Interview with David Vincent from Morbid Angel before their Australian Tour in 2014

Metalithic: Hi David, it's The Metalithic.com, how are you today?

DAVID: I'm doing Fantastic!

Metalithic: What do you think the difference is of the metal scene today, compared to back in the late 80's and early 90's?

DAVID: Well there certainly are a whole lot more bands, um that's probably the biggest thing, I still think that there's some really good stuff that I hear, and you know some people do it really well and some you know are a lot more derivative.

Metalithic: Are you looking forward to coming back to Australia soon for your upcoming tour?

DAVID: Oh you betcha, I love Australia. We have a lot of friends down there and we've been down there several times and we've always have really good shows and we're looking forward to the same and making some new friends and seeing some old friends and playing some great music.

Metalithic: You will be performing the Classic Morbid Angel album Covenant in it's entirety is this something that the band has wanted to do for a while now?

DAVID: Well we did it in the states and we've had calls, you know people hear that you do something and they want you to do it for them too, it's a neat theme.  I've seen a lot of bands that have done themed tours lately and I like it as well and it gives people a chance to hear the album in it's entirety because I don't think we've played the album in it's entirety before, before this tour.

Metalithic: Are morbid angel currently working on any new material at the moment for a new album or dvd?

DAVID: Oh I'm always working on new material 

Metalithic: What sort of style will your next album be? is it going to be like your previous album with the industrial influences or will you be going back to the more traditional death metal style?

DAVID: Well I don't know what traditional death metal is, for morbid angel traditional has always been doing any manner of things that are expected and or unexpected so we're a band just full of surprises, but we had a lot of different subjects, it just so happens that we had a couple more on this record than we had on previous records.

Metalithic: Morbid Angel has released some of the greatest and most important Death Metal albums of all time, what were some of your influences throughout the early years and what are some of your influences now?

DAVID: Well I mean from an influential stand point my influences have always been the same, you know older, the metal that came before us, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and some cases Iron Maiden, ? You know the stuff we listened to when we were growing up.

Metalithic: I am fortunate enough to own Satan's Revenge part II the compilation death metal vinyl from 1988, 

DAVID:Oh wow yeah, from new renaissance yeah.

Metalithic: Yeah that's it.  I've heard that the track Thy Kingdom Come was the very first Morbid Angel song pressed to vinyl? is this true or did you have a vinyl out before satans revenge II?

DAVID: That may be, we had some singles and stuff and most of it back then was really a lot of tape trading and stuff you know, I don't even think that that thing came out on CD.

Metalithic: What are some of your favourite songs to play live?

DAVID: You know that depends on the night, I like all the material because you know there's such a diversity in it.  So I just enjoy performing songs and sharing music with people, in other words I'm not sick and tired of any of it.

Metalithic: Well that's a good thing.

DAVID: Well I think so.

Metalithic: What's are some of the craziest stories you remember from being on the road?

DAVID: Well usually involving law enforcement, that's would be the negative kind of crazy.  Well you know we have a good time, we enjoy visiting with our friends and fans and travelling around, it's what we always what we wanted to do it's what we do you know? it's not a job it's a vocation.

Metalithic: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, and we look forward to seeing you back in Australia soon!

DAVID: Well that's awesome, which city are you located in?

Metalithic: I'm in Adelaide, Unfortunately you aren't coming here so we'll have to travel to a show

DAVID: Ohh No!

Metalithic: Most of the tours don't really come to Adelaide, which is unfortunade but oh well, what can you do.

DAVID: We have been there in the past but it seems like we haven't been there in a number of years, maybe the promoters didn't feel like that for what ever reason, well you know we don't really book our own shows so we have to rely on the local knowledge.

Metalithic: I used to work with Soundworks with Dysie and Brad, a lot of the time they don't bring tours to Adelaide because there's not that much of a metal scene here, Like I'm sure a show would sell out but I think venue wise there aren't many venues that have a decent capacity so I don't think there would be many ticket sales.

DAVID: Ahh gotcha, well maybe one day, there's always something for the future.

Metalithic: Well take care anyway.

DAVID: Thanks a bunch.

Metalithic: No problem seeya later.

DAVID: alright cheers.

Alkira: Juggernaut Album Review

 Alkira: Juggernaut

Alkira are back once again and this time with a devastating leviathan of a full length album, the name Juggernaut is very apt because the album is massive!

I've been listening to these guys since they were known as Fish (don't bother looking for any albums) and have seen them play live numerous times and have been waiting on their first full length album with bated breath.  They have, after 2 excellent EP's; finally written, recorded and sent out promos for their upcoming full length album Juggernaut.  

There is a lot of Thrash coming out of Australia at the moment and most of it is incredible, bands such as Evil Eye, Hidden Intent, Death Dependent and Mason among many others, while these bands are all excellent in their own right it's Alkira that pushes boundaries and creates something with more depth and blurs genres more than any other and that's something that needs to be done with a genre such as thrash, only so much can be done with it and it's just about all been done before.  Juggernaut sounds like old school Death/Thrash like early Sepultura and some of the early Crossover bands mashed together with the classic early thrash and has all been thrown in a cauldron and sprinkled with some prog.  The sound is also a lot bigger than most thrash, it sounds like it's being played in a cavern rather than a hot basement and that gives the album some really epic moments and makes me raise my claw at the sky when the harmonies ring out!

The instruments all sound remarkable on Juggernaut, the drums sound fucking massive and are played perfectly, there are quite a few tempo changes but the drums never lose time and always sound crushing.  The bass sounds like a thunderous cavalcade, it gives the songs a dimension hitherto unwitnessed and on the albums namesake track you can hear it driving the sound out from the shadows it's just devastating.  The guitars... The fucking guitars... The rhythm guitar is just fury incarnate, the speed at times is incomprehensible and they are catchy and never get boring or sound like you've heard it before, it's very unique playing.  The lead guitar is fierce and the harmonies and solos are insane, they are played with such vigor and passion that I'm sure the band had trouble keeping Greg from floating away while he played them. I'm sure the fretboards of both the guitars are scorched from the recording process.  The vocals are huge, the music calls for some massive noise and the vocals are delivered with such malice and hatred that you can hardly contain yourself, you just want to scream along.

The tracks on the album are really varied and unique both to the genre but also to each other which is something that's rare these days.  From the opening epic crawl in on the track “Chains” you can sense the band is preparing you for something epic and once they have you in your seat they unleash the fury like a gunshot to your ear holes with track 2 “Submission Therapy”. Track 4 #479 is a furious death/thrash devastator, it doesn't let up the entire track and sounds like a Sepultura b-side.  Track 7 “Juggernaut” is quite a varied and unique track and has some of the most awesome guitar work on the entire album and is the perfect namesake.  The second last track on the album “Institution” is a fast and to the point track but has these little bridges that change the dynamic of the track from a straight forward thrash track, to a thrash/prog track almost and it is a pleasure to listen to, there is also an extremely well played ending that will break a few necks when played live!  This album has such a variation of tracks and sounds and tempo changes that you never get bored, I never thought even once about any other music when I was listening to this album and that's pretty much my job, so that's very rare.

Pros:

Really varied and well written album

Has a really old school feeling but sounds as modern as it gets

The instruments are played to a tee

Finally a full length!

Cons:

None...

Overall Impression:

I have been waiting a very long time for a full length album from Alkira and I'm really glad it took this long, this is definitely a mighty fucking debut and is for me one of the thrash albums of the year.

Track List:

Chains

Submission Therapy

Land of the Sodomite Damned

#479

The Fleet

Inebriated State

Juggernaut

Spiritual Abuse (Parallel Prisons)

Institution

Shattered End

Total Running Time: 52:20

Line-up:

Greg Challis – Lead Guitar / Vocals

Kyle Simpson – Guitar

Sean Grubel – Bass

Ryan Quarrington – Drums

Genre: Thrash

Release Date: October 18th 2014

Label: Independent

Links: 

https://www.facebook.com/AlkiraMetal

https://soundcloud.com/alkirametal

https://www.youtube.com/user/AlkiraMetal

Agony By Default: The End of Hope Album Review

 Agony By Default: The End of Hope

Agony By Default is currently a one man band from Wyoming in the USA and he/they play some absolutely excruciatingly heavy Death Metal with some absolutely crushing break downs and speed blasts.

