Best of 2023

A problem I run into every year around this time, is realizing that it’s not humanly possible to sample and listen to all the “good” music being released in the heavy metal universe within that calendar year.

2023 is no different.

I’ve probably listened to over a hundred releases and ultimately (and might I say painstakingly) narrowed it down to thirty-five releases which include EPs as well. And then I further split hairs and created a top ten list. 🏆

I’ve been writing these listicles for over a decade now, and on this website of mine for the last eight years (see #AOTY for the past lists). The lists are purely based on how often I’ve listened to particular albums, my bias towards to heavy music subgenres and my inclination towards clamouring support for the proverbial “underground”. The only non-negotiable criteria is that it is deemed “metal” as per metal-archives.com.

Before I go into my top ten, I’d like to call out my favorite non-metal album of the year - Poison Ruïn’s Härvest. Umlauts are back in vogue. This is a concoction of punk, proto black metal and post-punk that blew me away and probably gained maximum spins on my turntable. I hear they’re quite a fierce and fun live band too.

Without further ado, here are my top heavy metal albums of 2023 ✨

I first caught wind of Thanatomass thanks to the inimitable David Glomba. The gorgeous album cover art that he did will drawn you in with all its gradiosity. And having known David’s taste over the years, the band certainly piqued my curiosity. Suffice to say, Thanatomass didn’t disappoint at the slightest. Thanatomass are a Russian primal black/death metal band with a style played in a frenzied, frenetic and chaotic manner. It has some of the “war metal” sensibilities, tons of reverb and echo with the vocals and screaming guitar solos and squeals. But in my opinion, this isn’t bestial enough that it gets incoherent. The riffs are out there and ‘Hades’ definitely hits you very hard!

Stikkersvin, from Denmark, seemed to have flown under the radar for many, which is a darn shame! The band plays black metal heavily influenced by punk. It’s like as if Taake suddenly decided to make a d-beat album. Stikkersvin will surprise you vocally from the traditional black metal screeches to shouty punk vocals to more nordic chants. Where this album wins is that you can feel the raw energy on this record right from the first track and throughout the album. High tempo and lots of headbang-y moments!

Dikasterion, a Belgian black/death band, haven’t had too many releases prior to this EP of theirs. ‘Chaos as a New World’ sounds fantastic as I feel it invokes the ghost of Order from Chaos. There isn’t something mindblowing with Dikasterion BUT they seem to know their (good) influences, acknowledge them well and their output is solid! Death metal riffs for days with an old school production and caustic vocals (very Helmkamp-y) is just what the doctor ordered. I hope this paves the way for Dikasterion to tour more and also have their first full length out in the future.

Isn’t it wild that this year was the first time I ever heard of King Gizzard?! They’re not even a heavy metal band and are often described as alternative/indie adjacent when it comes to their musical style. I listened to a handful of tracks from their catalog prior to this album and it wasn’t my cup of tea. However with PetroDragonic Apocalypse… (the title is a mouthful), these bunch of “non-metalheads” put out a really enjoyable stoner/psychedelic/thrash album. The songs are extremely catchy, groovy, filled with arcane and weird lyrics, and there’s a hook where you’d expect to hear and it doesn’t disappoint. For the archetypical heavy metal fan, King Gizzard will either get your plaudits or they will get your disapproval as a elitist. For me, it’s definitely the former but my love for King Gizzard starts and ends with this album only, and boy what an album this is!

‘Storming the Walls’ is Triumpher’s debut and you’d wonder where have these guys been lurking all this while?! This is an epic heavy/power metal band hailing from Greece. Lots of people have described this as “monumental” and it does live up to the glowingly high reviews. There are many Bathory-esque moments here as well. I’d have rated it higher if I wasn’t a casual fan of the epic heavy/power metal. But purely in terms of masterful muscianship and song composition, Triumpher probably wins album of the year for me!

From epic heavy/power in Triumpher to epic heavy/doom in Smoulder! Smoulder’s latest album, ‘Violent Creed of Vengeance’ is their best work yet. They’ve expanded their sound to explore the thrashier and the more traditional heavy metal side of things and honestly, this is a real treat for fans of the band and heavy metal fans in general! Sarah’s vocals deserve a shoutout here and I feel they’re more unhinged and at times even maniacal compared to the previous releases. This is great, go Sarah! Each song is complete in itself and the album feels like it has no fillers. The guitar melodies and riffs are meticulous but yet don’t go overboard, just arriving at almost perfection. I’m quite stoked to see Smoulder live next year at Hell over Hammaburg, until then I’m spinning this many more times!

The legendary Church of Misery return with ‘Born Under a Mad Sign’, their seventh full length album after a musical career spanning almost three decades. If you are not living under a rock, you’d know that CoM are like the Black Sabbath of Japan and if Sabbath played stoner doom. These guys, whose albums depict serial killers thematically, have produced an album which I’d rate very highly even amidst their illustrious discography. It’s almost a return to superb form with slow, groovy, bass-heavy and thunderous riffs. Kazuhiro, who returns to the band since the ‘Vol. 1’ album, displays a stellar vocal performance with the level of gruff-ness that any true stoner doom fan will enjoy. The album is quite consistent (consistently great) and there isn’t a dull moment at all. Church of Misery are back, baby!

Sentient Ruin are the one of the hottest labels in the underground right now and it is with reason after putting out several good releases across different subgenres. So when I heard of Invultation being on their roster and I saw the album art, it took me a matter of seconds to start listening to this record. Invultation are a one man black/death metal band. ‘Feral Legion’ is absolutely crushing in a bestial, Archgoat-y kind of way. Heck, I love me some caveman riffs played through a severely distorted filter but where Invultation wins me over is how he modulates the pace from slow crushing doomy heavy riffs to incoherent blasty noise. If you’re looking for something novel, Feral Legion isn’t it but if you’re looking for something that pays homage to black/death legends and possibly the Ross Bay Cult bands, then look no further. This is my death metal album of the year, oügh!

Century are possibly one of the most sought after heavy metal bands in the world. After blowing people away with their 2020 demo, these Swedes spent the next three years cooking and now we have the magnificent ‘The Conquest of Time’. Along with Tyrann, they’re holding the flame of 80s Swedish heavy metal high and proud. ‘The Conquest of Time’ is packed to the brim with trad guitar riffs, vocal moments that will get approving nods from any self respecting NWOTHM aficianado and song writing that makes the songs flow so effortlessly. If we were to talk about purely classic heavy metal albums, ‘Conquest of Time’ is my album of the year. If all goes well, then I should be seeing Century live twice next year and you know where I’ll be - right in front screaming out the chorus to ‘The Fighting Eagle’!

I’ve been a huge Malokarpatan fan ever since ‘Nordkapaten’ (the band’s sophomore album) dropped in 2017. Malokarpatan return with their fourth album, ‘Vertumnus Caesar’, their most ambitious work till date. The band hails from Slovakia and they sing in their native tongue Slovak. It’s difficult to put a finger on what Malokarpatan sounds like but I’d say that their foundations are heavy metal and proto-black metal - think of Bathory, Venom, Mercyful Fate and the obvious comparisons with Root or Master’s Hammer. But that’s just the foundational sound, ‘Vertumnus Caesar’ offers listeners so much more. The band explores 70s prog rock, Tangerine Dream-like synth-y moments, an occultish atmosphere and they concoct it all together to create something so unique that it can only be called THE Malokarpatan sound. I’ve been blown away by the record from start to finish and no matter how many listens, the album sounds as fresh as ever. Each listen giving away some of the hidden intricacies in the songs. Vertumnus Caesar is a true masterpiece and will definitely be talked about for years to come!

With that, 2023 comes to a close. Up the irons and may 2024 bring us more heavy metal! ⚔️⛓️

Air Raid - Fatal Encounter

7.5/10

For long-time fans, it might be something that will take a while to adjust because the album does evoke many emotions and it is more mellow sounding.

Air Raid are a heavy metal outfit from Gothenburg, Sweden. They’ve been riding the resurgent wave of traditional heavy metal since the 2010s and have made quite a name for themselves in the underground heavy metal circuit. I was introduced to the band through their third album, ‘Across the Line’ and then subsequently caught them live opening at the Up the Hammers festival in Athens, Greece. Seeing them release an album after close to six years caught my attention and I was curious what this gap could’ve impacted their sound or direction.

‘Fatal Encounter’ is Air Raid’s fourth album in a career spanning close to fourteen years so far. As far as first impressions go, I wasn’t extremely satisfied with what I heard and it took me a couple of more listens to understand what the band was trying to achieve. After I sank my teeth into this, it became apparent that there’s a slight change in the band’s sound. Air Raid are still a stellar heavy metal band but with ‘Fatal Encounter’, I feel a drift into AOR territory. The album also feels a bit more emotional, for lack of a better word. Earlier albums were more “straightforward” heavy metal, whereas ‘Fatal Encounter‘ gives each song, each section and each instrument more room to breathe (and shine) and it isn’t all guns blazing riffy heavy metal left, right and centre.

There are a few tracks that stand out for me. Thunderblood opens more traditionally with a powerful chorus (Thunderblood, I’m a rider of the storm) but the guitar solo is very emotive. In Solitude doesn’t refer to the band but it talks about love and breakups. Naturally the music follows the overriding emotion here from the chorus to the riffs. Edge of a Dream showcases Fredrik’s immense vocal talent. It is slightly upbeat with a very obviously catchy and likeable verse-chorus. Let the Kingdom Burn is a slower tempo song which would suit an arena with its heavy palm muted pounding riffs and groove section. The song quickly transforms into something you’d hear glam/hair bands play. ‘Fatal Encounter’ also contains two covers, See the Light by Trazy and Pegasus Fantasy by Make-Up. While I’m not too familiar with the former, the latter is a cover of a track used for a famous anime opening intro (Saint Seiya). Air Raid really makes this track their own, especially with the singing in Japanese. It sounded great!

I can see critics being quick to judge Air Raid’s slightly new direction. It’s almost very Enforcer-esque, who also changed their sound similarly in the later 2010s. Comparisons are inevitable unfortunately. Is it the most original sounding album? Definitely not. Does it have its heart in the right place and is it genuine sounding? Definitely yes. In isolation, I think ‘Fatal Encounter‘ delivers to the ardent heavy metal and heavy rock fan. For long-time fans, it might be something that will take a while to adjust because the album does evoke many emotions and it is more mellow sounding. It shows the maturity of the band and the willingness to experiment with new ideas, so props to the band for that. Overall, I think Air Raid has done a solid job with ‘Fatal Encounter’.

