Saxy S's Forum Replies

Who likes new releases? You already know I do, so here's a couple of big ones to satiate with:

Alcest - Les chants de l’aurore

Let's start with undoubtledy the big one, since it comes from one of the innovators of a genre. France's Alcest are back with their seventh studio album of post-metal/blackgaze bliss!

https://alcest.bandcamp.com/album/les-chants-de-laurore

Have no fear, your resident new music sap is here!

1. Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God (Technical Death Metal)

2. Pallbearer - Mind Burns Alive (Doom Metal)

3. Dvne - Voidkind (Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal)

4. Big Brave - A Chaos of Flowers (Post/Drone Metal)

5. Vorga - Beyond the Palest Star (Black Metal)

6. Judas Priest - Invincible Shield (Heavy Metal)

7. Ihsahn - Ihsahn (Progressive/Symphonic Metal)

8. Dissimulator - Lower Form Resistance (Technical Death/Thrash Metal)

9. Hoplites - Παραμαινομένη (Paramainomeni) (Avant Garde Black Metal)

Sorry for not including a whole lot of black metal so far this year; scheduling adjustments have made finding new black metal really difficult. These are just some of the albums that I went through my list and found albums that we have not mutually reviewed yet. I also kept the genres pretty close to ones that I know you'll be more interested in checking out.

Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God 

While calling Ulcerate a progressive band might not be the best descriptor, their take on technical death metal is unlike anything that's out there right now. And for me personally, they are the band that singlehandedly changed my entire perspective on technical death metal music. This has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 so far. It most likely won't appeal to everyone in the Infinite, so proceed with care.

https://ulcerate.bandcamp.com/album/cutting-the-throat-of-god

This is actually the first time I've listened to a full Of Mice & Men album. I've heard singles from the band before and enjoyed some of them, ("Bones Exposed" and "Echo" specifically) and was interested to see how well this band could hold an entire album together.

Once it was finished, I realized why Of Mice & Men have been a singles band. The singles "Castaway", "Indigo" and "Warpaint" are decent, but the remainder of Tether is quite boring actually. It isn't bad, but this band has their feet firmly planted and watered in alternative metalcore and this record does not do much of anything in forcing it to stand out. It feels very redundant of The Devil Wears Prada's Color Decay from 2022. Some of the atmospheric interludes sound good, but the execution can be tedious. I noticed it mostly during the opening verse of "Warpaint" where the vocals are a harsh scream, while the instrumentals are mellow and synthetic; they do not mesh well at all. 

Nothing about Tether makes me want to listen to it again, but if it came on, I wouldn't be bothered by it or skip it on sight. This feels like fast food metalcore; it's quick, easy and tastes good for only a moment, but you know its bad for you and I find myself looking for something with a more cultured palette. 

2.5/5

Hi.

Here's a (rare) recommendation for the playlist for July:

Slave Agent - "Slaughter at the Gate" (from Silent Univserse, 2024)

Rejoice Infinite clan, for June has finally arrived! So far as my radar is concerned, June has five (5) significant albums releasing that are in, or adjacent to, the Infinite clan. Hope you all have clean slates for the month because we're coming in hot!

Richard Henshall - Mu Vol. 1

The super talented guitarist/musician of Haken/Nova Collective, Richard Henshall releases their first solo record since 2019's Cocoon titled Mu.

Just revisited this album and my thoughts remain unfazed by time. By now it should be no surprise that I value melody over sheer brutality in my music and Maze Envy is a solid balance of the two elements. By incorporating more doom elements into a death format means that Civerous play some solid grooves and instrumental leads. The structure is pristine by allowing the album to grow from shorter songs at the beginning, to longer, drawn out doom metal during the second half and creates a real sense of growth and development. That it to say, the long songs at the end of this album are more than justified.

Production can be a hit or miss call with some of the pummeling death metal during the first half coming as being just a little too overwhelming. But when it comes to death doom metal in 2024, Civerous are doing it in a way that was much different than I was expecting, but more than thrilled to give a chance.

4/5

June 2024

1. Amorphis – Course of Fate (2009)

2. Animarum – Vikalpa (2024)

3. Becoming the Archetype – The Balance of Eternity (The Physics of Fire Pt. 4) (2007)

4. Boneweaver – White Knuckles (2020)

5. David Maxim Micic – Itch (2022)

6. Dream Theater – About to Crash (2002)

7. The Fucking Champs – A Column of Heads (2007)

8. Hadean – Saudade (2015)

9. Kardashev – Between Sea and Sky (2017)

10. Keyan – Arrhythmia (2024)

11. Last Chance to Reason – False Walls (2024)

12. Pain of Salvation – Reasons (2017)

13. Rendezvous Point – Utopia (2024)

14. Rivers of Nihil – Criminals (2024)

15. Scar Symmetry – Reichsfall (2023)

16. Teramaze – Step Right Up (2024)

17. Textures – Awake (2008)

18. Wheel – Saboteur (2024)

June 2024

1. 24-7 Spyz – Why (1994)

