Oakland metalpunk raiders Tankcrimes have teamed up with J. Randall's Grindcore Karaoke to spread a little holiday cheer to true freaks far and wide. These evil geniuses have put together a 29-track digital compilation entitled Life Is Shit, Take One - and it's absolutely free! Featuring ripping new and old tracks from GHOUL, CANNABIS CORPSE, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, VICTIMS, RAMMING SPEED, ANNIHILATION TIME, and more, the comp is available from each label's Bandcamp page. Grab it here: http://downloads.tankcrimes.com/album/life-is-shit-take-one or here: http://www.grindcorekaraoke.com/album/life-is-shit-take-one
Here's the Tracklisting:
1. Ghoul - Off With Their Heads 03:15 2. Obsessor - Sick Salvation 02:54 3. Cannabis Corpse - Dead by Bong 02:44 4. Fucktard - Corporate Rats 01:20 5. Kicking Spit - Nothin Left 03:00 6. A.N.S. - Can't Let This Go 03:24 7. Kicker - Two Hats 02:16 8. Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Alcohol 01:50 9. Population Reduction - Beer Fest, Bear Death 02:48 10. Annihilation Time - Power of One 02:59 11. Direct Control - Terror Shock 01:07 12. Ramming Speed - Perdition 03:09 13. Victims - Nowhere in Time 02:48 14. Shitty Fucker - Pirate Hooker 01:12 15. Opposition Rising - FTW 02:13 16. Night Fever - Nuclear War 02:11 17. Cannabis Corpse - Immortal Pipes03:21 18. Ghoul - Death in the Swamp 01:33 19. Face the Rail - Burnt Out 01:41 20. Kicking Spit - Gone 05:36 21. Deadfall with MC Lucky, Young Miles and DJ Faded (7C) - The Grimy Shit01:20
BURZUM - From the Depths of Darkness CD compilation Byelobog Productions Genre: Black Metal Rating: 5/5
Seeing that Varg Vikernes has no love what so ever for the modern black metal scene, especially in Norway, it makes perfect sense to see him re-record his past works. This way he can bring people who actually like black metal back into the fold of it's original intent. Also maybe this updated release will appeal to hipsters retards who say they like his music but really just like wearing BURZUM t-shirts to look cool. Although I wasn't too impressed with his earlier release this year Fallen, his second since being released from prison, this compilation is a welcome sight. From The Depths Of Darkness consists of re-recorded tracks from his first two full length albums Burzum and Det Som Engang Var as well as new ambient pieces as introductions. According to the promo info the cuts on here are Varg's favorites from those two releases. He re-recorded them while at the same time was working on Fallen back in 2010.
When it comes to BURZUM fans (real ones and not phony hipster ilk) there's three camps of thought about his best recorded material. A lot of hardcore types cite the original first two full lengths to be his best because of their raw ugly sound. The second group (which I'm part of) looks to his third and fourth full lengths, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss and Filosofem, as his best works because of their some what cleaner sound and pagan direction. Obviously the third bunch considers everything to be excellent even the prison keyboard releases. From The Depths Of Darkness has me looking at those first two releases in a better light now. First and foremost the enhanced production on here makes a complete difference and brings out the true beauty in these compositions. The original versions certainly had some great effect to them as far as being harsh yet true examples of Norwegian Black Metal at it's most primordial beginnings. Unfortunately after many years of listening to them they seem lacking because of the deliberately, according to Varg, poor recording quality. I think now my respect for Vikernes, the artist, has risen a hundred fold because of this.
To those of you out there clutching your original copies of Burzum and Det Som Engang Var (that's the people who did not buy them on Ebay in the last ten years) thinking this is some sort of sacrilege on Varg's part, do not worry. The overall atmosphere and intensity of the music is still there. For example "Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown" actually jumps out at you sonically as opposed to being covered in an atmosphere of murk. It's still a raw intense song but now leaves you in awe as opposed to drifting in mist. While the opening segment of "Key to the Gate" is still at it's thrashing best the second part, which is more hypnotic and dark, now draws out it's epic beauty. One thing that I've always stressed is that there's a side to Black Metal which is beautiful as long as it's kept in it's natural uncomplicated state. Years ago Vikernes made that evident and others followed suit. Unfortunately as with many modern progressive types we've seen that beauty recreated in a plasticised state. It's the difference between something handmade with the passion of a craftsman and a piece of crap you find at a big box store.
