Category: Industrial

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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Borgne - [∞]

2/4/2018

industrial / black metal

[∞] is an album to be released on April 8, by Swiss industrial black metal act Borgne. A fabulous record – that not only honors this respective subgenre, but also engraves on the anatomy of its fundamental principles a more glorious perception of its phenomenal possibilities – that perfectly merges black metal with the more imperial elements of electronic music, this work is beautifully executed with such a degree of mastery, dedication and sagacity, that it is virtually impossible not to be fully impressed with this amazingly fascinating, reverberatingly intense and marvelously giant masterpiece.

Sixty two minutes long, the record has eight long tracks: la porte du chãos, peu importe si elle m'aura aveuglé, Un temps périt, Comme si ça s'arrêtera... – Stone, I tear apart my blackened wings pt1, I tear apart my blackened wings pt2 - Sun, Mis à mort, Mis à nu and Chuter. With very subtle aggressive outlines and a primordially strong atmospheric momentum, that has on the verge of its ominous sensibilities very intricate and well-devised harmonies, that oscillates between the obscure reason of a universe perpetually lost in the demise of dying melodies and the ascendant anguish of a dream virtually created to make you see beyond the line of an eternally fading horizon, [∞] can be described as a precious monumental epic, destined to make the world stare to the subgenre in a very different perspective.

The music of Borgne, especially on this work, with the simple and very suggestive title of [∞], has a somewhat philosophical nature, that showcases on the preeminent anger of an inhuman purulence the ambivalent inquisitive moments of a more poetic outlook on life. Despite the predominance of aggressive moments, the reflexive, pure and crystalline side of Borgne’s music gives to its atmosphere the innocence of a forbidden serenity, lost in the sincerity of a dream that seems destined to float forever in the distant haze of the dubious darkness of the human mind. There is a refined delicacy even in the most hostile passages of the group’s music, that knows how to filtrate wisely the monumental splendor of human sensibility at the melodic gracefulness of exceedingly designed rhythmic intonations, which makes [∞] a glorious masterpiece, that deserves to be fully appreciated, each and every moment of it. If I would have to highlight the tracks that impressed me the most, this would be I tear apart my blackened wings pt1 and Chuter – the fifth and eight, respectively –, despite the fact that the entire album can be considered an unprecedented milestone.

The album captivates the listener already in the first few seconds. As the music becomes an extension of the listener’s perception of the world around him – as the album progresses, with its astoundingly sophisticated and severely elegant passages, sidelined by eloquent, dense and brilliant monumental harmonies – this album is a pleasant surprise, that slowly reveals itself to be a very unique feature in the history of the industrial black metal subgenre.

Evidently, a very formidable, audacious and inextricably excellent album – both in the creative and technical levels – Borgne elevates the industrial black metal subgenre to an art category by its own merits, being able to seduce an entirely new audience, that ignores the strength, the qualities, the artistry and the insurgent sensibilities of this wonderful subgenre.

Wagner

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Brieviews 36

8/2/2018

Operant - Harnessed To Flesh

industrial

Berlin based duo Operant delivers an EP that immediately made me twist the volume knob to blast-levels. It opens with an impending piece of electronic dark ambient before entering the realm of rhythmic noise in 'Be A Boy'. Side A ends with a pounding harsh ambient piece, 'Chancellory'. Side B invites you to the heavy and dark dancefloor, blending noise with techno, resulting in the infectious 'The Sacrifice Of Meaning Power' and the chaotic frenzy of closer 'Dead Realities VII'. Fans of everything between Contagious Orgasm and Imminent can easily appreciate this. (S.)

Wild Mighty Freaks - Guns 'n Cookies

nu metal / hip hop / metal

French weirdos Wild Mighty Freaks come up with a fusion between hip hop and metal. Personally, I would just throw this in the nu-metal genre, as I do with all rap metal. I don't mean that as a bad thing, on the contrary. This is a highly infectious EP, well executed and with plenty of groovy riffs. Furthermore, I bloody love the ragga-induced 'Freaks' and the dark and angry 'Empty Skies' is one of the best hip hop tracks I've heard in the past nine years or so. Nah, for real, this shit is surprisingly good. I wouldn't mind of Wild Mighty Freak become the next big thing in the nu-scene. (S.)

