acoustic / alternative / sludge

If this was any other AmenRa release, I probably wouldn't have started this review today. Today, I don't feel so good, at least not well enough to face a massive amount of drones, screams, fuzz and resonance. A virus or some bacteria are keeping me away from musical brutality today, giving me a headache, a waterfall of snot and a sore throat. Yet, this is no ordinary AmenRa release, not in the crushing and fierce way most people know these guys.

In 2009, AmenRa released the acoustic ep 'Afterlive',  which showed a completely different side of the band. Five years later, they played a number of acoustic sets, reinterpreting their own songs in an intimate setting. The performances were recorded on tape, to be released by Consouling Sounds. On this album, you can also find collaborations with Belgian poet Sofie Verdoodt and two amazing cover versions.

One of those cover versions is the gloomy 'Parabol', originally a Tool song. It's  a chilling version which reminds me a bit of Colin's (vocals) solo work in CHVE. However, the cover I was most looking forward to, is their rendition of 'Het Dorp' by Belgian singer/songwriter Zjef Vanuytsel who passed away last December. This cover is a true tribute to Vanuytsel where AmenRa perfectly captured the original atmosphere of the "kleinkunst" song. This is a stunning tearjerker.

The other tracks aren't any less interesting by the way. Even in an acoustic setting, AmenRa manage to create a dark, heavy and immersive atmosphere. 'Buiten Datum', another Dutch song (or poem), is one of my favorites here It reminds me a bit of some of Tiamat's best works or Anathema's emotional ballads. 'Wear My Crown' is another brilliant piece of music, another highlight on this album.

In all, this is a beautiful album, showing how talented the guys from AmenRa really are. Here and there I'm even reminded of Neil Young, certainly in the song 'Aorte'. I never thought a sludge metal band would remind me of Neil Young or Tom Petty or even Johnny Cash. But then again, this ain't no sludge album, this is a testament about how talented, innovative and creative Belgian artists really are. So check it out, even if you're not an AmenRa fan. This is top level musicianship...


Serge

rock / rap / alternative

I don't know about you, dear reader, but I love to gain some knowledge through the music I listen to. For starters, it makes my job as a reviewer easier. It's also quite useful for my personal development, even though I don't always use the information. It provides me with something interesting to say. In that aspect, exploring this album was pure pleasure for me because I had the chance to dwell in a language I don't know.

​'N’int ket deuet a-benn da ziwriziennañ ac’hanomp...' is Breton for 'They couldn’t drive us out'. This language is spoken by people in Brittany (Bretagne, France). It's a Celtic language, originated in Great Britain and introduced in France by migrating Britons. It's related to the Cornish language. So yes, this band was born in Bretagne, and it's a rebellious and revolutionary weapon, non-lethal of course.

But we're here for the music, and quite frankly, even though this is something completely and utterly different from what I have reviewed before, this stuff makes me smile. This band blends rock, folk and rap into a very energetic sound, and throws a highly convincing DIY-punk attitude in the mix. The result is pretty damn interesting, something I'd surely want to see on some of the upcoming summer festivals. 

Comparing this album to other acts isn't an easy task, so let's go over some of the basic elements in this music. Basically, this is alternative rock music, a bit similar to bands like Urban Dance Squad, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Clawfinger. The latter also comes to mind through the vocals, which resemble that well-known French rap style of IAM, MC Solaar or Manau. Finally, there is the folk element, represented by the accordion, which mostly reminds me of the opening tune of 'Allo 'Allo.

I guess you should have a decent idea about this album by now so I'm not going into a song-by-song description. After all, because of their style, all the songs have the same elements, the same energy and the same warm, enthusiastic sound. France has pleasantly surprised me before but this album certainly highlights the country's flair for originality. So check it out and try to catch these guys on a festival this summer. You'll be in for an awesome party, that's for sure.


​Serge

doom / sludge

Hell yeah, Dö are back. The Finnish doom trio released 'Den' (read review) in the beginning of last year and now they throw this massive full-length in our faces. This album shows everything Dö are good at, only better. In short: this is a fierce slab of psychedelic sludge doom, the soundtrack to everything that can go wrong in your life, from heartbreak to apocalypse. Face it, a lot can go wrong, you better be prepared.

