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Hereza - I Become Death

16/5/2017

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death metal
Godz Ov War
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"Death-punk", that's what the band calls their music but to me this is old school death metal, testicle ripping death metal even. I have no idea where the "punk" tag comes from, although I have to admit that there is a dash of that anarchistic attitude in here. Anyway, first things first. Hereza is a band from Croatia, formed in 2014. According to the info I can find, the band members moved to Germany and Ireland in 2016 but they still managed to record this delightful piece of brutal blasphemy.

What do you get on this album? Well, old school death metal, crushing guitars, a deep, growling voice (plus here and there a few punk screams) and mosh pit inducing tempos. From opener and title track 'I Become Death', these guys drags you into a whirlpool of distorted riffs and pummeling drums. That song reminds me of Dismember, which is probably the reason why I like this album so much.

Yeah, I do, me, the one who stopped listening to death metal after the classics by Entombed, Sepultura, Death, Suffocation and the aforementioned Dismember. But what Hereza is currently blasting through my speakers, is the one album that drags me right back in. Fierce tempos, insane guitars and an immersive speed. You don't need anything else to start that blood-gushing death metal orgy.

No, take it from me. This is one of the greatest death metal albums I've heard in years. It comes with a relentless groove. Songs like ''Homo Homini Lupus Est' and 'Full Moon Slaughter' are awesome beatdowns and they are far from the only ones on this album. On the latter, even the brilliant Götheborg scene comes to mind, improving the overall quality and level of variation. If you are a fan of death metal, you need this. If you don't like it, you might want to reconsider your musical preferences...


​Serge
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The Sarcophagus – Beyond This World's Illusion

10/4/2017

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death metal / black metal
Satanath
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Beyond This World’s Illusion is an album by Turkish black/ death metal group The Sarcophagus, released by Satanath Records on April 4. Almost forty six minutes long, the album has nine tracks: Reign Of Chaos, Ain Sof, Dymadiel,  The Profanity Rites, Sapremia Of Earthly Creatures, Triumphant Divine Terror, Armoured Death, Flaming Key To Divine Wisdom and Apocalyptic Beast. A marvelous and terrific album, with lancinating and protuberating guitar lines, exceptionally vibrating and effusively original, Beyond This World’s Illusion is a very original album. Although the underline core of its musicality is recognizable, their sound is so incredibly hallucinating, vividly colorful and vehemently spontaneous that almost seems to be pretty much alive. Precisely astute and formidably relevant, this record is a precious pearl of the genre. An ardent and superb masterpiece, Beyond This World’s Illusion deserves to be recognized by all the expressive qualities whimsically delineated in the expansive sonorous delusional science, displayed within the frontiers of its deleterious, but wonderful musical horizons.   

The songs in general are ferociously hostile, but there is such sentimental and lancinating sincere elements added to it, that you almost feel their exceptionally colorful harmonies ardently and fervently trespassing the components of your soul, to exponentially fuse – and infuse – each one of them into the infinite sonorous galaxy carried out by their music. And the songs have such an intrinsic vibrating cosmic rhythm and density that they appear to be sensibly alive, with all the sincere and supreme intensity carried out by the strike of their harmonic directions. 

An excellent album, with serious, direct and impeccable harmonies, beautifully conceived with amazing, incisive, conspicuous and interchangeable guitar lines, Beyond This World’s Illusion is one of the most authentic, solicit, wonderful, imponderable and visibly transcendental extreme metal albums of all time. Truly incorporating the genuine spirit of the genre, with sincerity, spontaneity, soul, motivation and a real sense of purpose, there is not a singular second on this album that is tedious, generic or weak. One of the most formidable albums of the century ever created in the history of black and death metal, Beyond This World’s Illusion is imperiously fantastic. From the very first seconds that I’ve heard this marvelous and incredibly brilliant album, I simply couldn’t believe what I was listening too. With an exceptional level of creativity, that simply goes beyond the normal standards, this is the record that I have heard that probably has captured in the best way possible the authentic spirit of extreme metal, with songs created in a crystallized shape, with a style and a structure that audaciously replicated the genre in its purest state, with a genuine sonorous fluidity that really has managed to evoke in the content of its peripheral sensibility a universal wave, forsaken and neglected by the abnormalities of the abhorrent spirit of the human nature.

Beyond This World’s Illusion is unmistakably one of the most marvelous albums ever created in the history of extreme metal. There is no doubt about it. The Sarcophagus really deserves to have a splendid, fruitful and prolific career. Better than play and create extreme metal, are the musicians that truly understand and replicate the spirit behind it.    

 
Wagner
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Brieviews 22

31/3/2017

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Lynhood - Septembre

ambient / experimental / shoegaze
Atypeek
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Lynhood is the solo project for French bassist Chloé Della Valle, founder of the Grenoble label. Lynhood is also a very interesting take on ambient, drones, noise pop and shoegaze. Armed with a bass guitar, her dreamy voice and a loop station, Lynhood creates textured pop songs with a gritty edge. That now results in this four track ep which at times is extremely melancholic. While opener 'Tree' is a gentle tune, 'White Emperor' is a tremendous tearjerker, gloomy and deeply introvert. In all, this ep is not an easy pill to swallow but certainly one worth the effort. It's simply another interesting take on drones and ambient. Try it out...

Duality - Archeology

metalcore / metal
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French metal act Duality come up with a complex but immersive take on progressive metal and metalcore, a genre I'm not always a big fan of. However, the three songs on this ep are laced with oriental influences, unusual vocal lines and tantalizing electronics, which make this thing a lot better than I expected. The songs are quite slow but still contain heaps of energy and grinding riffs. My personal favorite on this ep is 'Osiris', an intense piece of work that will often surprise the listener. I suggest you check it out, musical surprises are always a good thing as they open your mind for new things.

Never Train - Dnar

hard rock
Inverse Records
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They call it "street rock", but I think the term "hard rock" will fit the band very well. I mean, uptempo rockers with a dirty edge and plenty of power, both in the riffs and in the vocals, that spells hard rock in my book. Never Train, a band from Finland, does nothing really new but they did record three highly convincing pieces of good old fashioned rock 'n roll. There is a little bit of Skid Row in here, a dash of Ramones and even a touch of Guns 'n Roses. So this just can't go wrong. Opener 'First We Live' is my favorite. 'Hope In Youth' is a rocking dance floor filler and closer 'Dnar' is simply an uplifting piece of old school hard rock. You might need this...

Dominique Charpentier - L'attente

classical / ambient
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The email that contained this ep, also contained the words "It's a piano solo album", which is probably the truest thing I have ever read. On this ep, there is a piano and ten massively experienced fingers who gently help the instrument reveal its dreams. The five short pieces on this ep are soothing and minimal classical pieces that can lighten up every day. I don't care what genre you usually listen to, dear reader, but I strongly urge you to purchase this album. Music like this should be in everybody's collection. Everybody needs moments like these, moments to meditate and look into their own soul. This album can help you with that...

Vautour - Vautour

drum & bass / industrial metal
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With the energy of a metal album, French electronic act Vautour comes up with six massively energetic pieces of industrial music. Fans of Chase & Status or Pendulum will undoubtedly embrace this thing. There are references towards hardcore techno, dubstep, drum & bass and breakbeats but also towards rock and metal, be it a highly electronic form If you ever see a moshpit forming during a drum & bass gig, it will probably be while Vautour is playing live. In all, this debut is an interesting piece of work, one which will definitely get your dancing boots on. I can see good things happening for this act in the future.

Moonlight Prophecy - Eternal Oblivion 

progressive / thrash metal
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Philadelphia's Moonlight Prophecy is a Progressive, Thrash and Neoclassical Metal project from multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Lawrence Wallace, and that is pretty much all you need to know before getting your hands on this stunning ep. Mostly instrumental, this three-track is loaded with shredding riffs, epic guitar solos and a massive drum sound, all coming with a gloomy atmosphere. People have said that this compares to Nevermore meets Testament and I'm not going to disagree with that. Fans of epic, technical and immersive metal can easily trust this project to deliver the goods. So yep, recommended as hell, this one...

Era 9 - Warrior

nu metal
Soundcloud
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This single by Montreal based rock band Era 9 is a very nice appetizer for their upcoming album (planned to be released in May). This song seemingly blends influences from Linkin Park, Paramore, Lacuna Coil and even Skrillex and throws them into one immersive piece of music. The result is a possible hard rock charts hit, a song that would do perfectly well as a Wrestlemania tune, for example. So yes, it's worth to check this out. I'm already curious for the upcoming full-length and if you're into anything that smells like nu metal, you should too...

