tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131923117588739482024-02-18T18:37:01.668-08:00Frozen RaptureA blog where i talk about music both old and new and add music reviews.reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-2772617790690585392012-01-09T07:38:00.000-08:002012-01-13T07:27:28.383-08:002011 - Top 40<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It was a pretty great year for metal. Particularly death metal. I didn't really listen to a lot of black metal that I liked and the same goes for stoner rock although there were a few. I guess the new Morbid Angel and Weedeater albums were my biggest disappointments but overall the great stuff more than made up for the few bad albums I heard this year</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">This is my Top 40 for 2011, listed in order of preferance and after running these albums through a complex algorithm to determine their position. First though are my 10 favourite EPs and demos.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >EPs, Demos and Splits</span><br /></span></div> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Dephosphorus - Axiom<br />This is a fantastic band from Greece. Mix of grind and black metal and I've never heard anything like this before. Short album and the band is giving it away as a free download. Must listen.<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?4ib32ycp44i57yc"><br />download</a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. Archgoat - Heavenly Vulva (Christ's Last Rites)</span><br />Ultra satanic death metal from Finland. Completely over the top and very extreme but also very good and one of my favourite satanic bands. <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?prrg1fw1g3bz2d3"><br />download</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3. Apocryphon – Apocryphon<br />Terrific debut EP from this American band. Mixes death, black and thrash metal and sounds killer.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?kikbt4pv22n1ecf">download </a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4. Vastum - Carnal Law<br />Very good doom-death from this American band. Sound and recording quality is not great but the songs are very good.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?kikbt4pv22n1ecf">download</a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">5. Venenum - Venenum</span><br />New band from former members of Excoriate. Ultra heavy and distortion laden debut EP. Worth checking out.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?kikbt4pv22n1ecf">download</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">6. Krypts - Krypts</span><br />Bunch of teenagers from Finland and just 2 songs on this EP but its fantastic. This band is going to be huge provided they don't break up for whatever reason.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?udovet3tf6dkx1m">download</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">7. Corpsessed - The dagger and the chalice</span><br />Another Finnish band and excellent heavy death metal.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?srwv082vvdzc3wd">download</a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />8. Grime - Grime</span><br />American sludge band. Dark and oppressive stuff and quite heavy.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?rb48iokf2kqsa34">download</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">9. Stresscase - Cut Me Off<br />Ridiclously loud hardcore band. Really short and catchy songs.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?6lwj9sgjag7jzwn">download</a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">10. Bell Witch - Bell Witch<br />Traditional doom metal. 2 song EP/ demo and worth checking out.<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?25k5bw55lj93bu4">download</a></span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Top 40 Albums of 2011</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >40. Young and in the way - I Am Not What I Am</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Who would have thought few years ago that hardcore and black metal would be combined into one cohesive and relatively new sound? Young and in the Way does just that to frightening effect. This is dark hardcore with face ripping intensity and the band's ability to write catchy riffs is matched by their ability to slow things down just a little and make sure the album has variety. A young band to keep an eye out for. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yy9XObBX0Pw" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >39. Across tundras - Sage</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">With 7 albums, 3 EPs and a collection in just 7 years, Across Tundras has been a remarkably prolific band but Sage is the first time the band has been pretty fucking great. Its still the same psychedelic rock meets American folk sound of previous albums but the songs are great on this one. Might take a few listens to get into but well worth the effort. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qi8QMOSBny4" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >38. Trap Them - Darker Handcraft</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Mixing hardcore with grind, death and thrash elements and knowing just when to drop the hammer and slow things down is what makes Trap Them such a fantastic band. Darker Handcraft is the bands best yet and would have rated a lot higher in an another year.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4HvX53CfeOk" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >37. Miasmal – Miasmal</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The leaders of the new wave of old school Swedish death metal or NWOOSSDM. The songs are classic Entombed and Nihilist worship with some modern d-beat drumming for that crusty edge. Great sound, an old school production and memorable songs. Sweden really showed the way this year. Just like most years. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ey87AEhS__M" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >36. Morbus Chron - Sleepers in the Rift</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Another in the fast swelling ranks of the NWOOSSDM bands but Morbus Chron are a bit different from the pack. Sure Nihilist is still an influence but Autopsy and early Death make an appearance too and the band seems quite Lovecraft obsessed. More excellent old school death metal. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ToLtylIID5k" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >35. Septic flesh - The Great Mass</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> On my initial listen I was disappointed. The Great Mass doesn't have the massive death metal attack of Communion. What it has is a full orchestra backing the band and some of the catchiest songs the band has ever written. Took me a while to get into and while not even close to the bands best work, this is still a very good album.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/93Kqz49tQB8" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >34. A Storm of Light - As the Valley of Death Becomes Us, Our Silver Memories Fade</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">This band has shown some major progression from the last album and its straight up post metal sound. Here, the band add a grungey, almost Soundgarden type feel to their post metal along with a melancholic atmosphere and some doom metal. The result is almost like a more melodic Neurosis, Kim Thayil lays down lead guitar on a couple of songs and overall this sparse but heavy music is very impressive. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tm3w1nvfjS4" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >33. Creeping - Order of Snakes</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >New Zealand's Creeping mix and match doom, black, crust and death metal into a slow burning but highly enjoyable potion. The band's use of dissonance to heighten atmosphere and their ability to write long songs that vary in tempo makes this quite an impressive debut. A bit like Agonia's Host of the Winged from last year in a conceptual sense. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t246LatBDhM" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >32. Isole - Born from Shadows</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">This band gets better with every release. Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus are still the bands most visited reference points but greater attention to dynamics, killer guitar playing and probably the best trad doom song of the year in The Lake kept this album in constant rotation. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LGpGjneiwUk" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >31. Disma - Towards the Megalith</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Of all the bands giving praise and worshiping at the altar of Incantation, Disma are the most unapologetic and closest to their idols. Having Craig Pillard on vocals and a member of Funebrarum on guitar surely helps but it doesn't seem to matter. Towards the Megalith is very derivative and almost an homage to Incantation but it's still very very good.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u8tc55XBPxU" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >30. Antediluvian - Through the Cervix of Hawaah</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Almost like Portal and Incantation fucked and the resulting offspring was this ugly twisted death metal beast. Great atmospheric death metal where some intense riffing is hidden beneath layers of distortion. The dual vocals (one deep and gurgly and other harsh and raspy) are buried in the mix and just add to the unsettling atmosphere. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8rE33XPP6Mw" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >29. Necros Christos - Doom of the Occult</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Necros Christos came back with their sophomore album this year and it's a step up from their debut in every way. The songs are more powerful, the musicianship more confident and the thick occult atmosphere has been notched up by a few degrees. Excellent death metal with hints of doom and black.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lU650Yc3590" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >28. Will Haven – Voir Dire</span><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_UArloeqYqKinnzo4JxYTZ5ACYmgFslc92YOFJ5PV_bFXwwomh8au6-SxLjlsDv1hhWBbrJmsGuNpyWN8YfZf2yvgGe8i7cbMcw74ESeBMKxHSgYBlehYSF_cizbymjnj11Twwjk5Q1n/s1600/28.+will+haven.jpg"><br /></a>Kickass groovy noise rock. Very technical but also very catchy. Reminds me of the last Cable album. Has some great songs.<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ylW4clliECc" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >27. 40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Remember The United Kingdom's Warning? This is basically Patrick Walker and Christian Leitch with a new drummer but sound pretty much like Warning. The Inside Room is the logical follow up to Watching from a Distance. Maybe a bit better too. Morose and depressing doom held up by Walkers distinctive vocals and a dark atmosphere. