Category: Death Metal

Swedish death metal trio Crawl delivers some intense and rancid death metal. With an unforgiven sounds, grinding guitars and deep growls, this band pays homage to the glory days of Swedish death metal. Dismember comes to mind, and to me that is a good thing. The nine songs here are short but effective, little but fierce assault on your eardrums and neck muscles. My favorite is 'The Stench' but I'm damn sure that every self respecting death metal fan can easily appreciate this massively convincing old school sound. It comes in a wide variety of editions too so check it out.

Lurk - Fringe

doom / sludge metal

Finnish doomers Fringe do something very interesting with elements from sludge metal, atmospheric/funeral doom and death metal. On 'Fringe' they take the listener onto a dark and mysterious path which featured unheard sounds and unknown emotions. I think this album needs a few consecutive listens to fully understand and thus appreciate. Yet, once you're into this awes inspiring sound by Lurk, everything else seems to lose its importance. With masterful doom tracks like 'Reclaim' and 'Proteus Syndrome' these Fins are on their way to doom-stardom. Heads will be banged, no doubt about that.

Sathanas - Necrohymns

black metal / thrash

American black thrash metal legends Sathanas return with their tenth album, and what a monster it is. In eight furious tracks and with a filthy sound, Sathanas destroy pretty much everything in their path. There is nothing pretty, atmospheric or melodic to be found here, only filthy, dehumanizing and putrid blackened thrash metal, highlighting multiple times. 'Throne Of Satan' is my favorite track here, a neck muscles assaulting and exe wielding piece of extreme metal that is just too intense to be ignored. 'Harbinger Of Death' is an excellent second and all the others come in a good third place. Hailz!!!

Gaerea - Unsettling Whispers

black metal

These aren't all whispers but this is certainly an unsettling piece of work. Hailing from Portugal, Gaerea seems to become one of the most interesting acts in the current black metal scene. The music balances on the edge between a dark mind and outbursts of utter insanity. The overall atmosphere is bleak, bleaker than most bands on this planet deliver today. I guess that's quite the achievement. Opening with the soul crushing 'Svn' and followed by the magnificent 'Absent', this album maintains a high level of quality. For cathartic black metal fans, this is an absolute must have, no doubt about that.

Down Among The Dead Men - ...And You Will Obey Me

death metal / crust

Transcending Obscurity also brings people together. Members of Ursinne and Paganizer found each other on the label and decided to create a brutal blend of death metal and crust punk. The result is '...And You Will Obey Me' by Down Among The Dead Men, an album that will get every extreme party started. This already seems to be their third album and it's a fucking blast. Riffs that can saw your limbs of, drums that drill holes in your stomach and guttural growl that tear your soul apart, what else can an old school death metal adept possibly need? Be warned, this CD might devour the rest of your collection...

Sadistik Forest - Morbid Majesties

death metal

If any of your intestines are still intact after the previous death metal assault, be sure to check out Finnish horde Sadistik Forest and their unforgiving 'Morbid Majesties' album. Behind this alien and deadly cover art lies a vile world, occupied by flesh eating monstrosities and malignant viruses. This album truly is a smasher, coming at you in vintage Finnish tradition, which means speed, growls and pummeling drums. Here, 'The Hour Of Dread' is my personal favorite but again, every self respecting death metal fan should get his hands on a copy of this thing. Death is among us and it's blazing...

Nigredo - Flesh Torn - Spirit Pierced

black metal

From death to black, courtesy of Greece dissonant combo Nigredo and thier 'Flesh Torn - Spirit Pierced' album. Quite often driving on hyperspeed, this album crawls, gnarls and punches like a raging madman. Forget about atmosphere, forget about melodic passages. This is simply a machine gun to the face, one with extremely dark intentions. The suffocating 'Choronzon Possession' is my personal favorite on this record. Yet, I think these guys might truly rise at live performances. The music here is perfectly suited to impress and overwhelm audiences everywhere.

Arkheth - 12 Winter Moons Comes The Witches Brew

black metal

For a place that doesn't exist (*), Australia comes up with some highly interesting music. Take this album by black metal experimentalists Arkheth for example. With elements from all kinds of styles, ranging from krautrock to darkwave, jazz and black metal they managed to create a fantastic sound. This is musical ingenuity at its finest and most talented. Most of the stuff isn't even that extreme here but is sure is mystifying and mesmerizing. For me personally, Arketh might be one of the most interesting things in today's black metal business and perhaps way beyond that too.

(*) Apparently, flat earthers now claim that Australia is an elaborate hoax. (read)

De Profundis - The Blinding Light Of Faith

death metal

Formed in 2005 De Profundis have been carving out their own path in the death metal world with brutal conviction. This new album, their fifth to date, resembles and denounces the vile atrocities mankind has been indulging in over the ages. That obviously results in an intense but melodic and immersive death metal album, highlighting in songs like opener 'Obsidian Spires' and the fearsome 'Martyrs'. I think fans of De Profundis will easily appreciate this work but I also think that it will gain the band a whole bunch of new headbangers. Well deserved too because this album is a punisher.

Depravity - Evil Upheaval

death metal

Today, death metal can be pretty much everything, from keyboard loaded symphonic versions to groovy death 'n roll tunes over progressive experiments. Not so with Australian horde Depravity. For them, death metal should be a punishment for the senses (possibly for being wrong all the time), not a pleasurable thing to listen to. So they recorded 'Evil Upheaval' a nine track album that wants to bath in your blood, feed on your growing insanity and defecate in your pretty little lifestyle. With a massive fuck-you attitude, Depravity created a mass murderer, and you'll fucking love it...

