Month: October 2020

Carcass, Despicable review (Nuclear Blast 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Carcass first appeared more than thirty years ago, becoming a Death Metal mainstay immediately, and they are not done yet.

Carcass created its place in music history by pioneering extreme metal on their earliest albums in the late 1980s. A few years later, they were on the forefront of a new movement in metal, melodic death metal. In both of these cases, the band provided a vision that was expanded on by multitudes of other acts and that persist today. They took a break for a long stretch after Swansong in 1996, not releasing another full-length album until Surgical Steel (2013).

Despicable is an EP released in advance of next year’s full-length album, and it holds songs that will not be on that longer album. The band is Jeff Walker, Bill Steer, Daniel Wilding, and Tom Draper, and the music continues on the path the band has solidly established in its second incarnation.

There are four songs on the new EP, beginning with “The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue,” which has delightful thrashiness to it, culminating in a swirling storm of enraged hornets performed on guitar toward the end. “The Long and Winding Bier Road” has a slower and heavier taste, telling a story in clever hooks. The gas is punched again on “Under the Scalpel Blade,” adding in a sordid Penny Dreadful storyline to warm your veins. “Slaughtered in Soho” is the sign-off, with an airy riff and a tender growl – and a wailing lead break. If these four fine songs are any sign of what the 2021 album will be like, we are definitely in for a wild ride. Recommended.

Out now from Nuclear Blast, you can get Despicable in all sorts of formats from Bandcamp or through the store portal link below.

Links.

Carcass Bandcamp, https://carcass.bandcamp.com/album/despicable

Carcass Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCarcass

Carcass YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/Carcass

Nuclear Blast Records Store Portal, https://media.nuclearblast.de/shoplanding/2020/Carcass/despicable.html

Carcass, Despicable review (Nuclear Blast 2020)

Nuclear Power Trio, A Clear And Present Rager review (Metal Blade Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Just in time for the US presidential election, Nuclear Power Trio is here to bring world peace through instrumental metal music.

Just take a second to look at the cover image. Are you taking that seriously? I hope not. Obviously, this is a goof. Do you want to be even more confused? Check out the videos on YouTube. There they are, Vlad and Donny and Kimmy hamming it up for the camera and shredding. Wow. What in the world is this exactly? I am not sure, but the thing is, the music is excellent.

Who are the musicians? I don’t know, but if you do watch the videos, you can narrow it down quite a bit. I am not going to weigh in on identities because that is too much fun as a drinking game for next Tuesday. Let the speculation begin.

A Clear And Present Rager is a five song EP of heavy jazz/metal instrumental music and it is tight. The title track is the opener and it has a very Satriani vibe to it. All three principal instruments are mixed in to have a clear and noticeable presence: thick bass lines, fuzzy riffs and ripping leads, and punchy and rollicking drums. It pops. “Grab ’Em By The Pyongyang” is next and it starts with an acoustic intro, but the electric riff is hot on its heels. “The Fusion Collusion” offers a clippy percussive intro, while “Ukraine In The Membrane” has a more pensive opening statement that turns into a frantic search for meaning. “Mutually Assured Seduction” is the last call, and it is here where we piece together the wreckage of the evening and see what can be salvaged – hence the melancholy tone.

Even as this release is silly and is clearly trying to lighten up our lives during these dreadfully dreary days we all face, the music is crisp, challenging, and solid as a rock. It really is great instrumental rock.

Go get yours now, and play it loud on election night. Recommended.

Links.

Buy It From Metal Blade, https://www.metalblade.com/nuclearpowertrio/

Band wesbite, http://www.nuclearpowertriomerch.com

Band YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/c/NuclearPowerTrio

Band Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/nuclearpowertrio

Nuclear Power Trio, A Clear And Present Rager review (Metal Blade Records 2020)

Serpents of Secrecy, Ave Vindicta review (Moving The Earth Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

The Baltimore Doom Metal scene gets another big dose of darkness from the debut album of Serpents of Secrecy.

The band had started this album in 2017, but the work was put aside after the shocking death of bassist Rev. Jim Forrester. Some of the music had already been recorded, and Serpents of Secrecy came together to finish all the work up and make sure it was not lost to history. The band for the album is Rev. Jim Forrester (bass), Todd Ingram (guitar), Chuck Dukehart III (drums), Mark Lorenzo (vocals), and Steve Fisher (guitar).