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KXAX4Az8csQ" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >26. Ravencult - Morbid Blood</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Morbid Blood was the most enjoyable black thrash release I heard all year. Bewitched, Venom, Desaster, Darkthrone, old Marduk all get name checked by these Greeks but in the end, this is an album filled with killer songs and while black metal and thrash might help in defining the sound, this is proper heavy fucking metal the way it should be. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fRX9SZs9-Ag" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >25. Pulling Teeth – Funerary</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It's like Pulling Teeth spent all of 2010 getting their heads around the last albums from Integrity and Starkweather and then decided to do a mash up of The Blackest Curse and This Sheltering Night. Heavy metal and hardcore hasn't collided with this much force since Integrity's last album and Funerary is a superb example of what metalcore ought to sound like. Brutal, heavy as fuck and those mid album doomy dirges are just the icing on a very hateful cake. Pity they broke up but after this but there really wasn't much else they could do. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/10A1Mw45TZg" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >24. The Project Hate - Bleeding the New Apocalypse</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Modern death metal with a heavy electronic influence and guest spots from a host of Sweden's finest. This is some complex extreme metal with kick ass riffs, great grooves, a thick and heavy bass sound and a strong female vocalist often dueling with Jorgen Sandstrom's powerful growls. Also has one of my favourite songs of the year in Summoning Majestic War.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aj7j91SJdqM" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > 23. Autopsy - Macabre Eternal</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The return of Chris Reifert and gang. This is Autopsy as they always were but with a few new tricks. Sick and brutal death metal with hints of punk on a few songs and a kickass production. The chaotic leads of old are a lot more subdued and the last couple of Abscess albums might have played a part in the songwriting direction but overall great stuff. Welcome back. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7imBe5V9qDc" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >22. Mortal Sin - Psychology of Death </span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;">Veteran Australian thrash band and they've finally made an album that stands up to their first two albums from back in the day. Psychology of Death is catchy, groovy and vintage thrash metal with absolutely no fat. Great fun.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dbeMpMRZa30" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >21. Blut Aus Nord - 777 (Sects)</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">First part of the trilogy and as good as anything the band has released. Dissonant, atmospheric and almost hypnotic while being immensely powerful music. BAN can do no wrong in my book and (Sects) is further proof (if it was needed) of their greatness. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vGIuN_VOJZI" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >22. KEN Mode – Venerable</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Canadian noise core veterans KEN Mode released their 4th album this year and Venerable is the perfect blend of the jagged dissonance of noise rock and post hardcore. Like Jesus Lizard met Cave In at Converge's jam room. Excellent musicianship, terrific songs an yet another band that just seems to get better and better. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m4qH3pcPsTs" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > 19. Lento - Icon</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Italian post metal band. Instrumental songs that are short but have a heavy progressive vibe to them. I don't normally like instrumental bands but this is some special stuff. The songs vary from heavy sludge and intricate post metal to calm ambient passages. Worth checking out.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ta2BSe-nov4" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > 18. Dead Flesh Fashion – Thorns</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">With thick, lumbering, dissonant grooves and dynamic songs Dead Flesh Fashion showed remarkable growth between their debut and second album Thorns. At times the band comes across like a heavier The Ocean. Superb musicianship, great songs and fucking heavy. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eTv30DSqnn4" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >17. Encoffination - O' Hell, Shine in Thy Whited Sepulchres</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">When Elektrokutioner and Ghoat get it right, the duo are absolutely unstoppable. This is a step up from the debut in every way and being a concept album about Ghoat's time spent working in a mortuary, its dark, insanely heavy and oppressive. Like Incantation gone funeral doom. Scary shit and not for the weak of heart. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NY2D9QTtGe4" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >16. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Blood Lust</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Retro psychedelic doom rock and recorded in analog with vintage 70s recording equipment. This had all the hallmarks of being a hipster outing but Uncle Acid has fantastic songs. Easily the most enjoyable of all the retro hard rock/ metal outfits that put out albums this year. Uncle Acid and his pair of Deadbeats can eat the likes of Graveyard and The Devil's Blood for breakfast and shit them out in time for lunch. Awesome stuff. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GsLCIH_HEfE" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > 15. Shub Niggurath - A Deadly Call from the Stars</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Julio Vitterbo brought this band back to life this year and it's a fantastic return. A slight black metal feel to the music probably due to the vocals than the actual musicianship but it's basically staying true to Viterbo's roots in Cenotaph and The Chasm. Atmospheric, melodic metal of death that captures the mid 90s Mexican death metal feel perfectly while being completely updated at the same time. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ReALVFa3SCo" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > 14. Sub Rosa – No Help from the Mighty One</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3tsjP2F5jDQ" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >13. Sigiriya - Return to Earth</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The fellows from Acrimony return after more than a decade with an album of some suprememly confident and groovy stoner metal. People looking for Acrimony ver. 2.0 will be disappointed but the album shows the growth in the band as they effortlessly pull of groove after groove of memorable stoner metal with fluid leads a terrific rhythm section and great vocal hooks. Addictive. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ub0TUFNrydI" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >12. Primordial – Redemption at the Puritan's Hand</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Epic. From the heavy, melodic riffing, the ebb and flow of songs, the melodies that are Celtic folk but never descend to ridiculous polka levels and most importantly, the bellowing of Nemtheanga. His vocals give Primordial a completely unique touch and here he's backed up by some of the finest songs of the band's career. This is up there with A Gathering Wilderness and better than To the Nameless Dead. Enough said.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pb92nw_FF08" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >11. GodOx - Abyssal Gigantism</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Strange new sludge band. A vocalist who sounds like a drunk Keith Caputo, music that mixes and matches Sleep, Sabbath and Soundgarden and a concept about an Ox God and a whole new religion. This is some special music and a band to watch out for. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1Ka0GVp5YHE" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >10. Zygoatsis – S.K.U.D. (Satanik Kultus – Unholy Desecration)</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">This band from Thailand may not be for everyone. Its like they channeled the best bits of Sadistik Exekution, Blasphemy, Angel Corpse and Impiety while managing to retain their own identity. This is ferocious and chaotic black death with Satan worshiping being high on the agenda and absolutely unstoppable songs. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JcqFk9HYvI0" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >9. Bloodiest – Descent</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Bruce Lamont of Yakuza has been a busy man this year and Bloodiest is the best thing he's been a part of. Unlike the highly over rated Yakuza, Bloodiest sounds like the bastard child of a gang bang between Godflesh, Neurosis, Swans and Oxbow without any of the industrial noise. Huge riffs, distinct vocals and great songs. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K2al5dFrPR8" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > 8. Mitochondrion – Parasignosis</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Mitochondrion are like Portal's deformed twin who's been locked up in the basement all his life. A dark and murky atmosphere and technical riffs buried beneath waves of distortion. This is some intense death metal. An easy comparison would be Averse Sefira jamming with Portal but that doesn't really do Mitochondrion enough justice. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KT8dagdvGYw" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >7. Today is the Day - Pain is a Warning</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The return of Steve Austin. He's dropped most of the grinding heaviness of the last few albums and gone back to the math meets hardcore of old. Still insanely heavy and intense and very technical but these are some of the best songs he's written. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wUC468wAdro" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >6. Indian – Guiltless</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The best sludge album released this year. Guiltless is some ridiculously heavy stuff and makes up for a slightly inconsistent past. The songs are intensely heavy but memorable at the same time and new guitarist Will Lindsay gives the songs a slight dissonant black metal feel that just adds to the atmosphere of bleak, oppressive claustrophobia. