euhm...

Here we go again, wandering in uncategorizable musical areas and wondering what the hell I am going to write about this album . Unsurprisingly, this album has been written and recorded by a Dutch band. I really wonder what's in the water over in The Netherlands. Many of their bands come up with original and exhilarating stuff, impossible to put a finger on. This is no exception, but it does have an awesome Dutch sound to it.

At least, the two first songs do. Titled 'A Show Of Might' and 'Equals Of Gods', these songs remind me of the music of their fellow countrymen Kong. With instrumental, progressive and immersive rock music, these two songs alone make the album worthwhile and the whole album is only beginning. After the massively energetic 'Equals Of Gods', the album starts blooming, as if those first two songs formed the stem and the sheer beauty is only now coming up.

I think the easiest way to describe this album is naming it "experimental post rock". Post rock is indeed a huge part of MNHM's music but they're not weary of incorporating other stuff, like the saxophone of Dead Neanderthals' Otto Kokke. With that, and with several passages, the free jazz elements appear, be it in a noisy kind of way. Yes, noise, because there is a lot of that to be found here too, along with its nasty brothers noise rock, math rock and sludge metal.

So maybe this will help: MNHM is what would happen if you lock Dead Neanderthals, Kong, Melvins, Swans, And So I Watched You From Afar, Yodok III and Frank Zappa into a rehearsal studio and force them to record an album. I know, that sounds like a list of people capable of putting an epic piece of work on the market and that is exactly what this album is, epic. Just listen to the action movie soundtrack worthy 'How Things End' or the doomy 'Rule Of Law'.

Oh well, The Dutch, what a strange kind of creative masterminds. You never really know what you're going to get (and I'll leave out the box of chocolate references, because Belgian chocolate is always better), but that is a good thing. My advice is simple, check it out, open your mind and allow this masterpiece to shock and awe you. You'll be in for several surprises and you will be astounded, I promise you.


​Serge

math / progressive metal

Ok, one more dash of musical extremism before I start playing something nice and relaxed. And judging from that first track 'Acaba Amb Mi' I'm going to need that little rest or else I'd got mad. There was a time when I could listen to all things extreme for days on end, but those days have passed. Now, after listening to a few of these in-your-face, obtrusive modern metal bands, I feel tired. Guess I'm just getting old.

Anyway, on with the review.

Rather Be Alive is a metal band from Barcelona, Spain. Their music was presented to me as "math metal", and in a way that term completely justified. On this album, Rather Be Alive treats their listeners to the algebra of metal, throwing punk rock, noise rock, hardcore, metalcore, death metal and black metal into one massive blender and coming out with something that sounds like the lovechild of Gojira and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

That must be one ugly, deformed kid, but this aside.

So yes, this is a bloody extreme piece of work but to be honest, I like it a lot more than I expected at first. Some parts remind me of those ancient black metal basement recordings, being gritty and raunchy. On other occasions I find myself dreaming away with beautiful post-whatever passages, only to be smashed in the head by ferocious guitars and throat snapping screams shortly after.

​I guess live performances by this band are rather intense, certainly with blasting tunes like 'No Es Seu' and 'Passat/Futur'. I think the latter is my favorite track on this album, but that's very hard to decide since all of them are harsh, immersive pieces of extreme metal. I don't expect this one to end up in my end-year list but I'm quite sure it will end up in that of fans of all things math, core and extreme. So yes, I absolutely recommend this one to those extremists.


​Serge

post metal / noise rock / experimental

Aah, Swiss instrumental adventurers Lilium Sova return, once again to leave me speechless. I reviewed their previous album, 'Epic Morning' for the former version of our website (read) and I remember using the world "labyrinthine" to describe this music. Well, if anything, I can easily use this word again since this once again is a mesmerizing and somewhat confusing piece of music, completely shattering all genre regulations.

The album opens with an eerie drone, which basically serves as a gateway into the complex and deranged music Lilium Sova produces. A cello appears, right before the track 'Pakeneminen' blasts off in perfect post-hardcore meets mathcore and noise rock tradition, if such a thing exists. I can hear influences from acts like Godflesh, Zu and Converge but just as much hints of free jazz and the heavy jazz of acts like Dead Neanderthals.

