Heavy Metal Album Reviews: Week of December 9, 2014
The latest heavy metal album reviews, including releases from Bailey, The Banner, Centinex, Crepsucolo, Cruachan, Cult Of Fire, Dimesland, Emigrate, Execration, Frowning, Harem Scarem, Mammoth Black, Nervochaos, Stormcast, Unsacred, Varathron and Vision Of Disorder.
The ratings are on a 5 star scale.
Genre: Hard Rock
Formed by Three Lions vocalist Nigel Bailey; Bailey follow the same path with an added emphasis on heavier guitars to go along with grandiose AOR melodies and hard rock sensibilities. Their debut release Long Way Down is built around the solid songwriting and strong vocals of Bailey.
Strong rich vocal harmonies fill up the material that climaxes with catchy choruses that are nicely layered with dynamic harmonies. Lyrically the band follows typical hard rock fare with songs about having bad reputations, sex, and of course, hot girls. There isn't much depth or thought provoking songs, as they are more concerned with having a good time, which works for this genre. Not far off from his other band, Bailey's successes are built on their strong melodies.
Rating: 3
(Dan Drago)
Genre: Hardcore
Driven by screeching fuzz guitar tones, and a ‘tear the throat’ vocal styling, The Banner’s new album ‘Greying,’ delivers uncompromising anthems that are brutally unrelenting. However, one thing that separates this record from many of their contemporaries is the band’s transitions to a few tracks that are dominated by their melancholy moments.
A wonderful exercise in songwriting and attack, Greying is a record that should not go unnoticed for fans of hardcore.
Rating: 3.5
(Edward Banchs)
Genre: Death Metal
Following an eight-year layoff, Sweden's Centinex have returned with their ninth album Redeeming Filth. They have picked up where they left off musically, despite having a new guitar player and singer. Similar in style to Dismember and Grave, they revive the classic Swedish death metal sound as buzz-saw guitars and guttural vocals dominate the record.
"Death Glance" is a freight train of destruction with its full throttle tempo and amazing riffs and grooves. They also pummel the listener with incredibly heavy doom riffs on "Dead, Buried and Forgotten" and “Bloodraze," which does an excellent job of adding diversity. A must have for fans of the classic Swedish death metal sound.
Rating: 4
(Dan Drago)
Genre: Death Metal
Having formed back in 1995, Italy’s Crepuscolo are finally releasing their full-length debut album in Revolution Evilution, a showcase of yesteryear death metal with a strong Swedish influence and a recording that sounds like it may have been recorded at a live show.
The bare bones production adds an engaging and nostalgic quality to the record, and the songs themselves are crunchy and well fleshed-out, with hints of melody and black metal riffing swirling about. The enthusiasm and the attitude are what ultimately carry Revolution Evilution, though, as this brand of death metal has been executed better by many others. Still, a good start from this late-blooming trio.
Rating: 3
(Evan Mugford)
Genre: Folk Metal
Cruachan's latest album Blood For The Blood God is the second in a trilogy, following 2011's Blood On The Black Robe.
Like that album, this one adds a lot of black metal influences to the folk and is actually a bit heavier. You'll still hear plenty of traditional instruments and rousing melodies, but the vibe is darker than the usual folk metal album and the lyrics aren't about swilling beer and having a good time. Keith Fay handles the majority of vocals, with Barbara Allen providing some guest female vocals. The album is heavy, it's catchy, it's diverse and very well-written.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Genre: Instrumental Melodic Black Metal
Cult of Fire pack a full regiment of melody into the two tracks that make up Ctvrtá Symfonie Ohne. The EP is full of grandeur and is dedicated to composer Bedrich Smetana and the Vltava and Váh rivers. The melodies in both tracks say quite a bit without saying anything at all.
“Vltava” features a regal melody of conquest that starts on an organ and translates over to majestic guitars, weaving between relentless percussion and a definite air of triumph. The melodies on “Váh” are more sweeping and picturesque, the drums less aggressive. It feels much more melancholic yet hopeful. Everything intensifies as it progresses culminating in a sense of relief and a cleansed heart.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
Genre: Progressive Metal
Dimesland’s music has gusto, like a dream collaboration between Atheist and late ‘80s Voivod. The shouted vocals play second fiddle to the jumpy music; however, their heavy presence on “Dying Foretold” and “Bound in Stone” give both tracks a more traditional structure.