Electric Floor - Fader

synthpop / new wave
Vipchoyo Sound Factory 
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With elements from indie rock, new wave and synth pop, this trio politely invites you to the dancefloor, especially if you are a fan of Echo & The Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs, The Cure, Human League and so on. These five tracks seem to come directly from the eighties but will just as well please fans of modern day indie rock. Opener 'Bluedive' and the gloomy 'Borderland' are my favorites on this five track but all the songs are worth your attention. So yes, for a nostalgia trip, this is definitely a highly recommended ep and to be frank, I'd rather go see these guys on stage than Depeche Mode.

Headless Horseman - 47009

techno / industrial
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Speaking about invitations to the dancefloor, this one is something for the discotheques and dance festivals around the globe. Headless Horseman delivered a four track ep, loaded with beats and eerie soundscapes. Yet, instead of the regular 4/4 beats, this act gives the whole thing an industrial touch, reminding me of acts like Imminent, Sonar, Morgenstern or Synapscape. The opener, 'Widow's Peak' is my favorite here, along with the Scorn-like dark dub track 'The Day She Vanished'. So yeppers, for a techno record, this is a bloody good one, one that will find the way to my playlists quite often from now on.

Lonely The Brave - Diamond Days

alternative rock
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British band Lonely The Brave delivered a nice four track ep, named 'Diamond Days'. On this ep, the band comes up with small rock anthems, seemingly influenced by alternative rock, indie and post rock. Opener and title track 'Diamond Days' is a possible fan favorite, an intelligent rock anthem that would fit perfectly well in today's alternative rock community. 'Two Heads' is a bit heavier and 'Collider' is another awesome anthem. The ep closes with a nice version of 'The Rat', originally recorded by The Walkmen. In all, this ep might not be earth shattering but it's definitely a nice addition to your collection.

Misto - Infinite Mirrors

post rock
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This debut ep by Italian one-man post rock act Misto has been released last year but it only reached us a short while ago. Usually, when that happens, the release ends up in the pile of albums-we-don't-have-time-for but this time I'd like to make an exception. Why? Well, this is a very nice six-track ep, containing some gentle post rock tunes. This certainly is one of those ep that would perfectly fit in your massive post-rock playlists, there where Explosions, Godspeed, Mogwai, Caspian and Astronaut also roam. So go ahead, download these tunes help me in hoping that Misto will form a band and tour soon...

Grave Plague - The Infected Crypts

death metal
Give Praise Records
Redefining Darkness Records
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On to the extremes then, courtesy of American death metal horde Grave Plague. Their sole goal is to resurrect the old school version of death metal and on this two-track ep they do exactly that. With a sound that reminds me of something between Dismember and At The Gates, this quintet blasts two ferocious slabs of vintage death metal through my speakers at a very high paste. The whole thing is quite short but powerful enough to demolish a small suburb. So if you're into grinding riffs, sick grunts and pulverising tempos, this one should have a spot in your collection. Period.

HaatE - Crystal : Farewell

dark ambient / black metal
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Italian black ambient act HaatE returns with a mesmerizing and hypnotic ep, one that has everything it needs to be a solid reference to this dark and mysterious genre. Although mostly rooted in dark ambient, there are elements from black metal and the whole post-black/rock scene. The end result is a sonic journey that never disappoints, never gets stale and continuously contains this cold, eerie and haunting atmosphere. I can only recommend this thing to all you dark souls out there. For people like you, this music is comforting and calm while it's dark and scary for others. Great work, a must-have.

Kolfskop - Cambozola Superster

experimental rock
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The weirdest ep in this edition of Brieviews comes from Belgian trio Kolfskop. These guys from Ghent once had an idea about how music should sound, threw that overboard and started experimenting, influenced by Zappa, Waits, Beefheart and Primus. Now, they come up with this strange ep, one that has the words "avant-garde" written all over it. Nonetheless, this thing comes highly recommended because it's something you just don't hear very often anymore. Oh, and it's all in Dutch, but don't let that stop you. After all, plenty of Belgians are musical geniuses as well as completely mad.

Eli van Pike - Herzschlag

gothic / industrial metal
Darksign Music
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A German-American cooperation, deeply rooted in the dark industrial metal scene, that has got to be interesting. And it is, certainly for fans of bands like ASP, Oomph, Wolfsheim and so on. This single contains the gothic rock song 'Herzschlag' and a bunch of EBM/industrial/future pop remixes. Personally, I would have preferred one or two other songs on this single, just to add a touch of variation, but nonetheless, this is an interesting example of today's gothic scene. So I guess the choice is yours, and I strongly suggest checking this single out. If you like it, why not get the whole album?

Fork / Göttemia - Indre Enfold

punk
Kraftpest
Fork
Göttemia 
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And we end this edition of Brieviews with two bands from the Norwegian punk underground, bands that have been playing live and touring for years and became quite good friends. Fork comes up with two energetic punk songs, nudging towards alternative and noise rock but still raunchy enough to please hardcore punks. Göttemia adds three aggressive punk tunes to the mix, perfectly capable of getting that mosh pit started. Both acts seem to do exactly what they want, which obviously is in perfect punk tradition. So, punk of all ages, check this out. You'll love it.
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Epping Forest – Lebabvoid

20/3/2017

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death metal / black metal
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Lebabvoid is an album by Portuguese blackened death metal group Epping Forest, released on March 10 by Unexploded Records. With ten tracks – Inception: Everblasting doom, Though-O-Matic: The pyramid and the exodus, Affair: The curse and the heal, Kria: Resistance is useless, lebaB Void: The universe in a machine, Foretoken: A mountain-gorges lullaby, Summoning: Three hundred out of the sky, Demise: Twelve times twelve sars, Hereafter: We are alone in the end and Cruel with us – Lebabvoid is a powerful and unmerciful album, one of the best that I have ever heard in the genre! Impressively cohesive, incredibly fast, inextricably impulsive, amazingly technical and sagaciously lucid, the sonorous style of Epping Forest is impeccably delirious and outstandingly hallucinatory. Its relentless sound is truly amazing and unique, especially given the fact that, although their sound is unforgivingly rapid, the instruments are perfectly distinguishable and discernible. Their sound is proficiently efficient, and they have a majorly original and authorial style, very interesting to hear and to analyze. 

The cohesion of the guitar lines is probably one of their strongest elements. Nonetheless, their overall musicality, the imposing force of their rhythms and the impeccable convergence of instruments in their massive melodies are wonderful accomplishments that only amazingly talented musicians are able to do. And their perfect domain of the genre, being so powerfully expressive, reveals the shaping of harmonies with so much grandiosity, vigor and intelligence, that it becomes easy to define Lebabvoid as a terrific and amazingly surprising album.     

Every track seems to have been dilapidated in a unique feature of restless and superior trace of creativity. Despite the fact that they have a very cohesive and incisive style, each track has its own identity, and they never repeat themselves, which makes every single track in Lebabvoid a wonderful surprise. Although in several moments they remember 90’s Rotting Christ, their style is virtually singular. You probably never heard something so powerful in the genre, ever in your life. With melodic elements masterly thrown in the mathematically ordained chaos of dilacerating melodies, each and every track in Lebabvoid is a universal call for redemption, done with the correct amount of sensibility and precision, which is something quite expected from a band of such a superior technical and creative category. 

While all the songs on the album are peculiar and effusively beautiful masterpieces by their own right, and I think that highlight one or two of them is terribly unfair, I need to point it out the sixth track, Foretoken: A mountain-gorges lullaby, as a beautifully poetic and surprisingly formidable song, filled with so much consistency, sentiment and sincerity – adorned by a cosmically dense and perpetually stringent melody – that the characterization of Epping Forest as a brutal, honest, genuine and original band does not seem enough to honor their astounding and greatly artistic level of competence. 

If you are a death/ black metal enthusiast, you can’t afford to miss Lebabvoid. I strongly assure you that this is a state of the art work! An amazingly powerful record, with potential to redefine and establish new standards for the genre, in such a level like you never thought it was possible before.


​Wagber
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Arkan - Kelem

11/3/2017

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melodic metal / death metal
Overpowered Records
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Sometimes it is as if the French live in a completely different universe than the rest of the world. Their music often follows different rules and restrictions than their American, English or even Belgian counterparts, which obviously makes French bands harder to categorize. Take this album by Arkan for example. It was delivered to me as a melodic death metal band. It's melodic, that is true. It also clearly belongs in the world of metal, but death metal? Don't you need growls and grunts for that? Is't death metal a genre that often goes fast?

Oh oh, that doesn't sound very good, does it?
Well, keep on reading.