The album opens with the awesome 'Born Under Black Wings', a fierce doom metal track with harsh, fearsome grunts. It's followed by 'Everblast II (The Aftermath)', which clearly shows the Black Sabbath influences. It also shows how these guys evolved, both as musicians and as a band. They sound well-attuned and quite meticulous in their overall sound, which is brutal, aggressive and pummeling, but still majestic as fuck.

Some readers might have already read that I'm not really a fan of guitar solos, but what Big Dog blasts out of his instrument is simply awesome. They add this, oh so welcome, psychedelic effect to the music. Besides, his somewhat Eastern orientated approach in 'Ex Oblivione' is pure musical bliss. I guess this is one of my favorite tracks on this album, perhaps the least suited to bang your head but perfect to smoke a joint to, if that's what you're into.

I also really dig the bass guitar on this album. In the beginning of 'Kylmä', Hank does something brilliant, something that sounds like a tribute to Cliff Burton and Peter Steele. The rest of the song is pretty damn pounding to. Try listening to this song while watching the scene from The Ring where the girl crawls out of the television set, I dare you. Oh, and kudos to drummer Joe E. Deliverance. The 'E' stands for 'epic' and that's exactly what this album is.

They also dare to do something different, like include an acoustic ballad named 'Hail the Fire'. It's a short song but nonetheless a welcome breather after and before the sheer brutality in the rest of this album. Yes, "before" because the best is still to come. It comes in the form of the monolithic closer ' Forsaken Be Thy Name'. This song simply is stoner doom at its best, immersive and punishing. Brilliant.

I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by this trio. They certainly grew to the next level of doom metal by coming up with a very mature and varied sound. You can hear that they're serious about their art. The production quality is excellent, placing them among the greats in this scene. Nothing should keep Dö from grinding themselves a way to the main stages at the Desertfests, Roadburns and whatever related events you can find.


​Serge

post rock / electronica

A music genre that refuses to evolve, is pretty much a doomed one.  Why? Well, because the majority of fans will see new bands as copycats who have nothing new to add. Those same people also refuse to listen to bands who do have something new to add, because "they're not loyal to the scene". Yeah, I know, some music fans are full-of-manure whiny little kids who themselves have nothing new to add to the whole damn industry.

Oh, wait. I'm writing a review, not a rant on shortsighted music fans. My apologies. Sometimes I get carried away a little. But that's a good thing. Like I told a good friend on mine the other day: "good albums inspire me to write, bad albums don't". So, Swiss post-rock band Kid Ikarus shouldn't really worry about the rest of this review. The writing is going perfectly fine, so this must be a good album, right?

Absolutely. It's their second full-length, one where the band looks beyond the boundaries of the post-rock genre without losing the awesome feel that this style of music presents. The album opens with something harsh and impending in 'Master Blaster' but gradually shows more than just influences from Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. 'Endless Fun' (and several other songs), comes with a load of synths and electronics.

So perhaps it might be safe to say that we have a crossbreed of post-rock and trip-hop here, two genres known for their mild tempo and beautiful atmosphere. But it goes even further than that. I could mention influences from acts like Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and even psychedelic rock acts like Grobschnitt. Zürich is about 850 km from Berlin, but Kid Ikarus certainly know a thing or two about the Berliner Schüle.

Let's check out a few more songs. There's almost classic post-rock in the brilliant track 'Soft Power' while 'Sweet Secrets' smells like Jean Michel Jarre's synth hits, driving on a highly immersive bass line and illusive soundscapes. The album closes with the longest track, 'Blaster Master', which perfectly combines all of the previous elements into one massive post-rock track, certainly a highlight on this already impressive album.

So yeah, post-rock fans, ambient aficionados and vintage electronica loves should definitely check out this album. It's certainly good enough to stand next to the releases from the big names in this industry. At the moment, 'Playback Dreams' is knocking on the door to my best-of-2016 list. The competition is fierce and relentless, I know, so perhaps Kid Icarus should kick in that door with a few stunning performances to seal the deal.


​Serge

metal

Hm, this is a tough one. It's an ep that will not be played very often in this household but I don't want to tear it down either. I mean, the fact that this is a genre I don't really listen to (or like), doesn't make this a bad album, on the contrary. Besides, the opening track is pure genius, a potential smash hit that will get this band on loads and loads of main stages in the near future. For a reviewer, it's difficult to write about these albums, but I'm going to anyway.