For the majority of the album, the band trails off into what seems like a million different sonic directions. Unpredictability buzzes all across this debut, as the band sticks with tempos for minuscule amounts of time. The band’s musicianship is never in question on Psychogenic Atrophy, with their schizo style of playing providing mind-melting technicality.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Genre: Industrial Metal/Hard Rock
After a seven year absence, Emigrate have returned. Silent So Long is the second album from the band, which was formed by Rammstein's Richard Z. Kruspe.
Kruspe does the vocals on five songs, with guest vocalists handling the rest. He got some big name contributors, including Motorhead's Lemmy, Marilyn Manson and Korn's Jonathan Davis. Manson's style fits perfectly with the band's industrial vibe, which is toned down a bit on Lemmy's track. Kruspe, who plays guitar in Rammstein, does a nice job singing. The songs are catchy and varied with plenty of guitar alongside the industrial/electronic elements.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Genre: Death Metal
Norway is not a country well known for their contributions to death metal, but in this global world of music we live in, country’s identities are constantly broken and redefined daily and Execration are no exception to this rule.
A blistering and large slab of death metal is laid out in the form of Morbid Dimensions. There is plenty of atmosphere that suffocates the listener and just when it gets to be too much, you are hit with solid riffs which add a nice bit of depth to the overall package. Norway may be making a death metal statement with this solid debut.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Genre: Doom Metal
Frowning is a one-man funeral doom project from Val Atra Niteris. After a split earlier this year, Funeral Impressions is his full-length debut. As you'd expect from the genre, the songs are melancholy and depressing.
They are also lengthy, clocking in between 7 and 16 minutes, enveloping the listener in a cloud of sadness and introspection. He does a good job of changing things up. The tempos are mostly slow, but speed up from time to time. Heavy, rumbling doom riffs and harsh vocals periodically ease up in favor of ethereal guitars, and the use of atmosphere is effective.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
The ratings are on a 5 star scale.
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Bailey – ‘Long Way Down’ (Frontiers)
Genre: Hard Rock
Formed by Three Lions vocalist Nigel Bailey; Bailey follow the same path with an added emphasis on heavier guitars to go along with grandiose AOR melodies and hard rock sensibilities. Their debut release Long Way Down is built around the solid songwriting and strong vocals of Bailey.
Strong rich vocal harmonies fill up the material that climaxes with catchy choruses that are nicely layered with dynamic harmonies. Lyrically the band follows typical hard rock fare with songs about having bad reputations, sex, and of course, hot girls. There isn't much depth or thought provoking songs, as they are more concerned with having a good time, which works for this genre. Not far off from his other band, Bailey's successes are built on their strong melodies.
Rating: 3
(Dan Drago)
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The Banner – ‘Greying’ (Good Fight)
Genre: Hardcore
Driven by screeching fuzz guitar tones, and a ‘tear the throat’ vocal styling, The Banner’s new album ‘Greying,’ delivers uncompromising anthems that are brutally unrelenting. However, one thing that separates this record from many of their contemporaries is the band’s transitions to a few tracks that are dominated by their melancholy moments.
A wonderful exercise in songwriting and attack, Greying is a record that should not go unnoticed for fans of hardcore.
Rating: 3.5
(Edward Banchs)
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Centinex – ‘Redeeming Filth’ (Agonia)
Genre: Death Metal
Following an eight-year layoff, Sweden's Centinex have returned with their ninth album Redeeming Filth. They have picked up where they left off musically, despite having a new guitar player and singer. Similar in style to Dismember and Grave, they revive the classic Swedish death metal sound as buzz-saw guitars and guttural vocals dominate the record.
"Death Glance" is a freight train of destruction with its full throttle tempo and amazing riffs and grooves. They also pummel the listener with incredibly heavy doom riffs on "Dead, Buried and Forgotten" and “Bloodraze," which does an excellent job of adding diversity. A must have for fans of the classic Swedish death metal sound.
Rating: 4
(Dan Drago)
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Crepuscolo - ‘Revolution Evilution’ (Horror Pain Gore Death)
Genre: Death Metal
Having formed back in 1995, Italy’s Crepuscolo are finally releasing their full-length debut album in Revolution Evilution, a showcase of yesteryear death metal with a strong Swedish influence and a recording that sounds like it may have been recorded at a live show.