But that's not all, Agony By Default have spanned the sonisphere and hand picked the best parts from in and around the Death Metal genre and it all fits together perfectly and sounds absolutely incredible.  So there's that and there's also an out pouring of emotion on a couple of tracks and it really draws you in and creates one of those remarkable moments where you can't bare not to listen to the entirety of the track... and that's amazing.

The only member left in the band Matt Brammer explained that there are 2 drummers on the album, it is noticeable but not distracting, as the album wears on the emotion comes in to it and the drummers change which creates sort of a switch in the music and it sounds like it was supposed to be played and recorded this way.  The guitars sound great and are heavy as hell, the break downs are neck shattering and the solos are wild.  The emotion also pours out from the guitar particularly from track 5 “Amity Road”.  The programmed strings and orchestral parts aren't over used nor do they sound out of place.  The vocals are punishing, from deep gutteral groans to high pitched screams and everything inbetween they always remain hate filled but also fit really well within the music, it's never a case of “I wish that was sung higher or lower” it's always where it should be.

The tracks are quite a varied bunch, the first half of the album is pretty much straight crushing death metal and the second half is more emotional, still heavy as hell but you can feel that the songs we're written with more intent rather than straight malice.  The song “Amity Road” which is almost Insomnium like and for me is the true masterpiece on this album, it has everything and it really sucked me in to the point where I had finished listening to the album in full I had to put that one back on again.  The opening track on the album “Degeneration” sounds like a completely different band and is so crushing and immense that it's hard to imagine a song like “Amity Road” or “Ache and Agony” coming from predominately the same band.  All in all I really liked this album and while there is two different styles coming through it's not overly intrusive and it seems like the album is building that way, like watching something violent and horrifying and seeing all the hatred and then witnessing all the heart ache and grief encompass the victims as it all becomes to much.  That's kind of what I felt anyway.

Pros:

Huge and crushing sound

The vocals are immense

The album really sucked me in

Cons:

I would have liked to hear the music blend together perhaps a bit better with the change of drummers.

Overall Impression:

I was really impressed with this album, the sound is unique but familiar, crushing but emotional.  It starts with fury and anger and ends with a soul searching, sparse, final groan.  I'll have it on repeat for a while.

Track List:

Degeneration

Suffocate

Sleep

Careless

Amity Road

Away

Ache and Agony (A Song for the Sleepless)

Total Running Time: 40:04

Line-up:

Matthew D. "Axl" Brammer - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Piano, Strings, Drums/Programming

Genre: Death Metal

Label: Independent

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/AgonyByDefault

http://www.reverbnation.com/agonybydefault

Interview with Nergal from Behemoth following the release of their album The Satanist.

 METALITHIC: First and foremost congratulations on your new album 'The Satanist'.

Would you mind telling us about your inspirations and influences on the album?

What was your thought process during the creation of 'The Satanist'?

NERGAL: Well you know what? First of all we really managed to make Behemoth the main inspiration itself you know? I wasn’t really looking for the music as being inspiring because like, there are no more other bands that inspire us. 

We would just go and re-group and I would go and read Jean Genet, Georges Bataille, Bulkolkski and some other books, where the main characters would be this evil outcast, but in the end of the day it would be a lonely man that would be wondering around doing some really sinister things, I would read Faust I guess, and a lot of stuff you know, somehow I would just build a picture of  'The Satanist' in my head both sonically as well as lyrics wise, and I tried to listen to myself, to my intuition and my instincts and would just let it go, let it leave my system and then eventually just channel it into songs, I mean, I know it sounds very generalist, but that’s really what it was.

METALITHIC: How did you come up with the title of the album? Is there any meaning behind the name personally for the band, or was it more of a marketing tactic from your record label to gain more press and controversy from religious people around the world?

NERGAL: Haha, I don't really have people behind my back telling me “alright, if you do this, you will get some more PR!”.

Behemoth are a very very sovereign and independent band, and anything you see on the cover, or in the lyrics, and in the music, there is really nothing or no one who tells us what to do. Same goes for the title, it came out really spontaneously, and unexpectedly when we were on a flight from Finland back to Poland, and I was just sitting next to this guy with a suit and a tie, some businessman and they said we will pull-out in a minute, and they had some thing there called 'The Economist', and so when I saw 'The Economist', I immediately I had this vision, this enlightenment, this illumination in my head, and I just said “WOW!!!”.

I think I even shouted on the plane and I told my guys 'I think I have a title for the record', and I didn't even say it out loud, because it's a fucking genius title, and they started laughing at me and I said “no guys, I am being serious, I'm not going to say it out loud, because I'm already afraid someone will strip it from us.... It is our precious!”

METALITHIC: From my perspective, your writing style on 'The Satanist' has changed into a different style, compared to your previous albums. It seems a lot more dramatic and plays out like a story, was this a major part of the writing process?

NERGAL: Again it just came out that way really, as much as albums such as demigod and ??? which are great records you know, which are dear and honest records, but they sound kind of too robotic, too automatic, and too mechanical.  But in opposition with that the Satanist it sounds very organic, we just felt this is the way we want to build our direction but as soon as some of my love and hurts in my life would have been pretty fuckin tragic or dramatic I would guess that it just ? In the writing process as well. And this comes back to the statement I said before that behemoth itself our lives themselves would be the main inspiration for writing this album and fair to say it wasn't even us I know it sounds very metaphorical but it was a life itself that wrote that record and that life had us ?impersonus? to write this kind of album, you know? It makes sense to me.

METALITHIC: It seems as if Heavy Metal is on the rise and a lot of the younger generation are starting to listen to metal a lot more, joining bands and taking pride in collecting vinyl and CD's again... What are your thoughts on the younger generation and the future of heavy metal?

NERGAL: I put all my faith and trust in them, haha.

It's an older generation of Heavy Metal soldiers. 

I can tell you, well I don't really consider myself as old, I'm 37, I think I'm relatively young, but  when I confront a 20 year old guy at my show or below age 17 or 18 they seem to be bright minded people, they're open minded, and sometimes I'm like wow it's these type of people that enter the genre and it's awesome, it's really like a driving force behind it.

Definitely all of these people are motivation.

METALITHIC: What are a few of your favourite bands, that have influenced you over the years? 

NERGAL: Out of 200? haha.

METALITHIC: Ok, maybe just the top 3 haha.

NERGAL: Really I can't say, there are hundreds and hundreds of bands....Anything from Nick Cave to Mayhem, it can be fuckin Johnny Cash or Immortal Army..... I have a really wide taste.

METALITHIC: Do you have any plans to tour Australia in 2014 or 2015?

NERGAL: We’ve already approached our promoters which is 'Soundworks' in Australia, but we have a new company where the guys are really motivating and they are a driving force behind 'The Satanist in Australia, they push us so hard and make all this promo, it's the biggest push of our album in years, so it really will affect Australia again.

We have played there 3 or 4 times there already, every time we go back there we feel like were at home and it feels amazing. We're definitely looking at coming back in the first or second quarter in 2015 when we come back with the new record.

METALITHIC: What are some of your most memorable highlights of your career?

NERGAL: I'll say recent years, this whole chapter has been so dynamic and so motivating, including the sickness. It was probably the most traumatic and difficult time, but at the same time the fact that we over came it and we came in stronger with such a strong fucking album, it feels great! it feels really refreshing and rejuvenating..... I love it!

METALITHIC: We turned to 'Instagram' and gave our followers a chance to ask some questions;

NERGAL: Ok!

METALITHIC: 'Fuxkyouraccount' asks: “Why do you think the majority of U.S Death Metal bands are generic?”

