Suicide Silence, Remember … You Must Die (Century Media 2023)

March 8, 2023February 28, 2023 Wayne EdwardsCalifornia, Century Media Records, Death Metal, Deathcore, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Suicide Silence

California deathcore band Suicide Silence throw down another raging album with Remember … You Must Die.

Suicide Silence was formed twenty years ago by musicians who were working at the time in other bands. One of the early deathcore acts, Suicide Silence had a big impact on the heavy music scene, releasing several critical albums. After some controversy over the direction of their self-titled album in 2017, the band hit back with Become The Hunter three years later, and now the new record rings with solid echoes of their earlier work. The band is Chris Garza (guitar), Mark Heylmun (guitar), Hernan “Eddie” Hermida (vocals), Ernie Iniguez (drums), and Dan Kenny (bass).

There is an intro piece, “Remember…,” and eleven songs after that on the new album. “You Must Die” starts things off with a savage kick to the knees. Hurricane percussion and shrieking, screeching, croaking vocals exist in a syncopated blizzard of rhythm and riff. That is your wakeup call. “Capable of Violence (N.F.W.)” cranks up the brutality and weakens your lifeline. The first lead guitar work bleeds in and wails out. “Fucked For Life” is a chugging street anthem that gets you stomping along then throws you in the wood chipper. The moderated riff returns but now you know not to trust it – some crazy crooked change could happen at any second. Defying precedent, a melodic and lyrical episode ensues, then swells, then explodes.

Other stand-out tracks for me are “God Be Damned,” a song which functions at an apparent pace that exceeds its actual speed. “Endless Dark” is mined in that same vein. The closer, “Full Void,” is a journey that begins with a mystical energy then devolves into a dark spell gone wrong and finishes with an extremely creepy outro. Beautiful. This album is caustic. It roughs you up, grates against you, and takes what it likes. Recommended.

Remember … You Must Die hits the streets on Friday, March 10^th through Century Media Records. It is available everywhere, and good descriptions of the extant physical variants can be found at the label’s store (link below).

Links.

Suicide Silence store, https://suicidesilence.store/

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

Century Media Records, https://centurymedia.store/search/?storeId=4987&includeArtistSearch=true&searchTerm=suicide+silence

Owl, Geomancy (Lummox 2023)

February 14, 2023February 8, 2023 Wayne EdwardsCalifornia, Geomancy, Heavy Metal, Lummox Records, Oakland, Owl, Prog Metal

California elementalists Owl make a bold return with their third album, Geomancy.

Owl coalesced into being around Oakland, California in the year 2007. Their music is immediately recognizable for its inventive connectiveness. You could call it prog metal, or you might place it in the stoner and heavy psych pods. Whatever the category, it is the engagement that will get you. Their first album came out in 2012, Owl, followed two years later by Screech. Since then, things have been relatively quiet on the recording front until now. The band is Axell Baechle (guitar, vocals, piano), Alexander Baechle (guitar, vocals), Clint Baechle (drums), and Jamie Sanitate (bass).

The album begins with the chaotic “Awaken The Mountain.” It is difficult to know which end is up on this song. In that way, there is a kind of Mothers of Invention calamity going on where the listener rides along the edge of a starburst, catching different elements as they sail by. “Runes” is more straight forward. There is a nice arcane sense to the riffs, and the heavy presence of the bass is a reassuring delight. The vocals are soulful here, luxurious. It is metalled-up rock with a theatrical twist. “Pyramid Builder” quiets things down, shifting into a rural tempo with a little folk witching to stitch it all together. The prog appears clearly first with “Minion Of The Amethyst Cave,” to my ears. If that is what you were waiting for, here it is. It was my favorite track to this point in the album, with its solid and earnest construction. I listened on.

Geomancy is odder than I expected it to be. While I generally do not like surprises, I was pleased to find it this way. There are so many paths to walk along here that you cannot get bored. I am a huge fan of long form structures like the ten-minute “A King For Every Mountain,” and its even longer kin, “Shadow Of Ehe Catl.” There is so much to experience in these dedicated pieces that you cannot get it all in one listening. The top prize, though, goes to “Jupiterean Ocean,” which is an intoxicating elixir from its first notes. The instrumentation is precise and crisp and, with no narrative distraction, the music goes straight to your brain. Whatever you might know about Owl, everything or nothing, the new album will shake you up. Recommended.

Geomancy is out on Friday, February 17^th through Lummox Records. It can be had at the links below.

Links.