Arkan was created in May 2005 by Foued Moukid (former member of The Old Dead Tree). His goal was to mix metal with oriental music. Their previous effort, 'Sofia'  was released by Season Of Mist and was quite well received. Yet, 'Kelem' takes on a different approach. Sarah Layssac has been replaced by Manuel Munoz (also from The Old Dead Tree) who, by the way, does a brilliant job. The death metal references have almost disappeared, making place for a modern melodic metal sound that focuses more on emotion than aggression.

When I listened to opener 'Kafir' for the first time, I was surprised. This gloomy and immersive mid-tempo song contains no grunts, no ferocious tempos, no shrieking solos. Yet, it thrives on this dynamic rhythm and massive riffs. Manuel's voice is excellent here. Somewhere rooted in extreme metal, this track is a prime example of modern day metal. 'Nour' eventually comes up with the grunts, and from there on the songs become more varied, ranging from a heavy version of Anathema to today's metalcore scene.

'The Call' is one of my favorites. It's somewhat faster, comes with plenty of energy and the Arabian elements make this such a great listening experience. It's probably also the most death-metal one on this record. 'Cub Of The Caliphate' is also an awesome track, graciously inviting you to a decent headbanging session. 'Just A Lie', is another possible fan-favorite, another mid tempo masterpiece of melodic metal that will make heads bang and hip shake.

I'll leave the other songs up to you, dear reader. I will definitely recommend this to today's metal fans. Perhaps not to the old school death metal fan because he might find this thing a bit too modern and melodic. Yet, those who love decently written metal from an excellent technical level will easily appreciate this. In all, 'Kelem' is a splendid album, varied, stubborn and immersive. What else could you want?


​Serge

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Brieviews 21

4/3/2017

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Ibyss - Hate Speech

industrial metal
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When several media refuse a release because it's 'too provocative and problematic', Merchants Of Air puts it on top of a new edition of Brieviews.That's exactly what happened with this conscience-kicker from German industrial horde Ibyss. Inspired by Godflesh, Nailbomb, Ministry and Treponem Pal, these guys blast out an intense and heavy heap of distorted guitars, pounding drums and brutal vocals. So to hell with mainstream media, this shit is the shit. I mean, this isn't even a political ep, but one that simply wants to tell you to use your common sense and not be an asshole. Besides, it rocks!!!

Primal Age - A Silent Wound

metal / hardcore
Deadlight Entertainment
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Some more kicks in the brain come from French vegan aggressors Primal Age. This ep is rooted deeply in the hardcore and metalcore scene, which obviously results in fierce riffs, tormented vocals and a wide array of murderous tempo changes. Fans of everything between Kickback, Hatebreed and Arkangel will easily adopt this killer into their collection. Fans of Slayer should check out the last song, which is a tribute to Jeff Hanneman in the form of a medley with his best riffs. So yes, this is a short but firm assault on the muscles in your neck, but by now you should already be used to that...

Angus Black - Live From The Cellar

stoner rock / psychedelic
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The band name looks like a tribute to both AC/DC and Black Sabbath, something which might get old hard rock fans immediately interested. So good choice there, but how is the music? Well, not that much AC/DC but an excellent dose of sabbathesque and fuzzed out psychedelic rock. This ep by Finnish fuzzers Angus Black was recorded live in their rehearsal cellar and it's exactly what you can expect from these guys on stage. If Type O Negative would have made stoner rock, Angus Black would have a problem, but now, these guys are just another great psychedelic rock and doom band you want to see on a stage near you very soon. I do.

Flicker Rate - Reframe 

post rock / math rock / progressive rock
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The second ep by English one-man act Flicker Rate is pure ear candy. With progressive guitar lines, a solid post-rock build-up and epic passages, this act certainly delivered something highly immersive and entertaining. In four tracks, this kid show both high class technical skills and a decent flair for atmospheric and instrumental storytelling. And yes, "kid", because the person behind this project is only seventeen years old. I wish more seventeen year olds would do something like this instead of hunting for Pokemons. Then again, not every teenager is a talented musician. Spencer Bassett surely is and I highly recommend checking this ep out.

Quick & Dirty - Falling Down​

alternative rock / hard rock
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Hurray, boobies. That's one reason to buy the ep. I mean, the fact that the ep contains a bunch of heavy rocking blues songs that will make you shake your ass like there is no tomorrow, is a good plus. The obvious influences from everything between Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters will fill your evenings with joy, which is also a massive advantage. I mean, heavy blues with the energy of alternative rock is a must-have on all those summer festivals in need of a good kick-ass rock 'n roll band that will automatically increase the alcohol consumption, also a plus. But you know you will mainly buy this ep for the boobies...

Analogue Wave - Hope

electronic / trip hop
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Irish duo Analogue Wave are knocking on the doors of Depeche Mode and Massive Attack fans, hoping to find interested ears for their immersive electronic music. 'Hope' is a great song, eclectic, energetic and danceable. I hear influences from Amon Tobin and Gus Gus, which are always a plus in this household. The ep also contains a heavy remix by experimental psych/kraut collective Tuath for the same song and one by Ummagma for the song 'Mezkal'. The latter is a classic synth pop tune that will easily get Depeche Mode fans shaking their behinds. Nice single, certainly recommended.

Mahùt - Your Violin Is Still Playing

post rock / electronic
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Post-rock for Boards Of Canada fans, that's pretty much what Italian duo Mahùt delivers. Their new ep is loaded with gentle instrumentals, rooted in the post rock scene but also carrying a wide array of electronics. The six songs are well-varied, not too long and listener friendly. Picking a favorite one isn't easy but I will have to go with the gloomy and beautiful 'The Last Time We Spoke', probably because I can't resist violins and deep bass lines. So obviously, I will recommend this one to all post rock fans out there, just like I would to all fans of downtempo electronics. This one is a must-have.

Rückwater - Bonehead

stoner rock
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Right, time to dive back into the thick cesspool of the psychedelic stoner rock scene. With two equally rough and intense vocalists and a kickass sound, these Fins blast like there is no tomorrow. This six-track ep is a strong, dirty and heavy gem, a certain recommendation for fans of Truckfighters, Black Rainbows, 1000Mods and everything in between.  The blues-ballad 'Labyrinth' is a masterpiece, one that should have been written and recorded forty years ago. So yes, if you are a stoner (rock fan), you have to check out this ep. It will immediately raise the temperature in your room to desert-levels. 

Absinthe From Society - The Angels Ignored Us

metal
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Canadian metal trio Absinthe From Society comes up with a raw and heavy four-track ep. The band, influenced by everything between Jimi Hendrix and System Of A Down does not want to be innovative. Instead, they want to rock and in that, they are pretty good. Although I'm not a fan of the song 'Hellbound', 'A Man Possessed' is a great track, groovy, heavy and pounding. 'Never' feels like an eighties new wave tune, which is surprising but also welcome. 'Worth It' is an interesting rock ballad. That being said, yes, this is damn varied. I think a lot of rockers will appreciate this. It's nothing new but good enough to be entertained, which is all we need...

Ancst - Furnace

hardcore / black metal
Vendetta Records
Yehonala Tapes
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A dark, impending intro, followed by one of the most brutal sonic assaults in the history of music, thriving on hardcore and drenched in a blackened atmosphere, that's what you get when you purchase this murderous piece of music. German blackened crust horde Ancst delivered a relentless ep, one that is out for nothing less than utter destruction. Of course, this stuff is not suited for untrained ears and for people who like to maintain their sanity. But fans of extreme metal will gladfully bask in the pitch black darkness delivered by these masterminds. I mean, I'm not a fan of crust and hardcore but this album is bloody awesome.

Vorzug - Three

death metal
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Strange, after listening to the previous ep in this list of Brieviews, this one by American death metal combo Vorzug doesn't sound as heavy and intense as I expected. Nonetheless, opener 'The Ever Living' is a brilliant piece of old school death metal. There is plenty of aggression and intensity but also room for melody and decent songwriting. 'Under A Dying Sun' is my favorite here, a solid headbanger which no death metal fan can resist. I'll leave the closer up to you, but I promise you, it's worthy of a spot in your death metal playlist. I mean, look at me, loving death metal again...

Sangre de Muerdago - Os Segredos da Raposa Vermella

dark folk / neofolk
Neuropa
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Time for something completely different. The band calls it "forest folk" and I would like to add "old continent music". Sangre De Muerdago come up with an ancient folk sound, something that will easily appeal fans of In Gowan Ring, Arnica or Wardruna but also by fans of Mike Oldfield. With traditional instruments and dynamic percussion, this music is a solid soundtrack for solstice ritual in the middle of a forest. Of course, you're absolutely free to enjoy this in the comfort of your living room or bedroom as well, and I suggest you try that. It's a great listening experience, I promise.

