Today I'm going to review a band that plays a genre that I don't like very much, I'm talking about Symphonic Black metal. Triump ov Fire offer us a various Black metal album, but with many Symphonic Black metal influencies. The main thing of this band is the voice; to me the voice is adapt to this musical genre and listening I thought that was perfect and In the Name of the Black Principle is a good album also for the instrumental stuff. Unfortunately I could have enjoyed all this more if it had been composed in a better way, in my opinion there's just a few of originality and the recordings are not so good. It's not a bad album but it's neither a masterpiece. It could have been done a better work if it contained more guitar instrumental parts and riffs and if it was recorded better...
After 17 years without releasing albums, the norwegian Black metal band Crest of Darkness finally releases a new album, In the Presence of Death. Probably most of Black metal lovers had already listened to this band, and whit this album also Progressive metal and Power metal listeners will know this band, because the singer in this album was also singer of the Power metal band Conception. It's a great leap to play Black metal after having singed in a Power metal band for many years, in facts the sound is much more clean than in other albums of this genre, and you can hear the bass better than in a normal Raw Black metal song. This is a traditional Black Metal album, but with Death metal and Doom metal influences. The powerfull riffs, the violent drums and the angry screams create a sort of incredible musical vortex, rich of strange atmospheres and showing also an excelent musical technique. In my opinion the best tracks of this CD are obviously the title track, "In the Presence of Death", "Demon Child" and "Welcome to my Funeral"; these song are able in a particular way to improve the technical level of the album. I think that this is absolutely a good album, but this band needs to do a quality leap that will improve again the level of the band, because to me they can't show totally their abilities.
Today I'm gonna review Mutilanova, which is a french Symphonic Black metal band. If I speak about french Symphonic Black metal some of you might think at bands such as Anorexia Nervosa or Le Grand Guignol, but also Mutilanova may offer you some good stuff, if you like this musical scene. Their music is fast and violent, but at the same time are melodic and harmonious and the merit goes to the choruses and to the keyboards; Nera Lux has very good and heavy rhythms, characterized by harsh riffs and heavy drums lines. The guitarist plays typical Symphonic Black metal riffs, violent and melodic at the same time, that may attract the listener in a particular way and that are the main characterization of Symphonic Black metal; the drums constantly executes fast rhythms, broken out by strange musical passages or rhythmical time changes. The singer has a particular scream and his way of singing is angry and suffered at the same time, and listening better you can hear that the singing part are a little less important in this work, probably because the players gave much more importance to the perfect instrumental execution of the songs, but it doesn't ruine the work. To me is a very good album also if it sounds a little incomplete. Anyway I recommend you to listen to this band! RATING: 7/10 -SADIK- (-Dom-)
Torture Ascendancy is a Death Metal band coming from Pennsylvania. To review an only 2 tracks ep is quite strange because the quantity of the material is scarce and often can not be good to understand the band's style; but I'll try. The first track "Reversing Creation" has influences from bands like Decapitated, especially in the drums due to fast and distinct passages; the guitars perform sharp riffs that -especially in the intro and in the rhythmic changes- perfectly follow the line of the drums; in both songs there is a very good throaty growl with often angry scream in the background. Piece that completes the disc is "And Darkness was cast", a song more extreme than the previous one: the notes that characterize the song compared with "Reversing Creation" are as first the stronger and faster rhythms, harder but speeded up riffs complete the work with influences of bands like Deicide and Cannibal Corpes. Nothing new or innovative, but still a good product.
