through a different crevasse of.

The record opens on a tamer... yes tamer note, Pharmacide. Its construct a rigid design of peaked, distorted, jolted synthesizers culminating in swirls of unrecognizable sound as a dystopia atmosphere is laid upon us. Some how things ramp up with Nihil Strength and Ode To Bedlam as roars of crushing screams and thudding baselines lead an assault upon the listener. Although it roots its stance firmly in an ugly, brutal setting, somehow buzzing synths howling in despair create a sense of epic and growth against an unforgiving soundscape that is trying to drag everything down with it. The aesthetic is gruesome, every Industrial characteristic exaggerated into constant collision, masterfully manipulated by underlying songwriting that's smothered by the dizzying onslaught of ripping instruments, tearing into each other, fighting for space.

I'm truly impressed at how much peaking, distortion and incomprehension can be turned into a musical treat. Its utilization in birthing atmosphere is remarkable, if not hellish, dark, miserable and full of sweaty suffering. The crashing and thudding of militant percussion is at constant odds with overtly thrusted synths. Everything is competing for that glimmer in the lime light. With that a minimalism reigns supreme through a web of dense aesthetic chaos, the underlying music itself given its rise when time. The production is a marvel of itself and its songs have their individual markings with an ear for balance as its darkest avenues yield to respites and creaks of dark melodies in the attune moments. A visionary record fondly reminiscent of Post Self. Somehow its darker, meaner and bolder than that plunge into depravity.

Favorite Tracks: Nihil Strength, Ode To Bedlam, Night Terror, Beastland

Rating: 8/10

40 Watt Sun "The Inside Room" (2011)

With exposure to just one song it only took a single listen to understand this project. Now that Ive gotten through the full record my initial reaction was practically complete. It happens every now and then, the music just makes sense of itself immediately. The five songs that are The Inside Room also stick rigidly to the formula heard at almost any moment of any given song. Its a one dimensional experience but that dimension is its own. 40 Watt Sun are an England based Doom Metal band born from two members of the disbanded Warning of the same genre. This record is their debut.

Slow and dark, brooding, corroding and groaning in pace, it has all the hallmarks of the genre but so often in music the aesthetics dialed to different degrees delineate its destination. Firstly the guitars gristle and wallow in a dirty, sludge of washing distortion guitar tone that plays drawn out power chords at a begrudging pace. The drummers symbols add to this haze as they constantly rattle and bleed into the noise, slicing in without a crash but echoing in the crevasse of the thick guitar tone. The bass provides a warm and steady footing to ground the experience with a deep softness.

Its not a particularly extreme sound. Despite being tonally gritty and sharp, its crawling pace makes an easy to follow setting as the music barely gets more ambitions than simple strings of steadily paced power chords. Where it all comes to life is with singer Patrick Walker who I will describe in the keenest of ways as being akin to Michael Stripe of REM. His voice has the same timber and holds a earnest vulnerability. His performance turns the darkness of Doom Metal into a personal, humanist struggle and strips it of all fantasy with his intimate, introspective and relational lyrics of hurt.

The music is simple, the whole record reveals itself swiftly with little in the way of surprises. It serves to put all the attention on the chemistry with their singer and has yet to wain in the several hours of enjoyment I have gotten from it. Id expect that to change at some point given the simplicity but I do wonder if that is its strength. It sets a tone and mood for the light to fall on Walker who puts on a captivating and emotional performance that makes the record glow. A worthy listen if you are curious.

Rating: 7/10

Alice In Chains "Rainier Fog" (2018)

There is so much that could be said of Alice In Chains and their history. To boil it down to some specifics, they are a a legendary band from the Grunge era with a metallic tint in guitar tone who lost the iconic voice of singer Layne Staley to extreme drug abuse. Reforming a few years after his death they somehow found a vocal harmonization with new singer William DuVall that resonated on the same frequency as Layne. It allowed them to continue along the same spiritual path laid out on prior records and after five years their return with their third album of this second stint for the band.