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Moonlight Sorcery – Nightwind: The Conqueror from the Stars

8/10

I guess their first EP which brought them to the scene caught a lot of ears off-guard and that veil of mystery has been lifted, so it’s not that much of a surprise how good Nightwind is from a songwriting and musicianship point of view.

Moonlight Sorcery hails from Tampere, Finland. They got everyone from Sarah (Banger TV) to bloggers to rave eloquently about their debut EP from last year titled Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity. It is not without any reason that this band has received such acclaim. They play a style of symphonic melodic black metal with neoclassical leanings. An oversimplified genre descriptor would be like Emperor and Yngwie Malmsteen having a baby in the backdrop of the harsh and grim Finnish winter landscape.

Many had enjoyed their first EP and it was surprising that they announced a second EP towards the end of 2022. This followup EP is titled Nightwind: The Conqueror from the Stars, and it has been available digitally since December 2022, while the physical release date was 13 January 2023. Nightwind consists of three original songs and a cover by greek black metal band Agatus.

Nightwind opens with Ancient Sword of Hate, which starts off almost in a nonchalant manner but very soon the melancholic organ parts kick in and this builds into the exceptional guitar work that we associate with the band already. Yötuulten kutsu is the next track which translates to “call of the night winds”. The track opens in a thrash-y manner and the verse-chorus sections are filled to the brim with melody and some of the catchiest riffs you’ll hear on the EP. It evokes a heroic feeling and the upbeat rhythm doubles down on that feeling.

Constellations is the next track. It is an instrumental clocking in over seven minutes long. The Wintersun influence is strong in this intro but that’s where the comparison ends because Moonlight Sorcery makes this track their own. Constellations feels like a journey. The guitar work exudes virtuosity but at the same time it is not sweeps or solos for the sake of it, but each section feels thoughtfully created.

The last track on the EP is a cover of Agatus’s Black Moon’s Blood from their Dawn of Martyrdom album, which was released in 1996. I think Moonlight has taken this track and made it fit perfectly with their style and in this EP. They’ve, quite naturally, infused their symphonic elements and also subtly added bombastic drum sounds, which provides that extra oomph (almost post-punk-y), while still retaining the essence of this old school track. The vocals are more high-pitched and fit it well too. Overall, it was total justice to the original while making it sound very Moonlight Sorcery-like.

The instrumentation and the musicianship on Nightwind is top notch. The rhythm guitars feel very rich and warm. I do not need to mention the exceptional solos and guitar leads, because I feel that I’ve overstated that fact more than a couple of times. The bass is played loud and proud and you can hear it clearly through the album and it does a great job of being the rhythmic skeleton in all songs. I’m not a fan of symphonic black metal, primarily due to the keys but I must say, like their first EP, I am a big fan of how the band uses keys. Just the right mix.

Overall, I think Nightwind is a worthy successor to Piercing, and it is also more, for lack of a better word, straightforward sounding as well. I guess their first EP which brought them to the scene caught a lot of ears off-guard and that veil of mystery has been lifted, so it’s not that much of a surprise how good Nightwind is from a songwriting and musicianship point of view. The challenge for bands aren’t the one-hit wonders but about sustaining their ability to churn out killer music from time to time. In that regard, Moonlight Sorcery has exceeded all expectations and I look forward to what the band does next!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Best of 2022

The year started off rather meekly, with not too many releases catching my attention. But with a blink of an eye, the spring season gave us some amazing death metal from Chile in the form of Rotten Tomb, Inanna and Suppression. Then there was the wave of traditional heavy metal from the Undying Victims and High Roller Records stablehouse. And before I could learn to pronounce Sanguisugabogg correctly, I already had over fifty albums bookmarked to check out. Suffice to say, every year does end up delivering hard if you make the effort to consume an inordinate amount of music!

I’ve been writing these listicles for over a decade now, and on this website of mine for the last seven years (see #AOTY for the past lists). The lists are purely based on how often I’ve listened to particular albums, my bias towards to heavy music subgenres and my inclination towards clamouring support for the “underground”. There are many albums that didn’t make the cut unfortunately like the new Misþyrming, the native-american themed bands like Blackbraid and Vital Spirit or the new Autopsy. I wish I had more time to listen to them to place them in the list below. But, here are my top ten albums of 2022!

Dusk are legends from the South Asian and Asian scene in general. Almost touching their third decade in existence, the band fronted by Babar Sheikh (ex-Impiety), released Imaginary Dead earlier this year. There are moments of death/doom, modern-era Rotting Christ, death/thrash bits with some great guitar solos and also not to mention experimental electronic synth-y sections. What shines through this album is the songwriting and the vocal performance. Dusk hail from Pakistan and it feels like the band makes a concerted effort to infuse influences from Sufi poetry and those singing/recital styles. I enjoy the spoken word sections as well as soaring melocholic screams. I rate Imaginary Dead highly and if Dusk weren’t already on the world map, this definitely puts them there!

Never judge a book (or album) by its cover but in the case of Baazlvaat, if the cover doesn’t pique your curiosity, I’m not sure what will. This can be either so bad or eccentricly genius. After a couple of spins of An Old Forgotten Text, I’m definitely leaning towards the latter. This was my first introduction to Baazlvaat, a rather peculiar black/folk and weirdly experimental band from USA (Michigan). I saw some comment which described this album as “What if Zappa grew up listening to Bathory and Celtic Frost”. It couldn’t more truer. I’ll go as far to say that this isn’t even a black metal album. Sure the vocals and some sections can indicate so, but the band goes on a musical trip exploring different directions, sometimes within the confines of a single song too. It’s brilliant! If I spent more time with Baazlvaat, I’d have rated this higher!

Negative Plane make their eleven year return with The Pact, their third studio album. I’ve heard of Negative Plane prior to this album but it was only a name I associated with something shrouded in mystery. Let it be stated that the Pact is not an easy listen (at least for me). It’s dense. It meanders through odd riff structures, weird time signatures and moments which pay tribute to the first-wave of black metal. The riffs almost feel like they could belong on a Mercyful Fate album too. They’re that good! With most of the tracks clocking over eight minutes, you will feel like you’re being taken on a mesmerizing journey. I love the production here especially with how the ambience is accentuated with church bells and chamber choir vocals. The Pact is a beautiful album and a masterpiece!

Pharmacist have released the best Carcass (Necrotism-era) sounding album ever, after Necrotism naturally. My comparisons albeit inevitable are merely meant flatter this Japanese death/grind band. Flourishing Extremities on Unspoiled Mental Grounds, boy that was a mouthful, is unique in itself wherein on one hand you can see the clear Carcass influence but at the same time they make it their own. The album comprises of grind-y songs over seven minutes long rife with some stellar guitar work. The songs have extremely catchy melodies, pummeling drums, snarly gurgly vocals and guitar solos (wait what?) to top it all off. You will not come across death/grind with guitar solos as exceptional as these. Fun fact, Andrew Lee from Ripped to Shreds, did most of the guitar leads on this album. I hope Pharmacist get the recognition they deserve because FEOUMG is a great record!

Sumerlands needs no introduction if you operate in the heavy metal realm of things. Dreamkiller is the band’s follow up to their wildly popular self-titled debut from six years ago. I would say that expectations were high for the band and with the change in vocal duties from Phil Swanson (Hour of 13 fame and many more) to Brendan Radigan (ex-Magic Circle), all eyes were on the band to see what they could deliver. Sumerlands didn’t disappoint to say the least. Dreamkiller flows so effortlessly from track to track. It’s a wonderful slab of heavy metal with AOR leanings. It’s massive sounding, the vocals are brilliant and the riffs are memorable for days! Dreamkiller cements Sumerlands’ credentials in heavy metal and although they have only two albums to their name, they’re easily one of the best heavy metal bands of the last two decades!

Elder’s album may not appear on many AOTY lists but they are on mine for several reasons, chiefly that I am a massive Elder fanboy since their magnificent Lore album from seven years ago. But I’ll also stick out my neck to say that Innate Passage has so much to offer. Elder is no longer the same band since their inception in the 2000s and they’ve transromed into this overtly proggy and (almost) instrumental ambient heavy rock band. Innate Passage takes Elder to greater heights from Omens. There’s just more (and better) of the long winding proggy/psychedelic sections with some exquisite guitar work, tremendous basslines and hooks that you expect to hear but still get blown away every time you hear them. Elder are the epitome of modern proggy heavy rock and Innate Passage is yet another great album from these extremely talented musicians.

It’s been quite a year for Wormrot with losing their second original member in Arif (their inimitable vocalist), while at the same time Hiss, their fourth full-length, being heralded as one of the best grindcore albums in recent years. Tumultuous but yet Rasyid has held the fort for so long as their guitarist and songwriter. Nonetheless, I’m glad that Arif was able to contribute to Hiss with his incredible vocal lines. It’s almost an instrument in itself lending itself to create the Wormrot sound - from the gang vocal shouts to screeches to growls. This will be his best work with Wormrot. While Arif’s vocals is one of the highlights of Hiss, I’d say the way the songs are structured and varied is yet another reason why Hiss stands out so spectacularly. There are influences from hardcore punk to Discordance Axis / Gridlink-esque grindcore to Wormrot’s earlier work (Dirge and Abuse). It’s a melting pot of styles, while still retaining Wormrot’s stamp. Hiss is not just a grindcore album, which can tend to be very one dimensional, it’s just so much more!

Luzifer are not a new band. The band members’ other band is the more well known Vulture, who are a speed/thrash demon. But we’re talking about this other avatar of theirs called Luzifer. Although having existed for over a decade, Iron Shackles is the band’s debut album. The band’s sound can be described as being influenced heavily by Mercyful Fate. It has anthemic choruses, guitar work that will make Denner and Shermann very proud, very catchy grooves and to mix it up a bit of very well chosen synths and post-punk (like in Der Golden Reiter) moments. Iron Shackles closes with a galloping Attila and often I’d put this album back on repeat. There’s not a single dull moment from start to finish and with the amount of re-play value it has, this was easily my favorite heavy metal album of the year!

Ares Kingdom are the Bolt Thrower of death/thrash. They’re unfortunately severely underrated and every few years, they deliver pulverizing and relentless albums consistently. I’d rank this album highly for that reason itself, that this is so consistent in terms of what it offers listeners. Born from the legendary “cult” band Order from Chaos in the 1990s, Ares Kingdom’s latest effort In Darkness At Last is probably one of their most brutal releases. You can feel the venom seething through the record. I can’t imagine how this would sound live. Chuck, Alex and Mike go all out with their muscianship and songwriting. Each track has something to give and the whole is greater than the sum of the individual tracks. Another highlight of this album is its production. It’s caustic and raw, almost fooling you as if you’re hearing the album live. Ares Kingdom are masters of the underground and In Darkness At Last is a great release!