Owl website, http://www.owlbrotherhood.net/

Bandcamp, https://owlbrotherhood.bandcamp.com/album/geomancy

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

Lummox Records, https://lummoxrecords.bandcamp.com/

Blackwülf, Thieves And Liars (Ripple 2023)

February 8, 2023February 3, 2023 Wayne EdwardsBlackwulf, California, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Oakland, Ripple Music, Stoner Metal, Thieves and Liars

Blackwülf is starting off their second decade with a killer album, Thieves And Liars.

Heavy stoner band Blackwülf began in 2012 in Oakland, California. Dedicated to massive riffs and with an on-going nod to the past, they released their first record in 2014, Mind Traveler. Two more followed as the years passed and the reputation of the band grew ever stronger. It has been five years since the last one so fans are chomping at the bit for Thieves And Liars. The band is Scott Peterson (bass), Dave Pankenier (drums), Pete Holmes (guitars), and Alex Cunningham (vocals).

“Shadow” has a nice dark sound, and it gets the set rolling right. There is something very recognizable about this music. In fits and starts. You think you have a bead on it – as in, oh I know where that comes from – and then the music shifts and it’s something else. There is a presence here of 1970s metal and of 1970s rock, coming together in synergy rather conflict. “Seems to Me” pushes the hoary spike in deeper, and in this expression the path trends a bit more linear. Glorious fuzz and a dream-weaving leads further the declarations of the period vocals to the place where knowing and unknowing become indistinguishable. And then we have “Killing Kind,” which is a spellcaster if ever one existed. The music tells you what it is going to do and does it without delay. It is a witching little wonder that branches out on the guitar now and again.

You can find nostalgia in this album, or you could take the new music as a contemporary instantiation. Or both, which is what I suggest. Look out for “Failed Resistance” especially if you want to lean into the former, and “Psychonaut / Edge of Light” for a moody and ornamental avenue of the latter. For the sheer kickass rock and roll of it all, listen to “Brother.” There is something here that touches on each of our favorite things. Recommended.

Thieves And Liars is out now through Ripple Music. Snap it up at the links below.

Links.

Blackwülf website, https://www.blackwulfusa.com/

Bandcamp, https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/thieves-and-liars

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

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

Mortuous, Upon Desolation (Carbonized 2022)

September 6, 2022August 29, 2022 Wayne EdwardsCalifornia, Carbonized records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Mortuous, San Jose, Tankcrimes, Upon Desolation

The mighty Mortuous lays waste to the world once more with Upon Desolation.

Mortuous is a death metal band from San Jose, California. Now in their thirteenth year, they have released a couple of demos and splits, and their intensely memorable first full-length album, Through Wilderness (2018), an record that still gets plenty of spins here at Shardik Media Headquarters. The unearthly devastation that their marauding death and doom metal proposes is unparalleled. I made a mental note that Mortuous is a must-see band before the end of the first song of theirs I ever heard. I’m a fan. The band is Colin Tarvin (guitar, vocals), Michael Beams (guitar, vocals, piano), Clint Roach (bass), and Chad Gailey (drums).

There are eight tracks on the new album beginning with “Carve.” Relentless pounding is initiated with the first note and continues at speed. There is step back for a few bars now and then, but that does not diminish the power of the musical stance. “Nothing” comes next and it squeezes you hard enough to make your eyes water. The blast beats are monumental and the riffs are titanic. There is an eerie and beautiful middle doom section with a melancholy violin signaling no hope is to be had. “Metamorphosis” opens on a slow tempo while “Days Of Grey” is all about a quick start. Here endeth side one.

The back four are every bit as monstrous as the front half. “Defiled By Fire” continues the combination of death and doom with a sweetly murderous section that shines a dark light on the heavier movements. “Burning Still…” wags an impossible lead guitar splash and “Ash And Dismay” has a fantastic clomping set-up. The final word is “Graveyard Rain” and it washes your brain in fetid blood, leaving no doubt that Mortuous is one of the very best heavy bands out there. Highly recommended.

Upon Desolation is out on Friday, September 16^th through Carbonized Records. Tankcrimes has a special limited edition vinyl edition as well. Explore through the links below.

Band photo by Chris Johnston.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://mortuousdeath.bandcamp.com/album/upon-desolation

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

Carbonized Records, https://carbonizedrecords.com/

Tankcrimes, https://tankcrimes.merchtable.com/distributed-music/vinyl/mortuous-upon-desolation-vinyl-lp/

Birth, Born (Metal Blade Records 2022)

July 14, 2022July 7, 2022 Wayne EdwardsBad Omen Records, Birth, Born, California, Metal Blade Records, Prog Rock, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, San Diego, Stoner Rock

San Diego prog rock band Birth issue their debut full-length album, Born.