Don't misunderstand me here, I'm not saying all new music is crap. What I am saying is that most scribes in the music media are full of crap because they don't know any better. Anyone out there who thought Varg's last two releases Belus and Fallen were masterpieces compared to his earlier works, based on production standards alone, will be eating their words. Then again you shouldn't be listening to those cranks anyway. Those last two releases simply showed that the Count was back and still creating good music. This one here shows that he's also a force in extreme music to be reckoned with. Whether you like Varg Vikernes or loathe him (the opinion of hipsters who just wear BURZUM shirts doesn't count) the mere fact that he can now reboot his past works into today's modern mess without loosing the slightest of edges is equal to a renaissance. There have been plenty of other one man black metal acts, sometimes too many, who have used BURZUM as an influence which they enhanced upon. From the Depths of Darkness shows that most of them (the avant garde lurkers) now might be seeking new avenues to pilfer.
ODYSSEY - An Abstract Existence CD Self Released Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal Rating: 4/5
A little scrap of info I'd like to pass on is that Prog (aka: Progressive Rock/Metal) is now forty years old. When I first heard that last week (via a press release about the progressive metal bible put out by Mean Deviation) it felt like a Roger Dean Art Work coffee table book had been dropped on my head. Realization of age is a major thing. You know it exists but you just take it for granted, much like vocals in music. Take this band for example. ODYSSEY are a three piece act (aka: Jerrick Crites on guitar, Jordan Hilker on bass and drummer Lukas Hilker) out of Spokane, Washington who are self described as Instrumental Progressive Metal. Yes that's right no vocals, all music. Now I'm not ignorant of the whole concept as evident of my vinyl collection of surf/drag music and prog rock bands from the 70s. But as far as metal goes I've never been a huge fan of the style as far as pure instrumental metal goes. Although for some strange reason I'm still hanging on to a PELICAN disc. I do have respect for metal musicians who perform this style since you really need to keep people entertained or at least interested in place of vocals. I had this one playing over the course of a week just to see if these guys could hold my attention and be memorable. The answer is yes on both counts.
ODYSSEY stick to their progressiveness by keeping to the obligatory swift tempo changing compositions as well as theme repetition but are not so technical as to turn you off. That tends to be my problem with other acts I've heard. They clearly are talented musicians and their six cuts on An Abstract Existence are intricate as well as aggressive sounding. Their music has a tendency to draw in the listener as if this was an engrossing novel. At times it rocks with classic melodies, "Transcending the Earthly Form" for example. Other times they grab hold of you by the shirt collar dragging you along a jagged path like on "Cellular Deconstruction". As far as their long form cuts go there's no boring jams or math rock wizardry. On the title cut they actually sound like they're having fun invoking the mid 70's spirit of KING CRIMSON to a degree. I was expecting "Quantum Symbiotic Inception" to be totally early 70's FLOYD worship but I wasn't even close. It's more like a cornucopia of jazz fusion, thrash and doom. Think VOIVOD meets the MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA if that doesn't make your head explode.
Being from the perspective of "progressive-not" the last thing I'd call this is "forward thinking music", a term used by supercilious record store clerks when they blog on their off hours. ODYSSEY simply use tried and true, or is it "troo", structures which high school music teachers for years have been trying to get students to appreciate. As far as metalheads are concerned well that's another story. I must admit what I've termed as Progressive Metal usually consisted of a bunch of Europeans playing keyboard heavy melodic death metal with a chick in a prom dress or ball gown with a plunging neckline as their siren. I've also used the term Gothic progressive but obviously I've been wrong for a long time. I'm not too old to learn something new even though I'm older than Prog Rock. An Abstract Existence is a thoroughly enjoyable release when that feeling tugs at you, usually on Sunday mornings for me, where you just want to hear something relaxing yet edgy. Strictly for connoisseurs mind you or a great gift to that music teacher you once had who would give you crap for wearing a SABBATH shirt to class.
Well holy crap! Progressive Metal, actually Prog Rock, is forty years old. Here's author Jeff Wagner stepping out from behind the curtain and submitting his acclaimed "progressive metal bible" Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal.
DEAD - Hardnaked but Dead CD FDA Rekotz Genre: Death Metal Rating: 3/5
DEAD happen to be a German band who've been around now for twenty years and this is the first time I've ever heard one of their releases. I have no explanation for that obvious flaw since DEAD are fairly prolific when it comes to putting out releases. Hardnaked but Dead is their six full length although they've got a bunch of EPs, split releases and two compilations to their credit. I've been told that their 2005 compilation release, Poserslaughter Classics Remasters, is a good place to start if I wanna get acquainted. After hearing this latest one I'd have to place that recommendation on the back burner. DEAD are a porn shop's video booth away from porno grind, an actual sub-genre for those of you not in the know. Their brand of DM is fueled by the more "specialized" type of porn excesses (for lack of a better description) which I'm sure there are plenty of websites out there that cator to the loneliest of perverts. Not that I have anything against porn it's just that, like metal, it has it's own varying degrees of extreme and eh tastes (once again for lack of a better description).