Debut album by the Belgian band from Dibeek and active since 2002. “You Are What You Swallow” is a classic pure thrash metal old school album, where personality and originality are almost always left aside in favor of classic songs but damn smooth and enjoyable. Already the initial "Aberration Mandatory" makes it clear immediately the potential of the quintet, with excellent drums, well cadenced lead rhythm guitars and the wonderful voice of Kenny Molly for seasoning the whole. The tracks I recommend are absolutely "Once You Cross", really beautiful; the bestial "Taste of Decay" with excruciating solos and the title track in the end, even if finally, if it were not for these details, the songs resemble each other and there isn't any that can really emerge. It remains an album that I recommend to lovers of classic Thrash who want to use 47 minutes of their time in an intelligent and entertaining way. This is one of several groups which shows us that the '80s Thrash is coming back to the fore, though not like the old times. RATING: 7,5/10 -ULTHAR- (-Mara-)
Forlorn Chambers is a Finnish Death Metal band. Theoretically founded in 2012, in January 2013 they give birth to their first debut: "Unborn and Hallow," Demo of only three tracks but with good atmosphere. The sound is monotonous and is often prolonged, a Death Metal with Death insights laying on Black structures that can give atmosphere to the songs. As the first song we have the homonymous "Unborn and Hollow" already precipitous from the begin due to Black/Grind drums parts, it slows down at the end but without losing the initial violence; beautiful idea of the male choirs in "And we hail the ones who fall" that embellish the atmosphere already created by the guitars keeping the line of the previous track. As last song, "Desolate Resolution" is a slower track than the other but with greater technical capacity on the part of the bass. Up to here an excellent performance,but there's something unperfect: unfortunately the vocal part is not at all suitable, we find a guttural growl almost pig squeal that always keeps the same tone throughout the disc, it is not bad in itself, but does not bind with the band. Nothing extremely new, but still a work worthy of note. RATING: 6,5/10 -SADIK- (-Mara-) VIDEO
One Sense Too Much are a Progressive metal/Deathcore band with members coming from Germany and from Malesia; their music is undoubtedly heavy and destroying, but has also got many melodic musical passages. The first things you can hear listening to Her Neverland are two main things: the members of the band choosed to use a drum machine, probably programmed in a bad way because it sounds too static and almost fake, but besides this many times it goes out of time. The other main defect is that the exhale growl of the singer is more fit to a Brutal Death Metal band and the scream is not made in a "natural" way, but seems to be forced and false; the exhale can be improved. Despite these defects the guitar riffs are very good and shows a good technique. The vocal tone of the singer adapts itself at the heavy genre that the band plays and the clean singing immerses the listener in the musical purity of the group. Surely there are many things that might be improved: in particular the drum machine, but the composition is very good, I think that the band could do a better work than this one, so I wait new news from this powerful and very good band. RATING: 6/10 -SADIK- [-Dom-]
Slovenly World is a Groove/Death Metal French band. The group mixes the violence of Gojira and the good groove of Machine Head, making out a compact and ferocious product with some Metalcore influences. Since the first two songs you can very well understand the trend of the album: a heavy groove accompanied by rumbling drums with fast and violent pace; a good performance of the bass that perfectly follows the double bass rumbling even more tracks; sincerely for the vocals I would have preferred a softer voice, hoarse and gloomy, but the present voice does not ruin the album. The tracks "Alternate Ending" and "Choose your end" are the only ones with Nu Metal influences into Mudvayne style, through slower riffs with breaks between each other and with double bass and bass more noticeable. A band that has all it takes to emerge fairly well, nothing new, but still a good job. RATING: 7/10 -SADIK- (-Mara-)
We are facing a real musical evolution by Nostalgia. I remember them due to "512 Devil Music Vol 2", essentially a Punk disc slightly influenced by Depressive and Crust, and now I find them to perform a DBM with Black Metal and Blackgaze elements. The particular and varied sound is almost gone, giving room to more dark and hard sounds; the homemade and low-fi is greatly improved even if the quality of the voice (by choice) has been maintained. The clean vocal part has been replaced by a suffering scream/growl, the drums are extremized and the hardcore riffs are passed to a cross between Black and Blackgaze. Surely the band has matured and changed a lot, but you still have to improve a little bit. RATING: 6.5 / 10 -SADIK- (-Mara)
