Protest the Hero - Volition REVIEW

     

Protest the Hero are a remarkable band by virtue of their penetrance in the music community as  whole. Without ever going as mainstream or uninteresting as Ghost or Black Label Society, the band's spellbinding mixture of mathrock, progressive metal, and metalcore has nevertheless propelled them to the more popular fringes of Canadian metal. Protest are no novices to the scene - Kezia predates most modern metalcore, despite only coming out in 2005, but even so it's been a rapid rise to fame for the ragtag group of Trekkies.
        Volition, the band's fourth LP, raised a bit of a ruckus earlier this year when the group announced they were crowdfunding the album, and successfully raised over $200k in the scope of about 48 hours, eclipsing their goal of $50k faster than you could shake a drumstick at. Since then, the band has parted with longtime drummer Moe Carlson, and brought in Chris Adler (of Lamb of God fame) to record the remainder of the record. It's been a long time in the making, but here we are today, with a new Protest album eagerly in hand.
         It should be noted that, for me, Protest peaked irrevocably with Fortress (2008). My nostalgia for songs like 'Wretch' and 'Goddess Gagged' aside, Scurrilous (2011) was never able to evoke the same feeling of "this is awesome" that Fortress supplied in spades (that being said, 'The Reign of Unending Terror' is awesome). Scurrilous' good songs were very good, but Fortress was consistently an amazing record. Unfortunately, that trend extends into Volition. Past the first stellar moments of  'Clarity' and 'Drumhead Trial', the album plays like a slightly heavier Fall of Troy record.
         Now, a lot of people will read that and think "that's awesome!" and while I do think Volition does have its moments of typical Protest silliness - the song 'Mist' is an ode to Newfoundland - it's just not a very interesting record. Protest know their niche and tear things up a notch within that niche, and there is nothing wrong with that, but some of the only variation we get is in the form of a softer intro at the start of outro song 'Skies'. Otherwise, frontman Rody Walker's reliance on clean vocals takes off some of the edge previous Protest ventures employed, and while there are a few cool arpeggios and riffs here and there, Volition is a lot less technical overall than previous Protest records. And that's unfortunate, because lots of Volition doners were actually featured on this record in some form - the fact that the band didn't do very much with them represents a missed opportunity for me.
         But now that I've talked about what I don't like about this record, what are the good parts? Well, the most notable upswing to Volition is probably the fact that, while I think Protest have done better, this is still better than a good amount of prog and at least 90% of metalcore. Protest's music has always been phenomenally endearing and, to a certain extent, charming, and thankfully the band hasn't gone full-on goofball or uber-serious yet, but there's still plenty of fun to be had, like a throwback to 'Sequoia Throne' on 'Animal Bones' with chanted "we are, we are still alive..."s or a song poking fun at fellow musicians on 'Underbite'.
         To be blunt, there are no bad songs on this record, even if everything sounds a little bit similar. At it worst, Volition veers into repetition, which, considering the talent involved, isn't nearly as bad as it seems. The problem, then, arises in that there's no other extreme. As said before, there isn't any drastic deviation insofar as a few clean or slow breaks scattered throughout the album for ten or fifteen seconds apiece. It's not a glaring fault, but I know I for one would want  Protest to experiment a bit more with their sound, as I'm confident they have the talent. That being said, Volition is not a record you will regret checking out - definitely a solid B- in my book. The wait has been worth it, but just maybe not as much as I thought.

Teethmarks - Let's get drunk and break shit

      One of the best things about studying in Canada is that I get exposed to a lot of bands that, due to monetary constraints, are only able to tour in the great white north. Now, obviously the opposite would be true if I lived in the States, but I'd be lying if I said my knowledge of Cannuck metal has swollen insanely since I moved to Montreal.
      And that's great, because there's a lot of amazing stuff to be found here - Hoopsnake from British Columbia, Dead Ranch from Manitoba, and Quebec's own breathtaking DSBM overlord Sombres Forêts. But last night I went to see a concert hosted by  Pelecanus, a DIY metal magazine from Montreal, and found myself confronted (in the purest sense of the word) by crossover band Teethmarks.

     The only moshpit of the show was during this band's set, and as their vocalist leapt from the stage to pace about furiously among the dirty bastards in the crowd, my roommate and I were totally transfixed. This is some of the filthiest, drunkest music you'll ever hear - a soundtrack to nights filled with bad ideas and booze. Comparisons to Cancer Bats (who hail from the same city as Teethmarks, Toronto) are inevitable for me, but there is a clear winner in this regard. 

     Something about that perfect mix of southern rock and thrash...
     If you need more proof, then for me, Teethmarks stole the show from the almighty Dopethrone. Now ain't that something.

Celeste (France) announce new album, debut art and track list

The raw, filthy misanthropy that is France's Celeste have announced their fourth studio album, Animale(s). A pulse-pounding mixture of black metal and hardcore, the band fell silent after 2010's Morte(s) Nee(s), and have recently broken the silence with a flood of new information. Animale(s) is slated for release on November 22nd through Denovali Records, who some of you may know as the label for German masterminds Omega Massif, and is slated to be a double-disc release.

