Sigur Ros - Kveikur
Genre: Post-Rock
Sigur Ros...a band I always have
trouble saying positive things about. This is the definitive
psuedo-hipster “wow look at me I'm so alt I listen to post-rock
wow” band (well, besides the yawn-fest of Bon Iver), and musically
they've always been about as interesting as a jar of peanut butter.
Sure, 'atmosphere' is present, but otherwise most of the band's
discography consists of orchestral instrumentals and gratingly
high-pitched hipster vocals. Never mind that the band is,
essentially, a more effeminate and neutered version of their
countrymen in Solstafir, but add in the fact that their vocalist
starts so many songs by just
yodelling “yooooooouuuuuuuu” and I want to punch a baby every
time I'm forced to endure them.
That
being said, Kveikur - the
band's sixth
release since the turn of the millennium
and, by far, their
best record. The atmosphere here is dark and haunting,
and the band has continued their trend of dialing back the theatrics and symphonic elements that they started in 2011 with the similarly excellent Valtari. Kveikur's
strength lies precisely in that evolution – while it's still
intensely palatable, innocuous post-rock (nothing on Irish
juggernauts And So I Watch You From Afar, for example), it's the
band's relatively newfound mastery over a variety of influences –
shoegaze and dream pop among them – that make Kveikur all
that more interesting. 'Isjaki' is a prime example of this; it's one
of the first Sigur Ros songs that I actually found myself nodding
along to, instead of nodding off to.
Part of that is because the song lengths have been severely cut down
– the longest song on Kveikur is
a little over six minutes, while previous Sigur Ros outings had
ten-minute long yawn fests that were absolute torture to get through.
But another part of it is
that Sigur Ros have realized that if they want to make dreamy music,
they had better start listening to more Slow Dive. Commendably,
they've nailed it quite well.
That's
not to say this isn't an ethereal wandering – the band has had
that down since Ágætus Byrjun - but,
as mentioned before, this is the first time that it's actually
interesting. Perhaps it's the
upbeat drumwork of Orri Páll Dýrason, which is actually featured in a straightforward method this time, or the fact that the vocals will often take a seat behind the instrumentals (which are quite interesting, see 'Bláprádur'), but Kveikur is the band's finest outing yet,.
Noteworthy Tracks: 'Isjaki', 'Rafstraumur', 'Var'.
Noteworthy Tracks: 'Isjaki', 'Rafstraumur', 'Var'.
Deafheaven - Sunbather
Genre: Post-Black Metal
If you ask a true kvlt metalhead what is the most grievous transgression against modern black metal, they will point at Deafheaven. The California quartet that have masterfully and beautifully pioneered the “true hipster black metal” wave of the past seven years (following the path laid by the almighty Weakling) have faced intense scrutiny and criticism for their controversial mixture of black metal – blast beats, tremolos and shrieks – with shoegaze – head-in-the-clouds atmosphere and an obscuring pinkish haze. Neige (Stéphane Paut, of Alcest and Amesoeurs fame) seems to get a pass, even though he's been at it for quite a while longer, but I digress. Sunbather is the band's second full-length after a split with Californian post-black act Bosse-de-Nage and their 2010 release Roads to Judah, and is a further evolution of the absolutely massive talent of the band.Even the album art for Sunbather shows what you're getting into. The first rapid chords of 'Dream House' immediately conjure up sun-blasted, stifling summer dusk. The throat-shredding, distorted shriek of George Clarke lingers in the background, washing the listener away in blissful near-stillness – a bizarre
The decision to dial back the vocals is an interesting one, and I believe it truly works to the band's advantage – atmospheric bands like Skagos or, hell, even the mighty Drudkh always sacrifice a bit of their atmosphere by putting vocals near the front of the mix, since our first instinct is to focus on a human voice. Deafheaven, similarly to acts like Falls of Rauros and Wolves in the Throne Room, allow their music to wrap around the listener and transport them into the moment by forcing them to hear the entire 'wall of sound' and move with it. It's an interesting, and, ultimately, a very good choice on the band's part.
Sunbather takes the form of four lengthy (over 9-minute) tracks, with much quieter and shorter interludes in between each. Deafheaven have always been about atmosphere – their first LP Roads to Judah was all about exploring the various highways of the West Coast - and that ability to maintain a serene background amidst total chaos is explored and perfected in Sunbather. The album, which the band has stated deals with the extreme angst of impossible desire, masterfully works around those emotions throughout the album, and all of Sunbather is pure heat and emotion.
The effect of this album has been absolutely enormous – if it's not clear, I very much like this record. Roads to Judah was, for me, not a particularly engaging album, but Sunbather does that away, and I've had the riffs to 'Vertigo' and 'the Pecan Tree' stuck in my head for so long I learned how to play them on guitar to get them out. Aggregates like MetalSucks, Pitchfork (duh) and Heavy Blog is Heavy are tempted to agree, but on the other hand, as mentioned before, traditionalist black metal fans consider Deafheaven's work an attack on a genre centered around rage and nihilism.