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/v5XAyFLfv9U" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >5. Saturnalia Temple - Aion of Drakon</span><br /></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> These Swedes have dropped most of the Electric Wizard worship of UR and instead gone into a slight progressive bent on their first proper full length. Wizard is still an influence but Aion of Drakon with its occult vibe, terrific musicianship and atmosphere is better than anything Electric Wizard has done in years. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t4v4mZBNsWA" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >4. Deceased - Surreal Overdose</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:arial;">King Fowley returns with the bands strongest album in years. I rate this along side Fearless, Undead Machines as a definite highpoint in the bands career so far. Each song is filled with kickass riffs, grooves and just a hint of melody. It can feel like too much is crammed into the songs on initial listens but the songs grow on you. Proper headbanging stuff. </span><br /></div></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/doA2HZQsxjo" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >3. Orthodox – Baal</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> These Spaniards have been on the experimental fringe of doom metal for a while now and Baal is where it all comes together. Mixing some crushing doom metal with Ennio Moriconne influenced orchestral music, free jazz and a true avante garde spirit. Orthodox has delivered their best album yet. Superb stuff. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xJHdW40vV0g" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >2. Ulcerate - Destroyers of All</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Almost like Immolation decided to slow down but forgot to tell their drummer. The result is an album that's strangely captivating and immensely heavy. The band mix a heavy Immolation influence with post metal and dissonant French black metal to craft a truly memorable album. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IVjj-wygstw" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1.Mournful Congregation – The Book of Kings</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ24dcB92FVrbfCernXpg6h4PXUCjWZ76hAd1xNk4F0_0y1fqwgTh5APf8CtlwwkxYZgiJORns6yHGCAh1600oxrNIhcRszhJLKTkHSzKUgMDKMkEAHEcd-jO9aH77UeOonchbLOygK1-T/s1600/1.+mournful+congregation.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ24dcB92FVrbfCernXpg6h4PXUCjWZ76hAd1xNk4F0_0y1fqwgTh5APf8CtlwwkxYZgiJORns6yHGCAh1600oxrNIhcRszhJLKTkHSzKUgMDKMkEAHEcd-jO9aH77UeOonchbLOygK1-T/s400/1.+mournful+congregation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695686227384518818" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> This Australian funeral doom band has been releasing quality stuff for years but The Book of Kings surpasses all expectations. Magnificent doom metal that manages to be crushingly heavy, melancholic, delicate and absolutely beautiful. This is a landmark relase for the band and for the genre. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nZ3n68Ucwog" allowfullscreen="" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-20093145069995861542012-01-09T06:47:00.001-08:002012-01-09T07:13:28.903-08:00My Global Domination reviews<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:100%;" ><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/argus-boldly-stride-the-doomed">Argus - Boldly stride the doomed </a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/bloodiest-descent">Bloodiest - Descent </a><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/brainoil-death-of-this-dry-season"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/brainoil-death-of-this-dry-season">Brainoil - Death of this dry season </a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/creeping-order-of-snakes">Creeping - Order of snakes </a><a href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/deceased-surreal-overdose"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/deceased-surreal-overdose">Deceased - Surreal Overdose </a><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/denial-fiend-horror-holocaust"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/denial-fiend-horror-holocaust">Denial Fiend - Horror Holocaust</a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/disma-towards-the-megalith">Disma - Towards the megalith </a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/elder-dead-roots-stirring">Elder - Dead roots stirring<br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/encoffination-o-hell-shine-in-thy-whited-sepulchres">Encoffination - O hell, shine in thy whited sepulchres<br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/funerus-reduced-to-sludge">Funerus - Reduced to sludge </a><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/in-solitude-the-world-the-flesh-the-devil"><br /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/in-solitude-the-world-the-flesh-the-devil">In Solitude - The World, The Flesh, The Devil </a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/indian-guiltless">Indian - Guiltless </a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/isole-born-from-shadows">Isole - Born from shadows </a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/kartikeya-mahayuga">Kartikeya - Mahayuga </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/krux-iii-he-who-sleeps-amongst-the-stars2"><br />Krux - III </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/landmine-marathon-gallows"><br />Landmine Marathon - Gallows </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/mortal-sin-psychology-of-death"><br />Mortal Sin - Psychology of death </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/mournful-congregation-the-book-of-kings"><br />Mournful Congregation - The book of kings </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/oranssi-pazuzu-kosmonument"><br />Oranssi Pazuzu - Kosmonument </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/orthodox-baal"><br />Orthodox - Baal </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/pentagram-last-rites"><br />Pentagram - Last Rites </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/ravencult-morbid-blood"><br />Ravencult - Morbid Blood </a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/rudra-brahmavidya-immortal-i"><br />Rudra - Brahmavidya Immortal I</a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/sarke-oldarhian"><br />Sarke - Oldarhian </a><br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-59174430401602459002011-05-18T03:20:00.001-07:002011-05-18T03:27:15.893-07:00Israeli death doom<span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Sonne Adam – Transformation</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Label – <a href="http://www.centurymedia.com/">Century Media</a></span><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/sonneadam"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >myspace</span></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Zx1jaQ8MVxKkv_ity8eYoRARKViYsfqv5M6DIt9ty0EGTq_AdlJRxKDCHITql10QZJrQY_gjl6WMATh6478z8zoJBF8-jjfL9gMljjQ_Xa9kPn44tdqFmekmSPH6j7gAt9Q3-vQacVt2/s1600/sonne+adam.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 396px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Zx1jaQ8MVxKkv_ity8eYoRARKViYsfqv5M6DIt9ty0EGTq_AdlJRxKDCHITql10QZJrQY_gjl6WMATh6478z8zoJBF8-jjfL9gMljjQ_Xa9kPn44tdqFmekmSPH6j7gAt9Q3-vQacVt2/s400/sonne+adam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608000616763845394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">How do you know that the new wave of old school is set to be the next big trend in extreme metal? Well, Century Media signs on Israeli old school death metal band Sonne Adam and release their debut album Transformation. There are a few surprises here, the first being that Sonne Adam are pretty fucking good. The other being that Transformations is almost like a companion piece to Necros Christos's Doom of the Occult although not quite as good. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Right from album opener, We Who Worship the Black, it's apparent that Necros Christos are a big influence on the band. The song crawls along with a monstrous slowed down Morbid Angel feel and gurgling cavernous vocals that fit in perfectly with the music. The band uses the mid paced to slow nature of their song writing to their benefit and ensure that the songs are always heavy and dark. I Sing His Words is more occult devil worshiping music where the vocals are a little too loud in the mix and the guitars aren't loud enough but it's still a pretty good song. Other stand out tracks include Solitude in Death, an instrumental bang in the middle of the album which is eerie and darkly atmospheric, Take Me Back to Where I Belong which is somehow engaging in its sloppiness, I Claim My Birth in Blood which is a mid paced black death song and title song Transformation which is again helped by some strong and powerful vocals.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sonne Adam are not yet at the level of Necros Christos but it feels like that's where they want to be. The band lack experience in the song writing department and this results in an album that gets a bit monotonous occasionally and there's a distinct lack of dynamics with the band being content to peddle a slowed down Morbid Angel/ Necros Christos sound through the entire album. Still, if you're in the mood for this sort of thing then Sonne Adam will probably do the job for you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Not an essential release by any means but Transformation is a promising debut that's worth checking out for the curious. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ge8QVB9iwZ8" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-64774260162983270822011-05-18T02:31:00.000-07:002011-05-18T02:51:34.922-07:003 from Sweden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnW0vjZAEaczAjfbnTWWjeDC_39bqTmiq_YR8l6JCCj27xKvwA05_DBkb4-M43Pz_MvqcBxsZlyfq5m04-0orzeemClfCoQUMpJO9yaw4oOeiDVY-MSNcFxRwd-njP_UsjnhlPwyg6lWFf/s1600/miasmal.jpg"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Miasmal – Miasmal</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Label – </span></a><a href="http://www.detestrecords.com/">Detest Records</a><br /> <a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.myspace.com/miasmalband"><span style="font-weight: bold;">myspace</span></a><br /><br /> <a style="font-family: arial;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnW0vjZAEaczAjfbnTWWjeDC_39bqTmiq_YR8l6JCCj27xKvwA05_DBkb4-M43Pz_MvqcBxsZlyfq5m04-0orzeemClfCoQUMpJO9yaw4oOeiDVY-MSNcFxRwd-njP_UsjnhlPwyg6lWFf/s1600/miasmal.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnW0vjZAEaczAjfbnTWWjeDC_39bqTmiq_YR8l6JCCj27xKvwA05_DBkb4-M43Pz_MvqcBxsZlyfq5m04-0orzeemClfCoQUMpJO9yaw4oOeiDVY-MSNcFxRwd-njP_UsjnhlPwyg6lWFf/s400/miasmal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607987311530755106" border="0" /></a><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Sweden's Miasmal first came to my attention through their 2010 self titled ep and this year sees the band release its full length debut. Among the hundreds of new bands springing up around the world playing this brand of old school death metal, Miasmal is one of the few that has definite promise and also the talent to do something just a bit different.