6 New Reviews 8/12/14 @ Absolute Zero Media

Krieg- Transient- CD/Digital ( Candlelight Records)

So its been a few yrs since N Imperial and is ever evolving and changing lineup have released an album and this being the 2nd for Candlelight after a long run with Redstream... The harsh reality is Krieg is an experimental Black metal force with love of ambience, drones and chaos which drives them on every release. The sound over the years has become more focused and adds a very Punk/ Hardcore element to the over all tone of the last few releases. Krieg will always be that paper cut to the USBM scene refusing to play by any rules and just make something N Imperial will enjoy and express to the world around him.  With this and last two releases before them I would almost say that if His Hero is Gone , Early Swans or Man is the bastard became a Black metal band they would be Krieg . This is very high praise and take it as nothing less. With Transient they take the sound even further with a more spacial element and bass heavy approach. The Crust and Post Punk does release shine with many of the tracks. N Imperial's vocals are just so damn challenging at time as he likes to mix so many styles into them  that it makes the more straight forward Black metal fan lose there way.  I would say that Transient is a defining release but every release defines the bands as no two albums have very been the same they just hold the roots from day one of this band. Madness, Angst and Rebellion for anything that they are told they can no do or embrace..  If there is another I look forward to it . If this is the last Krieg then no disappointments either. 

http:///candlelightrecordsusa.com/

Ides of Gemini- Old World New Wave- CD/ Digital  ( Neurot)

As a 3 piece the band as just blown me away to create a second release that is just as compelling if not more so then Constantinople. They mix Doom metal, 70's Fuzzed out Prog rock, Noise rock and that Ambient/ Spiritual sound that bands like Amber Asylum and Sabbath Assembly have been know to drive home over the years. There is such a dark experimenting sound going on through out the release with the  prog doom sounds of bands like Kyuss, Opeth and  Katatonia.. The female vocals are like Angels that fell to earth and singing there way back to the heavens above. These tracks are drenched in reverb and  a haunting melody. Ides of Gemini are really the purist form of heavy rock . The power and passion going through out the release you can pull out on every note that is strung and percussion attack.  This is magickal music and should be used as such for those in the know. Old World New Wave will open doorways in your mind and heart to places you have never been able to reach with out before.  This is music that would make Jarboe proud to create and perform as there is a strong element of her on this release especially in the vocal undertaking.  If you like the more laid back moments of Madder Mortem there is a very close home that here as well. Neurot your label releases are about emotion and connecting to a sound or ideal lost in music these days. Another step back to music as an artform here folks..

http://neurotrecordings.com/

Botanist- VI: Flora- CD/ Digital (The Flenser)

The words Ambient, Experimental and Avant seem to play a large world of the music i listen to review and love well with Botanist I'm going to use a new term this is the age of Futurist Black metal and what I mean by that is the mix the prog/ electro, jazz and post black metal sound in to a bowel but they add an art rock element to this like Sonic youth, Television, Talking heads did in the 70's, 80's and 90's . There is something there tonally that is not in others. It's almost as if they have seen the future and want to give us just a little taste of the journey we will be taking in the next 100 years. With that in mid have a live for bands like Ved Buen Ende, Fleurety and Ulver at the same time. Botanist is a strange force to really grab onto and explain as it's so much more of the listening experience then  anything else. If yours of Russian Circles, Deafheaven, Chelsea Wolfe and Wolvserpent this will be something you do not want to miss as it mixes all of this plus much more. VI: Flora has so many tempo and time changes and then goes into that ethereal place as well.  The fractured almost drum and bass side to this band makes is all the more impossible to not want to listen to this album over and over again. I have visions of Jesu and Author and Punisher collabing and making an album very close to this . I can see why Kayo Dot has signed on with this label as its a very fitting place for there sounds..

http://theflenser.com/

Acrania- Totalitarian Dystopia-CD/ Digital ( Unique Leader)

Complexity, Brutality, Creativity these are all description on what comes to mind when listening to Acrania. This trio from London make Death metal that is cutting edge. People love to use the Deathcore tag but they are more then Death metal and Grindcore . The are Tech metal, Post Metallic and even Doomy in the same way Incantation  or The Chasm were. Unique Leader and Willowtip really over the last decade have the market on Forward thinking extreme metal bands and with Acrania they keep moving forward with each album. The production is so great you can hear everything and nothing is muddy actually quite the opposite you could hear a pin drop on the break down muted moments. Relapse, Listenable and Earache use to be the kings of this style in the 90's/ early 00's and the torch has been passed . This band is just talent profound. Death metal is really having a 3rd age I like to call it from 2012 to now and so glad so see that the extreme music fan is embracing this style again.  Let the battle machines forth and Acrania can lead the charge...

http://uniqueleader.com/

Bloodsoaked- Religious Apocalypse- CD/ Digital ( Comatose Music)

I would not so much call this a new album as new 3 song ep with covers and live tracks . I will very much talk about the 3 new track as they are crushing and brutal classic melodic death metal that anyone with a weakness to the a nod to those Nuclear blast, Roadracer, Earache and Relapse days will want to listen over and over again. Sometime death metal is just suppose to be brutal, dark and heavy and with Bloodsoaked Peter has mastered just that.  Peter loves Carcass, Obituary, Bolt Thrower and Death this is very clear in the arrangements and tracks over all tones.  Now on to the covers Cinderella ( Shake me) and Ratt ( Your in Love) . To be honest they just make me freakin smile. We all love these songs don't lie to yourself and Bloodsoaked make them just kick ass  with Cinderella its something I swear Entombed did as that what it sounds like and just is aces!!!! Then with Ratt it's just that a death metal vocalist showing is love for a great hard rock song. These two track are just cool sir my hats off you Bloodsoaked for that . The live track just show how good Bloodsoaked are on the stage and as I've seem Peter as a one man force on stage I know flat out how good he is as an artist. I still feel he should have been on a much bigger label as Bloodsoaked are stronger then many bands on the big 4 death metal labels. I look forward to a proper full length in the future..

http://comatosemusic.com/

Fallujah-  The Flesh Prevails- CD/ Digital ( Unique Leader)

Oh Dear were did this gem come from its one of the best Prog Death metal releases I've heard in years. Gorguts, Pestilence,  Edge of Sanity and Alchemist all come to mind when listening to this as well as bands like Borknagar and Solefald in the level amazing musicianship that is going on here.  I was not ready for this from a label like Unique Leader that goes for a much more oppressive style. There is flat out jazz and harmonic blues elements going on through out the release. If Neurosis , Amorphis and Dan Swano  formed a band they would be called Fallujah. This maybe the Prog Death metal album of 2014 for me as it's making my head spin with how all out adventurous and challenging this release is becoming and it doesn't let up those hammond and moog organs are just making this album better and better by the moment. There are elements of Guitar mastery that I have only heard by Steve Vai , Alex Skolnick and Joe Satriani to be honest.  Fallujah even have an ethereal element going on as well . I don't know where to do this is were bands like Cynic, Atheist and Death were heading but never made it and now Fallujah waves the flag for Forward thinking Prog Death metal . This album is a must hear in all honesty..

http://uniqueleader.com/