Serge
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Altar of Betelgeuze - Among the Ruins

23/2/2017

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stoner / doom / death metal
Transcending Obscurity
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I have to admit, the death metal scene doesn't thrill me as much as it used to. There was a time when I devoured albums by Entombed, Dismember, Death, Amorphis and so on. Yet, in recent years, the genre seems to slip through my fingers. At first, I thought that that was age related. I'm just getting older and thus more interested in slow, calmer music. Yet, that doesn't seem to be the cause of my growing disinterest in the genre. The main problem seems to be a lack of originality. Many bands seem to fear trying new things, which results in uniformity. 

Enter Finnish quartet Altar Of Betelgeuze and their green smoke filled approach to the genre. Their new album 'Among The Ruins' is saving the genre for me, blending the harsh and abrasive nature of death metal with the monolithic riff capacity of doom and stoner rock. As if that is not varied enough, they throw in some clean vocals and even some psychedelic guitar solos. It's not often that bands like Black Sabbath & Electric Wizard come to mind while listening to a death metal album, but it sure is pretty damn bloody awesome.

Although opener 'The Offering' is a strong and immersive piece of music, follower 'Sledge Of Stones' is an absolute masterpiece. Somehow, Altar Of Betelgeuze managed to add the groove of bands like Entombed and Dismember to the thick sound of the bands I mentioned in the previous paragraph. At some point even Queens Of The Stone Age come to mind, along with some of their stoner rock colleagues. 'New Dawn' is another favorite, but more a vintage doom metal track than a death metal tune.

Another absolute highlight its 'Absence Of Light', a slow but brutal steamroller of a song, one that will have you on your knees in no time. There is a tiny bit Amorphis in here, enhanced with all of the above. Obviously, the majority of metal fans will classify this album as doom metal and I can't disagree with that. The overall tempo is quite slow. The riffs are almost touchable. The clean vocals remind me of the early days of the doom genre.

Basically, perhaps you can simplify classification by saying that this is "Conan with grunts" but that would be too easy. Fact remains that this is a well-written, well-thought-out and original album that definitely deserves a spot in your collection. So who to recommend it to? Well, doom fans of course. They will adore this thing, no doubt about that. Death metal fans will have to open their mind a bit, but once bitten, Altar Of Betelgeuze could easily become your favorites.


Serge
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Ogarya – Ubiquity

20/2/2017

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death metal
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Ubiquity is an album by French brutal death metal band Ogarya, released on February 15. Thirty seven minutes long, Ubiquity has twelve very objective and concise tracks, being them an Intro, Downgrading Redemption, Black Sun, Perennial Idolatrous Violence, Ubiquity, T-eraFormer, No wisdom possible, Engine, BiOniric Mechanization, Seven Sin-gularities, Those We Don't Want To See and Another World. A very rapid, brutal and explicitly grotesque album, Ubiquity is primarily fulfilled by all the classic death metal components: a hostile and malevolent style, a thoroughly aggressive sound, guttural vocals and a very explosive musical layout.

Ogarya manages to develop very well their own style, since Ubiquity – despite featuring as its main components the general elements of an ordinary brutal death metal feature –, really has a very original musicality, although eventually you feel yourself absorbed by a more generic pattern, within the uniform sonorous correlation deeply standardized into the songs. 

Although there is nothing extraordinary in Ubiquity, the album is good, and certainly has everything to be a favorite among death metal enthusiasts. As a record, in a more detailed and meticulous analysis, Ubiquity is as interesting as it is monotonous. Technically, there is a solid and vehemently ardent splendid proficiency, whose exceedingly high level of competence really demonstrates to the audience what brutal death metal truly is. Nonetheless, on the other hand, since the harmonies are voraciously fast all the way throughout the album, with little to no variations, the sound appears to be too uniform, and you eventually fall under the impression that they are playing the same song over and over again. 

Ubiquity is a polarizing album, that certainly has the potential to divide opinions.  Not a bad album, if you have a little patience, the expressive musical lines in general reveals very skilled musicians. Enthusiasts of a very extreme and brutal death metal sound probably will find the album a splendid and marvelous experience, since the voracious aggression literally gives you no truce, for the entire run of its thirty seven minutes.  

I really can’t say I found Ubiquity a marvelous work of art, but the record certainly has its merits, and they are not scarce. Although Ogarya does not promote a revolution in the way death metal is played, they seem to be fully compromised with the development of their own style. Evidently, Ubiquity has the potential to please the more ardent and extreme enthusiasts of the genre. There is no doubt about it.
 

Wagner
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Serenity in Murder – The Eclipse

14/2/2017

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death metal
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The Eclipse is an album released on February 8, by Japanese symphonic death metal band Serenity in Murder. A little more than forty minutes long, it has twelve tracks: Earthrise, A Torch For Avengers, Isle Of The Dead, The Revelation, Dancing Flames,
Genesis, The Sea Is…, Hybrid Evolution, Phalaris, Dreamfall, Land Of The Rising Sun and the eponymous title track, The Eclipse. A beautiful album, with amazingly melodic rhythms, an original style full of strength and vigor, and powerfully thrilling harmonies, The Eclipse is an interesting album, filled with fast guitars, enchanting solos and captivatingly intensifying vocals.

Despite the dense death metal atmosphere of the album, The Eclipse is distilled with a perfect mixture of symphonic and melodic musical elements. In a graceful layer of primordial components, exhilarated by the prevalence of exceedingly fast melodies, this album has on the originality of its compositions the full force – as well as the essence – of its soul. Astoundingly displayed in a panorama of majestic beauty, The Eclipse conquers the heart and the soul of the listener song by song, in such an infinite wave of poetic splendor, that you hardly remember that you are listening to a death metal album.

Grounded in a bastion of lucid sensibility and definite sagacity, Serenity in Murder has really outstood its capacities as a band, surpassing the beauty and the level of its artistry in the composition of this record, as well as the execution of the songs. A unique album in the history of symphonic death metal, The Eclipse can be more correctly defined as a collection of sad, poetic, emotional, transcendental and beautiful songs. 

Certainly a powerful album with potential to make history, The Eclipse represents a new wave of expressive vigor and authentic creativity within the genre. With a wonderful sonorous presence, an impressive musical consistency, a coherent pace of objective glory and a persistent stream of collective harmony, Serenity in Murder fully represent the victory and the celebration towards a new shape of creative wisdom. A marvelous album that gets very close of being considered a masterpiece, The Eclipse will cause an expressive turmoil in the underground scene. Full of astonishing qualities that will please each and every person that has profound affinity with the genre, the album balances perfectly softness and aggression, as well as the poetic cadence of its beauty, with the more hostile elements of its sincere despondency. A great work that you have to check it out for yourself, The Eclipse, by Japanese band Serenity in Murder, is destined to be classified as one of the best albums ever made in the history of symphonic death metal.       


Wagner
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Harvest Gulgaltha – Altars of Devotion

13/2/2017

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death metal
Nuclear War Now Productions
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Altars of Devotion is an album by Harvest Gulgatha, to be released on March 15, by Nuclear War Now! Productions. With eight tracks – A Vision Unleashed, Unholy Cipher, Transcend the Wrathful, Trance of a Tormented Hymn, Serpentine Path,
Necromantic Calling, Ritual of Traditional Sacrifice and Blood of Creation –, Altars of Devotion is an interesting work. Harvest Gulgatha plays primarily an intriguing mixture of death and black metal, centered in the agony of slow and more dynamic rhythms, that manages to be quite exciting, never boring, and exponentially audacious on the verge of its technical intuition. With the prominence of some elements of traditional death and black metal – especially on the growling brutality evoked by pungent and sometimes explicitly sinister vocals –, despite little rhythmic variations, Harvest Gulgatha has an interesting style, that follows a pattern of its own.     

Don’t get me wrong. By no means this is a terrific or excellent record. It is full of elements that you have listened before in a thousand – if not more – brutal and extreme metal albums. Nonetheless, Harvest Gulgatha works with very peculiar components, masterly arranged and combined in the slow fury of its rhythms, which gives them, indeed, very unique characterizations. 

Altars of Devotion will appeal more to fans of slow extreme metal – something that seems to be a contradiction –, since the melodies rely a lot more on expectation, agony, anguish and sinister atmospheres, with intense guitar lines holding the base of the songs. Probably the strongest quality of the band is the deeply grunt, funereal and guttural vocals, extremely profound, soul ripping and exhilaratingly dreadful to the bones.   