Greytomb - Monumental Microcosm

black metal

Issuing a massive and intense sound, Australian horde Greytomb is about to become a new star on today's blackened firmament. Their music is an immersive and haunting blend of bleak black metal and atmosphere post rock with elements from doom and death metal often being welcomed. The result is a three track album that feels like a tremendously emotional inner journey. Expect lengthy depressive passages, a bunch of saturating blastbeats and a wide array of vocals, screams and grunts. Once again, I think this stuff is best suited for live performances, although some of the audience members might leave the gig in a white van...

Jupiterian - Terraforming

doom / sludge metal

Right, time to take it a bit slower and on Transcending Obscurity that immediately takes me to Brazilian doomers Jupiterian. With riffs and soundscapes so thick you can float on them, these guys deliver a masterful album. This is just as heavy as it's psychedelic, which again makes me want to experience this stuff live. The title track featured Maurice from Gnaw Their Tongues, which is nice but Jupiterian doesn't need guests to convince, all they need is tunes like 'Unearthly Glow' or 'Sol' and an audience to overwhelm. If you're a fan of sludge doom, you need this. Believe me...

Warcrab - Scars of Aeons

sludge / death metal

Combining the torpid speed and riffing of sludge metal with the deadly drums and growling vocals of death metal, Warcrab delivers a tank resembling album. I hear elements from Crowbar, Bolt Thrower, Fear Factory and Dopethrone but most of all I heard a massive blast of destructive energy coming from my speakers. 'Destroyer Of Worlds' is my personal favorite but the huge 'Scars Of Aeons' is definitely a live favorite. In all, this is a crushing album, one that will roll over you until every fibre in your body is pressed into the floor. And once again, I'm sure you will enjoy the abuse.

Norse - The Divine Light Of A New Sun

black metal

Norse returns with another slab of "ugly music". In my previous review for these Australians, I wrote about the harshness and dissonant approach of 'Pest' (read) and, believe it or not, they managed to take that sound to new level. Norse does not deliver normal, usual or common black metal. Nope, their style is unique, loaded with unusual hooks and riffs. This is both a challenge to listen to and a masterpiece of avant garde music. There is not one single non-highlight to be found here, only pain, desolation, discomfort and isolation. In short: what an album, un-fucking-believable.

Somnium Nox - Terra Inanis

black metal

And we finish this special with a glorious return from black metal horde Somnium Nox. They appeared on Brieviews 6 and now come back with an absolute stunner. Three tracks, loaded with skin crawling riffs, eerie screams and a bleak, downbeating atmosphere, this album should lift these guys to the absolute top of the blackened scene. Somehow Somnium Nox have managed to complete and evolve their particular blend of post-black metal to absolute perfection. I am incredibly impressed by this effort and I'm sure many of musical extremists will be as well. So, get your hands on this thing now.

Serge

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Brieviews 44

30/5/2018

An Evening With Knives - Serrated

post-metal / doom / alternative rock

"Dutch three-piece band jumps on post-metal bandwagon", that would be the most negative way to describe this album by An Evening With Knives. But that would also be a bit lazy. I mean, everything Tool and Amenra inspired is popular these days and thus many musicians give it a shot. In this case, the result is an interesting set of songs, slow, doomy, fuzzy, somewhat psychedelic and bloody intense. I'm sure that fans of the aforementioned bands will appreciate these guys, even though I think they yet have to reach their best possible sound. An interesting future might lay ahead for them.

Autger - God Kissing Carrion

dark jazz / ambient / experimental / trip hop

Russian one man act Autger returns with a new full-length, a personal story based on Dante's 'Inferno'. With a captivating mix of dark jazz, trip hop and what feels like ritual dark ambient, this album is something quite unique within the dark jazz world. The music here seems to come from a completely different dimension, even though that old "sax player under a bridge" atmosphere is still present. My advice? I urge everyone who is into strange, unusual and mostly electronic music to give this a shot. I bet you have never heard anything like this before. This definitely nudges the bizarre, and that's a good thing.

Lamirāl - This EP Has No Name And It's Alright

hardcore

Right, time for extremities, courtesy of Belgian hardcore combo Lamirāl. On this EP, they catapult six heavy rocking hardcore tunes to your face, stuffed with broken glass, needles, sulphuric acid and bile. The overall tempo is suffocating, the riffs feel like sounds from behind the gates of hell and if that vocalist stands in front of you, you have exactly six seconds left to live. So if you want your miserable life crushed by the sheer intensity of music, this EP is an absolute must have. This is about as intense as a concrete boot to the teeth...

Gray Dog - The Deal

acoustic blues

Now I need something to calm down and relax a bit. This five track EP by Belarus/Poland duo Gray Dog. Their music is a mix of blues and southern rock, brought to you in a minimal, acoustic setting. The result is an interesting late night bonfire soundtrack, best to be consumed with a cold beer. By the way, the fact that this is acoustic music doesn't mean that it lacks power. 'Why Did You Fuck Me And Leave?", for example is a damn heavy tune. Fans of everything between Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash and Pearl Jam can easily appreciate this. My favorite? 'The Pray Of Hangover'.

Paulie Jan - Yukio (A Brief Sonic Evocation)

dark ambient / noise

Composed as a tribute to Japanese writer Y. Mishima, 'Yukio (A Brief Sonic Evocation)' by French act Paulie Jan is a gloomy, haunting and often remorseless dark ambient release. These are deep sonic introspections, arranged by eerie soundscapes, deep but slow beats and a fearsome atmosphere. At first, I found it hard to get into this music but gradually the whole thing grew on me like only the best dark ambient anthems actually do. Now I can't get enough of these noisy skincrawlers. My favorite remains opener 'Kimitake' with title track 'Yukio' being a brilliant second. Recommended stuff!!!

