Category: Hard Rock

Ihä - Estructuras De Aire, Colonias De Soplo

ambient / drone

bandcamp

Chilean drone/ambient band Ihä return with a beautiful new four track album. Much like their previous release, 'Esperanza', this one focuses on minimal but atmospheric soundscapes. The result is a soothing yet immersive piece of work, something fans of everything between Brian Eno and Barn Owl can certainly appreciate. Furthermore, people with a hectic life, people who just want to ease down and relax for a moment, should also give this stuff a chance. Play it loud enough, not too loud, close your eyes and let this talented act guide you through the wonderful world of Ihä.

Spankraght - Spankraght EP

industrial / metal / drum & bass

Antwerp is a crowded city. One day a metalhead and a drum & bass producer slammed into each other in one of our many record stores. Their respective Channel Zero and Netsky vinyl albums smashed into pieces and fell to the floor. Instead of fighting each other, they bought some gear and locked themselves in a rehearsal studio. Now they released a nice piece of crossover with a pounding five track EP. Heavy guitars meet electronic beats and synths in a whirlpool of musical energy. It's Pendulum meets Combichrist meets ... let's say Rammstein, or Metallica. Most of all, it's bloody awesome, although I have no idea how to both dance and bang my head at the same time...

August Rosenbaum - Rasa

classical

Tambourhinoceros

Back in November 2017 August Rosenbaum released 'Vista'. Now, as a little extra, he offers a six track EP, containing the stripped down foundations of that album, plus one brand new track, 'Milo'. What can I say about this EP? It's a man playing a piano, nothing more, nothing less. That alone makes this one of the most beautiful things to listening to, especially if that man is a talented and experienced composer. So, if you're into calm, soothing and blissful smile evoking piano music, this EP is an absolutely must have, nothing more, nothing less.

Show Aniki - The Deep Blue Sessions

metal

The EP by French hard rockers Show Aniki compiles four singles. Throughout the years, the band has suffered several line-up changes but that didn't seem to harm the energy. Influenced by everything between Metallica, Anthrax, Disturbed and Alice In Chains these guys deliver four solid and groovy rock tracks. This is perfect stuff for a hot summer afternoon on some big ass rock festival where the older generation of headbangers will often point at the stage and tell the youngsters how metal should be done. So yeah, this is edgy metal with a heavy yet melodic approach. Great stuff.

The Human Race Is Filth - Liberate

grindcore / crust

Right, that was nice metal and all but for true mental torment you'd have to turn toward this cute and friendly American duo. Thrif delivers their second set of chaotic grindcore pummeling, once again with the intensity of an atomic blast. Fans of bands like Dismember and Napalm Death will undoubtedly get a hardon from this stuff (I don't need photographic proof of that!!!). In eight tracks, mostly short blast of ferocious crust/grind, Thrif effortlessly destroys everything in their path, including your sanity, but who needs sanity when you can have grindcore, right?

Misantronics vs Mint Narcosis - EPI

ambient / techno

Misantronics

Mint Narcosis

Ambient and dance beats mix quite well together. Just look at acts like early Biosphere or Psychic Warriors Of Gaia. In that aspect, it's almost weird that ambient act Misantronics and his EDM alter ego Mint Narcosis only now release a cooperative EP. On 'EPI' you can find four tracks, three of them delving deep into the world of ambient techno and one coming up with some breaks. 'Dragon' and 'Kepler' showcase the calm but danceable side of this EP while 'Kuba' is an hypnotic, trance inducing dance track. 'Unwasted Years' is the odd one here, a gloomy IDM track with haunting soundscapes. Certainly to be continued.

The Room in the Wood - Magical Thinking

new wave / alternative rock

Somewhere between the gloomy sound of new wave and the uplifting energy of alternative rock, we find Liverpool residents The Room In The Wood. Think acoustic music with a strong, distinct voice. In the title track the band shows an infectious blend between Leonard Cohen, Wall Of Voodoo and The Lemonheads. Yeps, that's possible. Johnny Cash fans will undoubtedly appreciate 'Baba Yaga' while The Doors lovers will pick out 'Dragonfly' as their favorite. My personal favorite is the opener. It's a track that makes me curious about their other work. I'll check that soon, but for now, this is good enough.

Twilight - Trident Death Rattle

black metal

To be released on May 1st, this three track EP by legendary American black metal band Twilight, is perhaps one of the most epic blackened releases from that continent. These tracks, which feature Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, are harsh, intense and chaotic songs. They showcase a massive sense of derangement and isolation. In fact, Opener 'This Road South' is currently one of my favorite black metal tracks. 'Weathered Flames' is a suffocating spiral of blackened nihilism and closer 'No Consequence' will haunt your dreams for decades to come. These are nightmares translated to music and I like that.

Corpsehammer - Perversión

black metal

Morbid Skull

Speaking about musical nightmares, allow me to plug this ugly little filth monger from Swedish extremists Corpsehammer. This EP is the third part in their EP trilogy, released by Morbid Skull. If you are a fan of old school black metal, and I mean old school in the form of ancient 'World Domination' compilations, this undoubtedly is your thing. In three tracks, plus an outro, Corpsehammer delivers a rancid, hardcore punk influenced approach to extreme metal, often at ferocious speeds. There's nothing pretty about this EP, on the exact contrary. This is the musical equivalent of crawling to mud and faeces, mixed with needles. Awesomeness...