And that's truly a shame to me, because Sunbather, its positivity aside, is a truly melancholic album. Never mind the sunshine dripping from the guitar and the oppressive heat of the drums, the lyrics are absolutely chill-inducing in their pain; on the title track 'Sunbather', Clarke cries “I gripped the wheel. I sweated against the leather. I watched the dogs twist through the wealthy garden. I watched you lay on a towel in grass that exceeded the height of your legs. I gazed into reflective eyes. I cried against an ocean of light.”
I've been extolling the virtues of this album for longer than I intended, but the point remains – this is easily one of the best metal albums of the year, do not hesitate.
Notable Tracks: 'Dream House', 'Irresistible', 'the Pecan Tree'.
Galaktik Cancer Squad - Ghost Light
Genre: Progressive/Black Metal
I stumbled across this wonderfully obscure little gem of an act as I was perusing the catalog of Canadian record label Hypnotic Dirge records. Galaktik Cancer Squad, silly name aside, is a one-man black metal act from Hamburg, Germany that deals almost exclusively in instrumentals. Well, that sounds, boring, you might say, but Galaktik Cancer Squad bring an interesting mix to the table with more riffs and heaviness than you can shake a guitar at.
Ghost Light is mastermind Argwohn's fourth album since 2011, and, unlike previous installments which featured absolutely massive riff salads (the 24-minute long 'The Architects of Creation' on Strange Spheres of Hyperborea springs to mind), Argwohn plays it tight and slow, allowing each song to overflow with the right amount of catchiness and anthemic pomp, all the while spinning subject matter as varied as alcohol taking over the universe ('Ethanol Nebula') to the surprisingly personal 'In Leichterlosen Weiten'. While a rather short record (five songs clocking in at only about 51 minutes), Ghost Light is a riff fest that hides behind the amount of fun you have listening to it. Argwohn uses vocals sparingly, and chooses to sing in his native German, adding to the badassness of the music, and his drumwork moves flawlessly between the blistering style of Fenriz and a plethora of catchy beats. This works to his advantage, because Ghost Light is the perfect pedestal for Argwohn to show just how talented of a technical writer he is. All of these riffs are as varied as they are spellbinding, and will immediately grab your attention, even if instrumental music isn't your thing.
A reviewer on Metal Archives described Galaktik Cancer Squad as “Dragonforce by way of Mayhem with a stop at Iron Maiden[...]It's fantasy soundscape stuff, just a little bit heavier than usual”. While that sounds like a horribly nerdy cliche, that's immediately offset by just how entertaining the music is. As I've said before, Ghost Light is an intensely fun romp through tense riffage and headbang-inducing breaks. More power to Argwohn: I'm excited for what he has up his sleeve next.
Notable Tracks: 'Hypnose', 'Ethanol Nebula', 'In Leichterlosen Weiten'.
Author & Punisher - Women & Children
Genre: Industrial/Doom Metal
What happens when you mix the balls-to-the-wall heaviness of doom metal with the ingenuity of mechanical engineering and the chaos of industrial music? Tristan Shone of one-man act Author and Punisher has been making some good guesses by making his own giant metal machine that allows him to simultaneously control all the instruments of a metal band. Since 2012, Shone has released two records, the most recent of which, Women and Children, debuted this June as he was on tour with Philip Anselmo.
For those unfamiliar with Author & Punisher's previous work, this is not your average metal band. Imagine a giant steampunk monstrosity slowly lumbering its way to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting city; or if Skrillex became a serial killer – that's kinda what Author & Punisher sounds like. There's an electronic tint to most of the band's music that clashes viciously (and yet, utterly amazingly) with familiar doom elements – methodical, plodding percussion, and low-tuned roaring guitars.
'In Remorse', for example, features distorted clean vocals amidst the ruin of the instrumentals before devolving into the chilling bass scream Shone has made himself known for, to say nothing of a few scattered riffs buried beneath the filthy mess of static that invades your ears. And when Shone has had enough of audible torture, he graciously has mercy with a few scattered ambient sections. But even those are few and far between, as rage gives way to morbid mystery gives way to more rage.
Shone's willingness to experiment propels Women & Children to unimaginable places. 'Tame as a Lion' begins the most quiet – and yet, creepy – of anything he's done so far, and that only adds to the otherworldly, terrifying mechanical assault when the heaviness does finally kick in. Again, this is another case of “the album art will tell you exactly what you're getting into” as the familiar-yet-unfamiliar Rorschach drawing glares out bleakly from the cover. Women & Children is not for novices to heavy music (but it isn't as unapproachable as, say, Primitive Man or Portal), but for those willing to brave its dark corridors, they'll discover one of the most innovative and fascinating sonar voyages available.
Notable Tracks: 'Melee', 'Fearce', 'Pain Myself'.
Genre: Heavy Metal
I was a little wary of Black Sabbath's reunion ever since it was announced last year – it seemed too good to be true: the legendary team of Ozzy, Tony and Geezer writing a new album? The first one since the late 70s? What's the catch? Well, the catch came in the form of the producer for the job: Rick Rubin. For those unfamiliar with Rubin's work, he is the creative mastermind behind oodles of popular artists – from Jay-Z to Adele – and many have credited him with making these records as profitable as possible. Obviously, Rubin is a talented producer, but his eye is definitely on the marketability of the music. Thus, I saw it as unlikely Sabbath were going to put out Master of Reality 2.0 or a mind-blowing return album.