I have a strong fondness for their last two records, the five year wait has been worthwhile but Rainier Fog pulls no new tricks. It may explore some heavier guitar tones and grooves but very much plays like a band who are comfortable with their identity. They have taken the time to reach in deep and curate the very best of their inspirations and form a fine craft of songs that hold your attention and move your emotions for the steady fifty three minutes the ten tracks make up together. If it does offer any new spice, slower tempos hint at some Doom Metal influences but its a side of them that just seems more prominent for this project.

Its pace is sturdy, slow and soothing yet momentous and empowering. The atmosphere they conjure together is sun soaked with a streak of introspection bordering on melancholy. With a gorgeous production aesthetic Jerry and William weave their vocals around one another to constantly illuminate the music in electric tandem. The guitars relish this opertunity to flex in the directions Alice In Chains are known for, finding some laden, steady grooves and stretching to the slow and sombre acoustic epics with all manor of lead guitar breaks stitching in the details. Its a lively, animated record in the energetic moments they often leads too. When in a more subtle position it still retains these big and strong atmospheres that engulf the listener.

With each listen one comes to know the songs better and as each rotation revolves the character and identity of these songs really lights up, especially the second half of the record. This is the kind of curation that can make a known sound exciting however that may be this records only flaw. Its a fantastic set of songs but has no surprises or unexpected directions. The music in no way cries out for it however it makes me wonder if the band can keep making this well established sound work? They certainly have done this time around but you will know what your in for.

Rating: 7/10

Danzig "6:66 Satans Child" (1999)

Arriving at the sixth chapter in the Danzig series we have a refinement of sound, vastly improving upon the disappointment of Blackacidevil which tried and failed at its own unique take on the Industrial Metal sound of that era. Satans Child follows suit in the same genre but takes no risks with erratic experimentation and nauseating drum sampling. Instead the band forge a leaner sound with a rounded, brighter production. They give its guitars a weighty metal punch that unfortunately doesn't manifest the same magic from Danzig, II, III or IV, however we do hear strong echos of that time on songs like Into The Mouth Of Abandonment but the record is a mixed bag.

The biggest sell of this record is front man Glenn Danzig himself who returns firmly to his bluesy style, rising to the center of attention, the double tracking of his vocals has some real oomph that's a nice touch and his emotional burdens find their theater again. With a firm sound and the return of the singer it is the obvious influences that initially took my attention away. In the wake of the Nu Metal scene one may initially hear the syncopated stop start grooves that play thick distortion guitars against their absence and focus on the altered approach to groove however its not really not in that vein. They do sound strikingly akin to other bands on some songs though, the Unspeakable main riff sounds lifted from a classic Helmet record and Apokalips sounds uncannily alike to Swans. For the most part they sound like Danzig experimenting with the Industrial Metal style other bands had mastered at this point.

Once over these humps I could hear somewhat of a slow start to this record, its first tracks roll out and the tone is cramp, the guitar work stiff but as it grows the slow crushing guitars of Doom Metal start to revere its demonic head. Further down the road the welcome sound of pinch harmonics starts to bounce of the guitar riffs in true Danzig style. Cult Without A Name is the first instance but its not until Cold Eternal and the last five songs that the record really blossoms, the closer being a real gem. Its a strange journey that ends well, the music is enjoyable but the infection is only to be found in a handful of songs at the end. I think the band find themselves again here but have a hard time getting the best from Glenn and themselves when they are stepping away from the fundamentals of their roots and sound together. A fair record.

Favorite Tracks: Into The Mouth Of Abandonment, Apokalips, Thirteen

Rating: 6/10

YOB "Our Raw Heart" (2018)

Its burly, dense and a meaty affair, another lengthy adventure, a Doom Metal crawler that is not quite to my taste but clearly epic in design. Our Raw Heart follows up on the Oregon bands seventh record, Clearing The Path To Ascend, of which the song Marrow remains a timeless classic among some less favorable cuts. That song is the main reason I checked out this record, in the hopes they would deliver something else as special. Unfortunately little of the record sparks any magic for me, however I hold it with a higher regard as objectively interesting music within the lands of Doom which rarely manages drags me all the way in.

