Month: March 2022

Misfire, Sympathy For The Ignorant (MNRK Heavy 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Chicago thrash trio Misfire let loose their debut MNRK Heavy long-player on April Fools’ Day, Sympathy For The Ignorant.

Misfire is Jay Johnson (vocals, guitar), Sean Coogan (vocals, bass), and James Nicademus (drums). The band came together just a few years ago, and the musicians have been plying their trade for some time, despite their youth. Two earlier EPs provided source material for the full-length at hand, and signaled concretely the direction the music was going. This is thrash metal infused with rare spices. The compositions have a bald familiarity but when you listen to Misfire’s music you are immediately aware that you’ve never really heard anything much like this before, taken all together.

“Fractured” is the first song, and it has some of the most creative rhythm and guitar work I’ve heard in a long time featured at the beginning. It is enthralling. After the first vocal passages, a cracking bass line sets up a ripping lead guitar break. It is a combination of mysticism, shallowly buried homage, and cutthroat thuggery. Fantastic.

Every song is a battering, one way or another, for your complicit brain pan. I love the aggression in the vocals on “Red Flag” especially, but of course it is always there, track by track. “War Of Mine” steps out on a doom cadence but breaks that rank almost immediate for full-scale charge, lapsing now and then into groove. And those sudden, exposed bass lines are incredible. A punch and a lurch and a steady trajectory all in the same vicinity.

Whether it is the slow burn of “No Offense” or the pulsing haze of the title track, this album holds nothing back. Recommended.

Sympathy For The Ignorant is on the shelf Friday, April 1st through MNRK Heavy.

Band photo by Wombat Fire.

Link.

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

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

MNRK Heavy Records, https://mnrkheavy.com/

© Wayne Edwards.

Misfire, Sympathy For The Ignorant (MNRK Heavy 2022)

Satan, Earth Infernal (Metal Blade 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Satan’s follow-up to 2018’s Cruel Magic is a speeding vortex that raises the flag even higher: Earth Infernal.

Satan is a band from Newcastle that formed around 1979. They were part of the actual New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, they have laid down five full-length albums – six counting the new one – and a truckload of EPs, compilations, and live albums. The group has gone through many changes over the years, more than you might even expect even for such a long-lived band. Notably, they changed their name several times (Pariah, Blind Fury), disbanded and reformed. They re-solidified in 2011 and, starting in 2013, released three monstrous albums in a row, Life Sentence (2103), Atom By Atom (2015), and Cruel Magic (2018). Earth Infernal stretches the string winning albums to four in a row. The band is Brian Ross (vocals), Russ Tippins (guitar), Steve Ramsey (guitar), Graeme English (bass), and Sean Taylor (drum).

The metal is high-energy and clocks in at pace. “Ascendancy” pierces the veil with a rowdy, driving rhythm and eager guitar passages. “Burning Portrait” mixes the pace a little, and then “Twelve Infernal Lords” ratchets up the drama and mystery, recalling often returned-to themes. I could say that some of the music is reminiscent of this or that band but of course it is the other way around, isn’t it – Satan is an original.

There are some quiet passages, but they are mood-setting and don’t last long. For example, “Mercury’s Shadow” has a soft opening but in less than a minute the metal takes a swing on this reflective instrumental track. For that matter, “A Sorrow Unspent” has an airy casualness when it begins but soon turns toward a swirling attack of unhesitating, pulsing guitars.

Side Two has just as much innovation and transforming musicality as the first half. “Poison Elegy” is a good example, and one of my favorites from the entire set. It has drama, tempo changes, fantastic soaring vocals, and guitar work that comes at you from every angle. Throughout the album, the pairing of guitars is unique and compelling, sometimes tag-teaming individual passages and at other times playing in unison. “Earth We Bequeath” has the final say on the record, and it seals the deal. This is another great Satan album. Recommended.

Earth Infernal is out on Friday, April 1st through Metal Blade Records. Check out the links below for vinyl variants and other versions.

Link.

Bandcamp, https://satanuk.bandcamp.com/album/earth-infernal

Satan website, https://www.satanmusic.com/

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

Metal Blade Records, https://metalblade.com/satan/

© Wayne Edwards.

Satan, Earth Infernal (Metal Blade 2022)

Legacy: A Tribute To Leslie West (Mascot 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Guitar legend Leslie West is remembered in Legacy: A Tribute To Leslie West.