Phobophilic’s Enveloping Absurdity is my death metal album of the year. These relatively lesser known young upstarts have taken the strong Demilich influence and made death metal that is heavy, groovy and also 10x more accessible to discerning ears. Heck, you can see Demilich’s Nespithe influence on the album cover too with the face drawings. But if Nespithe is the master then Enveloping Absurdity is the most promising apprentice. That’s high praise and it earns the number one spot in my list. I’ll stop with the comparisons now. Enveloping Absurdity has those “stop-start” guitar sections which are so catchy and headbang worthy, the caveronous growls, all round such great riff and seamless transitions and tempo changes. The production is very well balanced. It could’ve been murkier and that would’ve been my preference but that would’ve drowned out some of the beautiful guitar work which surfaces during the doomy/slower sections. The album title track is my favorite track which showcases everything that the album extends into. This band deserves more recognition!

With that, that’s a wrap. Until next year!

Berator - Elysian Inferno

8/10

I’d describe Berator as a black/death metal band with strong thrashy moments. If you dig bands like Archgoat, Order from Chaos and Destroyer 666 then Berator would be a shoo-in for you.

Berator hail from Chicago and are one of the newer bands on the illustrious Dark Descent Records roster. Their newly released ‘Elysian Inferno’ EP is my first introduction to the band. Prior to this EP, Berator put out a two song demo titled ‘R.A.I.D.S’ and those songs are also featured on ‘Elysian Inferno’. At first glance of the logo and album cover, I get strong vibes of black/death metal. But that’s me judging a book by its cover. What further cemented my suspicions were the band members’ partial involvement with acts like Profanatica and The Chasm as per Metal Archives. 

‘Elysian Inferno’ clocks in at slightly over 22 minutes and the six tracks went about in dizzyingly quick manner. After multiple listens, I can confidently say that my initial suspicions were not too far. I’d describe Berator as a black/death metal band with strong thrashy moments. If you dig bands like Archgoat, Order from Chaos and Destroyer 666 then Berator would be a shoo-in for you. 

The first track, ‘Sultans of Incest’ has a build up which then hits you hard in a frenzied chaotic manner. Midway the song hammers down the riffs hard. It’s definitely a promising start to the EP. ‘Onslaught to Absolution’ carries on this tempo of punishing black/death metal. ‘Dead Rats’ is a track that gets more interesting in the second half. The track explodes into hard hitting riffs, a black/thrashy section and then whammy bar guitar solos. ‘War Lust’ is heavy and creates a wall of sound but at this time for me, it feels a bit repetitive. I can commend the guitar solo and the barrage of riffs immediately after that which make it enjoyable. ‘Final crucifixion’ has a slower opening and pounds away in a very Archgoat like manner. Crushing mid-paced caveman riffs. The song does switch it up a bit with blastbeats in between. ‘Swine Cult’ is the last track on the EP. The guitars sound more buzzsaw-y than usual. It cuts right through. Out of the six tracks, I felt some were not as memorable but ‘Swine Cult’, ‘Sultans of Incest’ and ‘Final Crucifixion’ were definitely my highlights.

Right off the bat, when someone utters black/death and a band which is on a roster like Dark Descent’s, you’d imagine a muddled cavernous production. Berator’s production is somewhere between “medium rare” and “well done”. It’s perfect for my taste wherein the various instruments and vocals are equally audible. The vocals, although a tad “distant” and echo-y, it doesn’t get buried in the mix. The guitars are crisp yet raw. The rhythm section of drums and bass are tight. 

To sum up, I enjoyed ‘Elysian Inferno’. It’s a band true to their style and influences. They’re neither original nor do they seek to be original. So in that sense, the EP won’t blow you out of the water but the band’s efforts to create a slab of music which is hard hitting and honest to their influences is something worthy of checking out. 

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Schizophrenia - Recollections of the Insane

8.5/10

If you enjoy death/thrash and can stomach something even heavier, then this album is for you. Remember when Sodom released Tapping the Vein and it blew people’s minds with its heaviness? This is THAT album by Schizophrenia!

Schizophrenia burst onto the scene two years ago with their Voices EP. They took the world by storm with their brand of death/thrash metal which is very reminiscent of bands like Demolition Hammer and early Massacra. The leather-clad four piece hail from Belgium and were previously performing under the moniker of Hämmerhead with Ricky (vocals and bass) and Romeo (guitars) as founding members. Lorenzo (drums) and Marty (guitars) joined Schizophrenia in 2017 and since then they’ve garnered a good reputation around the globe.

The band has now released their followup to the Voices EP and it’s their debut full length called Recollections of the Insane. If you are acquainted with Voices, right off the bat you will notice that the band has tweaked their sound a tad. They’ve upped their death metal quotient (in their death/thrash style) several notches higher. This change in direction is not surprising when you get to know that the band members are avid fans of death metal, primarily early Morbid Angel. I heard this in a live stream of their interview and even posed a question or two about the new album. Schizophrenia veers off in a more death metal direction and that is certainly not a bad thing at all.

Recollections of the Insane opens with Divine Immolation and after a thirty second intro, they waste no time in hitting you hard with pummelling blast beats and fast guitar riffs. The vocals feel harsher as well and the chorus is laid over some exquisite guitar noodling. This is also heard on other tracks like Fall of the Damned. Cranial Disintegration is slightly on the thrash-y side but equally hard-hitting. There is a “vocal breakdown”, for lack of a better word, which is like a hammer hitting the anvil. So prepare yourself for some intense head nodding with a stank face. Sea of Sorrow wouldn’t have been out of place on the Voices EP and feels like the older Schizophrenia.

As I progressed through the album, I was getting some serious old-school Vader vibes on tracks like Monolith, Onwards to Fire and Souls of Retribution. Something about tremolo-esque death metal riffs over blast beats screams Vader to me. Onwards to Fire is a relatively mellow-er track where the band does slow things a bit in certain parts of the song. It gives the album a slightly different flavor. Souls of Retribution also showcases a one minute guitar solo in the middle of the track between the verses. There’s some immaculate musicianship on this album from all members. My favorite track is Inside the Walls of Madness and captures all the elements of what this version of Schizophrenia offers. The riffs are chuggy and very headbang-inducing. It is blast beat central and the vocals sound menacing.

Schizophrenia are doing a “reverse Sepultura” wherein they’re getting heavier and more brutal from their previous record. It’s funny because the band probably borrows its name from Sepultura’s second full length with the same name. And after Schizophrenia, Sepultura took a more thrash-y and groovy route. I feel like a knob for having to explain what I meant by “reverse Sepultura” but I hope you get the drift. Like I mentioned earlier, this change in the sound is not a bad thing.

Overall, Recollections of the Insane is well produced, a tad more polished than Voices but the intensity of the music comes right through. The guitar work effortlessly glides from chuggy riffs to melodic solos. The songwriting is tight and doesn’t feel like there are any loose ends or B-side-y material creeping into the album.

If you enjoy death/thrash and can stomach something even heavier, then this album is for you. Remember when Sodom released Tapping the Vein and it blew people’s minds with its heaviness? This is THAT album by Schizophrenia!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Tower - Shock to the System

9/10

Tower’s Shock to the System packs a quite a punch with 70s/80s nostalgia, catchy hard rocking heavy metal tunes and one of the best vocal performances I’ve heard in recent years.

If you’re into heavy metal, then anything released by Cruz de la Sur should pique your interest. Shock to the System is Tower’s latest sophomore album and I was quite excited to listen to this. Tower are a five-piece NWOBHM-inspired heavy rock band hailing from New York. Sarabeth fronts the band with vocals, James Danzo and Zak are the guitarists, James Jones does the drums and Jeff Filmer (though not in the band at present) did bass on the record. Bass duties are currently handled by newcomer Jack Florio. It is a bit unfortunate on my part that my introduction to Tower was through their sophomore album. I did give their 2016 self-titled debut album a couple of spins before sinking my teeth into Shock to the System.

A few spins into the album and I’m absolutely engulfed with old school nostalgia. Tower will light up your ears with their lovely mix of highly energetic, heavy metal inspired 70s hard rock while also delivering some exceptionally soulful moments. Sarabeth’s vocals take full credit for adding a hefty dose of soul to this record. She sounds absolutely powerful with those soaring vocals. Accompanying the stellar vocals, but not to be outshined, is the guitar work. The riffs are sublime and catchy, almost effortless and epitomizes what great heavy rock music should sound like. The entire ensemble with the rhythm section fit perfectly together. This is also largely down to how the album is produced and mastered by Sasha Stroud. It’s a great feat to accomplish if you can bring out the energy of the band through the mix and make it sound as if you’re experiencing Tower live in a basement gig.

Shock to the System doesn’t have a weak song on it. There I said it! It’s quite rare for an album to achieve that in this day and age, especially when you are talking about a traditional sounding band. The band balances paying homage to their influences, working within those boundaries while also sounding original. There’s something that each song offers. Most of the tracks on the album are high on energy and tempo but there are also some tasteful ebbs in the music too. Prince of Darkness is a favorite of mine which starts off slow, full of emotions, and picks up pace two-thirds into the song and ends in a crescendo-like manner. There are also some songs whose choruses could well become anthems like Lay Down the Law which gallops forward after a slow beginning. In Dreams showcases their best guitar work in terms of riffs, cleans and solos. You can clearly feel the mood of the song shift as time elapses with every minute. The album closer, Powder Keg, feels like it could be the soundtrack for a high speed car-chase through deserted towns.

My only regret is not having discovered Tower earlier but it’s not too late for you! Tower’s Shock to the System packs a quite a punch with 70s/80s nostalgia, catchy hard rocking heavy metal tunes and one of the best vocal performances I’ve heard in recent years. Turn up the volume and headbang away!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Ultra Silvam - The Sanctity of Death

8/10

Ultra Silvam pay homage to the gods while still retaining what is original to them and have a prominent place in the black metal underground!

Ultra Silvam are a relatively new band and have been around for a little over half a decade. I was eagerly waiting to catch them live at the 2020 edition of the Hell over Hammaburg festival but alas my plans had changed severely due to the burgeoning pandemic. Fast forward two years later to today and I couldn’t be happier to see that they have a sophomore album. Their debut, The Spearwound Salvation, was received with much acclaim and it put the band on the (black metal) map. Their follow up album, The Sanctity of Death, was released recently and I’ll do my best to give you a glimpse of what is in store for your ears.