Bongthrower - Demo

stoner doom / sludge metal

Now available for your wicked stoner parties: Bongthrower, another band that has weed fanatics' favorite tablewear in the bandname. Much like Bongzilla and Bongripper Bongthrower delve in the world of stoner doom and sludge metal. These Germans deliver thick doom riffs, crusty vocals and sheer power, combined with a low, sluggish tempo. This surely is something for fans of bands like Conan, Dopethrone, Yob and so on. My personal favorite here is 'Bongthrower', which also shows a bit of the psychedelic side of this band, but rest assured, if you love stoner doom, you will absolutely love these guys. (S.)

Ecloss - Diluvienne

black metal

Diluvienne, released on January 26 by French atmospheric black metal project Ecloss, is a magnificent, surreal and thoroughly terrific EP, that has on the quintessential structure of its omniscient sensibility the vehemently overlooking serenity upon which its melodies rejuvenate so ostensibly the peaceful eternity that dwells around the flexible frontiers of its everlasting and magnanimous eloquence, that seems to revolve around a sleeping conscience, that fully comprehends the mortifying exasperations of human transience. With beautiful and exceedingly poetic melodies, that virtually has all the necessary predispositions to expand the sonorous

elements of its sagacious and vividly spontaneous sensitivity all over its universe of demanding intonations, Diluvienne presents to its audience a mature, whimsical, cohesive sentimentally realistic and marvelously artistic atmospheric BM work. With wonderful harmonies that can lead you to an imaginary world encircled by the shadows of a permanent desolation, Diluvienne is the perfectly envisioned sonorous conflagration for this sinister, but exceedingly pleasant journey, made entirely on elegant and sophisticated melodies, that exposes on the peripheral parameters of its principles all the hidden beauty of a mystery inserted at the most fantastic abysses of the human conscience. (W.)

Valiant - A Timeworn Oath

black metal

An amazingly fantastic EP, that understands and penetrates deeply into the realm of atmospheric black metal, A Timeworn Oath is a thoroughly poetic, charming, serene and philosophic state of the art work, with pervasively dense and beautiful melancholic ballads, where an eternal winter sorrow dilapidates into the heart of the listener the despondent rumors of prominently defying silent whispers, that revolves around an increasingly tense, but peaceful interior darkness. With five tracks – As Echoes of Dreams, Distant Lands, Oath to Destiny, Forlorn Shadow and In the Midst of Worlds –,

this EP is a fantastic, lucid and poetic sonorous everlasting declamation to the universe, with all the sincere odes of ordination and vividly sagacious harmonies, that makes this work so ostensibly brilliant. With greatly devised, ascendant and almost medieval melodies, Valiant has created a lugubrious, but marvelous masterpiece, with this half an hour long EP. Definitely, a majestic and fundamental work, that will enchant the genre’s audience. (W.)

Tides of Emptiness - Tides of Emptiness

black metal

A greatly devised work, Tides of Emptiness, an EP released by the eponymous American project from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 31, is a formidably marvelous exemplar of a sound that preserves tradition, expanding its formula to a groundbreaking level of subtly genuine aggression, but without renouncing to a modest degree of delusional atmospheric tension. A little more than thirty six minutes long, the album has three very extensive tracks: Her Body in Ashes, the homonymous Tides of Emptiness and Finality of Existence. With rough guitar lines and a conspicuous brutality that dilapidate each and every furious stigma of its hostile harmonious

sentences, the sound of Tides of Emptiness is deeply consistent and thoroughly reverberating. Rearranging in more crude patterns the sinister excellence of the genre, the group exposes at the sonorous horizon of its lancinating artistic patterns a cataclysmic sobriety, upon which every ghost that lives by the shadows of its harmonies should die, or accept the volatile integrity of its fate, at the request of a rhythm that disperses fatality in each and every one of its notes. (W.)

Vindorn - Perdition

black metal

A fabulous record released by German black metal act Vindorn, Perdition has seven tracks: Masquerade, Ansiktet, Panie Diable, Rozhodnutí osudu? Trest, Eros hemlighet, Vanmakt and Vládcové. With a sonorous fury and a convulsive energy perfectly able to suppress all the nefarious vicissitudes of the general melodic limitations usually heard in the genre, the dark and rude authenticity of the artist showcases a creative domain that not only enables him to perfectly devise a very singular style, but also infuse its own sagacious elements of aggressive dissonance within the introspective sensibility of the music.