The underlying sound and vibe is classic metal in many ways and there are some songs that might have been played on the radio back when there was radio. There is a pervasive grungy feel, including the vocals which have a 1990s Seattle flavor to them in their cleaner incarnations. There is a plaintive emotion hovering around the music even when it crosses into a light literalness – that is one of the elements that makes this feel like a Doom album in the face of more straight-forward Metal.

“Ave Vindicta” opens the set and establishes that Doom tone I was talking about with throbbing feedback and slow, heavy riffs. “Heel Turn” is a more mainstream Metal song, and “The Cheat” is almost a ballad up front, with a melancholy lead guitar in the middle and a heavy finish. Bass lines are prominent on many of the songs, and well-placed sharp guitar remembrances glide in and out like ghosts. There are up-tempo crushers in here too, like “Warbird’s Song” and “Broke The Key” (one of my favorites on the album). It all comes to a close with a raucous sermon, “In The Lock.” This is an excellent album filled with variety and imbued with a style not often present in new music these days. Recommended.

Ave Vindicta is available on Halloween. Bandcamp is a good place to pick it up, and check out the band’s Big Cartel store for other merch. Links below.

Links.

Band Bandcamp, https://serpentsofsecrecy.bandcamp.com/releases

Band Big Cartel Store, https://serpentsofsecrecy.bigcartel.com/

Band website, http://www.serpentsofsecrecy.net

Band Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/Serpents-of-Secrecy

Serpents of Secrecy, Ave Vindicta review (Moving The Earth Records 2020)

Zakk Sabbath, Vertigo review (Magnetic Eye Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Zakk Sabbath gives us a welcome reminder of the pivotal album Black Sabbath, and an exploration of its timelessness.

The band is Zakk Wylde, Blasko, and Joey Castillo. I first saw Zakk Sabbath a couple years ago at the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus and I was completely blown away. I’d seen Zakk Wylde with Black Label Society, of course, and with Ozzy Osbourne, but I didn’t know what to expect from what looked like a tribute band from the billing. What I saw and heard was jaw dropping. An absolutely amazing performance. I tried to find some recordings, but at the time there wasn’t much. Now there is some video, and Zack Sabbath has “live bootlegs” up on their Bandcamp page (for free, by the way – there is actually a lot there so go check that out at the link below). No studio recordings, though. So when I heard Vertigo was coming out, I was on board immediately.

Every metal fan knows about that first Black Sabbath album, and most have heard it more than once. Some of us have listened to it so many times we know it by heart. So while listening to Zakk Sabbath commemorate the album, we are going to hear anything that is different from the original. And of course it is different. This is not meant to be a note by note recreation. It is celebration of the music and the seminal nature of the compositions on the album. There are extensions and bending and warbling variations throughout. The tempo matches the original very closely. Wylde’s vocals are extremely well suited for this music, and the musicianship is absolutely impeccable. At the same time, this is not a tribute album like, say, the Nativity In Black releases, so the new recordings do not reimagine the music. The songs included are the ones on the original US release, meaning that “Evil Woman” is not here and instead “Wicked World” is (on the standard CD).

If you are still wondering what this is all about, then grab a couple of those free live downloads from Bandcamp or check out a few videos of Zakk Sabbath on YouTube. It is clear that the band has great admiration and respect for this music. For me, Black Sabbath was one of the first bands I started listening to when I was a teenager and their music had a massive impact on me. It still does – not a week of my life has ever gone by without me listening to Black Sabbath. As a result, I won’t tolerate any fucking around with their music. With all that said, I really like Vertigo. Go get it now. Highest recommendation.

You can pick Vertigo up now from Magnetic Eye Records either at their website or through another retailer but there are no downloads. Physical versions only.

Live photo from the band’s Facebook site by @bilakos_thrash.

Links.

Zakk Sabbath Bandcamp, https://zakksabbath.bandcamp.com/

Zakk Sabbath Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/officialzakksabbath/

Label website, https://en.merhq.spkr.media/

Label Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

Zakk Sabbath, Vertigo review (Magnetic Eye Records 2020)

Violent Life Violent Death, The Color of Bone review (Innerstrength Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

The new VLVD release roars with a creepy dankness and shakes the mystic tree of hoary lore with the reckless violence of a terminal necromancer.

