New Music Round-up: 24th January 2015

Faithful Darkness

If your band is going to walk a well-trodden musical path, you'd better make sure that you have the songs to pull it off...and that's where Sweden's Faithful Darkness come in. Although the musical style and song structures will sound a little over-familiar, the band has attempted to put their own stamp on the sub-genre with some interesting guitar and keyboard melodies. MeloDeath has been around the block a couple of hundred times, but that doesn't mean it can't be done well, and Faithful Darkness have succeeded in releasing an respectable, if unchallenging, album. If I'm honest, it's doubtful that this album will get many repeat plays, but if you're a fan of the genre, I'd recommend at least giving it a listen.

Napalm Death

With a career spanning more than 30 years you might well expect Napalm Death to be starting to mellow...even just a little. Not a chance! New album "Apex Predator" is as intense, angry and in your face as anything the band has ever put out. On saying that, never content with being complacent, they continue to push the boundaries of musical experimentation (listen to album opener "Apex Predator" or "Dear Slum Landlord") while never forgetting who they are or losing track of the brutality which makes them so special in the first place ("Cesspits"). The studio polished sound of previous album, 2012's "Ulititarian", has been stripped back to a more raw, "live" sound and the songs actually benefit from this more basic "punk" approach. Seemingly incapable of releasing a bad album, once again this is classic Napalm Death. You can listen to a new song at the band's Soundcloud page (click the like below).

Cesspits

Bog Oak

This Californian trio have come out of nowhere to make a claim for the Sludge / Doom crown. There is no shortage of monstrous riffery on this debut EP -  the fuzzed out Sludge riffs go head to head with a glacial Blackened Doom groove and vocalist Julie Seymour has a unique delivery - a blend of bellowing roars, throaty rasps and etheral clean vocals - that helps the band stand almost effortlessly out from their peers.

The Outside

German Thrashers, The Outside, unleash their sophomore album and to be frank, it isn't going to change anybody's world. What you get is a decent, but pretty bog-standard German Thrash Metal release, so if you are looking for musical experimentation move along. If you are a fan of bands such as Kreator and Destruction, then this should definitely be worth half an hour of your time. The only real gripe I have (musical banality aside) is that production is a bit sub-standard, but who ever said that music should be perfect? 

Shadowbane

Another German band, this time in the shape of Shadowbane, whose debut album borrows heavily from the Trad / Power Metal stylings of bands such as Iced Earth, Nevermore and Agent Steel. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this. I mean, pretty much every Metal band out started off by playing covers of their favourite bands at rehersals and it often takes a few years of gigging and maybe even a few line-up changes for a band to find their own style, if they even want to. Maybe Shadowbane are happy to be "just another" Metal band, but I think we could be in for a pleasant surprise when (if) they drop their second album.

New Music Round-Up: 18th January 2015

Sylosis

This Reading, England based band has been threatening to drop a classic for years now, but have always fallen ever so slightly short of the mark. Don't get me wrong, they have always been good, but they have never been great. With "Dormant Heart", they are set to silence any doubters and hopefully to make their mark and take on their European and North American peers on the world stage. The vocals are roaring and ferocious, the solos are wailing and widdly and the riffs are punishing. Nice!

Marduk

Sweden's Marduk are one of those bands that have always been adored by the music press, but failed to get my interest...until now. The new album, "Frontschwein" is a icy, groove-laden stomper, reminiscent of Satyricon and the very under-rated Khold.

Unearth The Kings

Next up is another promising British band, featuring members of Earthtone9 (Owen Packard) and Pitchshifter (Jason Bowld). With the sludgy, Southern Metal groove of bands like Red Fang and Kylesa, but with the memorable hooks and massive choruses of ET9, Unearth The Kings are promising newcomers to the British Metal scene. It might not be anything really original to your delicate ears, but as the three track EP is available for free (yes, free!) at the band's Bandcamp page (Here) you, quite literally, have nothing to lose.

http://unearththekings.bandcamp.com/track/rocks-boulders-mountains

Marilyn Manson

In case you haven't heard yet, the double M is back and when I say back, I don't just mean he has released another (mediocre) album. No, I mean he is back with a vengeance. He hasn't sounded this vital or energetic for well over a decade and long-term fans will find plenty here to rejoice about. He might not be as angry now and he certainly has no need to court controversy or to wind up the "mainstream", but I don't know if he has ever sounded so menacing. This is an all new, but equally sinister take on the classic Manson style.

