Category: Heavy Metal

Dizorder - Moon Phases

alternative / metal / metalcore

Although I'm not always content with the term "female fronted metal", I have to say that in this case the presence of Chloé defines the whole identity of Dizorder. While the men behind her deliver a solid modern day metal foundation, Chloé varies from melancholic to firm to brutal several times in a row. This EP contains four tracks, an intro and an outro. It showcases a wide of influences, from Evanescence and Flyleaf to Linkin Park, Deftones, Otep and today's metalcore scene. Furthermorre, there are some excellent tunes to be found, like 'Erinyes' or 'Pick'. Nice work and an excellent business card.

Greyhawk - Ride Out

heavy metal / power metal

Tsss, those Americans, rebooting something everybody in Europe laughs at, except Manowar fans but I don't think they have that much to laugh about anyway. Heading from Seattle, Greyhawk comes up with old school heavy metal, inspired by the greats and breathing the exact same air as Dio, Judas Priest, Blind Guardian, Helloween and so on. The result is this highly enjoyable and perfectly executed power metal EP, named 'Ride Out'. Fans of the old school will undoubtedly eat this up. So check it out, raise your horned fist and join the glory of heavy metal as it should be!

Gramma Vedetta - Proof of Concept

hard rock / stoner rock / alternative rock / grunge

We're not done having an old school party here. Next up is London based Gramma Vedetta and their infectious blend of blues, grunge, psychedelic rock and jam rock. Somehow these guys are stuck between the sixties and the nineties, which results in extravagant party tunes like 'Behind the Blinds', strange punky rockers like '.Taranto Train to Toronto Town' and instant grunge classics like 'She (Has A Plan)'. This EP is loaded with energy, fun and rock 'n roll. If this band can't get your party started, you are throwing the wrong party, that's for sure. So grab a beer and join me in the pit!

Godless - Swarm

thrash / death metal

Right, enough fun, time to torment our eardrums with some vile extremities courtesy of Indian death-thrash combo Godless. After an impending intro all hell breaks loose as we descent into a frenzy of riffs, blast-beats and ferocious screams. Influenced by everything between Kreator, Morbid Angel and Behemoth, Godless rages on with a murderous tempo and mind shattering intensity. This EP is short, but so is a chainsaw into the skull and that is a perfect comparison. Godless are not here to mess around, they are here to demolish, destroy and conquer.

O n s e t - Unstructured Dissemination

doom

Weird Truth

This debut EP by Onset, a collaborative effort of Mirai Kawashima from Sigh and synthwave artist Microchip Terror, is perhaps one of the most surprising doom metal releases this year. With elements from traditional doom, post rock, space rock and extreme metal, Onset delivers something both immersive and unsettling. The riff-heavy approach of funeral doom meets with the soul piercing experimentality of noise to create two epic pieces of dark and heavy music. This is definitely not an easy EP to listen to but it a unique and refreshing entity in the world of doom, which imply means it's awesome.

Ssanahtes - Ssanahtes

doom / sludge / post hardcore

French "not another post metal" act Ssanahtes comes up with a whole lot of noise, surprisingly close related to post metal. This self-titled album is an intense, brutal and abrasive piece of sludge doom and noise rock, coming at you in six psychotic tunes. The band claims to be influenced by bands like Neurosis, Meshuggah, Cult Of Luna and Kickback. You might as well add the deranged sounds of Japanese acts like Skullflower to that list as well. The result is an extremely unsettling album, one that will definitely get on your nerves. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you to decide.

Frenzy Frenzy - Just Another

pop rock

Time for something on the lighter side of the rock music spectrum, which takes us to French trio Frenzy Frenzy. Their six track debut EP is loaded with sweet pop rock tunes, inspired by the pop music of Michael Jackson, INXS and Jamiroquai but also by rockers like Queens Of The Stone Age and The Black Crowes. The result is a fun album that will get many asses shaking, both on rock festivals and wedding receptions. I can't pick a favorite here but 'Into It All' is a potential chart hit. This is a fun EP, no doubt about that.

Charles In The Kitchen & Them Stones - Stones In The Kitchen

pop rock / alternative rock

Charles In The Kitchen

Them Stones

More joyous rock 'n roll from France, this time with a split singe by Charles In The Kitchen & Them Stones. Each band delivered one track beginning with the uptempo 'Arrogant Teenage Rag' by Charles In The Kitchen. This song somehow reminds me of the B52's, which is quite rare these days. Nonetheless, this is a neat tune and a definte dancefloor filler. The other side is for Them Stones, who showcase a more serious approach. Here the grunge scene comes to mind, heavy on riffs and methodical on the drums. Alice In Chains meets Weezer, something like that. In all, this is a enjoyable single, nothing more, nothing less.