Birth emanated from the band Astra, the latter having released an impressive set of albums, including The Weirding (2009) and The Black Chord (2012). They play progressive rock in a style that might remind you of King Crimson at times, or the deeper moments of Yes. Jazz inlays and ethereal engagements combine with celestial pulses and expeditions featuring ever-present key work and mesmerizing guitars. The band is Conor Riley (keys, acoustic guitar, vocals), Brian Ellis (guitar, keys), Trevor Mast (bass), and Thomas DiBenedetto (drums).

There are six tracks on the new album, beginning with the title song. O man, what a way to kick things off. It is a psychedelic flashback that could be a combination of ELP and Yes with more cosmic energy infused into monumental conceptions of Earth. Illustrious keys and vibrant guitar enterprises give way to thoughtful, languid explorations. It was difficult to resist simply hitting repeat over and over on the first song. “Descending Us” comes next with a more serious-sounding set-up. The vocals transform from bard to soothsayer as the song goes along, and the guitar is a constant reminder of flux, creation and destruction.

Throughout the album, we experience this manner of journey and description at every turn. We are invited, really, to consider what is happening around us at the terrestrial level as well as the celestial one, and all spaces in between. “Cosmic Tears” is perhaps my favorite song on the album as it, for me, showcases best the way in which a paradigm can be constructed – it imagines the edges of understanding then peers within them and beyond. The writing and performance are exceptional. Highly recommended.

Born is out from Bad Omen Records and Metal Blade Records on Friday, July 15^th. This is one to mark on the calendar.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://birthprog.bandcamp.com/album/born

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Birth.prog

Bad Omen Records, http://www.bad-omen-records.com/

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

Photo Gallery: Warbringer at The Vogue, Indianapolis, June 6th 2022

June 11, 2022June 9, 2022 Wayne EdwardsCalifornia, Heavy Metal, Live Metal, Live Music, Napalm Records, Thrash Metal, Warbringer

Warbringer is touring with Max & Iggor Cavalera. These photos are from their appearance in Indianapolis at The Vogue. Hit the link below for the full review and photos of the other bands.

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Full FFMB review, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/06/12/max-iggor-cavalera-warbringer-and-healing-magic-at-the-vogue-indianapolis-june-6th-2022/

Warbringer, https://warbringer.bandcamp.com/

The Vogue, https://thevogue.com/calendar/

Insineratehymn, Disembodied (Blood Harvest 2022)

February 28, 2022February 24, 2022 Wayne EdwardsBlood Harvest Records, California, Death Metal, Disembodied, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Insineratehymn, Los Angeles, Rotted Life

Los Angeles death metal band Insineratehymn put forth their second long-player, Disembodied.

The history of the early days of Insineratehymn is a bit murky. In the past few years, they have put together two albums. The first was 2018’s A Moment In A Vision, which was quite well received. The new album shows some refinements in composition and execution without extinguishing the original dark spark. The Metal Archives reports the band members to be Miguel Martinez (bass), Abraham Garcia (drums), Demitree Rivera (guitar), Frank Montero (guitar, vocals), and Nico Poblete (bass).

The opening track of Disembodied, “Perpetual Anguish,” has beautiful instrumentation and very creepy voices and vocals. It puts you in the right mood. “Visceral Ignominy” throws the first lump of meat on the floor with pummeling rhythm and slicing guitar. The singing is a cross between is deep growl and a foul croak. The music seems to be designed to press the breath right out of you. The lead guitar work emanates from the pitch-black netherworld, promoting an unseen, surely sinister, agenda.

This is fundamental death metal, pumping in a 90s vein and traipsing the unhallowed earth with unfettered disregard for order. “Proliferation Of The Deceased” has an exceptional doom vibe while following along the defined agenda of set-up, excursion, and delivery. In a similar stance of divergence and coordination, “Immolated Ascension” marches off in the direction of chaos in order to hold a black mirror up to new delights. My favorite song is “Bitter Loss” as it maintains the essential facets of the declared musical paradigm and excels in the individual pieces, especially the vocals. This album is a dark delight. Recommended.

Disembodied is out now. Blood Harvest Records and Rotted Life conspire to bring CD, digital, vinyl, and cassette formats to life for the choosing. Investigate the possibilities at the links below.

Links.