Fallen Eight is a French band, formed in 2011. One year later, they started playing this material on several stages in France and now they seem ready to take their music abroad. In that, I can only agree. It's music for live performances, music with a lot of energy, dynamics and aggression. I can easily see audiences far and wide go nuts on this and perhaps I'd be nuts about it too when I hear it live.

So, you might ask, what is my problem with it? Well, to be honest, I'm not into metalcore and the metalcore influences definitely shine through on most of the tracks. 'Come From The Sky' and 'Final Shot' are harsh, aggressive pieces of work, enhanced by an alternation of clean vocals and brutal screams. I know, there's more to this than metalcore. I'm often reminded of plenty of bands in the metal scene, including Machine Head, Slipknot and Linkin Park.

Like I said earlier, 'Reborn' is an absolute killer, a masterpiece of melodic metal and certainly my favorite track on this ep. 'Light' comes very close and closer 'Worst Nightmare' could be the entrance theme for a wrestling superstar. Yes, Fallen Eight have a very modern style, often even reminding me of the methodical industrial approach of Fear Factory, mainly in the drums. That's obviously a huge plus.

The verdict? Well, I'm going to go ahead and recommend this album anyway, mainly to the metalcore adepts and young metal fans out there. After all, Fallen Eight are pretty damn good at what they do, showing a well-attuned band that can 'Rise & Grow' extremely fast from now on. However, if you check it out, do me and the band a favor and don't just pluck this from the internet in awful MP3 sound. Buy the physical release at a show, support your scene and show some respect.


​Serge

noise rock / ambient / rock / post-rock

What would Primus sound like when they would decide to be a post-rock band? I'm quite sure nobody ever asked that question but it is quite an interesting one. Imagine Les Claypool's bass, accompanied by energetic drums and strange guitar sounds. Would you like it? Well, now you have the chance to check out something that comes very close to that. It's blasting through my speakers right now and it's as weird as it is satisfying.

F.A.T. is actually the rhythm section of Eliogabal, a band that I'm not really familiar with. This album is part three of their F.A.T. trilogy, the first ones experimenting with either post-rock or electronics. Now, they take on a different approach again, one that resembles bands like Zu and even some of Mike Patton's bizarre outlets. In four tracks, this French act takes the listener through a labyrinth of noise, drums and ambient.

It's a strange journey, loaded with unexpected hooks and surprises, perfectly suited to receive the 'experimental' and even the 'avant-garde' tag. Hell, I think even jazz-fans could find their dada* in here. This album is fluxus-art for your ears where everything is permitted and nothing is too weird to put into the music. Oh, and it's pretty damn heavy sometimes too. Recommended only if you're ready for this trippy adventure.


Serge

*To find ones dada: Flemish expression meaning 'find what suits you'.

black metal

By now, I really don't care about the differences between black metal and the so-called "blackgaze" or "post-black metal" thing anymore. I don't give a damn what hipsters, 'true' black metal elitists or the general media say about it either. All I care about is good music, regardless of influences or philosophy. After all, it's all bleak, harsh and downright evil music which tears your soul to shreds and gnaws on your consciousness, right?

Allow me to re-introduce Chaos Moon, a band formed in Philadelphia (US), somewhere in 2004. I say "re-introduce" because that's basically what this album does. Initially intended to be an reissue of their previous release, a pleaser between the band's previous album "Resurrection Extract" and the upcoming one "Æschaton Mémoire, this CD presents the original album plus two bonus tracks, namely 'Resurrection III' from the same session and the brand new song 'Amissum'.

The new song is extremely promising for the upcoming album, that's for sure. This simply is highly immersive layered black metal with influences from shoegaze and dark ambient. The sound is bleak, grim and intense and most of the time Chaos Moon don't need blast-beats to give their music that extreme edge. Instead, the focus seems to lay purely on a vivacious dark atmosphere.

The other songs are in now way less inferior and seem to fit perfectly with the first one. The 'Resurrection' trilogy is massive and brilliant, perhaps somewhere between Oranssi Pazuzu, Altar Of Plagues and even Aluk Todolo, but with fiercely shrieking vocals and awesome synth passages. So yes, this surely is something stunning and mesmerizing and I hope these guys will come over to Europe soon.

Fuck, this is good...