Aside from the throwaway opener "Cock a Hoop" (I really didn't wanna know), DEAD like their death metal sleazy and simplistic with cuts titled "Tits", "A Beer", "The Fineribber" and "Liquer Store Goddess" which by the way run together as if this was a conceptual piece of sleaze masquerading as fine art no doubt funded by tax dollars to the dismay of disgruntled moralists. Personally, and strangely enough, in that specific case I'd side with the moralists simply because something like this is better suited for personal connoisseurs than forced on unsuspecting people who are not interested. That's the libertarian in me speaking and is as far as I'll go into political ideology within the confines of an extreme music review. Besides fans of this type of death metal reprobation like to keep this side of their musical taste behind closed doors if you know what I mean. Musically on here there's not much grind or overwhelming brutality but plenty of groove and beastly vocals as if this were a mid-90's revival act peppering their cuts with vulgarity in order to shock the listener. By today's standards maybe it would shock an old lady and put a grin on a pimply faced fat swine of a kid who spends too much time on the Internet in the dark. Once again if you know what I mean and if you actually do than I feel sorry for your future love life.
The DEAD are part OSDM (Old School Death Metal) part death doom and a whole lot of foul smelling crap holding it together including samples. Even though I am a purveyor of extreme sounds to me this all sounds like a half hearted romp through the past with subject matter which is not really humorous. That just makes me jaded I guess (a self reference you'll hardly ever hear me say) but I'm sure there are hundreds of others out there who will find this a personable pleasuring experience to be practiced alone. There are some moments where DEAD break away from the mundane and actually thrash out like on "Possessed Soldiers of Luv" and in some of the title cut. In the end the best part of Hardnaked but Dead is it's slow methodical pieces which do creep you out and "Tits".
BLACK SKIES - On the Wings of Time CD Self Released Genre: Sludge Rock Rating: 3/5
I've caught this North Carolina trio live and even picked up their previous release, their Hexagon CDEP, which they self released back in 2008. Albeit their sound was typical stoner sludge it was still good and I still figured some label would give em a chance at a signing. When I saw their set it was at a small dive a year or two ago and their sound shook the building's foundation. In fact their sound was so heavy that the rats hiding in the basement of a nearby hamburger joint vacated for a safer dwelling. No shit I was outside taking a smoke break when I saw an army of the vermin running across the street as if trying to escape some hideous predator. About of third of the rat pack got run over by a passing bus. So here I am checking out their debut full length and things have changed as far as their sound goes. The opening cut "Rebirth" sums it up perfectly. BLACK SKIES sounds like a completely different band. Their former covering of stoner aesthetic has been scraped clean off of them. I'm guessing that's because the band got Kyle Spence of HARVEY MILK (a band I've never really found exciting but some people find em impressive) to twist the production knobs.
From the opening cut onward BLACK SKIES produce a bigger sound that's more power trio rock than sludgey syrup. Bassist Michelle Temple takes on a more prominent role vocally than I remember from before. Basically her and guitarist Kevin Clark complement one another with duel vocal shouting on a few cuts. Also Clark adds plenty of background synthesizer/keyboards to the mix with really broadens their sound immensely. Drummer Tim Herzog is not hidden behind a wall of fuzzy stoner grooves anymore. The band hails from Chapel Hill, NC and recorded this in Athens, Georgia so what stoner rock grooveness was washed out has been replaced with a big rock sound. This sort of reminds me of what the WHITE STRIPES (are they even around anymore?) would sound like if they decided to do a sludge rock album. "Darkness & Disguise" retains some psych damage but the acoustic intro of "The Other Side of the Mountain" had me thinking they tossed the lava lamps in the garbage and donned straw hats like your average alt. country act. Thankfully the cut does jump into the heavy zone yet overall sounds more like those Post Metal meanderings of bombast from the 90's including guttural screamed vocals from Clark. The following cut, "Technologicon", follows suit.
On the Wings of Time is eight cuts with plenty of variety as far as song times go but musically it's a formula that can be repetitive. They have two longer cuts on here, "Valley of the Kings" and "The Sleeping Prophet" both of which contain simplistic yet over the top riffs. Clark adds a middle eastern tinged solo break to "Valley of the Kings" but the pace and rhythm of the cut gave me this sick repulsive vibe. I was waiting for Clark to channel in some John Paul Jones Hammond organ in order to complete the LED ZEP worship. "The Sleeping Prophet" is somewhat better as Clark solos his way over what is simply a stoner sludge jam suitable for head banging, shoegazing or going out for a smoke. If you choose the latter don't worry you won't miss anything since it's a simple riff played out for over nine minutes with some psych damaged guitar nuddling thrown in. The song "Weightless", an acoustic ditty with synthesizer produced wind sounds, seems to serve one purpose by being pure filler. Although "Earth Choker", another simplistic riff centric cut, does show a breaking away from the formulated overkill ZEP worship with it's fuzzier tempo, psych soloing and laid back (or is it slack?) vocals.