Serge

Ottone Pesante – Apocalips

30/10/2018

heavy brass metal

Trumpet, trombone and drums and… they play metal. Here is Ottone Pesante’s second album Apocalips. Yes, no guitars and so what? The trio plays heavy brass metal and expresses how intensive wind instruments can be.

The cover of Apocalips shows seven trumpets revealing the evil and suffering that the people of the world will perish. Ottone Pesante’s musical style is far from apocalyptic but has a dramatic undertone. Their brass music in combination with the heavy metal way of playing, delivers an unexpected dazzling and beautiful pallet of original vibes.

Ottone Pesante are the trumpet player Francesco Bucci, the trombone player Paolo Raineri and drummer Beppe Mondini. Their first album Brassphemy Set in Stone was a surprising piece of work although it received mixed opinions. We are sure a lot of people couldn’t box their weird approach of metal.

History shows several introductions of jazz instruments in metal music. Jazz fusion in metal started in the beginning of the 90’s. Celtic Frost introduced already in 1985 the French horn in their ground breaking album To Mega Therion. One of the first bands who used a trombone in metal was Sear Bliss. This Hungarian black metal band is still active and employing this instrument to complement their dark atmospheric playing. In the year 2010 the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Shining released their album Blackjazz. The saxophone on the album contained a free jazz style which rendered Shining worldwide attention.

Apocalips starts with Shining Bronze Purified In The Crucible in a very jazzy way but changes in metal riff- like chords. The trombone vibrates like a bass guitar. Ottone Pesante increases speed on The Lamb With Seven Horns And Seven Eyes. The drumming is pure metal with a punk touch.

These Italian wind blowers swing through the whole album like a three lunged elephant. They create a creepy atmosphere with their high tempo mixed with blazing alien sounds. The instruments construct all kinds of metal related feelings with interesting experimental pulsations.
The Fifth Trumpet, is the only track with vocals. A dark intro guides us to the most extraordinary song of the album. Lifting up the tension slowly, the fifth track explodes with the black metal vocals of Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation). This is to our opinion, by far the most experimental conceptualization ever recorded in terms of avant-garde music.

Ottone Pesante’s bizarre alterations never get bored. Their wall of sound is artistic and inspiring. Two unique worlds of music converged together in an elegance almost beyond words. This is daring art with lungs and lips!

Patsker

Armahda - Armahda

13/9/2018

heavy metal / power metal

‘The history of Brazil will cross the ocean’ tour, brought Armahda, a Power Metal band from Sao Paulo Brazil, to several European countries. By chance the self released cd was given to me by the owner of a second hand cd shop, which the band had visited during their European tour.

My hunger to discover new underground bands who, like Armahda, play music with passion and emotion was unexpectedly rewarded. A quick search on the net showed that there was still no review of this cd. So here it is, on our Merchants Of Air website.

The band was formed by Maurício Guimaraes (vocals and all instruments) and Renato Domingos (all instruments) in 2011. They recorded the album with guest musicians in 2013 and they toured during summer of 2018 on the European continent with a complete band.

At the first listening of this debut cd, released in 2015, I was immediately hooked on their greasy and heavy speedy guitar sound. Brazil has many bands who play different styles of Metal, Armahda is a band that mixes many Metal styles to their own style. From Speed Metal riffs with screaming guitar solos and fast double bass drums, to Pagan/Viking Metal songs, to serene semi acoustic indigenous influenced parts. The lyrics take you to the painful and unknown history of their native country. The second song on the album contains the sentence: ‘history is written by the ones who win’ and opened my ears and eyes for the rest of the album!

Paiol em Chamas is the only song in Portuguese on the cd, and is by far the most aggressive piece of Heavy Metal music on the album! Screaming your guts out in your own language is still the best way to do so! This self-titled album gives you more and more details after every listen. The lyrics are published in the booklet and give you insight of the history of Brazil. From time to time you feel the emotional ghost of System Of A Down wandering around, but this is more a compliment than a comparison. The musicians play their instruments like it’s the day before they won’t be able to play anymore…

Armahda gives you honest Metal with speed, power and passion!!

