Gatekeeper, From Western Shores (Cruz Del Sur 2023)

March 20, 2023March 10, 2023 Wayne EdwardsBritish Columbia, Canada, Cruz Del Sur Music, Epic Metal, Gatekeeper, Heavy Metal, Melodic Metal, Traditional Metal

Canadian epic metal band Gatekeeper bring forth the wonder once again on From Western Shores.

Guitarist Jeff Black started Gatekeeper as a solo project in 2009. Steeped in the quality of life that western Canada provides, Black set to work on epic melodic metal compositions, turning out over the years many EPs and splits, along with the full-length album East Of Sun in 2018. The band roster has changed considerably as time passed, and for the new album, Jeff Black is joined by Tyler Anderson (vocals), Adam Bergen (guitar, choir), David Messier (bass, choir), and Thomas Torma (drums).

“From Western Shores” sounds like the beginning of something big. The composition is dramatic and seasoned with exotic tinges. Soaring vocals and razor-sharp execution is the mainstay, gearing up for a journey told in music. “Death On Black Wings” is the first confrontation with violence and the energy and tone is appropriately adjusted. You can hear it in the vocals and the expressive lead guitar lines that sound like battles themselves. “Shadow And Stone” is quieter and reflective, pushing in the folk metal direction and passing by the valley of the power ballad. “Exiled King” is somber and sad in its sound and intimations. It is reflective, as we might expect given the title. The music becomes more forceful as the song progresses, suggesting the possibility of resolution.

The second half opens on “Nomads.” The beginning riff is enticingly stabby, tempered by the rollick in the rhythm section. The windswept middle of the song is a mysterious entanglement. “Twisted Towers” is positively peppy, almost a radio tune. Presumably, this song is the direct inspiration for the cover painting (or vice versa). There are some nice, gritty rock passages tucked away in here. “Desert Winds” reëstablishes a serious musical posture leading into the epic closer and namesource, “Keepers Of The Gate.” The metal here is larger than life, as it is meant to be. There is a long and satisfying cooldown so you can put what you have just experienced into perspective. Well done all around. Recommended.

From Western Shores finds broad release on Friday, March 24^th through Cruz Del Sur Music. You can get the physicals at the links below.

Band photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://gatekeeper.bandcamp.com/album/from-western-shores

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

Cruz Del Sur Music, https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/

Photo Gallery: Singers, Part 2

March 19, 2023March 9, 2023 Wayne EdwardsAncient Days, Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Black Circle Brewing, Black Metal, Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Cannibal Corpse, Dark Funeral, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Heartsick, Heavy Metal, King Diamond, Live Music, Mercyful Fate, Michigan Metal Fest, Muddy Roots Festival, Obituary, Old National Centre, Rivers of Nihil, The Casualties, The Vogue Theatre

**Obituary, Andrew J Brady Music Center, Cincinnati**

**Rivers of Nihil, Old National Centre, Indianapolis**

**Mercyful Fate, Andrew J Brady Music Center, Cincinnati**

**Ancient Days, Black Circle, Indianapolis**

**Dark Funeral, The Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis**

**Cannibal Corpse, Blue Ridge Rock Festival**

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Shredders, Part 1

March 18, 2023March 10, 2023 Wayne EdwardsAndrew J. Brady Music Center, Death Metal, Exodus, Gatecreeper, Goatwhore, Heavy Metal, Higher Ground, Kreator, Live Music, Michael Schenker Group, Municipal Waste, Old National Centre, Overkill, Piere's Entertainment Center, Pure Filth Festival, The Convalescence, Thrash Metal

**Gatecreeper at the Old National Centre, Indianapolis**

**Goatwhore, Higher Ground, Burlington**

**Kreator, Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati**

**Michael Schenker Group, Piere’s Fort Wayne, Indiana**

**Municipal Waste, Pure Filth Festival**

**Overkill, Piere’s, Fort Wayne, Indiana**

**The Convalescence, Michigan Metal Fest**

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

© Wayne Edwards

Downfall Of Gaia, Silhouettes Of Disgust (Metal Blade 2023)

March 17, 2023March 13, 2023 Wayne EdwardsBlack Metal, Crust Metal, Downfall Of Gaia, Germany, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade Records, Sludge Metal

German post-black metal band Downfall Of Gaia warp the continuum on their new album, Silhouettes Of Disgust.

Since 2008, Downfall Of Gaia has been growing and changing in both their sound and compositional attitude. Described in many different ways from sludge to crust to atmospheric post-black metal, their music is deeply rewarding to those who can hear it. They have released five full-length albums before Silhouettes Of Disgust, with a couple of splits, an EP, and a demo along the way as well. The band is Dominik Goncalves dos Reis (vocals, guitar), Peter Wolff (guitar, vocals), Anton Lisovoj (bass, vocals), and Michael Kadnar (drums).

Talking about the new album, dos Reis tells us, “With this record we wanted to return to our roots and the earlier days, but without taking a step back. We wanted to incorporate both worlds into our new album, where we came from – the DIY/crust punk scene – and the direction things have taken over the past few years, organically growing from release to release.” If you are a fan of Downfall Of Gaia, that will make perfect sense to you.