NERGAL: I meant death metal..... I know I said U.S Death Metal, but I meant all Death Metal as a whole.

The fact that they all seem to strive for perfection and are fighting for perfection, but they they are definitely losing the human factor in their music and this is something I truly hate, I fucking hate that!!

So at the end of the day it sounds like a robot playing some robotic music and I'm not buying it.

Yes I said Death Metal, but in every genre they have the same, they just have no emotions whatsoever. 

METALITHIC: 'Doomkults' wants to know: “ How do you feel about 'The Satanist' breaking through to the mainstream music charts?”

NERGAL: I'm proud that Satan infiltrated the mainstream... Fuck yeah! Haha.

METALITHIC: 'Erikmorales' asks: “I would like to know if you have eaten at 'Grill Em All' burgers in California? Considering they named a burger after 'Behemoth'. If you haven't tried it, would you?”

NERGAL: Of course I would, I mean I occasionally eat beef, I eat no pork, but I eat beef occasionally and yeah fuck yeah why not!! I've heard of it before and I think it's cool!

METALITHIC In 2007 you torn the pages from the bible at a live show in Poland and you called the Catholic church the most 'murderous cult on the planet'. Do you stand by your actions and would you do it again?

NERGAL: I don't know if I'd do it again, because I never go “what if”.... And if something happens, it happens!

Yes I do take responsibility for all my actions and my words and I did, I committed and spent 6 years going to - and - attending these court cases.

I don't know how many there were... Maybe 10, 20, 30, I don't know, I never really counted them.

I spent fucking years going back and forth to the court and battling for my right to be an artist and I'm happy and proud to say I fucking won.... And that democracy won in Poland.

That's my word about it.

METALITHIC: Thanks for chatting with us!

NERGAL: Cheers! Pleasure to talk with you.

Agalloch: The Serpent and the Sphere album review

 Agalloch: The Serpent and the Sphere

It's no secret that I've always been a huge fan of Agalloch, the diversity in their music really keeps me interested in everything they do.  So when I heard they were writing a new album I was extremely excited, this excitement was well founded as this album is Agalloch through and through, experimental and emotionally charged, no two albums are ever the same and this is no exception.

This album starts light and airy then builds in to an exceptional black metal track with a nice feel, they keep it kind of sparse for the most part.  Agalloch are adept at adding a story like structure to their albums, it's not just a collection of songs it's a sonic journey through the deep and dark passages of time.  

The instruments on The Serpent and the Sphere sound great, as with all Agalloch releases.  

One thing that keeps me coming back to their music is the guitars and drums, they play off one another so perfectly that it's almost that they were written in unison by one person if you listen to them, everything is just so well timed and spaced that there is no room for error and there isn't any and this album is certainly no exception.  The unique riffs and solo's are another reason that I'm glued to my headphones it's not the same old tired stuff, it's something different from almost everything else out there.  The vocals are Agalloch through and through, with the harsh screams and the haunting whispers that they put in their music always keeps me entertained.  The really really surprising thing on this album is the bass, the bass in some parts holds the tracks aloft and it is really commanding in certain tracks, such as “Dark Matter Gods” it thunders away in the back ground like a war drum almost while the song finds it's way through all of the twists and turns to the end.  

The album as a whole has an awesome rise and fall, each track has a different feel to it but it all adds up to the great rise and fall of the entire album... then within each track the rise and fall continues it's like a heart beat monitor, it's truly something to behold.  The tracks also have so many twists and turns and stylistic changes that sometimes it almost seems to much but ultimately it all adds up to an epic story with an awesome sound and feel to it.  Track 5 “Celestial Effigy” for instance has quite a few stylistic changes within the confines of it's 7 minute length and at the time it seems to busy and hard to focus on, but the way it ends and leads in to track 6 “Cor Serpentis” an awesome acoustic instrumental; ends the chapter and you know that it had to be in there.  The entire album runs in this fashion but you know that ultimately the story is being told the only way it can be told, which is a very special thing and something that Agalloch are exceptional at.  The way this album ends is possibly the best ending to any album I've ever heard, I'm not saying any more than that, you'll just have to see for yourselves.

Agalloch have come up with another great album, it's something that I could listen to again and again and still not get all of it, it has so many layers and depth that you'll never get it the first time.

Pros:

Great story driven album

The great riffs and drumming

Classic Agalloch sound

Cons:

The amount of changes and right angle turns, at times it doesn't flow as well as it could.

Overall Impression:

The Serpent and the Sphere is another great album by Agalloch which is no surprise,  Throughout the album you witness the journey and exploration of the outer limits of our universe and it's an absolutely momentous feeling.

Track List:

Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation

(serpens caput)

The Astral Dialogue

Dark Matter Gods

Celestial Effigy

Cor Serpentis (the sphere)

Vales Beyond Dimension

Plateau of the Ages

(serpens cauda)

Total Running Time: 59:45

Line-up:

Don Anderson - Guitars, Piano, Vocals (backing)

John Haughm - Guitars, Vocals

Jason William Walton - Bass

Aesop Dekker - Drums

Genre: Black Metal

Release Date: 13th May 2014

Label: Profound Lore Records

Links: 

www.agalloch.org/

www.facebook.com/AgallochOfficial

Acid King : Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everything Album Review

 Acid King : Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everything

Ten years since the release of III, Acid King have returned to reclaim the throne of fuzzed out doom which has been changing hands over the years since.  This album takes you on a journey through space and time and will alter the depth of your conscious perception, breathe it in deep and exhale greatness.

Acid King are one of the few bands around that can make you feel high from just simply listening to the fuzzed out grooves and epic sustain and their new album is absolutely no exception, it's like listening to music through a deep dense fog that has consumed a mountain top... which is a good thing, trust me.  Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everything builds on Acid Kings already sterling reputation of creating that low slow groove juxtaposed by Lori S' high and sustained vocalisations which is their trademark.  It's Acid King to be sure, but it's a continuation of the music that made them a stalwart of the genre, the last ten years has given them a lot of experiences and thoughts that they can run with and create something momentous. 

The new album is quite a bit darker than their previous work, which is by no means a bad thing.  Personally I love depth, when there is a story or something going on within the music that initiates thought or emotion is what I think all music should be about and this album has it in spades.  The instruments are as always played perfectly but one thing I have noticed is that the riffs and solos are quite a bit more complex and manufacture some absolutely incredible moments, moments that you just want to listen to over and over again, the kind of moments that you'll never get sick of no matter how many times you hear it.  The drums are exceptional as usual but they have played with them quite a bit, the bottom end is epic and the fills, rolls and thunder brought forth is incredible.

The tracks on Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everything are a really well thought out bunch, that give you a glimpse in to the future, the past and the present.  Sandwiched in between the intro and outro which are a couple of really good tracks  that offer some slow and tripped out riffage, there is a bunch of incredible tracks starting with track 2 “Silent Pictures” which really is the perfect opening to the album, it just shows you what Acid King have started to do differently since 2005.  The very next track “Coming Down From Outerspace” is probably my favourite on the album and just worms it's way in to my mind and won't ever leave, probably the catchiest track I've heard in years.  Then there's track 6 “Infinite Skies” which is a slow crawling track until... UNTIL the outro which has one of the most incredible riffs and a spaced out solo in the background that just made me sit bolt upright and gather it's energy like a lizard in the sun.  These three tracks were the stand outs for me on the album but truly they wouldn't be anything without the others surrounding them.  The tracks on this album are remarkable but in it's entirety this album is a masterpiece.  

Acid King have come down from their mountain to record an incredible journey of sonic adultery, you will not feel the same after hearing this album.  ACID KING ARE BACK!

Pros:

Incredible doomy fuzz

Catchiest riffage in history

That Acid King sound with an updated feeling

Can't get enough of this album

Cons:

Can't get enough of this album...