2. Avatar – Make It Rain (2024)

3. Bad Omens – Kingdom of Cards (2019)

4. Cave In – Trepanning (2005)

5. Dog Fashion Disco – Struck By Lightning (2014)

6. Dreamshade – Where My Heart Belongs (2016)

7. Evancescence – Lithium (2006)

8. Future Palace – Paradise (2022)

9. The Gazette – Shiver (2011)

10. Godsmack – No Rest For the Wicked (2006)

11. Gwar – Jack the World (1994)

12. Infectious Grooves – Infectious Grooves (1991)

13. Lantlos – Lake Fantasy (2021)

14. Linkin Park – QWERTY (2024)

15. Mushroomhead – Your Demise (2010)

16. Nik Nocturnal, Bad Wolves – Octane (2024)

17. Omerta – Charade (2024)

18. OSI – No Celebrations (2009)

19. Pleymo – New Wave (2002)

20. Reliqa – Dying Light (2024)

21. Scars of Life – Bullet with Your Name (2001)

22. Sleep Token – Alkaline (2021)

23. Stuck Mojo – Rising (1998)

Reliqa - Secrets of the Future

Although this might not necessarily count as real progressive metal, I think there are more than enough people in this clan who would find this debut album interesting. This is Reliqa, an Australian alternative/progressive metal band who have released a couple of well received EP's up to this point, and this is the bands first full length studio album. I've been anticipating this release for a few weeks and hope that you might check it out as well.

Intervals - Memory Palace

Got a local feature this month from Toronto's progressive djent band, Intervals and their fifth studio album, Memory Palace. Djent might not be everyone's cup of tea here, but I think that Intervals have been able to pull off a decent balancing act between metalcore riffage and progressive songwriting up to this point. And early returns on this new album are solid as well.

https://intervalsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/memory-palace

May 2024

1. Devin Townsend – Deadhead (2003)

2. Leprous – Mb. Indifferentia (2011)

3. Pain of Salvation – On a Tuesday (2017)

4. Into Eternity – Into Eternity (1999)

5. Richard Henshall – Mu (2024)

6. Parius – Arecibo (2022)

7. Mutoid Man – Beast (2015)

8. Hippotraktor – Stasis (2024)

9. Rototypical – Relic Grow (2021)

10. Persefone – Lingua Ignota Part 1 (2024)

11. Ever Forthright – Techniflux (2024)

12. Intronaut – Fast Worms (2015)

13. Voivod – Technocratic Manipulators (1998)

14. Slugdge – Putrid Fairytale (2018)

15. Zeal & Ardor – To My Ilk (2024)

16. Pull Down the Sun – Of Valleys and Mountains (2020)

17. Wheel – Disciple (2024)

18. Cyborg Octopus – Dreamkiller (2024)

May 2024

1. Anthrax/Public Enemy – Bring The Noise (1991)

2. Bad Omens – Just Pretend (2022)

3. The Blank Theory – Faded (1998)

4. BOI WHAT – Funeral of an Antihero (2024)

5. Breaking Benjamin – Break My Fall (2004)

6. Bring Me the Horizon – Teardrops (2020)

7. Butcher Babies – Lilith (2017)

8. Cadaveria – The Dream (2007)

9. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo – Thorough.Modern (2012)

10. Gravity Kills – Enough (1996)

11. In This Moment – I Would Die For You (2023)

12. Issues – Since I Lost You (2024)

13. Linkin Park – War (2014)

14. Nothingface – Defaced (1997)

15. Otep – Battle Ready (2002)

16. Papa Roach – She Loves Me Not (2002)

17. Prisma – Stormbound (2021)

18. Reliqa – Killstar (The Cold World) (2024)

19. Serj Tankian – Sky Is Over (2007)

20. Sleep Token – Blood Sport (2019)

21. Voice of Baceprot – Testify (Live Session) (2021)

April 2024

1. Wandering Oak – To Lir Thy Fell (2024)

2. Anacrusis – Still Black (1991)

3. Mechina – Earth-Born Axiom (2015)

4. DGM – The Secret Pt. 2 (2016)

5. Mr. Bungle – Squeeze Me Macaroni (1991)

6. Mutoid Man – Siphon (2023)

7. Protest the Hero – Gardenias (2020)

8. Rolo Tomassi – Closer (2022)

9. Rendezvous Point – Don’t Look Up (2024)

10. Cyborg Octopus – Afterburner (2024)

11. King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Dragon (2023)

12. Alkaloid – Kernel Panic (2018)

13. DVNE – Pleroma (2024)

14. Artificial Language – Two Faced Star (2024)

15. Avenged Sevenfold – Cosmic (2023)

16. Four Stroke Baron – The Witch (2024)

17. ALMO – Reconciliation (2024)

18. OK Goodnight – The Crocodile (2023) 

I really enjoyed No Life Forms when it was the featured release back in 2022. So much so that it ended up making my year end list. So I was super thrilled to hear what The Search Won't Fall had to offer.