There are some tracks – like the fourth, Trance of a Tormented Hymn – that escapes the pattern a little, featuring a more nervous and rapid rhythm. But generally, especially if you are a decades old veteran metalhead that literally has heard everything available in the underground scene, this album will hardly surprise you. Although it’s not a bad album, Altars of Devotion suffers deeply from the lack of new elements. Harvest Gulgatha highlights the pantheon of their music with the benefits, qualities and the advantage of having developed its own style. Nevertheless, the album has its share of monotonous moments. Not a bad album at all, but definitely, it is way more recommended to traditional extreme metal enthusiasts, with a strong passion for slow, sinister and macabre melodies.
 

Wagner
 
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Brieviews 19

26/1/2017

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Alex Cordo - Origami

progressive metal
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This one is a guitarist's dream, the musical equivalent of a karate student looking at his sensei. Alex Cordo is a classically trained guitar player who brings his skills into the world of progressive rock and metal. The songs on this album are instrumental metal anthems, narrated by technically perfect guitar play. Fans of flashing guitars, heavy rocking music and technical skills will probably adore the hell out of this album. If you're into Vai, Malmsteen or Satriani, you will undoubtedly appreciate this compositions and you'll definitely find a spot in your already massive collection to add this. So go ahead, check it out and enjoy the awesome landscapes of Alex Cordo...

December Hung Himself - Perseidi

dark ambient
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Speaking about landscapes, this Italian duo surely knows a thing or two about atmospheric and cinematic music. Formed by the guitarists from Thank U For Smoking, Drought & Charun, December Hung Himself take their post-rock and black metal experiences into the world of dark ambient and drones.The result is a must-have for fans of Atrium Carceri, Inade, Kammarheit and so on. If you're into minimal dark ambient, there's no doubt that this album deserves a spot in your collection. Here and there you can find a hint of melody, guitars and gloomy electronics. To conclude I have to say, the trippy closer '​Beta Persei' is pure genius

Last Builders of Empire - Hades

post rock
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American quartet Last Builders Of Empire also seem to know their way around post-rock and with this ep they show exactly how versatile this genre can be. Opener 'Descent of Perithous' is a classic post rock anthem, something between This Will Destroy You, Mono and Wang Wen. 'Clinostat' reminds me of the heavy and drone-infused regions of the scene, with bands like A Swarm Of The Sun. 'State Of Grace' brims with symphonic arrangements and then there are two more awesome tunes to be discovered. You guessed it, this ep definitely is worth the effort, and an excellent sonic journey into the Ancient Greek underworld.

Tuath - Things I Don't Know

shoegaze / psychedelic
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Irish noisemakers Tuath come up with a dark and gritty four-track ep, breathing a vintage shoegaze atmosphere but also incorporating elements from ambient, noise rock and even a hint of sludge doom. The title track is a strange episode with soundscapes and a long vocal sample, but definitely one I can often listen to. The other tracks rock quite heavy, here and there even getting a psychedelic and occult edge, like The Jesus And Mary Chain meets Hawkwind perhaps. If you know Tuath, you know that these guys aren't easy to categorize but that's exactly their strength. So, my advice, check it out, you'll be surprised.

Cyclocosmia - Immure

symphonic doom
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Progressive, symphonic, female fronted doom from London, created by producer James Scott, vocalist Aliki Katriou and guest musicians from all over the world. The result is an interesting album, blending the symphonic approach of gothic metal with the heavy riffing of vintage death doom and progressive technicality. So don't expect Nightwish or After Forever but expect a blend between Draconian, Ayreon, Dream Theatre and more modern metal acts. Even though it's not easy to correctly categorize this ep, I would certainly recommend adding it to your collection of unique and stubborn metal releases. I does deserve a spot there.

Hummingbird Of Death / Beartrap - Split

grindcore
Here And Now Records
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Grindcore, grindcore, grindcore, guttural, grindcore, short, attack, grindcore, punk, thrash, grindcore, growl, scream, grindcore.

I think that's pretty much all a grindcore fan needs to know about this fierce split between Hummingbird Of Death & Beartrap. It's a single, containing a bunch of extremely short and extremely aggressive hardcore punk influenced pieces of grindcore.

Oh, did I already mention grindcore?

​Grindcore 

Feller Buncher - 203040

alternative / metal
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A feller buncher is a type of harvester used in logging, something I jokingly called an "industrial treehugger". That aside, Feller Buncher is also a metal band from Paris. they have just released this heavy ep, highly influenced by sludge metal and the ever awesome power of the riff. Yet, the music reminds me more of bands like Danzig and Channel Zero, which I guess isn't that bad to be compared with. Although the tempo isn't always fierce, there is plenty of energy coming from these five tracks. Metal Fans should doubt no longer and start banging their heads to this massive machine...

Desiderii Marginis - Songs Over Ruins

dark ambient
Cyclic Law
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When this email came in, I was pleasantly surprised, but mostly because I thought it was a brand new Desiderii Marginis album. However, this is a reissue but nonetheless an interesting one. Back in 1997 and released by Cold Meat Industry, 'Songs Over Ruins' became a landmark dark ambient album, one that influences acts and labels all over the world. Now, the good people at Cyclic Law decided to reissue this masterpiece so more fans can get their hands on a copy of this. All I can add, is "go ahead and buy this thing", this is the stuff that gave birth to an entire scene...

Pintandwefall - Red and Blue Baby 

indie rock / pop rock
Svart Records
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On the somewhat joyful side of the musical universe we find this pop rocking girl band and their damn catchy tunes. With elements from indie rock, grunge and punk, Pintandwefall present a lo-fi version of acts like The Breeders or Throwing Muses. Opener 'Come To Rest' is my absolute favorite on this album, a song that easily gets stuck in your head. 'Seasimularo' is another fav, somehow bringing the sixties back. In all, this simply is a very enjoyable album that undoubtedly goes right into my day-to-day playlist. I'm sure I'll be smiling every single time one of these songs roll through my speakers.

Ric Gordon - Just Can't Get Enough

punk rock
Russian Winter Records
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While moving, punk rocker Ric Gordon discovered a box with fifty copies of his 1979 debut ep. So he decided to reissue them and make them available on CD and digital formats as well. In that case, I guess this is officially the oldest release ever to be reviewed on Merchants Of Air. Do I recommend it? Obviously I do, this is old fashioned rock 'n roll that is actually old enough to be old fashioned. There is a sense of timelessness in these songs. If you like acts like Ramones, Misfits and Status Quo, I suggest you check this thing out. Vintage just got a lot vintager... 

Gentle Savage - Introduction

rock / blues
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"Let the good times roll", they sing in opener 'Bring Back Rock`n`Roll' and I can't help but agree. Let me introduce Finnish blues rockers Gentle Savage and their first tribute to rock 'n roll. In three songs, one catchy, one rather psychedelic and one pretty damn southern, these guys delivered an awesome debut, something for fans of everything between Hendrix, CCR and Black Crowes. Obviously, this gem calls for a full-length in the near future, followed by a tour. So, I guess it's clear, Gentle Savage are here to bring the soul back to rock 'n roll and judging from this ep, they're doing the right thing...

Funeral Mourning - Descent MMXV

funeral doom / black metal
Nihilistische KlangKunst (cd)
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Right, enough joy and happiness. Time to drag our depressed souls through endless floods of despair and misery, courtesy of Australian act Funeral Mourning. That might sound as a little joke, but I'm damn serious about this album. This is an atmospheric funeral doom blast, one which easily fits the gaps between your Esoteric, Evoken and Shape Of Despair albums. In two lengthy tracks, this act definitely convinces. If you want the assaults on your sanity to be slow, intense and punishing, you need this album. Hell, it's stuff like this that made me become obsessed with this whole genre to begin with...

Adam Probert - The Battle For Tomorrow

noise / drone / spoken word
Sonic Entrails
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Noise music and activism often go hand in hand, and that is exactly the case with this album by spoken word punk poet and dignity in care campaigner Adam Probert. The music here can be compared to acts like Con-Dom, Atrax Morgue, Brighter Death Now and Propergol, although Probert's tracks are not as harsh and punishing as the others. Yet, the whole remains in the drones and minimal noise regions and contains a heap of spoken words and samples. My suggestion, download the album, play it loud, listen to the words and think about them, even if you're not into noise, just listen and think!!!

Steelballs - Steelballs

heavy metal
Witches Brew
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We've been travelling through time a lot in this edition of Brieviews. Right now, we're in the eighties, where bands like Helloween, Manowar and Grave Digger were the heroes of metal. Formed in 2013, Steelballs is a band from Argentina who honor that era of heavy metal. So how do they do it? Not bad, my friend, not bad at all. Raging heavy metal, flashing solos, high pitched vocals... it's all here and it comes to you like a freight train. The ep contains four fine tunes which will easily remind you of the bands I previously mentioned. To some it might sound outdated but to others this is timeless metal, period.