Overall Impression:

Acid King are back and they have come back with something remarkable, Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everything is one of those rare albums that will be absolutely timeless

Track List:

Intro

Silent Pictures

Coming Down From Outer Space

Laser Headlights

Red River

Infinite Skies

Center of Everywhere

Total Running Time: 54:59

Line-up:

Joey Osbourne - Drums

Lori S. - Guitars, Vocals

Mark Lamb – Bass

Genre: Doom

Release Date: April 20th 2014

Label: Svart Records

Links:

http://www.acidking.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AcidkingSF

Morbider – Abyssus: From the Abyss Raised the Morbid Split EP Review

 Morbider – Abyssus: From the Abyss Raised the Morbid Split EP

This is an epic display of old school death metal on this EP, you could be mistaken when listening to this album that this came directly from an underground 80's death metal collective, but this is modern as it comes and as brutal as it gets!

Morbider are up first and with their huge sound that is straight out of the 80's, right down to the guitar tone and brutal vocals.  He (that's right it's a one man band) gets the first 4 tracks on the EP and it's an awesome collection of songs from this beast, it's old school as it comes but it also sounds modern with some ambience in the background and some more modern solo's that tear through the tracks like a furious chorus of ricocheting bullets spraying through an open warehouse.  These four tracks are so catchy and immense that it's almost impossible not to move your head, if you could imagine an amalgam of all of the biggest death metal bands from the early days you'll get an idea of what Morbider sounds like. 

Abyssus takes side 2 and turn the rest of the split in to a filthy, grimy display of ferocious death metal, taking cues from Obituary and Bolt Thrower.  The 5 remaining tracks on the album are a ferocious and devastating mix of the dirtiest death metal in the business and metal that was made for one reason, to absolutely destroy spinal columns.  You get the sense that these guys were sick and tired of the mainstream and came up with something more brutal, not in a technical standpoint but the way it's played, this death metal is played so heavily and without any fucks that it's one of the most brutal things I've ever heard!

On their own these two bands are amazing and to get them together on a split EP is awesome, this is one heavy fucking album and has to be heard to be believed.  Each track is huge and Morbider and Abyssus deliver some of the best and brutal old school death metal on either side of this album.  Morbider is a more clean, technical and Death sounding death metal where as Abyssus is a more destructive force like Obituary was, just pure death metal.

Pros:

Just pure death fucking metal

Hearkens back to the days of yore

Can't get enough of the ferocity

Cons:

Wish I had more of both Abyssus and Morbider

Overall Impression:

If you can find this split and you love your Death Metal do not walk by it you will be not be disappointed.  This is as pure as Death Metal gets Morbider and Abyssus deliver the goods, dripping with gore and muck!

Track List:

Morbider

Unhealing Pain

No More Life

God of Torment

Redemption

Abyssus

Morbid Inheritance

Summon the Dead

Sacrifice

Remnants of War

Outbreak of Evil

Total Running Time: 35:79

Line-up:

Morbider

Dap – Everything

Abyssus

Kostas Analytis – Vocals/Bass

Panos Gkourmpaliotis – Guitars

Antonis Kontozoglou – Drums

Genre: Death Metal

Release Date: July 2013

Label: Independent

Links: 

www.facebook.com/pages/Abyssus/144338552349700?sk=timeline

Aborted: The Necrotic Manifesto

 Aborted: The Necrotic Manifesto

Aborted are back with their huge goresplosion of an album entitled The Necrotic Manifesto and from the opening sound byte you know this is going to be a devastating album...

I will say that I'm not much of a fan of modern Death Metal but this album keeps with the traditions of the old ways and flays it out on the slab for modern ears to devour.  This album keeps me interested than most modern Death Metal with all of the awesome solo's and dual vocals it's not just the same sounds over and over and the slams are fucking huge as are the blasts and furious drumming on the album it's a fire fight within a war within a nuclear fire it's just epic.  I've never been much of a fan of the sound bytes that Death Metal bands put within their music but on this album it's not over used or just horrific gore noises it sets up the tracks really well. 

Everything on this album is just used really well, there's no over use of anything, which seems to be the staple for death metal these days, when used in moderation these huge aspects of the music can become the focal points as opposed to being something you expect which is a huge kudos to Aborted.  Nothing sounds the same and each track is unique in it's own right and keeps in with the aesthetic of the album and the Aborted sound which is awesome.

The Necrotic Manifesto is just a huge sounding album, but the tracks never sound cluttered or over produced which is an awesome thing to hear, a lot of the time these days Death Metal all sounds cold and robotic and without a soul but this has a warmth to it which makes this album just sound absolutely massive.  As I said all of the tracks sound different, you are never left with the feeling that you heard something before and some of the stand out tracks are the ones that give even a different feel to the normal death metal sound such as track 10 “Die Verzweiflung” which is a slammy, slow, almost doomy track with some massive drums and awesome guitar squeals, for me this track just destroyed the preconcieved notions I had of modern DM.  Look I could sit here and describe this album track by track, note by note but all you really need to know is that this album is just huge and sounds awesome and in my opinion this is what modern death metal should sound like.

Pros:

No over use of sound bytes

Warmth and feeling, doesn't sound robotic and soulless

The solo's and drumming are off the fucking chain

The whole album sounds wicked

Cons:

I honestly can't think of any...

Overall Impression:

This is what modern death metal should sound like Aborted have raised the bar in my opinion, offers something new to the ever growing Death Metal genre.

Track List:

Six Feet Of Foreplay

The Extirpation Agenda

Necrotic Manifesto

An Enumeration Of Cadavers

Your Entitlement Means Nothing

The Davidian Deceit

Coffin Upon Coffin

Chronicles Of Detruncation

Sade & Libertine Lunacy

Die Verzweiflung

Excremental Veracity

Purity Of Perversion

Of Dead Skin & Decay

Cenobites

Total Running Time: 42:34

Line-up:

Sven De Caluwe - Gurgloroth

Mendel Bij De Leij - Flesh Upon The Razor Wire

Danny Tunker - Immaculate Resection

JB van der Wal - Nocturnal Pulse

Ken Bedene - Hymen Blaster

Genre: Death Metal

Release Date: 28th April 2014

Label: Century Media

Links: 

www.goremageddon.be

www.facebook.com/Abortedofficial

www.instagram.com/abortedmetal

www.myspace.com/abortedmetal

www.reverbnation.com/aborted

www.twitter.com/abortedmetal

www.youtube.com/user/abortedbelgium

1000 Mods: Vultures Review

1000 Mods: Vultures

1000 Mods is an odd name for a psych/stoner band but don't let that fool you, these dudes punch out the riffs like they've been doing it their whole lives.  You can hear the old school influences pulsing throughout the album, but that's not to say it's all old school... sure you can hear some Blue Cheer or Hawkwind and even Sabbath in there, but there's a lot of the new school psychedelia going on here too, such as Colour Haze or Orange Goblin and even Kyuss at times.  Vultures is full of large modern sounds dripping with the acid fuzz of the early era of psych rock.

Every track on Vultures is just about as groovy as it gets the happy psychedelic riffs bounce around your speakers like you're front row at a phish concert, then there's the monsterous heavy riffs they have that pull you back down to earth and punch you in the guts.  While they all have that sound that is inherently 1000 Mods, there isn't anything that makes you go “well hey wait a sec this sounds like that track from before” it's a very well spaced, timed and written album, no recycled riffs here.

I really love the slow and menacing openings that happen in a few tracks on this album, they sound awesome and set up the coming thunderstorm perfectly, this is most prevalent on “Vultures” the namesake to the album, which also pounds in to one of the best head moving riffs on the album.  The opening track “Claws” starts with a clean sounding guitar that made me think that this might have been a post rock album but to my surprise it kicked in to the classic fuzz sound that is synonymous with psych rock and really blew me away, I was hooked from start to finish with this album, 1000 Mods have really created a strong album steeped in the old school but dipped in the gooey modern flavour, an instant classic! 

Pros:

Classic sound, modern usage.