And while the album is stylistically great, something about it just didn't feel right. Sonny's review brought forth to me that both the guitarist and drummer for this record are former members of blackened/tech-thrash bands Demoniac. And you can hear that influence spreading its way onto this album. But that has become a sound that is synonymous at this point with other Chilean thrash bands, such as Demoniac. My biggest concern with The Search Won't Fall was that the brain off, mosh till your neck falls off thrash metal that originally attracted me to Critical Defiance, was now being replaced with a sound that EVERY Chilean thrash metal band is using at the moment. It is not bad, in fact, it's probably the best blackened thrash I've heard in recent memory (except Malleus maybe), but it is not as memorable or unique as previous Critical Defiance releases.

3.5/5

Night Verses - Every Sound Has a Color in the Valley of Night, Part II

The second half of one of my most surprising albums of 2023 has its direct sequel from Night Verses and is out now. Progressive instrumental metal that knows how to create atmosphere.

Weston Super Maim - See You Tomorrow Baby

If you like Meshuggah and ever wondered to yourself "I sure wish I could hear what Meshuggah would sound like if they couldn't count!" then you're in luck! The newest album from Weston Super Maim attempts to destroy your expectations on what djent should sound like. Mathcore may the more appropriate term given its intensity and the band immediately referencing Car Bomb, Frontierer and Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza on their BandCamp page. Proceed with caution.

https://westonsupermaim.bandcamp.com/album/see-you-tomorrow-baby

March 2024

1. Job for a Cowboy – Beyond the Chemical Doorway (2024) 

2. The Ocean – Permian: The Great Dying (2018) 

3. Ibaraki – Kagutsuchi (2022)

4. Last Chance to Reason – Archons & Acolytes (2024)

5. Artificial Language – Skinwalker (2024) 

6. Intronaut – Prehistoricisms (2008)

7. Igorr – Parpaing (2020) 

8. Teramaze – Perfect World (2024) 

9. Periphery – Zagreus (2023)

10. Eidola – No Weapon Formed Shall Prosper (2024) 

11. Hippotraktor – Silver Tongue (2024) 

12. Stortgern – Xeno Chaos (2023)

13. Charlie Griffiths – Arctic Cemetery (2022) 

14. The Human Abstract – Complex Terms (2011) 

15. Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name (2018) 

16. Syncatto – Now Sink (2024) 

17. Alcest – L’Envol (2024) 

18. Leprous – Contaminate Me (2013) 

March 2024

1. Alien Weaponry – Titokowaru (2021)

2. Biohazard – These Eyes (Have Seen) (1996)

3. Demon Hunter – Revolutions (2022)

4. Foreign Objects – Far Cry Behind (1995)

5. Godsmack – Speak (2006)

6. He Is Legend – China White III (2009)

7. Imminence – Death by a Thousand Cuts (2023)

8. Karnivool – Mauseum (2005)

9. Katatonia – Lethean (2012)

10. Klone – Monster (2011)

11. Pop Evil – Divide (2013)

12. Reliqa – Terminal (2024)

13. Saron Gas – Tied My Hands (2000)

14. Sleep Token – The Offering (2019)

15. Spotlights – Crawling Toward the Light (2023)

16. Type O Negative – Anesthesia (2003)

17. Ugly Kid Joe – Sweet Leaf/Funky Fresh Country Club (1991)

18. Waltari – Infinite Dreams (2011)

Borknagar - Fall

Nordic progressive folk/black metal band Borknagar are back with their new (12th) studio album Fall, the first in almost five years. I've always viewed Borknagar as one of metal's most consistent projects and early returns from Fall suggest much the same as well. That can be either a good or a bad thing depending on how you feel about this band not reinventing the wheel. 

https://centurymedia.bandcamp.com/album/fall-24-bit-hd-audio

I gave a review of this album last year, but I was not impressed. In This Moment were one of the fringe metalcore bands that I listened to during high school and starting into my post-secondary. I remember Maria Brink's distinctive vocal timbre in relation to another Century Media girl: Christina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, and how much more expressive she was. Through the 2010s, this bands songwriting flailed out of control, but was still tolerable thanks to Maria's vocals. But on Godmode, In This Moment and their producers did everything in their power to remove that identity from the equation. The instrumentals are tinny and compressed to hell and back, and the vocals are just so uninspired. There is no dynamic growth or development here and it leaves the whole thing feeling flat. 

It's a shame because there are melodic motifs that sound decent, but it's hard to focus on when all I can hear is the lead pipe snare drum and whiny guitar timbre. A production closer to 3TEETH would have worked wonders, and Maria would have been able to express herself more, but as it is, Godmode is kind of a mess.

2/5

Vipassi - Lightless

One more new album to report today and we return back to Australia for the debut from Progressive/Technical Death Metal band Vipassi. Benjamin Baret plays guitar on this record and may be best known for his contributions to Ne Obliviscaris.

https://vipassi.bandcamp.com/album/lightless

Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart

The eighth (8th) studio album from Norwegian Progressive/Gothic metal band Madder Mortem released today! 