“Existence of Awe” leads the way with a direct and immediate assault on your senses by battering percussion and trilling riffs. Melodic elements can be heard operating over the same period but on a different cycle. The pieces together are like layers in an oil painting. You do not necessary hear every bit discretely at any given moment, but you do experience them all simultaneously. “The Whir of Flies” offers slapping percussion, which is quite visceral and intimate. After significant dosing, the tempo shifts and the music breaks off in a different direction, then speeds and slows throughout. At the halfway point, the song drifts into space, then sinks into a cavernous depth toward the end. It is quite a journey.

Over the course of the set, many ideas reenter in both the same and in differentiated ways. Brutality tag-teams melody, and the reverse. Songs are never one thing. Each is complex with numerous features and reflections. Every song is an example of this, but “Bodies as Driftwood” does it especially well, to my ears, because of its compactness. The final word on the album, “Optograms of Disgust,” will attract your notice, too, for its unshakeable dark beauty, its strength and resilience. Recommended.

Silhouettes Of Disgust is out now through Metal Blade Records in may forms. Examine the possibilities at the links below.

Links.

Downfall of Gaia website, http://downfallofgaia.com/

Bandcamp, https://downfallofgaia.bandcamp.com/album/silhouettes-of-disgust

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

Metal Blade Records, https://www.metalblade.com/europe/artists/downfall-of-gaia/

Kruelty, Untopia (Profound Lore 2023)

March 16, 2023March 7, 2023 Wayne EdwardsDeath Metal, Doom Metal, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Japan, Kruelty, Metallic Hardcore, Profound Lore Records

Kruelty brings its message of metallic hardcore to the masses once again on Untopia.

Coming together in Japan six years ago, Kruelty took the path of many hardcore acts before it, choosing to release a large number of demos, EPs, and splits. It is a lot of fun for collectors as it creates a kind of treasure hunt that becomes increasingly more difficult the later you get on board. Their first long-player came out in 2019, A Dying Truth. Their latest might only be their second full-length album, but the band has done a lot of groundwork prior to this new one and you can tell when you hear it.

A chime starts the set in motion. Chants, as in Gregorian, follow. “Unknown Nightmare” is quite creepy. The guitars land with a massive doom slap, and in the next stanza have begun their rampage. The croaking vocals hover over the rumbling riffs and the clip slows and accelerates at unpredictable turns. “Harder Than Before” sounds like a tagline for a new ED treatment and, given the vibrant energy that the song opens with, it could be used in an ad for a new blue pill. This one is a flesh ripper, speeding and slowing and grating its way to your bones. The shrieking ending is startling. Excellent metal. “Burn The System” is a high-tension mission ender. The killer percussion and rhythm will give you a well-earned rash. “Reincarnation” is surprisingly peppy. I wouldn’t call it a happy song, with all the screaming and what not, but its early attitude is less dense than the previous songs. It does turn less than a minute in, though, and the savage, chewing metal is at you again.

“Maze Of Suffering” made me feel like I was drowning in its crushing doom and ominous death summoning. “Manufactured Insanity” goes the other way, starting out as a rollicking cracker and laying in the heavy later on. The record finishes on the title track, and this one will eat you alive. I haven’t followed Kruelty very closely over the years, but this new album has inspired me to go back and listen to everything they have done before. Recommended.

Untopia is out on Friday, March 17^th through Profound Lore Records. Have a closer look at the links below.

Band photo by Seijiro Nishimi.

Links.

Kruelty website, https://www.kruelty666.com/

Bandcamp, https://kruelty666.bandcamp.com/album/untopia

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

Profound Lore Records, https://profoundlorerecords.com/

Night Goat, Totem (Black Donut 2023)

March 15, 2023March 7, 2023 Wayne EdwardsBlack Donut Records, Dark Noise, Gothic Metal, Gothic Rock, Heavy Metal, Night Goat, Ohio

Buckeye gothic death rock band Night Goat stages a triumphant return on Totem.

I do like gothic rock, I must say, and I always have. I am finicky, though, and there only a couple bands that really appeal to me in this lane. Night Goat is one of them. Their first album came out in 2019, Milk, and it was noticed. I place the new one, Totem, on an even higher shelf. The recording lineup for the latest set was Julia Bentley (vocals), Chris Bentley (guitar), Dalin Jones (Bass), Mike Ramone (guitar), and Donnie Casey (drums).

“Sister Wolf” gets things rolling on a sweet rock and roll riff and enticing vocals. The singing turns sinister right away and starts to put you on edge. The rolling guitar and peppery percussion sets the singing off a bit and unbalances the listener. The final third of the song occurs in a jazz space lounge with a wiring problem. “Ghost Sickness” is spooky. Then the spooky turns harsh, wresting a semblance danger overtop the lighter opening. The vocals sound desperate, strained, pleading. Something bad is happening. I wish I could tell you that everything turned out all right, but I don’t know that for sure. A “Wendigo,” recall, is a flesh eating monster, usually described as a cannibal, so this song was predestined to be gruff. And it is, and tipsy, too. “Blood Circles” seals the deal for me as it holds the mirror up to yet another dark corner, conjuring disciples from a perilous realm.