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

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

Blood Harvest Records, http://www.bloodharvest.se/

The Last Of Lucy, Moksha (Transcending Obscurity 2022)

February 16, 2022February 10, 2022 Wayne EdwardsBlack Metal, California, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Huntington Beach, Moksha, Technical Death Metal, The Last Of Lucy, Transcending Obscurity Records

California Death Metal band The Last Of Lucy focus on the core of their music with the new album, Moksha.

The Last Of Lucy has been around for about fifteen years. Centered in Southern California, the band first released two EPs, Euphoric Obsession in 2010 and Exalted Compositions in 2014. Ashvattha came out in 2017, and it was the band’s inaugural full-length record. The earliest music the band produced is reported as mathcore, and more recently it is said to have transitioned toward technical death metal. On Moksha, the sound is even more stripped down and raw, showing off the fundamental inclinations of The Last Of Lucy. The musicians are Josh De La Sol (vocals), Brandon Ian Millan (drums), Gad Gidon (guitar, bass), and Christian Mansfield (guitar).

There are ten songs on the new album, and they are generally on the short side, notably briefer than you often see in death metal music – half the tracks are less than three minutes long. The brevity does not diminish the impact of the music and might even make it more powerful.

The title track gets things started with an excess of the raging aggression of merciless technical death metal in the instantiation of attacking guitar, vocals, and rhythm. The respite in “Agni” lasts mere seconds, and the dual vocals are back with growls and hisses; the guitars stab again. Mild intros and outros become regular throughout the set, bookending sinister emanations.

This music gets all over you fast, and you just have to let it rampage because there is no real respite. “Covenant” had particular resonance with me and I played that track several times. “Parasomnia,” too – but it was the oppressive heaviness of it that appealed to me so much more than the technical acumen. Whatever aspect you might fixate on, you cannot miss the excellence of this metal. Recommended.

Moksha is out on Friday, February 18^th through Transcending Obscurity Records.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://thelastoflucyband.bandcamp.com/album/moksha-technical-death-metal

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

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

Korn, Requiem (Loma Vista 2022)

February 7, 2022February 7, 2022 Wayne EdwardsAlt Metal, Bakersfield, California, Heavy Metal, Korn, Loma Vista Recordings, Nu Metal, Requiem

The indefatigable Korn are back with their fourteenth studio album, Requiem.

One of the most important Nu Metal bands that ever was, Korn formed in the early nineties in Bakersfield, California. For me, it was Follow The Leader (1998) that sunk the hook in to a permanent place. Since then, I have had an ear up for Korn more than any other band in this lane. The live shows are always fantastic, and the new album is a solid axe-swinger that fans are going to gobble up. The band is Jonathan Davis (vocals), James Shaffer (guitar), Brian Welch (guitar), Reginald Arvizu (bass), and Ray Luzier (drums).

The nine tracks on Requiem stomp the terra with refined authority. The melodic, lyrical passages carry the narrative along while the choruses bring us all together in collective moments of shared space. Every change in pace is an understood necessity. Each morsel is fashioned for the most prescient effect.

My favorites are “Disconnect” and the single “Start The Healing.” The latter is a savage prowler and the former has an undeniable resonance. I keep listening to these two over and over. There is something about Korn’s music that lands differently to me than similarly oriented bands. Their sound is unique while remaining in a particular sound zone, and there is an earnestness you just don’t hear in other bands. When Korn a song is about something painful, it sounds like they feel it whereas a different band attempting the same would just sound like they were complaining. The difference matters.

There are other stand-out songs as well. The heaviness of “Hopeless And Beaten” should not be overlooked. “My Confession” is an absolute cataclysm and the closer, “Worst Is On Its Way,” holds no shields against its descriptions and predictions. The album is succinct, reflective, and powerful. It is an important addition to the history of the band. Recommended.

Out now through Loma Vista, Requiem is yours for the taking. It is yet another excellent album from Korn.

Live photo by Wayne Edwards, Aftershock 2019.

Links.

Korn website, https://kornofficial.com/

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

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

Loma Vista, https://bodega.lomavistarecordings.com/collections/korn

Suicidal Tendencies, Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Danville, Virginia, September 11, 2021

December 10, 2021April 14, 2022 Wayne EdwardsBlue Ridge Rock Festival, California, Heavy Metal, Live Music, Music Festivals, Music Photography, Punk, Suicidal Tendencies

Mike Muir brought along a couple of new musicians for the set in Danville – see if you can spot them. It is always great to hear a little metal and punk smashed together.

All photos by Wayne Edwards.