The album art is, as usual, a black-and-white photograph, and this time hearkens back to the Morte(s) Nee(s) cover:

 And the tracklisting is as ornate as ever (horrible translation in parentheses)

(Disc 1)

1. Laissé pour compte comme un bâtard 5:01 (Cast off like a bastard)

2. Au pied d'une bicoque peu séuisante 3:12 (On foot from a hardly seductive shack)

3. Sans crainte de s'avouer un jour naufragée 3:32 (Without fear of confessing a wasted day)

4. (X) 6:36

5. Tes âmes soeurs immaculées 5:20 (Your immaculate soul sisters)

6. Dans ta salive, sur sa peau 9:20 (In your saliva, on your skin)

(Disc 2)

1. D'errances en inimitiés 7:25 (Errors in hostility)

2. Cette silhouète paumée et delabrée qui sanglote et meurt 7:30 (This damned silhouette and wreck that sobs and dies)

3. Emprunte d'érotisme 2:31 (The Borrowing of Erotism)

4. (Y) 3:20

5. Serrés comme son coeur lacéré 7:17 (As locked as his lacerated heart)

6. Outro 8:09


UPDATE 10/18 - The band has premiered the first song of the album, 'Laissé pour compte...' on Soundcloud along with a discussion of the album's vision and concept.

The concept behind ANIMALE(S) is the bleak story of a boy and a girl, a kind of love story with a tragic ending. A story about how tough youth can be if parents discard their responsibilities. For once in metal-oriented music, a closer look at artwork and lyrics gives a new dimension to a record and is indispensable for a comprehensive and complete experience of this double album.

While I think the whole 'for once in metal' thing is a bit of a stretch, this does promise to be quite an interesting record. You can stream the song at the link below:

DSBM and Post-Black Metal - More similar than you'd think

    DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black Metal) presents one of the strangest cases in modern black metal - stylistically, it's as much of a departure from the grim, frostbitten style of Mayhem as it is bizarre that the style is accepted by black metal fans the world over. It's an intriguing phenomenon that belies a strange inconsistency in the BM community - while bands like Alcest or Lantlôs are ridiculed and ostracized for not being 'true' enough for the scene, DSBM has been a valued (and intensely scrutinized) part of the scene for many years now. While, of course, Alcest and Xasthur are utterly different bands, the problem arises when you consider that there isn't much of a difference between post-black metal and DSBM. The two genres share a variety of stylistic elements - ambient keyboards, and an emphasis on emotion over the fierce anti-Christian zeal of so-called 'kvlt' BM, to name a few.
      So, then, what gives Silencer a free pass? Well, it might have to do with the fact that one of the first artists to use what would come to be called the 'DSBM' sound was none other than everyone's favorite crazy one-man act, Burzum.

       Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, especially the track 'Det Som Engang Var', is a prime example of what is commonly cited as black metal's 'cold' sound. While there is, as usual, the anthemic feel that Varg imbues most of his work with, his pained screams and the haunting synthwork mold together into a profoundly heavy product. But this song isn't heavy in the way you'd expect - 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' (the song) is emotionally heavy. It grasps at your soul and drags it down. Everything from the cold white light and dead trees of the cover, to the titles of the songs (Translated as 'Emptiness', 'That Which Once Was', etc.) paint a dreary portrait which BM artists had eschewed in favor of satanic imagery.
       Fenriz (Darkthrone) credits Burzum with introducing an 'inexplicable grimness' to the scene that would never quite leave. Much to the contrary, an entire subgenre emerged around it, but it wasn't until the early 2000s that DSBM began to emerge into its own.
       As with death metal before it, DSBM has its own mainstays in both Europe and North America - Sweden's Silencer and California's Xasthur followed in Vikernes' footsteps in painting stark, lonely music reminiscent of soul-crushingly dark winter nights.

(N.B I love the record 'To Violate the Oblivious' waaaaay more than I ought to)
      'Walker of Dissonant Worlds' is a prime example of the influence Burzum wrought on Xasthur (Malefic has gone on record saying the fact that Burzum was a one-man act inspired him to do the same with Xasthur). Again, we get those haunting keyboards that fade out ever so slowly. The end-result is profoundly depressing music.
      Meanwhile, Silencer's fifteen minutes of fame (in the form of Death, Pierce Me) were a bit more ad hoc. Sure, you have your dissonant synths, but you do have more traditional black metal passages scattered throughout - such as here - even if the end result (and the subject matter) is insanely soul-crushing.
      That being said, Silencer remained far more entrenched in true black metal to effect much change. Death, Pierce Me is, by and large, a mostly unmelodic album, a stylistic choice that comes to mind for me when I think about DSBM as a genre. I think I'm one of the few people who thinks DSBM didn't really get started in Europe until the mid-2000s, when Make a Change...Kill Yourself emerged from Denmark.