In the end I felt like throwing on their previously released EP in order to get dirty and maybe feel less numb than what this thing did to me. I don't think the sound on here can be recreated in a live situation which can't be said about their last release which could. So seeing them live again would probably be an interesting experience. If you just take On the Wings of Time as a whole it's not a bad release as far as hearing a band progress from one sub genre to another. Kinda like the before and after results of a bum after taking his or her monthly laundry-mat visit. The best part being you don't have to see the bum standing in their dirty underwear while you fold your clothes. Trust me I've been there and regret it. I'll guess that BLACK SKIES might finally get some recognition out of this although not alot from me because I could go the rest of my life without hearing LED ZEP or even an act conjuring up "Kashmir" and retro-fitting it for modern tastes.
HERESIARCH - Hammer of Intransigence CDEP Dark Descent Genre: Death Doom Rating: 3/5
New Zealand's HERESIARCH are so evil and devoid of self that they don't even have a Myspace page not even an unofficial one. Therefore any of you interested parties are just left with my words and no place else to go for a sample tasting of their extreme brutality. Then again HERESIARCH are certainly not out to surprise you with something new to the overwhelming cadre of extreme noise acts out there. Basically they hail from the same cave dwelling where acts like Canada's MITOCHONDRION and Australia's PORTAL have crawled out of. The four guys from HERESIARCH, two of whom spend their days in the sun with fellow New Zealand blackened death act DIOCLETIAN, have one simple mission in life as well as on this debut and that's to literally beat you down till your body resembles a thin paste of muck. They perform this slaughter like process by using grinding guitar crunch, face ripping solos, bludgeoning blast beats and vocals that either rattle your skull with wailing screams or beastly grunts. There's some bass in there as well but you really wouldn't know it.
Sure it's nothing new under the sun or from the Southern hemisphere but it adequately serves a purpose leaving the listener in a position where if you survive it's twenty two minute run time consider yourself in good standing. You might even get a gold star if we can find a spot left to pin it on your body not torn apart with exposed under the skin tissue. For the most part Hammer of Intransigence runs at a factory like mechanized velocity with a few doomish segments tossed around whether for a breather or to be sadistic. Personally I think it's the latter. I don't think it's necessary to go into each song separately since these six tracks tend to bleed into one another to the point where you would think it's simply one song cut up in sections. Personally I'm more of a fan of DIOCLETIAN which is just a step above what we have here. I believe if I put my speakers in the windows and turned the volume up every bird and squirrel in the trees outside would fall dead to the ground. I'd probably get some neighbors out of their homes clutching their ears and begging me to put a stop to this audio torture. Obviously from my line of work with SFM666 they should be use to such hatred emanating from my residence. I've also been told that on some nights there's even an eerie red glow surrounding my home as if a supernatural presence has taken hold of the property. Well be that as it may I've survived the onslaught of HERESIARCH, can you?
BELL WITCH - Self Titled Demo Self Released Genre: Doom Drone Rating: 3/5
BELL WITCH are a two piece (Adrian Guerra on drums/vocals and Dylan Desmond on bass/vocals) from Seattle, Washington (where else, right?) who have a decent little four song demo out now. I'll take a guess now and predict that they're be signed to at least a one album deal with Profound Lore, Rise Above or maybe even Van Records come next year. This might also be a side project since both members are involved in a few other acts or at least former acts. Except for the Masque of the Red Death Vincint Price movie soundbite on the opener "Beneath the Mask" this is textbook slow, gloomy funeral doom that crawls forth with more ass than an alligator. There's four cuts in all with two short pieces, first and last cuts, and two long ones. The mournful sounding "Mayknow" is over eighteen minutes. Strap on the ear buds, lay back in the easy chair or your unmade bed and prepare for a sorrowful atmospheric journey. "Mayknow" starts off very melodically with Gregorian chanted vocals then slides into a more sludge territory with harshly growled beast like vocals and harsh screams/wails. The other long track, "I Wait", takes just eleven minutes of your life and is more in the vain of OM, who are probably the best as far as bass and drum doom drone acts in my not so humble opinion. The earlier mentioned opener and the finale cut, "The Moment", are both somber reflective passages each creeping over the three minute time limit. For four bucks you can get this now from their Bandcamp page and add it to your collection of nocturnal sleepy time favorites. Like I said OM own this genre style so BELL WITCH are simply creeping up behind in order to fill up some more seats at a coffehouse.