Caligula's Horse - Charcoal Grace 

The sixth (6th) studio album from Australian progressive metal band Caligula's Horse releases today!

https://insideoutmusic.bandcamp.com/album/charcoal-grace-24-bit-hd

Okay, so I'm not gonna gain any new friends here because I didn't like the new Panopticon. I thought it was a slog, and a less interesting, less concise version of ...And Again Into the Light and is more concerned with dragging along with atmosphere than actually saying something. My list of North albums is something like this:

1. Svalbard - The Weight of the Mask (Post-Hardcore/Blackgaze)

2. Fen - Monuments to Absence (Atmo-Black metal)

3. Bludgeon Oath - A Burning Wrath (Atmo-Black metal)

4. Malleus - The Fires of Heaven (Blackened Thrash metal)

5. Wyrgher - Panspermic Warlords (Progressive Black metal)

6. Krisgrav - Fires in the Fall (Melodic Black metal)

7. Malokarpatan - Vertumnus Caesar (Old school Black metal?)

8. Graveworm - Killing Innocence (Gothic Black metal)

This is a debut record of a very traditional progressive metal slab and takes a lot of its influence from giants like Dream Theater and more recently Haken. And Nospūn are really good at paying homage to their idols within progressive metal. The album is incredibly well performed, the song compositions/structures are given a lot of detail as to not make any of the tracks here (including the fifteen minute "Within the Realm of Possibility") feel extended for their own sake, and the production is top notch. I can hear each instrument with the utmost clarity, including the bass, and some of the tracks even have a decent melodic hook to anchor them down, including "The Death of Simpson" and "Back, Yet Forward".

But the record is marred by two major faults. The first is quite obvious: Nospūn do not really have much of an identity of their own at the moment. I am willing to be a little bit more forgiving in this regard since this is the bands debut album, and it's disingenuous of me to expect the band to rock the progressive metal world, in the same way that Black Sabbath did back in the 1970s. However, the other big issue has to do with this god awful synthesizer that persists throughout the entire record. When it isn't there, or not at the forefront of the track, Opus can sound really good, but "Dance With Me!" and "4D Printing" sound brutal as the keyboards rival even the most nasally pop-punk vocalists with their irritation.

It's a solid debut, but I hope that Nospūn will take notes for a follow-up and carve their own identity within the world of progressive metal. Otherwise, they are likely to flounder just like so many others before them.

3.5/5

The Revolution was the clan that received the most increased attention from me in 2023 thanks in large part to its mainstream tilt. Unfortunately, many of this years most mainstream records were not great. Whether they were new bands trying to experiment (Dragoncorpse, Humanity's Last Breath) or old guard releasing the S.o.S. (Suicide Silence, Thy Art is Murder). I'd probably go with a list like this:

1. Dying Wish - Symptoms of Survival

2. Veil of Maya - [M[other

3. Drain - Living Proof

4. Callous Daoboys - God Smiles Upon the Callous Daoboys

5. August Burns Red - Death Below

6. The Hirsch Effekt - Urian

7. Unearth - The Wretched; The Ruinous

8. Will Haven - VII

2023 had some good progressive metal with a lot of staying power too. That always seems to be my biggest issue with the genre as a whole, but I feel like this year bucked that trend, if only slightly. Here's a top ten:

1. Ne Obliviscaris - Exul

2. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse et al.

3. TesseracT - War of Being

4. Haken - Fauna

5. Horrendus - Ontological Mysterium

6. OK Goodnight - The Fox and the Bird

7. Night Verses - Every Sound Has a Colour in the Valley of Night Part 1

8. Periphery - V: Djent is Not a Genre

9. Lunar Chamber- Shambihalic Vibrations

10. Aviations - Luminaria

I pretty much had the same favourites as Xephyr for 2023. I listened to more alternative metal because that's what gets popular, but even this years biggest breakthrough act, Sleep Token, did not wow me the same as they did for so many others. Perhaps I expected more from them following the rollout of the singles.

Anyways, here's the full list:

1. Klone - Meanwhile

2. Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars

3. Sleep Token - Take me Back to Eden

4. Spiritbox - The Fear of Fear

5. Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity

6. Silent Planet - Superbloom

7. Sevendust - Truth Killer

8. Code Orange - The Above

9. Avatar - Dance Devil Dance

10. BABYMETAL - The Other One

11. Soen - Memorial

12. Vulture Industries - Ghosts From the Past

13. Beartooth - The Surface

14. Polaris - Fatalism

15. In This Moment - Godmode

16. Asking Alexandria - Where Do We Go From Here?

17. Godsmack - Lighting Up Bar-B-Q's The Sky

xNOMADx sounds like a band that should be edgelord trash, but it turned out to be surprisingly good. I enjoyed the mixing on this record and the compositions are exquisite. Too many melo-hardcore bands think that the "melodic" part of their tag means they are required to have sung vocal shout choruses, but xNOMADx prove that is not the case. Reminded me a little bit of the more artsy screamo of So Hideous and SeeYouSpaceCowboy. It can be derivative at times, but the melodic leads more than make up for the underwhelming breakdown sections.