Wednesday 13

Well, Mr 13 certainly has no intention of reinventing the wheel. This will be instantly familiar to anyone who has heard Wednesday 13 and his Horror Punk / Glam Rock / Metal hybrid before. It's not original, but it's fun...for a few songs at least. After that, the lack of variation can become a little grating.

Top 30 Albums Of 2014 - Part 2: 20 - 11

20. Mantar - Death By Burning

The debut album from Germany's Mantar comes as a welcome breath of fresh (putrid?) air. With a sound based in the Stoner and Doom Metal camp but which is led by a furious vocal reminiscent of Erlend Hjelvik (Kvelertak) and then complemented with the kind of grooves that Mastodon would kill for. Mantar might not be doing anything really original, but they are certainly interesting and know how to write a memorable tune. What more do you want?

19. At The Gates - At War With Reality

A band whose career seems to have run in some kind of strange parallel with British Grind / Death Metal legends Carcass, Gothenburg's At The Gates continue with this trajectory by releasing their first new album in 19 years (Carcass released their first album in 17 years last year). But, where Carcass pushed themselves creatively, while still retaining that special Carcass sound, At The Gates have instead opted to release a record that sounds almost exactly the same as they did in 1995. I know they say that if it isn't broken....and all that, but even if it isn't broken, it can be worn out. All in all though, this is a strong record that won't disappoint long-time fans, but it could and should have been so much better.

18. Arch Enemy - War Eternal

While already popular in their native Sweden and Japan, it wasn't until Arch Enemy replaced vocalist Johan Liiva with Angela Gossow in 2000, that their career really took off internationally. Sadly, as the years went by the band's albums started to sound stale, tired and forced, so when Angela announced that she was stepping down as vocalist, but was staying on to act as the band's manager and had helped to choose her own replacement, Arch Anemy got my attention for the first time in years. That she chose The Agonist vocalist, Alissa White-Gluz really piqued my interest and I now had high expectations of War Eternal. On hearing the opening seconds of the album's first single, As The Pages Burn, I was sold. A solid, powerful return to form from one of the leading lights in Swedish Metal.

17. Deathstars – The Perfect Cult

If you are already familiar with Deathstars then nothing here will come as a suprise to you. It's business as usual with the Rammstein meets Die Krupps Goth-tinged Industrial Metal that that band has made their own. They have their niche and they know how to pen a catchy tune and even though it isn't breaking any new ground, this is a cracking collection of potential floor-fillers. 

 







16. Kampfar – Djevelmakt

The vicious Black Metal rasp of the opening word, "Helvete" (Hell) on the first track, Mylder pretty much sets the tone for this record and what the album lacks in variation is more than made up for with the well-constructed songs and atmospherics. With its groove-laden, mid-paced, folk-tinged riffs, punishing drums and ferocious vocals, Djevelmakt is Kampfar's best album since Kvass (released in 2006) and if Norwegian Black Metal or even Pagan Metal is your thing, it definitely won't disappoint.

15. Cavalera Conspiracy - Pandemonium

Maybe I had set my expectations too high, but I personally found the previous two Cavalera Conspiracy albums to be a bit lacking. On Pandemonium, however, the brothers Cavalera make up for lost time and return not only to their heavier roots, but also take in their entire careers along the way. Pandemonium comes tearing out of the blocks and into your ears with opener Babylonian Pandemonium going straight in for the kill and it doesn't let up fpr a moment. It is a joy to hear what these once long-estranged siblings can do when they are properly on the same page. Pandemonium is ferocious, thrashy and exactly what long-time fans have been waiting for for years.

14. Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum 

While not nearly as good as 2012's Vanitas, this is still head and shoulders above the majority of the Extreme Metal albums out there. Anaal Nathrakh may have started out as a raw Black Metal band, but they have gradually mutated into a more mature beast, bringing clean vocals, orchestral elements and even the occasonal electronic keyboard into the mix. Don't think for a moment that this means that the band has mellowed with age as Desideratum is still a vicious, nasty album that goes straight for the jugular...it just does so surreptitiously. 