Grim - Requiem

classical / post rock / jazz

Equally awesome but in a completely different way comes this new EP by Belgian trio Grim. This band from Leuven turns classical music into post rock anthems with a gloomy jazz feel. This release is based on Frédéric Chopin, more specifically his Préludes and Marche Funèbre. the result is a cinematic and somewhat intimate sounding blend of post rock and dark jazz, something I'm pleasantly surprised by. I can imagine enjoying this in a small and intimate live setting, like a living room or a salon. However, it would also fit perfectly on a festival like Dunk!. Anyhow, this is pretty cool and certainly recommended.

Mhönos - LXXXVII

drone doom

This album by French ritual drone doom act Mhönos is a massive and epic undertaking. In a way, this is pure catharsis, driving on monolithic riffs, deranged vocals and a crushing atmosphere. What I like most about this, is that the band allow the music to take all the time it needs to grow and evolve. Although slow, I can certainly sense a punk attitude here, mostly in the vocal performance. That reminds me of acts like Winter and coincidentally also Phantom Winter. Yet, the music also reminds me of noise acts like MZ412 and Brighter Death Now. So yeah, this is a brilliant piece of work and it comes highly recommended.

Zero Theorem - Ataraxis

hard rock / metal

Some people are waiting for the new Tool album, others hope Disturbed will release their new record soon and still others are still going heavy on the latest Five Finger Death Punch or Papa Roach. All those people should turn their ears towards Los Angeles based metal band Zero Theorem. This six track EP easily draws comparisons with the aforementioned bands. All these songs are infectious modern day metal songs, with exactly the right doses of aggression, melody, riffing and electronics. It's been a while since I have been excited about anything nu-metal related but this EP definitely does the trick.

Vampillia - Happiness Brought By Endless Sorrow

black metal / noise

Temple Of Torturous

Legendary Japanese "brutal orchestra" Vampilia returns with a four track ep that will undoubtedly blast you into mental oblivion. With a furiously raging blend of black metal, grindcore, drone, post rock and noise, this ten piece smashes all competition. Obviously, that shouldn't be a surprise since this act has been on every extreme experimentalists favorites list for years. Although short, these tracks represent massive anthems and come laced with guitars, drums, violins, piano, screams, grunts and whatnot. This is absolute madness, in the best sense of the word.

The Orchestra Of Mirrored Reflections - Narrow Escape

dark jazz

And to conclude, let me introduce you to one of my favorite dark jazz bands and their latest single. I have been following this orchestra for quite some time now and I'm always pleasantly surprised by their output. This time they deliver a long track that might as well become one of my favorites in the while genre. It's an eight minutes lasting and lingering piece of dark jazz with delayed bass, lazy drums and a free floating saxophone solo. In other words, this is perfect for a Sunday evening with wine and cigarettes, courtesy of The Orchestra Of Mirrored Reflections.

Serge

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Rock'N'Brawl - Full Throttle Baby

5/4/2018

punk / hard rock

Well, they couldn't have made this any clearer, could they? With a band name like this and a highly promising title, these French guys appear to be prepared for a heavy rocking battle that will eventually end up in a dental hospital. Are they? We'll see.

Rock 'n' Brawl appeared on the French rock scene in 2013. That scene appears to be overloaded with hard rocking bands already but nobody seems to mind, especially not these guys. With a high energy mix of hardcore punk and hard rock they blast the competition off stage.

Looking at their facebook profile, I see that the band is influenced by Danko Jones, The Bronx and AC/DC. However, when I listen to some of the tracks here, I can't help but think that hardcore punk bands like Agnostic Front and Hatebreed also had their influence on Rock 'n' Brawl. 'Can't Stop The Fight' and 'Unbreakable' are fierce punk tracks that will undoubtedly cause crowd surfers and moshpits, with the inevitable broken teeth as a result.

However, sometimes the tempo goes down a bit, resulting in sweet hard rock tracks like 'Coughing To Death' and 'Loud Punch'. With 'Lack & Wounds' there is even a ballad on the album, be it a raunchy, gritty one. In fact, that's my favorite track here. It might sound weird but I really love this tune. Obviously it adds variation, but it also serves as a calm spot in a raging ocean of hardcore punk rock. So who to recommend it to? Hard core punk rockers, of course. They should really check out this thing.

Serge

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General Cluster - Greetings From The Black Mountains

27/3/2018

stoner rock / hard rock

Spring is here so we have to start preparing for the summer festivals. I can almost smell the grass of the now calm meadows that will soon be turned into frenzied rock 'n roll temples. Soon, the stages will pop-up, along with booze, eat and merch stand. Soon, thousands of rockers will enjoy at least one day in the park while rockers of all places and age blast their riffs through the massive speakers. Undoubtedly, I will be among them a few times and perhaps General Cluster can join in on the fun too. With their in-your-face stoner metal, they will have the peeps on such a now calm meadow on their feet with their intense riffing.

General Cluster is a band from France, Grenoble to be exact. Since their inception, they have released two EP's, now followed by their first full length. Their music is a heavy blend of alternative rock and stoner metal, with some vocals inspired by either the black, death of post-metal scene. But, most importantly perhaps, these Frenchies rock like there is no tomorrow as the song fiercy follow each other.

The fun already starts with opener 'No One's Bitch', which is a genuine stoner rock track. Immediately, influences from Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Red Fang become clear as the band comes up with heaps of groove and energy. From then on, we're on a wild ride, one that only occasionally takes back a bit of gas. 'The Rover' and 'Shield Wall' are just as convincing, with the ladder banging on the gates of the extreme.

