9 Quests to Musical Immortality ..

LLNN/WOVOKA -Traces/Marks-  Split CD/ Digital ( Pelagic)

The 1st six track come from LLNN starting off this Danish force are a Noisy Post Hardcore project with some massive guitar tones and that screamo/ noise rock vocal approach that works so well with modern hardcore. I would say that have a lot in common with Oathbreaker in the mix of serene and full blown chaos. The difference is this come from a very spacial / futuristic almost Tech way of presenting the band sound and ideals . If you like bands like  Deadguy, Integrity, Isis, Rosetta, Dillinger Escape Plan, Cult of Luna etc you are in for one hell of treat with LLNN.  Now on too the one and only track from Wovoka which is 17 minutes long and ends the album. We can very clearly see why they are Wovoka .  This is very much  Crusty, Noisy Sludge with a strong Hardcore tone running through out . This is more a Sludgecore hammer fest and beyond pissed off at a level were bands like Scissorfight, Fudgetunnel,  Kiss it goodbye, Iron Monkey, Corrupted all come into play. This song does not give up fighting even as it gets to the end. I a rumble you would is blood and teeth in the scope that Wovoka are giving you. This is one impressive split release and needed for anymore into Sludge and Post Hardcore madness.

http://pelagic-records.com/

Shadow of Doubt- No Mercy- CD/ Cassette/ Digital ( War Records)

Oh my sweet Odin this is late 80's early 90's East Coast Hardcore when they mixed Thrash and and Classic Metal into the stream. If your a fan of bands like  Leeway, V.O.D, Cro-Mags,  Biohazard, Slayer ( Reign in Blood period) and Celtic Frost then you know very much were we are going . This EP make you relieve those days at CBGB. Rat Skeller, Wetlands and ABC No Rio.. The vocals are that throaty shouting cry you wait for with those Anthemic Hardcore guitar riffs and it has those Thrash melody worked in.  Shadow of Doubt will have a circle pit starting in no time at all the mix of old and new as there are some very Harmonic Post Hardcore moments going on through out this release as well. Shadow of Doubt  keep this going and you will have a name for yourself very quickly..

http://www.war-rec.com/

AMPÜTATOR- Deathcult Barbaric Hell- LP  ( Grey Haze)

This was released in 2007 on CD/ Cassette and now Grey Haze is releasing it on Vinyl for the world to hear. The title of the album really say it all. This is raw barbaric death metal with one mission and that is to crush all foes in front of them. There is a very primitive Black metal element on hear too like what Hemlock , Destroyer 666 and Impaled Nazarene have been creating  . This is more death/ thrash then Black metal too me but many feel the otherway about it. I hear the early days of when Death metal  bands were experimenting with that blackened tone before we had Black Death. There is a Grind and Noise side to AMPUTATOR as well that makes the album a roller coaster ride for sure.  We need more as they put it War metal out there  as AMPUTATOR is an ass kicking journey .

https://www.greyhazerecords.com/

Solbrud -Vemod- CD/ LP/Digital (  Indisciplinarian and Vendetta Records) 

Well well well another Danish band this time coming on their 3rd album this is all about dark and occult textures and arrangements to a way that only a project that digs deep within the Post Black metal genres will achieve and with that said " Vemod" is something of a whirlwind of a black metal experiment of creation.  There is  Sorrow, Exploration, Pain, Nightmares, Power and Loss all going on through a very epic and grim sounding album all at the same time. The vocals are a total terror factor from the moment they begin. There is something troubling this soul that is releasing the lyrics via their throat in Solbrud.  These are four very long track 11 minutes + each with a run time of 50 minutes. If I can just close with this many of this bands are becoming very similar in sound. They are good and exciting to listen to but we need some new ideas or mix in other elements to keep us going . Solbrud could very easily get lost in the mix and they should not as this is a talented band with a great sound for the Post Metal/ Post Black genre.

http://indisciplinarian.com/indiscsite/

Nocte Obducta -Totholz-CD/ LP / Digital ( MDD Records)