XENOMORPH - Empyreal Regimes CD reissue Dark Descent Genre: Death Metal Rating: 4/5
There are two bands in the world of extreme metal who went by the name XENOMORPH. One was a Dutch progressive death metal act who are still around lurking somewhere and then there was this band from the US who hailed from Omaha, Nebraska. This XENOMORPH were a three piece act from the 1990's featuring Beguiling Tempter on bass (aka: Bill Taylor now guitarist in IMMOLATION since 2002), Zoanthros Vanir on drums (aka: Chris Haley) and Pappshammer on guitar and sick vocals (aka: Joe Papek). The band really had no claim to fame in their heyday other than being just another Midwest death metal act applying their craft to an over saturated scene (over saturated by the burgeoning melodic death metal sounds of Sweden to be accurate). By the time the band released it's debut full length Empyreal Regimes on Fleshkoptor Musikkk in 1995 the music media taste makers were already calling this band's style of death metal old hat as well as past it's time. So like most acts of their day who at least got their creative opus out to the masses they folded. You see where their bassist went. The other band member's whereabouts are unknown although I'm sure Dark Descent knows where to send the royalty checks.
So what we have here is a complete reissue of their full length plus the band's three song 1993 Subspecies demo as a bonus. Since we are in an OSDM (Old School Death Metal) revival than it makes sense to see all of these reissues popping up like old forgotten friends on Facebook. Most of the reissues I've sampled this year have been mandatory to decent and then to the why bother at all category. Since this is the work of Dark Descent Records you can be sure it falls into the mandatory category simply because they know their shit better than most when it comes to shaking the dirt off of unearthed finds from the past. Case in point their DEATH STRIKE Fuckin Death CD reissue from this year. So here we have another great find from the past. XENOMORPH were not just a typical death metal act from their era. By the mid-nineties you had bands moving to a more tech savvy direction. Although by today's standards of Tech Death this band would be considered neanderthals. That's why I like it and their demo material is pure low fi as far as production standards go. You know like sounding as if it was recorded in a garage. Be that as it may XENOMORPH's sound on the full length reflects little as far as a connection to their day's more widely known contemporaries. They were more of a technically twisted Death Thrash with blackened rasping vocals. No cookie monsters or guttural beasts on here and some simplistic dirty riffs. It's when the band goes off the template and switches to off kilter tempos that things get interesting.
While the opener "The Keep" plays things straight to the bone. It's on the second track "Wehrmacht" where things get interesting. Give credit to the drumming by Zoanthros Vanir (aka: Chris Haley) who takes the band's song structure to various breakout places. Imagine what a cat does when placed inside a paper bag if you need to picture it. "Plight of the Cimmerian" delivers some INCANTATION like death doom at the start but then morphs into a jazz influenced exercise before kicking into a thrashed out blitz. From here on out the release grows with more ambitious technicality as if a monstrous beast was getting an education in diabolical nastiness. "Subspecies" comes across like a free form jam session with a drum recital/tutorial. Other cuts further in like "Inducted Throughout Time", "Valley of the Kings" and "Biomechanics" seem to drag you into a pit of never ending twists and turns leaving you completely disoriented. This a band who wasn't into overwhelming you with brutality and speed but made you kick back and suffer the ride. In the end it literally stands up to the moniker of cult like status for anyone interested in resurrected deathly sounds.
BASTARD PRIEST - Ghouls of the Endless Night CD Blood Harvest Genre: Death Metal Rating: 5/5
It's the return of this Swedish duo and only after a year since 2010's near perfect Under the Hammer of Destruction. BASTARD PRIEST were one of last year's great bands which foretold what type of extremism we were in for ala 2011. Basically a warning shot compared to today's OSDM (Old School Death Metal) tsunami which has wiped every other DM sub genre clean off. Once again BASTARD PRIEST have resurrected that sound and style with a slight kick into the modern world. This is the type of music for people who still get that sadistic look in their eyes whenever someone mentions NIHILIST or MERCILESS in passing conversation. I'm talking about thrashed out blast beated filth with crushing doom explosions that fall on you like bags of wet cement and a good o'l dose of punk snot. Listen to songs like "Pestilent Force", "Enter Eternal Nightmare" or "Fucking Slaughter" and tell me you don't wanna run straight through a fucking wall screaming like a nutjob. You will be thinking you're really in a slam pit at a club and you just needed more room. "Poison" is a cut the screams Doom but in a much more menacing way as if it's the last thing you'll hear in your miserable life.