However, we haven't mentioned doom metal here. I mean, every stoner metal band will occasionally create a slower track and that track quite often turns into uncorrupted doom metal. On this album, 'Voices' takes on that role, bringing acts like Electric Wizard to mind. Soon after, they raise the tempo again, resulting in my favorite track here, the heavy blues rocker 'Let's Go Porn'.

Or maybe the riff-loaded 'Mountains' is my favorite, a fast stoner metal track that will undoubtedly cause some crowdsurfers, moshpits and stage divers to appear. I wouldn't mind and I wouldn't be surprised. This is high quality and highly enjoyable groovy metal that all fans of the aforementioned bands can certainly appreciate. Besides, and perhaps most importantly, in a genre that steadily turns towards the generic, General Cluster definitely stands out with an irresistible and well varied sound.

Serge

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Barabbas - The Locksmith

7/3/2018

stoner rock / metal

Consouling Sounds

Right, back to Belgium and you know what that means: a glorifying review. I mean, regular Merchants Of Air readers already know that I'm convinced that this is one of the world most talented countries as far as underground music is concerned. I could drop a truckload of Belgian band names now to prove my point but I'm not going to. I'll just focus on this groove blaster from Genk residents Barabbas. Much like their colleagues in Bathsheba and Hemelbestormer, Barabbas proves that Limburg is not necessarily a quiet place. Sometimes, there in the woods of Bokrijk and surroundings, the earth trembles and shakes, caused by thick riffs and pounding drums.

Then again, that shouldn't be surprising. Barabbas consists of members of Sardonis, Rebel Yell, The Grams and Solenoid. They are veterans, massively experienced in creating groovy, immersive metal, which is exactly what they deliver on this album. Influenced by acts like Mastodon, Queens Of The Stone Age, Black Sabbath and Baroness (to name a few), these guys grind, rock and roll as if there is no tomorrow.

The album opens with 'Goldstone' which immediately sets the tone. We're dealing with high energy groove metal here, nothing more, nothing less. The array of riffs, drums, twin guitars and a decent sense of humor will make every stoner rocker drool. 'Sister' and 'Right Where You Want Me' seem to follow the opener's heavy rocking example, but then there is the weird and amusing 'Guy Tells Us How To Make An Omelet' which for more than one reason reminds me of Tool's 'Die Eier Of Satan'. Maybe I'm just hungry.

'I'll Stand Behind You' is arguably my favorite track here, a classic old school hard rock tune that nowadays would make a perfect stoner rock track. In that aspect, I wouldn't be surprised if Barabbas appears on one of the stages on Desertfest in October. I wouldn't mind and I wouldn't be surprised if the quartet delivers a mouthwatering set. Just listen to a track like 'Thorn In My Side' which brings the spirit of Led Zeppelin to today's heavy scene. Heads will bang, crowds will surf, pits will mosh.

In all, this is a highly interesting debut album from a club of ultra experienced gentlemen. There is no denying that. I'm sure we will hear more from these guys in the near future and I'm very curious about their evolution. Today, Barabbas stands for good old fashioned rocking and rolling fun. The future looks bright for Barabbas, who seem to have invented a beautiful time machine which leads us back to the glory days of hard rock. Recommended? I'd be severely disappointed if you thought I wasn't going to recommend this gem...

Serge

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Brieviews 30

11/11/2017

Hi there

This is already the 30th edition of Brieviews, the review series where we throw an array of short reviews in your faces. I started these in an effort to promote more bands in a shorter amount of time, because time is something none of us have enough of.
That being said, we're still struggling to check out all the stuff that comes in, let alone being able to publish reviews for everything. So, I'd like to use this opening paragraph to do another call for writers. If you'd like to your our awesome team, click here.

Ihä - Esperanza

drone / ambient

Hailing from Chile, and founded in 2011, Ihä delivers three long, gentle and minimal ambient drone pieces. Minimalism certainly is a keyword here, as the music only shows minute variations. While some might find such a thing boring, ambient aficionados will definitely appreciate these lingering soundscapes. In that aspect, the track 'Un salto dichoso hacia la eternidad' might be a surprise. Here we have a melodic and highly immersive piece of ambient music. Stratosphere comes to mind but also Eno, Fripp and so on. In all, this certainly is a nice addition to your ever growing ambient collection, no doubt about that.

Parsons Rocket Project - Parsons Rocket Project

shoegaze / ambient rock

Atlanta-based Parsons Rocket Project worked on their debut EP for two years, and the result is stunning. They launch you into space and take you to planets Noise Rock, New Wave, Shoegaze, Psychedelic, Dream Pop and Post-Rock. Short as the tracks may be, they blend these genres in a wonderful way. The vocals add to the dreamy atmosphere of the whole. I'm reminded mostly of Slowdive, Archive and 65daysofstatic and I'm looking forward to hearing more from these guys and girl.

(review by Eline)

The Mayhem Lecture Series - Structures And Behaviors EPv1

ambient / experimental

More ambient music some from a different perspective. The Mayhem Lecture Series is a project by Dave Wesley, a dub techno and ambient producer. On this EP, he comes up with crackling, rhythmic but beatless music, field recordings and several spoken word samples. The result is something between Autechre and Cordell Klier or Squarepusher and Biosphere. While opener 'Intrepid' is still my favorite, the whole EP can easily satisfy my weird-ambient-needs, and believe me, I have a lot of those. So if you like a stroll into the strange and odd, this is your chance and it comes highly recommended.

