9 New Reviews 6/14/2014

Nightfell- the living ever mourn-CD/ digital ( Southern Lord )

I will just say it now His hero is gone is one of my all time fave bands and when I saw Todd that and Tragedy was in this project I had to hear. nightfell is the mix of Funeral Doom, Crust and Post Hardcore with a very classical over tone to the presentation to it all. There is  Septic Flesh meets orphanage vibe to this monster with early Paradise lost and Anathema as well. So you know were they come from but the love of bands like Disembowlment, Neurosis and Swans is very much in the mix here as well. The more I listen to nightfell they come from that early Peaceville Records and Avantgarde Music side of mix Doom, Prog, Black and Ambience into some thing that is as cool as it is not of this world. Southern Lord is a perfect home for a releases also the founder of Parasitic Records is the other member of this unit and we all know the amazing releases they have on the roster for the Black/ Doom world.  This is Doom that is Dirty and snotty and full of sorrow and loss. I so glad to have had a chance with this . Good to see Doom back with Southern Lord again ...

http://southernlord.com/

BattleroaR- Blood of Legends-CD/ Digital ( Cruz Del Sur)

With a name like BattleroaR and this abum cover what kind of Metal band did you think you were getting into ?? A Power Metal band of course and get what folks.... It's one hell of a power metal band at that. If you like bands like Gamma Ray, Rhapsody and Nevermore then BattleroaR is going to be one of those desert island disc's . What BattleroaR throws in that other do not is more of Thrash and Neoclassic element where they do not ride the Iron Maiden song book so hard .. The vocals are a bit more aggressive and we have a very Martial overtone through out the release but it all works into something that is very memorable for this style of Metallic assault and the solo work on the guitar is what your waiting for and its no going to let you down my friends. Another fine release from our friends in Europe Cruz del sur...

http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/

Demonic Rage- Venomous Wine from the purrid bodies- Vinyl/ digital ( Iron Bonehead)

Welcome to the Death metal underground where anything can be and may just happen. This is guttural and mean with razor sharp musicianship that likes to add a Doomy edge to the Death metal style like Ceremonium, Incantation, Womb and Coffins. This album is so heavy and droning with the power of that harmonic down tuned guitar it's almost Hypnotic is a wonderfully torment fashion and then it builds with those Bolt thrower tempos and the deep deep vocals that sound like the beast has just crawled out of the grave to front the band.. Demonic Rage is Death metal and they Death metal should be presented raw, ugly and complex all at same time. 

http://www.ironbonehead.de/

Aborted- The Necrotic Manifesto- CD/ Digital ( Century Media)

So Aborted is the other side of Death metal the Prog filled, Tech/ Sci fi meets Swedish Melodic Death all that the same time. Aborted wants to make the tools of the future thiers with getting as many riffs and percussive hits into the tracks as possible and sounding like an army of musicians at the same time It's the Meshuggah / Strapping Young Lads approach to metal as I call it and with Aborted it works like a decaying charm.. The violence in the presentation of the release is awesome. There are many grind elements to this band as well they have a love for bands like Brutal truth and Misery Index as well but its all carefully planned out with Aborted to the point of moment by recorded moment. This is one of the best Death metal bands in 2014 for my money.. 

http://centurymedia.com/

Serpentine Path- Emanations-CD/ Digital ( Relapse )

This must be the Doom issue of reviews as I'm about to journey again into the doom realm with ex members of to legendary doom forces Unearthly Trance and Winter now in an unholy and cryptic alliance under Serpentine Path.  Can there be something such as primitive Doom/Death as if there is Serpentine Path are the masters of the genre. This is Low, Slow and just Ugly the Bass and drums are the leads here. The guitar is more of a lumbering nightmare that glues this very beast together. IF you slowed down Sabbath or made bands like Neurosis and Mournful Congregation less complex and just down right nasty you would have this. Relapse at one time you have the next master of a doom style here that is in love with the darker and more sludge side of the sound. We need to get the word out and this is my battle cry!!!!

http://relapse.com/

Wolves in the Throne Room- Celestite- CD/Digital ( Artemisia Records)

WITTR have over the years become a force all its own even more then the music . They have gone from a Heathen Mysterious Black metal unit to a Nature based Post Black metal band to just an experimental outlet for any dark sounds the bands wants to create . There are and always will be mixed reviews for this band they are very much a product of the love/hate camps of underground metal. I have always found them one of the more creative and interesting bands from that Cascadian Black metal genre. Well we this time have a full on avant/experimental release that is not black metal at all its more in the way of Pagan Dark Industrial and Avant electronic bands create music. I know this will annoy and confuse many also WITTR is now just an active duo and created their own label. This has much in common with the Burzum ambient releases and I feel like they are following in Vargs progression at times. We have a Black metal over toe on this but nothing more. I can best say try this with caution as this is a very new frontier for the band and I understand its a companion piece of the last proper album but they are missing something here and need to add that back to future releases..

http://www.wittr.com/

Wolvhammer-Clawing into Black Sun- CD/ Digital ( Profound Lore)

Welcome to Pagan Post Black metal of a level few will every reach. I can not have better words to speak then for every album that comes from Wolvhammer. The eerie vibe that comes from the band  via  arrangements, vocal styles and just the tone of the music is something that has become more expansive and just aurally majestic as time goes by. Wolvhammer is about layers and textures and how Sorrow and Hope.. Pain and Passion can mix into a musical landscape that is almost too massive for one album. The fragile riffs mixed with tormented vocals and bombastic rythmns are what make fan and listeners like myself come band for more and more. Albums like Clawing into Black Sun are crafted not just recorded and made.  I get the same feeling as I do with bands like Thorns, Code, DHG, Deathspell Omega and Krieg as I do with Wolvhammer.  The label they are on gives them the time and growth they need to make music like this. Wolvhammer's music is very visual as well and I think that plays into a role of why I like this band so much as well.  Keep the fires alive and I look forward to passing into the next adventure with you sirs...

http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/

Mayhem- Esoteric Warfare- CD/Digital (Season of Mist)

I hate to say this as Mayhem has always been a band I really liked esp Grand Declaration of War and Chimera but the band is in a run now any sound like outtakes of other bands the band plays in like Arcturus, Winds, Kovenant and I know many love Attila's vocals in Mayhem but he was much more interesting in Aborym.  I was hoping Teloch new guitarist would breathe new life into the unit but Nidingr is again a much more creative and interesting outlet for his talents. I can not see this album being anything more then a place holder for Mayhem. 7 yrs and we get almost the same album as the last ??? I don't understand it.. I was really hoping for more .... I will say pass on this one my friends..

http://season-of-mist.com/

Septic Flesh- Titan-CD/ Digital ( Prosthetic/ Season of Mist)

Septic Flesh on every release has crossed boundaries, styles, ideals and some of the greatest moments in metal musical history and with Titan we may have the Metal album of the year. I can say without a moment of doubt that Septic Flesh has had me listen to Titan no less that 5 times this week and I still can not even come close to finding something I dislike about it. They have mix Death Metal, Orchestral Sounds, Prog Rock and Oriental elements into something that is as groundbreaking and maybe even more so then what they have ever done before. There is a fresh breathe of life into this band . The have taken where bands like Therion and Pain has gone and made it extreme again there are moments of bands like And Oceans and Devin Townsend going on here. Titan is one of the first extreme metal albums that I think could crossover to the arena scene and win those crowds over even. With Samael I really feel these two forces are and have made some the most original music in the last 20 yrs.. I recommend that once you can get a copy of Titan you do it and remember to thank the band for making the 2014 metal album of the year...

http://prostheticrecords.com/