And, well, I was pretty right: 13 is Black Sabbath the way Warner Media wants it to be – Iommi's soloing is just as impeccable, and it's definitely Black Sabbath, but that's about all the good I can say about it.
In fact, that's almost all I can say about it at all. 13 left very little of an impression on me – parts of 'Damaged Soul' I'll recall sporadically, and I did quite enjoy the first single 'God is Dead?' but the perennial formula of “writing an album for singles” that people have been claiming has popped up in the mainstream is unfortunately at work here. Aside from one or two interesting songs, the songs that were released as singles ('God is Dead?' and 'End of the Beginning') are by far the more memorable songs on 13.To be honest, 13 is a highly nostalgic album – as a stand alone record, it's profoundly uninteresting, but if you put it in context as 1.) a Sabbath album, and 2.) the colorful history of the band, it suddenly becomes a lot more exciting. Also throw in the fact that we have callbacks to classics like 'Planet Caravan' (on 'Zeitgeist') or 'Hand of Doom' (on 'Live Forever') and 13 is suddenly quite a topically exciting record. It certainly doesn't blaze any new trails, but why should we care?
Now, none of this should be taken to mean that I don't think this is a good record – it's definitely a good time, but Ozzy's Sabbath from 40 years ago (daily reminder Paranoid came out 43 years ago) still reigns supreme. It's a good addition to Sabbath's discography, and a great comeback after years of silence. Here's to hoping Iommi makes a full recovery!
Notable Tracks: God is Dead?, Age of Reason, Dear Father.
Genre: Hardcore
Supergroups, generally, are some of the most fun you'll have while listening to music. The fact (however inconsequential) that a bunch of well-renowned musicians are playing together and making music is enough to get me excited. All Pigs Must Die – composed of members of Converge, Bloodhorse, and the Hope Conspiracy – thus got me particularly interested when their newest full-length Nothing Violates this Nature hit shelves this summer.I generally have a bit of trouble listening to hardcore albums all the way through – for me, it's a fairly repetitive and undiscerning genre, and the dearth of tryhard hardcore bands are testament to this But I digress – Nothing Violates this Nature doesn't succumb to this unfortunate trend.
Modern hardcore falls into two categories – you have castrated “feel better about yourself” bands like the Ghost Inside or Stick To Your Guns, and then you have the raw, furious misanthropy of bands like No Zodiac or Nails (see: the powerviolence genre). All Pigs Must Die fall staunchly in the latter, as their name entails, they're a fiercely political band whose music is the soundtrack to the fall of society.
As with 2011's God is War, Nothing Violates this Nature is a succession of audible sucker punches and curb stomps that leave no one standing. The album is one long mosh session, the only thing letting up is the pace – 'Bloodlines' goes a little slower and heavier, while 'Aqim Siege' is all blast beats and power chords. The vocals are a little lacking in variety, but if you listen to a hardcore album and expect vocal prowess, you're looking at the wrong genre. Nothing Violates this Nature hits all the right notes – massive riffs, breakdowns that will knock everyone off their feet, and enough blast beats to take out a small village.
If you're looking for some front-and-center mosh, do not let this album pass you by.
Notable Songs: 'Chaos Arise', 'Faith Eater', 'Aqim Siege'
As with 2011's God is War, Nothing Violates this Nature is a succession of audible sucker punches and curb stomps that leave no one standing. The album is one long mosh session, the only thing letting up is the pace – 'Bloodlines' goes a little slower and heavier, while 'Aqim Siege' is all blast beats and power chords. The vocals are a little lacking in variety, but if you listen to a hardcore album and expect vocal prowess, you're looking at the wrong genre. Nothing Violates this Nature hits all the right notes – massive riffs, breakdowns that will knock everyone off their feet, and enough blast beats to take out a small village.
If you're looking for some front-and-center mosh, do not let this album pass you by.
Notable Songs: 'Chaos Arise', 'Faith Eater', 'Aqim Siege'
Genre: Psychedelic Black Metal
Woe upon those pitiful enough to stumble across Wormlust's first full length the Feral Wisdom. Unless you know what you're getting into, this is a record that will utterly terrify. During my first listen to this record at noon in mid July, I jumped when 'Sex augu, tólf stjörnur' began in earnest. The mastermind behind Wormlust, H.V Lyngdal, has been “projecting astral body horrors” since 2006, and his spellbinding efforts have culminated in this bizarre, otherworldly record. The best visualization of the music of the Feral Wisdom is to take a look at Slayer's Reign in Blood or Sigh's Scenes from Hell, or to read some Lovecraft by candlelight.
Other reviewers have likened the record to a heaven-hell duality, comparing the Feral Wisdom to the utter insanity that lies just out of sight, and even on first listen it's easy to see what they mean. The production is bleak, cold, and razor-sharp, and the music brutally unforgiving and torturous. It's black metal, but it's also psychedelic rock and hints of dark ambient thrown in for extra delirium. Wormlust's music is not for novices of black metal, or extreme music in general. The Feral Wisdom is magnificent, nail-biting horror – the gut-wrenching terror of drifting through deep space, and a peek into the innermost vortex of chaos.
