An artist that I have somehow missed (or perhaps subconsciously avoided) up until now, Devildriver stomped late into my weekly listening after many years of total neglect. The initial four songs on Strike and Kill do indeed land with a deadly accuracy, their thrashing grooves leaving little room for breath in fact. ‘Dead in the Water’ marginally steals the run on the title track as being the standout of the opening salvo of tracks. The track has a ferocious nature to it that is just so infectious, that it becomes near impossible to ignore after one listen. Groove metal rarely moves me, but I would put Strike and Kill on a par with the last Exhorder album in terms of unexpected entertainment levels.

Unlike Exhorder however, Devildriver have always had a penchant for dipping into the wider metal genre pool and just as I start to get all carried away with myself, elements of melodic metalcore/melodic death metal start to appear from ‘In the Moonlight’ onwards. These moments do go a long way to breaking up some of the repetition of the album, since even within the more positively received opening track listing it does suffer from Machine Head like predictability creeping into the edges. Whilst it is hard to call them disruptive, these moments do blunt the attack somewhat in what is clearly aligned to be an “in your face” type of record. Lyrically things are a bit hit and miss also at times but the guitar playing is a clear cut above everything else (yuck, clicky drums).

Whilst I almost expected a decline in quality over the second half of the album, there is an argument to say that fear is never fully realised. If anything, the albums lull is in the middle section over tracks seven through ten, with there being a marked recovery to get us to the end of the record. The superb blast of fury that is ‘Oath of Iron’ is completely unexpected and that track alone manages to fully steer the album back into my repeat plays list for the future. I am not going to pretend that this is album of the year material by any means, which is fine because I don’t get the impression that this is why Jez and co released the record in the first place. However, I can’t get away from the fact that this is an infectious affair, full of riffs and tantalising melodies on the leads that I have just lapped up for the last forty-eight-hours.

Melbourne's Axatak are often referred to as a key player in the early Australian metal scene that was still just in its development stage during the early-to-mid 1980's. Their four-piece lineup got together some time between 1981 & 1983 before quickly becoming a mainstay of the local live scene. During their time together, Axatak produced one demo, one full-length album (i.e. 1984's "Shock Rock") & this five-song E.P. which I actually never explored until earlier this decade. Axatak wouldn't be around for too long though, disbanding in 1988 off the back of frontman Andy Zouman having become a born-again Christian & subsequently producing a film about the influence of Satan on rock music. 

Axatak are widely known for being heavily influenced by KISS. In fact, they started as a KISS cover band so it's no real surprise that their image involved makeup & theatricality. They could no doubt play a bit though, as can be seen from the performances on this E.P. which certainly has its moments. Guitarist's Pete Denero & John McCulloch know a thing or two about shreddy 1980's guitar solos & drummer Don Hailes keeps a tight rhythm throughout. The production job offers plenty of clarity but does tend to feel a little too separated with the high-end being a touch too prominent. It's the inconsistency of the song-writing that's the real issue here though as this is somewhat of a roller coaster ride in that regard. I quite like hard-rocking opener "Shock Rock" (which was also the title track of the band's debut album) & the more metallic "Let the Beast Run Wild" (my personal favourite) but the remaining three songs all fail to hit the mark, particularly the God-awful power ballad "You" which reeks of Motley Crue at their worst. Zouman's vocals are patchy at times & the weakest points of the release generally match up with his biggest failures.

Axatak's sound sits somewhere between the US glam metal that was booming at the time & the classic heavy metal that most of us know & love. You need to be a little patient if you go in searching for the metal side of that equation though as the first couple of tracks don't really present much in that respect with all of the genuine metal appearing during the middle & end of the release where you can expect to hear some aggressive bottom-string palm-muting & even a bit of tremolo-picking, reminding one of WASP more so than the band's idols KISS. I have to warn you that gang vocals are drawn upon quite regularly during the choruses which can be a deterrent for those with a weak stomach for the glammier side of Axatak's delivery, me included.

While this is certainly a better record than Kings Cross' dodgy "Gimme" E.P. from the previous year which traverses similar creative ground, I still wouldn't recommend "Axatak" as an early Australian metal release worth pursuing. It sounds more like a demo than it does a proper release as the songs deserve a glossier coat of paint, one which they likely would have received had the band resided in Los Angeles. I can easily understand how Axatak would have gone down really well in the Melbourne live scene of the time though as their sound & image would have translated very well to the stage. I'm just not terribly surprised that they didn't break out of the local live scene for wider success.

