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Objector - Social Intolerance
thrash metal
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We kick off this edition of Brieviews with some ruthless Belgian thrash metal, courtesy of Objector. With this eight track EP, these guys pay homage to the glory days of the genre, and mostly to bands like Slayer, Kreator, Exodus and Destruction. After a brief intro, 'Life Denied' starts the merciless pummeling at an excruciating tempo and it doesn't stop until 'Vengeance (Will Be Mine)' fades away. For fans of old school thrash, this EP definitely is a must-have, you can't get closer to that overwhelming sound without blatantly copying your heroes. Objector is a welcome, fresh and raging name in the thrash scene, no doubt about that.
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Chief Roberts - The Hopeless
stoner metal / sludge
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This Belgian riffing-tsunami is not over yet because here is Antwerp combo Chief Roberts and their face punching EP 'The Hopeless'. On this EP, the band showcases a punishing mix of hardcore, sludge metal and stoner rock, coming at you with the intensity of a raging horde of rhinos. And if that's not enough, they also throw in some extreme influences to completely beat you down. I would recommend this EP to all sludge fans out there but I'm not it will be safe for them to listen to it. I mean, this is one of the most aggressive and violent sludge releases I have heard in a while. Bloody awesome one too.
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RRRags - RRRags
psychedelic rock / stoner / blues
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Ron Van Herpen, Rob Zim and Rob Martin had themselves a little jamsession in September 2017. They had so much fun playing together that decided to form a brand new band and RRRags was born. This power trio comes up with good old fashioned stoner blues, laced with psychedelic rock and a joyous jam-atmosphere. Fans of everything between Hawkwind and Grand Funk Railroad will undoubtedly love this six tracks. You can hardly go more old-school than blues crackers like 'Rag Machine' or psych-rockers like 'On With The Journey'. This is definitely something to look out for, especially live performances.
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Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness - Sattva
drone / ambient
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Time for a resting point with the first full-length of Belgian minimal drone engineer Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness. With Sattva, HOFN processed a rough year into seven deep droning meditations. As usual, the approach is minimal and dark, giving the whole thing an extremely introvert atmosphere. Yet, it also sounds otherworldly and comes with a sense of angst and hopelessness. So no, this is not a pleasurable album to listen to but it is a emotional one, one to listen to while you reflect on your life choices, your past actions and your future opportunities. There is light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel is dark and insecure.
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Forte Ruin - Rebuilding the Machinery
death metal / symphonic metal
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Right, back to severe headbanging, this time with the return of Finnish melodic death metal sextet Forte Ruin. Their new EP shows a band that has evolved and grown since their 2015 effort, much to my delight. The influences from Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom and Fear Factory are still there but now Forte Ruin has found their niche in the fierce but melodic corners of the metal scene. The result is a violent five track album, loaded with cutting edge riffing, atmospheric synths, intense screams and melodic clean vocals. This EP is a whirlwind of modern day metal, one every fan of the genre should check out.
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Postcode - Dandelion Radio Session II
alternative rock
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To celebrate their tenth birthday, Isle Of Man residents Postcode revised some of their older songs and turn them into a sweet live registration. On this five track EP you can find nice alternative rock tunes, inspired by acts like The Pixies, The Breeders and PJ Harvey. This definitely will bring a smile to the faces of nineties rockers. You can feel the joy of playing these songs live. My personal is the lingering 'Hope Makes the Stars Shine Brighter' but I'm quite positive that all of these tunes regularly appear in my alternative rock list from now on. I suggest you do the same and check out this highly enjoyable band.
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Hypnodial - Aether Alcoves
ambient
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Hailing from Palma De Mallorca, Hypnodial seems to be influence by everything ambient and downtempo related, from Brian Eno over The Orb to the harshness of Cold Meat Industry. Those influences reflect of this album too, even though the whole thing comes in a minimal and gloomy approach. With twelve tracks, ranging from gentle ambient tunes to downtempo electronics, this album is well varied and thus an excellent companion for daily listening. My favorite is the dubby ambient tune 'Old Café' but I'm damn sure that every ambient aficionado will easily appreciate this stuff.
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Dead Neanderthals - Life
drone / noise / ambient
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It looks like an eighties punk inspired thrash metal album but it comes from Dutch heavy jazz combo Dead Neanderthals and it sounds like a massive drone experiment. These guys never cease to amaze us. This time, the Dutch primitives decided to leave the drums and the sax at home. So what are left with? A thirty six minutes lasting psychedelic drone track, hypnotic, immersive and as minimal as Maggie De Block's sexlife. So yeah, it's a surprising Dead Neanderthals release but definitely one to add to your ever expanding drone-scape collection. I'm already curious about what they'll come up with next. Hip hop?
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Hiemis - Nachtstücke
dark ambient
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If you're into deep, dark drones and eerie soundscapes, this album by Hiemis is right up your alley. The music has plenty of similarities with your favorite dark ambient acts, such as Raison D'Etre, Desiderii Marginis, In Slaughter Natives, Lustmord and Inade, to name a few. These are gloomy instrumental tales of ghosts, demons, dreams, visions and nightmares, both minimal and overwhelming at times. 'Die Jesuiterkirche in G' is my personal favorite but every fan of old Cold Meat Industry releases will undoubtedly appreciate these nocturnal soundscapes, no doubt about that. So check it out if you're one of those eternal dark souls...
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Setaoc Mass - Solid Void
techno
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Every once in a while an electronic dance music release appears on our pages, and that solely means that I like it. I surely like this one, driving on heavy, hypnotic and repetitive beats and percussion while array of industrial inspired sounds continuously slap you in the face. Of course this is stuff for the nighttime dance floors, where artists like Marco Bailey love to roam but I'm sure that tracks like 'Light Falls' and 'Eurhythmic' will often blast through my speakers from now on. If you are not weary of some old school techno beats, you might as well check this one out, play it loud and get that party started. Why wouldn't you?
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Meka Nism - The War Inside
symphonic metal / death metal
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What would happen when you lock Arch Enemy and Lacuna Coil in the same room and force them to record an album? Well, you'd probably get something like Florida residents Meka Nism. Supported by skilled musicians, Ms. Meka delivers an impressive array of clean vocals, grunts and screams, sometimes melodic sometimes simply smashing your face against the wall. Behind her, the musicians deliver a solid truckload of modern day death metal riffs and licks, topping everything off with methodical drums. Stuff like this can easily set the big stages at metal festivals on fire, and maybe also blow the roof off your living room.
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Severin - Safe Following Distance
electronic / experimental / breakcore
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This odd and unusual electronic dance music album will be revealed on April 20 but I can already tell you that it will be worthwhile. Somehow, Severin manages to throw heaps of dance tunes into the blender and come out with something exciting and unique. In a way, this stuff can build a bridge between house, techno, breakbeats and breakcore. This results in four in-your-face experimental electronic tracks which you can either try to dance to or go insane by. I guess the choice is yours. I mean, even Autechre doesn't often go this wild and bizarre. So obviously, this little thing comes highly recommended.
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Serge