Lachrymose - The Unseen

doom / occult metal

Hailing from Greece, Lachrymose delivers an occult driven version of female fronted melodic doom metal. With influences from bands like Moonspell, Paradise Lost and Avatarium, these Greeks dwell in a dark and almost operatic region of the doom metal scene. Besides, 'This Sickness' rocks like hell and is a definite fan favorite. In all, this might best be compared to a heavy metal version of Inkubus Sukkubus or a female fronted version of Lacrimosa perhaps. All I know is that this is pretty interesting, mainly because it isn't overwhelmed with bombastic symphonic elements. This is raw gothic doom!

Disowning - Battle of Neverness

death metal

Xenocorp

I don't often pick out death metal albums to review so when I do something special must be going on. On this EP by French combo Disowning I'm extremely impressed by the old school sound and the by the vocals. I hear elements from some of my favorite bands from back in the day, including Suffocation, Dying Fetus and Carcass, but mostly I hear those awesome growls over a punishing array of drums and riffs. Opener and title track 'Battle Of Neverness is a massive kick in the cojones and my personal favorite 'Inner Emptiness' doubles the torment. So, old school death metallers, I think you need this.

Gravecoven - Coughing Blood

black metal / doom / death metal

Gods Ov War

Some more vicious torment comes from Californian duo Gravecoven and their aptly titled EP 'Coughing Blood'. On this EP you will find four eerie and fearsome blackened death/doom metal tracks, mostly coming at high speeds and with a gruesome atmosphere. Personally, I would categorize this under black metal, especially the chaotic, occult driven version. I mean, with songs like 'Furious Fires' and 'The Ecstasy Of Hatred' leading the way, the path is one of total annihilation and utter destruction. So yeah, this is a massive, chaotic and punishing EP that deserves a place in every extreme collection.

Vandal Moon - Wild Insane

post punk / synth pop

Also hailing from California but residing in a whole different musical universe is synthpop duo Vandal Moon. If you love acts like The Human League, Modern English or the synth pop escapades by The Cure, you have to check out this album. Eighties synths, romantic themes and a new wave breathing guitar, everything you love about the gloomy eighties dancefloors is here. My personal favorite is 'Computer Love' but I'm sure that every old goth, new waver and synthpop adept can easily add this album to his collection. This truly is as close as it gets and comes highly recommended for blackdressers

Sense Fracture - In My Escape I look For A Weapon

breakcore / industrial

Haunter Records

Still completely electronic but from a copletely different level comes this little gem. Haunter Records co- founder, DJ, producer and writer Francesco Birsa Alessandri delivers a mindblowing EP in which "unpredictability" is a keyword. With harsh electronic beats, uncategorizable noises and eerie samples Sense Fracture creates a unique sonic universe, inspired by dark ambient, industrial, noise and breakcore. The five tracks on this 12" are relentless, harsh and abrasive. They remind me of something between Author & Punisher and Bong-Ra. Recommended? Only if you get stand musical insanity.

Richard James Simpson - Sweet Birds Of Youth

alternative rock / blues

... or dare we call them the bitter-sweet birds of youth? On his debut album, a compilation of older and more recent work, American guitarist and singer Richard James Simpson collaborates with friends (Joey Burns, Dustin Boyer and Theo Welch). He kicks the listener back in time to their wonder years, where one day you feel like an adult in a child's body and the other day things are vice versa. The variety in musical styles reflects this unsteady period; the majority of the songs has a stingy bluesrock feel but there's also a fantastic shoegaze track, some haunting dark ambient, some post-neofolk, experimentality in the

style of Tool and quite a bit of grunge - vocals that remind of Cobain included. So go buy this one if you appreciate something that refuses to fit into one box.

Nhung Nguyen – Oblivion

ambient / experimental

Pany Rosas Discos

And we finish this edition of brieviews with a one-track EP by experimentalist Nhung Nguyen. In this twelve minutes lasting track, Nhung Nguyen explores everything from ambient soundscapes and loops over field recordings and found objects to weird electronics and noise. Needless to say then perhaps, but this composition is a complex and mesmerizing sonic journey. Don't expect sweet and comforting ambient, much like the real world, this track is full of grittiness and strange elements. So, this comes highly recommended but only for seasoned ambient experimentalists.

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Brieviews 43

21/5/2018

White Hills & Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church Of The Leading Hand - Desire

krautrock / psychedelic

White Hills

Here is an interesting cooperation to kick off this edition of Brieviews. Two interesting psychedelic music acts got together for a jam session and created this immersive summer meditation, a five track trip towards the gloomy site of the psychedelic sixties. I like the level of variation that this cooperation has generated. There is blues, shoegaze and - naturally - a big dose of psychedelic krautrock, all combined into songs that make every post-goth and neo-hippy happy. My favorite is 'Desire' but I'm sure that all of these tunes will end up in my day-to-day playlist. I suggest you do the same.

Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church Of The Leading Hand & Derniere Volonté

psychedelic rock / krautrock / neo folk

Derniere Volonte

Or how about this collaboration. Once upon a time, these two acts were genre-colleagues but gradually their sounds moved away from one-another. However, together they have recently released something pleasantly surprising. On this EP, they come up with four lo-fi songs, once again borrowing elements from krautrock, shoegaze and vintage electronica. This stuff immediately brought a big smile to my face, not because it's joyous music but because I am listening to pure and authentic jamming fun. 'L`Arc En Ciel' even flirts with synthpop, absolute brilliance. Recommended? Utterly!