For fans of Bengal Tigers, Boss & WASP.

Victoria's Mortification may not be a household name for extreme metalheads around the globe these days but, for those who are dedicated to the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ, they may be the most important artist in the entire Christian metal movement. Mortification began life as a fairly uneventful heavy/power metal band by the name of Light Force that was built around long-standing bass player Steve Rowe back in 1985. Light Force didn't exactly achieve world domination but they did manage to release two full-length albums during the back half of the 1980's before Rowe gave in to his new-found passion for more extreme metal sounds & transitioned Light Force into something altogether different in 1990. Guitarist Cameron Hall would soon depart, being replaced by Michael Carlisle who would join Rowe & drummer Jayson Sherlock (Revulsed/Deliverance/Horde/Paramæcium) to record the self-titled Mortification debut album in 1991, a record that would become my entry point for the band shortly afterwards. The trio would go on to produce a couple more important records for the Christian metal scene in 1992's "Scrolls of the Megilloth" & 1993's "Post Momentary Affliction" before changing their style dramatically & confusing a large portion of their fanbase with 1994's "Blood World" which took more of a groove metal approach. The band have maintained their presence consistently ever since, returning to their death metal roots during the mid-2000's.

My introduction to Mortification would come through underground metal radio programming in the early 1990's with the opening track "Until the End" from the self-titled album representing ground zero. I generally liked what I heard from the "Mortification" album but it would be Ben who would ensure that my exposure to the band would reach a new level when he picked up their second full-length "Scrolls of the Megilloth" a couple of years later, following that purchase up with Mortification's next couple of CDs progressively over time. I wouldn't say that I ever found myself genuinely loving any of these releases but I did always maintain a level of respect for Mortification, despite their Christian affiliations which have always been at odds with my strong Atheistic beliefs. The fact that you really wouldn't know any better unless you read the lyric sheets certainly helped in that regard as I never had any intention of allowing their God-fearing message to reach my conscious more directly.

The "Mortification" album is somewhat of a transitional album in the band's creative journey. It sees the trio shunning their earlier classic metal influences altogether by adopting the more extreme style that Light Force had hinted at on their 1990 "Break the Curse" demo tape with three of the six songs from that relatively unknown release being re-recorded for this debut full-length. "Mortification" offers a fairly basic brand of death/thrash with the boys still very much trying to find their own sound & often resorting to crude imitations of the bands that influenced them. The music is generally more thrash based than it is genuine death metal at this point but those lines are often blurred. You won't find too many blast beats here though with the gruff death grunts of Rowe being the main element that ties the "Mortification" album to death metal.

The debut album was produced by American Roger Martinez who was known as the vocalist & guitarist from LA Christian thrash metallers Vengeance Rising with the result being a pretty rough & ready effort that's noticeably lacking in precision & bottom end. Despite the basic nature of the riff construction though, Mortification had a knack for producing catchy death metal hooks & it's this component that maintains my interest for the majority of the record. "Until the End", the short 33-second blast of "Turn", my personal favourite "No Return" & energetic closer "The Majestic Infiltration of Order" are all excellent examples of the early Mortification sound but there are some flat periods to be found across the eleven tracks, particularly during the latter stages of the B side with a three-song run that doesn't do a lot for me. You'll no doubt be able to pick up a couple of riffs that have been pulled straight from Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" too which isn't something you would usually find on a death metal record but, as I said earlier, this was very much a transitional release for these Victorians.

While I haven't paid any attention to Mortification's lengthy string of releases since 1995's "Primitive Rhythm Machine" sixth album, they do still hold a place in my heart as one of the bands who inspired me to start my own death metal band. They were amongst the earliest Aussie acts to reach international recognition so I've always maintained a level of respect for them, even if I can't get onboard with their Christian messaging. Looking back now, the Mortification debut isn't a bad record either & it compares pretty well with "Scrolls of the Megilloth" in terms of quality to tell you the truth, although I would no doubt pick their sophomore effort over this introductory effort if I had to choose. Neither represent anything terribly essential for the death metal community though in my opinion & I doubt that Mortification would have amounted to much had it not been for their religious slant. Still... I can't deny that I get some enjoyment out of their first few albums, despite rarely feeling the urge to return to them.

For fans of Master, Cancer & early Living Sacrifice.

Draconian return with album number eight in hopes of maintaining the momentum from their last two triumphant albums: Sovran and Under a Godless Veil. Draconian have been one of the most consistent and one of the best death doom metal bands of the 21st century and In Somnolent Ruin is no exception. 