Leslie West had a massive influence on heavy music – he was there when it started coming together. Best known for his time with the band Mountain, probably, and for the song “Mississippi Queen” that everybody recognizes, West had a magical way of making the strings do exactly what he wanted. The tone he produced and his touch are legendary – if you listen, you can hear the echoes rippling throughout the history of heavy music every since.

There are twelve tracks on the album, and a good selection it is. There are many songs from the Mountain’s Climbing! album, and a couple from West’s first solo record, plus a surprise or two. Here is the full track list with noted contemporary players for the tribute versions. “Blood of the Sun” (featuring Zakk Wylde), “Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin)” (featuring Joe Lynn Turner, Marty Friedman), “Theme for an Imaginary Western” (featuring Dee Snider, Eddie Ojeda, Rudy Sarzo, Mike Portnoy), “For Yasgur’s Farm” (featuring Joe Lynn Turner, Martin Barre), “Why Dontcha” (featuring Steve Morse, Ronnie Romero), “Sittin’ On a Rainbow” (featuring Elliot Easton, Ronnie Romero), “Never in My Life” (featuring Dee Snider, George Lynch), “The Doctor” (featuring Robby Krieger, Ronnie Romero), “Silver Paper” (featuring Charlie Starr), “Money (Whatcha Gonna Do)/By the River” (featuring Bachman and Bachman), “Long Red” (featuring Yngwie Malmsteen, Teddy Rondinelli), and “Mississippi Queen” (featuring Slash, Marc LaBelle).

I can listen to Leslie West’s music just about any time, so these songs are all good for me. From the opening track where Zakk Wylde puts his spin on the lead song on West’s Mountain to the set-closing rendition of the iconic song, “Mississippi Queen,” done Slash style, you can feel the strong roots beneath the new blooms. I was especially delighted to hear “Nantucket Sleigh Ride,” which I didn’t expect, and listening Yngwie Malmsteen on “Long Red” will change your life. Highly recommended.

Legacy: A Tribute To Leslie West is out now through Mascot Label Group. It is streaming all over, and there are physical versions to choose from at the link below.

Link.

Mascot Label Group, https://usa-store.mascotlabelgroup.com/collections/leslie-west

© Wayne Edwards.

Legacy: A Tribute To Leslie West (Mascot 2022)

Spiral Skies, Death Is But A Door (AOP Records 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , , ,

Radio-friendly heavy psych band Spiral Skies release their second album, Death Is But A Door.

Centered in Stockholm, Sweden , Spiral Skies is a band of mystery. They released an EP in 2015 called A Queendom To Come, and their debut full-length album, Blues For A Dying Planet (2018), attracted good notices. Their musical style is an amalgam of 1970s and 1980s European rock themes combined with a light version of heavy psych, perhaps designed to reach a broader audience than a heavy stoner vibe likely would. The band is Frida Eurenius (vocals), Dan Svanljung (guitar, key, didgeridoo), Jonas Lyander (guitar), Eric Sandberg (bass), and Daniel Bäckman (drums).

There are nine tracks on the album, starting with “The Endless Sea” which begins sweetly then turns toward the aggressively dramatic before you have a chance to get fully settled in. The shifting landscape in this composition signals what is to come. Not every song plays with this much variety, but a good deal of ground is covered throughout the set. “Into The Night,” for example, is a peppy, radio-friendly song, and a diversion from its predecessor. It reminds me a little of some of the music by Demon I used to listen to in the eighties, except more lyrical and, well, better.

“Time” is a track to look out for as it has nice lead guitar work. The closer, “Mirror Of Illusion,” is quiet and reflective, and it turned out to be a favorite of mine as well. The music is very listenable. Frida Eurenius’ voice is beautiful to hear, and the compositions are engaging and approachable. The guitar-driven light stoner vibe is just the ticket when you are in that place in your head. Recommended.

Death Is But A Door is out through AOP Records on Friday, March 25th. Links below.

Links.

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

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

AOP Records, http://www.aoprecords.de/

© Wayne Edwards. All rights reserved.

Spiral Skies, Death Is But A Door (AOP Records 2022)

Mortify, Fragments At The Edge Of Sorrow (Chaos Records 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Chilean death metal band Mortify release their second full-length album, Fragments At The Edge Of Sorrow.

