Extremity can be beautiful ....
Nocturnus AD- Paradox-CD/Digital/Cassette (Profound Lore )
Do you all remember Mike Browning (Co founded Morbid Angel) and Nocturnus with the word AD at the end of name. Well they name a legendary Proggy Death metal album in the 90's called the " The Key " I would say its one 1st times I heard Prog, Synths and Sci fi elements in a Death metal album. Well fast forward 28 yrs and he is back with another epic and stunning Prog Death metal album ( It's the proper follow up to " The Key" we are told ) maybe this time a big more extreme thrash in the mix as well. Though truly all the same elements of "The Key " are here with an even better production. " Nocturnus " was very much part of the Florida/ Morrisound movement. They we on Earache so it was hyped as they were the new kings of Extreme music at the time with Napalm Death,Carcass, Entombed and Morbid angel at the time. This time around they are on another label really known for brillant music on both side of the extreme musically world " Profound Lore " . The artwork really does say alot to what you are about to listen to. The synths are layer nothing over the top as well. At the end of the day this is a Prog Death album with great writing catchy riffs and the brutal overtones that are needed for a fantastic return to the metal world almost three decades later .
Lo-Pan- Subtle- CD/ Digital/ LP (Aqualamb)
So were to begin with a band like LO-PAN and they mix te melody of a band like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains , Sunny Day Real estate and Foo Fighters with a Southern Dirge of like Corrorsion of Conformity, Clutch, Black Tusk then through in fuzzed out goodness of bands like Monster Magnet and Kyuss and wash it down with amazing catchy late 80's early 90's Hard rock. Are you lost good. If you had to pin me to a corner and asked me Mix A Perfect Circle, Quicksand and Down and you got this monster of talent and power. Oh yes the Post Hardcore how could I forget the post hardcore going on??? The vocals are so sultry and epic damn it plays into perfect form with the heavy grooves and rocking guitars. He sound like a cross between Maynard and Layne Stanley vocally and that is nothing to be ashamed of ever. There is a Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer swagger in all of this too. I would call this Forward thinking Heavy rock if you put me to a title. "Subtle" is far from subtle and is a testament to great song writing, arrangements and just an ear for sound that work so well that an album like this is full on infectious !!!!
Ancient Altar Cosmic Purge/Foie Gras-CD/ Digital/LP (Black Voodoo Records)
A fuzzed out Dirgy Doomy ride that at times has very sludgy movements, Then goes in to a more hypnotic retro Doom Proto metal caveman like side of the musical spectrum. If Black Sabbath,Celtic Frost, Cathderal and Electric Wizard came to town and wanted to work with My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and the guys from Crowbar were just there and started to jam this is the what you would clearly get love the sung retro doom vocals mix with the guttural screamy Doom / Sludge/Crust ones. Noothgrush meets Electric Wizard is were I'm going on this adventure. The slower to mid tempo works so well with the dirtier yet still very clear and easy to hear all going on.There is very much a pissed off side to this band esp in many of the vocal moments and they way the rhythmns are presented.Those 70's and 80's Doom solos are really making me smile though I will not lie. Ancient Altar is making some kick ass noise for sure. There are moments this comes from Grief and Neurosis realms so you can see I going to tag it Avant Post Doom as it mixes so many sounds through the Doom/ Proto Doom times. Very impressive indeed.
Panzerfaust The Suns of Perdition I: War, Horrid War-CD/Digital/LP (Eisenwald)
There is something in the water in Canada lately as we are getting some very over the top extreme metal albums with Panzerfaust I will say this is Post Black Metal meets War metal with some very Avant twists and turns as they have all the fury of a Marduk or Kommandant and then go off the deep end in a good experimental way like Mayhem,DHG and Deathspell Omega have and I swear I'm not crazy but I also here metalcore moments what make it feel like Whitechapel , Oathbreaker or Thy art are murder . The album cover is all about that Black /Dark metal and this here full on folks.There are so many layers here going on it's hard to keep focus . This the dissident tones and left of center haunting productions that really takes this to the next level for sure . Keeping this level of creativity and original ideal is not easy after a decade .I think the strongest layer is this the atmospheric and ethereal side that comes form Panzerfaust at times I really this is Blackened metal from another dimension and if so let me see what this place is all abount and let me know when I can drink some of the waters!!!
October Tide- In Splendor Below- CD/Digital/LP (Agonia )
Dark Gothic Doomy metal is what October Tide is all album and with " In Splendor Below" this does not change. The arrangements and writting skill is still there in aces this is a band like Opeth,Katatonia, Bethlehem, Swallow the sun and Edge of Sanity just a standard in a musical movement of sound and ideals.The mix of Death/Doom, Death rock and Atmospheric Death metal is something that makes a haunting an sorrow filled journey and I want October Tide to never feel like they are in the shadows of some of those bands above . They rank as equals without out fail. Being that they started as an off shoot of Katatonia members there are still many wonderful elements of that bands darker / heavier side and saying that Jonas ( Katatonia) was there vocalist for years. They have move on to a more Dark / Gothic Metal band with Atmospheric Death backdrop. I just want the emotions to flow when listening to an album like this The Harmonies are just so dam powerful as well . The Icy reverb death vocals are what I want to never change with those Swedish melodic twin guitars tha makes that Gothenburg Death metal sound son damn amazing. October Tide clearly have another cutting edge album of power, fury and beauty ready to take the throne once again with a style of music that put a stamp on and you know the moment you hear a new October tide song!!!!
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-splendor-below
Comments