Jupiter Zeus - Eyes on the Prize

hard rock / heavy metal

Australian quartet Jupiter Zeus come up with a bunch of groovy heavy metal songs, inspired by the good old days of doom and hard rock. I sense some influences from bands like Black Sabbath, Iced Earth and Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, plus a shitload of other metal bands. Yet, Jupiter Zeus easily managed to create their own sound, which give this EP a coherent sound. It's a rather doomish sound, even if the tempo goes up, and it quite often does. For real, this things is pleasantly entertaining and solid enough to become a strong mid carter on festival bills. Check it out, bang your head, go nuts!

Haema - Insurrection

industrial metal / alternative metal

Sliptrick

Hailing from Northamptonshire, UK, Haema does something interesting with industrial and alternative metal. Influenced by acts like Fear Factory and American Head Charge, this band can easily entertain fans from everything between Limp Bizkit and Machine Head. Yet, using similar vocals, Haema can also add a bit of variation to the metalcore scene. One way or another, these guys seem to constantly cross the lines between nu-metal, industrial metal and everything core-related. The result is a fascinating piece of work, one that grooves your arse and rocks your sock off. Yeah, you'll be naked after two songs...

H2SO4 - British Bangla Testament

thrash metal

Transcending Obscurity

The chemistry nerds amongst will have immediately found out where the name from this Bangladeshi band stands for: sulphuric acid. Perhaps in a way, their music is that too, as it is harsh, corrosive and biting. In fact, what we are dealing with here is a fierce blast of old school thrash metal, influenced by the lords of thrash, including Slayer, Testament, Kreator, Exodus and so on. The result is an ep that will scratch your eyes out and do something Cannibal Corpse cover-ish to your festering body. You have been warned. For brutal metallic beatdowns, look no further.

Asylum 8 - Repressed

death metal

Spotify

If you are one of those people who think melodic death metal and techno synths do not mix, you might want to check out this debut by Finnish sextet Asylum 8. One of the members is a synth wizard while the others stay loyal to the Scandinavian melodic death metal scene. That cooperation results in something fresh, something incredibly enjoyable. You can brutally band your head or just dance your butt off to this music. Bands that come to mind include Pain and Waltari, who have also done interesting things with the combination between these two arch enemies. No, for real, this is a great album, certainly an original one.

Jinthra - Transitæon

dark ambient

One half of one of my favorite contemporary dark ambient acts Druhá Smrt comes up with a solo effort, and it's already one for the ages. With gloomy and introvert soundscapes, eerie whispers and angsty percussion, Jinthra immediately showcases his skills and talent. This is a ritual ambient performance at a very high ànd a deeply personal level. There are four tracks to be found here, and it's hard to pick a favorite. Opener 'Oath Of The Edge' is brilliant and the others seem to build on that, sometimes tending towards the noise scene. Fans of everything between Raison D'Etre and MZ412 really should check this out.

Insanity Cult / Isolert - Towards the Great Dissolution

black metal

facebook Isolert

facebook Insanity Cult

Back to the extreme corners of the metal scene where we find this harsh and relentless split by Isolert and Insanity Cult. Each band delivered two gnawing tracks with Insanity Cult showcasing some of the most intense blackened vocals I've heard in awhile. Isolert follows a similar path of old school black metal. Here, the vocals seem less prominent and screeching. Yet, that does not affect the intensity of the whole thing. In fact, 'Dreams Of Emptiness' is my favorite track on this split, a fierce true black metal blaster that will haunt your dreams. In all, this is an excellent split to add to your obscure collection.

Akoustik Timbre Frekuency - Thee Essence Of Existence

dark ambient

For his seventeenth (!) release, dark ambient ritualist Akoustik Timbre Frekuency delivered one massive drone piece, created with singing bowls, gongs, bells and synthesised sounds. I could say that this is a great album, and I wouldn't even be lying about it, but it's more than that. This release invites you to calm down, to step away from the hectic and performance-oriented society for a while. Sit down, comfortably. Close your eyes and just listen. Ignore all other stimuli. Meditate. Focus on your breathing. This is one of those albums that can help you relax and set your mind at ease. Believe me, it works.

The Reed Effect - A Strange Curiosity

stoner rock / grunge

It's nice to see how the psychedelic stoner rock scene openly invites the world of grunge to join its ranks. Take this EP by Ontario, Canada rockers The Reed Effect for example. In six tracks they remind me of everything between Stone Temple Pilots, Kyuss, Soundgarden and Colour Haze, just to name a few. Obviously, the groove is big in this one as the thick riffs flow out of my speakers like a massive pile of green, smokey mud. I like it that way, and I'm quite sure that an entire Desert-scene is waiting for some pounding rock tunes like 'Down In Here' and 'No Way Outta Here'. Neat stuff...

Fotocrime - Always Night

post punk / dark wave

Golden Antenna

And suddenly my living room reeks of the dark eighties, where creatures dressed in black danced to Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus, Killing Joke and many others. R. Pattern (ex-Coliseum) clearly shares the dark visions of that era. With his new band, Fotocrime, he digs deep into the world of gothic rock, EBM and darkwave. The result is a remarkable EP with a bunch of dark dancefloor fillers. Some rock, some bring out the beats and synths, but all of them are massively convincing examples of their respective genres. My favorite is 'Always Hell', a brilliant goth rock tune. Now, this is a retro-trend I would like to see a lot more of in the near future...