Pink Cocoon - Alienation

doom / blues

website

We're not done psyching-out yet, we're just gonna add some doom blues to the mix, courtesy of Canadian trio Pink Cocoon. On the cover you can see a man worshiping an amp and that should tell you everything you need to know about this demo. The EP contains six songs, all hypnotic examples of heavy psychedelic music, complete with mind altering guitar solos, feedback, groovy riffs and trance inducing drum work. Pink Cocoon will get you levitating on massively immersive doom blues, there is absolutely no doubt about that. Fuck, I love this. This is going on repeat for a while and I'll do the rest later...

JK Flesh – Wasplike

techno

Inner Surface

There's no denying that Justin K Broadrick has had a massive influence on the world of music. Napalm Death, Godflesh, Jesu... They're classics in their respective genres. And then there was also Techno Animal and JK Flesh, Broadrick's dancefloor invitations. Well, with this 'Wasplike' EP, he no longer invites you, he drags you by the neck and lets the distorted beats punish you to extacy. This four track EP is a wild techno adventure, fueled with noise and drones but mostly pumping harsh and abrasive, especially in 'Mindprison'. So you have been warned, this thing will get you shaking your lazy ass...

Moloch - The Other Side

electronic / darkwave

Do you ever wonder what the next retro craze will be? We've had stoner rock revivals, psychedelic revivals, even new beat seems to be coming back. But as far as I'm concerned the next big craze is eighties horror soundtracks like this EP from Polish electronic act Moloch. Imagine the Knight Rider theme taking a dark turn and you'll get close to what this act delivers. Personally, I can 't get enough of this. If you are a sucker for eighties synths or old school EBM, you will absolutely adore this, I promise you. I also urge you to check out 'The Vatican Cellars', which brings you more of the same awesomeness. I'm a fan now...

Burning House - Tracer

shoegaze

This EP by British shoegazers Burning House is either an application for or a tribute to the legendary 4AD label. Just look at that cover and tell me it doesn't remind you of Dead Can Dance or Cocteau Twins? Musically, this brings everything that you used to love about shoegaze and dreampop into today's alternative rock scene. In four fantastic and intense tracks, this trio delivers pure reverb galore, complete with the high-octane drums and introvert vocals. The Jesus and Mary Chain often comes to mind and so does A Place To Bury Strangers. So yeah, this comes highly recommended...

Eye of the Destroyer - Violent By Design

death metal

To be released in the beginning of June, this two-track single by New Jersey death metal act Eye Of The Destroyer is the follow up to their full-length 'Starved and Hanging', released earlier this year. What I like about this EP is that it's not about speed. The two tracks here are slow. However, what they lack in tempo, they definitely make up in brutality. Although short, only three minutes long each, these monstrosities will undoubtedly get you headbanging and making weird hand gestures towards the sky. My personal favorite is the title track but rest assured, both these tunes will fuck you up hard...

Alexandre Navarro - Imaginations

ambient / downtempo / post rock

An interesting and original EP by French guitarist/soundscapist Alexandre Navarro, 'Imagination' brings me some much welcome chill-out tunes. I think this guy has been listening to Plaid and Boards Of Canada a lot, something I can only applaud, obviously. On these five tracks, I hear something similar; downtempo electronic music, calm and soothing but not too goody-goody. The level of variation is perfect, aided of course by a range of sounds and instruments. This really is nice stuff, stuff that makes me curious about future musical escapades by mister Navarro...

Valyria - Into the Dying of Time

death metal / power metal

Back to the heavies, this time with Canadian power death metalers Valyria and their latest EP. What to expect? Well, imagine the blend of everything in the history of melodic death metal since Children Of Bodom, Evergrey and Nevermore. The EP opens with an intro which leads way for a massive array of flashing guitars, pounding drums and a combination of power metal vocals and death growls. I guess it's needless to say that the bombast and energy blasts from the speakers and that the whole thing is a mesmerizing whirlpool of extreme metal galore. If you like your metal bombasic as fuck, you need this...

Anthony - Get Over U

americana / alternative rock / indie

On a somewhat calmer side of the musical spectrum we find Anthony, of Ceremony fame, and his four track EP 'Get Over U'. This might be one of the poppiest, cheesiest and most bittersweet things I have ever reviewed for this website. The songs here are lo-fi indie tunes about love and heartache, inspired by acoustic rock and post-punk. Somehow the Lemonheads and Blind Melon come to mind but also flashes of Pixies, Beatles and the entire jangling-guitar scene in England. Closer 'I Hope I Never See You Face' is my personal favorite here, and certainly a message towards some people...

Eyes on the Machine - Eyes on the Machine

stoner metal

Polderrecords

Et voila, another Belgian band enters the already immense stoner rock scene. Eyes On the Machine is a band from Aalter, inspired by the likes of Tool, Mastodon and "Mike Patton's Crazy Bands". The stuff on this EP sure is crazy. It's also quite unpredictable but for the most part, this rocks the fuzz out of your underpants. With groovy riffs, a drummer that possibly wants to strangle you and a vocalist who swallowed a hydrogen bomb, Eyes On The Machine make stoner blues metal sexy again. There will be a lot of ass shaking and headbanging going on in Belgium this summer and I can' be happier about it...

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Will 'O' Wisp - Mot

19/4/2018

progressive / death metal / black metal

Right, time to dive into the pummeling world of metallic extremism again, and what better way to do it than with an album like this one. I don't really know what "Mot" means in Italian or English but in Dutch "een mot op uw bakkes" means "a punch in the face". Actually, that pretty much describes this album.

Thirty five minutes long, this release by Italian metalers Will 'O' Wisp is a complex, multi layered and awe-inspiring piece of death metal. It's laced with influences, not only from black and death metal but also many other metal subgenres and then there's even more.