While honoring tradition with a fabulous ordeal of acrimonious excellency and wisely restrained rhythmical barriers, Vindorn deflagrates at the epicenter of the harmonious convergences of his expressive splendor the uplifting urgencies of melodies amazingly conceived at the height of a true black metal insurgency. (W.)

Obscure - Zero Dawn

metal / stoner rock

Finnish stoner metal quintet Obscure deliver a riff-loaded debut EP with three groovy and heavy songs. They seem to blend metal with stoner rock, which rarely is a bad combination. Opener 'Zero Dawn' is a hard hitter, reminding me of something between Channel Zero and Mastodon. 'Low Low Down' takes on a more vintage hard rock oriented approach. Closer 'River' seems to combine the two. Not a bad debut but one that shows a few challenges for this band. For me, there are a bit too much vocals which sometimes overrule the great hard rock riffs. Like some say, "less is more". Less vocals leaves more

place for air in your lungs and thus generates more power. Other than that, I don't think I have a lot of advice for these guys. They have been going to setbacks and delays releasing this EP but they pulled through. Now all they need to do is rehearse, write, rehearse, play live and rehearse again. They have the talent, it just needs to bloom. (S.)

Ossian Smith - Sleepless Town

rock

Ossian Smith is a young Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist, influenced by everything between David Bowie and Soundgarden. He and his band deliver a five track EP with highly enjoyable rock tunes. In fact, the whole thing just puts a smile on my face as a big part of my youth seems to flow by. Bands that come to mind include The Scabs, Lemonheads, R.E.M... My favorite track is 'Jimmy Roux' and my least favorite is 'Rainmaker', but even that one is a pleasure to listen to. Just good old fashioned rock 'n roll with loads of energy and a very bright future if you ask me. (S.)

Servants Of The Apocalyptic Goat Rave - Queen Of Darkness

black metal / hardcore techno / industrial

Svartlava

I have to let my sister-in-law listen to this. She is a hardcore techno fan. You know, Neophyte, Angerfist, Drokz... that kind of stuff. Her six years old son is slowly becoming interested in what they call 'Yeng-yeng music' after hearing Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' on the radio. A few weeks ago I played Therapy? for him and he loved it. Next step is black metal, just for fun. Then, they can both listen to this bizarre and turbulent release from Servants Of The Apocalyptic Goat Rave, a project by Jason Köhnen & Jurgen Desmet with vocals by Baseck. Hardcore techno and breakcore mixed with chaotic black metal,

that is the recipe for this unique output. Of course, that techno escapade by Morbid Angel often comes to mind but here it's brilliantly executed. In that, perhaps it's not even such a bad idea to compare this to Zeal and Ardor. Both acts successfully managed to put two seemingly incompatible genres together. So yeah, this is unique and undoubtedly comes highly recommended, not only to my sister-in-law but to all extremists with an open mind. (S.)

Babalith - Gramatique du Ciel

experimental / ambient

Sombre Soniks

Portuguese Ritualist ambient act Babalith returns to Sombre Soniks with a dark, droning album which is loaded with voices. The result is a strange and somewhat alienating epos that speaks to you in many different tongues. Fact is, sound gave birth to communication, even way before languages have been developed. That is probably why this amalgamation of vocal efforts is so fascinating. It takes you on a odd trip through history, through the occult and through your own DNA. This comes highly recommended for fans of Diamanda Galas and dark ambient aficionados alike. Check it out, it's something unique... (S.)

Dark Archive - Cultivate Our Blood in Aeon

black metal

Dark Archive is a satanic black metal band from Finland, founded in 2016. The duo wanted to bring something fresh into the scene but their path was rough and full of setbacks. However, stubbornly the original members continued their blackened journey which leads to this jawdropping piece of work. I don't know if it is really fresh and renewing but the music here is massively varied and highly impressive. In fact, bands that have come to mind while listening to this include Immortal, Cradle Of Filth, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Mörk Gryning and Limbonic Art. And with that, I do actually mean all the best parts

from these respective artists. I stopped following all these bands quite a while ago but Dark Archive makes me hungry for blood again. Opener 'Cultivate Our Blood In Aeon' and 'Godfear Eradication' are brilliant pieces of late nineties inspired black metal. 'Unohda ei ikinä' is pure and utter chaos, dressed in immersive extreme music. I'll leave the other two up to you, but I'd definitely recommend this thing. (S.)