Disco-Nected - Vision Division

metal

Hailing from Paris, France, this power trio comes up with five damned infectious metal songs. This is sheer energy, dressed in groovy basslines, ripping riffing and pounding drums. That, ànd these guys know a thing or two about the melodic aspect in the metal scene. Opener 'Here To Stay' is an absolute blast. My favorite track is 'Unity', an uptempo rocker that somehow reminds me of acts like Therapy? or Foo Fighters. Other bands that come to mind include Channel Zero, Incubus and Biffy Clyro. I don't think that is a bad set of names to be compared with. So yeah, this surely is one for a good headbanging session.

Morphine Social Club - Monolithic Gospel

stoner rock / psychedelic rock

On to Greece where we find a band named Morphine Social Club. They call their music "monolithic rock 'n' roll" and I'm perfectly fine with that. On this EP they deliver four groovy tracks with heaps of psychedelic riffs and solos. Opener 'Your Sun Is So Toxic' is a highly danceable track, one where even krautrock is welcome. 'Chaos Lover' nudges towards the punk scene and comes with a nice array of noise. I also love the industrial touch of the drums on this one. 'Swansong' seems to go a bit more post-punk/shoegaze on our asses and the closer 'Starship Of Perception' is a fuzzed-out psych tune. Wow, I'd say.

Jenn Vix - Unlocked

alternative rock / post punk

And back to the eighties and the gloomy sound of that era's pop music. Jenn Vix has worked with members from The Cure, Psychedelic Furs, De Veldt, with the guitarist for Bowie and with Dirk Ivens. On this EP she showcases her experience with five highly enjoyable pop songs. There is a bit of post punk, some synth pop and the touch of the alternative rock by Garbage. There is a nice sense of minimalism here too. None of these songs are too complex or over-dramatized. They're just nice tunes to listen to. In all, this is another excellent invitation to the dark dancefloors, one which I will obviously recommend.

Pylon Reenactment Society - Part Time Punks Session

punk / alternative rock

Chunklet

Athens, Georgia based alternative rockers Pylon Reenactment Society crawled out of the ashes of Pylon in 2014. With the raw power of early punk and the in-your-face vocals of Vanessa Briscoe Hay, the band is on an interesting and infectious course. It's like a harsher version of B52's. There are Blondie references, Bikini Kill comes to mind. Yet, most of all, I think this is a band that clearly enjoys making music together. They seem to have fun and they easily manage to pass that fun to their audience. Undoubtedly, they have the right attitude, the right sound and the right playfulness to entertain you. Check it out.

Dreamgrave - Monuments

progressive metal

This EP by Hungarian progressive rock act Dreamgrave is one from a stunningly high level. Opener 'Drop The Curtain' is an epic piece of work which fans of Within Temptation or Nightwish will certainly appreciate. From there, things take on a more progressive approach, more progressive than metal actually. 'Monuments' is a complex and bombastic piece of music that will shock and awe you multiple times. These people know how to play, that's for sure. Closer 'The Passing Faith in Others' is my favorite, a huge whirlpool of musical ingenuity. If you like your music complex, technical, narrative and masterfully played, you need this EP.

Mortum - Eheieh Chaos

black metal

Time to throw a vile and putrid slab of primitive black metal through the speakers. For such an occasion, American du Mortum seems to be a perfect candidate. Lo-fi production, the aggression of a rhino stampede and the ice cold atmosphere of old school black metal, those are the elements. Plus, somehow Mortum managed to push a sense of melody into the whole thing, not too much. With seven fierce tracks, Mortum delivers an excellent album which quite often goes to hyperspeed but also contains highly immersive mid tempo passages. If you want old school, this one comes highly recommended.

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Long Claw - Disastrophe

7/11/2017

hard rock / stoner rock

With eleven tracks – (The Battle Of) Blair Mountain, March Of The Trolls, The Land Of Bilk And Money, Razor Blade Tears, Disastrophe, Unicorn Stew, Data And Goliath, Agnostisized, The Winds Of Winter, The Mooseknuckle Brigade and Blue-Collar Mother Fucker – Disastrophe is the debut album of Atlanta, Georgia based hard rock group Long Claw. Within the basic principles of a more old school metal, that arrives between the circles of heavy and stoner, Long Claw has released a very interesting and unconventional album, despite relying on traditional genre formulas to a certain degree. With an intriguing, organized and sophisticated sonorous approach, their sound is elegant and brutal at the same time, and definitely rescues the more effective sideline of wild and heavier rock’n’roll.

With an authentic sonorous identity, and a somewhat irreverent musical prerogative, Long Claw has strong harmonies and aggressively rude and striking, but precisely modest guitar lines, which are, in my opinion, their greatest qualities. With particularly enchanting beautiful songs – with a poetically primordial nature of sensibility and serenity, like the fourth track, Razor Blade Tears, that brings in the everlasting sincerity of its harmoniously human conjuncture a significant influence from southern rock, that in this case I would personally describe as a bizarrely eccentric mixture of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Blind Guardian –, Disastrophe is a preciously singular, uniquely fascinating, beautifully executed work, that has on the strength of its formidable creativity its greatest triumph.

With an eclectic and versatile style, that swims mostly on heavier and wider oceans of rock, Long Claw has presented on Disastrophe a fantastic new version of old school rock’n’roll. Without any moments of monotonous or generic harmonies, this great band has introduced into the underground scenery a virulent and audacious degree of energy that certainly has everything to increase not only a more genuine potential for the genre as a whole, but to awake a more lethargic fan base to a real authentic revival of old school rock’n’roll.