All eight cuts on here are exceptionally extreme. In fact I'll even say that this is better than their debut which like I said earlier was near perfect. This is Death Metal as it once was and is being sort after by extreme metal consumers like zombies hungry for fresh flesh. If you still consider the early releases by GRAVE, DISMEMBER and ENTOMBED to be some of your all time favorites from Sweden's extreme metal cannon that Ghouls of the Endless Night will sit among them fairly nice. Of course BASTARD PRIEST, as well as the whole OSDM revival, is not for everyone. Whenever some new underground explosion erupts onto the masses you'll get your minority of snobs who feel left out because they never saw it coming. So they snub their noses at greatness for spite and look for some obscure nonsense that only they and the rest of their circle jerk of droned out pussies will like. Hey look that's fine because they were never into extreme Swedish Death Metal to start with. This Swedish duo of Inventor - guitars, bass, vocals and Matt Mendoza - drums, vocals are not treading any new ground. You even call this homage to a past sorely missed. But that's the whole point, it's missed by fans of old and has been rediscovered by new ones. I like it as well as a whole slew of crazies who are bored with progressive, over technical, soulless pap. And frankly that's all that matters now doesn't it.
NEIGE ET NOIRCEUR - Hymnes de la Montagne Noire CD Sepulchral Productions Genre: Black Metal/Drone Rating: 5/5
Although I've never heard anything before by this Montreal, Quebec one man black metal act the name looked familiar. A few years ago Terrorizer Magazine did a great informative write-up on Canadian Black Metal and I believe this one man band, Zifond is the one man responsible for all the instruments as well as the vocals, was mentioned in it. I say that because a name like NEIGE ET NOIRCEUR, which translates into Snow and Blackness, clearly stands out. Also NEIGE ET NOIRCEUR are not new to the darkness. This is the third full length since starting out back in 2005. Hymnes de la Montagne Noire is not as raw or harsh sounding as what I've heard from other French Canadian black metal artists. Musically Zifond mixes a healthy, or better yet frosty, dose of Norwegian second wave era aggressiveness with icy ambiance to created an atmosphere along the lines of early ENSLAVED and mid-period EMPEROR. The drone aspects are felt with the extensive synthesizer usage. One of the best moments coming on "Hymne II – Neige Noire" which is balanced by melodic paced yet epic coldness and a blizzard of harsh blasts. Pardon all of the winter metaphors in use here but the temperature dropped in the middle of the night and I'm waiting for the heat to warm up the house this morning. Obviously it's a perfect time to be listening to this one.
Zifond's nod to cold Nordic bliss doesn't end with the previously mentioned bands. On "Hymne IV – L’aube des magiciens" there's an obvious influence from BATHORY's latter period which starts out like a cold wind blowing across the snow caps and hits you in the face, knocking you to the ground as the ambiance covers you as if you're seeing stars after a knockout. This bleeds into "Hymne V – Le chemin de la montagne noire" one of two over ten minute pieces on here. Once again the BATHORY influence is evident while Zifond adds a more harsher vocal interpretation. This and "Hymne III – Là où demeure la sorcière des neiges" are highlighted by the broken sections within each cut like breaks in a storm front which make every second of this an exciting listen. At certain times you're being overwhelmed with pummeling fury were as at other times it's melodic beauty. The final cut on here "Les Bûcherons", sounds out of place as far as this release plays out. It's a cover song originally done by BERURIER NOIR an early 80's French Punk Rock act. Sorry but they're an unknown to me but Zifond (I'm guessing here) runs it through his own icy mindset filling it with foreboding death doom atmospherics and frigid cruelty before anything resembling punk rock can be recognized. After listening to Hymnes de la Montagne Noire a few times I doubt the heat could remove the numbness which this release delves out in avalanches.
BURN EVERYTHING - Last Run Through the Ruins CDEP Self Released Genre: Grindcore/Hardcore Rating: 4/5
Well at least they have the right band name since this Rochester, NY based act sound like they're ready to commit arson. I'm guessing whenever they do a show most of the crowd stays at a safe distance from the stage. BURN EVERYTHING combine swift neck snapping tempo changes mixed with meaty riffs and a singer (actually a screamer) who probably gets in people's faces in order to start a confrontation. One of the best things about smaller clubs (this is from my experience working at one years ago) is that you get to see bands like this tear the place up on stage and sometimes while they're trying to leave through a crowd they've just made enemies with.This band's sound overall is more of a grinding post hardcore state of extreme which shoots for brutality and a loose performance over technical showmanship. It's similar of the style which caught fire back in the 90's underground hardcore scene. (from up around the Northeast to be exact)
Although some people (re: tech snobs) might be turned off by BURN EVERYTHING's raw approach. I find it a fuckin relief to hear a band concentrated on the overall primordial force within their gut which shows in their songs as opposed to musical wankery. Last Run Through the Ruins is a fast blast with no time wasted on mediocre pursuits. Give this band fifteen minutes of your time and they will definitely inspire you with rage. This is their second release overall with their first one being another self titled self released EP from 2008. They're also offering it free from their Bandcamp page. Wow free rage how could you go wrong with that? I don't know if I could take a full length's worth of this though. Short fast rules with acts like this. It's kinda like when you get into a fight. If it lasts more than thirty seconds than you're not fighting anymore, you're dancing and this stuff here ain't for dancing.