Awesome riffs and solos

They don't push the issue, they aren't looking to stress you out or nothing man, they just want to entertain you.

Cons:

For me something about the vocals sounded to uniform, some more variation would be great.

Overall Impression:

This is an awesome album, has all of the ingredients I love, such as heavy riffs, awesome solo's, catchy as hell and that head moving flavour.  This is the perfect album to have on while you're working on your big block in the shed! 

Track List:

Claws

Big Beautiful

She

Horses' Green

Low

Vultures

Modesty

Reverb of the New World

Total Running Time: 38:50

Line-up:

Dani - Bass & Vox

Giannis - Guitars

George - Guitars

Labros - Drums

Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Stoner Metal

Release Date: 30th May 2014

Label: The Lab Recs

Links:

www.1000mods.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/1000mods

 

Yoth Iria - Under His Sway EP review

Yoth Iria come with an incredible pedigree to back them up, the members helped to create the Hellenic black metal scene from way back in the early 90's Mutilator was a founding member of Rotting Christ and Varathron.  The Magus is predominantly a producer and helped build that Hellenic sound that has created bands like Necromantia, Thou Art Lord and of course Rotting Christ.  George Emmanuel the owner of Pentagram Studios and prior member of Rotting Christ shreds the guitars on this EP as well.  So you can see where their sound comes from, it's built upon tradition and brings it forth to the modern era.

Under His Sway is an incredible feat of production, song writing and an immense sound with incredibly nuanced moments of reflection.  The whole EP has had me nodding along while I write this.  The music is black metal at it's core, but it's so much more.  Of course it has the extreme drumming, the tremelo picking and the fury, but somewhere in the midst of all of this incredible chaos, there is soul, there is a story being forged, there is life... and death for that matter.

From the opening you feel this EP being brought to life, you feel the immensity of what you're about to bare witness to and as it builds you brace yourself for the onslaught.  The opening track Under His Sway is monstrous and ever evolving, it begins sparsely as the music builds you truly feel the rage building and this happens a number of times throughout the track in different manners, it's amazing song writing.  It has this feeling of it almost being a marching song that armies would listen to upon their way to war.  

The second track Sid-Ed-Gjinn opens as a crawling middle eastern, black doom epic then just as you're settling in to the chugging riffs and traditional vocals they drop it and fire up the extreme machine and it blows up in to a bigger monster than it was, but yet somehow maintains the chuggy doomy feel.  I can feel myself opening my arms to the heavens while listening to this track, it's unintentional but I want to embrace the sun gods of old and curse all these modern false idols.  This track just feels massive, the music isn't heaps intrusive or over the top, it's the story telling that makes it feel this way.

For the final track on the EP Mutilator reached back in to his reliquary of tracks and revived probably one of my favourite black metal tracks of all time Visions of the Dead Lovers from his old band Rotting Christ, they took it, updated it but definitely kept all of the key ingredients intact, and definitely improved some.  Huge track!

Under His Sway as a whole is an incredibly huge album, it's only a 3 track EP but it gives the listener so much more than that.  You could listen to it 100 times and still hear something that you never noticed before.  It has something that a lot of newer bands are missing these days, sure they have the story via lyrics but Yoth Iria write epics, they write the song as a story you don't just get it from the lyrics you get the story from the feelings the music evokes within you, the lyrics are just an extra part of the whole picture.  Incredible writing and I can't wait to hear more from these guys!

Pros:

• Incredible song writing
• The music builds an image in your mind
• There is more than meets the eye upon first listen

Cons:

• It's just to damn short, I was left wanting more.... don't get me wrong I'm going to listen to this over and over I just wish it was longer.

TL;DR:

Yoth Iria have started something huge, they have written 2 incredible songs and covered one of the best black metal tracks ever, and upon the way have given us a taste of how it should be done, how black metal should be written.  Not with utter rage and chaos but a controlled burn, the rage and chaos is still there but it's measured and spent wisely not just thrown upon the altar and hacked up, it's placed upon the altar and dissected with great care.

Tracks:

1. Under His Sway

2. Sid-Ed-Gjinn

3. Visions of the Dead Lovers (Rotting Christ Cover)

Line-up:

The Magus - Vocals

George Emmanuel - Guitars

Jim Mutilator - Bass

J.V. Maelstrom - Drums

Genre: Black Metal

Release Date: 

Label: Repulsive Echo

Links: 
www.repulsiveecho.com

www.yothiria.bandcamp.com
(bandcamp coming soon)

Follywood and the downfall of creativity

I've always been a big movie fan in the past and some of my greatest memories are from really getting in to films and the people playing the characters that have truly swept me away from reality.

Recently though I think that's changed, I used to make lists of movies I really wanted to see, now that list has shrunk from 30 a year to maybe 1 or 2 and of the ones I watch throughout the year that I just watch and aren't looking forward to, the really good ones are usually not big budget or made by a major studio and I have a feeling that it has something to do with me getting tired of the hollywood formulae.  you know the ones, 'guy meets girl, guy deceives girl, girl gets mad, guy makes it up to girl, they all live happily ever after' or 'baddie does something bad, goodie tries to work out who dunnit, baddie does something else bad, goodie almost catches him, baddie gets away, goodie works out where he is and finds him before he does something else bad, they all live happily ever after'  time and time again these formulas are played out with different characters, different scenarios, and different locations but it's essentially the same plot and I guess I've grown tired of it.  The films that really excite me these days are movies that break that mould and try and create something truly original, and these days for me the only genres that are doing that are science fiction and horror, but even within those genres there is a lot of rehashed plot lined.

Science Fiction and Horror movies are probably my favourite genres mainly because I think I really enjoy the content, even movies that have been lauded as horrible, like John Carter I quite enjoyed because it's something that interests me,  Then there's movies that have been lauded as great which I just couldn't get in to such as Rogue One and that's a big one for me to say because Star Wars is probably my favourite saga ever, for me, I just really couldn't get in to the characters, the story didn't really do a great job of making me want to care about them, I just felt like it was a story that didn't need to be told and the characters were weak and didn't have much substance to them. that's just me though, I know a lot of you probably liked it.

Horror is the other genre I really enjoy and if you don't know why, you should go and read my last blog.  It's a genre which can be tired and sore, but now and then movies come out that really make you see how good the horror genre can be.  I'm not really one for slasher flicks so much but sure I do love some of them, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th of course, but it's mainly the supernatural films I really enjoy, movies like Sinister or Insidious and even the Poltergeist movies it just has a lot of depth if the directors and writers aren't afraid to break the mould and create something different.

Take a look at The Blair Witch Project for instance, which at the time I saw it was absolutely terrifying and almost hard to watch.  and even though it's not supernatural the original Saw film really gave audiences something they'd never seen before.  Those 2 movies changed horror and maybe even film as a whole, it showed that you don't need a massive cast, budget or anything really, it showed that all you need is a good script and the balls to try something different.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that these days the big Hollywood studios and the big execs have been doing this for so long they are getting old, they have no idea what it's like in the real world, they have a formula that makes them money but for people like me it has become stale and boring and I really can't handle much that comes from there these days, even Marvel has gotten boring for me which is kind of surprising as I'm a geek from way back.  I'll watch the movies and probably enjoy them but it's not something I'm really hanging out for, I won't see them at the cinema, I'll probably wait for them to come out on netflix or some other streaming service.

I want to see more movies that push the boundaries, movies that make me go wow or sit back and really make me feel something.  Actors can be a big part of this, when I saw The Dark Knight at the cinema I was absolutely flabbergasted by Heath Ledgers performance as The Joker, when it ended I applauded, not because I thought that it was a good movie that it deserved one, even though it totally did, but the applause just happened completely by accident I just started applauding before I even realised I was doing it, then other people joined in, movies and performances like that really make me see what cinema can be like but these days I feel like they're stuck in a bit of a creative rut and they can't get out of it, it's still making them a lot of money but it's also making people bored.  

Unless I'm the only one, who knows?