Ultra Silvam hail from Mälmo, Sweden. To say that they just play black metal is a bit of disservice in describing their music. Their music has foundations of 80s heavy, thrash and black metal. You can hear a bit of Bathory, Venom, Nifelheim but also the second wave of black metal influences. Expect some riffy, thrashy black metal played through an almost lo-fi filter. It’s definitely discernible but has all the aesthetics that will excite any old school fan.

The album commences with Dies Irae which starts off with a bass intro and culminates into a chaotic frenzy. There is a mix of harsh and orchestral vocals. The song packs a lot in less than four minutes of running time. Definitely a promising start! Sodom vies himlafärd is a mid-paced, hypnotic track with a thrashy second half. It felt almost as if I was listening to Nekromantheon. The album title track was next but it was a bit of a disappointment. It felt a bit like a filler track compared to the first two. Tintinnabuli Diaboli is an instrumental interlude and clearly marks the half-way point of the album.

The second half of the album continues with Förintelsens andeväsen del II: Den deicidala transsubstantiationens mysterium. The track starts off in a very similar chaotic manner like Dies Irae. The riffs are frenetic and hypnotic. The track ends with the eerie sounds of wind chimes and organs. Black Soil Fornication is yet another mid-paced track but it probably has your atypical black metal riffs as an opener. It’ll get you air-guitaring in no time. Ultra Silvam do a great job combining the different ideas in the song to make it sound very seamless. It’s simple yet intricate. Incarnation Reverse starts off ferociously and transitions into sections which have some elements of Finnish black metal. By this I mean it is fast-paced yet melodic. The thrash-y quality is retained. The album closer, Of Molded Bread and Rotten Wine, opens terrifically with the kind of off-kilter guitar riffs that Black Soil Fornication also had. Most of the track is largely high on tempo with a few breaks of spoken word and transitions. The track ends with some exquisite dual guitar work and gives you the impression that the world is about to come to an apocalyptic end! Considering everything that is happening in the world, it is quite fitting!

In terms of dissecting the instrumentation on the album, I reckon the stand out performance is the guitars. It sounds massive, very rough with the gain pumped high as the sky and the old school tone is just perfect. I felt the solos were a bit drowned out but were still audible. The dual approach to the vocals is right up my alley. So if you like the harsh and raspy vocals which is not typical of the second wave of black metal, then you will enjoy this. The rhythm section of bass and drums come through quite well and form the backbone of the album. I quite like that the bass is audible throughout the songs.

If I were to compare the band’s two albums, I think the Sanctity of Death is a bit more “refined” but it definitely continues what the Spearwound Salvation sought to achieve. With greater refinement, I think there’s a bit of compromise in terms of energy but it’s marginal. Yes, I would’ve liked more high octane, headbang-y tracks like A Skull Full of Stars (on their debut), but at the same time I see the band is growing in their musicianship and songwriting ways. Either way, I think the band’s sophomore effort is highly recommended especially if you enjoy the sounds of bands like Nifelheim, Watain, Bathory (the black/thrashy era) and Taake. Ultra Silvam pay homage to the gods while still retaining what is original to them and have a prominent place in the black metal underground!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Best of 2021

As the world ravaged on from the pandemic for yet another year, live music has virtually come to standstill. The very few shows that managed to take place have only been fleeting in nature. It’s almost as if there’s a cosmic game of whack-a-mole wherein the virus whacks our existence back into solitude and isolation. Things get better and then they don’t. For the ones who have fortunately had the means to create new music, have soldiered on! And boy, has there been shit-tons of new music out there!

This post is my annual reflection on the albums that piqued my interest. It’s usually a numbered list but all albums are worth checking out if you dwell in the realms of heavy music. The previous years’ lists are all categorized under the tag - #AOTY.

I’m personally not too satisfied with this list as I feel there are quite a few albums which almost made it to the top 10 but didn’t by very fine margins. Additionally, making an (dis)honorables mentions list would make this blog post much longer. I’ve also been torn to not include late entrants like Phrenelith and Funeral Mist who released new albums in the 2-3 weeks. They’re top-notch but alas without more listens, I cannot justifiably stack them up against the albums that made the cut. Despite my unhappiness with the list, I’m very certain about my top three albums though. So if you share the same musical tastebuds as me, then you might nod in agreement. Without further ado, here is my best of 2021! 🏆

These Texans play a superior brand of deathly thrash metal. It’s raw, fast-paced and seething with venom. Steel Bearing Hand has been categorized as death/thrash on Metallum but the tag doesn’t do the band’s music justice as they’re much more than that! While the foundations of Slay in Hell is thrash metal, the band builds layers over that like the harsh vocals which adds the heaviness and the doomy sections on ‘Tombspawn’ and the epic twelve minute track ‘Ensanguined’. Much like the title, this album slays!

Spider who? Exactly! Spider God is a relatively unknown entity (not uncommon in black metal) and their work on ‘Shadowless Light’ is utterly commendable. They play melodic black metal and the riffs and melodies are so memorable. On one hand they’re simple yet very emotive and on the other they make you headbang furiously! ‘Shadowless Light’ is not a full length but an EP that clocks under 20 minutes. Thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to future releases by them!

Continuing in the trend of mentioning bands with off-kilter names, I too had a quizzical expression on hearing that this band was called ‘Stress Angel’. The reason I checked out the band was because ‘Bursting Church’ was co-released by the Dying Victims label which is known for putting out high quality releases. ‘Bursting Church’ is a slab of thrashy death metal. It’s rooted in late 80s death metal but also has an equal measure of blackened thrash. I would regard Morbid Angel, Possessed and Autopsy to be big influences. Stress Angel have put out something very catchy and hard-hitting in ‘Bursting Church’ and it’s one of my favorite death metal releases on 2021!

Bonehunter are a Finnish band who have a penchant for all things punk, speed and black metal. They’re also a band who don’t take themselves too seriously. Take a gander at their song titles and album covers and you’ll understand. Musically, they can be mentioned in the same breath as Toxic Holocaust or Midnight. What makes ‘Dark Blood Reincarnation System’ a winner is that each song is crafted beautifully - whether it’s the riffs, the galloping breakneck speed of most songs, the Iron Maiden-esque melodies or the gravelly vocals. A clear warning though for production purists - expect a grimey raw (can be perceived as muddled) production. I feel it only elevates the album but others can disagree. Overall, I believe all these elements come together very nicely to make this album very enjoyable!

I am usually drawn to bands that push the envelope. Call it innovative or “gimmicky”, it is definitely challenging to sound “original” in this day and age. Mefitis does this with their unique blend of progressive death metal and black metal. ‘Offscourings‘ is not technical enough to make you dizzy with notes but there is enough to appreciate the stellar musicianship on the record. While the band showcases their technical skillz, they don’t compromise on carefully structured songs with a ton of great riffs and melodies. The vocals are another highlight wherein they are as varied as the music. There’s a lot of digest in ‘Offscourings’ and it’s not an easy listen. But with patience and repeated listens, the album, as they say, grows on you! If you’re a fan of the early eccentric years of At The Gates or the likes of the Chasm or Demilich, then this is right up your alley.

Mystic Storm hail from St. Petersburg, Russia and they play thrash metal with hints of epic power metal elements. The band plays a version of thrash very reminiscent of 80s bay area thrash like Dark Angel but what sets Mystic Storm apart are Anya’s ungodly vocals. The entirety of the album’s lyrics are in Russian but it only adds to allure and mysticism of the band (as someone who has no clue what they’re singing about). Mystic Storm’s overall musical output is very rough around the edges - whether it’s the production or the vocals. It’s coarse and in-your-face. The epic imagery and the music go hand in hand and often make you go “UGH!”, which is an indication of a great thrash band which can get that out of you. ‘From the Ancient Chaos‘ is a job well done!

Dungeon Serpent took me quite by surprise! They’re categorized as “melodic death metal” but this sub-genre has been bastardized by modern metal that I am always suspicious of this tag being a misnomer. The brand of melodeath that Dungeon Serpent plays is in the vein of Intestine Baalism or the infamous Arghoslent. You can even hear a Swedeath influence too. The guitar leads are very catchy and melodic, and they sit perfectly meshed well and harmonized over the background of tremolo guitar riffs and power chords. ‘World of Sorrows’ culminates in an epic 11 minute instrumental, the album title track. The production is raw on ‘World of Sorrows’ with a very thick and heavily distorted guitar tone. It hits the sweet spot for me though. But the biggest surprise to me was when I learnt that Dungeon Serpent is a one-man band and it’s founded by Arawn who is only 20 years old. The amount of quality in this record is stupendous and it’s quite a a feat to achieve!

Lamp of Murmuur’s 2020 EP ranked ninth on my last year’s AOTY list. It’s not surprising that I eagerly awaited ‘Submission and Slavery‘. Suffice to say, it did not disappoint but it has also elevated my expectations from this band (one-man band) for future releases. Lamp of Murmuur continues with his brand of catchy, melodic and rompy “lo-fi” black metal that he is very known for but the album also incorporates post-punk and goth rock elements. The atmosphere created by this blend is perfect and iti does not feel for once that the band is straying in another musical direction. It sounds like Lamp of Murmuur even if I am listening to the heavily delayed and echo-y post-punk guitar lines or the Christian Death cover. ‘Submission and Slavery‘ takes Lamp of Murmuur to greater heights and they ought to be a more recognized name in the underground!

Let me caveat this blurb with the fact that I’m not a fan of symphonic black metal. For a band to win me over in this sub-genre has to produce something unworldly. Stormkeep is fronted by Isaac (drummer of Blood Incantation) and the other band members are also part of Wayfarer (folk/black metal band). At times I’m in awe when I think of the insane musical talent oozing from the Blood Incantation camp that has spawned such stellar projects. But let’s talk about Stormkeep. ‘Tales of Othertime’ is a magical and majestic symphonic black metal masterpiece with Dissection influenced guitar work and a bit of dungeon-synth to liven (or darken) up the atmosphere. It does sound a lot like the soundtrack to any of the epic fantasy tales like LOTR or Wheel of Time. Overall, Stormkeep have released a great album and watch out for the stellar album art as well. I’ll be sure to get it on a poster when I can!

Herzel are a French band that play traditional heavy metal with epic themes. ‘Le Dernier Rempart’, which translates to ‘the final bastion’, is replete with intricate guitar melodies, very catchy hooks and anthemic singing in French. Whether it’s a pacy song or a slowed down section, the excellent vocals cut right through. You can feel the emotion in every syllable and every word (despite me lacking any knowledge of French). How does Le Dernier Rempart top my list of AOTY for the year? Well, it’s the most complete album I’ve come across this year whether it’s the musicianship, the song-writing, the production or the emotion/atmosphere. With every listen, I notice something new while the rest continue to cement my appreciation for the band. Heavy metal reigns supreme in ‘Le Dernier Rempart‘ and I can easily say that Herzel have put out of the finest heavy metal albums in the past decade! Allez, Herzel!

