New Reviews March 16th 2013
Tsjuder- Desert Northen Hell-CD/ Digital ( Season of Mist)
Black metal back to its roots my friends this is as raw and grim as you can get it . The Punk, Thrash and Death metal elements are all there with the lo fi elements to make the hair's on the back of your neck stand up. This more of a 2nd wave of Swedish and Polish Black metal feel were bands like early Behemoth, Marduk and Mid period Darkthrone came out of. Remember as well this is a re issue of their 4th album from 2004. Not for a moment will you hear symphonic or epic moments going on here. This is a full on Metallic assault at mid or blistering speed. It almost has that early Ulver and Arcturus before the Post metal elements came to me. Corpse paint, Torches and Satan welcome to next dark age !!!
http://season-of-mist.com/
Russkaja- Energia-CD / Digital (Napalm Records)
So there is something in the water in Russia and something just is not right and I'm damn glad to have to received it via Napalm records under the name Russkaja. Just for a imagine Polka, Jazz, Avantgarde Rock, Metal and Electro/Dance and Ska all in one band yes you heard me. All I can say is wow and I need to hear more and more. They sound like no one and every one at the same time I want to tell you if you could mix The Toaster, AC/DC. They Might be Giants, Arkonia, Ram stein and Polkadot Cadaver all in one you may get close to what this band is and still be years away in talent and madness. Its all sung in Russian as well so it just makes it all the more bizarre ... I don't know where else to go other then bands like White trash and Mephiskapheles or maybe Skinred in a few ways. Here are folk strings, Ska horns, clean and metal vocals punk and metal guitars all in a love of all thinks Industrial and Mike Patton . If I continue on this its just going to confuse me more as well. This band is just something that must be heard and witnessed to understand and believe ...
http://napalmrecords.com/
Complete Failure- The art gospel of aggravated assault-CD / Digital (Season of Mist)
So do you like your Grind/ Crust served with a bat and pair of oxblood doc martins.. Welcome to the realm of Complete Failure. Its very simple if your a fan of Man is the bastard, His hero is gone , Deadguy, Black Army Jacket, Cavity and Integrity then this is a wall of sonic kick ass you need. Complete failure is about taking you down and keeping you down till submit or just give up. I love bands that are so relentless in they way the music and vocals come at you. We need more bands like this they are on a mission and will not stop till they are done. Horns up and patches on that jacket sir or don't come into this pit!!!
http://season-of-mist.com/
Todtgelichter- apnoe-CD/ Digital ( Code666)
Post Avantgarde Metal over the yrs has really expanded into many different sub genres and what we have coming out of Germany is Todtgelichter which is a mix of bands like In the Woods, Madder Mortem, 3rd and the Mortal, Atrox just to name a few is what I hear coming from this unit. They mix a strong Post Black metal, Jazz, Doom metal and post punk over tone to everything they release on this album I read that Todtgelichter was much more a Black metal force before this album and I can see that from elements through out this release. They are on one of best labels for this style CODE666 , Season of Mist or Prophecy Productions really are the only three labels I could see today that would even be interested on how left of center they sound and original they are. They mix male and female vocals from wonderfully classically done to full on black and doom metal guttural moments. The music is from Delicate folksy/ pagan metal to full on Epic Black Doom metal. Check them out you will not be disappointed.
http://code666.com/
SOEN- Cognitive- CD/ Digital ( Spinefarm USA)
If you had members of Opeth, Amon amarth, Sadus and Iced Earth form a group what do you think is would sound like well SOEN answers just that question folks and what I would have to say is equal parts Tool, Opeth and Porcupine Tree and nothing less them total Prog Metal brilliance in all its glory. This is a band that is breaking the genre layers an showing how power and might and massive sounds can be made with some of the most fragile of tools and arrangements Its another one of those Dan Swano moments for me were the man can do Edge of Sanity, Nightingales, Bloodbath and Unicorn and they all sound night and day from each other with SOEN this is more Prog Rock with a metal over tone in the way these artist have matured in talent and songwriting . This really does say it all with a line up like his the sky is the limit...
SOEN, the progressive metal supergroup featuring drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, Amon Amarth), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, Testament, Death, Iced Earth), vocalist Joel Ekelöf (Willowtree), and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis,
http://spinefarmrecords.com/usa
Howl- Bloodlines-CD/ Digital (Relapse)
Sludge Doom with those wonderful Post Hardcore elements is what we have here are you a fan of Buzzoven, Eyehategod, Mastodon, Weedeater or Damad then you have a new band to add to your roster to listen to over and over again. The grooves are heavy and full of syrup ladden riffs. The vocals are that of early Cathedral or Electric Wizard. Howl are perfect for the down and dirty Relapse roster and sound. All this album makes me want to do is start a slow and suffocating pit at a show and leave a mass of sweat and stink as this is where you leave all your hate and aggression till the next time you battle with those around you in honorable combat. Welcome the Socal/ Nola Sludge movement to Providence RI as you now have the brothers of Howl in the fold....
http://relapse.com/
The Moth Gatherer- A Bright Celestial Light- CD/ Digital ( Agonia Records)
So again we come into the world of Post Metal sounds as The Moth Gatherer create a sound that is a mix of Prog Death metal, Post Hardcore, Doom and Post rock all into something that sounds familar but is really most there own thing all together. So for a moment what I want to do is mix a few bands in your head to get an Idea where I am coming from Russian Circles, Neurosis, Jesu, Fudge tunnel and East of the wall. There are moment so bombastic hear you want to pray for the end and then they become so prog rock and delicate you wonder if you listening to full on post rock record from bands like Mogwai, Caspian or Pelican. This is why I'm saying that The Moth Gatherer is the sum of many and not just a style or ideal. Bands like this frustrate many and bring joy to a vocal minority but its this vocal minority that I am part of. You need to be willing to expand your musical boundaries here and if you want your metal to be metal and your indie sounds to never mix this is not for you period. Agonia have an album that will define a movement with The Moth Gatherer and never forget it. This is one the albums of the last 10 yrs in creative , experimentation and just songwriting and introspection. They give me the same feeling I got the first time I heard Neurosis, Ulver or Arcturus ...... It gives me chills.....
http://agoniarecords.com/
Grift- Fyra elegier-CD/ Digital (Nordvis)
Depressive Black metal of a time long forgotten and maybe this is why the world is in the troubles and chaos it's in . Grift have the elements of bands like Graveland, Burzum, Wolves in the throne room and Drudkh are some of the places this duo from Sweden takes me. There is an oppressive bleak vibe over these 4 tracks and it never gets to a blistering pace but they never need to as the way the haunting ringing tone over all make you feel the sorrow all the more. There is also a very sinister melody to all of this release and it grows and grows to a fever pitch and then it ends . This album or mini album is way to short I hope to hear more but Grift feels more like a special release that may take yrs to ever get another and I will just have to have this release to keep the underground alive.
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