Patsker

Brieviews 52

6/9/2018

Sleep FUSE Subscription Series

Ashtoreth - Ciuthach

drone / ambient / folk

Ashtoreth joins the Sleep FUSE subscription series with an enigmatic one track EP, based on a Scottish folklore creature myth of the Ciuthach. This 23 minutes lasting track follows the same path as most of his releases, which is a good thing of course, especially if you love droning vocals, eerie soundscapes, field recordings and atmospheric ambient. As always, Ashtoreth invites the listener on a dark, somewhat haunting sonic journey, either through vast forests or you own imagination. That choice is yours. Recommended? Undoubtedly...

Zer0 れい - an overview

electronic / ambient/ synthwave

Afterglow 20XX

More experimental sounds from Belgium, this time with Zer0 れい . This music delves right into the eighties, inspired by old movie and video games soundtracks. The result is an unusual and somewhat eerie approach to so-called vaporwave; It's synth music, but coming at you in a gritty, raw and somewhat way. But what would you expect from a project from the same guy who gave us the harsh noise of Unholy Analog Noisemachine, Crucifix Eye and MxCx. This EP contains six songs, none of which being suited for radio stations. It's strange, but with minimalistic synth tunes like 'Pariah', this an become quite interesting.

Midihack

Released in June, 'Midihack' can please me a lot more than 'Afterglow 20XX'. The EP opens with 'Mods', a track that takes me right into either Mr Robot scenes or apocalyptic fun fairs. The EP shows a bit more, or more distinct, rhythms, making it a tad more digestible. However, don't expect some easy listening new age, this stuff is still rather dark, reminiscent of the gloomy, experimental side of eighties synthpop. For me, this is one of the most surprising releases of the year, with excellent synth tunes like 'Komatsu Subzero' and 'rax2'. So if you're hungry for something different, you might want to check this out.

Slipstream 20XX

The most recent effort by Zer0 れい begins with a sharp intro before the vaporwave kicks off again. Gradually, over the three releases i can hear this act evolving as the whole becomes more musical and varied. Here, some of the old noise exploits of the artist comes shining through, appearing in mostly harsh tracks like 'Anticipation' and 'Suspension'. But you can also fill the dark dancefloors with tracks from this album, including 'Broadcast' or 'Ossuary 20XX'. In all, this album is a lot tenser and heavier than 'Midihack' but still an excellent example of what musical experimentation can lead to.

Xasthur - Aestas Pretium MMXVIII

acoustic / folk

Legendary black metal act Xasthur is now an acoustic three-piece and I guess the black metal scene just has to deal with that. 'Aestas Pretium MMXVIII' contains five songs, all fully acoustic but still containing some of the aesthetics and technicalities of extreme metal. My favorite remains the opener 'Against Your Will'. I think old fans might have a problem with Scott Conner's clean vocals but then again, this is not black metal, this is "doomgrass", something between American folk music and the dark abyss that is extreme metal. My suggestion? Try it out, it just might be your thing now.

Black Market Heart - Who Put A Knife Through Your Heart?

post punk

Founded by Spencer Robinson (The Wolf Spiders, The Lords of Altamont), Black Market Heart delves deep into another dark side of the eighties, that of post punk and new wave. Their debut EP delivers three short tracks which might best be described as grinding version of Joy Division or a minimalstic version of Sisters Of Mercy. 'Can't Live On The Other Side' immediately got me hooked. 'Under the Ivy' brings Bain Wolfkind to mind, especially in the vocals. Finally, 'Silver' invites me to those dark dancefloors again. So, new wavers of all ages, there is still hope. Check out this gem!

The Lautreamonts - Who Are You Wearing

post punk

A more melodic yet experimental version of post punk comes from Brazilian act The Lautreamonts, and what a version it is. In opener 'The Adequacy Waltz' alone acts like Cinema Strange, Dead Can Dance and Dresden Dolls came to mind. 'Who We Were' is a fantastic track, nudging towards shoegaze and dreampop. Yet, there is more than that, I ever hear a tad of grunge in 'The Ones He Wore' and closer 'Black Sabbath' is exactly what you'd expect, a surprisingly enigmatic cover. I often found myself thinking "damn, this is good", not only from a personal standpoint but also as far is overall quality is concerned. This is high quality postpunk, destined to reach high peaks in that scene.