With that…c'est la fin de la liste. Until next year!

Outre-Tombe – Abysse Mortifère

8/10

The band does what many fail to achieve – Make simple riffs sound extremely catchy and brutal at the same time.

Outre-Tombe return with their highly anticipated third album titled Abysse Mortifère. These Quebec death metal upstarts have made waves in the old school death metal community over the past decade with their straight-up, chuggy, death metal soaked in grimy atmosphere. It harkens back to the late 80s and early 90s Swedeath or Bolt Thrower sound. They also tend to throw in d-beat and punk influences, which keep their songs often bouncy and very energetic. Very soon you’d need a neck brace from headbanging too much. This was my first introduction to the band from a couple years ago and their previous efforts, Répurgation and Nécrovortex, have left a lasting impression on me.

The Abysse Mortifère album cover art is stylistically very similar to Nécrovortex, with the exception that they seem to have upped the gruesome quotient on it. It is stunning and perhaps captures what the band’s members hope the album sound is expected to look like visually. Let’s see whether this holds water!

The self-titled track, which is the album opener, kicks off with an eerie horror build-up and very soon the slow guitar riffs gather momentum and transform into heavy alternate picking. It’s very Outre-Tombe-ish alright and the band picks up right where Nécrovortex left off. Cenobytes, the second track, has a strong d-beat influence in its verse and chorus. The band changes it up with some tasty guitar work as a breakdown, followed up with some guitar solos which fit right over the mix. Crachat’s vocals are as Martin van Drunen-esque as ever and they cut right through.

I’m already ten minutes into the album and the album has the band’s signature style written all over it. It satiates my expectations almost completely. I felt the tracks Coupe Gorge and Desossé were a bit like filler tracks but I’m not disappointed because this was only building up to the monstrous Exsangue. It’s a song which perfectly stitches together four main riff ideas. They are groovy, they have cajones and are extremely headbang worthy. It’s easily the best track on the album and very closely rivals L’antre de l’horreur (from Répurgation) as my all time favorite Outre-Tombe track.

I might sound like this is the high point of the album. Exsangue definitely is but the B-side of the album is worth checking. In my opinion it collectively has superior quality compared to the first five tracks. Tombeau de glace has a fist-thumping intro and then meanders off into relentless riffs. Haut et Court has a very strong mid-section which will result in many circle-pits whenever the band gets to play live. Nécrophage felt more like business as usual. The album closer, Haruspex, is probably my second favorite track on this record. It mixes multiple ideas and executes them well. It has all the elements that make Outre-Tombe. From guitar buildup in the start to seamless transitions to tremolo riffing to some groovy bouncy OSDM and then frenzied guitar solos. The song ends just as it began, like the intro. And here we are, at the end of another Outre-Tombe album!

I think the quality of songwriting in Abysse Mortifère has been largely consistent with their previous efforts. The musicianship has been excellent within the realm of the band’s musical boundaries and Crachat continues to belt out his buzzsaw like vocals to match the instrumentation. What peeves me though the most is that the record lacks that punch-in-the-face sound. I love my muddy grimy production in albums, but not at the expense of taking a bit of oomph from the band’s sound. Compared to the previous albums, the production does feel a tad weaker. I’m not sure if many will nitpick on this aspect because overall, I do think Abysse Mortifère is a worthy successor to Nécrovortex.

If you’re looking for tech-death wizardry or something “innovative” (notice the air-quotes) in death metal, then this band is not for you. If you love old school death metal just the way the Swedeath pioneers wanted it to sound, then Outre-Tombe is definitely up your alley. The band does what many fail to achieve – Make simple riffs sound extremely catchy and brutal at the same time. They hit the sweet spot when many tend to overdo it. Abysse Mortifère is out on Temple of Mystery records and if you get an opportunity to catch the band live, drop everything and do it. I hear they put on a mean show. I’ll show myself out and listen to Exsangue for the umpteenth time!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Qrixkuor – Poison Palinopsia

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9/10

‘Poison Palinopsia’ is a journey to be undertaken and it is by no means a casual listen.

Qrixkuor, a band whose pronunciation might get many tongues in a twist, have gone through a transformation over the past five years since their last release. With only the original guitarist ‘S.’ at the helm, DBH and VK of Grave Miasma and Vassafor fame respectively were recruited to join the ranks. As a result of this diabolic congregation, Qrixkuor’s first full length album came to life!

‘Poison Palinopsia‘ is ambitious to say the least. It consists of two tracks, each twenty-four minutes long. It proves that the band pursues and prioritizes its own creative interest rather than conforming to the norms. Qrixkuor are a death metal outfit alright, but in my opinion, they’re more of an “atmosphere” band than a “riffs” band. And by that I mean, the album sounds like a soundtrack made by an alternate reality Hans Zimmer who is a major fan of Portal, cavernous death metal and the like. Speaking of cavernous and black/death metal, I often come across bands going the extreme route to be “heavy” for the sake of it, but they eventually end up sounding try hard. I get no such vibes from Qrixkuor and it becomes eminently clear from the two tracks that the band’s aural nightmare of a sound feels very organically grown. It doesn’t seem to be intentionally inaccessible and it’s probably just how S, the founding member and main songwriter, views his brainchild.

The first track ‘Serpentine Susurrus – Mother’s Abomination’ opens up in an entrancing buildup, where the atmosphere grows suffocatingly with each passing minute. Around the sixth minute mark is when the tempo really kicks in highlighting the trio’s death metal roots. Midway in this twenty-four minute song, there’s a period to rest thy ears. Organ and ambient sounds take charge. I was expecting Phurpa-like mystical throat singing to intervene but that was just my mind playing tricks with me. ‘Serpentine Susurrus’ gets back on track with more blast beats with horrorific and ominous sounding guitar leads. The track culminates with haunting keys and fades away into oblivion.

The second track ‘Recrudescent Malevolence – Mother’s Illumination’ opens up in much the same manner as the first track had ended. Pound for pound, this track has more “musical instrumentation” and is loaded with guitar virtuosity. The leads, the tappings, the riffs, the pounding bass and drum onslaught all come together in this behemoth of a track. The orchestral outro is very fitting as the album-closer and it conjures up an image of a haunted playground about to get engulfed by something netherworldly!

The production is stellar on the album making it sound dark, brooding yet triumphant (in an evil way) while not compromising on the band’s grisly death metal roots. The instruments, the orchestral and atmospheric sounds meld perfectly together. I honestly can’t pinpoint a weakness in this album. Perhaps I’d say it’s a “black or white” album – it’s either something up your alley or it isn’t with nothing in between. ‘Poison Palinopsia’ is a journey to be undertaken and it is by no means a casual listen. It probably requires you to be in a certain frame of mind – let’s just say contemplative, reflective and brooding. At least that’s what worked for me. It took me at least a couple of listens for my appreciation to grow and I’d recommend putting in the time.

The album is out now on Invictus Productions as well as on Dark Descent and it sure will turn more than a couple of heads in the underground!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Wheel - Preserved in Time

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8.5/10

With 'Preserved in Time', Wheel became the most prominent flag bearers for epic doom in 2021

Wheel is a traditional epic doom band from Germany that has been active for over 11 years. ‘Preserved in Time’ is the band’s third full length but what makes this album special is that it’s been picked up by the legendary label in heavy metal, Cruz Del Sur. That piqued my interest as I felt the label might’ve seen some promise out of promoting the band. If not for this, there is a high chance it would have flown under the radar for me. I’m glad it didn’t and I’ll tell you why.

Wheel marries the sounds of epic doom like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus, with traditional doom like Trouble. The riffs are slow, heavy and hard hitting. The solid rhythm section when combined with soaring vocals complete the epic doom package. I’m usually a stickler for doom and I can sniff out quality instantly and this album here hits most of my doomy sweet spots.

It’s not all slow, melancholic and dreary with Wheel. The band does mix it up with varying tempos and there are some great mid-paced riff-y heavy metal sections as well. Take for example, the opening track ‘At Night they Came Upon Us’ where the band comes out all guns blazing. It’s not as doomy as I proclaimed but when the chorus and second verse kick in, you’ll hear the epicness in Arkadius’s vocals and the slow melodies, which remind you that you're listening to a doom band. Everything about the music so far sounds very Solitude Aeturnus-esque. ‘When the Shadow Takes Over’ leans more on the mournful side of things. The song tests Arkadius’s melodic range as a vocalist and he passes those tests with flying colors. The singalong chorus is one of the more memorable pieces on the album. ‘She Left in Silence’ was released prior to the album release. It’s the band’s most diverse song which highlights their strengths. This could easily be one of the better epic doom songs to have to been written in the last decade.

The second half of the album felt a bit weaker compared to the first. To me, it seemed to lack the vigor with ‘Aeon of Darkness’ and ‘Hero of the Weak’. These two songs have good choruses but the rest fell a bit flat in my opinion. But luckily, the album closer ‘Daedalus’ wins hard. The song seemed to have incorporated some middle-eastern influence in its intro. Albeit a short lived intro and then the band returns to their regular doomy proceedings.

If I were to break down the album by its vocals and instrumentation, I'd say the guitars were solid in the riffs department and how it amalgamates with everything else to define Wheel's sound. But what I found lacking were interesting guitar solos. It's a personal preference and it would've been the cherry on top for me. The bass and drums hold their own, doing just enough to provide a backbone to the album. Arkadius's vocals are pretty good in my opinion. He'll fall short if everyone compares him to Rob Lowe but I think he does justice to the tunes and plays a big part in making Wheel not sound monotonous. The production and the old school tone will receive appreciative nods from old timers who witnessed the birth of this subgenre in the eighties. As you can tell, the pros outweigh the cons by a stretch.

With 'Preserved in Time', Wheel became the most prominent flag bearers for epic doom in 2021. The album clocks in at a little over forty-eight minutes but it ironically whizzes by quickly. That's always a good sign. I'll admit it's not a perfect album but I do see it challenging a few spots in people's year-end lists. It's memorable enough to be...‘Preserved in Time’. I'll stop with my poor dad-puns now. Go listen to Wheel!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

StarGazer - Psychic Secretions

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9/10

StarGazer’s music is an experience which requires multiple immersions and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for good old school progressive death/black metal.