Much of the music is focused around the dynamic duality of the bands long serving front man Mike Scheidt, his emotive vocals and sludgy, brooding riffs play off one another as the elasticated and temporal sway of his guitars crash on the shores. Its like a wave and he is surfing it with ranged singing from clean to grizzly and always earthly, rooted and authentically raw. The tempo held down by the drums crashing around him, compliments the musics direction and in its slowest moments they feel like the bare essentials to hold the sluggish lunging guitars into place as Mike rises over the top of his scenic waves with a meaningful energy.

The texture of the distortions are thick, muddy, crusty, a slab of almost tune deaf noise with a rich detail, unfortunately they don't evoke much beyond an interest as the pace and direction of the songs rarely seem to escape themselves with exception to Beauty In Falling Leaves. It has a bleak yet serine build up and sense of scale that unfolds. On the other end of the spectrum The Screen deploys a dirty, gritty, greasy chugging riff into the fold with not an inch of color about it. Its the albums most boring piece as the riff grinds on monotonously, its breaks and variations offering no counteraction to the ugly and repetitious chug.

Bar the one song I don't think its fair to be critical in anyway of music that you just can't connect with. Ive given it a fair try but in the future I probably wont give them more than one spin in the hopes of them having another song that captures my imagination just like Marrow did. It could be mood, or timing that made it hard to find a connection. In the Doom Metal scene this record will likely be praised but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Rating: 4/10

Author & Punisher "Pressure Mine" (2018)

California musician and one man band Tristian Shone caught my attention with his recent documentary on the popular Noisey channel. Hailed as "Industrial Doom Metal" the more intriguing aspect of his music were the live performances, marked by the use of custom built controllers which are normally simple knobs, dials and sliders. In Shones case hes hand built big, weighty metallic contraptions, industrial in nature, that require some sweat and phsicality to manipulate as he pushes and pulls these machine like contraptions to forge the details of sounds formed by the VSTs on his DAW. Unfortunately its not obvious in audio form, his custom controllers are used in the composition and recording of the five tracks on this EP but they make no audible distinction from an expectant range of sounds that grace this short record. I wouldn't call it novelty, in fact I think its a fantastic approach to make the music more physical and involved but that only comes across in the live show. 

Pressure Mine celebrates a lack of comfort, wellness or embrace. Its textural journey travels through sterile dystopian soundscapes into the crevasses caught between darkness and evil. The mechanical grinding and whirls of truly Industrial machinery sound rich and detailed in construct yet spacious and devoid of intent. They mull away, acting as the percussive line while saddened, lost, catatonic melodies drift though, comatose and absent from surroundings. Tristian's voice lays bare and vulnerable in a soft small room reverb. Its cold, icy and distance from the other elements and initially seemed to lack some power. The chemistry makes more sense with repeated listens, as one gets their head around the atmosphere and abstract source of melodic value, his voice really becomes like a light drowning in the lifeless machinery its surrounded by.

The whole record works as a textural treat, the slow punishing drive of Doom Metal guides the rhythm to focus on its mechanics, never drifting into grooves or breaks and going slow enough to let each hit strike with shape and aesthetic. The music has a drone like quality as the pace crawls away steadily, obscure, haunting sounds drifting like echos and forming some notation to stir bleak emotions in this chilling environment. Nine Inch Nails have a a big and obvious impact on the constructs of this sound but its just an influence. Although the ties are strong and clear Tristian takes that inspiration to very interesting places within these five unforgiving songs.

Rating: 6/10

Pallbearer "Sorrow And Extinction" (2012)

Sorrow And Extinction is a gloomily fitting title for this sullen, bewildering debut record by the acclaimed American Doom Metal band Pallbearer of Arkansas. Charmed by their newer albums Foundations Of Burden and Heartless I wanted to complete my journey through their catalog, which is rooted in a genre Ive never fully connected with. Their artistic approach to Doom Metal has the deathly slow pace traversed with burly lunges of oozing guitar distortion, making a mark on the genre far more interesting and intricate. Coming back to this origin point one can hear the cracks and creeks in the sound that would be greased out by their sophomore but even its flaws are mostly aesthetic.