Although Disastrophe has its share of common and ordinary songs as well, nevertheless, it is a great and thoroughly intriguing album, that rescues entirely, with a somewhat charismatic easiness, the soul and the essence of wild rock’n’roll. Definitely, it is worthwhile listening to it! Be sure about that!

Wagner

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Egonaut - The Omega

3/11/2017

heavy metal / doom

Formed in 2006, Swedish doom rock clan Egonaut has gone through a heap of genres. At first, the band combined punk, stoner rock and hard rock but somewhere along the line, they evolved into the quite impressive doom rock vehicle they are now.

I did not really expect that. First of all, I did not know the band until today and second, the brilliant cover art (by Adrian Baxter) made me expect something black metal-ish. The new logo, created by Costin Chioreanu obviously helped in creating that first impression.But then I pressed play.

The album opens with 'Initium', which immediately showcases a great blend between old school hard rock, doom and heavy metal. For a moment, I'm not sure in what age we're living. There is indeed something stoner rocky and certainly some doom influences but Egonaut goes way further than that. The synths even bring The Vision Bleak to mind. In 'Offerings', they remind me of some old school occult rock acts.

Of course, roaming in the doom metal regions, Black Sabbath comes to mind here and there. Yet, not the Black Sabbath with Ozzy. I'm talking about the more complex and progressive version. There are some awesome guitar solos and leads to be found here, and the vocals contain heaps of power. I mean, throughout the first half of the record, acts like Dio, Uncle Acid, Warlock, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple have crossed my mind. I don't think that those are bad references.

The band likes to call their music 'Doom 'n Roll', and yeah, sure, why not. , The whole thing reeks of seventies and eighties and fits perfectly on any Desertfest/Roadburn/Up In Smoke stage. Besides, I am damn sure that you will often be pleasantly surprised as Egonaut has a flair for coming up with both catchy and unexpected hooks. And again, those synths!!! They really finish the job. Just listen to 'The Pledge' and you'll know what I mean.

In all, 'The Omega' is an excellent album and a convincing tribute to hard rock music, regardless of the subgenres. It's varied, technically perfect and it contains some brilliant songwriting skills. Personally, I'm glad that this kind of hard rock masterpieces can still be made today. So obviously I will recommend this album. Check it out and allow Egonaut to give you a rock 'n roll eargasm.

Serge

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Brieviews 29

11/10/2017

Order Serge's debut novel 'Cecilia's World' now.

Pie Are Squared - Co(a)sts

ambient / electronic

This EP by Italian based, Egyptian born multi-instrumentalist Mohammed Ashraf is entirely composed with the Make Noise 0-Coast synthesizer. I'm not really familiar with the technical specifications, but judging from the sounds produced, it must be a wet dream for synth fans. Pie Are Squared delivers five minimal and dreamy ambient tracks that remind me of some of the electronics pioneers of the sixties. The overall sound seems somewhat cold and gloomy, especially in 'Three And A Half'. If you're a synth based ambient fanatic, this EP will surely fit in your collection, right next to old Kraftwerk and Eno.

Interface Type Seven - Devices

ambient / electronic

Another beautiful piece of electronic ambient comes from Las Vegas based Interface Type Seven. Here too, minimalistic soundscapes and gloomy drones create gentle and dreamy tracks. In most of these rather short tunes , a sense of rhythm can be found, adding a lot to the immersive nature of the whole thing. Somehow, a very minimalistic version of Boards Of Canada comes to mind, along with Aphex Twin's pure ambient works and - of course - Biosphere. So, obviously, even though I don't have much to add to this review, this album comes extremely recommended for ambient fans.

30.000 Monkies - Starrrrrrrrring

sludge / noise rock

Wolves And Vibrancy

Belgian noise makers 30.000 Monkies have been called the bastard sons of Sleep, Melvins and Lightning Bolt. Yet, most of all, this is just an intensely noisy combo with an odd sense of humor. The four tracks here are titled 'Orlando Doom', 'Keanu Riffs', 'Sharon Drone' and 'Tom Wanxxx'. So I guess I can compare this EP to watching these actors crawling through rivers of mud and faeces in a post apocalyptic world, only to end up on a vile orgy of grinding guitars, pounding drums and sheer brutality. Nope, going to the movies will never be the same from now on. Weird, noisy fucking Belgians... Buy this.

Horse Head - Terminal

doom / sludge

A while ago, the mayor of Antwerp found a horse head on his driveway. I can imagine his mother's reaction. She must have sounded somewhat like this brutal quartet from Arizona. In four tracks, Horse Head pounds and pummels you into a bloody mash and you will absolutely enjoy the abuse. That is, if you're into harsh, intense and murderous sludge doom. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it. Thick, Conan/Yob like riffs form the foundation on which the vocalist can throw his lungs into an unexpecting audience. Musically, this is nothing new or original, but is executed to perfection. So yeah. Buy it.

Arkhon Infaustus - Passing The Nekromanteion

black metal / death metal

Les Acteurs de L'Ombre

French extreme metal duo Arkhon Infaustus returns with a pummeling and disturbing EP. Of course, them being in this business for twenty years, you can expect nothing less than harsh and intense old school blackened perfection. Chaotic at first, the four songs on this EP gradually showcase the band's talent and thier excellent flair for the avant garde approach. Still, within all this chaos and turmoil, Arkhon Infaustus manages to come up with great melodic passages. In fact, it took me four minutes to really get into this EP but now, after listening carefully, I consider this a highlight in today's blackened scene.