Epic experimental Black Death in the highest of regards and talents going on here.  This Band has been around 20 years now and what I hear are mixes of bands like  Bethlehem, Dornenriech , Empryium , Tenhi and  Naglefar . These German Dark Metallers know how to create a sound to draw you in mixing Folk, Heathen, Primitive and Progressive elements to have a rich tapestry of ear catching sounds. The vocals are more like commands from a pulpit for the masses to hear. Then we have these delicate almost gothic and experimental rock movements. The organs come out of nowhere and just give you chills. Nocte Obducta is a band that will challenge, excite and confuse you all things we all need in good music. I could listen to Totholz ten times and never hear this album the same way twice. If this is your first journey with Nocte Obducta then you have eleven previous adventures to listen to before this one came to be. ENJOY!!!

http://mdd-records.de/

Vesicant -Shadows of Cleansing Iron- CD/LP/ Digital ( Iron Bonehead)

Barbaric Black Death is very much the 1st thing that comes to mind when listening to Vesicant debut album . This band of Kiwi's that New Zealand incase you didn't know. Have a Crusty/ Grind element too that comes out in bands like Iskra, Marytrdod , Wolvhammer and Some At the Gates.  This is a wall of fuck you I can tell you that much . Iron Bonehead at times is very hit or miss for me and with Vesicant the have hit a homerun here. If I was to explain this in just a few world after listening to the full album. I would tell extreme music fans that the band is  Blackened Crusty Doom as that is really were they stand  and should be a featured band spoken about in all publications right now . This album is fucking impressive ..

http://www.ironbonehead.de/

Märvel -The Hills Have Eyes- CD/ Digital ( The Sign )

Jesus ok for something very different this is late 70's / 80's Hard rock with hooks and melodies think of bands like KISS, THIN LIZZY, Diamond Head, Def Leppard and Cream. I mean for all that is out there they do a cover of Love Machine  from WASP. This is a band that could do any classic metal or hard rock sound and give it some magic or revived life to it. The infectious grooves and melodies of this band are straight all the amazing Heavy arena rock of those decades I just told you about . I don't really know where else to go with a band like this then if you see Marvel live you will not stop moving from the time they start till the last note is performed and that is something we all need more then you know at shows today .

http://thesignrecords.com/

Gold -Optimist - CD/ LP/Digital ( Van Records)

Ok so there is a growing genre of female fronted heavy rock bands that have a retro occult feel. love the fuzzed out and ethereal elements of music that came from the 60's and 70's then love Shoegazing Black metal as well and pow bands like Gold are here to stay. If you like bands like  Ides of Gemini, Chelsea Wolfe, Sabbath Assembly, Kabbalah  and  Grave Pleasures then you my friends are about to take a ride in musical bliss. Gold you have elements of Lush, Slowdive an My Bloody Valentine as well. There are even some Mazzy Star feeling in that sultry bluesy over tone I can hear through out the album. I'm sure you will all hear something different but these are the sounds coming to my ears. This is a stunning and wonderful band that more of you need to hear. I going to try to interview them if I can. As this is an album I will be listening to over and over again for while.

http://www.van-records.de/

Nekrokraft -Will o' Wisp - CD/LP/Digital ( The Sign)

This album sounds so much like a few bands I love I'm afraid I might have already reviewed this as I know the label they are on are giving North American releases to a lot of bands that never really had it before . To me Nekroraft really remind me of Dimmu Borgir, Saytricon, Old Mans Child, Falkenbach and  Early Marduk and Nidingr to name a few. This is a kick ass album I can say that and the kind of black metal will normally catch my ear as the mix Death metal , Thrash and Post Punk elements into the music to give me a mixed bag of music love. Organs in black metal work so well specially when the rest of the bands sound is darker just still Melodic in that Grim blackened style . Ok enough of me rambling on about  Nekrokraft now it's just time for you to listen and understand why I have such respect for this band.

http://thesignrecords.com/