From the very beginning this album smashes your eardrums to pieces. Most of the time they do that with mindbending death metal, seemingly inspired by acts like Nile, Krisiun and Dimmu Borgir. Fierce guitars, an array of growls and screams and an overpowering drums attack will mercilessly assault your sanity. But, like I said, there is more. How about influences from good old fashioned thrash metal, the likes of Kreator, Testament and Slayer? These tunes contain some intense riffs.

To top it off, Will 'O' Wisp added heaps of orchestral instrumentation and atmospheric synths, ranging from ancient horror movies soundtracks to bombastic classical compositions. This must have been an amazing journey to write, rehearse and record. Getting all these elements together in such a coherent way is definitely not an easy task but somehow these Italians have pulled it off. In all 'Mot' is a mesmerizing piece of extreme metal, one that obviously comes highly recommended.

Serge

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Kingdom - Putrescent Remains of the Dead Ground

19/4/2018

death metal

Godz Ov War

Polish extremist Kingdom have been slashing and grinding their way through the brutal underground for many years. Their new album does not show any sign of slowing down, on the exact contrary. With 'Putrescent Remains of the Dead Ground' Kingdom delivers an intense and punishing death metal album, here and there enhanced by blackened elements and even influences from sludge metal. Yet, above all, this is one deliciously putrid extreme metal album, one that every fan of the genre can easily appreciate. So prepare yourself for an epic death metal beatdown the size you have rarely experience before.

The album contains eight tracks, most of them rather short. Yet, the sheer speed and brutality of the whole thing is so suffocating that those eight tracks will probably be more than enough to stomp you into a bloody pulp. 'Walls of Askalon' quickly lures you in, grabs you by the throat and throws you wall-to-wall until you beg for mercy. 'Putrescent Remains' knows no mercy. In fact, none of these tracks to. Most of the track here drive on machine gun snare drums and piercing riffs so ultimate deletion is inevitable.

'Black Light to the Rotten Wombs of Disgrace' is my personal favorite. It's one of those tracks that will kick you face down in a puddle of mud, intestines, vomit and blood and shove you around in there for a few minutes. And you'll love it. You'll love the punishment Kingdom delivers. Like I mentioned in the opening paragraph, every fan of brutal and high speed death metal can easily appreciate this. In the end, the pulverising 'Karma Slayer' and the cover of Immortal's 'Blashyrkh' beautifully finish the job, but you might already be dead by then...

Serge

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Brieviews 40

5/4/2018

we have some cool shirts, check 'm out and support Merchants Of Air

Objector - Social Intolerance

thrash metal

We kick off this edition of Brieviews with some ruthless Belgian thrash metal, courtesy of Objector. With this eight track EP, these guys pay homage to the glory days of the genre, and mostly to bands like Slayer, Kreator, Exodus and Destruction. After a brief intro, 'Life Denied' starts the merciless pummeling at an excruciating tempo and it doesn't stop until 'Vengeance (Will Be Mine)' fades away. For fans of old school thrash, this EP definitely is a must-have, you can't get closer to that overwhelming sound without blatantly copying your heroes. Objector is a welcome, fresh and raging name in the thrash scene, no doubt about that.

Chief Roberts - The Hopeless

stoner metal / sludge

This Belgian riffing-tsunami is not over yet because here is Antwerp combo Chief Roberts and their face punching EP 'The Hopeless'. On this EP, the band showcases a punishing mix of hardcore, sludge metal and stoner rock, coming at you with the intensity of a raging horde of rhinos. And if that's not enough, they also throw in some extreme influences to completely beat you down. I would recommend this EP to all sludge fans out there but I'm not it will be safe for them to listen to it. I mean, this is one of the most aggressive and violent sludge releases I have heard in a while. Bloody awesome one too.

RRRags - RRRags

psychedelic rock / stoner / blues

Ron Van Herpen, Rob Zim and Rob Martin had themselves a little jamsession in September 2017. They had so much fun playing together that decided to form a brand new band and RRRags was born. This power trio comes up with good old fashioned stoner blues, laced with psychedelic rock and a joyous jam-atmosphere. Fans of everything between Hawkwind and Grand Funk Railroad will undoubtedly love this six tracks. You can hardly go more old-school than blues crackers like 'Rag Machine' or psych-rockers like 'On With The Journey'. This is definitely something to look out for, especially live performances.

Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness - Sattva

drone / ambient

Time for a resting point with the first full-length of Belgian minimal drone engineer Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness. With Sattva, HOFN processed a rough year into seven deep droning meditations. As usual, the approach is minimal and dark, giving the whole thing an extremely introvert atmosphere. Yet, it also sounds otherworldly and comes with a sense of angst and hopelessness. So no, this is not a pleasurable album to listen to but it is a emotional one, one to listen to while you reflect on your life choices, your past actions and your future opportunities. There is light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel is dark and insecure.

Forte Ruin - Rebuilding the Machinery

death metal / symphonic metal

Right, back to severe headbanging, this time with the return of Finnish melodic death metal sextet Forte Ruin. Their new EP shows a band that has evolved and grown since their 2015 effort, much to my delight. The influences from Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom and Fear Factory are still there but now Forte Ruin has found their niche in the fierce but melodic corners of the metal scene. The result is a violent five track album, loaded with cutting edge riffing, atmospheric synths, intense screams and melodic clean vocals. This EP is a whirlwind of modern day metal, one every fan of the genre should check out.

Postcode - Dandelion Radio Session II

alternative rock

To celebrate their tenth birthday, Isle Of Man residents Postcode revised some of their older songs and turn them into a sweet live registration. On this five track EP you can find nice alternative rock tunes, inspired by acts like The Pixies, The Breeders and PJ Harvey. This definitely will bring a smile to the faces of nineties rockers. You can feel the joy of playing these songs live. My personal is the lingering 'Hope Makes the Stars Shine Brighter' but I'm quite positive that all of these tunes regularly appear in my alternative rock list from now on. I suggest you do the same and check out this highly enjoyable band.