'Scandens' seems to attenuate the intensity for a while, nudging a bit more towards the jazz kind of things. Yet, it slowly evolves into an immersive piece of post-whatever. That being said, the first six tracks of the album, the 'Lost Between Mounts And Dales' part, drives on rolling bass, methodical drums and the wonderful sound of the cello. In that aspect, I can only throw in Apocalyptica as a reference because you know, it's metal with cello, but heavier.

'Ustabil' is a gloomy harsh ambient piece, providing a little breather before the short but destructive 'Lavina' starts smashing your skull. The latter only needs 43 seconds to do exactly that. It's followed by my favorite track 'Ofkæling'. Yep, I'm beginning to dig this whole jazz/post-rock thing, especially when it evolves into an awesome, lingering composition. Like classical music on steroids.

​Then there are four more tracks, the so-called 'Set Adrift In The Flood Of People' side of the record. This side too blasts some intense experimental music through your eardrums, rarely giving you a chance to recuperate. That's the strength of a band like Lilium Sova. Although they come out as very experimental, they easily manage to keep the listener in their grasp, keeping the whole thing interesting. This simply is a marvellous piece of heavy, intense and experimental music, regardless of genres. Great job!!!


​Serge

death metal / black metal

Blackened death metal from Dhaka, Bangladesh, that is something you don't hear every day. But you could, and perhaps you even should lend this ep an ear. After all, regardless of where it comes from, old school black and death metal are still some of the truest and most brutal genres in the world, and this album is no exception. After an intro, Serpent Spells throw three slashing pieces of music in our faces, loaded with malevolence and a dark, haunting atmosphere. The ep kinda reminds me of the vintage blackened sound of nineties Europe, fueled by thrash metal and mercilessly grinding through the listener's skull, a sense of melody and a massive heap of aggression. Lovely stuff...

nu-metal / rapcore

Hah, nu-metal, one of the most rediculised sub-genres within the world of heavy guitars. Yet, just like its older brothers, death, thrash, death and doom metal (to name a few), nu-metal refuses to step aside, refuses to go silent. French quintet Blunderbuss faithfully follow the path of bands like Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach. Parts rap, accompanied with striking guitars and lively drums, and parts irrisistible headbanging bliss, that's what you get on this ep, highlighting in the stunning tune 'Jump' and 'Stop It Now'.  I also dig the melodic approach here, and I'm quite sure I'll be shaking my ass off when I ever get the chance to see these guys perform 'Vee Stoneheart' on stage...

hardcore / punk

We already reviewed a band named Zeit in the past, so don't get confused with this one. The Zeit I'm talking about in this brieview, hail from Italy and are currently slashing a massive heap of chaotic, noise rock induced hardcore through my speakers. In ten songs, lasting a bit over twenty minutes, this combo rages on in a highly destructive and pulverising manner. There's no breather, except maybe for the eerie instrumental 'Disguised'. The rest is simply brutal and chaotic hardcore, solely focused on intensity and ferocity. Consider this a warning, this ep is a massive assault on your eardrums and on your sanity. With stuff like this, the world as we know it is bound to come to and end soon...

post-metal / sludge / doom

Time to groove things up a little, without losing the intensity of this whole brieview-writing session. We're in Sweden, where members from several hardcore, progressive and death metal bands combined their love for slow, downtuned and heavy music. The result is this awesome kick-in-the-groin, loaded with monolithic riffs and brutal screams. The three songs on this ep are and immersive blend of sludge, stoner rock and doom metal, perfectly suited for fans of Isis, Mastodon, Baroness, Cult Of Luna and so on. I can only hope that this is the harbinger of great things to come for Grizzlyman. I definitely want to see them perform awesome tracks like 'Last King' (my favorite here, mainly because of a little The Cure reference) live.

black metal

One song, sixteen minutes, constantly altering between frenetic black metal and haunting ambient passages, opening with didgeridoo sounds, that's what you get on this stunning ep by Australian duo Somnium Nox. The overall atmosphere is intensely dark, perhaps one of the darkest things you'll ever hear. On one hand, this ep perfectly fits in with today's post-black metal scene where even Pink Floyd could be regarded as an influence. On the other hand, this is as brutal and ferocious as some of the harshest blackened acts out there. Fans of bands like Blut Aus Nord, Altar Of Plagues, Deathspell Omega and Drudkh, this is a must-have for you, so get your hands on this thing, now...