Ennui - End Of The Circle

funeral doom

Non-Serviam Records

Yes, a new funeral doom album. As a huge fan of everything slow and torpid, I can only be ecstatic about that. Hailing from Tbilisi, Georgia, Ennui keeps the funeral doom tradition in high regard, resulting in this crushing album. Three songs, seventy minutes of high quality music, quite similar to Esoteric, Shape Of Despair and Evoken. The atmospheric approach here is astounding, perhaps capable of gaining some fans in the post-post scene as well, if they appreciate growls and fierce black metal passages. But in the end, this is a perfect funeral doom album that will mostly and undoubtedly please the fans of the genre.

A Shoreline Dream - Waitout

shoegaze / dreampop

Shoegaze combi A Shoreline Dream continue their series of single with a new five-track, titled 'Waitout'. With a vast wall of jangling guitars and subdued vocals, this trio sets another step into their remarkable journey. If you are a fan of acts like Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and Ride, you might want to check out these dream-like anthems. The ballad 'Barnum' is probably my favorite track here while 'New York' will undoubtedly appeal to fans of danceable anthems. But eventually, I guess all of these tracks are certain highlights in the career of a band that honors that beautiful sound of shoegaze.

Rude Audio - Rude Redux

electronic / house / synth

Hailing from London, UK, Rude Audio delivers some neat dance tunes for late night clubbing and chilling. The tags on bandcamp mention the term "Balearic" but I'm not very familiar with that so I'll have to go with how this music makes me feel. Well, opener 'To The Sun' is a minimal house track which brings me to imaginary beach clubs. 'To The Half Moon' rings out the dub. 'Rumble On Arab St.' does something intriguing with eighties synths and sequences and 'Pipeline Dreaming' gently wobbles on. Eventually, the Rich Lane remix of 'To The Half Moon' reminds me of lengthy car drives in Grand Theft Auto or Miami Vice. Nice? You betcha!!!

Idle Hands - Don't Waste Your Time

hard rock

Well, since we're diving into eighties revivals, why not check out the heavy metal corners? Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Idle Hands honors the early sounds of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Yet, there is also a sense of goth rock present. 'By The Way Of Kingdom' brings bands like Killing Joke or Sisters Of Mercy to mind while ancient rockers like Boston or Toto aren't that far away either. That combination is interesting, to say the least. My personal favorite is 'Can You Hear The Rain', yet all track here are good old fashioned dark hard rock songs which all rockers should give a chance.

Lower Automation - Shoebox Companion

math rock / alternative rock / experimental / noise rock / punk

It's been a while since a band reminded me of Belgian's finest, Evil Superstars. Chicago based trio Lower Automation does something frenetic and deranged with punk, math rock and noise rock. Parts Dillinger Escape Plan, parts Sonic Youth and parts Jesus Lizard come at you with high velocity and with the sonic insanity of Melt Banana. This six track EP is as dynamic as a rhino stampede, even without twisting the distortion button on their amps. 'Tethered' might be the most radio friendly songs here but it's not radio friendly at all. So I guess you have been warned. If you like punky musical chaos, you need this.

Serge

Supremate - Uniting Flaw

5/9/2018

thrash metal

Three years ago, when Merchants Of Air was still in its infancy, I got acquainted with Finnish heavy rockers Supremate. Back then they released their self-titled debut album, one in which I saw both potential and possible points of improvement. I remember writing the review from the perspective of a festival attendee, arriving at the event in the early afternoon. Now the band returns with a second full length, and I have to say, they have been evolving away from the young Nirvana, Offspring and Pantera coverband they used to be in the beginning of this century. Now Supremate is a full grown band with a solid and powerful sound.

'Uniting Flaw' contains ten tracks, all grafted from old school thrash metal. Opener 'Despite The Scars' immediately delivers the potent riffs and the raw, somewhat aggressive vocals. Although influences from their thrash, groove and heavy metal heroes are still present, the band seems to have found their own sound, one that most headbangers and riff enthusiasts will certainly appreciate. 'The Crown Don't Make A King' is a perfect example of that. It's loaded with delicious metal riffs but also leaves some room for experimentation, mainly in the drums.

My favorite track here is 'Territory' (not a Sepultura cover), closely followed by the crushing 'Blackness' and the groovy 'Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints'. These three songs show how much the band has been evolving in the past few years. Most of the instrumentation seems to come quite naturally. Only the vocals feel somewhat forced at times, as if the vocalist tries to overpower the music. I sure hope he can keep this level of aggression and roughness going for the foreseeable future.