Violent Life Violent Death have released four EPs (counting the new one) since 2016. Centered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the band is David Holquin (drums), Joe Benham (guitar), Scott Cowan (vocals), Joey Park (guitar), and Justin Campbell (bass). They play hardcore metal that lies on the metal side (to my ear) with deep set hooks and a penetrating progressiveness.

The new one has five songs, all in the three minute range. “Grave Walk” gets things going with a chunky clank and battering percussion. It’s companion piece, “Dead With Me,” is more explicitly dramatic, even theatrical. It has a breaking-down-the-fourth-wall fierceness as Cowan’s voice seems to reach out to the listener individually – “I wish you were dead with me.”

“Roseblade’ is the epitome of punch. The darkness you feel listening to it is a claustrophobic cloak that is a circular orchestra surrounding your head. The echoey second-line voices and the marching chop of the guitars in the second half is mesmerizing. “Linger” is discordant at the front, tipping you, dizzy, into the final piece, “The Color of Bone.” Here you are lead into a knowable space and shown a fundamental truth. Sometimes it is worth hearing what we already know stated aloud. And here it is.

You can get The Color Of Bone this Friday, October 30th from Innerstrength Records through Bandcamp and all the usual other places. You can hear “Roseblade” now, and Spotify has a couple of the band’s other EPs available, so listen up in anticipation. It is an great set. Recommended.

Band photo by Justin Driscoll.

Links.

VLVD Bandcamp, https://violentlifeviolentdeath.bandcamp.com

VLVD shop, https://violentlifeviolentdeath.bigcartel.com/

VLVD Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/violentlifeviolentdeath

Label website, https://www.innerstrengthmusic.com

Label Bandcamp, https://innerstrengthrecords.bandcamp.com

Label Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/innerstrengthrecords

Violent Life Violent Death, The Color of Bone review (Innerstrength Records 2020)

Somnus Throne, Somnus Throne review (Burning World Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , ,

Somnus Throne is a relatively new Doom Metal band that draws upon the blood of the earth to channel sinister forces into mournful thunder.

The members of this band are from/have been all over the US: New Orleans, Los Angeles, Portland, and San Antonio. All over west of the Mississippi River, that is. This is their debut album, and it presents a classic sound as its foundation. The building blocks of doom are all here, taken to their logical extensions and combined with such an insistent compositional approach that it becomes an intentional chant, a mantra.

After an intro bit, the album features four long songs, the first three at the ten minute mark and the last almost at fifteen. I have always thought that doom is best expressed in extended passages, so these stats bode well. “Sadomancer” gives a nice opening statement/warning – “Satan is ever ready to seduce us with sexual delights.” Mmhmm. The vocals are ethereal, distant and almost detached. The guitars are like giant stone wheels rolling over the landscape and crushing it to powder. This combination is hypnotic. A third of the way through we are goosed by a sharp pain, sudden and therefore unexpected, then back to the wheel. “Shadow Heathen” has a greater mechanical activity, and it carries a more direct message while maintaining the mysteriousness established with the opener. The lead guitar exploration in the back half of the song is a sword edge seeking flesh.

Side two starts with “Receptor Antagonist,” which itself starts with a burst of anger then lays out a river of guitar distortion to glide upon. The vocals on this piece have a real feeling of desperation, and the pace cranks up to set the stage for a waling lead break. The longest song is saved for last, “Aetheronaut~Permadose,” and it has a beautiful, lulling intro – sort of like holding your face gently for a moment before punching it. The vocals are positively growling here, and the threat is real. The music builds a wall around you but also works from your insides out. All-encompassing and saturating. Relentless. Recommended.

Somnus Throne is out now. To buy the digital, go to the Burning World Records Bandcamp page. To buy physical versions in the US, go to the Band’s Bandcamp page. Links below.

Links.

Somnus Throne Bandcamp, https://somnusthrone.bandcamp.com/

Somnus Throne Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/TrueSomnist

Label website, https://www.burningworldrecords.com

Label Bandcamp, https://burningworldrecords.bandcamp.com

Label Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/burningworldrecords

Somnus Throne, Somnus Throne review (Burning World Records 2020)

Cortez, Sell The Future review (Ripple Music 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Album number three from Cortez is Sell The Future and it rides a heavy wave of riff-powered demolition.

