New Reviews 3/10/2012
Moonspell- Alpha Noir-CD (Napalm Records)
So its great to this this Dark Metal force from Portugal again with a new album this time with there new home of Napalm records who is growing by leaps and bounds in Europe now. Their last home SPV seemed to miss the boat on a stellar album. With Alpha Noir they continue on the mix of Death, Black and Goth metal with elements of electronic and progressive arrangements. The mix of deep male goth and blackened death vocals you know the moment you hear Moonspell and that is how its suppose to be. There is a massive production on this like most Moonspell album the melodic elements are intertwined so well with the Romantic and Extreme elements going on. I hope to get to see them live again as Moonspell put on one of the shows around . Believe it or not there even better live. The Guitars, Bass and Synth just weave a sonic jounery few can. The give me the same feeling bands like Dark Tranquility , Dan Swano and Devin Townsend do . Alpha Noir will will be one of the Crown Jewels of Napalm in 2012...
http://napalmrecords.com/
Mike Armine- Verse and Cleansing Undertones of Wake and Lift-CD (Translation Loss)
So Frontman of the Post Metallers Rosetta is here with his second solo album working in the same sound spaces as artists like House of Low Culture, Lustmord, Robert Rich, Dream into Dust, Tricky , Portishead etc. This is Dark Ambient, Drone meets Drum and Bass on a very spacial electronic frontier. This is stuff that I feel very a kin to these days. Mike is working more on the Deconstruction and Reconstruction of the very soundwaves around him. Mr Armine is doing something very personal and its not going to be for the masses at all. I love to see shows like this in a dark rooms with projectors and a man behind rows of pedals, triggers, computers and synths working on creating his madness. Its more about the sum of it all rather then just what we industrial/ experimental artists call music. This is music you feel as well as hear and see. I know this is starting to sound elitist it's not in any way . You just have to go beyond traditional ideal and welcome the next phase of sound creation. The 21st century is very bright with releases like this.
Atoma- Skylight-CD (Napalm Records)
Really folk Napalm is coming out of nowhere again with another release that is not black metal or doom and just throwing my jaw to the floor. Atoma is a mix of Darkwave, Sci fi, Post Metal and Ethereal major. There is a hypnotic element going on here that you would hear in band like Ayreon or Skinny Puppy in the presentation. It also gave me a feeling of bands like Strapping Young Lad and Iced Earth many of the Listenable and Season of Mist artists out there. This is very much a Power metal base with so much more going on around it. The heavy synth elements tell you that. Atoma as moments of bands like Canaan and Monumentum as well . There is not more that can be said Atoma is a must listen as your going to love or hate it there is no middle ground with this one.
http://napalmrecords.com/
Clinging to the trees of a forest fire- Visceral-CD (Prosthetic Records)
Ok this is just a wall of holy fuck. Sludge, Noise Grind, Doom and Crust. If you mix elements of Cavity, Eyehategod, Asssuck, Brutal truth, Man is the Bastard etc you get the point . Clinging to the trees (to make it short) is about running over you with a steamroller then backing up on you with a pick up truck . Odd to say that but thats how powerful the music is. They do add a hardcore element but more in a old school brutal Boston way. Visceral has a dissidence as well that many of the Noisy Grind bands have this makes its sound all the more original to my ears as well. Prosthetic has a few bands like this and they know the sound. Clinging to the trees has been with them for a bit and I see the vision and ideals holding true. Impressive band very impressive.
Kommandant- The Draconian Archetype-CD ( ATMF )
I always see this project refered toas War Metal but I just don't see it . Kommandant is Avant Black metal in the highest of orders. If Type of Negative, Mayhem and Code had a child in the darkest of catacombs this would be Kommandant. There is so much sickness and corruption in the way they vocals, guitars and drums come forth through the speaks. They truly have a hatred and loathing on the world around them and if they could destroy it Kommandant would. I always hear Panzer Division Marduk in there sound as well. There must be a love for the mind period Marduk as well . Simply put this is the way Black metal should sound... Fast, Hate filled and a twisted melody that only us of the forgotten faiths can hear.
Formloff- Spyhorelandet-CD ( Eisenwald)
Bizzare indie electro Black metal with a strong dose of Jazz element. This is what Virus, DHG and Satyricon remind me of if you mixed them with elements of Ulver, When and Shining from Norway. This is chaos but in the best way possible. I love the madness factor of Formloff. If you like Abhorym or Manes then you will come close to were a band like this is presenting there sound. Nightmares maybe easier to contain then the way Spyhorelandet is arranged . All I can say is slowly this is becoming one of those classic post black metal releases that I will never want to part with. Formloff I want more asap so I look forward to 2013 as the year of Formloff for me.
Comments