Small premise to begin: what you read in this review has been written without to find and therefore listen to two tracks of the disc. "Fuckaholics" is the second (and released last year) album by the Mexican thrash metal band Commando. At the first glance it may seem superficial and the usual disk "for fun", because of the title of the album, of the songs and the cover nothing short of "tamarra". But carefully listening to it you'll quickly notice their worth. Their proposal is a classic thrash metal inspired by Anthrax with atmosphere and pace, absolutely insane, with fluid and flowing songs that never last more than 6 minutes and that you are generally well laid out, with excellent solos and really pleasant to listen to. The tracks I recommend are absolutely "Rambo The War Machine" (do not consider the ridiculous title)with very good drums and one of the best solos of the disc; the exaggerated "Counter Strike", with some of the famous quotation "Arise" of the old Sepultura and a refrain that you will not forget; "The Corpse Collector", at the limits of technical thrash madein Havok. Finally, there is "Kill The Posers", with José Luis De Paro as drummer who gives the best of himself and with guitars that drive the track into an absolutely hilarious and fast way. But I'm lying if I said that this album has no defects: the biggest one are the vocals of the bass player/singer Cesar Zavala, who in some tracks are a little subdued, almost listless, and ruin a decent song as "Scarface". The second flaw (which technically would not be), is the aforementioned lack of being able to listen to the entire album, because the tracks "Intro" and "Night Stalker" can not be found on Youtube. However, it remains an album that deserves much, at least listen to it to hear how much this fun as great band knows how "to hit hard" in his own way. RATING: 7,5/10 -ULTHAR- (-Mara-)
The project In the Frost was born in 2011 in Poznań by two friends. Their music expresses a strong sense of melancholy and anger; strongly influenced by bands like Darkthrone or Katatonia, their black metal is able to budge from the classical hardness and coldness managing to touch more melodic parts and light atmospheres. The aid of a melancholic guitar as a backdrop to a more distorted guitar manages to give an interesting Blackgaze touch to the songs, although sometimes the second guitar may be slightly out of time; the drums often vary pace, from a classic Black succeeds to turn into Depressive parties, to finish off a rough scream singing on a base that fits perfectly to it. Good record, I'm looking forward a new one.
I have loved this album since the first listening. A great disco. Last and recent release of the Italian band active since 1994. Advice: listen to it over and over again, so it will well penetrate in your ears. Heavy and violent, naughty riffs with a dirty sound, almost at the level of the famous Fallen Angel of Doom, or any of the first Darkthrone album; It is inspired by the Norwegian tradition and it is due to the "raw black" sounds of 90s that becomes even more interesting. In my opinion it could be a mainstay album of underground Black Metal. Great shot for My Kingdom Music, I confirm the judgment of others feedback found in other web sites: masterpiece.
Here I am to review the latest work of FrostAgrath, Egyptian DSBM project carried out by Lord Mist. The title of the Full Lenght expresses the soul of the composition: A Journey To Infinite Sorrow. The disc begins with the title track, you are immediately struck by the excellent composition of the piano, overused in DSBM but still effective and acid guitars immerse you in harrowing atmospheres. Here we are at the second track: The Passage To Helplessness; here the particular setting of FrostAgrath voice is heard strongly: remote voices full of suffering that serve as the underlying theme of the entire piece. And now the third track, an interlude of about two minutes, resting your ears but not your mind, dark, it certainly will please Ambient and Neofolk lovers. The fourth song, In Cor Silva is my favorite of all: a great piano intro, heartbreaking vocal, guitars more defined than the previous tracks, and you can finally hear the drums...A small pearl. Buried Among Bloodsheded A Shrine, the fifth song of the disc, makes you feel even further drumheads and increases the speed of the guitars, a style that differs a little from the rest of the album, very linear as DSBM wants. Last Track, A Solitary Death In The Lost Pathway: a note of aggression is present in this passage, dark despair that relates perfectly to thunderstorm frame offered by intro and outro. A good job, not innovative, but is there a more static genre than DSBM? Well done, but with only one point: the low-fi is fine, it creates a great atmosphere, but be careful not to become chaotic and undefined ... And especially not to create too many headaches! RATING: 6/10 -EXCIDIUM- (-Mara-)
Split between Twilight Fauna, Atmospheric / Depressive Black Metal one man band from Appalachia, and Filsufatia, another band with a single component that provides a melancholy Atmospheric Black Metal. Although the two artists are physically far to compose, they manage to convey a bond of depression and hope in every song. Dark and distorted guitars alternating to melancholy guitars, a "rotten" and consumed voice with almost tribal drums are the main aspects of Twilight Fauna, thereby expressing a real state of abandonment and despair. Filsufatia has excellent atmospheres which accompany a guitar with an hellish sound; it often gets lost in something more melodic that embellishes the final work. Good split, the two bands are well promising.
