Author: Wayne Edwards

Corpsessed, Skeletal Grotesquery (Krucyator 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Finland’s Corpsessed bring their live performance from Braincrusher in Hell Festival to the wide world: Skeletal Grotesquery.

Ask any diehard death metal fan about Corpsessed and you will get an earful. Formed in Finland in 2008, Corpsessed has released four full-length albums and a couple of EPs (plus a split with Solothus and Undergang that is really hard to find these days). The latest record, Succumb To Rot (2022), is one of their very best, and I think the band is performing at the highest level of their career now, fifteen years in. Corpsessed is N. Matilainen (vocals), M. Mäkelä (guitar, vocals), J. Lustig (guitar), T. Kulmala (bass, vocals), and J-P. Manner (drums).

Skeletal Grotesquery is a live recording from Corpsessed’s performance at Braincrusher in Hell Festival in Hirschaid, Germany, on November 25, 2022. Reportedly, there are no overduds on this set, which is amazing when you listen to it. The precision and execution is beyond impressive. The set list is “Succumb to Rot,” “Relentless Entropy,” “Death-Stench Effluvium,” “Spiritual Malevolence,” “Sortilege,” “Ravening Tides,” “Demoniacal Subjugation,” “Forlorn Burial,” and “Pneuma Akathartos.”

The recording starts out with some crowd noise so you can get the feel of a live performance, then plows right into “Succumb To Rot.” The music was captured directly from the soundboard, so the large presences as well as the nuances come through exceptionally well. There aren’t any issues with the sound to report at all. The crowd rumblings in between songs gives you the feeling you are in a club and they enhance the experience measurably. Live recordings do not always live up to our expectations because they frequently do not really sound the way the band sounds live. This one is done right and does make you feel like you were actually there when it all went down. Recommended.

Skeletal Grotesquery becomes real on May 29th through Krucyator Productions on digital and CD. Get yours at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://krucyator.bandcamp.com/album/skeletal-grotesquery

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

Krucyator Productions, https://krucyator.com/

FFMB review of Succumb To Rot, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/04/21/corpsessed-succumb-to-rot-dark-descent-2022/

© Wayne Edwards

Corpsessed, Skeletal Grotesquery (Krucyator 2023)

Tombstalker, Age Of Darkness (Boris 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Death metal thrashers Tombstalker are back with a new EP, Age Of Darkness.

From Lexington, Kentucky, Tombstalker came together in 2008. In the first couple years of their existence, the band dropped two demos and two splits (one with Glass Coffin and one with Dawn Of Wolves), working up to their self-titled EP in 2011. The full-length album Black Crusades hit the streets in 2015, and since then they have slowed down on the music publishing side. Fans are going be thrilled with the new EP, the band’s first new music in six years. There have been a few line-up shifts over the years, which is a regular thing for long-lived groups. The band is now Conqueror Horus (vocals, guitar), Defiler (bass), Gruftspüre (guitar), and Contagion (drums).

The four-song EP begins with “Astral Combat,” an avalanche of thrash with the powerful growling threat of death metal. It is an overwhelming musical attack. Toward the middle, the music heads along groove territory where you can catch your breath for a minute. The metal builds then to flurry, adding heavy riffs and savage snarling to finish. “Titan Warlord” blazes with just as much ferocity, putting a groove in as well, establishing a memorable precedent.

“Age of Darkness” runs at radio length and begins quietly with acoustic guitar. The sentiment is preserved throughout, finally fading into the distance. The finish is “Final Night,” a calamity of guitars roaring at a blistering pace. It is speeding metal with a nice glide, combining rough death metal with polished composition and production – a winning combination. Recommended.

Age Of Darkness is out on vinyl and cassette on May 29th through Boris Records, and on CD from Morbid Aggressor Productions. Bandcamp is a good place to start looking at your options (link below).

Links.

Bandcamp, https://borisrecords.bandcamp.com/album/age-of-darkness

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

Boris Records, https://boris-records.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Tombstalker, Age Of Darkness (Boris 2023)

Tumble, Lady Cadaver (2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Toronto hard psych trio Tumble give us the first glimpse of their music with Lady Cadaver.

Tumble got together just last year. The sponsor a retro hard rock sound with a psychedelic purpose. The band is Liam Deak (guitar, vocals), Tarun Dawar (bass), and Will Adams (drums).