The entire while, through the punishing metal and scintillating chords, there's a bizarre, crawling sense of something amiss, and the psychedelics offer paltry breathing room as the punishment abates for a few seconds of cold atmosphere before returning to terrorize anew. I'm noticing that I'm talking a lot about fear in the summary of this album, and that's because that seems to be the emotion – along with confusion and panic - that Lyngdal is trying to convey with the Feral Wisdom. It's not always the horrifying “there's something right behind me” fear, but Lyngdal's masterful use of psychedelic elements make your skin crawl and bring shivers to your spine. For example, the song 'Á altari meistarans ' (Which google translate tells me means 'on the Altar of the Master') is six minutes of nearly Lovecraftian dread and psychedelic swells.
It's rare that listening to a record is an experience in and of itself, but the Feral Wisdom delivers on that premise – and though it's not an altogether pleasant experience, it's definitely one you won't regret. Combined with Deafheaven, Wormlust have put out one of the better black metal albums of the year.
Notable Songs: I'm not going to play favorites with this album, it was pretty much “wow” the entire way through.
August Burns Red - Rescue & Restore
Genre: Metalcore
August Burns Red have been leading the metalcore charge for quite some time, unapologetically dragging along a genre that's always been too content to stagnate and devolve into breakdowns and chugging. Many credit the Pennsylvania band with being one of the best modern metalcore bands if only because they aren't as juvenile and idiotic, choosing instead to write epic ballads about overcoming struggles and finding inner peace.
The band's newest album Rescue & Restore was released as they reached the pinnacle of popularity and headlined Warped Tour this summer, alongside bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Architects. Bizarrely enough, some of the more interesting metalcore releases so far have taken a healthy dose of atmosphere – Sempiternal is a damn fine listen, for example – and this has introduced a strange “oooh this is different” feeling to a music genre many people leave because it is too repetitive. That being said, it hinders more than helps in the case of August Burns Red.
Unfortunately, Rescue & Restore is one of the weaker additions to the ABR catalogue. Sure, you have your melodic, math-y riffs, and Jake Luhrs' voice is a little more variable than what we remember, but in many ways the record is a regression – the Christian themes are far more in-your-face, and the band makes no effort to hide their breakdowns like they did in previous installments. There's a few more atmospheric breaks, but the genre is still trying to figure out how to work with them..
With Rescue & Restore, the band comes across as melodramatic and falls flat. This is, undeniably, still metalcore, and it's definitely ABR, but it's not good metalcore in the vein of the band's previous work. Previous albums (including their 2009 opus Constellations) were absolutely breathtaking and memorable pieces of work. Rescue & Restore, for lack of a better word, is just not interesting music.
Of course, exceptions remain – 'Treatment' and 'Spirit Breaker' are the album's redeeming light in that they echo the more memorial parts of Constellations while taking the better ideas of Leveler. Other songs, like the monumentally boring and eye-roll-inducing 'Sincerity' or 'Provision' I've had to skip just because they do nothing to capture my interest. Everyone's doing their best musically, but the ideas and intensity of previous outings just isn't there.
I fell out of love with metalcore this summer after I realized its fans are mostly under 20 and as musically literate as a sock, but I was still super psyched for the new ABR. Thus, I wasn't entirely sure how much of my disappointment came from the fact that I wasn't as interested in the music, and how much came from the fact that Rescue & Restore is genuinely not a very discerning metalcore record.
But then I realized that there are still definitely good modern metalcore bands, and that the reason I liked their new stuff was because it had some sort of lure to drag me in – let's talk about how much I enjoy Every Time I Die or Shai Hulud – that Rescue & Restore totally lacks. This is the first time it's taken me multiple tries to get through an ABR record. It's ABR playing ABR. If that's your cup of tea, be my guest. I was expecting something a little bit different.
Notable Tracks: 'Spirit Breaker', 'Treatment', 'Echoes'.
The Black Dahlia Murder - Everblack
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Melodeath, for me, is always a mixed bag. On the one hand, Gothenburg bands like In Flames or Dark Tranquility are a mixed bag in terms of discography, but then you have bands like Be'lakor or the Black Dahlia Murder that command interest and attention. The latter of these two has been a major contender in the American melodeath scene for quite a while, mixing blackened vocals with a healthy helping of fun and gothic riffage.
The Black Dahlia Murder settled on their best sound in 2005 with the excellent record Nocturnal and have been stalwartly cranking out excellent melodeath since then – be it 2009's Deflorate or 2011's critically acclaimed Ritual. Everblack, the band's newest effort, furthers this trend. As an aside, the band bizarrely took to Warped Tour to promote the release of this record. I'm not sure about you guys, but seeing Memphis May Fire and Black Dahlia in the same day would have been too bizarre for me.