It’s been a while since I heard any new StarGazer and chancing upon ‘Psychic Secretions’ got me excited. The band has been around for twenty five years but it was their magnum opus ‘Scream that tore the sky’, released in 2005, that got the underground buzzing with their esoteric brand of blackened death metal. Since then, these Aussies have churned out three full-lengths and a host of singles and demos. ‘Psychic Secretions’ is their most recent effort and it further stamps the band’s authority in the annals of Australian underground metal.

If you’re unfamiliar with StarGazer, then expect progressive death metal played through a black metal filter, all while having very jazzy basslines. Whether you call it avantgarde or progressive extreme metal, it’s up to you. Any comparisons to past or present bands would be a disservice to the band. The band’s sound stands on its own. On listening to ‘Psychic Screams’, one instantly recognizes that this is something that would come from the band’s stable. The incredible range of switching from technical guitar wizardry to blast-beats to melancholic slow tempo passages to ritualistic ambient moments, all make StarGazer very unique.

No two tracks are similar and the band experiments with different structures almost as if they intend to take the listener on different journeys. I’d like to describe the songs that were my highlights. ‘Lash of the Tytans’ starts off with a melodic doom-y intro but soon rips into a verse laden with blast-beats before slowing down to a more double-bassy melodic chorus. ‘Hooves’ features warm drone-y riffs which will send you into a trance only to be woken up by the double-bass as the song gathers momentum. The ‘All Knowing Cold’ plays around with plenty of ideas. It’s a beautiful mess with eccentric guitar melodies, bass passages and ends with a chant, probably to conjure something ghastly. I love it and it’s my favorite track on the album.

The musicianship is masterful. If you’ve been a fan of the band (I wear my StarGazer metal pin proudly on my jacket), masterful musicianship is something you naturally expect. In that sense, ‘Psychic Secretions’ doesn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for “weird” riffs, StarGazer’s got your back. Denny Blake, aka the Serpent Inquisitor, crafts out unworldly riffs while also ensuring they fit the song structures. Alan Cadman, aka Khronomancer, is the new drummer in the band and he does not allow a single dull moment to slip through. I have to commend the bass work though. It’s gorgeous and it sounds effortless as it sits on top of the mix on each track. To be honest, without the sweeping basslines and the over the top flurry of bass notes, this album wouldn’t be the same. Damon Good, aka the Great Righteous Destroyer, does a great job here.

I can’t think of any flaws in this album. Perhaps for new listeners, it can come off as a bit dense. The songs, while unique in their own regard, have a lot going for them individually. Heck, there’s more in one StarGazer track than in entire albums put out by bands these days. This could be a hindrance to the casual listener though. It took at least a couple of listens for me to unpack everything in ‘Psychic Secretions’ and begin to appreciate it. It's worth the wait. StarGazer was never meant to sound accessible and I trust it has been the band’s vision to craft the weirdest sounds. StarGazer’s music is an experience which requires multiple immersions and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for good old school progressive death/black metal.

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Kabbalah - The Omen

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6/10

I’d place the Omen as an album where you should cherry-pick the few songs which are clear winners but the album on the whole probably doesn’t warrant a full listen.

Kabbalah are an occult psychedelic rock band from Spain. If you’re new to this subgenre, don’t fret, occult psychedelic rock is basically 60s-70s rock (like early Black Sabbath worship) with occult lyrical themes while being played through an even fuzzier filter. While that is a simplistic genre description, it can form a base for you to start. If not, go listen to Coven, the eternal masters of this subgenre! Kabbalah furthers this subgenre in their own unique way after having been toiling for the past decade with a few EPs and full-length album titled Spectral Ascent released in 2017. This new year marks the arrival of their 29 minute long sophomore album. Let’s dive into what makes and breaks the Omen!

The Omen is my first introduction to the band so my views are as fresh as it comes. Right off the bat, what impressed me about the album was the haunting eerie choral vocal harmonies that will make your arm hair stand on end. Songs like Night Comes Near employ them, making the chorus utterly trance inducing. If there was one instrument that drives this album, it’s the bass guitar. It acts as a skeleton and the rest of the album settles itself around it.

The guitars aren’t as fuzzy as you’d expect. Most of the time, it’s played in a crunchy tone with a dash of reverb and delay. The guitars are not overly fuzzy but songs like Ceibas and the Ritual will make stoner/psychedelic doom fans happy and are by far the heaviest songs on the album. The drumming, like in most psychedelic rock, pairs well with the bass but doesn’t offer anything out of the ordinary. I have no gripe with the production. The Omen ticks off all the boxes for a record that could’ve been recorded in the 70s. It has a strong retro aesthetic which would make even the elitists nod in appreciation.

The album has eight songs and its strongest tracks are Night Comes Near, Ceibas and Labyrinth. The first two have music videos while Labyrinth is probably my favorite track on the album. It is played at a relatively faster tempo. The thumping bass, the eerie vocals and the chorus accompanied by an organ (I think it was an organ) makes for an interesting listen. The track tapers off into a free jam of sorts with the guitar and bass dueling each other so to speak. But that’s where Kabbalah are at their best. The rest of the songs don’t offer much of a variety. They either feel too same-y, bereft of newer ideas or sound like fillers.

I’d place the Omen as an album where you should cherry-pick the few songs which are clear winners but the album on the whole probably doesn’t warrant a full listen. In the time that I spent listening to the Omen, I also gave Spectral Ascent, the band’s previous album, a listen. Spectral Ascent sounds way more interesting especially in the riff department, so I’m a bit disappointed that the Omen didn’t hit the spot on the whole! To be fair to the band, it does feel like the band is experimenting and leaning towards more occult-ish atmospheric sounds rather than being a band with recycled riffs. Perhaps some might enjoy it but it wasn’t my cup of tea - a few good sips but not the rest of it!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Best of 2020

If there’s one consistent habit I’ve developed over the past ten or so years, it’s that I publish a listicle of my top ten albums every year. Previous year’s lists can be found here #AOTY.

2020 has been quite an unflushable turd of a year and the end doesn’t seem nigh. One can say that the heavy music released this year has been a saving grace of sorts, but to be honest, it’s only the privileged few who can afford these distractions. The albums that end up on my lists are solely governed by my tastes in underground heavy music whereas the order is a reflection of what got more air-play than the rest. I do have a natural inclination towards checking out lesser known bands/artists so maybe this will help you discover cool new music?

Without further ado, it’s AOTY time! 🏆🎶

Vengeful Spectre hail from China and their self-titled debut features some tasty melodic-black metal infused with the sounds of traditional Chinese folk instruments. I’m always sceptical of bands including “traditional folk” instruments because more often than not, they end up sounding really gimmicky to me. Can we blame hummpa folk for it? But luckily Vengeful Sceptre doesn’t succumb to that trope. The beautiful atmopsheric passages, the choruses laden with those folky sounds and the huge production they achieved on this debut makes Vengeful Spectre absolutely enjoyable!

Lamp of Murmuur is a one-man black metal project. While Burning Spears of Crimson Agony, a four track demo, was released this year, Lamp also released a full-length titled Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism. However, I do believe the demo edges over the full length ever so slightly. There’s more bang for the buck, so to speak. As a side note, contrary to what people have said, I don’t think Lamp qualifies as lo-fi in the truest black metal sense. I was expecting instruments recorded shoddily through a practice mini-amp with muffled programmed drums, making it all sound indiscernible but retaining that aggression and “rawness”. However, I found Burning Spears to be played to perfection. It’s catchy, rompy but also melancholic at times. Yes, the production is “raw”-ish but either way the demo has been put together really well. Also, the dude has a penchant for coming up with amazing song titles!

Undeath pay homage to 90s death metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse. It’s CC-worship done right while making it sound fresh at the same time. Heck, if CC released anything as good as ‘Lesions of a Different Kind’ in the last 20 years, it would’ve been a total banger and in line with their classic 90s albums! The production wins on all fronts as well - it finds that perfect balance of sounding gnarly AF yet discernible. Undeath also don’t take themselves too seriously with over the top song titles (for example, Kicked in the Protruding Guts) and that intentionally hilarious attempt of a gore-y album cover.

Without a doubt, Dark Descent Records is my favorite underground label and over the past decade, they’ve been consistently putting out great releases. So when I heard of this lesser known Aussie death metal band called ‘Faceless Burial’ on their roster, it immediately piqued my interest. The opening track, ‘Worship’ has one of the punishing blast-beating drum intros and that just sets the tone for the rest of the album. If you’re looking for chuggy riffs, blast-beats and death/doomy passages, Speciation won’t disappoint.

Cénotaphe are a two-man black metal band comprising of veterans from the French black metal scene. Monte Verità, the band’s first full-legnth, was released early in the year and I often had it on repeat playing in the background, all the while having those catchy tremolo picked melodies etched into my brain. The melodies remind me of the classic Finnish black metal sound of Sargeist and Horna. Khaosgott’s vocals on this record alternate between screeches and the shouty-chanting-sermons kind which removes any monotony in the vocal delivery. Monte Verità is a beautiful black metal record - it’s melancholic but also can sound uplifting in parts.

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5. Lantern - Dimensions

Full album stream - https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dimensions

Here’s another win from the Dark Descent Records roster this year! Lantern made a huge wave in the underground with their 2011 demo titled Subterranean Effulgence and then followed that up with the debut full length titled Below in 2013. Lantern started off as a seething black/death outfit and they weren’t messing around with the uncompromising nature of their brand of music. Seven years hence, the band has been evolving for the better in my opinion. With Dimensions, their third full-length, Lantern has taken their evolution to newer heights. The album features more progressive and experimental death metal. Don’t worry, they still retain their pummeling riffs and blast-beats but it’s definitely more varied. I absolutely love the vocals on the record. They remind me of David Vincent’s style from early/mid-era Morbid Angel. In terms of production, it sounds way more accessible than anything the band has put out in the past. Again, I reckon it’s a good decision given the band’s new direction into more progressive/technical spaces. Overall, I feel Dimensions is a well constructed and well thought out album. For lack of a better word, it showcases the band’s maturity in great light!

Endless Wound is the best death metal album of 2020. There I said it! Black Curse is a group/project comprising of members from Spectral Voice, Primitive Man, Khemmis and Blood Incantation. When I laid my ears on Endless Wound for the first time, I was blown out of the park by its utter heaviness and crushing nature. If there was a death metal checklist, this album would tick all the boxes - heavy chuggy riffs, blastbeats, reverbed growling vocals, slow doomy passages and an all-round filthy production to package it all together. Take for example, Charnel Rift, the album opener, perfectly encapsulates all these elements. This is death metal supremacy from start to finish!