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As the album opens with Mesmerized, it's immediately apparent that Miasmal hold the old school close to their hearts. This is raw and heavy old school death metal with nothing remotely modern about the sound. Mesmerized comes crashing out of the speakers like its 1991 and Clandestine all over again. Equinox 432 is a rampaging death metal song that literally starts at maximum velocity and doesn't let up for a minute managing to combine classic Entombed with the reckless urgency of d-beat. Other stand out tracks include Blissful Cannonades which combines a driving crusty rhythm with some solid Unleashed like groove, We Will Live Forever is more chuggy fast death metal with a memorable grinding main riff that is interspersed with an equally memorable breakdown and some very powerful vocals, Mists starts off haunting and acoustic before going off into a mid paced and vaguely Shadows of the Deep era Unleashed sound.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">There really isn't a bad song here. In fact the material is amazing for a band that is making its full length debut. The band has complete control over tempo and change up as and when they feel like it while sounding completely natural in their transitions. The songwriting is what really helps Miasmal stand out from the pack. This band wears its influences on its sleeve very proudly but at the same time, they're not content to simply ape the seminal 90s Swedish death metal scene.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The other element that helps Miasmal stand out from the countless bands trying to go for the classic old school Swedish death metal sound is the bands ability to meld d-beat with their death metal. Imagine Skitsystem and Entombed in a brutal no hold barred contest and you'll come close to understanding Miasmal's sound.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Essential for fans of the genre and one of the most impressive new bands out there.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/paEnikPW3vY" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Feral – Dragged to the Altar</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"><br />Year of Release – 2011</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"><br />Label – <a href="http://www.ibexmoonrecords.com/">Ibex Moon</a></span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.myspace.com/feralswe"><br />myspace</a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0cnSRhMmGXdRRHFomF4ciLNOnqLTB75TC2yp0LFnS6fZPTMXE-FGdtsut0aYoDRvFPoRTACWp8aiV60on8llCgUaH6RYameQGN6Dqh0kqSZdtYUjbY-SGWU5HF09MEwmwgBLqM6DeOhl/s1600/Feral-Dragged-Through-The-Altar1.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0cnSRhMmGXdRRHFomF4ciLNOnqLTB75TC2yp0LFnS6fZPTMXE-FGdtsut0aYoDRvFPoRTACWp8aiV60on8llCgUaH6RYameQGN6Dqh0kqSZdtYUjbY-SGWU5HF09MEwmwgBLqM6DeOhl/s400/Feral-Dragged-Through-The-Altar1.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607987309515027474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Sweden's Feral came to my attention simply because they were labeled death n roll and I needed a death n roll band to fill the void left by the dissolution of Phazm.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As album opener Once inside the Tomb opens with the familiar Swedish death metal sound heard a million times before and the principal influence on the band seems to be Grave and a bit of Dismember. Still, its a rock solid opening to the album and a song that made me want to listen to more. Altar of Necromancy has a bit of a rock n roll swagger to it as it alternates between a chunky hard rock groove and classic Entombed style death metal with a ripping heavy metal solo to spice things up. The mid paced and catchy Judas continues to elevate the album as the band sounds like it's hitting its stride. Welcome to the Graveyard is the centerpiece of this album being heavy and very catchy. A rare death metal sing a long with maybe an over reliance on pinch harmonics but overall a memorable song and this is where the album is at its strongest with Howling showing off plenty of mid period Entombed worship, The Deathbog including vaguely Asian melodies and a main groove that is quite memorable and Graverobber and The Curse of the Casket following and maintaining a consistently high quality of death metal songwriting and some very cool drumming that enhances the dynamics of these songs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The album is also helped immeasurably by the production which gives a thick chunky sound to the guitars, the bass is just loud enough to be heard while not being particularly in your face and the drum sound is solid and natural sounding. Its the sound the band has got which is somewhere between vintage early 90s Swedish death metal and a modern extreme metal sound that really helps these songs stand out.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">There isn't really anything particularly original here and there isn't a lot of rock n roll in this death n roll band but Feral are pretty damn good all the same. All of the genre luminaries from Sweden are name checked on Dragged to the Altar but the band manage to resist outright plagiarism and instead come across as a fun if slightly derivative band. Not particularly essential and didn't really live up to what I was expecting but a decent debut all the same.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XuANgibVSUU" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Demonical – Death Infernal</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Label – </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;" href="http://www.myspace.com/thedemonicalhorde"></a><a href="http://www.cyclone-empire.com">Cyclone Empire</a><br />myspace<br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAvGGTGvv52InH9aq6z_p6pK8jSuQemCIWaoroSAibEM04opRNzPn7joNd6o7pkA7GH5BrVIMjMSIFKXpvABnsg26QitwJfRPHaudhfHtXfWIkP_QLpxYqQWf5gLF7hZC6vASWAxIUkf3/s1600/demonical-death-infernal.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAvGGTGvv52InH9aq6z_p6pK8jSuQemCIWaoroSAibEM04opRNzPn7joNd6o7pkA7GH5BrVIMjMSIFKXpvABnsg26QitwJfRPHaudhfHtXfWIkP_QLpxYqQWf5gLF7hZC6vASWAxIUkf3/s400/demonical-death-infernal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607987309185860962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember Centinex? For those of you that don't, Centinex was a Swedish death metal band from the 90s that released a string of solid albums through the their career before splitting up in 2006. A few of the members went on to form Demonical who over the course of a couple of albums have established themselves as firm followers of the Swedish death metal sound and continue to carry on the Centinex sound with a few embellishments along the way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Death Infernal is the bands third and latest release and as the album opens with the one-two punch of The Arrival of Armageddon and Return in Flesh it looks like business as usual with the band sounding like a cross between early Entombed and Unleashed while maintaining that Centinex sound. This format is appealing enough and continues on the next couple of songs till March for Victory which completely jettisons the band's sound for an epic Amon Amarth like melodic and catchy extreme metal feel. In fact this song would have very comfortably sat on the new Amon Amarth album and pretty much breaks the flow of the album. All Shall Perish manages to do something different with its mid paced death metal feel but the chorus is again more Amon Amarth worship with the vocalist even sounding like Hegg. Slain Warriors is supremely catchy in a strange Unleashed meets Amon Amarth way and is a pretty kickass song. There's more Amon Amarth worship with From Northern Shores doing the full on fist pumping melodic epic extreme metal that Amon Amarth specialise in and the album closes with a cover of Emperor's Night of the Graveless Souls which is alright for bringing a classic Unleashed like death metal sound to a classic black metal song but isn't anything particularly great.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">All told, Death Infernal is a strange album. The song writing is consistent and the songs are good even if a bit derivative but where the band manage to really confuse me is in their sound on this album which is classic Swedish death metal for the first four songs followed by mostly Amon Amarth worship for the rest of the album. In spite of the divergence in sound on Death Infernal there's still enough to like and while some of the songs tend to get a bit too close to other more famous bands of the scene, overall this is yet another enjoyable Swedish death metal album.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GRKr27HVYzM" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-66098180582452853942011-04-30T02:47:00.000-07:002011-04-30T02:50:47.369-07:00Young and In the Way - I Am Not What I Am<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiAfb6Npzu9MJLiz_1VC3E1y5lUc9UuZOU4kXKI52zylYv6RKZroML9A_82i_kZ2jy8ilFrhk84xZLtcoik70oj-Wq3fb8r4lcruqWfVbFFExkF2v5JX2HGSQTwdVWDWLZqge79FSRda7/s1600/young+and+in+the+way.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiAfb6Npzu9MJLiz_1VC3E1y5lUc9UuZOU4kXKI52zylYv6RKZroML9A_82i_kZ2jy8ilFrhk84xZLtcoik70oj-Wq3fb8r4lcruqWfVbFFExkF2v5JX2HGSQTwdVWDWLZqge79FSRda7/s400/young+and+in+the+way.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601311536730919426" border="0" /></a><br /> <span style="font-family:arial;">Young and In The Way – I Am Not What I Am</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Label – Independent</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://youngandintheway.bandcamp.com/">bandcamp<br /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />This young American band started life in 2009 and I Am Not What I Am is the bands second full length after a couple of eps and a debut full length which was also released independently. This is one of those albums that pretty much came out of nowhere. Young and In the Way play a mix of hardcore, crust and black metal that is somehow abrasive and at the same time, furiously catchy. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />The album starts with a moody instrumental that borrows its title from Lovecraft and sounds a bit in the post metal scene but with The Chaotic and Bloody World Around Us, the band come all guns blazing in a hardcore meets black metal way and completely destroy. Other highlights include the awesome Ascending the White Mountain with its Trap Them meets Deathspell Omega vibe and effortless changes in tempo, Leaving Nothing but the Absence of Everything which sounds like The Exploited on speed, the unbridled chaotic noisecore of If Only That So Many Dead Lie Around and title song I Am Not What I Am which alternates hardcore fury with black metal's dissonant best. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Where the band really succeed is in their ability to change tempos and and avoid the pitfalls of this type of extreme music. The songs have character and don't merge into one faceless noisy entity particularly with the use of subtle melodies and mellow passages that alternate brilliantly with the often chaotic hardcore and black metal elements. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I haven't been able to find a lot of info on this band but Young and In the Way deserve all the support they can get. If your tastes run towards the noisier side of hardcore like Trap Them or even the crusty black metal of bands like Dishammer then you'll probably like this one a fair bit. Worth checking out. </span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-82327615852896020962011-04-30T02:41:00.000-07:002011-04-30T02:46:00.486-07:00Repuked - Pervertopia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NoapwWRHaYxvKR2w3O-pSVUNrA8n11ddKtRzU-mTRF5m-UOk7Gt2vqZ1VpMN_XGQ_76YLA71MC0GLbEmm1rlLbjfL8aAmN1-Fiz-DDWZx5hSNc5FWK7gxBOb9bHeo8ysan6_QYLxc9rn/s1600/Repuked-Pervertopia1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NoapwWRHaYxvKR2w3O-pSVUNrA8n11ddKtRzU-mTRF5m-UOk7Gt2vqZ1VpMN_XGQ_76YLA71MC0GLbEmm1rlLbjfL8aAmN1-Fiz-DDWZx5hSNc5FWK7gxBOb9bHeo8ysan6_QYLxc9rn/s400/Repuked-Pervertopia1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601310141343400754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Repuked – Pervertopia<br /></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Label – <a href="http://www.soulsellerrecords.com/index.php">Soulseller</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;" href="http://www.myspace.com/repuked">myspace</a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Sweden's Repuked are a sick, twisted and fun bunch. Their take on old school death metal sounds like a mix and match session of Autopsy, Abscess, old Unleashed and Sweden's own d-beat crust punk scene.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Right from album opener Chemically Wasted its quite apparent that the band want to have fun. The intro to the song is reminiscent of Swedish death metal while the blasting and guttural vocals could easily make Chris Reifert proud. Gag! sounds like a furious cross between something like Skitsystem and autopsy while the slowed down section with the deep gurgling vocal effects remind me of Impetigo and Ultimo Mondo Cannibale. All good places to be and these varied influences help in making an album that's always interesting. Title song Pervertopia is probably the highlight of the album coming across as fun and catchy with a chorus that you cant help but growl along to and a superb catchy main riff. Brainboiler is more solid death metal while Fucking Something Dead is the closest the band get to some serious Autopsy worship and Morgue of Whores is awesome in its simplicity and changes of tempo. The album closes out with the epic Toxic Constipation which is one hell of a slow and ominous dirge</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Repuked are not too bothered about technicality or bringing anything new to the table. The band sounds like they're having fun with these songs and that translates into songwriting that throws more than a few nods in the direction of Autopsy but also makes these songs memorable and great fun to hear. This is a very promising debut and while there is absolutely nothing new here, Pervertopia is an album well worth tracking down for fans of the genre.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/P4udjqQ_hvw" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /><br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-77480587984214574172011-04-30T01:15:00.000-07:002011-04-30T01:21:01.189-07:00Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-LOuvRv52P75jdWEAJTtx97oVqYzWK_kw4f4To4Skgt_6oyydYI7kOpWuN-SdxpWmhunlQy9z1mYeFXecZAw3OUzRyGAkKbRYkcNwIPQDE7yaEBDW4X4XQ2-Geqwca8cuyuzIZZZBftN/s1600/ulceratedestroyers-ofall-cover.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-LOuvRv52P75jdWEAJTtx97oVqYzWK_kw4f4To4Skgt_6oyydYI7kOpWuN-SdxpWmhunlQy9z1mYeFXecZAw3OUzRyGAkKbRYkcNwIPQDE7yaEBDW4X4XQ2-Geqwca8cuyuzIZZZBftN/s400/ulceratedestroyers-ofall-cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601287791663893730" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Year of Release - 2011</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Label - <a href="http://www.willowtip.com/">Willowtip</a></span> <br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/ulcerate"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >myspace</span></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />New Zealand's Ulcerate have been at it now since 2000 and Destroyers of All is the band's third full length album released earlier this year. Ulcerate are a bit of a unique proposition. Being on Willowtip means that a prefix of technical is almost certain to be added to the band's death metal but Ulcerate prove over and over on Destroyers of All that they are a lot more than just technical death metal.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Right from album opener Burning Skies, it's apparent that the band are on to something a little bit different here. Michael Hoggard's riffs are mid paced, dissonant and heavy as fuck with more in common with the likes of Blut Aus Nord than your regular tech death bands. Jamie Saint Merat plays the drums like he's the bastard child of Pete Sandoval and Brann Dailor, almost intent on filling up every bit of space left by the often lumbering guitars while bass player and vocalist Paul Kelland sits in between the guitars and drums and creates his own space, often accentuating the rhythm and sometimes following the guitars to give it more beef. </span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Its almost like the band use dissonance as a weapon right through this album. While the pace of the guitars is close to doom and post metal territory, its the angular dissonance that reminds of a slowed down Immolation and occasionally Gorguts. Case in point is The Hollow Idols which is probably the closest the band come to death metal on this album. The dense riffage weaves through a song that is brutal, technical, dissonant and melodic all at the same time before ending in slowed down post metal fashion with the bass acting as counterpoint to the guitars and the drummer slowly fading out.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">This is not an easy album to get into. While hardened death metal enthusiasts will straight away see the similarities to Immolation, that is just on the surface. What we have here is a band that is unafraid to mix things up as death metal, dissonant black metal of the French persuasion and post metal ala Isis meet headlong and battle for supremacy. The winner as it turns out is Ulcerate who manage to hold these disparate influences together and come up with an album that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hmknU9HLFoI" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-90690046372696828032011-04-30T01:05:00.001-07:002011-04-30T01:15:13.540-07:00Mitochondrion - Parasignosis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsHwmb4aDYjBNhwqM0OCtr7Gn5fWIRRZxqaje7xdF2S1JhfHA_tir_uRP9mvBzGzddD3miPyUHuKrlzkAMIrdgqZATHWtYDVbT9SOIot6FCgH6EwNGf8Ne_0R-D-KpnWKDQ9t_eFBSgzf/s1600/mitochondrion-parasignosis.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsHwmb4aDYjBNhwqM0OCtr7Gn5fWIRRZxqaje7xdF2S1JhfHA_tir_uRP9mvBzGzddD3miPyUHuKrlzkAMIrdgqZATHWtYDVbT9SOIot6FCgH6EwNGf8Ne_0R-D-KpnWKDQ9t_eFBSgzf/s400/mitochondrion-parasignosis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601286997778951186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mitochondrion - Parasignosis </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Year of Release - 2011</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Label - <a href="http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/">Profound Lore</a></span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.myspace.com/mitochondrion"><br />myspace</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Canada's Mitochondrion first came to my attention a couple of years ago with their debut Archaeaeon which was an impressive slab of dirty black death metal with the band managing to mix a dark evil atmosphere with some heavy as fuck guitar playing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Onwards to 2011 and the band has released their second full length in Parasignosis and business has never been this filthy. The album opens with the lengthy three part Pestilentiam Intus Vocamus, Voluntatem Absolvimus. Part I which starts on an atmospheric note before moving on to bludgeon the listener with an attack that was slightly similar to Averse Sefira but with more death metal in the tone as the rhythm section pounds out a heavy as fuck beat while the guitars play in the background before bursting forth on Part II and truly unleashing hell with the chaos and raw fury of Part III, the 10+ minutes of Tetravirulence where the band creates a song that is dense and claustrophobic with enough tricks and turns and sheer ass kicking riffs to completely capture the attention of the listener while being ridiculously heavy. This is atmospheric death metal like few bands can play. Trials sounds like Portal channeled through classic Morbid Angel while the title song reminds me of a sicker, filthier Averse Sefira. Banishment is another lengthy song that is face ripping in its heaviness and once again displays the bands penchant for writing songs that are an exercise in controlled chaos. The album also comes with a couple of short ambient interludes and another lengthy outro that would somehow seem redundant in most other albums but here, its a much needed slowing down and tapering out of the music. Almost like the war is over at the end of the incredible Kathenotheism but the band was thoughtful enough to let the survivors pick themselves up over the next 10 minutes of cold dark atmosphere. Superb.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While the guitars are front and centre on this album often creating riffs that are suffocating in their intensity, it's the drumming that holds the songs together. Karl Goddard almost plays a rock solid straight martial beat and allows the guitarists to create dark and intricate songs that are always dancing on the edge of chaos. What the band is really good at is creating atmosphere without ever reducing the levels of intensity. The music is always abrasive and in your face often creating an impenetrable wall of sound that is quite disturbing by itself but also creating an atmosphere that is suffocating in its claustrophobic intensity. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Parasignosis is an album that is frightening in its level of intesity. Claustrophobia is a word I've used repeatedly here and its with good reason. In terms of comparison, Mitochondrion is like Portal and Averse Sefira in a boxing ring. This is scary extreme metal, on par with anything Portal has done. Not for the faint of heart but essential for fans of extreme metal. