In the twilight hours comes the music between the struggle and pain..
Y-INCISION /TREASONIST Mechanical Perdition-Digital/ CD (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
A Split Release of Nebraska and Oregon based Crusty,Grindy & Hardcore bands. The Black and white cover really tells a lot of the story they are very techincal in the presentation.Y-Incision has a very Pig Destroyer meets Soilent Green vibe going on of that Hardcore Grind world. What I can say short , sweet and very pissed off. The production is really good I love when you can hear the bass on this bands and with Y-incision you got that going on . Treasonist is much more a Punky Death/ Grind journey much more abrashive in over all approach. I would say this where the more Nasum, Napalm Death and Brutal Truth sound come into play. Both bands are hands down crusty grind and ugly in the most wonderful of ways. If I was to say Treasonist has more of the old school 90's Earache / Relapse Grindcore love and its where my heart is always going to be.
CIANIDE- Unhumanized-Digital,CD,MLP, TAPE (Hells Headbangers)
So this Chicago force has always done something very few can for me. Mix Death/Doom and Black/Thrash into something that is Dark, Sludgy ,Ugly ,yet catchy as fuck. Cianide has that heavy dirty old school Death/Doom sound but the Black metal overtone and that raw extreme thrash tone just works so well. They could play on a bill with Winter, Grief or Bolt thrower an it would all still works. Just love how heavy and slow this album get at times and still drives through you like a tank on a mission that will succeed. The deep guttural vocals are really in a melodic way. I swear if Crowbar and Incantation had a love child it would be Cianide and with that . It's your turn to get punished into submission by the massive war machine known as Cianide.
Tragedy In Hope -Smile At Death- Digital/MCD ( Self-Release )
This Symphonic/ Gothic Horror inspired Black metal band out of Russia is in love with Cradle of Filth, Hecate Enthroned, Ancient and Older Dimmu Borgir. The male vocal screeches mix with operatic female vocals and those epic symphonic movements this is what the UK black metal scene with Cacophonous Records was all about. I truly feel like it 1994/1995 again. Tragedy in Hope are stellar at the sound and style they art creating . Yes I know this is not going to be for all you and many of you are going to think this over the top pompous bullshit and ego's are flying everywhere. This is a Theatrical Black metal event. This need a stage show like King Diamond or Transiberan Orchestra creates live. There are moments I swear they sound like Old Mans Child and Limbonic Art as well. Really wish this was more then four songs and 15 mins long . I understand always leave them wanted more but this is way too short.
Look forward to the next round very soon.
Skullshitter / Bleeding Out- Split- Digital/LP (Nerve Altar)
For fuck sake the 1st band has one of the best Extreme music names for a band ever Skullshitter!!!! Out of N.Y.C. The mix everything over the top , Crust, Hardcore, Punk, Death metal and Gore. The songs are all from 30 secs to 4 mins and make me want to listen to them over and over and over and over again. Musical and sonic madness has been pressed to LP and let loose on the digital world .Thank you Nerve Altar for this . There are times that Skullshitter are full on Noise Rock and fuck you know how much I love that shit. Toronto has a dirty little secret called Bleeding Out that loves to Grind and Thrash about with an ultra ugly Death metal tone too it. This is a punishing album to say the least and I you like you music like a kick to the teeth and then when you fall a kick in the dick then look no further. You got just what the doctor ordered!!!!
Shrine-Quintessence- Digital/CD ( Cryo Chamber)
I'm clearly at a loss on how to really explain this band to you all but I'm going to try. Ethno, Elemental ,Dark Ambient Inspired Field Recordings. I guess that is the closest I'm going to get to where Shrine is coming from and going to? All of Cryo Chamber releases are an aural journey into something different yet familar all at the some time. This has a hopeful and combative tone all at the same time . I feel like Creation and Destruction are both happening at once on Quintessence. Shrine has more of the Drift sonically then a drone going on . I would say the drone is there but much more in the overall feeling going on through out the release. Experimental music as hold needs time to build and latch on to you very being. It's not like very extreme metal were you just know if this is for you or not. Shrine is a good start to the Dark ambient/Experimental world if this the begining of you musical experimentation. If you have been at it for over 3 decades like myself this is still a very fresh and wonderful adventure all it's own and I recommend this to all of you out there reading the words before you..
The Night Watch- An Embarrassment of Riches- Digital (Self Release)
Well now this mixes Prog Metal, Jazz, Power Metal, Orchestral Movements, Post Rock and some Doomy ideals. Besides a few chats and crowd yells this is an instrumental project. I would say they love projects like Savatage, Rachels, Porcupine Tree, Caspian, Russian Circles, Periphery and Ayreon. The Night Watch are stunning in that they create and I feel it comes form where bands like Giant Squid , Kayo Dot and Much that John Zorn has done but honestly what the hell do I know. This is just moving and awe inspiring music by folks that are far more talented then most of us by ten fold. I know this is going to be a shorter review but I don't want to short change a band of this level of skill and ablility . I really just want you to listen and fall in love with The Night Watch like I am . So yes it's now your turn to have your jaw drop in the musical mastery that lay's before you.
Fen- The Dead Light- Digital/LP/CD (Prophecy Productions)
Please welcome one of the UK's best Post Metal meets Blackgaze band ever to Prophecy Productions prob the best label for them other then Code666 on which they just were. The are home with bands like Tenhi, A Forest of Stars, Negura Bunget, Secrets of the Moon, Alcest and Novembers Doom. Fen fit this proggy, blackened, doomy, gothic meets atmospheric over tone that the new label has had for several decades. The Dead Light is no less mysterious, magical and catchy as the last albums by Fen. I do feel this album has let them breathe a bit so it can be Epic and Fragile at the same time and just gives it that more massive and thoughtful overtone through out the track. I love when Fen hads those Folk and Heathen sounds into the Blackened Post Metal sound they are instantly known for. When you hear Fen you will never forget . Fen is Haunting, Hopeful, Heartfelt and Harrowing all at the same time and then they get interesting. The Past and the Future meets in a band like this and I hope for many years to come there is a Fen creating music for me to listen to and get inspired.
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