This EP has two songs, a situation we used call a single in the old days of physical media. “Lady Cadaver” is the feature, and it comes out punching. It is a fuzzy delight. This is an up-tempo airplay single if I ever heard one. The bluesy stoner set-up is joined with Deak’s exemplary rock and roll voice to mingle in synchronicity. There is even a drum solo just past the middle. When is the last time you heard one of those in a studio recording? Purportedly about a bad trip, this one slaps.

The B-side is “The Plague” – the band says it is a “psychedelic heavy rock instrumental for your hip shakin’, head banging pleasure.” That’s what we can call truth in advertising. It is trippy and catchy, and it also rips. It is a wonderful showcase for guitar, and the rhythm section gets a workout, too. I can’t wait to hear more. Highly recommended.

Lady Cadaver is out now, far and wide. Listen in at your favorite streaming source, and find out more information about the music and the band through the links below.

Links.

Tumble website, https://www.tumbleband.com/

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

© Wayne Edwards

Tumble, Lady Cadaver (2023)

Photo Gallery: Shredders, Part 4

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kittie at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Buckcherry at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Cannibal Corpse at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Down at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Municipal Waste at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Buckcherry at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Halestorm at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Shadows Fall at Blue Ridge Rock Festival

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Shredders, Part 4

Photo Gallery: Bassists, Part 8

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Pop Evil at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Overkill at Piere’s
Nile at Piere’s
Integrity at Pure Filth Festival
Hath at the E Street Pub, Richmond, Indiana
Devil Be My Judge at Tennessee Metal Devastation
Black Anvil at The Vogue
Bad Wolves at Blue Ridge Rock Festival

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Bassists, Part 8

Inherus, Beholden (Hypnotic Dirge 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

New York state doom keepers Inherus debut their post-metal creation, Beholden.

The four-piece heavy music band Inherus is hard to describe with a single tag. I like doom so I would call them doom, but they aren’t doom in a traditional sense. There are progressive elements in the music, but I wouldn’t call them a prog band. I used the “post-metal” label in the slug line, but I am not even sure what that is. How about this: Inherus combine elements that, on paper, might not seem to go together very well, and yet they achieve amazing results that I haven’t heard before in any other place. The band is Anthony DiBlasi (bass, vocals), Beth Gladding (vocals, guitar, synth, mandolin), Brian Harrigan (vocals, guitar, synth), and Andrew Vogt (drums).

“Forgotten Kingdom” starts with a shout and a pounding, and we’re off on this six-song set. Chunky guitar riffing and gruff, menacing vocals work their way around obstacles on the way to you. All the songs on this album are long (except one), so they all have multiple movements and tempo changes. The first slow down offers quiet, clear vocals as a beautiful but perhaps deadly respite. And then the music slowly builds back to its origin level. “One More Fire” starts out in the gentle posture, and overall has a sort of long ballad feel to it, with very little singing, comparatively. “The Dagger” paces itself, striding cautiously at first. The music is mysterious, both in its loud and quiet forms. There is dark magic here, and perhaps beasts lurking in the night and in the depths.

Side two gives us “Oh Brother” and some of the harshest constructions on the album. The middle third is extirpating. “Obliterated in the Face of Gods” is a two-minute song, the odd one out. It is primarily created sounds that set up the last gasp, “Lie to the Angels.” The jump this time is surprisingly chipper, although it does not stay that way for long. There is a kind of prog sense toying with this composition, trying to make headway among the harsh, aggressive voice and the clear, spellcasting singing. It is a heady deployment. This music will stay in your head for a long time after you walk away. Recommended.

Beholden greets the wide world on Friday, May 26th through Hypnotic Dirge Records. Have a look at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/beholden

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

Hypnotic Dirge Records, https://www.hypnoticdirgerecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Inherus, Beholden (Hypnotic Dirge 2023)

Ockra, Gratitude (Argonauta 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Gothenburg doom folk band Ockra release their debut album, Gratitude.