​Serge 

hard rock

Oh, hard rock, how you have changed my life. You provided me with a road to follow and loads of sideways to explore. Ever since I bought my first two CDs (Skid Row and Alice Cooper) I've been wandering around this stunning musical environment where everything seems to be possible and allowed. And second, oh Bridgeville, you made me feel a bit nostalgic and melancholic but I guess that's a good thing.

Bridgeville is a Norwegian hard rock band with members from Iron Fire and Absinth. The formed in 2013 for the sole purpose of creating vintage, old fashioned hard rock. 'Aftershock' is their debut but it sure doesn't feel that way. It feels a little like a best-of eighties underground rock 'n roll, reminding me of anything between Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard and Whitesnake. In other words, hurray, I'm 18 again.

The album opens with the strong rocker 'Get On Top', which could either be a sexual recommendation or a first glimpse of the future of this band (or both, which brings back Kiss' groupies stories). It simply is a classic hard rock song that could have a place on any best-of classic rock compilation. What follows isn't any less interesting, like the highly immersive title track 'Aftershock' or the groovy single 'Black Rain'.

Bridgeville breathe the same quality as the bands I mentioned in this review. True, some people might find this music outdated, but those people usually are pre-adolescents whose opinions on music really don't matter. So you shouldn't hold back because of how they feel about this 'dad-music'. If you like these uptempo rockers, flashing guitar solos and rough but melodic vocals, this surely is your thing.

I needed only one song to be convinced, and that is the opening track, but there's plenty more vintage goodness to be found here. 'Keep Holding On' sounds like a track Bon Jovi forgot to write. 'Freakshow' could have been on Alice Cooper's 'Trash' album and 'Absinthia' is a good ol' heavy blues rock tune which will make many heads nod. So yes, this is excellent old school hard rock and that's perfectly fine...


​Serge

stoner rock / doom

What is enlightenment exactly? How can we, as human beings, fit in with the universal mind? How do we know when we are pure, enlightened or conscious? Does anything change when we die? Will we ever know the entire truth about our universe or is our brain incapable of comprehending such a vast knowledge?  These are questions that roam through my mind almost constantly, and I guess I'm not the only one.

Somehow I think that Dublin, Ireland residents Mount Soma often reflect on these issues. Their mind seems to wander around somewhere in our massive universe while their bodies use earthly instrumentation to express their thoughts and reach that higher state. They formed this band in 2014, after playing in several other acts before, so it seems like these guys know what they're doing. What they're doing exactly? Well, they're doing doom.

'Origins' consists of two monolithic and psychedelic stoner doom tracks, connected by the calm and subdued title track. 'Nebula' and 'Lazarus' are elaborate pieces of doom, often harsh, often soothing but always immersive. Personally, I'd chose 'Lazarus' as my favorite track, since this is a stunning and quite adventurous piece of work, but recommendation-wise, I'd say check it out. This is quite an impressive release and an excellent teaser for a (hopefully) upcoming full-length.


​Serge 

black metal / post-metal / blackgaze

Is this whole "blackgaze" thing running out of hand? Some people seem to think so. Some people seem to think that there are only two or three blackgaze-bands and a vast number of copycats. Personally, I don't really care about that kind of elitism. I'm a fan of whatever sounds good, even if I'm constantly reminded of other acts. To be frank, the whole blackgaze scene has been a massive throwback into either black metal or shoegaze, so, elitists, this whole scene isn't new so stop whining about it.

Anyway, the fact that it's nothing new, doesn't mean that it's garbage. This trio from Stavanger, Norway is a great example of how young musicians can still make a decent impact on any scene. With this debut ep, they carefully present themselves as one of the possible heirs to the throne in the blackened regions of the metal scene. A full-length is in the making, so this is merely a teaser, or a pleaser, because it is a damn good piece of work.

Two songs, ranging from atmospheric and cinematic pieces of metal to fierce and relentless black metal outbursts, that's what you get here. Both tracks are massive and well-varied songs, played with severe intensity and dressed in a pitch black atmosphere. So what else could a blackgaze fun possible want? Besides, I've actually never heard a blackgaze band breathe the vintage Scandinavian black metal air so well as these guys do. So yeah, you have to check it out if you're into bands like Alcest, Lantlos or any of those blackgazing hordes, and you have to do it now...