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KT8dagdvGYw" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-21281038082585459282011-04-07T10:15:00.000-07:002011-04-07T10:26:39.691-07:00Dead Flesh Fashion - Thorns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVB_oUf2fh8Qfsk6NeAAH4-jTYsMsKcxkKQ_T3OT9dDaK8rdV_HU3bZNkRxmn_CDgfS-_JcyG4klI00s6eT4X3NJ5hdi90vvKIpPvMhF6IXHltuvX1R-WmrxGHEITYB2Yqr_vrSpXKc5s/s1600/DEAD_FLESH_FASHION_thorns_Cover.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVB_oUf2fh8Qfsk6NeAAH4-jTYsMsKcxkKQ_T3OT9dDaK8rdV_HU3bZNkRxmn_CDgfS-_JcyG4klI00s6eT4X3NJ5hdi90vvKIpPvMhF6IXHltuvX1R-WmrxGHEITYB2Yqr_vrSpXKc5s/s400/DEAD_FLESH_FASHION_thorns_Cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592893391403211538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Dead Flesh Fashion – Thorns</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Label - <a href="http://midsummer-records.de/news.php?id=136">Midsummer Records </a><br /></span> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/deadfleshfashion">myspace</a><br /><br />This band released a very impressive debut a couple of years ago called Anchors. The band played noisy, dissonant hardcore and sounded like they were on the edge of chaos. The band specialised in off time grooves and a sludgy sound that was somewhat similar to Gaza.<br /><br />Thorns, the band's follow up to Anchors is more of the same but with the added advantage of better songwriting and a greater sense of dynamics. Right from the album opener Flies, it's apparent that this band has evolved from 2008. The dissonant Jesus Lizard like guitars that open the song are backed up by an amazing rhythm section that plays counterpoint in a lurching lumbering manner before the band gets on the same page and pummels the listener with its dissonant heavy as fuck grooves. It's also quite apparent that the band has a much better grasp of dynamics this time around. The transitions from loud to soft and fast to slow are seamless and Thorns isn't just a one trick pony. Kissing the Neck of Inertia is another great song with an awesome dissonant groove and enough technicality to make most modern death metal bands pee themselves. (III) sounds like a bastard child of Coalesce and Today is the Day while Where the Night Goes for Orchid is vaguely melodic but maintains the band's trademark dissonant groove and penchant for being just heavy as fuck.<br /><br />I suppose you already know if you'll like this. The band is heavy and manage to build an impenetrable wall of noise while making sure that each song retains its individual flavour. I suppose the roots of this band lie in hardcore but at the same time Dead Flesh Fashion are a lot more than just that. The musicianship is of a very high standard through out and while Botch and Today is the Day probably played a part in their formative years, today the music sounds like a heavier The Ocean with emphasis on the groove and excellent songwriting chops.<br /><br />Thorns is an album worth checking out particularly if you like bands like Gaza and Today is the Day or even like The Ocean and want something a little less progressive and a lot more heavy. Dead Flesh Fashion is a name worth remembering. <br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-37188940029124918312011-04-07T10:05:00.000-07:002011-04-07T10:13:08.397-07:00Necros Christos - Doom of the Occult<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEronkqwEC1dmssX_yeCdcIXXssrAVwQrBlM4wMs6foMxvUn0MMVPjI1RxKwt0GhbLyzXdyzEFERUeroGcOo5hn05BBVSiGABjnqUegd0gFPEMdfmLtCDKeD1otyBSeseh24yglTDZEQw/s1600/Necros+Christos+-+Doom+Of+The+Occult+%25282011%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEronkqwEC1dmssX_yeCdcIXXssrAVwQrBlM4wMs6foMxvUn0MMVPjI1RxKwt0GhbLyzXdyzEFERUeroGcOo5hn05BBVSiGABjnqUegd0gFPEMdfmLtCDKeD1otyBSeseh24yglTDZEQw/s400/Necros+Christos+-+Doom+Of+The+Occult+%25282011%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592890570371528786" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Necros Christos - Doom of the Occult</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Year of Release - 2011</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Label - </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.theajnaoffensive.com/">Ajna Offensive</a></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Germany's Necros Christos has been around for ten years now and Doom of the Occult is the band's second full length album and follow up to Triune Impurity Rites from 2007. This album though was my encounter with the band and i have to say right at the start, this is some really impressive extreme metal.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">If I was forced to classify the band's sound, then death-doom would probably be a fair term. However, what makes this band special is the sheer depth in their songwriting and the ability to invoke an atmosphere of doom and darkness while still retaining an element of catchy songwriting where importance is given to hooks and grooves and making each song memorable. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The band write these heavy but slow riffs that have a tendency to get stuck in your head with hypnotic effect and while the songs can get oppressively heavy they're broken up by these short instrumental pieces that vary between Eastern folk and eerie choral pieces. The result is an album that never gets monotonous and manages to retain interest right through its 73 odd minutes of playing time. Case in point is the 20 odd minutes right in the middle of the album starting with Invoked from Carrion Slumber which is a mid paced classic death metal song that sounds like a doomy Morbid Angel followed by Gate 2 which is a delicate acoustic piece that's very Egyptian sounding followed by Temple tx.99 which retains the Egyptian flavour but with an eerie synth before the massive and ominous opening riff of album highlight Doom of Kali Ma - Pyramid of Shakti Love - Flame of Master Shiva kicks off and the band are back to sounding completely heavy and powerful.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Imagine a slow Morbid Angel with pronounced Celtic Frost influences or a far superior version of Dead Congregation and you'll be close to what Necros Christos does on Doom of the Occult. This is massive, heavy music but at the same time it's also very well thought out and superbly written while managing to sound completely original. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Death metal album of the year? Probably too soon to tell but it's going to take an absolute classic to topple Doom of the Occult from it's current pedestal.</span><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9inkES-MQYI" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-9523812132999374032011-04-04T04:33:00.000-07:002011-04-04T04:36:49.320-07:00Trap Them - Darker Handcraft<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKzWOqouvA9NwaSk03IxN-D-2JJ8da5L1Uyd3qMHqbJwXd93b13Z1Orwzbqd-BpxefYyG07HbQju04rAWvQqE1Jghd-9ozY2OjA9CVBxm6-GROajhgncJFW8_-H-7s7TAxdbwyW6XwblJ/s1600/Trap-Thems-Darker-Handcraft.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKzWOqouvA9NwaSk03IxN-D-2JJ8da5L1Uyd3qMHqbJwXd93b13Z1Orwzbqd-BpxefYyG07HbQju04rAWvQqE1Jghd-9ozY2OjA9CVBxm6-GROajhgncJFW8_-H-7s7TAxdbwyW6XwblJ/s400/Trap-Thems-Darker-Handcraft.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591690662196153634" border="0" /></a><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Trap Them – Darker Handcraft</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Year of Release – 2011</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />Label – <a href="http://prostheticrecords.com/?p=1278">Prosthetic Records</a></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I suppose Trap Them are at heart a hardcore band. The songs are fast and occasionally threaten to leave the listener with bleeding ears. 2008s Seizures in Barren Praise was a demolition derby set to music and Trap Them became a regular on my playlist.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Now, 3 years later Darker Handcraft sees the band hit its absolute musical peak. The songs are furious and razor sharp but at the same time this is also the most diverse album the band has put together yet. The tempos are all mostly fast but the band veer from hardcore, thrash, death metal and moments of Converge inspired lunacy to craft an album that is exhilarating from start to finish. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Guitarist Brian Izzi is the real star on this album as he seamlessly creates songs that are ferocious in their energy and dissonance while also being catchy enough to make me want to jump around and break stuff. The rhythm section with new drummer Chris Maggio from Coliseum and Steve Lacour on bass is tight and locked down into grooves that are perfect counter points to the raging riffs and grooves of Izzi. Vocalist Brian Izzi once again turns in an utterly deranged vocal performance that just makes these songs even heavier.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">However, its not all speed riffing and tinnitus inducing noise. What makes Trap Them so fucking awesome is knowing just when to drop the hammer and slow things down. They can rip it up with the best of them but at the same time have enough dynamics in the songs to make it stick in your heads. In fact it's as the album progresses that the songs get better and better. There's a lot of depth in this album and for 12 songs in 30 minutes, the band never gets repetitive, monotonous or boring. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />This is the band's best album by a long way and if you've been a fan of their previous work then you know that's saying a lot and if you've never heard them before then Darker Handcraft is the perfect place to start. Slot somewhere between Coalesce, Integrity and Converge for the uninitiated and a few steps above Seizures for Barren Praise. Darker Handcraft is essential.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RPTBhhqgR-w" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-27801443552104248792011-04-04T04:30:00.000-07:002011-04-04T04:32:46.959-07:00Parasytic - Poison Minds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWY8h42TvZ4RLBocu5gR1IT3i7I-fq7Pmz9JsLU1SCXEyAixYlCol509feUJJBjEA4hb5nF3hHSsH9JK4KeTzBVbCmgi1-2QYavTBCyenzVn_euOlKFclsDSEVv3Gnd-CGnBI39xpGCV8W/s1600/Parasytic-Poison-Minds.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWY8h42TvZ4RLBocu5gR1IT3i7I-fq7Pmz9JsLU1SCXEyAixYlCol509feUJJBjEA4hb5nF3hHSsH9JK4KeTzBVbCmgi1-2QYavTBCyenzVn_euOlKFclsDSEVv3Gnd-CGnBI39xpGCV8W/s400/Parasytic-Poison-Minds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591689572846444258" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Parasytic – Poison Minds</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Label – <a href="http://shop.relapse.com/artist/artist.aspx?ArtistID=10239">Relapse</a></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Parasytic's debut Hymn from 2008 was a stand out debut with its crusty thrash attack and the god like Erik Larson behind the drum kit. Still it somehow managed to slip beneath the notice of most people.<br /><br />Poison Minds is the bands follow up album and business is still raging. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Right from the pummeling opener Ire of War it's clear that the band are hell bent on stringing together furious riffage with Larson's awesome drumming and some supremely angry vocals. The songs are crusty in the vein of Discharge but also have the kind of thrash riffs that are reminiscent of Ride the Lightening era Metallica. Feast of Fools has an awesome hardcore riff that lays the foundation for some angry crossover. Uprise with its slow build sounds like classic Amebix and Larson again pulls of a stunning performance on this song while album highlight Traitor is groovy and catchy while still sounding furious thanks to vocalist Ethan Zell.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Where the band really succeeds is in putting together songs that take the best from thrash, crust and hardcore and backing it with solid songwriting. Larson's drumming right through the 25 odd minutes of this album is solid and adds to the songs but its the guitar playing of Nick Poulos from Cannabis Corpse that really helps make each song stand out. The riffs on this album will rip your face off.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Parasytic seem relatively unknown and with Poison Minds getting a vinyl release and then a digital download only from Relapse, chances are that this album too will slip under the radar of most fans of this type of music. However, this is some high quality metal and fans of thrash, hardcore, crust and extreme metal in general owe it to themselves to hunt down this little gem.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s0XF__z88t8" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-27848018767912709662011-04-04T04:23:00.000-07:002011-04-04T04:28:16.000-07:00Assassin - Breaking the Silence<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMUWjc06IDDwenhZmg2aV7jUG7Ul1z4Kd5rZZkVw5GyMRTuqdov25XC1RZQhPb9z66UMUkCkE1LkdAgrh0tAzGlOFkGGgaJw9Eq_yP9L8VmR2xB3hYCpK1y-0WfP3odG88IeilqRd1bZv/s1600/assassin.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 396px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMUWjc06IDDwenhZmg2aV7jUG7Ul1z4Kd5rZZkVw5GyMRTuqdov25XC1RZQhPb9z66UMUkCkE1LkdAgrh0tAzGlOFkGGgaJw9Eq_yP9L8VmR2xB3hYCpK1y-0WfP3odG88IeilqRd1bZv/s400/assassin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591688198041355298" border="0" /></a><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Assassin – Breaking the Silence</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />Year of Release – 2011</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />Label – <a href="http://www.spv.de/_BRIDGE/artist.php?artist=475">SPV</a></span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Assassin originally started life in 1983 and their debut Upcoming Terror from 1986 is a solid album in the vein of early Destruction but with a clear bent towards classic heavy metal. The band couldn't quite follow up that debut with a quality release and after some terrible luck split up. The band's back now though, following up on the similarly titled demo from 2008 and riding on the resurgent interest in thrash metal. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />The album starts with the kickass title song. Breaking the Silence as a song is better than anything the band has done before. Sounding completely possessed and somewhere between Destruction and Razor, this song should make any thrash fan very happy. Raise in the Dark continues the pounding with some more light-speed riffing and great vintage thrash vocals from Robert Gonnella.<br /><br />The band sounds tight and focused and the riffs are top class. Judas and Turf War continue the thrashing before Destroy the State introduces a more mid paced dynamic and alternates between fast riffs and some mid paced chug. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The band sound pretty great on Breaking the Silence. The songs are of a consistently high quality, this is probably Robert Gonnella's best vocal performance yet and the riffs are pretty fucking great. It also helps that the band has a young and hungry sounding rhythm section. The drumming especially adds a fair bit to the songs. The only misstep the band make is the album closer I Love Cola with a punk sound and Tankard like silliness. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Where the band really succeeds is in crafting an album that is unabashedly old school in its songwriting and production but still retain enough modern touches and variety in riffs and structure to keep things interesting. Breaking the Silence will not redefine the thrash genre and there's nothing new on this album but it's still a kickass return to form and Assassin sound fresh and hungry. Well worth checking out for fans of the genre.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LwPow6oB0d4" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-12421772285261483802011-04-04T04:15:00.000-07:002011-04-04T04:22:45.045-07:00Agnostic Front - My Life, My Way<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQIBs0d4yR8pZMwI3XbNsq083Q_cD82TEex5VXym0ZvMe_dYDIUyzXEFj6ayNYTzGxI2NQ4BmVCHoySVOdmtRDBfYI362bl0ovDn8eatpyBWAWK8dHZoxNDUvHHQ5Y5k5nGrE0SOj5XAP/s1600/agnostic-front-my-life-my-way-300x300.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQIBs0d4yR8pZMwI3XbNsq083Q_cD82TEex5VXym0ZvMe_dYDIUyzXEFj6ayNYTzGxI2NQ4BmVCHoySVOdmtRDBfYI362bl0ovDn8eatpyBWAWK8dHZoxNDUvHHQ5Y5k5nGrE0SOj5XAP/s400/agnostic-front-my-life-my-way-300x300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591687162576166882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />Agnostic Front – My Life My Way</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Year of Release – 2011</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Label – <a href="http://www.nuclearblastusa.com/nb/v2/bands/band.php?bandID=141">Nuclear Blast</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Seminal is a word that's thrown around quite frequently to describe Agnostic Front and it's a word that defines this band. Pretty much the founders of the New York hardcore scene, AF started as a punk hardcore band that slowly morphed into a crossover band mixing thrash with their punk hardcore roots. I could go on about the classic albums the band has released in their 30 odd years of existence but the fact is, the band is still current and they've never been ones for resting on their laurels. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My Life, My Way the band's 10th full length album and third for Nuclear Blast continues along the way set by Warriors in 2007 except that the songs are a lot better here. Right from album opener City Streets, you know AF mean business with their metalized hardcore. The guitars are razor sharp, Roger Miret's back to his trademark pissed off angry singing and the gang vocals are spot on. Its the riffs and the choruses that make memorable hardcore and in the case of My Life, My Way the band is spot on. Heavy, razor sharp riffing, the occasional punk groove, superbly timed breakdowns and just about the catchiest choruses the band has written in a long while. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Stand out tracks include Us Against the World which hearkens back to the band's crossover days, the title song with its melodic punk riff and superb gang vocals, A Mi Manera which is vintage hardcore with Miret once again being spot on with his vocals and the awesome Until the Day I Die which is just classic chest thumping hardcore. It's a bit redundant talking about high points on this album though cause every song works and most importantly each song has enough about it to remain distinct. By the time the album's done, 3-4 choruses will be stuck in your head and the album it self will be on repeat for a while. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Agnostic Front are back to being pretty fucking awesome and showing the pretenders how it's done. Their best album for Nuclear Blast by a long long way and a definite highlight in the band's impressive discography.</span><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X0oEk7ppMOU" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-18973639265644667142011-03-29T10:04:00.000-07:002011-03-29T10:13:03.426-07:00Weapon - From the Devil's Tomb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHXUeIbbzH8HtAvWFgcmVG2dOibIai7V1TjRwL92BZxJrk-H_mpCNHg6PwFXDLMKWSEWIZo2HJ9Rkz-P1mbkLuk2cYC2Sh3wxRrM1MtYC3L1fy7ACvQPzE6OXtHVNDyViM4-dr5qnCVQP/s1600/11.+Weapon-From-The-Devils-Tomb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHXUeIbbzH8HtAvWFgcmVG2dOibIai7V1TjRwL92BZxJrk-H_mpCNHg6PwFXDLMKWSEWIZo2HJ9Rkz-P1mbkLuk2cYC2Sh3wxRrM1MtYC3L1fy7ACvQPzE6OXtHVNDyViM4-dr5qnCVQP/s400/11.+Weapon-From-The-Devils-Tomb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589549975022181394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Weapon - From the Devil's Tomb</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />Year - 2010</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Label - The Ajna Offensive</span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/theweaponchakra"> </a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/theweaponchakra"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Myspace</span></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Canada's Weapon was my discovery of last year and a band that I've become a little obsessed with. After a long time, a relatively young band with just their second album made me want to dig into their back catalogue and own everything they've released so far. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />From the Devil's Tomb is a stunning work of extreme metal. The band mix and match black, death, thrash and classic heavy metal influences with Eastern melodies and some superbly thought out solos. Right from the opening few notes of the title song I knew I was in for something a bit special. Starting with a vaguely Eastern sounding melody, the band excels at slowly building momentum as the opening melody gives way to a mid paced black metal sound before the band comes at you all guns blazing with hyper blasting black metal while always keeping the emphasis on melody and clarity before going into a mid paced The Chasm like section and then effortlessly shifting between tempos and styles. The dynamics of the bands songwriting is what makes this album special. Take something like Bested in Surplice and Violet Stole with its opening death metal riffing giving way to a quieter section before the song comes together to rip your head off. It's a bit pointless to talk about every song here because the quality of music on offer is consistently high. Still, Lefthandpathyoga is a superb and mellow instrumental placed bang in the middle of the album that gives the listener some sense of relief from the blasting. Furor Divinus has an opening riff that most thrash bands would kill for and a supremely rabid vocal performance from Vetis Monarch. Vorter -11724 is a grinding mid tempo beast. The Inner Wolf has a slow build up before mutating into probably the most aggressive song on this album and Trishul is just a fantastic song that mixes death, black, thrash and a superb classic heavy metal solo to jaw dropping effect.