Vikinghammer out.

Hidden Intent - Fear Prey Demise review

Hidden Intent are part of the new wave of Thrash Metal that has a massive resurgence of late and are a prime example of what it should sound like. One of the best if not the best thrash metal act in Australia Hidden Intent are continuing to assert their dominance on the genre and Fear Prey Demise is no exception.


I've been following Hidden Intent almost from their inception, seeing them play live at the local footy club just after they had returned from their very first tour of south east Asia which was an interesting gig haha. No vocals for the majority of the gig because of the grueling tour and then long flights home Chris had blown his voice out. But what was clear from this gig was that the band has that fury, the musicians are all top caliber and they have the drive and the will to succeed and as they keep touring and writing, their music is maturing and becoming one hell of a fucking beast!

Fear Prey Demise is the band's second full length release and it's a huge leap forward in terms of songwriting for the band, whereas before they were writing straight thrash metal with the obligatory solos, guitarwork and vocals, now they have matured and their songs have more substance and feeling to them. The music is a very anthemic style of thrash, more like Anthrax and Megadeth than the other 2 bands in the big 4. But everything is so well done it's hard to fault anything, all I want to do is swear heaps and headbang along and that is something because I don't really like Anthrax or Megadeth but these guys offer something a little bit more than them.

The musicianship and vocals on Fear Prey Demise are amazing, everything is played perfectly... Phil on the guitars has to be one of the best guitarists in Adelaide or even Australia his blistering solos are insane, I could feel my face melting away the longer the album went on. Chris' vocals on this album are excellent and his bass playing is not just there to keep time, he's more like Steve Harris he brings it all together and then solo's out himself at times. Then the newest addition to the band Paul on drums just thumps the fucking shit out of the kit and gives this album a perfect backdrop, from the gallops and the blast beats all the way to the softer moments it's all in perfect position!

The songs are insanely well written and you'll never get bored while listening to the album because there's no songs that sound anything like any of the other songs on the album, which is extremely interesting. I'm not sure whether that's because the band is still trying to find their sound or whether it's because they gather influences from such a wide range of sources that they incorporate all of that information in to their music. Either way there's nothing I didn't like on Fear Prey Demise. There's the standard anthemic thrash masterpiece in Addicted to Thrash which would be a real crowd pleaser at gigs, I could imagine more windmills than the dutch countryside. Then there's an almost Black Label Society style barn burner called Petrified which is a lot darker and heavier than anything else on the album. There's the obligatory comedy style thrash bastard by the name of Drop Bears are Real which reminds me a lot of Anthrax. In between these songs there's always something different there's the epic Seeds of Hate, the uncompromising fury of Apocalypse Now and of course the ballad which is titled Waiting Here in Hell which reminds me so much of Metallica's ballads. There's definitely something for all fans here, I FUCKING loved this album!

I can't stop listening to this album, the more I listen the more I find to love about it. 3 dudes wrote and recorded this album which is something that I cannot understand, they sound like a 5 piece at least!

Hidden Intent have just recorded an absolutely classic metal album, Fear Prey Demise will be the album they play to herald the coming of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse.

Pros:

• Same thrash sound, different thrash feel
• Some absolutely blistering guitar work
• a lot more feeling and emotion
• can't stop listening

Cons:

• Can't stop listening... I have things to do man, and my neck is getting sore!

Track List:

1. Prey for your Death
2. Addicted to Thrash
3. Seeds of Hate
4. Drop Bears are Real
5. Waiting Here in Hell
6. Apocalypse Now
7. Eternal Rest
8. Petrified
9. Step into the Light
10. Imminent Psychosis

Total Running Time: 48:11

Line Up:
Chris McEwen - Bass / Lead Vocals
Phil Bennett - Guitars / Vocals
Paul Lewis - Drums / Vocals

Genre: Thrash
Release Date: Available now on their Bandcamp page (link below), Worldwide release 6th July, 2018.
Label: Scarlet Records
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/hiddenintent/
https://hiddenintent.bandcamp.com/

Evil Hunter - Evil Hunter review

It's not often you hear of bands from Spain but I feel like Evil Hunter is one of those bands that you'll hear from very soon. Creating their own brand of power thrash it makes you feel like you could take on the world and leave no survivors. The music is fast, thrashy and epic as hell!


Forged from some of the best metal musicians Spain has to offer, Evil Hunter is an amalgam of pure power and fire and this is their first album working together and it's of such a high standard, I'm honestly aghast at the purity of this recording. Not only is the recording so extremely crisp but the songwriting is incredible, the riffs are huge, the solo's are perfection and the power is almost second to none. As this album is their first outing I'm incredibly excited to hear more from these guys, everything they have presented here is really amazing. But let's delve a little deeper.

The songs on this album are classic power thrash not unlike Cage or Flotsam and Jetsam but I feel like these guys are almost giving it an almost glam metal sound to it, which is an interesting mix, but it doesn't sound out of place or wrong. The music is decidedly anthemic as well, something you can sing and headbang along to that gives you that feeling of power, I could see myself doing that a lot with Evil Hunter.

The musicianship is staggering, these guys are all seasoned musicians so that's to be expected, but what I didn't expect was that these guys would all work so well together. The band just gels so well that you could be mistaken that these guys have been together for an eternity but that's not the case... this is their FIRST album together. The guitars are insanely good, as to be expected in this genre. The bass stands out on it's own it's not just following along with the guitars which is good to hear. The vocals are amazing, Rob Halfordesque or even Bon Jovi-ish, regardless he has a huge amount of power in his pipes that's for sure. Everything is just so cohesive and well played that it's honestly hard to fault in the slightest.

The tracks on Evil Hunter are standard fare for this genre, plenty of power and fire, but they do it better than most other bands of this genre, I feel. They even have the obligatory synth backed ballad which is amazing, I usually don't like it when bands do "the ballad" but this one is surprisingly good, the power stays intact, it sounds like an 80's Bon Jovi ballad, and they keep it free of cheese... mostly, hard not to feel a bit of camp. This is one of those albums you put on when you're feeling down, the tracks are so uplifting and powerful that it's impossible to stay in a bad mood when you listen to it.

Evil Hunter have released an amazing first album, I can't wait to hear more of their work because they can only grow from here which is an insane thought. There is so much power and fury within the walls of this album that it's hard not to take notice, it's not something you can put on in the background because you'll find yourself being distracted all the time. I loved this album, it's everything a power thrash fan needs and more. Take note, Evil Hunter are coming!

Pros:

• So much power
• Incredible musicianship
• Insane vocals
• A standout in a very campy genre
• Power

Cons:

• Does sound a little campy at times
• To much power for mere mortals

Track List:

1. Surf The Waves
2. Evil Hunter
3. Heartbeat
4. Hot Leather
5. Hold Me Tight
6. Go
7. By Your Side
8. Open Up Your Eyes

Total Running Time: 35:02

Line up:
Alberto Garrido - Bass
Gustavo Segura - Drums
Victor Duran - Guitars
Jose Rubio - Guitars, Vocals
Damian Chicano - Lead Vocals

Genre: Power/Thrash
Release Date: 10th April, 2018
Label: Fighter Records
Links:
https://fighter-records.bandcamp.com/album/evil-hunter
https://www.facebook.com/evilhunterband/

Witch Mountain - Witch Mountain review

Witch Mountain are one of those bands that have to be listened, to be understood, gorgeous silky vocals, slow chuggy riffs, everything in their music is as it should be, it's a pleasure to listen to.


Now I have reviewed Witch Mountain before with their last album Mobile of Angels, since then they've changed vocalists as the incomparable Uta Plotkin left to pursue other projects, at the time I thought to myself who are they going to get to replace her? her voice was so perfect for Witch Mountain. From the first utterance of vocal on this album I knew they had found the PERFECT replacement, she keeps up with Uta and not only that she adds a little bit more darkness and age to the vocals which is surprising considering she's only 19, Kayla Dixon has that "it" factor that bands dream of having in their ranks. I feel like Witch Mountain is now complete.