Ockra formed in Sweden in 2018 and is comprised of members of the stoner doom band Sulphur Dreams. The three wanted to stretch out a bit and explore related musical realms. The music they create floats between heavy and quiet, stoner and folk, pop and perhaps soft jazz. It is an interesting and uncommon combination. The band is Jonas Nyström (drums, percussion, mellotron), Erik Björnlinger (guitar), and Alex Spielhaupter (vocals, bass, mellotron).

“Introspection” is a song that is perfectly titled, and a nice way to ease into the seven-track set. It is short, quiet, and has a steady build toward “Weightless Again.” This guitar-driven song does indeed have a nostalgic tone to it in the rock beginning. The passage that enters next conjures a drifting sense of solitude and peacefulness. The quiet vocals are reassuring, but not because of what they are saying so much as for the way the singing feels in your ears. Toward the end, the framing returns to its initial state, making a big exit. “Tree I Planted” comes next, rolling in on a welcoming bass line. This one leans more in the folk direction, picking up toward the end. “Acceptance” is the heaviest so far, opening with a stern guitar riff and a serious, if not menacing, stance. The early lead guitar break is a sign of things to come. There is a mild-mannered moment but the song finishes heavy and it is a fine way to end side one.

The back triplet begins with “We, Who Didn’t Know,” an extremely quiet piece for half its duration, sounding then like music being played in a distant meadow. The second half is electric and resounding, filled with a depth of production. “Imorgon Här” is a lament, in my ears at least, told at a slow pace and with some trepidation. The final song is “Tage Wie Dieser,” set up in the by-now-familiar format of quiet and slow leading to more active, aggressive music. While there is some structural similarity to these songs, they do not really sound that much alike. Each has its own being, intent, and narrative. If you are in a reflective mood, this album will be most welcome. Recommended.

Gratitude is out on Friday, May 26th through Argonauta Records. You can get more information at the links below.

Links.

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

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

Argonauta Records, https://www.argonautarecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Ockra, Gratitude (Argonauta 2023)

Loose Sutures, Sado Sex For Dummies (Electric Valley 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Sardinian stoner rockers Loose Sutures give us a guide to the sado world on their third album, Sado Sex For Dummies.

In only four years, Loose Sutures have cracked out three albums. That’s pretty ambitious for stoner rock. Downshifting to a trio, the band is now Antonio Pilo (guitar, vocals), Marcello Meridda (bass, percussion), and Marco Angius (drums, vocals).

“Highway Shooter” is a rambler, and a great way to start off the eight-track set. I feel like I am driving down the road just listening to this. The vocals have a pronounced echo to them, and the guitars are fuzzy and firing. And there is a tasty lead break toward the end. What more could you want? “Another Hell” is a little more stood-up and direct. It has an excellent reflective solo in the second half. “Sadism and Gallows” has a haunted feel to it, while “White Line” starts out at speed (which I expected, given the title), then turns slow and trippy, which I did not see coming. A wild rage does come back, and it kicks.

“Kinky Katy” is on the edge of side two, and it is unsettling. The sideways and sawing riffs make you think something bad is about to go down – or maybe it already did. “He’s My Friend” has a very punk execution that is a fantastic diversion this late in the set. “Cowbell From Hell” is a short bit that goes Amboy Dukes on us, which counts as another surprise. The end is “Black Star Flashing,” a song that is very involved with itself. It is the kind of thing I would nod my head to, and along with, at the conclusion of a sixpack. Great stuff. If you like stoner rock at all then you will get into this. Recommended.

Sado Sex For Dummies is out on Friday, May 26th through Electric Valley Records on digital and vinyl. Look to the links below for the available varieties.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://loosesutures.bandcamp.com/album/sado-sex-for-dummies-3

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

Electric Valley Records, https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Loose Sutures, Sado Sex For Dummies (Electric Valley 2023)

Vexing, Grand Reproach (Ordovician 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Denver sludge trio Vexing launch their debut full-length album, Grand Reproach.

Vexing is a sludge and death metal band with progressive tendencies and the regular scent of doom. In 2020 they put out an EP, Cradle, and before that was a demo that presaged the new album with early versions of some of the songs we find on Grand Reproach. I like the rough and ready feeling of the music that clearly is well thought-out and carefully prepared. The band is Clayton Whitelaw (bass, vocals), Garrett Jones (guitar, vocals), and Jeff Malpezzi (drums).