Brørby / Clausen - Mannen Faller

ambient / experimental / noise

A harsh and relentless ambient album, quite often crossing the line between dark ambient and noise. 'Mannen Faller' by Norwegian artists Anders Brørby and Rune Clausen is probably one of the most surprising and stunning releases I have heard in awhile. It contains sounds of nature, like the lovely sounds of birds, but also the harsh, intense reality of it, represented by haunting noises and overwhelming soundscapes. It's like Biosphere and Haus Arafna suddenly decided to do something together. Perhaps the term 'brutalist ambient' really fits here, but in any way, this is a highly recommended work.

LaColpa - Mea Maxima Culpa

doom / black metal

Well, since we decided to dig into the darker sides of the musical spectrum, we might as well plunge right into the void of the occult and the obscure. There we find Italian band LaColpa and their 'Mea Maxima Culpa' EP. These three long tracks are massive anthems of despair and hopelessness, blending dark ambient, sludge doom and black metal. They come with gigantic walls of sound, fearsome screams and soul piercing riffs. This is extreme music at its blackest, no doubt about that. If you're into acts like Rorcal or Celeste, LaColpa comes intensely recommended. This is a brilliant piece of aural darkness.

Nervcast - Locked And Loaded

thrash metal

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Nervcast might be one of the most convincing old school thrash metal bands in today's era. This EP contains four tracks, which are clearly inspired by the first efforts of bands like Metallica and Megadeth. In fact, 'Chemical Solution' might as well be a track from the 'Ride the Lightning' album. 'Fallen Angels' is slower, nudging towards arena rock while 'Moonstruck' has an Iron Maiden meets Nevermore feel. Closer 'Locked and Loaded' turns back to Metallica for inspiration and brilliantly assaults your neck muscles. These tracks are great, old school and bloody catchy, thus highly recommended.

Terra IncΩgnita - Sign with Blood

heavy metal

Greek heavy metal combo Terra IncΩgnita want to drag old school metal into the present day, and I must say, they're doing quite well too. These four tracks are firmly rooted in the epicness of bands like Manowar or Gravedigger but there is a tendency to experiment with progressive and atmospheric metal. The result is pretty damn good headbanging material that is also perfectly suited for fans of technical dissipation. With some crushing guitars and very strong choruses, these Greeks might be on their way to the bigger festival podia allover Europe. Rock on!!!

House Of Broken Promises - Twisted

hard rock

Heavy Psych Sounds

Heavy Psych Sounds have been releasing plenty of electrifying releases in the past few years and it doesn't look like this tendency will end soon. Take this seven track EP for example, which contains two covers (Black Sabbath and Billy Squire) plus live tracks and outtakes. The whole thing is good for thirty minutes of old school rock 'n roll bliss and to party like it's 1969. With potent songs and heaps of energy, this record is definitely a welcome addition to your ever expanding hard/psychedelic/stoner rock collection. So check it out and get that rock 'n roll party started. You know you want to...

Rites of Daath - Hexing Graves

death metal

Godz Ov War

Polish newcomers Rites Of Daath come up with quite a fascinating mini album. The first few minutes are slow, haunting and gnawing pieces of doom inspired death metal but then suddenly, all hell breaks loose. The tempo goes up - severely - and elements from melodic Scandinavian death metal start blasting through the thick, downtune wall of sound. From then on, Rites Of Daath seem to maintain a firm grasp on the listener with a short but well varied effort. Death metal fans, rejoice, this might as well become one of your new favorites. This is brutal, harsh, relentless and vile, exactly the things you like.

Prostitution - Egyptian Blue

black metal

I know, from looking at the cover, you might expect a psychedelic rock album. I mean, this one looks like it fits perfectly between your grandfather's Pink Floyd, Yes and Camel albums. However, this three track EP kicks of with fierce and intense black metal, driving on pummeling drums and gut piercing riffs. Little later, Brooklyn based horde Prostitution deliver some progressive elements but the growls and screams never make place for something calm. Obviously, that is not a bad thing, on the very contrary. I think Prostitution are on their way to find their own sound in a genre that is seemingly limitless. Excellent stuff.

Andy K Leland - Happy Daze

folk / lo-fi

Right, after all that violence, I need something to ease my nerves. That is where the playful ballads of Andy K Leland come in. On 'Happy Daze' you can find six short tunes that could have been either shoegaze or rock songs if there was a whole band, but since Leland is doing this on his own, the songs seem stripped down to campfire capacity. Yet, even in their minimal approach, this are quite catchy and immersive pieces of music which might as well put a large smile on your face. Opener 'The Kingdom' is probably my favorite but I enjoy every second of this EP. Recommended for fans of Luka Bloom and colleagues...

Ummagma - LCD

shoegaze / dreampop

Dreampop combo Ummagma return with a new EP and it contains some big names. Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) and Dean Garcia (Curve) offered their remixing talents, and then you pretty much know what to expect. The song 'LCD' is a delightful and somewhat experimental mid tempo trip hop tune. While the original is highly enjoyable, I prefer the long dreamy remix by Garcia, who also remixed 'Back To Do' in a similar - brilliant - manner. So is the Guthrie remix for 'Lama': immersive, dreamy and almost otherworldly. Yeps, this EP is definitely worth the effort

The Kahless Clone - Our Never-Ending Loneliness

post metal / progressive metal

Hailing from Chicago, The Kahless Clone plays instrumental rock, inspired by Mogwai, This Patch Of Sky and so on. But wait, there is more. If you know that this band features Novembers Doom guitarist Vito Marchese, you can also expect plenty of dark, melodic metal influences. And the combination between the two makes this EP a brilliant one. Immersive melodies, gloomy rock passages and emotional post-whatever landscapes create something breathtaking. These are excellent narrative pieces of music, enhanced by stunning keyboard and electronics. Or: this is psychedelic progressive post dark metal at its very best...