Once again Pallbearer have me at the mercy of their sludgy pacing and dense foggy distortion tone. The feeling of imminent gloom and suffering revels in a bleak landscape that seems to find life just above the swampy guitar movements that crawl and lunge forward with a burden weighing it down so. This dark and esoteric sound has a natural and decaying quality where music of this nature so often falls into the realm of of evil and fantasy, something feels root and grounded, deeply earthly about Pallbearers journey through sorrows.

The guitar are poised at the mercy of singer Campbell who swings it in this carnal, earthly direction as his light and cruising voice swiftly sails out from the depths with finely held notes that coarse through the mist with an ambiguous touch of reverb that's both ghostly and living at the same time. The moments where he sings as lead guitars erupt over the brooding guitars are the most fantastic on this record. The leads too inflict much needed respite from the monstrous guitars as they break up the monotony and blossom with color and motion.

The album falls short where it fails to maintain its balance, or keep from letting the gloom become too engulfing. Treating the album as a single experience their are lengthy passageways devoid of that important break and respite that brings the music to life and gives the sprawling guitar sludge a sense of hidden beauty, for when it drags it drags its feet slowly. In the moments the chemistry is ripe its a very captivating listen but lengthy compositions hold these moments at bay. I also found the production to be a little jagged with its handling of the dense guitars which can all to easy dominate in a very interesting musical setting.

Favorite Tracks: Devoid Of Redemption

Rating: 6/10

Pallbearer "Foundations Of Burden" (2014)

Praised as their best work, this sophomore record from the Arkansas Doom Metal outfit Pallbearer has all the measured, weighty wonder of its successor yet strips back most of its prettier, gleaming guitar tones and melodic, Progressive Rock influences. I am talking in reverse however, this record that came before it has scale and craft protruding from its dense and meaty lunge of crunchy, fuzzy guitars accommodated by slow burgeoning drums. They form a stunning atmospheric setting, its mood caught between natural beauty and mortal sorrow.

Foundations Of Burden feels closer to the formula of sluggish, punishing paces and dreary, gloomy atmospheres associated with Doom Metal. Some sections reveal their simple construct with minimal guitar work between the strikes of bass kicks and lonely hi-hats but despite this the tempo shifts and guitar work can erode all sense of structure and repetition that is commonplace as a web of expression unravels itself beyond all tropes. In these moments it feels like the music escapes its own limitations, the layering of guitar leads and stunning vocals has the music blossoming into vivid, indulgent places.

Some of its riffs are aggressive and grooving on paper but the warm fuzzy distortion tone and lack of urgency in performances spins so much of what is "Metal" into feeling like the distortion is almost irrelevant to what it creates. The heart of the music is in the melody and voices of Campbell and Holt, the grizzly belly of drawn out power chords only drives the music when all engines fire, otherwise it drifts into a commonplace setting however this push and pull is essential to the magic that unfolds as these songs progress into wondrous places. Really memorable record!

Favorite Track: The Ghost I Used To Be

Rating: 8/10

Pallbearer "Heartless" (2017)

Smooth, serine harmonies and scenic wonder wrapped in sadness, Arkansas based Pallbearer reinvent the Doom metal sound to their own liking, at least to my ears. Having not had a lot of experience with the genre Ive mostly come to know it for sluggish pacing, dense morbid atmospheres and gaunt guttural vocals that explore a romanticism with sadness and depression. Pallbearer on the other hand seem to explore that plane from a balcony of gleam and glory, turning this undercurrent of wallow into a luminous, uplifting crusade through the epics of the soundscape we traverse, of course that feeling of burden and melancholy lingers not far behind.

With an inviting, tonally pleasing yet dense and thick measure of distortion guitars we are lured into a dazzling arrangement of riffs, licks and leads that melt and ooze over one another in an endlessly animated, yet steady, movement of music. Guiding the motion, tight crispy drums pack a crunchy punch as the gorgeous production gives them a spacious, primed setting to work around the involved riff work. Coursing over the ornate arrangements of unfolding magic, singer Cambell illuminates much of the record with serine vocals that saddle the lines between power and vulnerability, sadness and gleam as the instrumentals lure us into spotlights for him to overwhelm the musics persuasion.