From the Boston area, Cortez has been releasing music since their 2006 demo. They have had a couple of lineup changes over the years, as most bands do. For Sell the Future, earliest members Jay Furlo (bass) and Scott O’Dowd {Scotty Fuse} (guitar) are joined by long time players Matt Harrington (vocals) and Alasdair Swan (guitar). Alexei Rodriguez (drums) is newest, dating from 2017 (if The Metal Archives has it facts straight).

Harrington’s voice is powerful and fierce when he wants it to be and yet he can attenuate it for different emotions and effects. The compositions rely on solid grooves and big riffs, with well-placed and clever lead breaks adding nuance to the work. The rippling and surprising percussion bursts that you hear from Rodriguez in unexpected places are a fundamental building block to the unique sound of the band.

“No Escape” is a banger, and the perfect choice for an up-tempo lead off song. The title track is next and sets a serious tone with a purposeful riff up front then pushes on with a heavy swagger. The tempo gets a switch in advance of the lead break, which flays the carcass of reason. “Look At You” has a driving rhythm that just won’t let you turn away, and if you are not hooked on this album by the time the third song is over, I don’t know what to say to you. I cannot pick a single favorite, but I will point to the way the songs dissimilarities enhance the set as a whole – listening to the furiously paced “Vanishing Point” right after “Sharpen The Spear,” which has a more plaintive structure, puts you off balance in just the right way for the closer, “Beyond.” This album was worth the wait. Highly recommended.

Sell the Future is out now. Bandcamp is a good place to look for the digital, and there are couple vinyl variants there, too.

Band photo by Bruce Bettis.

Links.

Ripple Bandcamp, https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/sell-the-future

Cortez website, http://www.cortezboston.com/

Cortez Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/cortezboston/

Cortez Soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/cortezboston

Cortez, Sell The Future review (Ripple Music 2020)

Armored Saint, Punching The Sky review (Metal Blade Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

For more than thirty five years, Armored Saint has been banging eardrums. They are back to do it again with Punching The Sky.

“March of the Saint” is the first song on the first album in 1984, March Of The Saint. It starts like a coronation march; a grand entrance. Then the guitars roll out and the 1980s metal vocals hit. That song has a fast tempo and a snappy lead break. What a great way to get started, and “Seducer” is on that album, too – one of my all-time favorites from Armored Saint. The band released three more albums through 1991 before taking a break for a while. They returned in 2000 with Revelation and formally reformed in 2006, releasing La Raza in 2010 and Win Hands Down in 2015. They have updated their sound over the years with new recording technology and so on but the heart of the band never strayed, and neither did their dedication to the idea of heavy metal.

The band for the new album is original members John Bush (vocals), Joey Vera (bass), Phil Sandoval (guitar), and Gonzo Sandoval (drums), who are joined once again by long-time guitarist Jeff Duncan. They lay down eleven big tracks for Punching The Sky, starting with “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” which has the album’s title in the refrain. The music is vigorous, infused with loud attitude to go along with the rumbling riffs and roaring lead guitar splits. “Bubble” is a contentious number with a more serious tone than many of the other songs, while “Lone Wolf” has a clandestine opening riff and “Fly in the Ointment” is more reflective. At every turn, Armored Saint delivers heavy music longtime fans will embrace and that will catch the attention of new listeners as well. Recommended.

Punching The Sky is out Friday, October 23rd from Metal Blade Records, where you can get merch bundles. Bandcamp is the quick way to grab the digital download.

Links.

Band website, http://armoredsaint.com

Band Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/thearmoredsaint

Bandcamp, https://armoredsaint.bandcamp.com/

Metal Blade Records, https://www.metalblade.com/us/

Armored Saint, Punching The Sky review (Metal Blade Records 2020)

Saul, Rise As Equals review (Spinefarm Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

The first full-length album from Saul is a stab at the heart of mediocrity that rises above the tide of ordinary heavy music.

This band from Iowa is Blake Bedsaul (vocals), Zach Bedsaul (guitar), William McIlravy (bass), and Myles Clayborne (drums). Their EP Aeons (2019) received a lot of attention, propelled by the success of the single “Brother.” Their music has a harder edge than Pop Metal and more melodic passages than you might expect from heavy music. Punchy, sawblade guitar riffs and forceful vocals are the hallmark, interspersed with lyrical moments. The songs are typically about experiences of people as opposed to dark or fantasy concepts. Breaking Benjamin might be a starting point for reference, but Saul’s music has a sharper edge and a fuller sound. There are other comparisons, too, but listen to Saul directly if you really want to know what they are like.

