Now THIS is the record I wanted as Beastmilk dissolved and Grave Pleasures rose from the ashes. Motherblood is one hell of an album as it is but knowing it shares DNA with Climax makes it that much more enjoyable. As a Century Media Records debut, it’s amazing. As the follow up to Dreamcrash, Motherblood is unrivaled in its’ excellence. [Read more…]
Josh Todd & The Conflict Create Succinct Stadium-Sized Hard Rawk Hits On Year Of The Tiger
Cock rock is alive and well in the Year Of The Tiger as Josh Todd & The Conflict present an album of infectious and hard rawkin’ tunes for the masses this September. [Read more…]
Lacuna Coil Wins Me Back On Vicious Delerium
Honestly, Lacuna Coil have so many fans already that they don’t need me. Like most of the heavy metal community I first stumbled across Lacuna Coil when their 2002 breakthrough album Comalies exploded onto the scene. [Read more…]
Entombed A.D. Drop Dead Dawn On February 26th (Album Review)
Vocalist LG Petrov has a lot of new music to share with you. Since Entombed A.D. blasted back onto the heavy scene after far too long away in 2014 with a new album (Back To The Front) and a new moniker, that signature growl of Petrov has graced the debut from Firespawn late last year and is now ready to aurally assault listeners with ANOTHER new Entombed A.D. record. [Read more…]
Firespawn Invite You To Enter The Shadow Realms On Stunning Debut
Looking to get back on the Left Hand Path with LG Petrov? Then take a ride on the Firespawn train! It’s a brutal, fast, deathily brilliant slab of old school meets new world order death ‘n’ roll. [Read more…]
Vattnet Viskar’s Settler Is A Modern Black Metal Masterpiece
After listening through Settler, the latest from New Hampshire’s Vattnet Viskar, I’m honestly perplexed as to why I never dove into their music before. Vattnet Viskar’s brand of modern black metal is like a more focused/less drama-filled Nachtmystium or a consistent Satyricon, but with hints of Roadrunner Records one album wonder Five Pointe O and way more brutal. [Read more…]
Ziltoid crash lands on Planet Earth once again with Z2!
A metal icon, a prog innovator, and now the progenitor of the modern rock opera?!?! It’s true! Devin Townsend adds another chit to his belt with the beyond epic Z2 double album. Yep, you read that right: Double. Album. Years in the making and finally fully realized thanks to fans who over-contributed to Townsend’s Casualties Of Cool campaign, Z2 is the epitome of all that has come over the last several years. There’s bits of the 4 album concept in here along with Epicloud and even hints of Casualties Of Cool. [Read more…]
Untitled Metal Column: Volume 9 (Nachtmystium, The World We Left Behind)
Is this the end of Nachtmystium or isn’t it? According to a recent interview with Blake Judd the end isn’t exactly nigh for the Chicgao black metal luminaries.
Regardless, if The World We Left Behind is, in fact, the last Nachtmystium album then listening to this opus is a bittersweet experience. From beginning to end it’s a reminder of not only how important and vital Nachtmystium is to the black metal scene but also the need for the scene to sometimes morph and change over time.
Assassins: Black Meddle Part I started the trend by adding elements of psychedelia and classic rock (Think Kyuss does Satyricon), Addicts: Black Meddle Part II in 2010 continued along the path while 2012’s Silencing Machine went back to basics almost erasing what had been built.
On The World That We Left Behind, however, Nachtmystium brings their sound full circle and lay everything bare. Those Assassins-style experimentations are back on not only the epic introspective lumbering beast that is “Voyager” but scattered throughout. Speaking of “introspective”, that word is a theme that runs rampant throughout The World We Left Behind touching on the tumultuous year that band leader Blake Judd experienced on almost every track.
But back to the music.