If you go into Everblack expecting anything besides what you've been hearing out of this band for the past five years, you'll be sorely disappointed, but this stagnation is perfectly okay when the band isn't treading dangerous waters. Songs like 'Goat of Departure', which the band released to sate our appetite back in May, are equal parts catchy and obscure. Black Dahlia have always been about riffs on riffs on riffs, and this record is no exception – the masterwork of guitar duo Brian Eschbach and Ryan Knight, supported by the screech and howl of vocalist Trevor Strnad, propel this record forward on wonderfully endearing legs. From riffs echoing a candlelit, Victorian castle (the band's video for 'Moonlight Equilibrium' is perfect accompaniment to any Black Dahlia song) to equally morbid song titles ('Phantom Limb Masturbation', 'Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn'), Everblack is equal parts admirable instrumentals and flat-out metal fun.
The most commendable thing about this record is that the band doesn't quite let up the pace all the way through, stuffing your face full of riffs and occult imagery without once letting anyone stop to breathe. It's a fun ride, and definitely worth checking out.
Notable Songs: 'Blood Mine', 'Goat of Departure', 'Every Rope a Noose'.
Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Other reviewers have likened the record to a heaven-hell duality, comparing the Feral Wisdom to the utter insanity that lies just out of sight, and even on first listen it's easy to see what they mean. The production is bleak, cold, and razor-sharp, and the music brutally unforgiving and torturous. It's black metal, but it's also psychedelic rock and hints of dark ambient thrown in for extra delirium. Wormlust's music is not for novices of black metal, or extreme music in general. The Feral Wisdom is magnificent, nail-biting horror – the gut-wrenching terror of drifting through deep space, and a peek into the innermost vortex of chaos.The entire while, through the punishing metal and scintillating chords, there's a bizarre, crawling sense of something amiss, and the psychedelics offer paltry breathing room as the punishment abates for a few seconds of cold atmosphere before returning to terrorize anew. I'm noticing that I'm talking a lot about fear in the summary of this album, and that's because that seems to be the emotion – along with confusion and panic - that Lyngdal is trying to convey with the Feral Wisdom. It's not always the horrifying “there's something right behind me” fear, but Lyngdal's masterful use of psychedelic elements make your skin crawl and bring shivers to your spine. For example, the song 'Á altari meistarans ' (Which google translate tells me means 'on the Altar of the Master') is six minutes of nearly Lovecraftian dread and psychedelic swells.
It's rare that listening to a record is an experience in and of itself, but the Feral Wisdom delivers on that premise – and though it's not an altogether pleasant experience, it's definitely one you won't regret. Combined with Deafheaven, Wormlust have put out one of the better black metal albums of the year.
Notable Songs: I'm not going to play favorites with this album, it was pretty much “wow” the entire way through.
Genre: Metalcore
August Burns Red have been leading the metalcore charge for quite some time, unapologetically dragging along a genre that's always been too content to stagnate and devolve into breakdowns and chugging. Many credit the Pennsylvania band with being one of the best modern metalcore bands if only because they aren't as juvenile and idiotic, choosing instead to write epic ballads about overcoming struggles and finding inner peace.
The band's newest album Rescue & Restore was released as they reached the pinnacle of popularity and headlined Warped Tour this summer, alongside bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Architects. Bizarrely enough, some of the more interesting metalcore releases so far have taken a healthy dose of atmosphere – Sempiternal is a damn fine listen, for example – and this has introduced a strange “oooh this is different” feeling to a music genre many people leave because it is too repetitive. That being said, it hinders more than helps in the case of August Burns Red.
Unfortunately, Rescue & Restore is one of the weaker additions to the ABR catalogue. Sure, you have your melodic, math-y riffs, and Jake Luhrs' voice is a little more variable than what we remember, but in many ways the record is a regression – the Christian themes are far more in-your-face, and the band makes no effort to hide their breakdowns like they did in previous installments. There's a few more atmospheric breaks, but the genre is still trying to figure out how to work with them..
Of course, exceptions remain – 'Treatment' and 'Spirit Breaker' are the album's redeeming light in that they echo the more memorial parts of Constellations while taking the better ideas of Leveler. Other songs, like the monumentally boring and eye-roll-inducing 'Sincerity' or 'Provision' I've had to skip just because they do nothing to capture my interest. Everyone's doing their best musically, but the ideas and intensity of previous outings just isn't there.
I fell out of love with metalcore this summer after I realized its fans are mostly under 20 and as musically literate as a sock, but I was still super psyched for the new ABR. Thus, I wasn't entirely sure how much of my disappointment came from the fact that I wasn't as interested in the music, and how much came from the fact that Rescue & Restore is genuinely not a very discerning metalcore record.
But then I realized that there are still definitely good modern metalcore bands, and that the reason I liked their new stuff was because it had some sort of lure to drag me in – let's talk about how much I enjoy Every Time I Die or Shai Hulud – that Rescue & Restore totally lacks. This is the first time it's taken me multiple tries to get through an ABR record. It's ABR playing ABR. If that's your cup of tea, be my guest. I was expecting something a little bit different.
Notable Tracks: 'Spirit Breaker', 'Treatment', 'Echoes'.