Teleport - Ascendance 

death metal / black metal
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A band that answers the question "bands we like" with "insane ones" immediately demands respect. With that alone, this Slovenian band gained my interest, but also with the term "cosmic metal". Apparently, that means, "a complex and progressive blend of black and death metal which aims to pulverise your very soul into a massive black hole of musical extremism". So yes, blast this thing through your speakers and prepare to bang your head into an endless vacuum. Fans of extreme metal can easily trust this ep to bash them into a bloody pulp because take it from me, these guys can play.

Serge
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Legbah – Legbah

23/1/2017

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death metal
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Released on January 2, Legbah is the debut album of the eponymous Swedish melodic death metal band. With seven tracks, and a total length of only thirty one minutes – Sorg, Ignited By One, Words Will Not Return, Vision And The Void, Höstvisa, The Destroyer and Towards The Burning Path – Legbah definitely set higher standards for melodic black/ death metal. With powerful melodies, dramatically poetic at the same time, this album excels in originality, with a great amount of vision and dedication put into it, which becomes somewhat visible all the way through.

With reflexive melodies, there is little aggression, here, although rude and visibly strong guitar lines are present all the time. The harmonies are well-written, and apparently transcend time, corroborating its laconic and sincere approach throughout a cosmos of disillusion, that unravels itself in a set of perfectly conceived rhythms, that remembers technical death metal in great scale. With a vivaciously solid sound, built in the apex of a genuine amalgamation of genres, Legbah – the album – expresses the splendid vision of technical death metal as the appendix of a scenic and reliant sensibility, with the cohesion and the illusory discipline of melodic death metal.

With a genuine sound, that really has a multifaceted string of colors to offer, Legbah – the band – does an excellent work on their debut. A terrific album, despite being so short, you will be very delighted while hearing this great work of art. Although sounding a little repetitive some times, the album is solid, coherent, strong and incredibly lucid. Opening a new paradigm of style possibilities, Legbah as a record is a well-shaped conceived piece of artistry, that came to light to guide into a seriously new path these genres, that are so much in need for new inspirations. And Legbah does offer a whole new universe of possibilities, concerning their astounding level of creativity. 

With calm songs, fulfilled by the strength of a philosophic soul, the music of Legbah has everything to enchant its audience: amazing guitar solos, perfect melodies, poetic harmonies, imperial desolation and a distilled melancholy imprisoned at the heart of a delusional night, amongst many other qualities. But above everything, they achieve a formidable apex in what concerns technical and melodic death metal, being the most perfect amalgamation that I have ever heard on the genre. With carefully detailed harmonies, that sound spontaneous as well, Legbah is the future and the perfection for an entirely new category of death metal, that has started to develop, thanks to them.   



Wagner   
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Draugsól – Volaða Land

23/1/2017

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black metal / death metal
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Volaða Land is the debut album of Icelandic blackened death metal band Draugsól, released on January 13. With six tracks – Volaða Land, Formæling, Bót Eður Viðsjá Við illu Aðkasti, Spáfarir Og Útisetur, Váboðans Vals and Holdleysa – what we have here is a proverbial and somewhat original album, that really amalgamates the greatest elements of death metal into a black metal musical context.

Although the album is not exactly a fantastic masterpiece, the sound lives in elaborate and rapid sonorous constructions, that the genre intensely demands. With constant, interrupted and stricken melodies, Volaða Land really manages to fulfill the unbound esoteric emotions of the harmonies, increasing the feeling towards a lugubrious and poetic outlook, that elevates this album to genuine and almost fabulous standards of artistry. 

With tempestuous and unpredictable harmonies, Volaða Land is an adventurous listening, that lives by the fire of its own striking limits. With some abrasive guitar lines that puts fire in the sky with hazardous notes of hostility, the weaknesses of the album rely on generic genre passages, although their strong style and non-conformity towards an incredible relief of emotion is somewhat a formidable point of rupture in their case.       

With an aggressive outlook, and a hostile sonority, this album certainly honors the genre in a great deal of aspects, as blackened death metal is mostly a very uniform and predictable genre, and to be able to do it right is obviously no minor achievement. With amazing and excellent moments, that shows the greatness of their style, their striking and complex melodies reevaluates what the genre has as its best, showcasing in a certain level a purity of style that could teach a lot of musical elements to other bands of the genre.    

While I can’t call Volaða Land a magnificent album – do to its fair share of excessively generic passages – I can’t avoid thinking how this is, indeed, blackened death metal done right, with soul, consistency and technique. A heavy album, with amazingly well written aggressive passages, Draugsól really has taken a step forward into the genre, and I certainly see them achieving perfection on future albums. 

With a lot more positive aspects than negative ones, Volaða Land is a decent choice for enthusiasts of the genre. A fearless, strong and emotive album, combining aggressive melodies with poetic harmonies – and exceedingly pervasive guitar lines – this record has it all to be considered a cornerstone of the genre, undoubtedly! 


Wagner


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The Prisoner - Life Of The Mind

19/1/2017

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black metal / doom
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Now here is something to feed your ever growing insanity. Here is an album that is so overloaded with madness, distress, anxiety and rage that's is an extremely hard pill to swallow. Yet, those who dare and are experienced in the world of metallic extremes will probably find a pulverising blast in this sophomore effort by French act The Prisoner. I'll try to guide you through but like I said, it's not going to be easy.

The album opens with one of my favorite tracks here, the harsh and relentless 'Awake'. Although deeply rooted in black metal, this song reminds me of Napalm Death's 'Evolved As One'. Both songs breathe a similar atmosphere and thrives on this looming insanity. Then there is 'Emptied', a gut ripping piece of black metal, like Emperor maybe, but weird, complex and unimaginably deranged.

Besides black and death metal, there are some decent slabs of doom, sludge and hardcore to be found here, all of course dressed in this gritty, filthy and piercing sound. some of the songs even push the limits of harsh noise, away from any form of musicality. On other occasions, the whole thing gets a dark, almost gothic edge which is pretty amazing too. 'Still Here' somewhat feels like Tool blasting out some extreme sludge doom, to give you an example of how bizarre this thing really is.

It's long too, over an hour, which gives you plenty of time to scream out your inner demons and outer frustrations. I mean, that's pretty much what this whole album sounds like, an exorcism gone wrong and delivering massive amounts of agony to everyone involved. By the time the track 'Life Of The Mind' starts, this album will probably have you on your knees, crying, shouting and hair pulling. 

Who to recommend this too? Well, obviously to all extreme metal fans out there. Although there are few blast beats driven passages, this full-length has the same power, the same intensity as most of your favorite black, death and grindcore records, if not more. Other people, beware, if you are not very acquainted with stuff like this, this album will undoubtedly make you end up in a mental institution and it'll all be your own damn fault...


​Serge


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Miserist - Miserist

19/1/2017

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black metal / industrial / death metal
Krucyator Productions
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"Oh dear, what a delightful heap of skull grinding noise this ep is". That was my first thought when I started listening to this first effort by Australian extremists Miserist. Right after hearing the first two songs, I opened the digipac again and I read 'This horrendous collection of noise was composed, recorded, assembled, mastered...", which made me realize that "noise" is pretty much all this horde is going for. No that I mind.

What Miserist delivers is an explosive and destructive blend of industrial, black and death metal, driving on a thick guitar sound and heaps of aggression. In a way, you can easily place this ep among your expanding collection of avant-garde metal releases as pretty much nothing is conventional and familiar. Here and there some vintage death metal riffs can be found and there's a decent amount of blast beats present as well.

Yet, the whole thing sounds like a sanity-battering melee that only the most experience musical extremists can and will survive. 'Horror Infinitum' is probably my favorite track on this ep. It's also the most varied one, opening with classical music and ranging from harsh noise over sludge to death metal, without uttering a single word. The rest of the album will probably haunt your dreams for years.

The verdict? Well, this ep is a hard pill to swallow. It showcases a dark and burdensome atmosphere. Play it loud enough, and tracks like 'Miserist' and 'Lung Rust' become overwhelming and crushing pieces of music. My advice? Get experienced in the vile underground of the metal industry before you give this one a shot. It will definitely be worth it because in all, this album is a pulverising blast.


​Serge
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Brieviews 18

14/1/2017

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Hurray, the first edition of Brieviews of 2017 is here and once again it's a damn varied one. From shoegaze to grindcore and from techno to djent, it's all in here. I'm sure that there is something you like in here. Enjoy...
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Blushing - Tether

shoegaze / dreampop
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Two husbands and wives making music together, that's always a better idea than go on a joint bicycle trip while wearing similar fluorescent bike-wear, not? Well, it certainly proved to be an excellent time spending idea for these four Americans, making blissful dreampop and shoegaze. In these four tracks, they easily please fans of Slowdive and Cocteau Twins while also coming with with some gritty grunge sounds. Opener 'Tether' is a damn catchy tune, one that might easily get stuck in your head. The other songs are perfect shoegazing tunes, once again highlighting in 'Mess'. This truly is a recommended ep.