Hypnodial - Aether Alcoves

ambient

Hailing from Palma De Mallorca, Hypnodial seems to be influence by everything ambient and downtempo related, from Brian Eno over The Orb to the harshness of Cold Meat Industry. Those influences reflect of this album too, even though the whole thing comes in a minimal and gloomy approach. With twelve tracks, ranging from gentle ambient tunes to downtempo electronics, this album is well varied and thus an excellent companion for daily listening. My favorite is the dubby ambient tune 'Old Café' but I'm damn sure that every ambient aficionado will easily appreciate this stuff.

Dead Neanderthals - Life

drone / noise / ambient

It looks like an eighties punk inspired thrash metal album but it comes from Dutch heavy jazz combo Dead Neanderthals and it sounds like a massive drone experiment. These guys never cease to amaze us. This time, the Dutch primitives decided to leave the drums and the sax at home. So what are left with? A thirty six minutes lasting psychedelic drone track, hypnotic, immersive and as minimal as Maggie De Block's sexlife. So yeah, it's a surprising Dead Neanderthals release but definitely one to add to your ever expanding drone-scape collection. I'm already curious about what they'll come up with next. Hip hop?

Hiemis - Nachtstücke

dark ambient

GH Records

If you're into deep, dark drones and eerie soundscapes, this album by Hiemis is right up your alley. The music has plenty of similarities with your favorite dark ambient acts, such as Raison D'Etre, Desiderii Marginis, In Slaughter Natives, Lustmord and Inade, to name a few. These are gloomy instrumental tales of ghosts, demons, dreams, visions and nightmares, both minimal and overwhelming at times. 'Die Jesuiterkirche in G' is my personal favorite but every fan of old Cold Meat Industry releases will undoubtedly appreciate these nocturnal soundscapes, no doubt about that. So check it out if you're one of those eternal dark souls...

Setaoc Mass - Solid Void

techno

SK Eleven

Every once in a while an electronic dance music release appears on our pages, and that solely means that I like it. I surely like this one, driving on heavy, hypnotic and repetitive beats and percussion while array of industrial inspired sounds continuously slap you in the face. Of course this is stuff for the nighttime dance floors, where artists like Marco Bailey love to roam but I'm sure that tracks like 'Light Falls' and 'Eurhythmic' will often blast through my speakers from now on. If you are not weary of some old school techno beats, you might as well check this one out, play it loud and get that party started. Why wouldn't you?

Meka Nism - The War Inside

symphonic metal / death metal

website

What would happen when you lock Arch Enemy and Lacuna Coil in the same room and force them to record an album? Well, you'd probably get something like Florida residents Meka Nism. Supported by skilled musicians, Ms. Meka delivers an impressive array of clean vocals, grunts and screams, sometimes melodic sometimes simply smashing your face against the wall. Behind her, the musicians deliver a solid truckload of modern day death metal riffs and licks, topping everything off with methodical drums. Stuff like this can easily set the big stages at metal festivals on fire, and maybe also blow the roof off your living room.

Severin - Safe Following Distance

electronic / experimental / breakcore

Petrol 80

This odd and unusual electronic dance music album will be revealed on April 20 but I can already tell you that it will be worthwhile. Somehow, Severin manages to throw heaps of dance tunes into the blender and come out with something exciting and unique. In a way, this stuff can build a bridge between house, techno, breakbeats and breakcore. This results in four in-your-face experimental electronic tracks which you can either try to dance to or go insane by. I guess the choice is yours. I mean, even Autechre doesn't often go this wild and bizarre. So obviously, this little thing comes highly recommended.

Serge

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Wound Collector - Eternal Bloodcult

5/4/2018

saxophonized death metal

Profane Records

Back in 1840, Adolphe Sax invented a brand new musical instrument. He wanted to create the most powerful wood instrument, while still maintaining the versatility. The instrument quickly gained fame in the world of classical music and when it reached the United States, the sax became one of the key instruments in a new style of music, jazz. Since then, saxophones have been present in pretty much every musical style you can find. From pop to dance music to military bands and...brutal death metal. I think it's only natural that a Belgian band manages to turn this massively versatile instrument into metal gear.

Wound Collector is the brainchild of Peter Verdonck, a renowned saxophonist and composer. Throughout the years he has been composing and performing with a wide array of bands, orchestras and theatre productions. But Peter Verdonck is also a death metal fan. So he gathered three other musicians, each of them already having earned their stripes in the Belgian metal scene, and together they created Wound Collector. After a heap of rehearsals and try-outs, Wound Collector is now ready to showcase their unique and punishing sound.

Even without the saxophone, Wound Collector would be an interesting death metal band. You can clearly hear influences from Nile, Suffocation, Fleshgod Apocalypse and so on. Furthermore, this album is surprisingly varied, which is not an easy task in the death metal world. The versatile vocals of Guy Van Campenhout not only add versatility but also power and grandeur. But, the whole thing comes with that epic saxophone, not only in whirling solos but also in the everyday riff-worshiping, and that makes this album stand out in today's metal scene.

The odd thing is, that sax will undoubtedly gather interest from jazz fans and perhaps even ska-punkers. Simply the presence of that instrument drags in all these influences. 'Divine Music, Unholy Flesh', for example, sounds both joyous and impending. This is a monstrous death-jazz track, and it's far from the only one here. But don't get me wrong, this is still nutsack piercing death metal, destined to devour your soul and whiplash the hell out of your neck. Rest assured, this will hurt you.

