New Reviews Sept 6th 2009

Howl- S/t-MCD (Relapse Records)

A 3 song Mini CD seems to be an odd place to start with a new band on label like relapse but what am I to know. Howl is from Providence RI a place I called home for several yrs. The music scene when I was there was thriving and played many shows in the area with both metal and non metal projects. Howl is everything the underbelly of Onleyville has to offer . Onelyville was a artist community in Providence's " Other side of the tracks " world. Howl is crusty, grooving, heavy, dirty and monstrous in sound. They sound a lot like some the Boston Hardcore bands that liked to mix the metal into there music. Also have a strong love for bands like Isis, Mastodon and Brutal Truth to this reviewer. There is a doom element but the death metal and crusty punk comes in very music in the drumming and guitar arrangements. There are some great harmonies in the music that is created with the screamo/ growling vocal movements. I hate to use the term but Post Metal is a good word for bands like this that mix Hardcore, Death metal and Sludgy Doom. Howl I look forward to a full length from thee..

http://relapse.com/




REVOCATION-Existence Is Futile-CD (Relapse Records)

Thrash FUCKIN Metal this is what we have here folk. If you miss the days of 87-91 then this is a slice of heaven for you.... Remember Exodus, Testament, Sadus, Sodom, Kreator its all here and more . The massive riffs, The throaty vocal snarl. The aggression and fire that extreme thrash metal all had. Even the punk element of fast and blurry is better at time. Revocation is a retro thrash band that add 21st century production and post hardcore vocal elements at time you make Existence is futile "metal up your ass" brilliance. There is even a groove feeling like bands like Cathedral use to give us but in a very heavy and brutal fashion. I didnt think I missed the amazing guitar leads and complexity that came with really working out a song but I clearly did. There are moments of a Nu metal sound but this is a very young band and they need to get there own Identity which will happen in time but for a debut release. There is a lot going on here moments of Opeth and Katatonia in the Jazzy and fragile too. Well worth picking this one up if you just love metal period....

http://relapse.com/



Baroness- Blue Records-CD (Relapse Records)

Baroness start off with a little neoclassic/ jazzy movement then go full steam into there Stoner meets Post Hardcore anthems we all know them for. There love of bands like Cave in, Neurosis and Sleep is legendary .. If you like your sound catchy, bluesy and bombastic all at once you can not loose with Baroness they have a very 70's rock sound but not in the stoner way as much as boston and aerosmith to me. The stoner sound comes more from the 80's stuff to me . The vocals are clean and throaty but never go to death metal they stay more in that angry Neurosis vocal style you know what I mean if you heard later period Neurosis. There is an eastern and prog thing going on at times here too that just makes it all the more interesting this far more then rock or metal to me. Baroness is a force all there own... I swear they love Dinosaur JR a lot too maybe I'm nuts or maybe I'm spot on either way .... Stellar release here.....

http://relapse.com/


The Atlas Moth - A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky-CD (Candlelight USA)

Do you like doom/death I mean really like avant doom/death then this is a gem you will soon not for get. This of bands like Esoteric, Mindrot, Dolorian, Ras Algethi then mix in bands like Khanate, Jesu, Mastodon, Burning witch for good measure and in the final piece of the epic puzzle going on here add the textures and open space of bands like newer Katatonia and Elend to had the heavy verbs and otherworldly vocals mixed with the cries of torment. The Atlas Moth is one of those bands that must be heard to fully understand. There are so many styles and sounds going on This goes from Doom /Death to Prog Death metal to Space rock all in the same song. Candlelight has a force to be reckoned with here...

http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/



Xerath-I-CD (Candlelight USA)

This may be a very short review for a very good band its because you don't need a lot of words to explain this release you need a lot of time to listen and love this release . Its very cut and dry and Candlelight for the 1st time in a bio has it all down if you made Meshuggah a symphonic Black metal band it would be Xerath. The orchestral arrangements are that of Dimmu Borgir , Elend or Therion and the bombastic metallic sound is of the prog Swedish death sound that Meshuggah has mastered years ago . Xerath is doing something that has been done before in 2 parts and made it one complete whole !!!!!

http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/



Forest Stream - The Crown of Winter -CD (Candlelight USA)

This is not my 1st trip with the Russian unit known as Forest Stream on this new release as it opens up it reminds me very much of mid period Anathema with a bunch of a band called Silentium that I loved very much in the late 90's early 21st century. I know its a tired term by this is what I call Symphonic goth doom/death in all its majesty glory. Lush pianos, deep bass lines , armies of slow melodic guitars and very wonderful sung male vocal with the interplay of the doom growls. I use to play a style very similar to this when I was making doom metal a decade ago. Forest Stream is fantastic at what they do. Its a very limited market I'm sad to say as if more would give bands like this a listen they would find the magic in the sound. Another solid new release from Candlelight.

http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/



Bleeding Fist - Bestial Kruzifix666ion-CD (Moribund Cult)

Dirty filthy raw thrashing black death with a complexity that makes it all the more interesting to listen to Bleeding Fist is yet another great find for USA extreme metal label Moribund. This is a band from a slavic nation and I really think the eastern world has more hate then us and its showing in there music these days/ Bleeding Fist is a bunch of corpse paint wearing , blasting noise in you face , war metal maniacs. That is really the best way to put a band like this. There here to give you and the world a giant " Fuck you" and with the tracks I'm hearing they give a run for the money with bands like Beastial warlust if your old enough to remember them. Bleeding Fist is another band that will help me through my dark themes of this shitty economy and struggles to just survive. HORNS UP HIGH !!! on this one....

http://moribundcult.com/




Merrimack- Grey Rigorism-CD (Moribund Cult)

Black Metal, War Metal, Battle Metal, Melodic Black/Death, Avant Black Death... I can go on and on where Merrimack stand but the one thing that holds true to this band is They are that damn good. If you like Gorgoroth, Marduk mixed with bands like Azrael and Death Spell Omega then there is on reason not to own every release Merrimack has created. All the great elements of Black metal are melded into one bleak and disturbing force with the mission on making the sickest music one band can create. Guess what Merrimack is done just that. No check it out you fuck wad.....

http://moribundcult.com/