​Serge 

stoner rock / hard rock 

Let's once again kick off with something educational. A hedonist is a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life; a pleasure-seeker so to speak. I am one, most of my close friends are too. I'm quite sure the good people at Consouling Sounds are too and finally, the three people who stomped this album in our faces certainly are. If hanging around in smoked-out venues, smelling of beer and sweat, is your kind of pleasure, you are a hedonist too.

Hedonist started in the Belgian city of Genk 2010, after Roel Paulussen (Sardonis, Solenoid, Barabbas) and Frederik "Cozy" Cosemans (Serpentcult, Hemelbestormer, Death Penalty) decided to jam together. Soon after, they invited Frank "Frenz" Homolka (Solenoid, The Killbots) to take care of the bass and vocals and before they knew it, there was a new star in the stoner firmament. A first split was released, one with Your Highness and, obviously, the band got picked up by Consouling Sounds.

In short, 'The Collapse' is a massive piece of work, heavy, groovy and relentless, as if Monster Magnet and Kuyss decided to interpret Motorhead songs. Opener 'The Urge' perfectly sets the tone, graciously followed by the highly impressive title track 'The Collapse'. Both tracks seem to function as battering rams, pounding on your skull, beating you senseless and leaving you screaming for more. 

Remember that Monty Python scene where a convict is chased by naked girls and eventually falls from a cliff? Well, this album feels a bit similar. In the end it will leave you in a puddle of blood but you know you had the time of your life, headbanging to raging monsters like 'Back Lungs' or 'I Hedonist'. You'll still want more, you can't get enough of the beating. In fact, Hedonist should use a slowed down version of that scene for a video. 

But that's not all. Don't forget that Roel is a brilliant guitar player who can handle a lot of different things. On 'Beecher', the trio takes on a psychedelic approach, slower, jazzier and totally reeking of vintage hard rock. This song might be one of my favorites on this album, an absolute riff-worshiper's orgasm, so to speak. Or how about the fierce stoner punk songs 'Back To Arkham' and 'The Number Eight Will Kill You? Oh man, I can already see massive mosh pits forming on these.

You'll have to discover the other songs yourself because I can't get that Monty Python scene out of my head now, dammit. All I can say to end this review, is this: fucking buy it already. If you're into anything from High On Fire to Karma To Burn you have no right to neglect this gem. Buy the album, go to their shows, support your scene before this wretched society completely collapses. This certainly is the perfect soundtrack for the apocalypse...


​Serge

folk / alternative

Bodie is a town in California, founded by gold diggers in the 1870s. During its bloom around 1890, it counted 10.000 inhabitants and it was notorious for its god- and lawlessness. It gradually got abandoned after twenty years: there was no more gold left to extract and two fires destroyed most of the buildings, the first one may have been started by a toddler playing with matches. Now this ghost town is a national park.

I'm imagining François, Hugo, Zoé and the choir performing 'First' on the market place, in the sun and the wind, watched by founder Thomas approvingly nodding along with the fans. That would be an unforgettable setting to underline the music which isn't easy to describe. The tag neo-folk comes the closest (e.g. Rome, Hagalaz' Runedance, Forseti) but there are also vivacious and primordial vocals, and a touch of alternative/post-rock. The overall tempo is quite slow and the emphasis seems to lie on the lyrics.

The songs are about recently having lost the love of a soulmate. You can feel the pain, desire, guilt and desperation but the fundament of hope still stands. Did Thomas' lover come back to him after having heard this album, which he composed and released all by himself in 2013? This is intimate, pure and simply beautiful music waiting to be discovered... 

Eline

post-rock / ambient

Henrik Ivarsson, the soul behind Morris i Motljus, lives on the island of Gotland near Stockholm in the Baltic Sea. If you check out this place on Google Maps, you'll find yourself in a stunning green landscape with well-maintained houses, kilometers of open space and a lot of ruins. It has a rich history and looks a bit like heaven on earth to one who lives in a suburb in ugly, crammed Flandres, so it doesn't come as a surprise to read that Gotland is a tourist-magnet. 

Maybe it's this landscape that inspired Ivarsson for his compositions, or should I call them ballads? There are three of them on 'Kalkstensbefläckad'. Despite of their short length, each one is an epic mixture of cinematic post-rock or atmospheric doom with black metal and neoclassical influences. The perfect soundtrack for a storm over Gotland or one going on in your own mind. No wonder it's impossible to pick a favourite track... I could put this EP on endless repeat for days and still wouldn't get tired of it.