Picking favorite track is not easy but I think I will go with the combo 'Recapturing The Throne' and 'Crucifixion To The Inverted Cross'. The only track that I'm not that crazy about, is 'History Of Torture', which might be a bit too experimental and power metal inspired for my taste. Yet, eventually it makes place for the brilliant, doom metal inspired 'Hopelessness', which easily competes with my aforementioned favorites. In all, mostly because of that awesome sax but also because it's just a bloody awesome album, 'Eternal Bloodcult' might be my favorite death metal release in recent years.

Serge

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Brieviews 39

28/3/2018

These Brieviews have been written by Serge. If you like what you read here, be sure to check out his book, 'Cecilia's World'. It's about music, life and love.

Owl - Orion Fenix

doom / post metal

Zeitgeister

Owl, the solo project of Valborg frontman Christian Kolf, delivers an overwhelming piece of music. Post metal, ambient and doom meet and alternate in one massive track, clocking off at 22 minutes. The track was written and recorded in eighteen hours over three days, which definitely explains the organic flow of the whole thing. In a way, this track feels like a concept album, revolving around dark and haunting emotions. Calm ambient and modern classical passages make way for intense pieces of doom inspired metal and vice versa. For fans of decent narrative music, this is certainly a must-have, and that includes sludge metal aficionados.

Stonemule - Dystopian State

metal / hardcore

Polder Records

Speaking of sludge metal fans, they might as well throw their ears at these noise makers from Koksijde (Belgium). What Stonemule delivers is a massive blast of hardcore infused stoner metal, laced with grunge and doom and flirting with the extreme. How they do that? Well, first of all by a solid background of drums and bass, then by face melting riffing and finally by having three vocalists showing of their respective talents in singing, growling and screaming. The result is quite impressive, a blast of sheer energy. Eventually, they top it off with excellent musical skills by flashing some delicious solos. Nice work.

Ritual King - Earthrise

psychedelic rock / doom

When Planets Collide

Speaking of delicious guitar work, here is the new EP by English stoner rockers Ritual King. On 'Earthrise' they come up with three energetic songs. 'Ideology', 'Tides' and my personal favorite 'But Anyway' are uptempo psychedelic blues rock tunes that seem to come right from the early seventies. The jam-calibre is very high on these, making them all perfect candidates for live performances on sun lit (and probably smoke filled) music festivals. I wouldn't be surprised to see these guys appear on Desertfest, Up In Smokes and everything else stoner rock related in the near future.

Wykan - Solace

psychedelic / doom

A strange and bewildering piece of psychedelic doom metal, inspired by both old school doom and black metal, this debut by Canadian act Wykan is certainly something special. On one hand you get the classic riff worship, supported by methodical drums and clean vocals. Yet, on the other hand, there is that cold, eerie and vile atmosphere of extreme metal, enhanced by screams, growls and occult imagery. Needless to say perhaps but this EP is so varied that it almost sounds like a split-release. This is intriguing, to say the least and I am already extremely curious for what this act comes up with in the future.

Soft Science - Undone / I Don't Know Why I Love You

shoegaze / dream pop

Test Pattern Records

Hah, I doubted this single for exactly four seconds. I didn't know what to think about the jangling guitars at first, but then, when the rolling bass and the propelling drums came in, I became interested. Then the vocals of Katie Haley and I was sold. Now, Soft Science has a place in my shoegaze folder where it appears alongside acts like Belly, The Cranes and Slowdive. 'Undone' is my favorite here but 'I Don't Know Why I Love You' is in no way inferior. Both are energetic dreampop tunes, there is very little else to say about that. So get them, on April 6, if you're a shoegazer. Of not, check it out as well.

Maff - Melañiña

shoegaze

Then, where you're in a good shoegazing mood, you certainly have to give Chilean collective Maff a listen. I remember being rather impressed with their 2015 album. Now they return with a five track EP, blending shoegaze, dreampop, post rock and noise rock into another heap of delicious atmospheric rock tunes. In fact, opener 'Act 2' might soon prove to be one of my favorites in that genre. I love those howling, lingering guitars and that almost industrial beat. And then there are still four more awesome tunes to go. So yeps, shoegazers of all ages, you definitely need this one.

Nostalgist - Disaffection

post punk / new wave

Some more eighties inspired music comes from Seattle residents Nostalgist. Their music reflects the dark corners of that era, the one where The Cure, Killing Joke and Joy Division ruled. However, Nostalgist has also been listening to bands like Deftones and Alcest and they're not afraid to throw some distorted guitars into the mix. The result is a brilliant EP, containing six gloomy tracks which perfectly combine these two styles, or eras. Actually, I'm quite impressed by this effort. I didn't know this kind of awesomeness was still being made today. I'm sure that the old school goths will easily appreciate songs like 'Pendulums' and 'Present Tense'. Highly recommended !!!

Amusement Parks On Fire - All The New Ends

alternative rock / shoegaze

Saint Marie Records

English art rockers Amusement Parks On Fire return with a three-track EP which is as simple as it is brilliant. Opener 'All The New Ends' blends post rock with britpop as only the British can. 'Temporal Rinse' is a drone ambient creeper Godspeed! You Black Emperor wished they had recorded. Finally, 'Infernal Flame' picks you up and drags you to the dreampopping dancefloor where you will gaze at your shoes for what feels like hours and hours. To be honest, apart from the name I didn't really know these guys. Now I'm a fan. They only needed three songs to convince me, isn't that neat?

Grift - Vilsna Andars Boning

neofolk

Nordvis

Hailing from the lonesome woods of Scandinavia, Grift delivers two enigmatic neofolk songs. This Swedish poet/songwriter has been around since 2011 with several albums and a split-record with legendary act Drudkh.