The album has fourteen songs all running at radio length and each one a separate success. The opener is “Trial By Fire,” which was released earlier as a single. It is clearly a crowd pleasing live anthem, cracking out with a snapping riff that has a clever bend to it then proceeding on to a sing-along chorus that will resonate with fans. In fact, every song sounds like a single – meaning that they are all tight and constructed for maximum impact. There is no meandering anywhere on the album. Take “King of Misery,” which starts out at a slower tempo than many of the other songs, but the rock solid guitars are there and the execution of the vocals as the centerpiece to the composition is spot-on. The title track is another stand-out piece, and for me, and “The Toll” is maybe my favorite on the album for its pulsing rhythm and penetrating message.

I saw Saul perform on a livestream with Clutch, Crowbar, and Blacktop Mojo a couple months back and their set really stood out. I have been waiting for this album to come out ever since, anticipating something big. The band absolutely delivered. Rise As Equals is even better than I expected. Highly recommended.

You can get the full album this Friday, October 23rd from Spinefarm Records. The quick buy is through Amazon Music for the download, with the physical versions widely available. The Saul Shop link below is a good path to follow if you are in a buying mood.

Links.

Saul website, https://saulofficial.com/

Saul Shop, https://saul.merchnow.com/

Saul Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/saulbandofficial/

Saul YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfVimzkq5EqQ0ZDo_FrP7Lg

Spinefarm website, https://www.spinefarmrecords.com/usa/

Spinefarm YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/SpinefarmRec

Saul, Rise As Equals review (Spinefarm Records 2020)

Entropy Created Consciousness, Antica Memoria di Dis review (Fólkvangr Records 2020)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Anonymous artist(s) Entropy Created Consciousness releases a musical exhibition in two acts: Antica Memoria di Dis.

The composer describes it all this way … “The project chronicles a unique Homeric recital of Dante’s journey into Hell with the guidance of ancient Roman poet Virgil, as explored in Inferno, the first part of the infamous Divine Comedy.” A compelling subject, there is no question about that. When I listened to the music, I was not really trying to follow a story, however. I was instead experiencing the aural creation in a more holistic sense and I formed my impressions of it that way.

The composition is divided into two acts, Acheron and Lethe. In the former, percussion is prominent in “The Sun Is Silent,” standing out even while being surrounded by sinister hissing and whispering. “Minos / Cerberbus” is more chaotic and cacophonous in its beginning, and even so is anchored around the driving drums. A fire is lit in “Malignant, Ashen,” and it cools down on the outro “Below the Tower,” wherein we are enchanted into a nightmare as it closes.

With Lethe, there is a more consistent feeling of savagery and jeopardy. It is tense and unrelenting. “Infamy of Crete” is a lashing by brutal forces during a long walk at night. A sign of hard times ahead, and the signal rang true as “”Phlegethon” continues the battering, raking your mind raw. Without respite, for the most part. “Malebolge” promotes the idea of a discovered artifact in its initial moments, and then quickly turns deeply dark and growling. “Judecca” has heavy doom elements and an overall feeling begins to permeate that you are being slowly buried in damp earth. The sounds of the growling commerce of demons fade as the dirt piles up. And then that is it, as you are played out on a lilting piano moment amidst gently splashing water.

The initial recordings were made in 2017, then additional lines were drawn in 2019 and 2020, with the final touches, mix, and mastering done only a few months ago. The end product is fascinating, and different from most anything else I have heard. It is industrial and experimental metal of a brand all its own. Recommended for listeners with elemental roots in their beings.

Antica Memoria di Dis will be available October 23rd as a download (Bandcamp), with a cassette version coming out from Fólkvangr Records.

Links.

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/entropycreatedconsciousness

Bandcamp, https://entropycreatedconsciousness.bandcamp.com/releases

Fólkvangr Records, http://www.folkvangrrecords.com/

Entropy Created Consciousness, Antica Memoria di Dis review (Fólkvangr Records 2020)