88 Mile Trip - Blame Canada

stoner rock
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Another neat idea comes from Canadian stoner rockers 88 Mile Trip. During a beer drinking and record spinning session, they discovered some awesome songs from their home country and decided to cover the ones they like the most. That results in groovy stoner rock versions of songs by Bachman Turner Overdrive, Red Rider, Doug and The Slugs, Neil Young and Stampeders. Yet, the band manages not only to cover the songs but to make them their own, eventually resulting in a surprisingly coherent sounding ep. Although, as good as the ep is, I can't help but continuously singing South Park's 'Blame Canada'. Perhaps a cover idea for the future? 

The Empire Line - Syndicat de la Couture

electronic / ambient
Avian
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Scandinavian multi-disciplinary artists Jonas Rönnberg & Christian Stadsgaard come up with some haunting electronic ambient like only experienced techno producers can do. Opening with the creepy 'Fragrance Arpege', this ep is as atmospheric as it is varied. 'Cafe Anglais' drives on electronic percussion and unidentified noises while 'Jewelry Armoire' is post-apocalyptic soundtrack material with eerie soundscapes. Closer 'Syndicat de la Couture' eventually brings out the analog beats and techno influences, but in a good way, a trancy and somewhat hypnotic way. Nice little gem, certainly recommended.

Movement Of Static - Novelty Seekers

post rock
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We also have something nice for fans of post rock, namely the Greek band Movement Of Static who have released their quite promising debut ep. Although, ep, the whole thing last over half an hour, which gives us plenty of time to get acquainted with these beautiful tunes. In four songs, Movement Of Static provides the listener with an excellent blend of post rock and ambient with some heavier passages and loads of atmosphere. Opener 'Telomeres' is a brilliant piece of work, dark, creepy and immersive, like Godspeed meets Deftones.  If you like well-varied post rock music, you just can't go wrong with this ep.

Cowards - Still

black metal / hardcore
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Somewhere in the extreme spectrum of the musical universe, we find French horde Cowards and their brand new ep 'Still'. With a blend of black metal, hardcore and sludge, this act plans a vicious assault on your sanity. The music is gritty, noisy and more in-your-face than you can imagine. Pulverising riffs, blasting drums and a vocalist who seemingly feels like he doesn't need his lungs, this thing is out for nothing less than utter destruction. However, they do have a sense of humor, brilliantly covering The Horrorist's 'One Night In NYC', which actually is one of the coolest covers I've ever heard. Anyway, if you want music to murder you, this ep might be worth a shot

Dead Neanderthals - Dolphin

heavy jazz / noise rock
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Dutch heavy jazz combo Dead Neanderthals are seemingly doing everything in their power to make something unique. As a gift to their fans, they uploaded this eleven minutes lasting epos of sax, drums, chaos, intensity and insanity. It's stuff like this that connects the jazz scene with the grindcore and noise rock scenes and I have no idea what most jazz fans will think about this. That aside, I would recommend checking it out, preferably at a ridiculously loud volume and start throwing things against the walls. It therapeutic, I promise, you'll feel a lot better when it's all over. Rare jongens, die Nederlanders...

The Stone Cox - Blackboard

alternative rock
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Hell yeah, time to rock 'n roll  and for that French combo The Stone Cox are the perfect companions. On this ep, they come up with three high energy rock tracks, influenced by everything between Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters. The first two are heavy and groovy rockers that can get every party started. Closer 'Not Going Home (Hard Red Sun)' somewhat reminds me of a band like The Scabs and shows a more musically gifted side of this band. Anyhow, rockers of all ages can easily appreciate this ep and I hope that soon this will be followed by a full-length. 

Death Metal Pope - Harvest

doom metal
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Imagine that, a death metal pope, growling his yearly "urbi et orbi" from a black and red painted Vatican. Would be funny. However, this Death Metal Pope has nothing to do with Christianity and just barely with death metal. This is a doom metal band which often comes very close to Black Sabbath and on other occasions blasts some guttural grunts and some psychedelic passages in your face. Although I still had my doubts in title track 'Harvest', 'From The Dust Returned' convinced me that this is an awesome ep, one that is certainly worth your attention if you're into old school doom. A must-have for doom fans, that's for sure.

Ben Blutzukker - Analog Blood

heavy metal
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German one man electro band Blutzukker becomes German one man metal band Ben Blutzukker and comes up with something surprising. As you can see on the cover, one of the influences is Guns 'n Roses but the whole thing sounds more like an Abbath side project, exploring the massive history of heavy metal. The four songs on this ep are quite gritty metal songs, reminding me of acts like Venom or Motorhead. Not bad for songs that were initially electro/industrial tunes. My favorite is 'Red' but I'd certainly recommend every open minded metalhead to check this out and compare the songs to the originals.

A Cunning Man - Practical Applications Of Theurgy

power metal / heavy metal
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Another one man project, and one with a quite unusual twist. A Cunning Man describes his act as "One man metal project with a strong Scottish accent", something I can't deny. Of course, the Scottish accent makes the whole thing sound somewhat weird and drags it into the world of pagan metal. Yet, the music feels like a mesmerizing amalgamation of metal styles, from the power metal of bands like Hammerfall over black and death metal to modern day arena rock. The ep contains three songs which certainly deserve your attention, especially if you want something familiar yet unique. 

Beneath A Godless Sky - ​Beneath A Godless Sky

hardcore / progressive
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French djent-act Beneath A Godless Sky comes with a debut that will pierce you in more ways that you could possibly imagine. Now, personally, I'm not a connoisseur of the whole djent scene, which to me makes this whole ep sound like something between Meshuggah, Periphery and Tesseract. I guess that's not a band list of bands to be compared with. I do know that the songs on this thing are loaded with energy, intensity and brutality. Besides, some passages here are damn immersive and most riffs are well-worth of an intense headbanging session. In its entirety, I know that this is nothing for me but for fans of progressive hardcore and djent, it is definitely a must-have.

Elusion - Desert Of Enticement

symphonic meal / gothic meal
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This debut by Belgian band Elusion does not sound like a debut, far from it. If you told me that this was a new effort by After Forever or Epica, I might have believed you. The three songs on this ep are high quality symphonic metal songs, played by seasoned musicians and sung by a talented  woman. What's more, these songs rock, making them perfect headbanging material. Personally, I didn't really follow this particular genre anymore but I'm damn sure that these three tunes, especially the folky closer 'Facade' will appear in my day-to-day playlist quite often from now on. They should appear in yours too if you're into this genre.

Rumah - A View To The Sea

techno
Wolfskuil
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At festivals, I often wander into the dance hall, even though I do not consider myself a techno fan. However, I usually enjoyed these sonic adventures for a while, which is exactly why I sometimes decide to review a techno ep This one comes from English producer Rumah and contains four high energy dance tunes, mainly inspired by the Detroit scene of the nineties. The first act that came to mind to compare this ep with, was Joey Beltram and you can add people like Jeff Mills or Dave Clarke to that list as well. So yes, this is a recommended release if you're in for some decent, old school dance music.

American Anymen + Lise - Oui

alternative / singer-songwriter
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From the United States comes a nice cooperation between anti-folk act American Anymen and singer-songwriter/keyboardist Lise. In four songs, both acts seem to explore the possibilities of this get together. Opener 'Nobody Made Me Smile Like You Did' is an excellent ballad while 'Less Complex' and 'Does Anybody Still Think Of Me' are uplifting rock songs, driving on acoustic guitars. Closer 'H' is another ballad, but probably my favorite track on this album. I wouldn't really know who to compare this ep with, Beck maybe? But then again, nice pop songs like these don't need comparison, they just need to be listened to.

The Vomiting Dinosaurs - Exoplanets

death metal / thrash metal
Grimoire Records
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And we end this edition of Brieviews with a short but destructive assault by American thrash-death horde The Vomiting Dinosaurs. In mere  fifteen minutes this trio blasts nine songs of gore and brutality over their listeners and I'm sure those listeners will enjoy the abuse.  Most of the songs drive on fierce hardcore punk tempos and issue an array of guttural growls and screams. If this stuff doesn't get your grindcore party started, you are not having a grindcore party, that's for damn fucking bloody sure. A favorite? Nope, this whole thing is only fifteen minutes long, which makes the entire thing well suited for a session of audible SM.