4/5

First off, congratulations Daniel on finally being able to share your baby with us after all this time. It was a delight to hear some of the demo recordings from your band and provided some really great insight towards the type of music you not only enjoy, but make.

Unfortunately for us, that style of music has never really been a go to for me so I did find At Damnation's Core to have its fair share of structural issues. But, as I outlined in my review, those structures are part of the appeal of brutal death metal (especially during the early 1990s) that I just had to come to terms with. When I did, I realized that this record actually had some solid moments with its songwriting and motivic development. 

Overall, this was a nice change of pace from the melodic side of metal music that I frequent and a fine example of some early brutal death metal. It might sound a tad bit derivative of other bands at the time, but At Damnation's Core also had its own personality, which is rare from what I've found.

3/5

January 2024

1. Caligula’s Horse – The World Breathes with Me (2023)

2. Liquid Tension Experiment – Acid Rain (1999) 

3. Devin Townsend Project – Higher (2016) 

4. Slice the Cake – Homecoming (2020) 

5. Sunless Dawn – Grand Inquisitor (2018)

6. Moon Tooth – Nymphaeaceae (2022)

7. Kayo Dot – The Manifold Curiosity (2003)

8. Opeth – Blackwater Park (2021)

9. Somnium de Lycoris – Obstacles in Our Path (2023)

10. Threshold – Elusive (2010)

11. The Contortionist – Return to Earth (2017) 

12. Gojira – The Art of Dying (2008) 

13. Borknagar – Summits (2023)

14. Ihsahn – Twice Born (2023)

15. In Vain – Season of Unrest (2023) 

16. Leprous – Mediocrity Wins (2012) 

17. Nöspun – The House at the Beginning (2023)

18. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Burn Into Light (2023)

19. VOLA – We Are Thin Air (2018)

January 2024

1. Beartooth – I Was Alive (2023)

2. Bullet for My Valentine – Riot (2013)

3. Death Angel – Stagnant (1990)

4. Ed Sheeran, Bring Me the Horizon – Bad Habits (2022)

5. Filter – Where Do We Go From Here (2002)

6. Five Finger Death Punch – My Heart Lied (2013)

7. Jolly – The Pattern (2011)

8. Klone – Blessed are the Blind (2004)

9. Limp Bizkit – Break Stuff (2001)

10. Living Colour – Bi (1993)

11. Megan Thee Stallion, Spiritbox – Cobra (Rock Remix) (2023)

12. Mudvayne – Nothing to Gein (2000)

13. No One Is Innocent – Silencio (2015)

14. Northlane – Bloodline (2019)

15. Otep – Smash the Control Machine (2009)

16. Polkadot Cadaver – Shapeshifting Reptilian Overlords (2023)

17. Roadrunner United – The End (2005)

18. Spotlights – Algorithmic (2023)

19. Static-X – Anything But This (2004)

20. Suicidal Tendencies – Send Me Your Money (1990)

21. While She Sleeps – Self Hell (2023)

Unfortunately I did not listen to nearly enough Fallen playlist material in 2023. It feels like a lot of it didn't garner enough attention across the general metal sphere so most of the Fallen albums I heard in 2023 were paired with another clan. But if I had to provide a top five at least for favourite clan albums of 2023 it would likely be:

1. Mizmor - Prosaic (Doom/Sludge)

2. Fires in the Distance - Air Not Meant For Us (Death Doom)

3. Baroness - Stone (Progressive Stoner)

4. Church of Misery - Born Under a Mad Sign (Stoner)

5. Graveworm - Killing Innocence (Black/Gothic)

Death Angel - "Stagnant" (from "Act III", 1990)

Are you sure about this one? Even by a very loose standard of what Act III represents for Death Angel, I still don't hear much in the way of Gateway material on this album, or this song in particular. Maybe it's some of that funky verse riff?

December 2023

1. Madder Mortem – Towers (2023)

2. Anacrusis – Sound the Alarm (1993)

3. Nospün - …And Then There Were None (2023)

4. Opeth – Hex Omega (2008)

5. Charlie Griffiths – Dead in the Water (2022)

6. Periphery – Dying Star (2023)

7. Wilderun – And So Open the Earth (Ash Memory Part I) (2015)

8. Star One – Human See, Human Do (2010)

9. Intronaut – Above (2010)

10. Tool – The Pot (2006)

11. Plini – Still Life (Feat. Tosin Abasi) (2023)

12. TesseracT – Of Reality – Eclipse (2013)

13. The Anchoret – Stay (2023)

14. Aviations – Legend (2023)

15. Earthside – The Lesser Evil (2023)

16. Caligula’s Horse – Slow Violence (2020)

17. Wheel – Wheel (2019)

18. Pomegranate Tiger – The Cryptographer (2023)

19. Myrath – Child of Prophecy (2023)

20. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Salamander In Two Worlds (2023)