The bare bones production adds an engaging and nostalgic quality to the record, and the songs themselves are crunchy and well fleshed-out, with hints of melody and black metal riffing swirling about. The enthusiasm and the attitude are what ultimately carry Revolution Evilution, though, as this brand of death metal has been executed better by many others. Still, a good start from this late-blooming trio.
Rating: 3
(Evan Mugford)
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Cruachan - 'Blood For The Blood God' (Trollzorn)
Genre: Folk Metal
Cruachan's latest album Blood For The Blood God is the second in a trilogy, following 2011's Blood On The Black Robe.
Like that album, this one adds a lot of black metal influences to the folk and is actually a bit heavier. You'll still hear plenty of traditional instruments and rousing melodies, but the vibe is darker than the usual folk metal album and the lyrics aren't about swilling beer and having a good time. Keith Fay handles the majority of vocals, with Barbara Allen providing some guest female vocals. The album is heavy, it's catchy, it's diverse and very well-written.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
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Cult of Fire – 'Ctvrtá Symfonie Ohne' (Iron Bonehead)
Genre: Instrumental Melodic Black Metal
Cult of Fire pack a full regiment of melody into the two tracks that make up Ctvrtá Symfonie Ohne. The EP is full of grandeur and is dedicated to composer Bedrich Smetana and the Vltava and Váh rivers. The melodies in both tracks say quite a bit without saying anything at all.
“Vltava” features a regal melody of conquest that starts on an organ and translates over to majestic guitars, weaving between relentless percussion and a definite air of triumph. The melodies on “Váh” are more sweeping and picturesque, the drums less aggressive. It feels much more melancholic yet hopeful. Everything intensifies as it progresses culminating in a sense of relief and a cleansed heart.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
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Dimesland – ‘Psychogenic Atrophy’ (Self)
Genre: Progressive Metal
Dimesland’s music has gusto, like a dream collaboration between Atheist and late ‘80s Voivod. The shouted vocals play second fiddle to the jumpy music; however, their heavy presence on “Dying Foretold” and “Bound in Stone” give both tracks a more traditional structure.
For the majority of the album, the band trails off into what seems like a million different sonic directions. Unpredictability buzzes all across this debut, as the band sticks with tempos for minuscule amounts of time. The band’s musicianship is never in question on Psychogenic Atrophy, with their schizo style of playing providing mind-melting technicality.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
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Emigrate - 'Silent So Long' (Spinefarm)
Genre: Industrial Metal/Hard Rock
After a seven year absence, Emigrate have returned. Silent So Long is the second album from the band, which was formed by Rammstein's Richard Z. Kruspe.
Kruspe does the vocals on five songs, with guest vocalists handling the rest. He got some big name contributors, including Motorhead's Lemmy, Marilyn Manson and Korn's Jonathan Davis. Manson's style fits perfectly with the band's industrial vibe, which is toned down a bit on Lemmy's track. Kruspe, who plays guitar in Rammstein, does a nice job singing. The songs are catchy and varied with plenty of guitar alongside the industrial/electronic elements.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
){kind=link}
Execration – ‘Morbid Dimensions’ (Hells Headbangers)
Genre: Death Metal
Norway is not a country well known for their contributions to death metal, but in this global world of music we live in, country’s identities are constantly broken and redefined daily and Execration are no exception to this rule.
A blistering and large slab of death metal is laid out in the form of Morbid Dimensions. There is plenty of atmosphere that suffocates the listener and just when it gets to be too much, you are hit with solid riffs which add a nice bit of depth to the overall package. Norway may be making a death metal statement with this solid debut.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
){kind=link}
Frowning - 'Funeral Impressions' (Solitude)
Genre: Doom Metal
Frowning is a one-man funeral doom project from Val Atra Niteris. After a split earlier this year, Funeral Impressions is his full-length debut. As you'd expect from the genre, the songs are melancholy and depressing.
They are also lengthy, clocking in between 7 and 16 minutes, enveloping the listener in a cloud of sadness and introspection. He does a good job of changing things up. The tempos are mostly slow, but speed up from time to time. Heavy, rumbling doom riffs and harsh vocals periodically ease up in favor of ethereal guitars, and the use of atmosphere is effective.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
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