I feel like the talent and potential of Supremate is slowly blooming. 'Uniting Flaw' shows a more coherent and experienced band than the debut album did, which is a good thing. Of course this album is no 'Master Of Puppets', 'Cowboys From Hell' or 'Rust In Piece' but it certainly is an entertaining piece of old school heavy metal. As before I think these songs will work better on stage than in the living room but if played loud enough you might find yourself banging your head multiple times. So check it out, you just might find a new favorite tune.

Serge

Mist - Free Me Of The Sun

21/7/2018

doom

Soulseller

Right, back to traditional riffs worshiping, courtesy of Slovenian doom metal band Mist. Grab your war jacket, lace your boots and untie your ponytail because it is time to slowly bang our heads to this traditional female fronted blend of occult heavy and doom metal.

On 'Free Me Of The Sun' you can find ten tracks, each one balancing around the five minutes mark. I know, some doom freaks might want the songs to last a bit longer but somehow Mist managed to make them potent enough to remain enjoyable for a few consecutive listens.

When people talk about female fronted metal, the expectation is quite often one of angelic and dreamy vocals. However, Nina Spruk does things differently. With a potent, far-reaching voice she perfectly suits the equally potent music of her colleagues. With those elements, Mist places themselves amongst bands like Jex Thoth, Jess And The Ancient Ones, Windhand and so on. That would make this band an awesome addition to stoner and doom festivals, one that the audience will definitely appreciate.

Of course, musically you can expect to have bands like Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath coming to mind. The whole thing drives, or better thrives, on these monolithic riffs. Songs like opener 'The Ghoul' or 'December' are heavily immersive pieces of work and on 'Altar Of You' the guitars remind me a bit of My Dying Bride, another doom giant. Ok, perhaps the riffs in 'Disembody Me' are a bit too similar to Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' but Mist easily turns it into one of their own.

I don't think that there is much more to say about this album. Obviously, this comes highly recommended for fans of traditional doom metal. It's difficult to find a favorite song, mainly because there is not that much variation to be found here, just a beautiful amalgamation of old school riffs, methodic drums and the magical witchcraft of Spruk. I know that many doomers will be sold immediately when they here these tunes. Although not the best album in its genre, I can see great things for Mist in the near future. This can become something huge.

Serge

Archemoron - Year of the Harvester

9/7/2018

black metal

The longevity of bands is quite impressive these days. I remember times when the twentieth birthday of a band was heavily celebrated. Of course, back then Metallica was only ten years old or so. Metal was still in its infancy, so to speak. Still, today bands seem to easily reach the twenty years gap.

Greek black metal band Archemoron will be twenty next year. Formed in 1999, back then under the moniker Ancestor, Archemoron has seen a tremendous evolution, not only in sound but also in overall atmosphere. With 'Year Of The Harvester', the band wants to take its rightful place in the black metal history books.

In 2008, the band decided to change its course towards the blackest of scenes, without forgetting their heavy/thrash metal past. As far as I'm concerned, that was an excellent decision. The blend of epic heavy metal and fearsome black metal certainly works. Opener 'Somewhere Beyond North' shows the best of both worlds. I guess it's no wonder that bands like Rotting Christ come to mind. It contains flashy guitar solos, fingerlicking thrash riffs and soul piercing blast beats. No wonder the song is almost eleven minutes long.

That being said, 'The Year Of The Harvester' is a very long album with four tracks clocking off at over ten minutes. With such a total length, there is always a chance of things getting stale, a bit too much of the goodness. However, if you can successfully tackle everything between Iced Earth and Emperor, things are looking quite good. Furthermore, if you put it epic masterpieces like 'Sisyphean Agos' in there, the whole thing comes close to blackened perfection.

I can give you a lot more bandnames that come to mind when I listen to these tracks, from Judas Priest to Immortal. Somehow, it feels like Archemoron managed to blend three decades of heavy metal into an overarching sound. I think even today's post-black metal fans can appreciate heroic pieces like 'Mother Sea', which perhaps is my personal favorite here. Fans of sheer brutality will easily be satisfied with the punishing 'Nothing' and depressive black metal fans will drool all over closer 'Those Of The Suffering'.

In all, this is a long, epic and atmospheric black metal album that every fan of the genre should check out. Perhaps fans of traditional heavy metal will doubt the screams and blast beats but eventually I predict that they will get into this sound too. So yeah, this thing comes highly recommended.

Serge

Brieviews 33

4/1/2018

Happy new year, dear reader, and welcome (back) to Merchants Of Air. To kick off the year in style, we prepared another heap of Brieviews and once again we're exploring many corners of the musical universe, from the heavy jazz of Dead Neanderthals over the fun folk metal of Nordheim to the soothing downtempo electronics of Build Buildings. Enjoy the read and let us know in the comments if you found something interesting.