If you type Mortify into the search bar at The Metal Archives you will get a list of twelve bands. You are looking for the one from Concepción, Chile. Formed in 2013, they have a demo, an EP, and a previous long-player, Mortuary Remains (2017), under their belts. The new album delivers on the notched-up expectations created by their previous work. The band is Alonso Villar (drums), Benjamín Araneda (guitar), Cristian Fuentes (guitar, vocals), and Diego Gonzalez (bass).

There are twelve tracks on the new record, including a couple of filaments. As a concept, “Beneath The Emptiness” has catastrophic implications, and so it is a good way to start off. Actualized as it is in Mortify’s song, the depth and reach of the possibilities are realized. The croaking vocals and syncopated percussion blend in seamlessly with the black magical guitar intertwists. It plays directly into the hands of the following track, “In The Amorphous Path,” which is pure villainy. The dark musical rapture here chokes the life from any tentative pulse that might have hitherto remained. Do not be fooled by the lyrical passages – there is no full and true escape.

Short pieces like “Fragments” can even tip you over. It seems serene but just past halfway through, something goes awry and you start to wonder what you are hearing – or more directly: what does what you’re hearing mean. You can think about it deeply or shallowly and you’ll get a punch either way. Just a different kind of one, depending.

There are many stand-out tracks even among the general excellence of the set. “Mindless” is an instrumental piece and it is also a stone cold killer. “Contaminated Echoes” is one I still think about, with its homages to earlier metal and its rambling roughness. You should put this album in your listening queue immediately. Recommended.

Fragments At The Edge Of Sorrow is out through Chaos Records on digital and CD on Friday, March 25th.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://chaos-records.bandcamp.com/album/fragments-at-the-edge-of-sorrow

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

Chaos Records, https://www.chaos-records.com/

© Wayne Edwards. All rights reserved.

Mortify, Fragments At The Edge Of Sorrow (Chaos Records 2022)

As The World Dies, Agonist (Transcending Obscurity 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

UK death metallers release their debut album, Agonist.

As The World Dies came together very recently, formed by members of the bands Memoriam and Pemphigoid. They play a brand of heavy metal that will smash you senseless with its integration of classic elements and contemporaneous existentialism. This new album is riveting. The musicians are Jay Price (vocals), Ash Cotterill (guitars, vocals), Bill Richmond (bass), Chris McGrath (drums), and Scott Fairfax (guitar).

“Annulment” cracks the egg with a splendid swelling approach that warms the engines for the first full-on assault. Second is “Desolate,” and it is a paint peeler that strips your selfness away. The death metal cataclysm pulls back now and then to give you a minute to assess the damage but not long enough to really do anything about it. I don’t know if “Dawn Of Terror” is meant to strike fear in your heart with its opening bars, but it certainly is ominous. The vocals are similar to the previous track but – you can hear the similarity – somehow here they are eerier.

“Red Death” allows an understanding wall of doom explain to you from the start what the situation is going. Melodic in a way, it is also as heavy as the boulders of the Titans and it works an effective tempo shift into the set. Bringing forth “The Tempest” at this juncture is the perfect selection because the groundwork has been laid for fear and drama. This one could be my favorite track, but it does have strong competition.

With this record, you never can fully anticipate what will be next. You get into a place where you are ready for it based on the music you have already heard, but each new track has a critical menace you didn’t know you would hear. The bitter end is the band’s namesake, “As The World Dies.” If you are going to name a song after yourself, you need to step it up a notch. Think about the bands that have done that successfully – it is a harrowing list. This time it definitely works. The growling vocals and crushing guitars on display here will easily stand the test of time.

The debut album from As The World Dies is an exceptional introduction for a band with a promising future. It is death metal with a doom influence and a confident, steady attitude. This album is an early 2022 winner. Highly recommended.

Agonist appears on Friday, March 25th from Transcending Obscurity Records. Check out the label’s US store website or Bandcamp at the links below to see all the variants and merch available.

Links.

As The World Dies website, https://www.astheworlddies.co.uk/

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

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

Transcending Obscurity Records, https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/

© Wayne Edwards. All rights reserved.

As The World Dies, Agonist (Transcending Obscurity 2022)

Astral Tomb, Soulgazer (Blood Harvest 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

The first full-length album from Astral Tomb hits the streets this week, Soulgazer.