What is most charming for me is the attraction of opposites, the doom and gloom finds itself rubbing up against beaming guitars with potent a brew of indulging melody. They have the tone and texture of aggression and force, the rumble and grit of distortion cries out yet its execution is delicate and measured, finding dimension for the anger to bleed out and the meaning prevail. This feels like a record ill have fun with for some time, it has certainly made an impression and as a friend pointed out, it has that faithful re-imagining of Metal ideals much like the band Ghost. Definitely getting their first two albums now, which I have heard are supposed to be even better than this!

Favorite Track: Cruel Road

Rating: 7/10

Bell Witch "Mirror Reaper" (2017)

Seattle based Doom Metal band Bell Witch have topped many lists for best Metal album of 2017. The artwork so reminiscent of Zdzislaw Beksinski and heaps of praise lured me into a record fondly familiar, its acoustic drones reminding me of Earth's Hibernaculum. Packaged as a double album it comprises of two lengthy songs totaling over eighty minutes of deathly slow and bleak Doom Metal that goes to the extremes of pace with several seconds marking the distance between the striking of snares and cymbals. It flirts with temporal timing and lets notes ring out and bellow as the distortion guitars, despite being fairly soft, drone out into a textural fuzz before the next strike is drawn. Its performance is impressive, the art of playing slow seems flawless as the group coordinate immensely slow tempos that seem organically stretch and sway but it is the lethargic nature of the music that makes these instantaneous shifts dissipate from focus.

Tempos aside, Mirror Reaper has a strong current of sorrow and sadness in its atmosphere which drifts between other worlds as the slowest moments yield little presences for melodies to pervade this somber dismay. In doing so an enticing atmosphere is illuminated by distant, sinister chants sung with a choral cleanliness. It does find its counterpart in drawn out gruesome growls, rumbling like a textural layer in the aesthetics. A few grisly howls an shrill screams erupt in one violent, conflicted moment in the music but it is mostly an instrumental affair as the sluggish drones of elongated notes crawls onwards.

For me, this album is interesting, indulgent and oddly soothing, however it never musters anything that quite hits the nerves and that is the same for most Doom and Drone music. The first track's opening twenty minutes is rather enchanting but as the song drifts inwards for grit and gusto its melodies and musters of aggression dispel that atmosphere. The second song is stripped back with faint guitars and ambient echos painting a chilling setting for a lone voice to sing a serine sadness with an almost heavenly voice. For all its beauty, the slow, spacious and minimalist approach sucks much of this away but that is a person preference. It drifts into a morbid, dirge organ solo that really drives home a current of sadness but at this length into the record my attention is a little worn out. I enjoyed checking it out and very much appreciate the brilliance on display but its not quite for me.

Rating: 5/10

Danzig "IV" (1994)

This fourth installation in the mighty Danzig series continues onward with an ever so familiar blues soaked, devil horned grin rumble of metallic rock reveling in the ecstasy. With minor tonal changes and aesthetic nuances adjusted for a shade more sweat and muscle, IV marks a shy attempt to broaden the scope a couple outbreaks of nonchalant forays into gloomier sounds. Its mostly defined, once again, by Danzig himself who, between his ever command presence, offers up a whispering softness of attempted diversity on Cantspeak as well as a spoken word style performance on the grim, tribal and mystic Sadistikal, the likes of which we haven't heard of before.

Aside from the small pickings of adventures upon new land, IV marks the band still firmly in a potent stride, producing, as always, captivating music lined with a similar balance of variety and the hooks to dig in deep as Glenn relishes in the empowered delivery of dark, menacing lyrics to sing along with. The metallic, groovy songs loaded with distortion guitar riffs are on fire and their acoustic laden counterparts offer up a sense of ebb and flow that lets the album ride sweetly from front to back without a hitch! Its becoming a very familiar experience with not much to elaborate on but the quality is yet to subside, as I'm guessing they, like many bands do, will eventually come to some sort of decline, a quick flick into the fifth chapter does not sound promising though.

Favorite Tracks: Until You Call On The Dark, Bringer Of Death

Rating: 7/10