Planetariet - Planetariet

post rock

An infatuated, but deeply calm and resourceful cosmogony amazingly inserted in an overwhelming ocean of clarifying thoughts, S/T by Planetariet, is an amalgamation of underlying vicissitudes brilliantly crafted at the harmonious line of a delicate and sensible planet of sonorous isolation. With a gentle touch of eternity, this interesting and refreshing EP is an intensely reverberating enigma of homogeneous synchronicity, that seems to revolve around the soul of its own reflexive and protuberating sincerity. With a calmer sound that apprehensively feels the underlying eccentricity of its profound and

densely acquiescent serenity, majorly entangled in a human emotional diagram of omnipotent infinity, S/T is a simple, yet complete sonorous conflagration of a melodic universe, whose imponderability is virtually attached to the most restless deliberation of a wonderful and honest expressive moment in time.

Wagner

Dead Neanderthals - Organ Donor

heavy jazz / grindcore

Dutch heavy jazz duo Dead Neanderthals come up with a late Christmas present: a fifteen minutes long improvisation with sax, synths and drums, accompagnied by some delicious looking artwork (unless you're vegan, obviously). Expect brutal sax drones, gloomy soundscapes and René's repetitive, almost ritual drums. I know, those are Dead Neanderthals' usual ingredients but like many bands they're getting better and better at this. So if you're a fan of these two deviant jazzists, you have absolutely no excuse not to download this track. Tip; serve loud !!!

Brosandi - Music For An Unknown Galaxy

ambient / post rock

Canadian one-man project Brosandi comes up with a sweet EP, containing three gentle post-rock tunes (and an intro). The music here is not overly complex. Instead it feels like watching and listening to a guitarist on stage, armed with only a few effects and loop pedals. The result is something gentle, something perfectly suited for these cold winter evenings. The artist claims to be inspired by Sigur Ros, Explosions In The Sky and so on, and yes, those references certainly apply, be it in a minimal, introvert and intimate way. I wonder how this would sound with a full band but this already comes highly recommended.

Boltzmann Brain - Sentences

jazz / noise rock / experimental

This German band has so much fun recording and release their debut in October 2017 ('Sind Die Echt') that they immediately decided to record another EP. What to expect? Well, something between Red Snapper and Add N To (X) or Black Dice getting a go at jazz and rock music. Jazz, noise, rock, soundscapes and psychedelic music come together in a weird but exhilarating orgy of indefinable music, perhaps that is the best way to describe this thing. The second track 'Come Join My Religion' is simply awesome, reminds me of Haus Arafna a bit. Not many jazz rock bands can do that, you know?.

Knight ‎– High on Voodoo

heavy metal

Heavy metal is far from dead and this band from India once again proves that. With flashing guitars, methodical drums and potent vocals, these guys deliver a solid EP. Think Iron Maiden, think Manowar, think Judas Priest think Helloween and you come quite close to what Knight sounds like. Everything about this album sounds and feels vintage, as it if comes directly from the eighties. For old school metalheads, this certainly is a band to keep an eye on, especially since there is still room for improvement, room to grow as musicians and as a band. I curious to where this leads to.

False Flag - EP

crust / hardcore

Here is a pulverizing three-track EP from Indian extreme music horde False Flag. Although the lyrics seem to be philosophical in nature, the music here is a scathing blend of crust punk, hardcore and black metal. Yet, in all their ferocity, they also leave some place for melody and variation, which is a huge plus in this genre. Now, don't get me wrong, this music will still torment you to the point where you can't take it anymore but I'm 100% sure that every fan of extreme punk will adore this. I mean, if both Oathbreaker and Exploited come to mind in only three songs, we're dealing with something promising!

Scarlet Phantom - Singleness

progressive metal

Haiming from Saint Petersburg, Russia, Scarlet Phantom delivers some interesting metal instrumentals. Although the music is based on black and death metal, you can easily classify this as progressive metal. Personally, I'm quite fond of this, partially because of its instrumental approach. It's as if Meshuggah, Opeth and Dream Theater gather in a recording studio and everybody keeping their mouths shut. I like that and I will definitely recommend this album to all you metalheads out there. If you want something refreshing, varied and impressive, you'd want to check this out.