There are eight songs on the new record, starting with “The Mold.” We get half a minute of crackling and noise before the guitars kick in, and the growling huff of vocals. It’s like a back-alley bar fight. “Vanquishing Light” originates in the distance, a faint sound growing louder, bringing with it those menacing guitars. This song is longer than the opener, allowing for a middle section of spacy otherness, and a grand exit. With “The Invisible Hand,” the tempo slows and the mystery grows. The unseen world has just as much aggression as the visible. “Shallow Breath” is a raft adrift on a body of water of unknown size. There is confusion and desperation that leads to lashing out. Ultimately some resolution is found, and, while it might not be a panacea, the waters calm until, near the end, a leak is discovered in the raft.

On the flip we get “Howling,” as in wind, and the sounds of distant space. “Blunderbuss” corrupts the solitude with suggestions of evil deeds, and then the actual deeds themselves. The longest track is next, “Small Black Flame,” edging toward the ten-minute mark. I like this one as a standard-bearing piece because it has all the elements we have been hearing and digging on so far, laid out with both patience and ferocity. It is my favorite track on the album. The set closes on “Red Skies,” a somber reminiscence that will bring different emotions to different people. This is sludgy death metal grown with deeper roots than you usually hear. Recommended.

Grand Reproach is out on Friday, May 26th through Ordovician Records. Bandcamp is the quick get – touch the link below.

Links.

Vexing website, https://vexing.net/

Bandcamp, https://vexing.bandcamp.com/album/grand-reproach

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

© Wayne Edwards

Vexing, Grand Reproach (Ordovician 2023)

Ara Solis, Ashvattha (Iron Bonehead 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

The debut album from occult black metallists Ara Solis is filled with noise and suffering, Ashvattha.

The origins of the band are a bit murky. As they tell it, “The beginnings of Ara Solis are difficult to trace and are often elusive, since the band was formed from the ashes of other black metal bands and solo projects. The oldest piece of recording is a rehearsal with different members to the current lineup dating from 2015 that never was spread. It is not until 2020 that the lineup becomes stable.” No mention of who is in the lineup, however, except the intimation that they might be a duo (although the band photo would seem to refute that notion).

What’s the album about. Here again, I will rely on published sources. “An altar of golden sacrifice mightily arises ashore the tempestuous waters of Finis Terrae. At the sylvan realms of frost, the holy gate of light and darkness appears erected stone by stone to safeguard the transdimensional portal of heroic resurrection. The Garden of the Hesperides grows around. The ancient tree of life and death [Ashvattha, Yggdrasil] pours the sap of eternity in the ritual copulation of oxygenic and anoxygenic photophosphorylation. Mortals bow their heads toward the arch of heavens. The sword of the warrior reflects the light of the midday amidst the eternal dust of warfare. The moon reflects the light of the sun at night, lightening the hidden paths of the forests beyond reincarnation. War is the Essence. Living souls are reaped where the Phoenix is reborn.” That is a lot to cover in a single album.

There are three tracks on the record. “Tromo Negro do Firmamento” has an ambient beginning, a single note that eventually starts to warble then fades out. Silence. A solitary electric guitar appears, crisp and crackling, then noise loads the frame and sour movement takes over. A shrieking voice can be heard. These elements come and go, then abruptly stop. “Ara Solis” is unrelenting, longer, and similarly styled. There is more and louder screaming on this track, and it is disturbing, especially when paired with a solitary guitar. Yikes. It does have a long cooldown, so you have time to mop your brow.

The anchor piece is the seventeen-minute “Ashvattha: The Tree of Life and Death.” In some ways, this track is a bit like a combination of the first two. I got into the guitar parts more in this third piece, and I am attracted to the ambition of its magnitude. The final few minutes are quietly moving. This album is not for everybody, but if you like noise and black metal and experimentation, this one might be for you.

Ashvattha is out on Friday, May 19th through Iron Bonehead Productions in digital, with a CD coming from Zazen Sounds. Try the links below for more information on the releases.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://zazensoundspublishings.bandcamp.com/album/zzs-104-ara-solis-ashvattha-digi-format-sold-out-available-in-high-quality-digital-download

Iron Bonehead Productions, https://ironbonehead.de/

© Wayne Edwards

Ara Solis, Ashvattha (Iron Bonehead 2023)