Serge
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Kaerulean – Metempsychosis

10/1/2017

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death metal / black metal
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Metempsychosis is an album by Australian black/ death metal band Kaerulean, released on December 30, 2016. With eight tracks – The Unfurling, Prince of Deception, Parting Gift, Astral Migration, Heretic, Regression, Labyrinth and Mandala – this album follows the traditional ordeals of mixed genres: with the aggressive traits of death metal, but the abrasively digressive guitar lines of black metal, Kaerulean really manages to do a decent and emotive job on this album, although inevitably falling in some clichés, like exceedingly uniform songs (but only on minor occasions), that sometimes are too long, which makes you feel inevitably bored. Nonetheless, this record really has some remarkable features: with some elements of electronica, with progressive, symphonic and melodic components nicely introduced into their melodies, Metempsychosis is really an intriguing album. Although far from being a masterpiece, it has its fair share of qualities, and undoubtedly Kaerulean has a very unique style, decisively difficult to properly categorize.

With a peculiar set of qualities, and an undeniable inclination towards a vigorous and lancinating originality, these musicians are certainly skilled and creative, being able to elaborate curious melodies, upon which their musical universe revolves. With very strong points, that makes them quite resourceful and versatile, Metempsychosis has melodic, dramatic and insidious surprises, so curiously intriguing, that this album can be viewed as an unexpected lesson on creativity, especially for metal musicians.  

With a very insightful work, this album is marked mostly by firm lines of guitar, that holds the entire harmony throughout its run. With some marvelous pieces of music, the stringent and somewhat imperiously harmonic resonating guitar secures a set of tunes unique for the genre, which makes Kaerulean a very genuine and authentic band. Although the songs are not necessarily heavy – at least, not all the time –, their music is full of energy, the breakable pattern of the rhythms change frequently, and they are full of a splendid vigor, that simply never stops, and never gives away, for the entire run of the album.  

Definitely a work to be heard, analyzed and appreciated, Metempsychosis, by Kaerulean, is almost a splendid album (certainly, the more ardent enthusiasts of the band will see the record as perfect [which, at least technically, is true]). Interesting, intriguing and with a genuine proposal, amplified by a truly artistic overview of music, this album is a very good. Strongly recommended, at any given time!   

 

Wagner
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Tenebrae - My Next Dawn

20/12/2016

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doom / death metal
Black Tears
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From so-called art-rock to atmospheric death metal, it's not an evolution a lot of bands make. Usually, it's pretty much the other way around. But for the Italians of Tenebrae, that is exactly what happened. Of course, a few line-up changes often trigger a band to reinvent themselves and explore other muscial paths. For these guys, that path runs through darkness and comes with loads and loads of atmosphere.

​So in a way, 'My Next Dawn' is a new beginning for Tenebrae, but one with past experiences and a wide musical background. In a way, this album feels like the band still wants to hold on to the "art" of making music, which obviously is a good thing. The music on this album is well varied, contains plenty of synths and both clean vocals and death growls. The band wants to tell a story and put a lot of effort in doing so.

That results in strong yet emotional metal songs with fingerlicking doom riffs and brutal death metal passages. The clean vocals also give the whole thing a power metal edge, which is nice. Bands that come to mind, include Amorphis, Anathema, Septicflesh, Swallow The Sun and November's Doom, which I think is a pretty damn good set of names to be compared with. Then there are the sometimes "gothic" keyboards, giving this album such a great nineties sound.

Picking out a favorite song isn't really easy, mostly because the album truly feels like a concept. However, I noticed that I'm exceptionally fond of 'The Fallen Ones', an epic piece of death doom. Here, the Swedish death metal scene also comes shining through, you know, In Flames and company. Another stunning epos is 'Lillian (Changing Shades)' and my third favorite could be 'Black Drape' but the jury is still deliberating on that.

​Fans of atmospheric metal can blindly trust Tenebrae to deliver the goods, that's for sure. So it's no wonder I recommend this album to all fans of the aformentioned bands. Defintiely not bad for a band that once started out as a cover band named Why Not. Check it out, you just might have discovered a new favorite to get you through the cold days of winter... ​

​Serge
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Era Decay – Inritum

19/12/2016

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death metal
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Inritum is an album released by Romanian Melodic Death Metal band Era Decay. With twelve tracks – Intro, Beyond Delirium, Ferocious, Perfidious, Sharp Words,
Repugnance, Restlessness, Syncope, The Past is Mine to Bear, Faker, Becoming Unstoppable and Coming for You (The day I die) – what we have here is a very good and exceedingly solid work, extremely reminiscent of classics of the genre, like early Amorphis, In Flames and Dismembered. While the comparison is inevitable, Era Decay manages to deliver an amazing record, with an authentic presence and a subtle hostility, with a strong set of qualities of its own.

With strong guttural vocals, heavy, but fiercely melodic rhythms, and aggressively obscure, but poetic guitar lines, Inritum is a solid work in the genre of Melodic Death Metal. Beautiful guitar solos and very objective songs are trademarks of the band, that has a very characteristic style, completely spirited into the values of the classic features of the genre. Nonetheless, the record is not only interesting, but very concentrated, amalgamated into a ritual of dissonant deliverance, that never passes unobserved. Without being dispersive or monotonous, the album presents to its audience a remarkable sonorous outline, extremely vivid in one hand, full of beauty and ardor, but with a pronounced and permanently obscure shift, on its more dark and sinister side.

All tracks are very interesting, and, although each one of them have its own beauty, the work, after all, is bounded by a sonorous identity, and a cohesive style that abide the band to a formidable sense of genuine sensibility, that guarantee to their work a place of honor into the pantheon of the greatest contemporary bands of Melodic Death Metal. With a brutal and conspicuous style, yet sensible, dramatic and beautiful, Era Decay really knows how to deliver true and marvelous Melodic Death Metal, honoring in the process not only their predecessors, but all of their influences. 

Finally, Inritum can certainly be described, with all words, as a very good and authentic album, able to perpetuate the strength, the beauty and the majesty, as well as all the virtues of the genre. A work splendidly done, to be proud of, certainly this album will achieve a lot of important features in the career of Era Decay, being such a mature, sensible and significant work, that not only aggregates important values to the genre, but disseminates the integrity of a sonorous soul that will never disappear. In other words, an album that emancipates the genre as something stronger than the music itself.   


Wagner
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Aksaya – Kepler

19/12/2016

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black metal / death metal
Satanath
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Kepler is a full length album by black/ death metal band Aksaya, released on November 15, by a conjunction of three different labels: Satanath Records, More Hate Productions and The Ritual Productions. With eight tracks – Kepler, Laїka, Fractale, Anomalie, Prélude À La Découverte, Tau Ceti E, Syn 1.0, K-701.04 and Non Morietur – this is a highly energetic, spiritual and effusively concentrated metal work, probably more explosive and higher than everything you heard in the genre before.

With an impressive level of rapture, precise and beautiful guitar lines, symmetrical heterogeneous harmonies, and cutting razor blade furious black metal vocals, Kepler is a very appealing, amazingly creative and impressively constructive album; the harmonic and musical hard lines, even when are not heavy, are exceedingly brutal, but you feel them as crafted carefully, and composed in such a level of precise audacity, that is impossible not to feel suddenly captivated by Aksaya’s tremendous and yet universally organic sound. Beautiful guitar solos are also an essential feature, with all the right elements masterly combined, to create a surreal atmosphere of aggressive anthems filled with a lucid objectivism, that doesn’t lose itself in vague obliqueness or futile dispersive thoughts. 

A work like Kepler not only standardizes and strengthens your faith in black metal, but slowly creates the future of the genre as well, with an imperial wrath that rescues the integrity of the music in a solid path of poetic beauty, that amplifies the confidence and the truth they dedicate integrally to the genre. With songs founded in a very cohesive structure, spiritedly gifted in a coherent ground of musical technique, their sound is not only promising, but understands and assimilates black metal so perfectly, that Aksaya departs from a very peculiar development of the genre as well, according to their own point of view, as each and every track became a surprising feature, one after another, and you feel them in your soul. To contemplate their musical greatness, all expansions of sound, subtly done in an exceedingly malleable musical shape, are masterly done maintaining intact the core, the values and the sensibilities of the genre.  

Despite what appears to be a simple premise, their sound is inherently arranged in a complex layer of elemental intuition, although their music is pretty well organized in a very systematic feature at the same time. Nevertheless, what we have here is undoubtedly a real solid and remarkable work of art. Kepler is a treasure, delivered to each and every true black metal enthusiast in the world. A work effectively done with competence, technique, soul, passion, essence and heart, this record represents the great evolution by which the genre is passing right now, to be better than ever. Completely reformulated, rebounded and reshaped, and yet, being more true to its foundations than never before.   


Wagner
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