The album only contains 5 tracks but it doesn't need any more than that to get the point across, they get through some really hefty material in such a short amount of time which is no mean feat. While Mobile of Angels was a pretty dark album, Witch Mountain eclipses that by a pretty large margin. Think of Mobile as someone dying slowly where everyone gets to say goodbye and by the end they're ready for the inevitable void. Witch Mountain is like someone dying suddenly in front of their friends and family and the grief and anger that would undoubtedly come afterwards. I guess?

I've already talked about the outstanding vocals, but that's not the only thing that stands out here, The guitars are chunky, slow and heavy but at times sparse and epic. The drums are incredible, they drive the songs to where they need to get to with such finesse, it's remarkable playing. The bass fills out the bottom end and gives the music so much meat, you can almost cut yourself off a piece. All in all I can't fault any of the musicianship on this album in the slightest, one of the most complete albums I've ever heard!

I mentioned before that there's only 5 tracks on this album but they are long and each track tells such an amazing story. The album starts with Midnight, a dark, angry song which is something we are used to hearing from Witch Mountain but not on this level, this track drags you down with it, you can feel the anger it was written with. Next is Mechanical World which is a more experimental type song which really allows Kayla to take her vocal cords for a bit of a stretch. Then comes Burn it Down which is a chunky doom epic, the vocals are really the show piece on this track. Hellfire is next which is a sparse acoustic, almost 1920's deep south blues style rock disasterpiece. Then the final track on the album Nighthawk which is a sprawling 15 minute doomy opus, with many ups, downs, lefts and rights, it almost compiles the album in upon itself and unleashes a final explosion of emotion.

After listening to Witch Mountain a few times I just can't get it out of my head, the groove is second to none it crawls along at a snails pace for the most part and drags you along with it, it's dark and gritty but at the same time light and airy... I feel exhausted after listening to the album but I'm still left wanting to hear it again. Such incredible song writing and with the addition of a new singer they haven't lost what makes Witch Mountain, Witch Mountain which is awesome.


Pros:

• Such incredible song writing
• The vocals are insanely good
• Great use of dark and light
• A more complete album has never been written

Cons:

• After hearing this album I just want more!

Track List:
1. Midnight
2. Mechanical World
3. Burn You Down
4. Hellfire
5. Nighthawk

Running time: 35:06

Line-up:
Nathan Carson - Drums
Rob Wrong - Guitars
Justin Brown - Bass
Kayla Dixon - Vocals

Genre: Doom / Blues
Release Date: May 25th 2018
Label: Svart Records
Links:
https://witchmountain.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/witchmountain/

Classic Bands you may or may not have heard of Part 3: Electric Wizard

From the south of England during times of great turmoil, a sound grew, a sound that echoed with the distrust and hatred of the disenfranchised. That sound reverberated through earth and gave birth to its final form, a Wizard of pure energy and electricity, an Electric Wizard.


This one is a little different to the past couple of bands I've done in this series as Electric Wizard are still actively touring and writing music but outside of their genre, Doom, not many have heard of "The Wizard" or if they have they haven't listened to them. Which is a shame, they take what Black Sabbath invented and made it darker (yes, darker) gave it more bottom end (yes, more bottom end) and they have written some of the most important albums in the Doom genre.

A three hour car ride south from Birmingham (the birthplace of the Black Sabbath) will find you in Dorset the birthplace of Electric Wizard or more accurately the birthplace of Lord of Putrefaction which through a few line up and name changes became the abominable Electric Wizard. A band who plumbs the depths of the diminished 5th and has written some of the darkest doom that ever found it's way out of satan's black heart. Not only do they write some of the darkest music ever conceived but they write honestly some of the catchiest and incredibly sprawling, incomparably heavy, and just absolutely immense music, in every sense of the word.

Electric Wizard is definitely one of my favourite band of all time if not my favourite so I find it criminal that so few people know of them or if they know of them they haven't heard their music before. Electric Wizard should be taught in schools it should be Maths, Science, History, Electric Wizard.

In the early days after the release of Come My Fanatics the band got caught in a series of mishaps Jus Oborn, the founder, Vocalist and Guitarist of the band got arrested for Arson for torching a car outside of a police station, Mark Greening the drummer got arrested for breaking in to an off license and stealing a bottle of whiskey which he sat on the footpath out the front and drank. Tim Bagshaw fell through the window of a church trying to steal a crucifix off the roof that they could use on stage which he got community service for. Mark Greening broke his collarbone in an accident and Jus Oborn suffered a collapsed eardrum on stage and severed his finger while laying carpet wink. All of these anti-social shenanigans and injuries fueled the dark sound that went in to their music back then, which I don't think anyone is complaining about, except for maybe the band members.

Since the release of Let us Prey they have calmed down a bit which is probably a good thing. Their music still reigns supreme in the world of Doom and their legacy remains intact. Jus Oborn has been the figurehead of the band from day one and has had a very strong idea of what the band is and should be which has rubbed a few band members the wrong way Mark Greening the original drummer left on bad terms but later reconciled and returned to help write their second last album Time to Die which they released in 2014. The turmoil between Jus and Mark helped fuel the foreboding sound on the album and made me think of some of their earlier releases. Justin Greaves left on bad terms also stating that he hated that loser (Oborn) and would piss on his grave. I feel like this is a common theme in bands where there is one founder and other members join and leave because they don't really get much of a say in the way the band runs or the way the band writes.

Every band has their hard times and most of those bands use those experiences to fuel their writing process but none more effectively than Electric Wizard, you can hear it through the era's of their music. The early days were fueled by injuries and anti-social behaviour and spawned Electric Wizard, Come my Fanatics, Dopethrone and Let us Prey and you can hear it in those albums. The second era was forged by members coming and going endless touring and the addition of perennial mainstay in Liz Buckingham which gave birth to the albums We Live, Witchcult Today and and Black Masses. Then there's the modern era which saw a former enemy return and Electric Wizard reform the craft that they have spent their entire life perfecting which saw them spew forth, Time to Die and Wizard Bloody Wizard. All of these eras are pretty distinct in their sound, of which I love the second era the best, the addition of Liz Buckingham really fleshed out the guitars and gave them a more catchy sound.

Of all the bands I've ever heard none have been more captivating to me than Electric Wizard, once they come up on my playlist that's all I'll be listening to for the rest of the day, I'll go from listening to a fully shuffled playlist to all Electric Wizard because Funeralopolis or Saturnine popped up in the shuffle. That's not a word of a lie by the way, that's the absolute truth. it's happened way to many times for it to be a passing fancy.

VikingHammer Out!

Sleep - The Sciences review

It's the fourth month, day number twenty in the foul year of our lord two thousand and eighteen or 4/20 and of course Sleep has released their latest album "The Sciences" it's a drug fueled romp through the voidal sonisphere.


The Sciences is Sleep's first album since 1999 when they originally released the album Dopesmoker which has been etched in to the stone of doom metal history. So after all of these years and other bands the members have been in how does 2018 Sleep stack up to the Sleep of the 90's do they manage to keep what makes Sleep, Sleep?

Yes, is the short answer but lets look into why and how? in the 90's Sleep were adept at writing music that conjured images of an incredible journey through time and space, with such slow chuggy riffs their music was almost meditative in nature, especially if you're baked. If you're stoned listening to Sleep you can help but to close your eyes, slouch back in your bean bag and get taken away to another universe of Hashishian travellers or Marijuanauts traversing great distances in search of the sacred smoke. The Sciences is a perfect addition to the Sleep discography, it has all of the great things that Sleep have trademarked, updated with a few more years of knowledge and technique.