I remember catching Havukruunu live in early 2019 and they came across as an above average Finnish pagan/folk black metal band. In that regard, I had very little expectations before listening to Uinuos Syömein Sota. Clearly since I’ve ranked this at number three now so there’s something going for the band. The album is so expansive and majestic not just in terms of production but also the song-writing. The riffs and melodies hit you so smoothly and effortlessly like waves hitting the shore. Cheesy, amirite? But that feels the best way I can describe Havukruunu’s latest album. Black metal purists will not enjoy this though as it might be a bit too “happy sounding”. Given how shite 2020 has been, we could do with some optimisim and “happy sounds” in black metal!

Wytch Hazel’s III: Pentecost is a musical masterpiece that finds a balance between 70s styled hard-rock and NWOBHM. It’s as if Wytch Hazel are the love child of Thin Lizzy (or early Priest) and the English folk rock eccentricities of Jethro Tull. What wins it for III: Pentecost are the infectious singalongs in the song choruses. Take Spirit and Fire’s chorus for instance. You’ll be singing “Spirit and Fire…Show me the way” in no time. Oh and yes, they do sing about Jesus. Wytch Hazel’s devout (hah, see what I did there) following in the underground heavy metal community is just another testament that when there’s musical quality to back the talk, even hordes of atheists will sing along to Jesus lyrics! To be honest, Wytch Hazel’s III: Pentecost would’ve easily been my album of the year if not for…

…me being a total Lord Fist fanboy!

Lord who? Lord Fist are one the lesser known Finnish heavy metal upstarts active in the last decade. After having released a demo, an EP and a debut album, the band returns with their sophomore effort titled Wilderness of Hearts. I was quite impressed with their debut, Green Eyleen, but on just a couple of listens, the sophomore proves to surpass all previous releases. It’s galloping heavy metal (NWOBHMish) which sounds fun, frolicky and oozing with passion. The guitar melodies are on point in each song and there’s not a single dull moment. Of course, this is my positive bias creeping in and can’t find anything wrong with the record. I do know that people find the vocals…an acquired taste. While the vocals aren’t perfect, I believe for Lord Fist’s brand of heavy metal, it fits in just right. It’s not perfectly delivered with precision in terms of pitch or finesse but I don’t want pin-point perfection in my heavy metal. I want to feel the passion out of the my speakers transporting me to another planet. Lord Fist does exactly that and hence they take the numero uno spot in my year end list.

Until next year!

Hittman – Destroy All Humans

9/10

The album is a grower and I can say it’s at par with the legendary releases by the Rÿches, the Fates Warnings and others of their ilk

Hittman popped up on my radar last year at the Up The Hammers festival in Athens, Greece. I witnessed the band’s return after a twenty-five year hiatus. Unbeknownst to me at that time, Hittman are a legendary band of the late 80s, which had so much promise after their debut self-titled album. They can be described as a heavy/hard rock band with a strong leaning towards power and progressive musical elements. Back in the day, there were obvious comparisons with Fates Warning and Queensrÿche. I wouldn’t categorize them as a USPM band but I’d imagine a typical USPM fan would lap up Hittman without batting an eyelid. Unfortunately like most good things that we as a human race don’t deserve, Hittman hung up their boots by 1994, having released two full-lengths and a few demos and singles. But Hittman are now back and if their 2019 live performance I witnessed was anything to go by, they’re a rekindled band with so much vigour, enthusiasm and power.

While I spin Destroy All Humans, I can hear a certain familiarity with the songs played live almost a year and half ago at the aforementioned heavy metal festival. They did preview some of the new songs back then. Before writing this review, I also listened to their debut album, in order to bring out any comparisons with their latest output. If you haven’t been piqued by the earlier genre phrases I threw at you, let me reiterate the band’s style. Hittman does a great job at mixing European power metal melodies with the punchiness of American proggy heavy/hard rock. While the European counterparts try to make everything sound epic, Hittman have these moments of epicness in their choruses and whammy-bar driven guitar leads. But at the same time, the verses and riffs are hard-hitting. The glue that sticks everything together is Dirk Kennedy’s vocals. It’s probably one of the best vocal performances I’ve heard in the recent past. His range from brooding and emotive to powerful air-raid siren like screams is quite simply put – extraordinary.

With regards to the instrumentation, the mixing and production, I think Destroy All Humans is very well recorded and all the instruments are tightly played and mixed. I can hear the rhythm section clear as day even when the guitar solos or the vocals are center-stage. I did have a bone to pick with the production being so clear, compared to the 80s debut’s grainy nostalgic production. But hey, I’m over it and it does grow on you. The instrumentation neither seems overdone nor overcompensating anything lacking in another department. I’d attribute this to the song-writing and arrangements. It’s quite straightforward. Once you have the formula and template down, I suppose it’s easier to piece together all parts and play them to perfection. The twin guitars, the bass and the drums do their part of making this record feel like one cohesive masterpiece.

Probably the only blemish on this perfect record is that I was able to predict what the band was going to do next in a particular song. I’d attribute it to the simple/straight-forward song structures that I mentioned earlier. They do call them “formulas” after all. Is it a drawback? Definitely not. Does it take away anything from the album? Definitely not. This is just a heads up for you so that you know what you’re getting yourself into.

It’s not hard to grasp the lyrical influence from the album title – Destroy All Humans. They deal with injustice, hardships and basically humans being responsible for everything terrible on the planet. I think. The songs that stand out for me musically also have memorable choruses. The track Breathe’s very singable “Just remember to breathe” or Code of Honor’s commanding “Guilty! You’ve been served…Guitly! Of no crime” are total bangers which will get you singing along in no time. Total Amnesia is another hard-hitting track where I’d imagine an entire audience would be joining in on the chorus. Alas, if only live gigs would return once this blasted pandemic ceases.

That said, Hittman’s return album is thoroughly enjoyable, with each track offering something for the listener. I’d even argue that it’s an easy top ten album of the year pick in my books. Although it appeals more to the metalhead who appreciates 80s heavy metal or hard rock, I would encourage others to listen to it as well. In terms of dying subgenres, Destroy All Humans is an important record of our times especially since there aren’t too many bands playing this style with the underground cred as Hittman. The album is a grower and I can say it’s at par with the legendary releases by the Rÿches, the Fates Warnings and others of their ilk. Go ahead and give it a spin!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

666 - 666

5/10

The tracks are relics from the past and the compilation album put out by Nuclear War Now! Productions will probably make any avid completist black metal fan happy

Before we proceed with the review of this compilation album put out by 666, let’s do a quick history lesson. 666 emerged from the crypts of Tromsø in the early 80s. The majority of the band was formed by members of a punk outfit called Norgez Bank. 666 were heavily influenced by the sounds of Venom and Motörhead. They were probably the earliest band in the Nordic region to be considered proto-black metal, which predates the first wave of black metal that hit the Nordic region (think Bathory, Mayhem). From what I’ve scoured on the interwebs, I learnt that the band’s live performances could well be compared to satanic rituals rife with inverted crosses, blood and other such items which would make any christian quiver in fear. The band was short-lived though from 1982 to 1983, while resurfacing in the late 90s and early 00s to release live studio recordings from the 80s. This brings us to 2020 where the band has released their self-titled compilation album of their live studio recordings. 

To set your expectations straight before you dive in, the live recording quality on the tracks is quite subpar. The instruments aren’t balanced at all, the drums sound like a bad drum machine, the bass is hardly audible and at times the vocals are mixed in too loud. But I reckon, that’s expected and excusable to a certain degree given that all these tracks were recorded live in the studio…in the early 80s…in Tromsø! Despite the poor recording, you can definitely feel the raw energy of the band. I’ll give them that. It invokes a feeling that you are present in the very room they recorded these tracks. The compilation opens with a galloping track titled 666, which sounds as if proto-heavy metal and punk had a baby. Tracks like Lucifer and Ledera seem to be heavily influenced by 70s hard rock. What makes these songs heavier and considered “metal” are the raspy vocals and how they are delivered. The guitar riffs are rather primitive, simplistic and raw. The songs are mid-paced, a few notches slower than 80s Motörhead, if that can give you an idea.   

On side B on the compilation, four of the tracks are repeated but are different recorded versions. Unfortunately, they’re still live studio recordings, so the improvement in quality isn’t that substantial. That said, my favorite track on this compilation is Love and Kiss. It’s my favorite song because it’s catchy, groovy and I can hear the goddamn bass! Heck, the track starts off with a bass lead. The arrangement and the song-writing is also quite commendable (for that time) with the band breaking away from standard the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus template. The second guitar’s licks/solos act as lovely embellishments to the first guitar’s chuggy down-picked riffs. The vocal lines are equally catchy even though I don’t understand a word of Norwegian.

To sum up, 666’s appeal lies in the fact that they are, for lack of a better word, kvlt. I truly wish I didn’t have to use this word but it’s true. The tracks are relics from the past and the compilation album put out by Nuclear War Now! Productions will probably make any avid completist black metal fan happy. Again, to reiterate, this isn’t an out and out proto-black metal album but if you dig 70s hard rock influenced by early Venom/ Motörhead sprinkled with some satanic lyrical themes, then you might appreciate 666. If you’re a stickler for properly recorded albums (even live albums), then 666’s compilation album isn’t for you.  

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Cryptic Shift – Visitations from Enceladus

9/10

The band pays homage to the legends in the genre but are still able to carve a place for themselves

From the get-go, the Cryptic Shift’s debut album title screams science fiction. Enceladus is the sixth largest moon of Saturn and has been the subject of many sci-fi books, most notably by physicist and hard science-fiction writer, Brandon Q Morris. Enceladus, if you are also into Greek mythology, was one of the Giants (born out of Uranus and Gaia). Why is this piece of information relevant? Well, Cryptic Shift can be described as nerdy and massive-sounding. On receiving the album to review, my initial thoughts were – “Hmm, a twenty-six minute album opener?”, “Song titles that make me wonder if Cryptic Shift are a love child of Vektor and Nocturnus?”. Needless to say the whole package of the album art and the choice of titles piqued my curiosity. My expectations were optimistic yet measured because often bands fail to deliver on their promises.

Spoiler alert, Cryptic Shift don’t disappoint. 