Limbs - Body Without

shoegaze / post punk / noise rock / black metal

Euhm, wait. Is Limbs four bands combined? These guys, hailing from Manila, Philippines, throws a wicked piece of work on the bamboozled market. Their music certainly don't fit one box. It's shoegaze, it's screamo, it's post punk, it's math rock and it's black metal, and that is just the first song. The only constant seems to be the energy blasting out of these complex and intense songs. 'Fever Fawns' is my personal favorite on this album but I'm sure fans of outrageous music can easily enjoy everything Limbs create. Besides, the EP is free for download, so there is absolutely no reason not to check it out. You'll be pleasantly surprise, I promise you. (S.)

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Last Avenue - Identity

14/11/2017

industrial metal

A bit over two years ago, I reviewed an album by French industrial metal combo Last Avenue'. Back then, I was already amazed by their convincing sound and I gladly added 'Integration Protocol' to my collection. Now I can add their latest work too. Titled 'Identity', it shows a well attuned, stubborn and hard working band, one that has grown a lot.

The customary elements remain. This album is still loaded with thrash metal and hardcore inspired riffs, infectious electronics and a rather post apocalyptic atmosphere. Acts like Pain, Fear Factory, Senser and Clawfinger still come to mind.

I think the main difference between 'Identity' and 'Integration Protocol' is the overall heaviness. The music seems to be harsher and more intense but equally immersive. Headbanging is an absolute must to songs like 'We Run' and 'Edgeless Life'. The latter also seems to showcases some progressive rock influences, which makes the whole thing even more interesting and varied. Variation enough, which might be expected if the references go from The Prodigy to Samael and everything in between.

'Partials', the so-called "ballad", even nudges towards the witchhouse/trip hop scene. Maybe it's a bit of an outsider on this album but nonetheless a great song. In fact, it might be one of my favorites, but my favorites often deviate from other people's. Another favorite is the smasher 'Neon Animals' which is simply a pounding industrial metal song in the best possible meaning of the word. Oh well, I guess we'll have to face it. Last Avenue is one of the most interesting industrial bands around and it's about time they conquer Europe with this sound.

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

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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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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Samael - Hegemony

1/10/2017

industrial black metal

Napalm Records

Years ago, Samael was responsible for one of the most memorable festival moments ever on Graspop metal meeting when they opened their set with the classic song 'Rain'. Nature listened to the lyrics and rain poured down from the heavens for the entire weekend. We were soaking wet but still tirelessly dancing and banging our heads to Samael's unique blend of black metal and industrial. To my surprise (Merchants Of Air is quite small - I think), some days ago, their new album came in and, obviously, I couldn't wait to check it out. So today I started playing 'Hegemony' and immediately recognized that awesome sound.

Everybody who knows Samael will immediately recognize them and on 'Hegemony' that is no different. The pounding drums, the grinding riffs and the hypnotic symphonic arrangements, they are all here. So is Vorph's voice. Even after thirty years, there is no wear and tear to be found. Songs like 'Hegemony', 'Rite Of Renewal' and 'Red Planet', no band could have turned them into more convincing pieces of music than Samael have. They still sound as fresh and unique as these Swiss have ever sounded.

'Black Supremacy' seems to be the fastest track on this album, complete with blast beats. Perhaps here, a reference to Limbonic Art can be made. Right after that one, my favorite track comes up, 'Murder Or Suicide'. Somehow, this one takes me back to those glorious and epic nineties. I can't believe it has been this long already. It feels like it was just last week when I saw these guys on Graspop. Nah, for real, Samael are back and they are still a force to be reckoned with. I can only recommend this album. If you have ever been a fan, you will love this album, period!

Serge

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Kaos Krew - Returno

20/9/2017

industrial rock / metal

Inverse Records

This is a nice return into my attention span. I've known Kaos Crew since their 2006 album 'Devour' but my temporary absence from the metal scene made me lose track of them. I didn't even know that they were still active, but I'm glad they are and I'm really enjoying this new album.

Influenced by the likes of Pain, Rammstein and Clawfinger, Finnish industrial metal act Kaos Krew came to life in 2004. With 'Returno', the band delivers its fourth album, faithfully following the path they have chosen. That path contains heaps of old school heavy metal riffs and a plethora of electronics.