Formed in Denver, Colorado just a couple of years ago, Astral Tomb have released a demo, a split, and an EP leading up to their current full-length record, Soulgazer. Their music is a celestial (meaning astronomical) brand of death metal, taken to a higher level on the new album. Of course, you might have guessed that from the name of the band. The musicians are Adrian McClair (guitar), Michael Schrock (guitar and vocals), and Zach Johnson (drums).

The album starts big with the thirteen-minute supernova that is “Transcendental Visions.” Given this much room to work, you have to expect some exploration. The band has said that the album “is a narrative of inner awakening. It is the product of over a year of arduous personal journeys, and collective experience.” This one track, which accounts for about one third the music in the entire set, covers the described ground with trippy aplomb. The death metal is heavy and solid, making the well-oiled alternations and additions ideally infectious. There is certainly an otherworldly feeling in this music, but it turns out to be only a prelude to the weirdness that is the very next track, “Be Here Now…” The warbling confusion is a headbender, and then some. I am not sure what to make of it.

“Inertia” brings us back to more earthly death metal of the ravaging, granite crunching variety. Now again, extraterrestrial (or possibly intraterrestrial) weapons are deployed and tip you ass-over-teakettle into a weirdness heretofore only imagined. Listening, my knuckles going white, I began to wonder if escape velocity could be achieved within the limits of my own experience. And then, unbeknownst to me initially, a groovy cool-down ensued that made me wonder what I was so upset about.

“Traversing The Wandering Star” begins darkly, cold as deep space. The destination, however, is the splintering, molten pits of hell. The final track is “Ascending A Pillar Of Light” and it offers no respite – it is as big and wicked and strange as the rest. I don’t know what I expected from this album, but I heard something I could never have anticipated. This one is wild. Hearing it left me with elevated medical readings. Recommended.

Soulgazer drops on Friday, March 25th through Blood Harvest Records in digital, CD, vinyl, and cassette – the vinyl coming a little later because of the continuing pressing issues.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/soulgazer

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063825054335

Blood Harvest, https://shop.bloodharvest.se/

© Wayne Edwards. All rights reserved.

Astral Tomb, Soulgazer (Blood Harvest 2022)

Stricken, From A Well Of Emptiness, A Stygian Serpent Born (HPGD 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Heavy doomers Stricken shake the Seattle mist off to throw out a new long-player, From A Well Of Emptiness, A Stygian Serpent Born.

Stricken materialized in the Pacific Northwest around 2017, releasing a three-song demo the following year. Sometimes described as blackened doom metal, their music sounds more like a death metal / doom metal crossover to me – but what’s in a title anyway? The songs are heavy and grim in the best possible way. The Metal Archives tells us the musicians are Rob Ropkins (bass and vocals), Chris Wozniak (drums), and Nick Charlton (guitar).

Over the course of seven big tracks, Stricken puts suffering, misery, and hopelessness to music. To wit, the aptly titled opener “Consuming Misery” is an avalanche of mourning. Surprisingly peppy percussion channels the heavy riffs into a primordial swirl. “Divine Appointment” follows with shuddering drama. Ropkins’ vocals are strong, and project a soaring quality. You have to admire the consistency and enthusiasm of the pummeling rhythm.

“Sacrifice” is the heaviest song of the first side, and that gives it an elevated position in my mind. I can’t get enough doom, and this one lays down three strong merciless minutes of it then picks up the pace a bit and steamrolls on.

Every track has something particularly notable about it from the great buried hook in “Eon” to echoing tragedy of “Dishonored In Death” to penetrating inevitability of “Sudden Fall.” The closer is the epic “Beyond The Void,” hoisting metal heavy enough to smother any remaining resistance from you. This new Stricken album needs to be in heavy rotation. Recommended.

From A Well Of Emptiness, A Stygian Serpent Born is out on Friday, March 25th through Horror Pain Gore Death Productions on digital and limited-run CD. You can also grab a shirt if the spirit moves you.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/from-a-well-of-emptiness-a-stygian-serpent-born

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/stricken.seattle

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

© Wayne Edwards. All rights reserved.

Stricken, From A Well Of Emptiness, A Stygian Serpent Born (HPGD 2022)

Monolord and Firebreather at Black Circle Brewing, March 19, 2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , ,

Two bands from Gothenburg, Sweden rolled in to Indianapolis on Saturday night and laid down the doom.