One thing that this band are remarkable at is creating tension. Some of that can be attributed to the unbearably slow grooves on "The Face of God" and "Misanthrope River", but some of that can be attributed to harmonic dissonance as well. Tracks like "The Monochrome Blade" have an eerie chord progression to them and they immediately stand out amongst the more romantic/passionate yearning throughout most of the albums promotional singles, including "Anima".

Despite the early returns, I actually did not mind the return of Lisa Johansson on vocals. In Somnolent Ruin is an album that is trying to follow in the footsteps of Under a Godless Veil, while at the same time bring in a nostalgic sound that also harkens back to the classic LP's like Arcane Rain Fell. Other reviews for this album suggest that they wanted more of a nostalgia trip with a return of the conceptual album, with even more of the quasi funeral doom that was present before. But in reality, Lisa is just returning to a band that has been in pristine form for just over a decade. I see no need for this band to just pack it up and start playing their old stuff again. And besides, Lisa has done a phenomenal job on In Somnolent Ruin anyway! The opening line of "I Welcome Thy Arrow" is such a harrowing moment for Lisa and the rest of the band, before Anders enters the fray with his iconic harsh scream that feels both contemplative and resolute at the same time.

This album is at its best when its playing into the classic death doom sound. The production is superb; produced almost all in house. The rhythm guitar and bass play with authority and power, while the lead guitar on "Lethe" and "Cold Heavens" is stunning. The percussion work is doing lots of heavy lifting as well; even though it might not seem like the drums are doing very much, the mixing allows those limited hits of the snare or kicks of the bass drum to resonate and drive the music forward. When the dreamy interludes happen ("Asteria Beneath the Tranquil Sea"), they sound good just as they did on Under a Godless Veil and give the album a sense of purpose. Unlike the Genghis Tron album I reviewed yesterday, these interludes and just that; they come in and bring down the intensity and volume of the record for only a moment, before the rhythm guitar, bass and drums return while Anders howls once again in the tried and true Draconian form.

While the album is really good and an easy recommendation for those who like Draconian or death doom in general, I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. Draconian fans know that this discography is titanic in quality, so a record that has aspects that feel very predictable may be a bit concerning. 

Best Songs: The Face of God, The Monochrome Blade, Misanthrope River

For Fans Of: Trees of Eternity, My Dying Bride, early Katatonia

I do not fuck with Cybergrind. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise since, prior to 2021, I had no idea what Cybergrind even was! It's the merger between industrial music and grindcore. That was the primary descriptor given to Genghis Tron's debut album, Dead Mountain Mouth in 2006. Since that time, the band has moved further away from that introductory sound and closer to dreamy post-metal. Alas the music has become more uninteresting the less heavy it became.

So hearing Signal Fire for the first time left me feeling a little bit more upright than I was expecting. You see, Genghis Tron have followed in Deafheaven's footsteps and released an album that shows an appreciation for the past and builds upon it. In short, Signal Fire is the love letter between Dead Mountain Mouth and Dream Weapon. It isn't grindcore by any account, but it does return to some of its heavier roots of their previous releases while still retaining some of that dreamy atmosphere that made up the last album.

The album starts off on a great foot with "I Am All" with its heavy bass presence and the return of harsh vocals by Tony Wolski. Then the album trips over itself with two interludes sandwiched around one of the albums weakest tracks, "Future Worship". I feel like "Tomorrow Mirage" has a great idea through the first four minutes or so, but spends the final half of the track meandering in a very uninspired dream segment. The whiplash that I felt when the interlude "Without Form" transitioned into hallowing blast beats and and more vicious screaming was intense, but even that song cannot maintain that momentum for its entire length and transitions into plainspoken vocals with a light instrumental texture that sounds closer to American Football instead of Cult of Luna.

I'd like to say that Signal Fire is a more interesting album than Dream Weapon, but it's a lot less cohesive. I think that the three interlude tracks that are dispersed throughout the album kill whatever momentum may have been building up to those points, and helped even less by songs that cannot retain momentum either. Despite all the negativity, I still think that Signal Fire is a step in the right direction for Genghis Tron. Hopefully this flame can get them back on the right direction and make the type of post-metal that sounds more like Genghis Tron and not a cheap copy of someone else.

Best Songs: Born Prey, I Am All, Nothing Blooms in the Hollow, A Love So Pure

For Fans Of: KMFDM, Neurosis, Chat Pile