With that being said, in a way it feels like Kaos Krew have been toning down on the electronics. Of course, you can still find the typical crossover sound in songs like opener 'End My Pride' but 'Man Down' and 'Dying To Survive' sound like good old fashioned headbanging tunes, which is not a bad thing, obviously. 'When Soldiers Cry' goes heavier on the synths, adding some kind of gothic atmosphere to the whole thing. Perhaps it's safe to say that this is my favorite track as it comes quite close to what Samael does.

Another band that often comes to mind, is Die Krupps. I guess that is another compliment for Kaos Krew. And let's not forget about Oomph. It's clear that over the years, Kaos Krew have mastered their art, something they gladly showcase in a stomper like 'Crippled By Belief'. Fans of industrial rock and metal, fans of crossover goodness can trust Kaos Krew to deliver the goods, the riffs and the groove. So yeah, this thing comes recommended.

Serge

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Brieviews 28

20/9/2017

I'm telling you, this hobby is seriously running out of hand. Not long now before they start delivering the albums by truck. There's so much coming in, so many amazing pieces of music and here I am, being human and thus bound to details like "time", "sleep" and "writing my books" (like "Cecilia's World --->).
I'm not complaining, not at all. I just feel bad for all those great bands and artists who I simply can't recommend anymore.My solution is to write more brieviews, make it short and firm. So here are twenty short reviews. I hope you find something you like in there. I know I have...

NevBorn - Daidalos

progressive / post metal

Craz Of Bullets

Swiss progressive/post metal band NevBorn comes up with a one-track EP, lasting eighteen minutes, inspired by the death of Icarus. In that time, they blasts elements from post rock, progressive metal, hardcore, nineties Scandinavian metal, arena rock and ambient through your speakers in a pretty epic manner. I know, all those elements combined might sound somewhat confusing, but somehow these guys have managed to create a coherent and narrative modern day opera (without the opera vocals, obviously). This is heavy songwriting at a very high level, that's for sure.

Funeral Mourning - Left Seething Yet Unspoken & Veneration of Broken Worlds

black metal / doom

Nihilistische KlangKunst

Another one-track EP comes from Australian act Funeral Mourning and this one is dark, impending and intense. The massive track contains heaps of funeral doom inspired awesomeness, thriving on a sluggish tempo and deep growls. I love this, but I love nearly all funeral doom acts. Evoken, Shape Of Despair, Esoteric... You name it and you'll find their influences on this fantastic EP. Even more so, the lingering guitar solos give the whole thing a stunning psychedelic effect. So, obviously, I will recommend this EP to all funeral doom fans out there. This is a perfect example of how brilliant this genre can be.

Grace Meer - Your King

electronic / coldwave

Fans of acts like Austra and Zola Jesus should start paying attention to Grace Meer. On this EP, she delivers four epic songs with overwhelming symphonic and cinematic elements. 'Vortex' might be the exception on that recipe by coming up with an 'Army Of Me' (Björk) like rhythm but those cinematic elements are always present and always breathtaking. 'Heal' and closer 'Your King' are my absolute favorites on this EP but I'm very sure that all these songs will often appear on my day-to-day playlist. Grace Meer is dragging darkwave into the modern day electronic music scene, which is a good thing..

Moonlight Desires - Just The Hits: 1981-1985

heavy metal versions of eighties hits

Armed by guitars, drums, bass and a strong affinity with the heavy and power metal scene, Moonlight Desires reworked a bunch of eighties songs. Songs by Duran Duran, Rod Stewart, Simply Red, Level 42, Frankie Goes to Hollywood.and others are being "metallized", which quite often results in pleasant surprises. I mean, you can bang your head to 'Holding Back The Years' now, who would have thought. In all, this is a fun album, well executed and stubborn but respectful to the originals. I can only applaud that and advise you to check this album out.

Khohd - Mea Culpa

progressive / psychedelic rock

Hailing from Liège, Belgium and formed in 2011, Khohd deliver their own take on psychedelic and progressive rock. Seemingly influenced by bands like Russian Circles, Tool and Hawkwind, the three songs on this EP are immersive rock anthems, often nudging towards the metal scene. And even then they can come up with some surprising riffs and electronics. Let me put it this way, I'm already responsible for getting one Walloon band on Dunk! Festival (Wyatt. E). So let's try that again. I'm sure that these guys will play an interesting gig if they're booked. Definitely recommended stuff...