13. Machine Head – Bloodstone And Diamonds 

Machine Head have been a mainstay on the Metal scene for two decades now but it has to be said, have been anything but consistent musically. Stylistically, the band has been through some rough patches over the years (Supercharger, Through The Ashes....anyone?), but have also released some genuine Metal masterpieces (Burn My Eyes, The Blackening), so I have a tendency to be a little cautious when it comes to a new Machine Head album. One positive is that in recent years the band's songs have become longer and less punchy which has allowed mainman, Robb  Flynn to flex his prog muscles and has often resulted in a more rewarding experience for the band's fans. I am pleased to say that Bloodstone And Diamonds is up their with the band's best and while it might not set the world alight, it should please existing fans and may even earn them a few new ones.

12. Cruachan – Blood For The Blood God

Cruachan always had tremendous potential, but in the past were hampered by the weak and reedy lead vocals of Karen Gilligan. So, when the band announced that they were parting ways with Karen in 2008 and that mainman Keith Fay would now be taking over the lead vocal role, I had high hopes that they would finally realise the potential they had previously squandered. That said, even I could never have expected just how much of a difference it was actually going to make. Blood On The Black Robe was the sound of a rejuvinated band - heavier, angrier and more aggressive but without losing their distinctively Irish Folk-influenced sound. Fast forward three years and follow-up, Blood For The Blood God has continued along this path, even managing to be darker and heavier than BOTBR. The one neagtive is the poor production job, but even that can't stop BFTBG from being a genre classic.

11. Eluveitie – Origins 

Eluveite have long since established themselves as a major name in the Folk Metal scene and Origins, the band's sixth full-length release finds the band in familiar territory. Their distinctive and instantly recognisable take on Celtic Folk Metal is still as potent as it ever was and although Origins doesn't scale the heights of its predecessor, the brilliant Helvetios, it still packs enough of a punch to ensure that Eluveitie are in no danger of becoming lost in the shuffle. 

Top 30 Albums of 2014 - Part 3: 10 - 1

10.  Obituary – Inked In Blood 

Florida's Obituary have always been one of the few Death Metal bands I have rated. This is probably due to the slower, mid-paced tempo of the songs and to John Tardy's distinctive, unique guttaral vocal delivery. That said, I have struggled to really get into anything the band has put out since they reformed in 2003. They have just seemed to lack the punch they once had and I had long since consigned them to the "used to be good, but now they are just ok" pile. So imagine my suprise and delight upon hearing Inked In Blood and finding it to be not only to be a great collection of songs, but the band's strongest release in almost two decades. Inked In Blood is right up there with The End Complete and World Demise...and I can't think of higher praise than that.

 9. Triptykon – Melana Chasmata 

When Celtic Frost predictably fell apart in 2008, assumably for good, mastermind and mainman Tom G Fischer wasted little time in returning to the fray with his new band, Triptykon. If the band's debut album, released in 2010, became an immediate Extreme Metal favourite, then follow up, Melana Chasmata is nothing short of a classic. Everything - from Tom's distinctive, mournful vocals to the crushingly heavy riffs and the expertly implemented female vocals to the acoustic passages - is cleverly and subtly utilised to maximum effect.Breathtaking.

8. Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen

Irish Pagan Metallers Primordial have drifted further and further away from their Celtic Black Metal beginnings to become a unique and essential part of the wider Metal landscape. With each passing album, the band has further cemented its legacy with flawless songwriting and a sheer majesty that most bands could only dream of. That they do this with crushing, mid-paced riffs and (near) clean wailing vocals is nothing short of genius.

7. Einherjer – Av Oss, For Oss

Einherjer is a band that have been poised on the edge of greatness for their twenty plus year career but have always fallen frustratingly short of delivering THAT classic album. Well, ladies and gentleman, the wait is finally over. At its heart, Av Oss, For Oss (By Us, For Us) is an epic, majestic Pagan Black Metal masterpiece in the vein of bands such as Tyr, Månegarm and Thyrfing, but it is infused throughout with an off the wall, avant-garde flavour and has earned Einherjer the right to be spoken of in the same hushed tones of reverance as fellow Norwegian Prog Post-Black Metallers, Enslaved.

6. Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry 

A band that has always received huge praise from the music press and the underground, but one that has always managed to pass me by. I have tried to listen to their music at vary times over the years, but never quite "got it". After a long time in a self-imposed exile of experimental releases, the band has returned to the Black Metal based sound they were reknowned for...and now it all makes sense. Don't get me wrong, this is still progressive and experimental, but this time it definitely falls comfortably within the (admittedly broad) spectrum of Black Metal. My advice is to forget all the hype around bands such as Behemoth and Watain and listen to this instead. A remarkable piece of work.

5. Northern Oak – Of Roots And Flesh 

I have been a fan of Northen Oak for a few years now, but even I didn't see this coming. Much like Robert Johnson at the crossroads, I can only put the huge leap forward the band has taken since 2010's Monuments down to a pact with the Devil himself. That isn't to say in any way that Monuments was a bad album (it wasn't), it was just a flawed album which fell a long way short of greatness. The same critism cannot be levelled at Of Roots And Flesh. This is a bonafide Folk Black Metal classic. There isn't a weak moment to be found here and the band has even allowed its Britishness to shine through in both the subject matter and the music. I'm willing to wager that you won't have heard a better Folk Metal album in 2014. Classic and essential!

4. Gormathon – Following The Beast 

Although you could spend all day picking out influences in this, the second album from Sweden's Gormathon, the end result manages to sound thrillingly different. If I was to try to describe the band's sound, I would say that they come across as a Melodic Death Metal Judas Priest with the clean / growling vocal combination of Scar Symmetry, but such lazy comparisons don't do them justice as this is no mere copycat act. Instead, this is the sound of a band trying and (for the most part) succeeding to make their mark and to carve out their own style of Metal. Nothing these days is truly unique, but Gormathon have had a good stab at doing something original with a well-worn and familiar formula.

3. In Flames – Siren Charms

Where to begin. I want to start by saying that I had long since lost faith in In Flames' ability to write a good song, let alone a great album. Let's face it, this is a band that has had more ups and downs than a bi-polar trampoline artist and one that has been on a downward spiral for the last decade. Now, I'm sure that it hasn't escaped your attention that Siren Charms is at number three on my list of the best albums of 2014. So what has changed? Well, the short answer is quite a lot. While, on one hand, the band has somehow retained vestiges of their distinct and reconisable sound, on the other this is a whole new In Flames. Pretty much absent is the Melodic Death Metal that the band has called their own for two decades. In it's place is a more 80's influenced Goth Rock / New Wave sound. Siren Charms is a mature, layered Rock (not Metal) record that is more akin to Depeche Mode than it is to Soilwork or to Duran Duran than Dark Tranquillity. This isn't the band that released Clayman and if the above description doesn't sound like your thing, then it might be better to stick to the old albums. If you approach this album with an open mind, however, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

2. Judas Priest – Redeemer Of Souls 

Judas Priest finally lives up to the hype surrounding the now nearly ten year old reunion with Rob Halford. That a band which formed in 1970 (44 years ago!), can sound so essential and vital in 2014 is genuinely astounding. There are, admittedly, one or two "filler" songs to be found here, but for the most part Redeemer Of Souls is a classic old school Heavy Metal record which will put a smile on your face and make you want to dig out your old biker jacket and bang your head.

1. Agalloch – The Serpent And The Sphere 

For me to try to do this album justice in a few lines would be nigh on impossible, so I will take a snippet from my own review from early this year: "Every chord, every cold, crushing riff and every drum beat has its place and purpose. Even the vocals, ranging from ethereal whispers and clean singing to the tortured roars and Black Metal rasps (being one of the only "extreme" things about the band) are used sparingly and always to convey a sense of atmosphere. This music is dense and deep to the point of being near impenetrable to the casual listener, but give it your time and full attention and you will reap the rewards". I think that pretty much sums it up. Unparalleled and peerless. There is no competition for album of the year as far as I am concerned.