MIDNIGHT - Satanic Royalty CD Hells Headbangers Genre: Blackened Punk/Speed Metal Rating: 5/5
As the second track on here illustrates so eloquently, "You Can't Stop Steel". For those of you who don't know MIDNIGHT (basically all of you effete snobs and hipster posers) I'll explain. They're an Ohio three piece who worship at the altar of the MOTORHEAD and VENOM two headed monster. Now every year some magazine or website will reveal a list of most anticipated full length releases which they believe will be exceptionally good. For fans of MIDNIGHT that anticipation has been eight years since they released their self titled EP. Since then fans have collected up all of their small version releases (EPs and Splits) along with some compilations (the all time classic being 2005's Complete and Total Fucking Midnight) while waiting patiently for this, MIDNIGHT's first official full length, to finally arrive. Well here it is and all I can say is all hail MIDNIGHT. Even that's putting it mildly since this release seals them a place on Mount Metal where drinking and fornication are the norm plus unfun people are not allowed.
Satanic Royalty is a great release in a roots revival capacity. It's a genre defying hell fest or as a good friend of mine would say, "I just call it metal, fuck that classification bullshit". Also just like their two biggest influences mentioned earlier, MIDNIGHT's fanbase crosses the line between punks and metalheads. The first thing you notice about Satanic Royalty is it's clean production compared to their previous releases. That should not dissuade fans one bit since the songs on here still carry enough filth and fury. Despite the opening title track being catchy the rest of the songs range from medium paced horns in the air rockers to chasing you down speedy onslaughts. Songs like the earlier mentioned "You Can't Stop Steel", "Shock Til Blood" and "Lust, Filth & Sleaze" are blackened NWOBHM blasts that are mandatory for surprised guests stopping over for a beer. "Necromania" is pure headbanging bliss were as "Black Damnation" slows things down and adds some CELTIC FROST essence to the mix. On a whole Satanic Royalty is a complete and total fucking balanced package from start to finish.
BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL - The Aftermath Of Your Bright Beings CD Self Released Genre: Postcore Rating: 3/5
Believe it or not SFM666 has been getting a lot of postcore/post something or other type bands all hailing from France in the past year in a half. I get stuff from other places as well but more from France than other places. The question begs to be asked, what the hell is going on over there? Is there another bread strike? Now pardon my ignorance but I've been calling these types of bands post hardcore/post metal/post rock (aka: post something or other). Little did I know it really has a sub genre term all their own, Postcore, which encompasses everything. I feel educated now don't you? BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL, or BOBM for short, hail from Toulouse, France and have a sound that exhibits everything "post" you can think of in extreme core or progressive sounds. Although they're more creative about it by not jumping in your face and screaming. Yes there are some screamed harsh almost black metal type wailing going about but musically, especially on the opener, "Welcome to Rapture", they slowly build up aggression to the point where the intensity tips to a boiling point. Other times it's like ants crawling all over your body.
BOBM is certainly not what I was expecting. They stand shrouded in a fog of atmosphere slowly stirring till the right moment and then once you're to the point of screaming yourself they pounce. You'll know when because that's the point they start screaming. This formula is evident of most of their cuts which makes em exciting. The only weak point is with the vocals. They're not blood curdling enough and who's the woman speaking in the background? Is that a sample? Their post rock-isms are almost in a FLOYD-ian progressive psych manner. "Majestic Blue" sounds beautiful as it leisurely strolls along for the most part until the pleasure is shattered at it's end. The Aftermath Of Your Bright Beings is six well constructed cuts half of which are over the six minute mark. That keeps in with their building layers of atmosphere which they destroy at the end. I don't get around to this area of extreme as a fan. Still not my bag but definitely interesting as well as engaging to any extreme music fan looking for something which surpasses the confines of the post rock world.
WELL YOU'VE GOTTA START EM OUT YOUNG. NOTICE THE SIGN TO THE LEFT WHICH READS 'SUMMER OF LOVE' CONCERTS. YEAH NOTHING SAYS LOVE LIKE "Lay down Your Souls for Rock n Roll". I'M SURE THEIR PARENTS ARE PROUD, I WOULD BE ESPECIALLY WITH THAT SCREAM AT THE END.