Культура Курения is a Black Metal project with Post-Punk influences. It was born in Russia in 2011. During the listening of the album can be noticed some Doom influences in the instrumental base and there are Depressive Black interpretations by the vocalist. Guitars often start from a distorted and cold sound, ending with sad and melancholic parts; the same about drums that begin with more Black rhythmics and lead to classic rhythms of Post-Punk. One of the strengths of the band is definitely the vocal part due to a crude and often suffering scream. Great band; the ep lasts only twenty minutes, but they deserve a lot. RATING: 7/10 -SADIK- [-Mara-]
Hard Stoner Metal enriched by a lovely "ignorant" Sludge and a touch Doom: here is what is the Camion band; suitable for a warm and long journey in the desert, maybe even with some crates of beer. A hard and rocky riffing that sometimes is exchanged with rock-chords, that give a lighter touch to the tracks, is one of the strengths of the band; the strong dragged pound of the drummer makes it even heavier. Very good the bass that makes rumble more and more songs and excellent the idea to use the scream instead of the classic clean vocals. Despite the whole is hard and solid there are darker or influenced by Doom parts adorning the disc, by going beyond the classic roaring and heavy rhythmic. Very good band, absolutely recommended. RATING: 7/10 -SADIK-
Brain Washed is a Polish Thrash / Speed Metal band born in 2011. Their music is fast and aggressive, their roots are firmly attached to the style of Anthrax with some minor reference of bands like S.O.D. or Vio-lence. Among the strengths of the band there is the nor too basic or too complex technical capacity, and one of those shots that makes you appreciate the songs on first listen. The instrumental part is mostly based on a fast riff and full of Groove, a double bass often used with devastating and fast rhythms and finally a bass that frequently can surprise the listener. Very good band, recommended. RATING: 8/10 -SADIK- [-Mara-]
Tomb is a Depressive Black Metal project entirely supported by the Chinese Pest Production. There is a big difference between this EP and the previous full-length “Witches Sabbath”, in fact this new disc transmits pain and tormenting emotions. Due to distorted and melancholy guitars can be noticed Blackgaze influences and the atmosphere created are enriched by sad thunderstorms; often the style of the drums changes between Depressive and classic Black Metal, but well "hounded" from the bass. The strong point of the band is definitely the voice: due to a perfect intonation and expressivity is given off all the pain that the band wants to transmit, harrowing screams and a painful scream are the result of a great effort which continue throughout this time. Good disc.
Symbolic are a Progressive metal band from California that is inspired by great groups such as Black Sabbath, Dream Theater, Rush, Judas Priest and many others. Xenatopia is an excelent album in spite of the little interesting rhythm changes and the bass guitar, that can be heard only at the end of "Zealot". The voice of the singer is good but, as many other Progressive singers, it has the problem that after some songs, becomes boring, because of so many high notes. Anyway I appreciated the guitar solos and the careful and complex drums. Very good album. RATING: 7,5/10 -Dom-
Súl ad Astral are a Post-Rock/Post-Black metal band, which main influences of the band are Alcest, Explosions in the Sky, Desiderium and Isle of Skye. I didn't like this album so much, probably also because I'm not a Post-Black metal fan and I think that this genre is not interesting and there are just a few Black metal parts, and for me the result is disappointing. If Súl ad Astral had more Black metal sonorities and riffs I had appreciated the band and the result. RATING: 6/10 -Dom- [-Dom-]
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