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Melodeath, for me, is always a mixed bag. On the one hand, Gothenburg bands like In Flames or Dark Tranquility are a mixed bag in terms of discography, but then you have bands like Be'lakor or the Black Dahlia Murder that command interest and attention. The latter of these two has been a major contender in the American melodeath scene for quite a while, mixing blackened vocals with a healthy helping of fun and gothic riffage.The Black Dahlia Murder settled on their best sound in 2005 with the excellent record Nocturnal and have been stalwartly cranking out excellent melodeath since then – be it 2009's Deflorate or 2011's critically acclaimed Ritual. Everblack, the band's newest effort, furthers this trend. As an aside, the band bizarrely took to Warped Tour to promote the release of this record. I'm not sure about you guys, but seeing Memphis May Fire and Black Dahlia in the same day would have been too bizarre for me.
If you go into Everblack expecting anything besides what you've been hearing out of this band for the past five years, you'll be sorely disappointed, but this stagnation is perfectly okay when the band isn't treading dangerous waters. Songs like 'Goat of Departure', which the band released to sate our appetite back in May, are equal parts catchy and obscure. Black Dahlia have always been about riffs on riffs on riffs, and this record is no exception – the masterwork of guitar duo Brian Eschbach and Ryan Knight, supported by the screech and howl of vocalist Trevor Strnad, propel this record forward on wonderfully endearing legs. From riffs echoing a candlelit, Victorian castle (the band's video for 'Moonlight Equilibrium' is perfect accompaniment to any Black Dahlia song) to equally morbid song titles ('Phantom Limb Masturbation', 'Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn'), Everblack is equal parts admirable instrumentals and flat-out metal fun.
The most commendable thing about this record is that the band doesn't quite let up the pace all the way through, stuffing your face full of riffs and occult imagery without once letting anyone stop to breathe. It's a fun ride, and definitely worth checking out.
Notable Songs: 'Blood Mine', 'Goat of Departure', 'Every Rope a Noose'.
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
It's hard to talk about atmospheric black metal without bringing up the Austrian kings of the genre, Summoning. The band has been quietly infusing black metal with epic, Tolkien-inspired ballads all the while encapsulating the grand, anthemic scope of landscapes and battle. Their newest record Old Mornings Dawn is no departure – the band has claimed it is a retelling of a legend from Tolkien's Silmarillion, and appropriately infuses their music with all the epic medieval accoutrements of such a tale.
Summoning have always been very good at conveying atmosphere, and songs like 'Flammifer' or 'Caradhras' on this record are testament to the band's prowess in this regard. 'Flammifer' in particular features a bongo at the forefront of the percussion, and a few hawk cries in the background to utterly surround the listeners in imaginary landscapes. The drums – which I'm told are programmed – never seem out of place with the music, instead serving to either heighten the epic feeling or quietly provide a thread to hold onto as the music swells by. The result is totally hypnotic music that you can almost close your eyes and relax to at times – see 'Earthshrine' for the album's most spellbinding piece.
It's also one of the few times in black metal where I've appreciated synthwork – through a mixture of dreamily echoed guitars, wailed vocals that fade into the background, the synths never feel forced or too cheesy, which is saying something considering the subject matter! Instead, they impart a sort of pagan, fantasy-based mist to most of Old Mornings Dawn's music which adds to the overpowering ability of the beautiful music to transport you to the Pelennor Fields. It's definitely not an easy first-time listen, nor is it as accessible as more well-known atmospheric black bands like Agalloch or Wolves in the Throne Room, but for those who have followed Summoning from 1995's Minas Morgul, this is another epicly dark jaunt through Middle Earth.
What's interesting about Old Mornings Dawn is that it sounds symphonic and operatic without ever veering into Dimmu territory, which is an admirable trait when Summoning unabashedly includes Orc samples in this record.. Rather, it's because the duo are pretty damn good at making their lyrics (and their music) sound as epic as possible without sounding corny. This is still profoundly geeky music, because the band know their Tolkien pretty damn well, but it never feels as though you're listening to the wet dream of that dork in high school who never used deodorant. Instead, it even manages to come off as emotional, with tear-jerkingly sad lyrics on 'Of Pale White Morns and Darkened Elves': “For here the castle and the mighty tower, more grey and dim than long cold autumn rain, sleep, nor sunlit moment nor triumphal hour, wakes their old lords too long in slumber lain.” or in the choir samples on 'Caradhras'.
In conclusion, don't make the same mistake I did and listen to this record without giving the rest of Summoning's discography a go first. Summoning's music is an acquired taste, to say the very least, and it's only by acquiring that taste that Old Mornings Dawn reveals itself as the truly interesting record that it is.
Notable Tracks: 'Flammifer', 'The Wandering Fire', 'Earthshrine'
Set & Setting - Equanimity
Genre: Post-Metal
When I think of post-metal, I tend to think of gentle-yet-firm riffs dripping with just enough post-rock-infused echo lightly tickling my ears as I lay back and close my eyes (exceptions, of course, do exist). Last June, MetalSucks pointed me towards a Florida post-metal act called Set & Setting on the cusp of releasing their first full length, Equanimity, a quiet, simple trek through forests at sunrise.