It's clear that Ivarsson is a musical genius. He has six years of experience with this project and it's about bloody time that his music got discovered. So go ahead and check this out, really man, it's worthwhile...


Eline

dark ambient / drone / experimental

Ever since Serge announced his Misantronics release on Sombre Soniks, I was wondering to myself: "Is this something that should be reviewed on Merchants Of Air?" I mean, it is no secret that Serge is both the founder of MOA as well as the sole member of Misantronics. And if it was a secret, sorry I told everyone Serge. So, reviewing a release of someone who is technically 'my boss' (he hates it when I call him that..) but most of all a pleasant workpartner and a good pal, is that a good idea?. What if it turns out if it is a pile of horsemanure? The thing is, we at MOA do not believe in bad reviews. Sure, there are loads of releases that pass through our virtual- as well as physical mailbox that one or several of us doesn't like. But you know what, we just pass it on to someone who does like it, who is able to write something nice about it. Art is highly subjective, be it paintings, sculpture, theatre, writings or indeed, music. But one thing is certain; all art is created by someone who has put his or her heart and soul into it. His or her blood, sweat and tears. For it to be burned into the ground by some reviewer is something that we at MOA do not condone. 

So, by that reasoning, the fact that you are reading this means that this is going to be a nice review, right? Well, yeah, you're right! However, that would be the case, regardless of who was behind Misantronics. In fact, Serge doesn't even know I'm doing this review. Well he does now, since he puts these online of course. 

Misantronics has been going quite steadily for some 8 odd years now, releasing what he damn well pleases in both digital and physical form. I came into contact with the release 'Mi Nahi' when his wife, who happens to be my colleague, approached me with that cd release a couple of years ago. She knew of my love for noise, ambient, industrial and drones. She also knew how much I love the early days of the Cold Meat Industry label and my days as a dweller of underground industrial parties. And Misantronics is practically an embodiment of all those things. It hearkens back to the good old days of those quality CMI releases. and 'Contraformance' is no different. Part field recording, part live performance, part soundscape using earlier pieces, these two half-our tracks present some of the strongest of Misantronics to date. They are droning, rhythmic, industrial, ambient monsters that recall the likes of In Slaughter Natives, Morthond, Raison d'Etre, Mortiis, Sanctum.. All the great acts from the glory days of Cold Meat Industry. I was instantly transported back to those mid- to late 1990's. Washes of blissed-out ambience are underlined by distant tribal drums and fragments of field recordings, grinding static, deep drones, curious samples (I'm pretty sure I'm hearing the MOA mascotte Lina the Cat somewhere) and gloomy industrial rhythms. It is the soundtrack to bad dreams but at the same time you don't want those dreams to end. 

I'm playing this now, as I write, at the end of a hard day of labour in my garden. Immersed in total darkness. A glass of wine close by, as well as my cat Knäuli and one of my french bulldogs, Jef. And  I cannot imagine a better ending of my day... If you, like me, often long for those days when you knew that every release CMI did, you need this. 

Now, if only I would be payed doing MOA, now would be the time I could ask Serge for a raise... 


Bjorn

punk rock

Some genres never seem to change, and I'm not really sure if that's a bad thing or not. In a way, nothing really renewing seems to come from the punk rock scene. Yet, on the other hand, it's almost always uplifting music. Concerts usually are fun, CD's often make you smile. Besides, on every summer festival there is one of those joyous punk rock bands and they almost always succeed in entertaining the audience.

I think the Nancy, France residents Flood are no different.  On this second ep, after 'Calm Before The Storm' in 2014, these guys come up with energetic punk rock in the vein of bands like Blink 182, Green Day and Sum 41. It's not very original but it sure is quality. There are some great tunes to be found here too, highlighting in the highly dynamic opener 'Don't Blink' and follower 'Hometown'.

'Who Are We Now' seems a bit heavier, perhaps including some thrash metal influences but with the same great vocal lines and melody. 'Sappy' makes you want to bang your head a little, before it turns into a pop punk tune that would perfectly fit on an Adam Sandler movie soundtrack. The album closes with 'This Night', another heavy tune, more of the same perhaps but well done.

So if you're looking for something renewing, you might want to keep looking, but then again, you might want to stop looking for it in the punk rock scene. What Flood brings is nothing new but it's damn fun. Hell, I've been shaking my ass when I listened to the album yesterday, twice. And believe me, my ass only shakes when the music is good. In fact, I hope these guys become the new big thing in the scene. They deserve it...