Black Circle Brewing is a restaurant and bar in Indianapolis that attracts an impressive roster of heavy music acts throughout the year. On Saturday night, it was Monolord and Firebreather who took the stage. Both stoner / doom bands from Sweden are touring on new albums. The local opener was Ancient Days, and they have new music out, too.

Ancient Days is a five-piece doom outfit with a mysterious, bewitching vibe. I arrived at Black Circle just as they started to play, so I head their sonic emanations spilling out into the neighborhood as darkness was folding over the city. It was an amazing way for the show to begin. Check out their music at Bandcamp – their latest album is Sign of the Times.

Firebreather is playing every stop on the tour, and they have a titanic rumble about them. Their latest album is Dwell In The Fog, and once you hear it, you won’t be able to stop listening. The music is a rambling groove of rushing heavy, and their live performance is a nonstop push that probes your cerebellum and gets your head swinging.

Monolord is a band I have been following for years and years. Your Time To Shine is their latest album, and I have been on the bandwagon since Empress Rising. I don’t know how it is possible, but this is the first time I had ever seen them live. I have heard every song they have released and I’ve seen recordings of their performances, but being there is a whole different experience. That’s why we go to shows, right.

Black Circle Brewing is a small, intimate place. There is no pit, so you can stand right up by the stage, which rises only a couple feet so it feels like the band is in the same space you are. The show was sold out and the crowd was a solid sea of doom fans. We got everything we were looking for and more. Unsurprisingly, this performance made me want to see Monolord again even more, if that is possible. Then again, how could it go any other way? I know for sure I’ll catch them at Psycho Las Vegas at the end of the summer – get those tickets while you still can because that event is going to legendary.

Monolord and Firebreather have several more dates in March in Texas, Arizona, and southern California. Check out the tour poster below and see if they are coming your way.

All photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Monolord, https://monolord.bandcamp.com/

Firebreather, https://firebreatherdoom.bandcamp.com/

Ancient Days, https://ancientdays.bandcamp.com/

Black Circle Brewing, https://www.blackcirclebrewing.com/black-circle

© Wayne Edwards.

Monolord and Firebreather at Black Circle Brewing, March 19, 2022

Stone Axe, Stay Of Execution (Ripple Music 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Rock preservationists Stone Axe release a collection of rarities, Stay Of Execution.

Tony Reed started Stone Axe in 2007, a band that plays with a 1970s rock sensibility. A lot of music has been released under this moniker, including two full-length studio albums to go along with the EPs, splits, and live sets. I have listened to everything I can get my hands on that has come out from Stone Axe and I have never been disappointed.

The best description of the new album comes from Tony Reed himself. “Stay of Execution is an album of unreleased recordings and tracks we like that were hidden in the grooves of vinyl that was released in very limited numbers with little or no promotion. All songs were recorded between 2008 and 2011 and cover a wide spectrum of styles in that seventies vein we were known for. The musical concepts of proto-metal, southern rock, psychedelic rock, and folk rock are well-explored in this collection. Seven of the eight tracks on the album feature the usual studio collaboration of Reed / Brinkerhoff, while the last song includes all four members of the live band. I feel like these tracks are as strong as anything on our other long players. It’s great to see them finally get released.”

The first two songs released from the album are “Fell On Deaf Ears” and “Lady Switchblade.” The former is a fast-moving getaway with piercing guitars and the fluid vocal style fans appreciate so much. “Lady Switchblade” takes a softer approach, despite the theme and lyrics – “Lady, Lady Switchblade / I feel your steel on my jugular vein.” The slower pace does not take the edge off the guitars at all. In fact, rather like Thin Lizzy used to do so well, the slower song has a deeper emotional component and delivers a big impact in the end.

And of course there is lot more. “Sweet Sweet Time” is a bluesy, soulful piece of wonderment. “Metal Damage” is an energetic affair that puts me in mind of Gillan a little it, and that is a good thing. “King Of Everything” sets you straight on the way things are, and when you hear it you know it is right. Playing this album will make any day a better day. Highly recommended.

Stay Of Execution is out now through Ripple Music. Have a look at the possibilities – links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/stay-of-execution

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/people/STONE-AXE/100063740078934/

Ripple Music, https://www.ripple-music.com/

© Wayne Edwards. All rights reserved.

Stone Axe, Stay Of Execution (Ripple Music 2022)