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">It's quite apparent after having listened to this album for the better part of last year that Weapon are above everything else, fantastic song writers. Every single riff on this album is there for a reason. The songwriting is incredibly well thought out whether in building grooves, melodies or simply blasting through for maximum effect. Weapon understand the need for changing things up. Monarch and Apostle VIII's guitar playing is of a very high standard but they're also backed up by a rhythm section that is very inventive. You won't find the usual black-death song writing cliches here or a drummer and bass player who are content to follow the guitars and stay in the background. The one band that constantly comes to mind when listening to Weapon is The Chasm, particularly around the time of Deathcult for Eternity. There really isn't a lot that's musically similar between the two bands but Weapon are on the same path of completely original extreme metal that The Chasm were on in the late 90s. Music that gets your chest pounding, fists flailing and head bobbing up and down like you've lost all motor control of your neck. Also, at the risk of sounding like a stuck record, Weapon and The Chasm are both masters of the riff.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">From the Devil's Tomb is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the extreme metal side of things and the band deserves all the support it can get.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Pmbd5oRbeC0" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /></span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-2371196924667322512011-03-28T07:10:00.000-07:002011-03-28T07:41:02.493-07:00Scythe - Season of the Tall Pines<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecAfy4X0D0rbFXfcoX1Lp9qAs_uc8lu1u6Jx-yjuEjRIgjwUFHGqOKv3mFkuUq21GrCsOtzgKvYgEMQKwK4ZcazE-BSOpotAkh0a9IwYY6oOpRW_l1qUVl_F2gSFY0of-leHyPZIZudRE/s1600/scythe+-+season+of+the+tall+pines.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecAfy4X0D0rbFXfcoX1Lp9qAs_uc8lu1u6Jx-yjuEjRIgjwUFHGqOKv3mFkuUq21GrCsOtzgKvYgEMQKwK4ZcazE-BSOpotAkh0a9IwYY6oOpRW_l1qUVl_F2gSFY0of-leHyPZIZudRE/s400/scythe+-+season+of+the+tall+pines.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589134035863747362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" >Scythe - Season of the Tall Pines</span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" >Year - 2010</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><a href="http://www.witches-brew.org/">Label - Witches Brew</a></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Season of the Tall Pines is this German band's fourth album and it sees the band continue to progress along the path set by their debut, On My Way Home a decade ago. The band still ply their quite unique brand of doom metal and continue to evolve with every new album.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Season of the Tall Pines is at its most basic level, doom metal but its also a lot more. The band has done a terrific job evolving but one listen to album opener Vast Lands of Mist and you know this is the same band that released On My Way Home. The riffs are still huge, the melodic guitar parts still beautiful, Norman's voice is as distinctive as ever and the songs are wrapped in melancholy. It's as the album moves forward with the title song, Reconsidering and Distress that Scythe really turn it up a notch. The songs have these great heavy riffs and a mid paced tempo but the band write catchy off kilter songs that stick in your head with some complex musicianship and at times remind me of what Norway's Atrox might sound like if they decided to go all doom particularly on Distress with its keyboard touches and chuggy riffing. Abandoned Places closes out the album in style with a super opening riff, a long spaced out quiet section in the middle and some excellent growling from Sven as the song goes from soft to heavy and back and forth superbly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Scythe isn't for everybody. They've been a bit of an acquired taste since Poetry of Illusions and this album is no different. The band pushes the boundaries of doom metal with their often complex but also melodic extreme metal and at various times on this album they reminded me of atrox, tangerine dream, killing joke and paradise lost but while always sounding like Scythe. If you're up for some inventive doom metal and are not looking for instant gratification then Scythe must be on your radar. Season of the Tall Pines might just be the band's best album yet.</span><br /></span><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W3_rw-DB1fQ" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-63411547049922263032011-03-27T09:31:00.000-07:002011-03-27T09:43:00.306-07:00Decrepitaph - Profane Doctrines Unburied<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjC0FENxtSolzmrBMwu8uOZ_O4bE3bfwBdgzNIQbItqutqHBXYjx2wvDrlCWl9ep2qZrAnGTMI990PPN-sRIAClLCu_YcIplA6Z8BcNgn_6u_74BYiRWaWSPosF6SQzaV6vV-OHqOI7ep/s1600/decrepitaph.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 367px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjC0FENxtSolzmrBMwu8uOZ_O4bE3bfwBdgzNIQbItqutqHBXYjx2wvDrlCWl9ep2qZrAnGTMI990PPN-sRIAClLCu_YcIplA6Z8BcNgn_6u_74BYiRWaWSPosF6SQzaV6vV-OHqOI7ep/s400/decrepitaph.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588799579061397138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Decrepitaph – Profane Doctrines Unburied</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Year of Release – 2011</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />Label – <a href="http://www.razorbackrecords.com">Razorback Records</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/decrepitaph">Myspace</a> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.razorbackrecords.com"><br /></a><br />Decrepitaph has been around for a while now. Formed in 2005, this is the band's third full length not to mention a host of splits and eps and on the evidence of Profane Doctrines Unburied, seems to be reaching maximum velocity. Having said that, Decrepitaph are not your standard 100 miles per hour death metal band with a hundred riffs per song. What these guys are is an unabashedly old school duo with a thick guitar tone and song writing sensibilities straight out of 90s death metal. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />The album starts with a short intro and then proceeds to first song proper, Convulse in Eternal Agony. Just that song title should tell you everything you need to know and if you're thinking Autopsy, you're not far off the mark. The band specialise in slow heavy as fuck riffing which at any time could mutate into classic death metal riffing and something that most modern death metal bands have forgotten, the groove. Mortified Spirits is probably the most catchy song here and that slow eerie doom riff will get stuck in your head for days. Domain of the Occult is another mid paced monster and reminds me a fair bit of Acts of the Unspeakable. Desecrate Sacred Flesh is another monster with guitarist Sinworm again playing some very cool riffs and channeling the spirit of Incantation. This is an album that gets better as it progresses through its 50 minute playing time. Evangelical Evisceration is another raging death metal beast but its the instrumental Ghost of the Gallows which really stands out in the second half of this album. </span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While the slower parts are reminiscent of Autopsy, the faster death metal riffing is vaguely similar to classic Entombed and Dismember with maybe a bit of Incantation on the side. Calling the band a perfect mix of Autopsy and Entombed might sound simplistic but its also pretty accurate and that guitar sound is just perfect for this kind of death metal. Dirty, heavy as fuck and completely old school with no hint of the Gothenburg sound or anything remotely modern. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Sinworm and Elektrokutioner have crafted a fine death metal album here. Maybe it's one song too long but i cant find much to complain about. A definite step up from Beyond the Cursed Tombs which in itself was a killer album. Overall, if your tastes run to the extreme side of things then <a href="http://www.razorbackrecords.com/">Profane Doctrines Unburied</a> should be on your shopping list. </span> </span>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813192311758873948.post-8451695818380846922011-03-26T02:23:00.000-07:002011-03-27T02:30:29.577-07:00Evil did not take part in this recording<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0kBz-lCujyHITX9RwAkqLRXXE3p9VGgqLrtOrzFKvByC4RAp__qEEd7k6JVJJ2KKnnm0JsXPCXHYcXljvb9IcF-LWqxYZd2OFBrILSuFjkY5owPw6X2VslMUrm_FR4r8S2Ovh4MkTxBz/s1600/abruptum1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0kBz-lCujyHITX9RwAkqLRXXE3p9VGgqLrtOrzFKvByC4RAp__qEEd7k6JVJJ2KKnnm0JsXPCXHYcXljvb9IcF-LWqxYZd2OFBrILSuFjkY5owPw6X2VslMUrm_FR4r8S2Ovh4MkTxBz/s400/abruptum1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588677648474102418" border="0" /></a><br />Band - Abruptum<br />Album - Ve Sonus Veris Nigrae Malitiaes<br />Year - 1996<br />Label - Full Moon Productions<br /><br />Abruptum was started in 1989 by IT(Tony Sarrka from Opthalamia) with a couple of other dudes. Along the way, IT met EVIL (Morgan Hakkanson from Marduk) and things began to fall in to place. Ve Sonus...., released in 1997 is the band's 4th release and also the most polarising of their work. The album is basically one long piece of dark ambient vaguely black metal music that lasts for a little over an hour. The music is like black metal deconstructed to the point where all that really remains is atmosphere. Ernymous, to whose label the band was initially signed called them "the aural essence of evil" and Ve Sonus... is just that.<br /><br />Also, while EVIL had technically joined the band at this point, this album is all IT and EVIL did not actually take part in the recording. IT left the band and the black metl scene soon after thanks to his connections to the inner circle and threats to his life and family and EVIL resurrected the band 3 years later. However, it is Ve Sonus Veris Nigrae Malitiaes that is the one essential Abruptum album and something that was way ahead of it's time. Today, the album's influence can be heard in black metal, drone, dark ambient and funeral doom.<br /><br />You will either love it or hate it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMaSgFdVVDgWojoFBZgO3nIQMWEm5zXAzypPghdGQLUTPTKdoK7ugCr0aXxbzPd73HkRu80LS-jlTMJn59N6uYF5kjdoFa5Omm37RVqsxOt_8wkW1QXBkGZBaTAvpMHOncRhpwCMRPYEG/s1600/abruptum2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMaSgFdVVDgWojoFBZgO3nIQMWEm5zXAzypPghdGQLUTPTKdoK7ugCr0aXxbzPd73HkRu80LS-jlTMJn59N6uYF5kjdoFa5Omm37RVqsxOt_8wkW1QXBkGZBaTAvpMHOncRhpwCMRPYEG/s400/abruptum2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588677656080260898" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?8v8phno30yorvoy"><br />Check it out here</a>reeferjournalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18063862515927265622noreply@blogger.com1