I do like this gothic music. It reminds me a little of Bloody Hammers, but this work is darker and less guitar-oriented. Also, it is not particularly melodic, feasting instead on tougher meat. I like every song on the record, but make sure you listen closely to “Rattlesnake,” a little rager with a lot of impact. “Skin Walk with Me” is another highlight, with its extra heavy clunk. The final track is the longest, “Death Crow Dance,” and it has a twisting vibe all its own. This album is a land of wicked wonders. Recommended.

Totem is available on Friday, March 17^th through Black Donut Records. Get your stuff at the links below.

Band photo by Molly Crowe.

Links.

Night Goat website, https://nightgoat13.com/

Bandcamp, https://nightgoat13.bandcamp.com/album/totem

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/nightgoat13

Black Donut Records, https://blackdonut.bandcamp.com/

Sepulcrum, Lamentation of Immolated Souls (Chaos 2023)

March 14, 2023March 6, 2023 Wayne EdwardsChaos Records, Chile, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Sepulcrum, Thrash Metal

Death metal band Sepulcrum break new ground on their debut full-length album, Lamentation of Immolated Souls.

Sepulcrum hails from Chile, and formed in 2019. In 2020, they released their inaugural record, the well-regarded EP Corpse Dividing Holes. Notable for the speed and energy they bring to their compositions and performances, fans of the band have been anxiously awaiting new music. Their conjuring spells have been answered by Lamentation of Immolated Souls. The band is Nicolás Miranda (vocals, guitar), Sebastián Zúñiga (drums), Oscar Gibert (guitar), and Nicolás Espinoza (bass).

There are ten tracks on the new record, including an interstitial. The first crack is “Orbital Teratoma.” The title invokes horrifying images, and the music that goes along with it is suitably visceral, especially the growling vocals. The lead guitar break is a spreading riot. An excellent opener. “Schizophrenic Amputation” has a lot of hardcore and punk appeal in its velocity and also in the singing. The speed is infectious. The title track follows, a short horrifying blister-raiser that leaves not only an impression but also a scar. The pace resets on the ninety second instrumental, “The Decay,” which is dramatic and whimsical. Taken together, these four songs are a compelling opening arc.

The music is high-energy death metal, often testing the border between death and thrash. You can hear this clearly on songs like “Arousing The Putrid Flesh,” but really, almost all of the tracks. There is a lot of speed here. And then there will suddenly be a song like “Caustic Inhalation” which begins with a slow, sweet refrain. True, the peace does not last long and a heavy stomping takes the stage before a minute has passed, but the quiet moment might foreshadow the transitory elements of doom that live in the song as well. The final breath is “Traumatized by Insanity,” a track loaded with velocity, homage, doom, death, and callbacks. It is a killer, and so is the entire set. Recommended.

Lamentation of Immolated Souls is available on Friday, March 17^th through Chaos Records. Peruse the links below for more details.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://chaos-records.bandcamp.com/album/lamentation-of-immolated-souls

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

Úlfúð, Of Existential Distortion (Dark Descent 2023)

March 13, 2023March 6, 2023 Wayne EdwardsÚlfúð, Black Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Iceland, Ulfud

Black metal band Úlfúð opens a dark book with Of Existential Distortion.

Icelanders Úlfúð capture isolation and emptiness on their first long-player, following up on their debut EP from 2018, First Sermon. Coming together in 2015, the band is comprised of Birkir Kárason (guitar), Eysteinn Orri Sigurðsson (guitar), Sigurður Jakobsson (drums), Hannar Sindri Grétarsson (bass), and Breki Danielsen Imsland (vocals). According to the press release, Úlfúð is pronounced “ool-wooth” and means animosity or hostility, a description that fits the music well.

There are eight tracks on the new album, beginning with “Where Strange Lights Dance.” The black metal trill opens dark and sour on the song, expanding into steadiness with the customary underlying proliferation of notes. The death metal influences live in the vocals and the rhythm crust, and they combine perfectly with the blackness. “Tears of Terra” sounds like a dark fantasy tale filled with conflict and dread, purveying uncertain outcomes. This music is more significantly full than a lot of black metal I hear – meaning it is not merely a barrage of notes but is instead a meticulously created musical entity. “Mockery Theatre” adds a massive heaviness to many passages and a surprisingly catchy hook as well, not to mention the haunting lead guitar work. I would love to see this one performed live.

This album is plaintive and sorrowful, but also active and engaging. Songs like “Faceless” and “Questions” are fascinating in the drive the conjure with their straightforward constructions and memorable sidebars. Don’t miss the eight-minute epic “An Elegy to a Paradise Out of Reach,” which howls and swirls in a frozen wasteland, and the closer, “Leviathan Dreams,” a song that carries dark threats and unforgettable musical lines. Recommended.