Visitations from Enceladus may be the band’s debut effort but Cryptic Shift have been around since 2012. First as their initial avatar of Crÿptic Shift and then with their current version. They have a few demos, EPs, splits and singles under their belt. But Visitations from Enceladus is truly the band’s first major release. The album is very much akin to sci-fi novels with twisting (and meandering) plot lines, interesting world building, all while being dense to read. I’ve usually found myself re-reading passages in sci-fi books and very similarly, Visitations… requires multiple listens in order to appreciate it. Here’s my last (I promise) book analogy. The album manages to create a world in your head as you traverse the songs with each passing minute. Musically, I would categorize Cryptic Shift’s genre as technical progressive proto-death metal. The vocals are not guttural though. There are definitely leanings towards thrash metal but the intensity is very much like late 80s death metal. Cryptic Shift would appeal to fans of Voivod, Vektor, Nocturnus, late 90s/early 00s Gorguts, Atheist and Cynic. 

Moonbelt Immolator is the album opener which clocks in at close to twenty-six minutes. For a debut album, these guys are definitely not playing safe and are totally uncompromising when it comes to the “norms”. The track feels like an EP in itself with sections being distinct from each other, as in you have a sense where one section ends and where the other begins. Yet, all the parts are connected quite well as if there’s a coherent and consistent storyline connecting all parts. You will hear a mix of intense technical death/thrash parts, mid-paced riff-driven sections and slower instrumental interludes. The tempo shifts and the slower interlude parts in the track are where the song composition skills and musicianship shine through. To many, Moonbelt Immolator would be the main course meal at dinner due to its length but let’s not forget that there are three other tracks which cumulatively clock in at twenty minutes. Cryptic Shift continue unleashing their brand of tech wizardry on (Petrified in the) Hypogean Gaol, the Arctic Chasm and Planetary Hypnosis. Even though shorter in length, the songs offer enough variation to rival Moonbelt. Arctic Chasm’s build up from clean guitars to technical verse passages to death metal tremolo riffage confirms that all the creative output in the album isn’t concentrated in Moonbelt. Planetary Hypnosis, another great track, reminds me of Atheist’s hallmark songs. 

When it comes to the instruments, one cannot make a technical thrash/death metal album relying solely on guitar wizardry. While the twin-guitar attack is an obvious mention, for me personally, the highlight of the album is how the bass is given so much love in the mix. John Riley’s bass leads match up to (and compliment) the technical guitar parts and sometimes even surpasse them in terms of musicianship. But that said, the whole band works solidly as a unit. There are two types of vocal techniques used on the album. For the most part, Xander delivers growls which are raspy, rough along the edges and harsher than typical thrash vocals. Like I mentioned earlier, very proto-death metal-esque. There are also instances where Xander employs robotic (Cynic-like) vocals, which actually fit quite well considering this is a slab of science-fiction influenced music. 

Revisiting my initial explanation of Enceladus, I would say Cryptic Shift embodies the nerdy aspect of science fiction as well as the massiveness of the Greek mythological Giant. By massive, I am definitely referring to the expansive, genre-defying and technical body of work the band has created. The band pays homage to the legends in the genre but are still able to carve a place for themselves. Without a doubt, the album is truly a masterpiece from start to finish and would easily be in the running for album of the year on many lists.  

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Sovereign – Neurotic (EP)

7/10

The Neurotic EP does its job of keeping the listener interested and I hope the band continues to mix it up a bit in the future as well. More kickass songs like Neurotic Existence please!

Sovereign is a relatively new band in the Norwegian metal scene. However its members are seasoned veterans. The band is formed by guitarists Tommy and Vidar of famed black/thrash metal band Nocturnal Breed.

Kristian and Gravskjender complete the band by handling drums and bass/vocals respectively. While comparisons with Nocturnal Breed are iminent, Sovereign sounds quite different. Nocturnal Breed approaches their brand of black/thrash metal in a more traditional manner with clear influences from the teutonic thrash sound and possibly comparable to contemporaries like Aura Noir. Sovereign, however, are more death/thrash in that regard with influences stemming from early Death while also incorporating thrash-y elements.

When it comes to the production values, Sovereign has a rawer sound. It’s discernible but it invokes a feeling that you’re watching/listening to the band performing live in a basement. It’s grimey as fuck but not venturing into cavernous territory. Gravskjender’s vocals are raspy and seem to draw influences from the vocal styles of early Possessed. It’s actually not too dissimilar in its delivery from the vocals of fellow Norwegian death metal compatriots, Obliteration.

Prior to Neurotic, Sovereign had released one single and a three-track demo. To be frank, the Neurotic EP doesn’t have any new material to offer listeners but it’s more of a re-release of all their original tracks, four in total, by Redefining Darkness. In a way, I can see this making sense for the band as they are relatively new in the scene and a fairly prominent label in the underground like Redefining Darkness would help catapult the band to more listeners. Heck, I’m definitely one of them. 

What I like right off the bat are Sovereign’s song structures. Each song has a handful of primary riffs while the songs’ tempos undulate from beginning to end. Immersed in Ashes begins with solid mid-tempo chunky riffs before switching gears to balls out thrash-y moments. There are also slower guitar sections in that song which attempt at evoking an eerie atmosphere. The intro to Neurotic Existence has a strong early Slayer vibe. It reminded me of how Seasons in the Abyss starts.

After the minute and a half long buildup, the song veers into early Death territory (a reference point that I mentioned earlier). Neurotic Existence is the longest track on the EP clocking in at six and a half minutes. It has a slow to mid-tempo pace to it. If you had heard this one song, you would’ve probably assumed the band to be an out-an-out old school death metal band. Paroxysm of Madness reminds us that Sovereign are in fact a death/thrash band.

The band returns to that thrash-y pace and does nothing wrong in the riff department. Ending the EP in a similar vein, is the last track, Iron Cast, which was the band’s first ever track released in 2018. The track actually opens with a guitar solo and then dives into the verse-chorus typical structure. The faster riffs are a little less discernible but when they slow things down to mid-tempo, you can feel the riffs cut right through the mix. Very headbang-worthy. With this, the twenty minute long EP comes to a close.   

We’ve covered the good bits but what are some areas where the EP lets you down. Well, for me, I felt the guitar solos were too noodly. I view solos as the cherry on top of a good well structured song. They have the latter for sure but in general the guitar solos were a period of me waiting for them to just pass by quickly. It’s like Kerry King’s solos, they’re there, they don’t do much to you and are only memorable in the sense that they feel like a hot mess. 

Overall, I think Sovereign’s Neurotic EP is a really good slab of heavy music. I’ll give credit where credit’s due but at times, one tends to feel that the content isn’t too original. It’s very easy for a band to get lost in the plethora of death/thrash or black/thrash bands out there who also have similar “old school” sounds. At the moment, the Neurotic EP does its job of keeping the listener interested and I hope the band continues to mix it up a bit in the future as well. More kickass songs like Neurotic Existence please!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Demonic Death Judge – The Trail

8/10

The band’s sound is quite refreshing wherein they take a repetitive riff-laden subgenre like stoner/sludge and add some variety with instrumental passages, while still making it sound quite seamless

I’m going to set some context before penning my thoughts down. I had a massive phase of listening to stoner/sludge/desert-rock many years ago. Whether it was the NOLA bands or legends like Sleep and Kyuss, this subgenre has always been right down my alley. I still quite enjoy it to be honest, but of late, black metal has ruled the roost. Most recently, the closest I’ve come to rekindling this old flame was my contemplation of paying Desert Fest (one of the better known festivals promoting this subgenre) a visit. But that said, on seeing the Demonic Death Judge promo up for review, I grabbed it for want of listening to something different.

Demonic Death Judge are a stoner/sludge band from Finland. They’ve been churning out tunes for over a decade now and I’ll be honest, they flew under my radar and this is my first taste of their music. The Trail is their fourth full-length album. My immediate reaction after completing my first listen was – Holy balls, this is good! Obligatory comparisons would be bands like Weedeater, Bongzilla and their Canadian contemporaries Dopethrone. I mention these bands in particular because Demonic Death Judge share a similar harsh/raspy vocal delivery style compared to the aforementioned bands.

But, to Demonic Death Judge’s credit, The Trail offers much more variety in terms of acoustic and the instrumental passages apart from tasty guitar riffs and thumping bass lines. The band takes their music seriously but probably also have oodles of fun coming up with tongue-in-cheek song titles – Cougar Charmer, Filthy as Charged? No? The band definitely has a sense of humor. The lyrics are short and hard-hitting in the sense that the choruses are easy to pick up and shout along. To add another layer, there are some mild country folky NOLA vibes. All this combined definitely makes the album more interesting and makes repeated listens a joy. 

The album opener, Cougar Charmer, is an acoustic guitar instrumental which would not be out of place if played in a Western movie. The last note of the first track continues seamlessly into Filthy as Charged, a song laden with some infectiously catchy groovy hooks. The song also has a trippy (and dare I say weird) music video to complement it. After this slightly uptempo track, the band mellows it down with Hardship, a relatively doomy track. Hardship’s chorus will get you singing in no time – “Through hardship / We fight / Through suffering / We die”. Elevation and Shapeshifting Serpents start off similarly with instrumental spacey openings and then transition into heavy sludge goodness.

The band mixes it up in the final third of the album with two instrumentals Fountain of Acid and Cougar Charmer (Reprise). Fountain of Acid is a bit of a chaotic track which ends with sludgy dissonant sounds. Did I hear a saxophone there? I’m not sure because it did sound like one. Cougar Charmer (Reprise), as opposed to the album opener, doesn’t sound cheery at all. The band also introduces the harmonica in this track.

The penultimate and also album title track, the Trail, is the longest on the album clocking in at close to nine minutes. In a way, it exemplifies what the whole album is all about. During those nine minutes, the band meanders through their head-bobbing sludge and the lyrics of “This trail will take me / I’ll never come home / This trail will take me / I’ll never be found” will ring in your head. The song gradually spaces out into the wilderness with ambient post-rock-y sounds.

The album closer, We Have to Kill, has one of the catchiest yet simplest-sounding riffs. The NOLA vibes are strongest on this track, especially evidenced by a slower harmonica passage with clean vocals. Before you know it, the band returns to heaviness with that main riff and ends the album.

The Trail is surely a ride I’d love to continue getting on. My final impressions are that the band’s sound is quite refreshing wherein they take a repetitive riff-laden subgenre like stoner/sludge and add some variety with instrumental passages, while still making it sound quite seamless. This is clearly an album of two halves. If we lived in a predominantly cassette-tape era, one would see a marked difference between the two sides. The former being sludgy and in your face while the latter being more transient, spacey and experimental. I think it’s great to be honest that a stoner/sludge band can display such dynamism in their sound. I’m quite impressed with Demonic Death Judge’s album and it beckons me to check out their back catalogue. I reckon you should too, if this subgenre is your cup of tea! 

Originally posted on Tempelores.com