Serge

dark ambient / black metal

We're dwelling in increasingly dark areas today. So what better way to end my writing session than with one of the darkest things in the world of music. I've always like those underground bands who blend dark ambient with black metal and when they add drones and funeral doom, I'm definitely sold. This is all about atmosphere, dark, eerie and haunting. 

Vanad Varjud is a band from Estonia, formed in 2009. However, the idea already formed somewhere in 2000. Several years later, a debut was released, named 'Apooriad'. While back then it would have been easy to categorize this under depressive black metal, the band evolved, now resulting in their second album. 

The album contains four epic pieces of atmospheric music, ranging from drones and dark ambient to bleak black metal. Yet, and perhaps that's why I dig this album so much, it almost never gets too harsh, too fast or too brutal. The focus here is clearly on the story and the overall atmosphere, which gives the album a huge plus in my opinion.

The verdict? This is stuff for fans of Striborg, Paysage D'Hiver and Nortt. This is for those who love epic music with stories to tell and landscapes to envision. It's got highly immersive passages, immersive enough to drag you down into a state of trance. Only downside is, according to their facebook page, this act never plays live. So yeah, you'll have to buy this.


​Serge

gothic metal

In today's "post"-craze it's no surprise that new ideas and new versions of metal are starting to appear. We've had post-hardcore, post-metal, post-black metal and post-whatnot, so it was only a matter of time before the gothic side of the metal spectrum would receive a "post"-prefix. So what exactly is post-gothic metal? Well, it's gothic metal with hints of black metal and loads of immersive passages.

The Eyes Of Desolation hail from Heredia, Costa Rica, perhaps not really a country you'd expect to produce such a dark and atmospheric sound. However, somehow, this very modern blend of symphonic metal, doom and gothic rock is quite contagious. While I had a few careful doubts in opener 'Waking Death', 'Crimson Sky' certainly convinced me of this band's quality. Uptempo gothic rock with flashes of industrial and loads of doomed out sounds.

Why doubts? Well, this band was described as recommended if you like Moonspell, Tiamat and Paradise Lost. In a way, that's completely true. The music certainly moves into that direction but it's heavier, often with quite brutal vocals. Nonetheless, like I said, I'm convinced that this is an excellent ep, especially that last anthem, 'Fighting For Your Cause'. That song is a stunning epos of dark, almost droning music, gloomy vocals, awesome synths and a brilliant guitar solo.

So yeah, this is good stuff for those dark souls out there. As often, I now hope that these guys will soon come over to Europe and pour their darkness over our festivals and venues. Go ahead, check it out while I once again bask in this awesome ep...


​Serge

thrash / death metal

"Here I am, awaiting my execution", Marloes sings in the opening song, followed by lyrics as "My time is up, my life is done". It sets the perfect tone for a conceptual album about an increasingly insane inmate at death row. So no, we're not in for a joyous album. We're in for a wicked ride with Dutch thrash-death ensemble Izegrim. If you like bleeding ears and severe punches to the stomach, you might want to read on...

Izegrim has been around for several years now and this full-length is the follow-up to their 2013 album 'Congress of the Insane'. The album is written from the first-person point of view. That of the deranged murderer. It's a very interesting concept actually. With each song, the insanity of the inmate seems to grow deeper and stronger. It also makes the album even more interesting than it already is musically, a vast downward spiral into the hellish brain of a killer.

Of course, many people might compare Izegrim with Arch Enemy but that would be kinda lazy. Vocalist/bassist Marloes easily compete with the likes of Carcass, Kreator and Abbath. The entire band can. They blast out their songs with so much energy and intensity that even Slayer would become jealous. 'The Evil Within', for example, truly brings the eighties thrash metal atmosphere into today's extreme metal sound, much to my delight.

For a metalhead, it would be pretty impossible not to bang your head to this stuff. Listening to songs like opener 'White Walls', 'Insanity Is Freedom' or my favorite, closer 'The Ferryman's End', I can easily imagine entire audiences raising their horned fists and screaming along. From the stage, it must look like an ocean of horned fists, creating more noise than a massive horde of berserkers.