The Sciences contains, immense chugging riffs, Al Cisneros' monk chantlike vocals, vast basslines, and deep thundering drums all things that make Sleep, Sleep. Somehow and some way, this album seems far more mature and complete than previous efforts which is surprising considering they haven't really changed much in the formula. The instruments as a whole are, as to be expected, perfection. The main thing that I think kept drawing me back to Sleep was the relaxation effect that I used to feel when I was listening to them, even in shorter bursts, popping on Sleep was the key to a relaxing afternoon or a good wind down after work. This hasn't changed in the slightest, in fact The Sciences seems to up the ante in this regard, Al Cisneros' work with his band Om throughout the hiatus has probably helped this fact.

The Sciences is an incredibly well rounded album, it has that incredible Sleep sound but updated to a more modern setting. It's hard to find fault with the album in all honestly, after all of these years I can still say that Sleep are one of my favourite stoner/doom bands and adding this album certainly hasn't changed that fact.

Pros:
Still Sleep
Epic chugging mastery
Meditative

Cons:
None come to mind

Track List:
The Sciences
Marijuanaut
Sonic Titan
Antarcticans Thawed
Giza Butler
The Botanist
Running Time: 53:00

Line-Up:
Al Cisneros - Bass, Vocals
Matt Pike - Guitars
Jason Roeder - Drums

Genre: Stoner / Doom
Release Date: 20/4/18
Label: Third Man Records
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/officialsleep/
https://sleep.merchtable.com/?no_redirect=true

Rites of thy Degringolade - The Blade Philosophical review

Spawned in 1997 Rites of thy Degringolade was originally the solo project of Paulus Kressman who has at one time or another played every instrument in the band. The band has evolved, mutated and re-animated itself in to what we see today a more polished and advanced form of being than what was originally an experimental one piece band. The Blade Philosophical still holds those experimental roots of the early Degringolade but has some really blazing and intense musicianship that buries you in your chair so as not to ignite in to some flaming Balrog from the depths of Moria.

The Blade Philosophical holds so much power, as you listen to it you get the feeling that this was not meant for mortal ears, this feels like music for a higher being. It's absolutely crushing but at the same time it's majestic and also has a sense of foreboding that comes along with the crushing majesty, like Rites of thy Degringolade are predicting an astral tragedy that will affect the universe as we know it. The more I listen to this album the more I feel like this to be the absolute truth... so stay tuned for annihilation!

The way the compositions are put together on The Blade Philosophical are quite intricate and eclectic but never does the music feel cramped or like they are trying to be experimental for the sake of it. The drums are so epic, in every way. The speed of the music changes quite frequently but the drums never lose their place, they're played to perfection. The guitars have quite a task putting together these eclectic and masterful pieces of music, but they manage to put down some incredible work on these tracks, from sparse moments of reflection to complete brutal speed picking, to blazing solos, it's amazing work. The vocals are harsh, unrelenting and in moments they hold the tone for the track, on the opening track for instance the music seems to be following the vocals, not the other way around. There's also a really open reverb to the vocals that makes it sound like they are being sung from another plane.

The tracks contained within this album are so inventive and really incredible to hear. The opening track 'Above the Highest' opens the album perfectly, it gives you some insight to the way the album is headed without giving away the ending, with a deep horn playing in the background throughout a portion of the track which really gives you a pretty intense feeling of anxiety, this is the perfect opening to the album, it chugs along but it chugs at such a pace that it feels like something that will never end, unrelenting and punishing. The album seems to graduate from here and gets darker, faster and heavier like something is being unleashed, like a darkness is shrouding the earth. It's the second track which is the title track for the album 'The Blade Philosophical' where the darkness begins to spread, darker than the track before but not dissimilar in the chugging mentality, maybe with a little more of the eclectic guitar work. Track 3 'The Universe in Three Parts' is where this album really gains it's wings, it's so dark and sparse that it honestly feels like the end of all things. Interspersed with these sparse moments are moments of complete and utter brutality, replete with a masterful solo, track 3 is my favourite on the album. 'Totalities Kompletion' is track 4 and it's easily the heaviest on the album, just an absolute feast of brutal noise. Track 5 'I am The Way, The Truth and The Knife' is another brutal monstrosity but it has some very interesting fills and parts between the noise that sets it aside. It's eclectic, interesting and has some really crazy parts that you just want to windmill to. The final track on the album 'The Final Laceration' is an eclectic, masterful, feast for the ears, the guitars sound like a plague approaching, there is this really epic vocal moment that sounds like they are calling down the frogs and blood. Honestly every song on this album have some truly incredible moments, they all sound different but carry the same mentality, and that is absolute destruction.

All in all I really enjoyed The Blade Philosophical, the album is so interesting to listen to it never sounds boring or stale. There's so much happening but it never sounds cluttered, it's just very interesting timing and playing. This is the first time I've crossed paths with Rites of thy Degringolade but I'm very glad that I have and now I'm going to go through their back catalog and witness the devastation first hand.

Pros:

• Eclectic and interesting
• Brutal as all hell
• A devastating mix of experimentation and tradition

Cons:

• Some people might find it hard to listen to
• sometimes the drums take over

Track List:

1. Above the Highest
2. The Blade Philosophical
3. The Universe in Three Parts
4. Totalities Kompletion
5. I Am The Way, The Truth and The Knife
6. The Final Laceration

Total Running Time: 41:06

Line-up:
Paulus Kressman – Drums, Vocals
J Wroth – Guitars
N.K.L.H. - Guitars
C.W. - Bass

Genre: Extreme Metal
Release Date: 15th March, 2018
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions
Links:
https://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-blade-philosophical
https://www.facebook.com/Rites-of-Thy-Degringolade-283238285133389/

Hawkmoth - Godless Summit Review

Hawkmoth from Sydney, Australia are one of those rare bands that need to be heard. They are an instrumental metal band in the vein of Mogwai or Pelican. They have an incredible style and way of creating their music, it has so much feeling. The music feels like a gathering storm, or a surge of water ebbing and flowing with the weight of the oceanic tide.

Godless Summit is their latest album released late last year, it's an amazing accomplishment. The depth of music that this four piece manage to conjure really makes you feel as though you are an explorer facing something insurmountable, but inevitably trying. Like an impassable mountain range but the only way is over or back the way you came and around. Like the explorer's of old forging a new path through the darkest places of this world, but not the stories where they have succeeded, the stories that end in crushing woe. Godless Summit is only part 1 of a 2 part opus the second of which we'll see sometime this year hopefully.

The Musicianship on Godless Summit is spectacular, it's heavy, majestic and at times ambient and pleasing. The guitars have this distortion on them that makes me think of old school hard rock but it fits really well with this style of music. The guitars go from crushing heaviness to a really pleasing ambience, which gives the music this incredible ebb and flow. The drums manage to flow throughout the music offering exclamation points on the heaviest parts to giving the music something to raise your fist to and bang your head along to on the more ambient parts. All around the instruments are amazing, I can't fault them in the slightest.

Godless Summit is a really well created album it starts slow and builds tension then gets to a point where you feel like the odds are against you then you feel the hardship and crushing despair then when you feel like you can't take anymore, comes the feeling of complete and utter futility. It's a disasterpiece in 4 parts and it's hard to stop listening once you've started.

I feel like Hawkmoth have honestly made one of the best instrumental albums I've ever heard. I love Mogwai, Pelican and Russian Circles etc. but Godless Summit really just feels like a complete story, like this isn't just something that they've written, it's something they've experienced, or at least researched extensively. It feels like they've poured a lifes work in to the wave form and what has come out is exactly what it needs to be, if it were any different it wouldn't be Godless Summit and this review would be entirely different.

Pros:

Amazing use of ambience
The story telling is incredible
The musicianship is perfect


Cons:
I can't think of any

Track List:
Godless Summit 8:27
Ibex 5:54
Mala Fide 9:36
Charnel Grounds 13:51

Line-up:
Aaron Steed - Bass
Andy Griggs – Guitar
Heath Blows – Guitar
Brendan Mackay – Drums

Genre: Post Rock / Metal
Release Date: December, 15th 2017
Label: Unsigned
Links:
https://hawkmoth.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Hawkmoth