21. TEMIC – Skeletons (2023)

December 2023

1. Alien Weaponry – Whisper (2018)

2. Beartooth – The Better Me (20230)

3. Bury Your Dead – Broken Body (2009)

4. Chevelle – Saturdays (2007)

5. Code Orange – Take Shape (2023)

6. Coldrain – 24-7 (2009)

7. Elysion – Dreamer (2009)

8. Escape the Fate – LOW (2023)

9. Fair To Midland – Kyla Cries Cologne (2004)

10. Five Finger Death Punch – Burn MF (2013)

11. From Ashes to New – My Fight (2013)

12. Godsmack – I Stand Alone (2003)

13. Karnivool – C.O.T.E. (2005)

14. Katatonia – Sold Heart (2010)

15. Lacuna Coil – Survive (2009)

16. Living Colour – Type (1990)

17. Machinae Supremacy – Phantom Battle (2014)

18. Nothingface – Murder is Masturbation (2003)

19. Red – Surrogate (2023)

20. Riot Stares – Burst (2023)

21. Slipknot – Custer (2014)

22. Spiritbox – Ultraviolet (2023)

Well this was interesting. I actually discovered Malokarpatan during 2020 and found it relatively enjoyable as the weird old school heavy metal/black metal hybrid it was originally marketed as. But I wasn't in the brightest of spirits when I listened to Krupinské ohne so it was never a record that I would return to. Most likely the language barrier had something to do with that. 

So getting back into Malokarpatan was a bit of a stretch, but I did enjoy Vertumnus Caesar because, unlike Daniel, I actually see this record as being closer to traditional heavy metal (or at the very least, early proto-black metal bands like Bathory) and the truly black metal elements serve more as window dressing.

The riffage on display here does take a few liberties when it comes to drive as much of the record is rather slow and mellow instead of pummeling with blast beats and tremolo picking. Some of the riffs feel similar to the early thrash metal bands who began experimenting with death metal like Possessed and Slayer, while the vocals are the closest and main reason why those who listen to this band claim them to be a hybrid with black metal. This delivery is drenched in a reverb effect and are performed with a contempt flare, almost like Burzum. 

This isn't the first album in this style that I've listened to this year. A previous Guardians featured album (Darkmoon Blade - Darkmoon Rising) raised my eyebrow in much the same way, as did Darkthrone's 2022 album, Astral Fortress. That isn't to say that I didn't like Vertumnus Caesar. Since I have been exposed to more artists like Malokarpatan, I can start to tell who does this OSBM sound well and Malokarpatan are near the top of that list. It isn't really a genre that I plan on exploring too much, but for a brief period of time, I did enjoy this.

3.5/5

I reviewed this album already so to summarize: 

The newest Code Orange album The Above is a frustrating listen as it ping-pong's back-and-forth between heavier metalcore romps in the vein of Tallah, and alternative, industrial metal like Static-X. I always find that when you have an album such as this, it can be a difficult sell, since it is clear that Code Orange are trying to make a sound that is "more accessible", which I do not have a problem with on its own, but pairing it with heavier, bone shaking metalcore breakdowns has the added effect of scaring normies away in addition to putting the heads of their fans on a swivel.

The being said, the albums attempts at becoming more mainstream are pretty good as the vocal timbre is very sultry for this type of music, and the glitchy percussion rarely feels like it's taking over the production. Otherwise, my biggest issue is that The Above feels very immature as it appears to be calling upon the dreaded nu metal palette. This is obviously a subjective take, but nu metal rarely works for me in the modern age because of its immaturity. And hearing what was once a promising metalcore band starting to use it liberally is a wee bit disappointing.

3/5 

November 2023

1. Between the Buried and Me – Ants of the Sky (Live) (2008)

2. Opeth – Forest of October (1995)

3. Disillusion – Back to Times of Splendor (2004)

4. Edge of Sanity – Crimson Pt. 3 (1996)

5. Haken – Elephants Never Forget (2023)

6. Caligula’s Horse – Autumn (2020)

7. Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit of Calamity (2023)

8. White Walls – Eye for an I (2020)

9. Intervals – Mnemonic (2023)

10. Vildhjarta - + ylva + (2023)

11. Mastodon – Gobblers of Dregs (2021)

12. The Totemist – Less We Know (2023)

13. Moon Tooth – Grimothy (2023)

14. Voices From the Fuselage – Ortus (2015)

15. Slice The Cake – The Holy Mountain (2023 Remaster)

16. OK Goodnight – The Journey (2023)

17. Caligula’s Horse – Marigold (2023)

18. Monosphere – Method Acting (2023)

19. Ne Obliviscaris – Painters of the Tempest – Part II (Triptych Lux) (2014)

20. Rivers of Nihil – Hellbirds (2023)

November 2023

1. Pyrogenesis – Survival of the Fittest (2020)

2. 36 Crazyfists – Better to Burn (2017)