Balcanes - Decrépita / Decadencia

noise rock / industrial

Spanish bulldozer Balcanes return with a two track 7" single. In the past, they pleasantly surprised me with their in-your-face blend of noise rock, industrial and hardcore and now they seem to take their sound to the next level. The two songs drive on a repetitive, almost Godflesh like tempo, intense Melvins guitars and The Jesus and Mary Chain noise and feedback. This stuff is harsh and makes me repeat my previously uttered wish for a European tour. This will blast the roof of many underground venues on this continent, I'm 100% sure of that.

Big ‡ Brave - Ardor

noise rock / sludge

When I listened to this Montreal based three-piece for the first time, my initial thoughts were "putting Babes In Toyland in today's sludge metal scene". In a way, I like to stick to that thought since we're dealing with sluggish noise rock tunes and grungy female vocals. Fact remains, Big ‡ Brave make a lot of noise, including guitar feedback, thundering drums and excellent vocals. My favorite track is 'Lull', which seems to be a bit calmer and more gentle than the other two, who mostly resemble steamrollers. In all, this is a brilliant album with forty minutes of overwhelming noise rock which comes highly recommended.

Brant Bjork - Europe '16

stoner rock / psychedelic rock

Napalm Records

Brant Bjork drops his first live album and it's an acid trip from the get-go. These twelve tracks were recording during his 2016 tour and simply contain everything Brant Bjork is known for. Expect sneering riffs, hypnotic guitar solos and a drugged out Woodstock atmosphere. For fans, this obviously is an absolute must have. Besides, these are excellent recordings, perfectly representing the live atmosphere of this seasoned and talented band. So nope, there is actually no reason not to purchase this album if you're a fan of Brant Bjork, period.

Purtenance - Paradox of Existence

death metal

Xtreem Music

Finnish death metal horde Purtenance has been around since 1989, so it's probably no surprise that this EP contains four skull crushing old school death metal tunes. Accompanied by deep growls, the intense riffs and thunderous drums beat the listener into a bleeding pulp, just like bands like Hypocrisy, Morbid Angel, Avulsed, Immolation and so on have been doing over the years. For fans of traditional death metal, this EP is an absolute must-have. 'Vicious Seeds Of Mortality' is my personal favorite here, but I'm damn positive that each and every one of these tracks will cause a whiplash here and there.

Killing Volts - Why Should I Say Yes

alternative rock

Hailing from Switzerland, power rock combo The Killing Volts ask an interesting question on "Why Should I Say Yes". Well, these four songs might be a good reason to say "yes". to this band. With electrifying rock 'n roll songs and the powerful vocals of Tania, The Killing Volt certainly convince. If you're into Bikini Kill, PJ Harvey, Babes In Toyland, The Breeders and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, these rockers are something right up your alley. The cover version of 'Tainted Love' is very enjoyable and the others can easily rock your socks off. So yeah, better check this out before answering the question.

Tulipomania - On the Outside / Don't Be So Sure - Seahawks Remix

alternative rock / dream pop

Gloomy pop rock songs, balancing on the edge between alternative rock and dream pop, that is what Philadelphia's Tulipomania delivers. The music feels like a blend of Radiohead, Tindersticks and Talk Talk. It's fragile, but potent enough to maintain the listener's attention. 'Don't Be So Sure' comes off their 2016 album 'This Gilded Age' and received an hypnotic downtempo remix by Seahawks. This single is definitely worth checking out and makes me curious about upcoming projects.

Sketchquiet - Novos Sketches

indie rock / alternative

Brazilian one man act Sketchquiet returns with seven brand new tunes. Armed with an acoustic guitar and electronics and influenced by post rock, alternative rock, drone folk and indie rock, this act comes up with minimal but enjoyable songs that somehow remind me of acts like Manu Chao meets Ween. The immersive 'Sobrou Alma' is my favorite on this EP but I can add that all songs carry this introvert, somewhat gloomy atmosphere. In a way, this is a quite unique piece of work, perhaps one you will either love or dislike, but I urge you to check it out anyway.