​Serge

extreme metal

"Well Serge, that's quite a lazy genre classification you've put up there, just 'extreme metal'"? Well, of course it is, that line up there is not big enough to put everything in. I could have written 'death metal, black metal, hardcore, industrial, thrash metal, grindcore, metalcore and progressive metal' but then it would be useless to write the rest of the review, wouldn't it? So, this is extreme metal, and if I may add, it's extreme metal at its finest.

​'Scolopendra' is a genus of centipedes. They're predators, taking prey as large as rodents and even bats with a painful and venomous bite. The venoms of Scolopendra species contain compounds such as serotonin, haemolytic phospholipase A, a cardiotoxic protein and a cytolysin. Why am I telling you this? Well, mainly because it perfectly describes this Parisian band. Like the animal, Scolopendra, the band, sounds venomous and very painful and it has claws in many extreme directions.

The album opens with an intro which reveals a first glimpse of the industrial elements. Then, 'Purity' blasts through my speakers, blending death metal and thrash metal together. The song is ferocious, with brilliant drums and ripping guitars. Over those, the vocalist screams out his lungs and probably some other intestines too. 'Awake Nightmare' repeats that recipe, but gradually it starts feeling like there's more to it than this.

'Spartan Killer Instinct' adds some blackened influences to the already ruthless death-thrash sound, obviously in the form of blast-beats. Yet, suddenly, I can't help but think about Fear Factory and since I'm mentioning bands here, I've thought of Slayer, Pantera, Meshuggah, Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Dismember and probably some others too. I told you this was an extreme metal album and a damn good one too.In fact, that was only the first Cycle.

There are two more to go, each with some stunning pieces of music. In 'Mental Terror' I can clearly hear some Ministry influences while 'Psychic Paralysis' brings old Impaled Nazarene to mind. But, before you think this French act is a copycat, they always sound like Scolopendra. Even with all those influences, or maybe because of them, this band created an own distinct and very modern sounding sound, which definitely is a plus.

So yeah, I recommend this to any fan of extreme metal out there. This stuff grinds, claws, scratches and bites and it's not planning to let go anytime soon. Let's hope this album is followed by a world tour because these guys certainly deserve it. No doubt in my mind that songs like 'Psychotic Mass Murderer' and closer 'Soul Dissolution' cause massive mosh pits everywhere they come. 


​Serge

black metal

Belgium's dirtiest are back after their 2012 album 'Morinde'! A lot can change in 4 years and to be honest I feared that the sludge influences in their dirty, disgusting raw black metal would take the upper hand but I can -luckily- say that is not the case. I mean, there's nothing wrong with a bit of sludge every now and then but where Alkerdeel really exceeds others is  to make black metal sound really ugly and nasty and dirty without resorting to sludge, or perhaps hardcore influences. Because let's face it, I love black metal as much as anyone, but 'dirty', 'disgusting', 'filthy' are not attributive adjectives commonly associated with black metal. But they are for Alkerdeel and that's why I'm glad that the guys from Oost-Vlaanderen haven't compromised one tiny bit. 

It's still a glorious mixture of truly old school black metal like Von, Ildjarn, Darkthrone, Blasphemy and sure, there might be a bit of Grief thrown in there as well.. And some psychedelica.. And some krautrock.. And more importantly, Alkerdeel has kept true to their motto of 'only live is real' and 'Lede' is once again a completely live recording. Probably with some better gear than in their early days but the whole 'what you hear on the records is what you get live' is something that Alkerdeel has refused to compromise in and I give kvlt nekro hailz to them for that. 

Everything that you have come to expect from Alkerdeel is there: Pui's buzzing, hypnotic riffs, Nieke's frantic drums, QW's very prominent, pulsing basslines and Pede's insane (and I mean INSANE) vocals.. It's all a bit more streamlined, a bit more refined (if such a word can ever be ascribed to Alkerdeel) and I think a lot of it has to with Tom Kvålsvoll's brilliant mastering. Alkerdeel has never sounded more powerful. On top of that Mories from Gnaw Their Tongues provides some appropriate noise fx that do a lot for the overall atmosphere of the album. 

All in all it was well worth the 4 year wait, even though the guys haven't exactly sat still for that time. It's great to see a band refusing to compromise; they do whatever they feel like, regardless of trends. If there was ever such a thing as True Kvlt Belgian Black Metal, Alkerdeel would take the throne for sure. Essential. 


Bjorn