3. Life Of Agony – Last Cigarette (2005)

4. Otep – Perfectly Flawed (2007)

5. Sleep Token – The Summoning (2023)

6. Korn – Clown (1993)

7. Soen – Violence (2023)

8. Alien Weaponry – Kai Tangata (2018)

9. Alter Bridge – Fortress (2013)

10. Any Given Day – Wind of Change (2022)

11. Celldweller – Switchback (2003)

12. In This Moment – In The Air Tonight (2017)

13. Spiritibox – Cellar Door (2023)

14. Evanescence – Far From Heaven (2021)

15. nothing.nohwhere. – CHROMAKILL3R (2023)

16. Rage Against The Machine – Bullet In The Head (1992)

17. Stuck Mojo – (Here Comes) the Monster (1996)

18. Halestorm – Bombshell (2022)

19. FEVER 333 – BURN IT (2019)

Deep Purple In Rock as a whole is proto-metal. It has elements that would become synonymous with heavy metal, but I feel like the jam nature of it is much closer to standard blues rock than anything metal. "Hard Lovin' Man" has a galloping triplet groove, which is close to metal ("The Trooper", "Raining Blood", etc.), but Heart's "Barracuda" uses it too; it isn't exclusive. 

Black Sabbath are heavy metal. They are the first heavy metal band, and the more through composed structure of tracks such as "Paranoid" and "War Pigs" makes it sound a lot closer to heavy metal than Deep Purple In Rock, even though sonically, it's probably less "heavy" than Deep Purple. 

Taken at surface level, The Dance of the Four Elemental Spirits feels like the prototypical blackened thrash metal album. The thrashy instrumentals are prominent and almost annoyingly simple, while the shrill vocal timbre and the overall very loose, reverb-y production is a callback to the kind of satanic worship trope that is abundant throughout the early black metal of the 1990s. The record does have some nice riffage and motifs ("Nocturnal Trudge" and "Violent, Bloody & Cold" in particular), but the records simplicity is also to its determent as well since songs on their own have no distinguishing moments other than the instrumental closer. Everything sounds pretty basic and frankly, uninspired from "Goddess Death" and beyond. It is not a bad record by any stretch; the locale and the sheer number of high quality thrash bands coming out of Chile prevent that from happening, but even by those standards, this record is kind of average.

3/5

Not a fan of this to be quite frank. There are some decent moments throughout Fatalism, but they come few and far between. The bands more alternative metal and quasi post-metal tunes are a nice touch around the very standard, unoriginal metalcore breakdowns. Songs like "Harbinger" and "Aftertouch" feel like an advancement of a predictable sound and I wish the rest of the record did the same. The untimely passing of Polaris' guitarist, Ryan Siew does not actually make a large impact in this albums release as it was basically complete and ready to ship out the door before the sad news. I'm sure for the band themselves, Fatalism is a heartfelt goodbye to a great friend, but all I hear is a mostly unoriginal metalcore album. 

2.5/5

October 2023

1. Fiends – Rented Mental (2023)

2. Annisokay – Calamity (2023)

3. Beartooth – Doubt Me (2023)

4. Breaking Benjamin – Hollow (2015)

5. Five Finger Death Punch – The Agony of Regret (2013)

6. In This Moment – Black Wedding (2017)

7. Mushroomhead – Qwerty (2014)

8. Soilwork – Övergivenheten (2022)

9. Spiritbox – Circle With Me (2021)

10. Static-X – New Pain (2003)

11. New Years Day – Epidemic (2015)

12. Black Veil Brides – Devil’s Choir (2013)

13. Therapy ? – Trigger Inside (1994)

14. Twelve Foot Ninja – Endless (2008)

15. Sôber – Superbia (2011)

16. The World Alive – Trapped (2016)

17. From Ashes to New – Forgotten (2018)

18. OSI – The Escape Artist (2009)

19. Hebosagil – Ääniä yössä (2022)

20. Mudvayne – Happy? (2005)

21. Fudge Tunnel – Backed Down (1994)

22. Thousand Foot Krutch – Untraveled Road (2014)

23. Overhead – Lost Inside Pt. 2 (2012)

24. Sugar Ray – Speed Home California (1997)

October 2023

1. Ayreon – Collision (2013)

2. Meshuggah – Sane (1998)

3. Sikth – Days Are Dreamed (2015)

4. The Ocean – Isla Del Sol (2004)

5. Voivod – Golem (1991)

6. Cyborg Octopus – Hindsight (2022)

7. Symphony X – The Turning (2002)

8. TesseracT – Legion (2023)

9. Unprocessed – Thrash (2023) 

10. Traverser – Eyes To Silent Walls (2010) 

11. Obsidian Tide – Clandestine Calamities (2023) 

12. Night Verses – 8 Gates of Pleasure (2023) 

13. Slice the Cake – Unending Waltz (Remaster) (2023)

14. Gorod – Transcnedence (2011) 

15. Aviations – Coma (2023) 

16. Dvne – Satuya (2021)

17. Avenged Sevenfold – Fermi Paradox (2016)

18. Subsignal – The Art of Giving In (2023)

19. DGM – Unravel the Sorrow (2023)

While Narrow Head don't really reinvent in any meaningful way on Moments of Clarity, I cannot deny that I still quite enjoy the newest output. Something about it major harmonies and more jolly melodic songwriting is a welcome change of pace when I've been trapped in an extreme metal deep dive, or the forgettable quagmire of modern metalcore. Even in comparison to Deftones, the bands most obvious influence, they do not continue in a loathsome, haze infused way, unlike a band such as Loathe or early Teenage Wrist.