Akadama Bros - Sunshine

hip hop / j-rap

Adaadat

And now for something completely different. We don't often review hip hop albums here but this one is neat. Akadama Bros deliver some decent and well varied J-rap. "J" stands for Japanese, should you not know that. On this 12", you get some well varied tunes, each obviously driving on hip hop beats and raps. Yet, they also seem to throw in some different influences, ranging from classical music over dubstep to indie, dub, noise and post-rock. The result is something intriguing and quite often surprising, reminding me of anything between Manu Chao, Cypress Hill and Xzibit. Hip hop yes, but rather enjoyable.

Build Buildings - Glass EP

electronic

Audiobulb

website

New York electronic music producer Build Buildings returns with a massively enjoyable EP, containing four new and well varied tracks. Opener 'Hebei Victory' is a brilliant blend of Autechre and Miwon while follower 'Honey Locust' brings Plaid to mind. So yes, downtempo electronics with heaps of microsounds, clicks, soundscapes and poly-rhythms, exactly the way I like my electronic music. 'Glass' is an odd ambient tune which could have been on Aphex Twin's ambient collection. Finally, there's a song called 'Cecilia' which is my favorite here, a slow but immersive piece of old school electronic music. Awesome EP.

Vantablack Warship - Abrasive Pulmonic Speak

black metal / metal / death metal

Back to the extremes where we find a pulverising hybrid between black, thrash, death and hardcore. Vantablack Warship hails from Canada and deliver some in-your-face riffs, some methodically tormenting drums and a bunch of fierce screams. The endresult is an intense and overwhelming album. Fans of bands like Gallows and Everytime I Die can surely find some fingerlicking good tunes on this one, like the brutal headbanger 'Blood On The Mat' for example. With short but abrasive songs, Vantablack Warship are certainly making a name for themselves and soon metalheads from around the globe will be onboard.

Mist of Misery - Fields of Isolation

black metal

Black Lion Productions

Swedish atmospheric black metal act Mist Of Misery has been around for a while and have always delivered high quality music. On this EP that is no different. In fact, with eight songs and over half an hour long, this EP is a sonic blackened adventure on its own. Unfortunately, I don't think I have a lot to say about this EP. It's top level extreme, depressive, atmospheric and somewhat progressive black metal and it would fit perfectly between your Dimmu Borgir, ColdWorld, Summoning and so on. If you're a fan of Mist Of Misery, you should already have gotten this EP. If not, check it out.

Hundred Year Old Man - Rei

doom / post metal

A harsh and somewhat chaotic blend of doom, sludge and post-metal, coming at you with severe intensity, that is what English sextet Hundred Year Old Man delivers. If you are into bands like Isis, AmenRa, Cult Of Luna and so on, this EP would definitely not misstand in your ever growing collection. 'A Year In The North Sea' is probably my favorite here, a dark and noisy piece of music that serves as a breather between the two massive slabs of slow musical aggression. For the record, closer 'Rei' is a brilliant piece of sludge doom, and I don't say that very often. So yeah, this comes highly recommended.

Obscene - Sermon to the Snake

death metal / thrash metal

Indianapolis based quartet Obscene claims to have been influenced by all the greats in the metal scene, including Death, Morbid Angel, Edge Of Sanity and Asphyx and yes, I have to admit, I hear all of them in these four tracks. Not that Obscene does not have their own sound. With thick riffs and deranged vocals, these guys deliver some good old fashioned death metal, something I can only applaud. Songs like 'Shadow Burial' and 'Blood Moon Rats' can easily make you bang your head and scream along. So yeah, this is some sick and twisted stuff, suited only for the seasoned death metal fans and thus recommended.

Nordheim - RapThor

folk metal

Hailing from some ancient forest in Canada, Nordheim simply wants to play folk metal and have fun with it. And there is no better description for this EP. This is a fun folk metal album with titles like 'Boobs And Bacon' or 'I Wish You Were Beer'. I guess all you can do is join the party, grab a beer and scream along with these tunes, just like you do when you listen to bands like Ensiferum, Finntroll or Korpiklaani. Although, I have to say, Nordheim take their black metal influences quite far and quite ferocious too, raging at high speed. So yeah, perhaps you should drink a bit more while listening to this awesomeness.

Project Renegade - Cerebra

alternative metal

Female fronted alternative metal from Greece, and I must admit that the first band that came to mind was Lacuna Coil, even before I actually listened to the songs on this EP. Although that reference still stands, I'm very glad I discovered this band. The music is interesting, laced with some mild electronics and it comes with excellent vocals by frontwoman Marianna. Opener 'Pressure' surely has hit potential, especially in the alternative charts. 'Natural Born Killer' grooves and crawls and 'One Of The Crowd', my personal favorite, is an irresistible headshaker. Buy this, it's awesome.