crust / d-beat / black metal

When members of Endstille and Dysangelium form a band from the idea that modern day music lacks violence, you could be damn sure that something extreme is heading your way. Well, Kommando is extreme. They call their music 'Machinegun Punk', which stands for an intense mix of black metal, death metal, hardcore, crust and d-beat. It shouldn't be a surprise that this ep is loaded with brutality, violence and sheer noise. The songs are short but furious, a vicious assault on anything you could possibly imagine. With songs like 'IndoctriNation', Bitching Hours' and 'Alle Gegen Alle', this ep is arguably one of the most aggressive releases you can buy this year...

mathcore

Mathcore, a genre I never really understood, but I guess that's the whole idea. We're in France, being utterly confused by a trio of musicians without boundaries. On this album, these guys come up with complex yet immersive pieces of music, hinting towards the noise rock scene and the world of (extreme) (post) metal alike. In a way, this sounds more like free jazz to me, but distorted and perplexing. There are some pieces which are perfectly suited for a little headbanging session while other passages are way too complex to make any kind of movement. In fact, the best way to dance to this is mouth wide open while being completely paralysed physically. Weird stuff, intense but weird...

hard rock / rock

Still in France, but this time with something a little more radio-friendly, rock-radio friendly that is. Ego Miss Blinded is a rock band from the region of Paris, mainly influenced by bands like Metallica, Kiss, System Of A Down, AC/DC and even Bob Marley, but no, there's no reggae on this ep. What you do get, are five strong songs with plenty of power to get your rock-ass shaking. Opener 'That's What I Am' is a potential rock-hit, 'The Knife To Your Throat' is a vivid old school anthem, 'Alive' is a grungy ballad and the 'Raise Your Head' dual track reminds me a little of Guns 'n Roses meets Motley Crue, or something like that. In part 2, I can even hear flashes from Pink Floyd. Varied stuff, that's for damn sure...

death metal

Right, back to the extremes, this time with a brutal old school death metal band from Chile and their short but scathing album 'Serpent Of Chaos'. Opening with eerie soundscapes and haunted voices, this album slowly fastens its grip on the listener, a bit like a constrictor perhaps. Yet, once 'Via Sinistra' kicks off, Porta Daemonium kick you down with their crushing and grinding sound. The tempo is tremendous. The drums constantly hammer on your skull while the thick and sick riffs rip your insides apart. Meanwhile, the vocalist growls all kind of unpleasantries into your ear, eventually leaving you behind in a pile of rotting flesh, as an offering to the dark lord. Enjoy...

heavy metal

I've been writing about old school stuff a few times on this edition of 'Brieviews' but believe me, dear reader, it doesn't get more old school than this. English metal band Vulturic Eye say this about their music "...if Rush were a nihilistic metal band..." and I can only agree. On this ep they come up with vintage heavy metal, reminding me of old Iron Maiden, old Judas Priest, Dio perhaps. The songs are pretty varied and show a great deal of musical craftsmanship, especially my favorite one 'Legacy Of Failure'. So, whoever claims that there's no decent heavy metal being made today, please shut your mouth and listen to Vulturic Eye. If they don't make you change your mind, you're officially old...

progressive / math rock

Madness, I tell you, absolute madness! As if Helmet stole Maybeshewill's equipment to recreate some tunes by Wagner. Or as if Dillinger Escape Plan and Godflesh cover Autechre. Yes, this is something strange, complex and intense. Yet, after a few listens, I have to conclude that this is quite an interesting musical study, one with an experimental attitude that can compete with many free jazz musicians. 

A Jane Doe is a one-man project from Vitebsk, Belarus.  Originally a black metal musician, Sergey Mihajlovich decided to go his own way with this solo project. He claims to be influenced by bands like Meshuggah, Animals Are Leaders and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza and that might be a decent description.  However, I still sense that gloomy blackened atmosphere somewhere.

The ep consists of six instrumental tracks, each expressing a different temperament. It's an interesting approach to making music and in a way the songs do represent their given temperament.  However, the whole remains a harsh, complex and dissonant piece of work which obviously isn't suited for everyone. Like with many math & noise rock bands, many people will lose track of all those unexpected hooks and surprising elements.

Does that have to be a problem? Of course not. This is the stuff that keeps the music industry fresh and evolving. Yeah, this might be too weird for some people but fact remains that there is a skilled and motivated artist behind this. So check it out and then check it out again. This ep needs to sink in before you see the true value but once it is there, you're in for something you won't easily forget...


Serge