7 New Reviews ( More to come soon)

Herscher-S/T - CD/ Digital- (Self Released)

This Trio of out the French realm. Is a mix  of bands like  Tiamat, Moonspell, Cathedral ,Early Peaceville sounds and Droning Doom elements. There are just Drums and bass making this sonic nightmare with a front man that reminds me of Lee Dorian and Nick Holmes in the presentation. There is mix of Dark and Sinster growls and Epic Deep Doom sung vocals. Herscher have a very industrial element to them over all as well. This is as heavy as its bombastic in tonal reasoning .  With Herscher their is a strong punk / diy movement in sound with him.  The music actually goes through you soul  and you can feel it against your beating heart. With the album there is also a spitriual side to this as well not in an occult way but you can channel energies not of this world. Over all super impressed by the release check them out for sure.

http://herscherdoom.com/

Contrarian- Polemic- CD/ Digital ( Willowtip)

What kind of Death metal unit will you get if members of Nile, Mithras and Sulaco come together and  present it . Just from some of the tracks a massive futuristic, avant journey that goes from Jazz to Prog to Doom to Eastern elements and that is just the tip of the iceberg they are very much in that bass heavy sound with very tech guitar and bass movements, ultra low vocals that turn into almost war metal at time. The complexity of edge part of the song is whats most impressive. This is music for other metal musicians or hard edge audiofiles as this is not where I would begin with my Death metal listening . It's ultra breathe taking and complex in every fashion. If Steve Vai or Greg Howe were to play Death metal I would hear this. At times it feels like there is a huge love of Bay area thrash and German Power metal in this band as well because those elements really due shine in the album. This album is just so much it's hard to explain it in a review. Take the challenge and be blown away by a very different Death metal release.

http://willowtip.com/

Canyon of the Skull- S/t- CD/ Digital ( Self Released)

So Doom metal can take many forms as we know this with the Duo know as Canyon of the Skulls is going for a mix of that Desert Doom sound mix with Crusty/Sludge elements you would hear with Bands like Noothgrush, Eyehategod and Cavity and on the flip side of it there is a very southern element that you would hear from bands like Crowbar and C.O.C as well going on here.  Deep with in the fuzzed out tones which I would never call stoner as it's just to dark and heavy to be that style there are some very bluesy moments going on here. With just two tracks  both 17+ minutes long this album is something you deep into and let it wash over you in it's Epic vibe. Canyon of the skull with this Self titled release should get a buzz and presence in the metal world with such a powerful undertaking..

http://canyonoftheskull.bandcamp.com/

The Carburetors- Laughing in the face of death- CD/ Digital ( SPV)

Sometime we just need a great rocking metallic album and you know what if you like  Judas Priest, Motorhead,  The Cult , Zodiac Mindwarp and AC/DC then this is going to be a major winner. There this nothing here that is going to shock you but the album is just fun as hell and just really kick ass heavy rock/ Classic metal moment.  SPV has a few bands like this and they have another that just fits the bill when needed. There are guest moments by Dimmu Borgir member as well , What more can be said  great sing along choruses and the power of the riff is in full force here. We all have albums like this and will all want this one too....

http://spv.de/

Spectral Lore- Gnosis- CD/ Digital-( I Void hanger)

There is a very  Spacial and Distant feeling to this album I almost want to say it's Eastern Occult Post Black metal as sonic ally  if you can mix elements of ambient Drift, Post Rock and Theatrical metal you have something that comes in the idea of what Spectral Lore creates, If Orphaned Land were a black metal band they would sound like this I could swear. There are also moments I hear bands like  Katatonia and Porcupine Tree going on as elements of the over all style. Spectral Lore are as haunting as beautiful and sinister as droning of an album I have ever heard.  It's another one of those spiritual releases that cross between the darkness and the light and will never be on one side of the other. That is album at face value and you will miss so much.  It seems that  Prog music has made a big input on Black metal in the last 10 yrs or so and now many bands are using that side of the spectrum to express the music they here in their minds. Gnosis as an album is just a cut above most and I hope it finds it's way into your play list.

http://www.i-voidhanger.com/

Neronoia- Mi Piaceva una vita- CD/ Digital (Eibon Records)

This is more of brilliance that Eibon over the last two plus decades has been presenting to us. Ambient, Dark Wave with Cold Wave and Post Industrial elements. If you like bands like Ulver, Canaan, Nick Cave, Colloquio for some bands. There are moments of Electronica, Glitch, Drift and Theatrical Dark electronica music. It's a heartbreakingly beautiful and sorrow filled and left field ambiance . There are times it reminds me of bands like Sanctum and David Galas solo material as well. There is such a delicate and fragile side to this but you can hear the blackness in the words and soul of the vocalist. What we have here is an electronic based album of loss and reflect that is just art through out . A must listen ...

http://eibonrecords.com/

Ramleh-Circular time-CD/Digital ( Crucial Blast)

Spacey Trippy very out there Noise rock that seems to love loops and layers with very primitive and tribal drumming and then it goes is to that Post Rock/Industrial waves as well. I hear bands like  subarachnoid space, Butthole Surfers,  US Christmas, Daniel Menche and ever Boyd Rice. There is a 60's and 70's fuzzed out vibe like  Hexvessel and Sabbath Assembly going on here too and Yes Skull Flower and Glenn Branca. Ramleh even though the last album was about 20 yrs ago they have this fire that seems to build with every track I hear on the release. Circular time is really just one big  fuzzed out jam session of amazing trippy noise rock. Who could really ask for more its great.

http://crucialblast.net/