Distraught - Locked Forever

13/12/2017

thrash metal

Some time ago, I had the opportunity to play with my experimental music quartet in a psychiatric unit of a hospital. I close my eyes and I remember as if were today: the crowded room, the patients saying that we could stay there if we like, and in the end of all, a man with a high degree of autism looked deeply into my eyes and held out his hand to say goodbye. I didn't sleep well that day, because I spent all night thinking about how many "good citizens" can pretend to be normal in society, but they do very hard perversions, evil things, atrocities, and even more when no one is looking to them, and those kind people that we met stayed locked behind a gigantic steel door that even Lou Ferrigno (as Hulk) couldn't bring down...

You must be thinking: Why is he saying all this??? Just because the album ‘Locked Forever’ is based on the book 'Holocausto Brasileiro' (Brazilian Holocaust, in English), written by Daniela Arbex, which deals with the atrocities that occurred in ‘Hospital Colônia de Barbacena’, the largest """psychiatric hospital””” in Brazil, located in the city of Barbacena, state of Minas Gerais. This book was the inspiration for everything on the album: the sensational lyrics of André Meyer, the guitar riffs and solos of Everton Acosta and Ricardo Silveira, the bass lines (and the beautiful solo with harmonics in the track 'Locked Forever') of Nelson Casagrande, the drum lines of Mauricio Weimar and all the fantastic artwork of Marcelo Vasco (whose lock of freedom is in the mind of the man).

This is an album that shows that in heavy metal there is intelligence, humanity, musicality and awesome lyrics. The entire LP is sensational and shows that the maturity of Distraught veterans - who have been on the road for more than 30 years - has guided them to unite modernity and extreme heaviness in all its tracks. After an intense research to write this review, I think I'll spend another night thinking about the famous "normality", or the behavioral average arbitrated by the time whitch nobody has. Congratulations Distraught!!! As well as making an obligatory album for those who like heavy music, this songs will also help listeners to take a step closer to a more humane life (specially if they are willing to read ‘Holocausto Brasileiro’*).

* Unfortunately, this book has no translation into english, but you could find several pictures, documentaries, and vídeos on the intenet. Just search for "Hospital Colônia de Barbacena"...

Glauber

Wolf Counsel - Age Of Madness / Reign Of Chaos

4/12/2017

doom metal / heavy metal

Swiss doom metal horde Wolf Counsel return with the follow-up to their brilliant 2016 release 'Ironclad'. The title track of that particular album still often roams through my head and through my speakers. It is as vintage as it it catchy. Most of the album is. So yeah, I was quite curious about this next one.

Still, it took me a while to finally finish this review, mainly because I have been occupied with some other projects lately. To celebrate my return to the core-job of being a music journalist, I could not have chosen a more satisfying album. Wolf Counsel is back and this time they reach high.

The idea for the band already came to life in the nineties but it took the members quite some time to actually dive into the rehearsal studio. Since then, they have been working hard, perfecting their blend of doom metal and heavy metal. Today, that sound is a sonic blast, one in which you might recognize influences from Black Sabbath, Type O Negative, Voivod and Manowar. In a way the album seamlessly follows its predecessor.

Opener 'Wolven Earth' immediately sets the tone. Once again we're in for a ride along majestic riffs, heroic drums and epic atmospheres. 'Semper Occvltvs' slightly raises the tempo and comes with some intreguing melodies. Then, there is the title track, a crawling monster of a doom metal track, the slowest thing to be found on this album I guess. This one harbors a sense of insanity, especially in the vocals. It took me a moment to get use to this mindfucking track but I love it.

On 'O' Death' the band invited Daniela Venegas on guest vocals, which suddenly turns the song into a good old fashioned hard rock duet. You know, like Lita and Ozzy, only heavier. For me personally, I think 'Eternal Solitude' is my favorite song on this album. It alternates between slow and mid tempo and proves excellent headbanging material for people who are no longer in their twenties.

The nineties influences become extremely clear in 'Coffin Nails', which all of a sudden showcases both (mild) grunts and clean vocals. This too thrives in an the occult and dark atmosphere of bands like Paradise Lost, Amorphis and so on. So yeah, Wolf Counsel once again delivered a solid piece of work, loaded with everything you love about doom metal. Of course I will recommend this album to all doomers out there.

Serge