Describing Set & Setting's music is difficult because it flits so frequently between pure ambiance and metal groove, as on the title track 'Through the Unhindered Break of Day' where the droning, lullaby guitars stand hand-in-hand with the relentless tack of the drummer's hi-hat. Somehow, in that amorphous fusion, something wonderful is happening. It's that almost childlike sensation of wonder that permeates the album and prevents it from becoming tired too quickly.
With a healthy dose of Russian Circles-type relentlessness and Explosions in the Sky melody, Equanimity toys with heaviness and softness throughout the record, making it a captivating listen throughout. 'Spiraling Uncertainties' features a subtle crescendo as the duality between heavy drums and melodic riffs reaches a distorted, frisson-inducing climax. There's no vocals to distract you from the absolutely gorgeous music,because that's just what this is – profoundly beautiful songwriting and performance in a tight,
tragically short frame.
Summoning have always been very good at conveying atmosphere, and songs like 'Flammifer' or 'Caradhras' on this record are testament to the band's prowess in this regard. 'Flammifer' in particular features a bongo at the forefront of the percussion, and a few hawk cries in the background to utterly surround the listeners in imaginary landscapes. The drums – which I'm told are programmed – never seem out of place with the music, instead serving to either heighten the epic feeling or quietly provide a thread to hold onto as the music swells by. The result is totally hypnotic music that you can almost close your eyes and relax to at times – see 'Earthshrine' for the album's most spellbinding piece. It's also one of the few times in black metal where I've appreciated synthwork – through a mixture of dreamily echoed guitars, wailed vocals that fade into the background, the synths never feel forced or too cheesy, which is saying something considering the subject matter! Instead, they impart a sort of pagan, fantasy-based mist to most of Old Mornings Dawn's music which adds to the overpowering ability of the beautiful music to transport you to the Pelennor Fields. It's definitely not an easy first-time listen, nor is it as accessible as more well-known atmospheric black bands like Agalloch or Wolves in the Throne Room, but for those who have followed Summoning from 1995's Minas Morgul, this is another epicly dark jaunt through Middle Earth.
What's interesting about Old Mornings Dawn is that it sounds symphonic and operatic without ever veering into Dimmu territory, which is an admirable trait when Summoning unabashedly includes Orc samples in this record.. Rather, it's because the duo are pretty damn good at making their lyrics (and their music) sound as epic as possible without sounding corny. This is still profoundly geeky music, because the band know their Tolkien pretty damn well, but it never feels as though you're listening to the wet dream of that dork in high school who never used deodorant. Instead, it even manages to come off as emotional, with tear-jerkingly sad lyrics on 'Of Pale White Morns and Darkened Elves': “For here the castle and the mighty tower, more grey and dim than long cold autumn rain, sleep, nor sunlit moment nor triumphal hour, wakes their old lords too long in slumber lain.” or in the choir samples on 'Caradhras'.
In conclusion, don't make the same mistake I did and listen to this record without giving the rest of Summoning's discography a go first. Summoning's music is an acquired taste, to say the very least, and it's only by acquiring that taste that Old Mornings Dawn reveals itself as the truly interesting record that it is.
Notable Tracks: 'Flammifer', 'The Wandering Fire', 'Earthshrine'
Genre: Post-Metal
When I think of post-metal, I tend to think of gentle-yet-firm riffs dripping with just enough post-rock-infused echo lightly tickling my ears as I lay back and close my eyes (exceptions, of course, do exist). Last June, MetalSucks pointed me towards a Florida post-metal act called Set & Setting on the cusp of releasing their first full length, Equanimity, a quiet, simple trek through forests at sunrise.
Describing Set & Setting's music is difficult because it flits so frequently between pure ambiance and metal groove, as on the title track 'Through the Unhindered Break of Day' where the droning, lullaby guitars stand hand-in-hand with the relentless tack of the drummer's hi-hat. Somehow, in that amorphous fusion, something wonderful is happening. It's that almost childlike sensation of wonder that permeates the album and prevents it from becoming tired too quickly.
With a healthy dose of Russian Circles-type relentlessness and Explosions in the Sky melody, Equanimity toys with heaviness and softness throughout the record, making it a captivating listen throughout. 'Spiraling Uncertainties' features a subtle crescendo as the duality between heavy drums and melodic riffs reaches a distorted, frisson-inducing climax. There's no vocals to distract you from the absolutely gorgeous music,because that's just what this is – profoundly beautiful songwriting and performance in a tight,
Songs segue wonderfully into each other, offering just enough variation to seem new but not too little to make this a drone-worthy fest. There's even a hint of shoegaze on the intro to 'Fear of Obtainment', which marks the middle of the album as a thirteen-minute long epic. While at times the album may drag its feet, the payload is always well worth the wait and the waiting itself is rarely too boring.
One of the most impressive aspects in Equanimity's arsenal, though, isn't the musical diversity or enthralling nature of the atmosphere, it's how flawlessly simple the music is. Every riff, every chord, is methodical and well-placed, but it's not as technical or intricate as Cult of Luna or Isis. Equanimity is all atmosphere and gorgeous minimalism – at times running, at others lumbering. When all these stars line up, the result is spellbinding.
Equanimity is highly recommended.
Notable Tracks : 'Spiraling Uncertainties', 'Petrichor', 'The Truth of the Path'.