On this two track, he comes up with two acoustic songs. I think fans of acts like Sol Invictus, Wardruna and Darkwood can easily appreciate these stripped down folk sounds. 'Bortom Berget' is my favorite on this two track, a solid neofolk track about nature and culture.

Giovanni Verga - Sylphic

experimental / ambient / noise

Unexplained Sounds

A more haunting and otherworldly musical view on solitude and loneliness comes from composer/experimentalist Giovanni Verga. With field recordings, no-input mixers and other kinds of sound manipulation, Verga created an alienating ambient adventure, on that delves deep into the avant garde. The line between music and incomprehensible noise is very thin. There are howling wolves, industrial soundscapes, vocal samples and mysterious drones but there are also tiny hints of melody. And obviously, there is this allover gloomy atmosphere which makes you imagine alien worlds and underground tales. Awesome

TRI:.OBYTE - STAR ⠃⠊⠗⠞⠓ KIC 8462852

ambient / noise / experimental

Speaking about sounds from alien worlds, this album certainly is an interesting one. With a mix of dark ambient, cosmic noise and tales about UFO sightings, this album takes you to new dimensions. I can easily see this music as the soundtrack for new episodes of the X-Files, or any other sci-fi series for that matter. Opener 'Some Kind Of Reflective' is haunting ambient gold and the rest of this record graciously follows it example, except maybe 'Visitation'. This one doesn't just take you to outer space, it places you right on the operation table in one of those abduction stories. This is a great release, certainly recommended.

Bloodkry - Dark Paradise

dark ambient / drone

Even more darkness comes from Finland, where Bloodkry reveals a new EP. 'Dark Paradise' contains four tracks, beginning with the hypnotic title track. I love the percussive elements in this one, it feels likes descending into an underground industrial complex. 'My Shelter' is a bit more friendly, melodic but also glitchy and unusual, like a post rock track that's falling asleep. 'Nowhere' is my favorite track here, a genuine dark ambient piece that brings many of the great names to mind. Closer 'Don't Forget Me' eventually comes up with repetitive industrial beats, along with hypnotic drones. Awesomeness.

Kloob - Remarkable Events

ambient / electronic

Dani Kloob has been making music for twenty years, from underground dance tunes to atmospheric ambient. With this album, he seems to investigate where ambient turns into dark ambient, balancing on the edge between the two. The result is an immersive ambient album, minimal but rich in both sound and atmosphere. 'Remarkable Events' is a perfect album to play late at night, warmly tucked in bed, reminiscing about your life. It will guide you into pleasant and adventurous dreams. I can't pick out a favorite track, because that's a hard thing to do with this kind of minimal music but rest assured, this is definitely worth your time.

Widow's Peak - Graceless

death metal

Right, time to blast some relentless death metal through my speakers. Here is Canadian horde Widow's Peak and their suffocating debut EP 'Graceless'. That title fits the load quite well. This thing is raunchy, filthy and gore, a blend of death metal, hard & grindcore, complete with deep growls, harsh screams and pig squeals. Fans of Aborted or Cattle Decapitation will undoubtedly get a hard-on from this stuff. I don't but I'm old, don't mind me. I know for sure that contemporary death metal, deathcore and metalcore fans will absolutely adore this. So, if you are one them, you'll have to check this out. Period!

Cult of Extinction - Black Nuclear Magick Attack

black metal

Sentient Ruin

We end this edition of Brieviews with one of the most menacing, unpredictable and chaotic releases I have heard in a while. German extremists Cult Of Extinction release a thunderous tape, loaded with a filthy and vulgar mix of death, black, grindcore and whatnot. Quite often driving on inhumanly fierce tempos, this four track aims for nothing less than your rotten soul itself. The result is a massive cesspool of noise, hammering and screams that will drain the last bit of hope for humanity out of your miserable life. I think I made myself clear. This comes highly recommended only to the most seasoned extreme metal heads out there.

Serge

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Autokrator - Hammer Of The Heretics

20/3/2018

death metal

The malicious monster from Montpellier returns to the extreme metal scene with a suffocating piece of drone death metal. The band was formed in 2014, the same year Merchants Of Air came to life, and has been one of my favorite death metal bands ever since. From the very beginning I loved their chaotic, drone-infused death metal.

Now I'm more than happy to present their next epos, 'Hammer Of The Heretics', a five track album that will batter you into a bleeding pulp for a bit over half an hour and then leave you behind in a puddle of your own intestines.

I'm not sure if I already made the comparison but to me, Autokrator sounds like Dismember on steroids. Harsh, droning guitars, deep guttural growls and tormenting drums create an overwhelming sound. The overall sound is so intense, so heavy that even the band needs an interlude after the first two tracks. Those tracks are simply crushing, with the gigantic 'Le Sang Impur' even banging on the chaotic walls of the harsh noise scene.

You won't find a lot of variation on 'Hammer Of The Heretics' but in this timespan and with this all-consuming sound variation is a mere detail. What you will find is a heap of intensity, one that is suited only for seasoned death metal fans. I won't make my reggae of jazz fan friends listen to this stuff. They would survive but probably end up in a mental institution. That's the thing with death metal, it's musical insanity, and so is this album.

By the way, that interlude I was talking about earlier in this review, it's not a comfortable, easy-listening tune either, more like haunting dark ambient. It makes way for my favorite track on the album, the pulverizing title track, 'Hammer Of The Heretics'. Oh well, I guess it's clear, you have no right to call yourself a death metal fan if you haven't tried Autokrator. They're on their way to become a genre-defining entity and this album is an absolute must-have.

Serge

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Profane Order - Tightened Noose of Sanctimony

7/3/2018

black metal / death metal

Krucyator Productions