Encyrcle - Burning Child

thrash metal / heavy metal

Unspeakable Axe

Danish horde Encyrcle delves deep into the history of thrash metal with their latest effort 'Burning Child'. This EP contains two brand new songs, a short instrumental and a cover version of 'Strange Days' (The Doors). Opener 'Delight Of Evil' seems to be exactly what the title predicts, since metal is the most evil of genres and this is a delightful piece technical skills and songwriting. Title track 'Burning Child' brings back the epic glory of heavy metal. Manowar, Celtic Frost and Venom come to mind, which I guess are not bad references. Recommended only for stubborn metalheads...

Caesaria - Come On & Dance

electronic / indie

Soundcloud

And now for something completely different. French quartet Caesaria intivte you to the dancefloor with two uplifting and playful tunes. 'Take It Out On Me' is a modern day disco tune, mixed with sweet and innocent indie rock. The other track 'Come On & Dance' does things a bit slower and contains a rap passage. Personally, I like both tracks, even though this isn't necessarily the stuff I usually listen to. If you want your pop music to be a little rough on the edges but danceable and friendly, Caesaria certainly is a band to keep an eye on, and two ears, obviously, and put your dancing shoes on.

Mint Narcosis - Obtrusive Tunes For Obtrusive People

electronic / industrial / drum & bass

Once in awhile, Belgian ambient engineer Misantronics turns into his EDM alter ego Mint Narcosis and unleashes a bunch of quirky dance tunes. For this six track EP, Mint Narcosis was seemingly inspired by The Prodigy's breakbeats ('Prodigo') but also by industrial electornics ('Klotekloten') and drum & bass ('Wodan', 'Fear and Loathing' & 'Laika'). Of course, the Misantronics touch is never far away so there are some (dark) ambient passages to be found here as well, be it in a rhythmic, danceable way. In all, this is a fun album from an artist that stubbornly does whatever he likes to.

Vvon Dogma I - Communion

metal / djent / industrial

What would happen if you lock Daft Punk, Meshuggah, Apoptygma Berzerk and Scorn into a rehearsal studio? Well, I have no idea but this fascinating EP by Vvon Dogma I might give you an idea. To say that this EP is quite varied would be a tremendous understatement. Elements from industrial (techno ànd metal), progressive rock, trap, funk, house, djent and metal pummel you down until have no idea where you are or what musical age you're living in. Of course, there is ChaotH at his 9-string bass, but that is just one aspect of the unique and eventful sound of this band. Or in one word: Wow !

Kult Mogil - Portentaque

death metal / black metal

Pagan Records

Almost two years ago, I reviewed an album by Polish horde Kult Mogil. Now, they return with another disturbing and chaotic piece of extreme metal. This three track ep mercilessly blends death metal, black metal, pagan metal and grindcore into one huge, vile and dissonant piece of noise. These guys have clearly found their own niche within the world of extreme music and they're not going to stop releasing their strange and unique sound any time soon. Not that they have to, this EP proves that extremes can still be unique, self-willed and bloody intense. Recommended? Only if you are experienced!

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HighWay - IV

29/9/2017

hard rock

Back to France and back to guitars. In fact, "back" seems to be an excellent word to start this review. This is a neat throwback into some of the golden eras of rock 'n roll music. It blends the heavy blues of the seventies with the glam of the eighties and the roughness of the nineties.

The band was formed in Montpellier, apparently inspired by everything between Whitesnake, ZZ Top, Motley Crue, Guns 'n Roses, The Scorpions, Deep Purple and Kiss. With all those names, obviously one question remains: how does HighWay cope with all these influences?

Well, from the very first tones of opener 'Brotherhood', the answer to that question is "excellent". What a stomper this song is. It immediately sets the tone for the entire album. With heavy rock, catchy chorus and flashing guitar solos, HighWay embody the definition of "good old fashioned rock music". The other songs follow that example. "Pole Dancing Song" breathes a southern atmosphere, Coyote Ugly kind of stuff, but with better music. "Wake Up" is somewhat slower but still a more than decent blues rock tune. Guest vocalist here is Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman, Journey ...).

From then on, the band constantly balances on the edges between blues and vintage hard rock. Besides, they perform it with great precision. These guys can handle their instruments, that's for sure. Furthermore, Benjamin Folch is an excellent vocalist. He can carry the blues just as easily as the rough edge of rock music. In 'Boogie Wave' he suddenly reminded me of Midnight Oil and shortly after I heard a James Hetfield comparison. But before you think HighWay is just another hard rock clone, these French dudes certainly mastered their trade.

I also like the backing vocals. Very often, the bassist and guitarist take their place behind a microphone. The result is great and adds a lot to the power and epic atmosphere of the whole thing. Yes, epic, this music sounds like it belongs on massive stages and in huge arenas. Songs like 'Psycho Lover' and 'Say Your Prayers' can easily set festivals on fire. The album closes with two nice surprises, the very odd sounding 'Chemical Trip' and the blues rocker 'Separate Ways'. So yes, great album but now I'm hungry to see this live...

Serge

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Jerkbait - Paralyzed

23/9/2017

hard rock