       In my opinion, at least, Make A Change... expounded on the Burzum model from the early 90s in that you have that fusion of mournful synthwork overlaid with rapidly strummed black metal guitar, which has come to become a trademark of DSBM as a genre entirely. If you consider some contemporary DSBM - Moloch, for example - you commonly find the two juxtaposed. Thus, while Silencer definitely put some of the gears into place for DSBM to emerge in Europe, the development of the genre formally began with Make A Change...Kill Yourself.
       But now that I've talked a bit about the history of DSBM as a whole, the question remains - why is it okay while post-black isn't? Well, the answer seems to lie primarily in chronology. As I mentioned in my post about Watain's new album, black metal fans take the xenophobia of metalheads to new lengths - the stereotypical trve kvlt fan shuns and despises any sort of music that takes influence from, but isn't exactly, black metal.
        However, there is a corollary to that rule - DSBM gets a free pass because, (a) it came first, and (b) it doesn't usually involve elements of so-called 'hipster' genres, which post-black takes plenty of cues from. You won't find post-rock passages and airy, dissonant shoegaze in any of Leviathan's music. Pretty much the only major musical different between lo-fi 'raw' black metal and DSBM is in DSBM's heavier reliance on creating a sadder, more emotional atmosphere through the use of synths. 'Blackgaze' or post-black metal is oftentimes a departure from the style set down by Celtic Frost and Darkthrone, and for that reason, it earns the ire of black metal fans for not embodying the spirit of the genre it descends from.
         Whatever the case, the arbitrariness of DSBM's being 'acceptable' seems altogether too simple. Just because it's a subgenre that emerged in the early 2000s shouldn't preclude it from criticism, considering lots of bands pretend they live in Oslo in 1993. What do you think? Is there another reason metal fans are less likely to hate on DSBM?

Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King REVIEW

   

Way back in the prehistoric ages of the 2000s, I was obsessed with Avenged Sevenfold. I was bummed when their drummer "the Rev" died in 2009, and I waited on tenterhooks as Nightmare came and...utterly disappointed.
      I'm sorry, but the band's 2010 release is a dismally boring album. Especially considering this is the act that brought us behemoths like Waking the Fallen and City of Evil. Nightmare came off as disjointed - a wince-worthy collection of ideas that were too stupid to be on their self-titled album, but in the context of a dedication album seemed to fit - and the exhausting ten-minute memorial track 'Save Me' was, as far as I could tell, a nail in the coffin. What happened next seemed to confirm my suspicions. The band proceeded to fall off the radar musically - sure, they released a few singles to promote new Call of Duty games, but as far as I saw, the band didn't stop whining about the death of "the Rev".
       Mike Portnoy played with Sevenfold (remember that?), but they turned him down because it 'just wasn't the same'. Finally, three years later, Hail to the King has hit shelves. And, so far, it's quite the album. The intro 'Shepherd of Fire' seems straightforward enough - as the band moves from an eerie bell chime into the familiar Guns N' Roses-tinted guitar attack and pounding drumwork we've grown accustomed to. As the song bursts into being, the Sevenfold we know and love - melodic hooks and cock-rock accoutrements - hits the ground running..
         Topically, Hail to the Kking plays like the better parts of their more radio-friendly self-titled release ('Afterlife, 'Brompton Cocktail'), while never veering too strongly into the whiny negativity of Nightmare. Sure, the style they put forward on Nightmare has evolved and changed, but everything from the lyrical quality to the guitar solos leaves no sign of travesties like 'Danger Line' or 'Victim'. Guitarist "Synyster Gates"' throbbing fetish for sweep picking is also back - and for the most part the guitarwork in this album is full of 80s obtuseness - that is to say, flat out fun. If Avenged Sevenfold have done one thing right since they abandoned metalcore in 2005, it's the flat out fun you have while listening to them, and the infectious quality of their work. Listening to this album now, I can tell 'Doing Time' is going to be stuck in my head for quite a while.
         My one qualm with the production is that the drums are much too loud, and the lead guitar and bass tend to get buried behind purcussive and rhythm guitar walls. Vocals are as great as they usually are, even though frontman Matt Sanders' uncleans are still sorely missed - Sounding the Seventh Trumpet is a great album for a reason - but their absence is made up for his powerful, extensive range. Otherwise, this is a solid album of American Heavy Metal. It certainly isn't my style, but the appeal is undeniable. I probably won't listen to it twice (considering I'm working my way through Leviathan and Tsjuder), but lots of these songs wouldn't be out of place at a house party. 
        Is this the most intellectual piece of music put out since Mozart? No, but the band never pretended to be. The band's influences are early Metallica and Guns N'  Roses, so how philosophical do you think they're going to get? The band definitely packs in dramatics, but they're so grinningly cheesy that you can't help but smile. Hail to the King is music for those nights of drinking yourself stupid and running amok. And, in a way, it's fantastic. We can't all be expected to plug in our headphones and dissect Blut Aus Nord or Demilich lyrics constantly. I, for one, am guilty of blaring some Kvelertak or Cancer Bats after coming home from a particularly strenuous day. Hail to the King is perfect for those times you just want to lean back and get caught in some catchy riffs. If that's as much of a crime as metal fans seem to suggest, then shoot me.

Notable Tracks: 'Doing Time', 'Crimson Day'