Jex Thoth - Blood Moon Rise
Genre: Stoner Metal/"Occult Rock"
With a surprisingly bleak and dark approach to a genre dominated by easygoing music, Jex Thoth have been weaving their dark sonic webs since 2008, when the band put out their self-titled record. Since then, the ragtag group of rockers put out two additional EPs - 2009's Totem and 2010's Witness before they returned with the mystifying, otherworldly Blood Moon Rise, a plodding, weird journey through melodic riffs and a sensation of being very small in a giant's world.
There's a bizarre interplay as the record goes on, with vocalist Jex Thoth's soaring, soulful vocals being replaced by the similarly yawning guitar portions of lead guitarist Matt Jacobs. It's a sound that I'm coming into contact with a lot this year - bands like Windhand and Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats sound very similar to Jex Thoth in that regard, and it's definitely not a bad thing. The obscure, smoky passageways of Blood Moon Rise are different in terms of how dark they are by comparison. Occult rock bands like Blood Ceremony and the Devil's Blood are almost fun in terms of how they portray themselves - Blood Moon Rise counters their vocalist's epic range with an apprehension-inducing set of instrumentals, such as on third track 'The Divide', the abyss of which yawns fitfully throughout the entire song.
Blood Moon Rise, similar to 2008's self-titled, is as ritualistic as it is catchy, and it's one of the major selling points of the record. Not only is it heavy as sin and weird enough to merit a few moments of "whoa" on first listen, but Jex Thoth return to the fold by conjuring up images of blasphemous rituals through a haze of psychedelic vibrancy.
It's an approach to occult rock that I'd like to see a lot more - it's fun to stick in the 70s and be Alice Cooper ripoffs, but the source material for these bands is quite dark, and we're in an age in which metal doesn't need to hide behind happy music to show off its dark themes. Black metal handles the occult with a befitting level of unease and terror, so why shouldn't occult rock?
But when Blood Moon Rise isn't narrating the summoning of a demon,it's spreading its wings across impossibly large soundscapes - the band have always taken their time and used as little as possible to make as much, and it's in that regard that the band truly shines. 'Into a Sleep' is both quiet and deeply intimate - a musical choice that's as welcome as it is bizarre. There's a lot of off-kilter ideas going on in this record, and while they sometimes are more weird than they are interesting, Jex Thoth's willingness to experiment is quite commendable indeed.
Notable Tracks: 'Into a Sleep', 'The Places You Walk', 'Psyar'.
One of the most impressive aspects in Equanimity's arsenal, though, isn't the musical diversity or enthralling nature of the atmosphere, it's how flawlessly simple the music is. Every riff, every chord, is methodical and well-placed, but it's not as technical or intricate as Cult of Luna or Isis. Equanimity is all atmosphere and gorgeous minimalism – at times running, at others lumbering. When all these stars line up, the result is spellbinding.
Equanimity is highly recommended.
Notable Tracks : 'Spiraling Uncertainties', 'Petrichor', 'The Truth of the Path'.
Jex Thoth - Blood Moon Rise
Genre: Stoner Metal/"Occult Rock"
With a surprisingly bleak and dark approach to a genre dominated by easygoing music, Jex Thoth have been weaving their dark sonic webs since 2008, when the band put out their self-titled record. Since then, the ragtag group of rockers put out two additional EPs - 2009's Totem and 2010's Witness before they returned with the mystifying, otherworldly Blood Moon Rise, a plodding, weird journey through melodic riffs and a sensation of being very small in a giant's world.
There's a bizarre interplay as the record goes on, with vocalist Jex Thoth's soaring, soulful vocals being replaced by the similarly yawning guitar portions of lead guitarist Matt Jacobs. It's a sound that I'm coming into contact with a lot this year - bands like Windhand and Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats sound very similar to Jex Thoth in that regard, and it's definitely not a bad thing. The obscure, smoky passageways of Blood Moon Rise are different in terms of how dark they are by comparison. Occult rock bands like Blood Ceremony and the Devil's Blood are almost fun in terms of how they portray themselves - Blood Moon Rise counters their vocalist's epic range with an apprehension-inducing set of instrumentals, such as on third track 'The Divide', the abyss of which yawns fitfully throughout the entire song.
Blood Moon Rise, similar to 2008's self-titled, is as ritualistic as it is catchy, and it's one of the major selling points of the record. Not only is it heavy as sin and weird enough to merit a few moments of "whoa" on first listen, but Jex Thoth return to the fold by conjuring up images of blasphemous rituals through a haze of psychedelic vibrancy.
But when Blood Moon Rise isn't narrating the summoning of a demon,it's spreading its wings across impossibly large soundscapes - the band have always taken their time and used as little as possible to make as much, and it's in that regard that the band truly shines. 'Into a Sleep' is both quiet and deeply intimate - a musical choice that's as welcome as it is bizarre. There's a lot of off-kilter ideas going on in this record, and while they sometimes are more weird than they are interesting, Jex Thoth's willingness to experiment is quite commendable indeed.
Notable Tracks: 'Into a Sleep', 'The Places You Walk', 'Psyar'.
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