The first proper song here (“Fireheart”) is more of a rocker and less a metal affair with, dare I say, danceable drum beats? Experimentation indeed. On the other spectrum, “Into The Endless Abyss” is the blackest of black metal fusing spaced out electronics with a slamming blast beat by Sam Shroyer as Judd just fucking roars. The title track builds for a solid minute and a half to a chaotic peak and then just explodes as Judd screeches the chorus and you bang your head in solidarity. Elsewhere, the gorgeous (Yes, I used the word “gorgeous” to describe a Nachtmystium song) “Epitaph For A Dying Star” closes TWWLB with Judd’s howls of “No More Pain” set against Karla Murphy’s lush vocals amidst a sonic maelstrom of screaming guitars.
The World We Left Behind crash landed on Planet Earth today via Century Media Records. You can still get some pretty sweet package deals at CMdistro or for instant gratification, check the album out on Itunes.
There is only one Entombed and they’re apparently named Entombed A.D. (Back To The Front album review)
I don’t care how many Entombed’s are out there now. If LG Petrov isn’t fronting your outfit then you ain’t Entombed. Simple as that. I’m not going to get into all the politics about the different sides, I just know that what I’m listening to as I type this sounds like the Entombed I know and that’s all that’s going to matter to fans, too.
Like a mix of Clandestine and Wolverine Blues, Back To The Front (Their first in 7 years!) is a welcome reminder of why Entombed is still such a relevant and visceral unit. Once “Kill To Live” really kicks into full throttle at the beginning, fans will know that long wait was all worth it. Teasers “Bedlam Attack” and “Vulture And The Traitor” don’t do the album justice as they’re just a taste of how great this album really is. Petrov sounds like a beast once again and hearing him roar on some fresh Entombed material is like a breath of fresh air.
“Waiting For Death” is the latest “death ‘n’ roll” rocker with some nice chants inside. “Eternal Woe” sounds as if it could play nicely on Serpent Saints with a low, heavy crunch accenting Petrov’s unmistakable growl. Other highlights include “Pandemic Rage” which opens with a string section straight out of a Hitchock-ian thriller and “Bait And Bleed” featuring some nice thrashin’ making for some superb headbangin’ and mosh pittin’ action.
Just as powerful as anything the band have put out thus far but more urgent, Entombed A.D.’s Back To The Front is out on August 5th through Century Media. Pre-order packages, as always, are a avilable through the always reliable and lovely CMdistro.com.
Untitled Metal Column: Volume 5 (Monuments, The Amanuensis)
The next evolution of djent is here. Monuments latest album, The Amanuensis, is a blistering aural assault of machine gun riffs, technical mastery, and vocals that soar above the stratosphere only to strike down with visceral intensity at a moments notice.
From the instant “I, The Creator” fades in fans should already know they’re in for a crispy, metallic treat. Equal parts Meshuggah with hints of Roadrunner Records upstarts Five Pointe O while vocalist Chris Barretto channels Ra’s Sahaj Ticotin during meloidic moments and Threat Signal’s Jon Howard and Phil Anselmo at Monuments most animalistic times.
“Origin of Escape” slaughters senses next with an acoustic opening acting as a facade before the mayhem begins while “Atlas” is a little more straight up and eases on the tempo but not the force with which the message is delivered. “Quasimodo” is just a gorilla of a song that has John Browne and Olly Steele proving their guitar prowess on The Amanuensis once again.
Then there’s songs like the odd “Saga City” which starts, um, well you just have to hear it. From there it progresses into a sweet little Pop jam until the inevitable metal maelstrom with Adam Swan’s divine bass strums peaking in throughout. But if you want even more range, skip directly to Genesis-like closer “Samsara”. Wow. And lest we forget drummer Mike Malyan who slays on the hyper-aggressive “Jinn”, pummels with tribal aplomb on “I, The Destroyer”, and basically kills on every song here.
If you like progressive metal, you like it heavy, and you’re looking for a new sound this summer then be sure to pick up Monuments The Amanuensis today!
The Amanuensis is out through Century Media Records now. Pre-orders are available here.