Zephyra - The Darkest Black

death metal

Swedish melodic death metal band Zephyra return with a new single, a so-called bridge between their previous album 'As the World Collapses' and their next one. This song, 'The Darkest Black' is an excellent piece of death metal, laced with a few symphonic elements. To me it sounds like something between Dark Tranquility, Children Of Bodom and Arch Enemy. Fans can easily trust these Swedes to deliver the goods. If this single serves as the appetizer for the upcoming album, the melodic death metal future looks a bit brighter again.

Nekrohowl - Epitome of Morbid

death metal

After a long - and great - intro, this death metal horde from Dhaka, Bangladesh drags us right down into the old school of death metal. The songs are brutal, mostly fast paced and drive of fierce riffs. Obviously, grunts and growls appear when needed. Ancient Sepultura comes to mind, along with Obituary and Bolt Thrower. What strikes me the most, is the often slapping sound of the bass. It's a cool way to play it and it doesn't sound like it does not belong in these songs. Nope, if you ask me, Nekrohowl know a thing or two about creating decent old school death metal and we should treasure that. Great job.

Tombstalker - Chaotic Devotion

death metal / black metal

The last two death metal tracks for today come from American evildoers Tombstalker. and their latest 7" single 'Chaotic Deviation'. They couldn't have chosen a more suitable title for this thing. With their pummeling, chaotic blend of death and black metal, Tombstalker drag us along on an extreme - but well executed - trip through hell. Somehow, Dismember comes to mind but these Americans seem to go a bit deeper, a bit heavier on the harsh and abrasive sound. I like that and I definitely like these two pieces of extreme music. Be sure to check it out if you want to beaten to death by music.

Existente - Theta Series EPv1

ambient

After all that death metal, it's time for something to set my mind at ease. That something is this soothing EP by American composer David Wesley under his Existente moniker. While Wesley's output usually consists of dub and techno, Existente delivers peaceful drones and dreamy ambient sound-scapes. The five tracks are based on the principles of sacred geometry, which might explain the repetitive and immersive nature of the whole thing. Fans of Biosphere and Brian Eno will undoubtedly appreciate this music, and so will I for the foreseeable future. This is an excellent ambient EP, period.

Indeed - Sinecure

alternative rock / grunge / stoner rock

Hailing from Budapest, Hungary, Indeed comes up with a great mix of rock styles. They seem influenced by everything between The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Tool and Nirvana and they translate those influences in a bunch of excellent rock songs. Besides, these guys are skilled musicians with decent songwriting abilities and a flair for variation. I can absolutely recommend this album to all fans of nineties rock music. It's nothing earth shattering, nothing renewing but simply a well attuned and talented band having fun writing and performing thier songs. That's what's rock 'n roll is all about, no?

Exsom - Roundtrip

heavy metal

Swiss five piece Exsom pay homage to the golden age of heavy metal with this new EP. The band has been around since 2011 and seem inspired by bands like Helloween, Edguy and Iced Earth. With excellent guitars, plenty of tempo changes and flashing solos, Exsom certainly convinces, even though sometimes the music gets a bit too complex for me, but that's a personal matter. It's clear that these guys can handle their instruments very well. The vocalist has enough power to convince and the whole thing is immersive, certainly for seasoned metalheads. So yups, one to check out, that's for sure.

Euphrasia/Woeful Silence - Split MC

doom / drone / black metal

Two one-man projects have teamed up to create a haunting split EP. One is an atmospheric black metal act while the other nudges more towards the drone and doom metal scene. Yet, in a way, certainly by atmosphere, these two acts seem to complement each other.
On his side of the tape Euphrasia blends drones and soundscapes with eerie black metal, highlighting in the fierce and chaotic 'Flächenbrand'. Side B. is for the depressive and haunting version of Woeful Silence with two gnawing and intense pieces of blackened music. This is a nice split, one I certainly recommend.

Audiolepsia - Muses

post rock / progressive rock

Oh wow, how could I have missed this? This album by Spanish post rock act Audiolepsia is simply amazing. I'm almost sorry for adding them to "brieviews" instead of writing a longer review. With seven exquisite post rock anthems, reminding me of God Is An Astronaut, PG Lost and This Will Destroy You, these Barcelonians have certainly convinced me. The tracks are well built, well varied and immersive enough to take the listener on a long journey. I can imagine these guys playing these songs on Dunk! Festival and easily becoming a highlight. For post rock fans, this comes as recommended as breathing.

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Woest - La fin de l'ère Sauvage

11/9/2017

black metal / doom / industrial