I did enjoy this; it was a rather pleasant change of pace, which makes it stand out amongst its more metal contemporaries. Having allowed this record to sit with me for a little while however, I do feel like my initial reaction was swayed by novelty. The record does meander a bit too much and it can turn into a slog if you listen to the whole thing. But with this being post-metal/shoegaze, I don't think it's the biggest deal breaker.

3.5/5

I understand the trepidation upon hearing another album from the 20 Buck Spin record label. But I still cannot deny that the record is performed with quality. I just wish that it could have been more interesting as a whole:

20 Buck Spin has become a record label that I tend to explore with mild trepidation. While I cannot deny that they consistently distribute solid modern metal bands with an old school approach, much of it has started to become stale. Many of the labels death metal records have very similar tropes to them that cannot be overlooked and it does make much of their recent output a lot less interesting than if I was listening to it for the first time. Case in point, VoidCeremony. While much further towards the technical side of death metal than a band like Tomb Mold, something about the production of the record cannot help but make some very clear parallels.

Perhaps it comes through in the compositions, which are typically well done, but also rely heavily on played out death metal tropes; such as guitar pinch harmonics, whiplash tempo/style changes and Cookie Monster vocals. These are not necessarily bad on their own, but when put together, they give Threads of Unknowing a sense of comfort and familiarity that I don't think VoidCeremony would want. The album does have a heavy emphasis on bass leads instead of simply doubling the guitar riffs, which I certainly approve of. If there is anything that will make this album stand out in comparison to its label companions, it will be this. Having a technical death metal band such as VoidCeremony incorporate Ne Obliviscaris type polyphony into their music is a welcome treat. The closing track is also quite interesting as well. Even though it does suffer a bit from tempo/style whiplash, VoidCeremony have done a good job of creating a progressive metal epic that stays the course feels like a completed idea instead of a fragmented piecemeal.

Of course these bass lines would not as focal to the album as it is if the production was lousy. And while the guitars do have some great chunk to them, they never feel overpowering. In fact, I would say that the main guitar riffing is almost secondary to the bass lines. The band does find room to fit in a couple of blistering guitar solos throughout the album as well and they do a great job of peaking a listeners interest by having that drastic change in timbre without losing any of the song/album momentum. The vocals are... well they are very gargled and take a lot of pointers from Tomb Mold and Tzompantli in that regard. These vocals just do not interest me and are the aspect that I think most casual listeners will pick up directly as a "20 Buck Spin trope".

Threads of Unknowing is not a bad record, but I think it could have been more than what its trying to be. In the vein of progressive death metal, VoidCeremony have chops and decent influences to draw from, but in terms of its execution, it lacks character. This is by no fault of their own in my opinion, but perhaps VoidCeremony would benefit from digging into their progressive influence more; I could see this band taking a solid page out of In Mourning's playbook and do something really special. For now, keep this band on your radar if you like any style of progressive death metal.

3.5/5

September REVIEW DRAFT (The Infinite)

I've found a new batch of records to try out and anyone who wants to help me clear out this batch is more than welcome. I'll select first, followed by Rexorcist, Xephyr and then possible Andi.

1.El Altar del Holocausto - - I T - (2019)

2.Fractal Universe - Rhizomes of Insanity (2019)

3. Ocrilim - Anoint (2006)

4. Oxiplegatz - Sidereal Journey (1998)

5. Sun Caged - The Lotus Effect (2011)

This might be the best review draft yet considering I haven't heard a single one of these names before! My selection will be... Sidereal Journey by Oxiplegatz.

Rex, you're up!

September 2023 

1. Jane’s Addiction – Mountain Song

2. Northlane -Freefall

3. Asking Alexandria – Bad Blood

4. Sevendust – Won’t Stop the Bleeding

5. System of a Down – P.L.U.C.K.

6. Beartooth- Might Lose Myself

7. End of Green – Dark Side of the Sun

8. Celldweller – Own Little World

9. Smallman – A Drop

10. Grim Salvo – Feasting.On.The.Guts.Of.Angels

11. Disturbed – The Best Ones Lie

12. Alice in Chains – Stone

13. Five Finger Death Punch – Coming Down

14. Fleshwater – The Razor’s Apple

15. Infected Rain – Everlasting Lethargy

16. In This Moment – The Great Divide

17. The Clay People – Awake

18. Lacuna Coil – Aeon XX

19. New Years Day – Relentless

20. Clawfinger – Out to Get Me

21. Alexisonfire – Reverse the Curse

22. BABYMETAL – Monochrome

23. Life Of Agony – My Mind Is Dangerous