The Caboose was a small club in Garner, North Carolina (just outside of Raleigh the state capital) owned by Ed Warner, who later would become one of my closest friends. From 1996 to 2000 Andy Miller, another one of my closest friends, booked shows there. Andy and I also did Scumfeast Fanzine which covered the extreme side of underground music and culture. I had the good fortune to work security at the Caboose which afforded me the incredible opportunity to be at almost all of the shows. Since Andy had great taste in music, the bands that would appear on the small stage at the Caboose were the ones he wanted to see. So for close to four years the Caboose had the best shows, as far as extreme Punk and Metal go at that time, in all of Wake County. Also Andy video taped a lot of these bands in order to keep a historical record, give copies to the bands and trade via mail to other video collectors across the globe. Right now Andy Miller and Ed Warner are appearing on stages and making history themselves as part of the punk/metal act KNOWLEDGE IS FOR FOOLS. Myspace: www.myspace.com/kiffknowledgeisforfools
Andy also is owner of Buttons Made For You, a small company that creates buttons/badges. Through constant inquires from fans about those old videos Andy has finally took some time out of his busy schedule in order to upload some of those old videos to Youtube. Scumfeast Metal 666 is proud to present some of these videos, with a few words about the bands and show memories, on a regular basis.
SOULPREACHER LIVE AT THE CABOOSE 1998
SOULPREACHER, a North Carolina Stoner Doom act who started out back in the late 1990s and are still around today albeit with different members. Whenever their name is mentioned in local extreme music circles they are looked with friendship and legendary status. I'll stick with the latter part. They were, at this time, North Carolina's main export as far as late 90's Stoner Doom was concerned. Although national acclaim was not the hand dealt to them they did manage to put out a few official releases. There was the full length Sonic Witchcraft that came out on Man's Ruin in 1999 and the When The Black Sunn Rises...The Holy Men Burn five song EP from 2000 on Berserker Records. I was lucky enough to catch SOULPREACHER at their hungry early days and am still friends with present and former band members today. As far as their music they were equal to every other Stoner Doom act at that time. Check em out.
Unfortunately that time was running out since by 2000 the genre was overflowing with similar bands and the excitement was waining. Since around 2002 the band has kept going changing from their early Stoner Rock sound to one more influenced by PARADISE LOST. They've even released demos in 2002, 04 and 08. Most local NC people new to the scene never knew about SOULPREACHER's pre-2000 uber Stoner Rock days as viewed here in this video also from the same show in 1998.
Here's were the legendary status comes in. One of the special bands on the bill for the rejuvenated SCUMFEST music festival in 2010 was the reunited for one gig only SOULPREACHER 1999 line-up. When they played that set on that night there were quite a few people in the crowd who were literally floored at what they saw and heard. Presently Stoner Rock is in it's full revival swing and there are quite a few bands who call NC home. People know them well but they never saw SOULPREACHER doing it. So here you had a legend on stage performing songs from eleven years ago which sounded just as fresh and powerful today. History is not always written perfectly as far as exposing the truth about the past. So it took one night in September 2010 to point out that this whole modern Stoner Rock thing which a lot of people today have latched onto because it's hip? SOULPREACHER pre-dated it by a decade. Finally here's a video from that 1999 era of greatness.
The Caboose was a small club in Garner, North Carolina (just outside of Raleigh the state capital) owned by Ed Warner, who later would become one of my closest friends. From 1996 to 2000 Andy Miller, another one of my closest friends, booked shows there. Andy and I also did Scumfeast Fanzine which covered the extreme side of underground music and culture. I had the good fortune to work security at the Caboose which afforded me the incredible opportunity to be at almost all of the shows. Since Andy had great taste in music, the bands that would appear on the small stage at the Caboose were the ones he wanted to see. So for close to four years the Caboose had the best shows, as far as extreme Punk and Metal go at that time, in all of Wake County. Also Andy video taped a lot of these bands in order to keep a historical record, give copies to the bands and trade via mail to other video collectors across the globe. Right now Andy Miller and Ed Warner are appearing on stages and making history themselves as part of the punk/metal act KNOWLEDGE IS FOR FOOLS.
Andy also is owner of Buttons Made For You, a small company that creates buttons/badges. Through constant inquires from fans about those old videos Andy has finally took some time out of his busy schedule in order to upload some of those old videos to Youtube. Scumfeast Metal 666 is proud to present some of these videos, with a few words about the bands and show memories, on a regular basis.
GRIEF live at the Caboose 1997
These days magazine and website scribes have no problem describing the latest trends in Thrash or Old School Death Metal as revivals. But if you ask about the new found interest in Sludge Metal or Stoner Rock they are ignorant to the fact that it's also in a revival stage. By the end of the 1990s both of those genres were at their creative peak as far as that decade went. You couldn't even stand outside of a club in the 90's to smoke a joint without someone walking up asking to take a hit and telling you that they were in a Sludge Metal or Stoner Rock band. Once the 2000's hit the genre excitement petered out and attrition took care of the band overflow. What remained were those acts who survived on name recognition and a strong fan base. History is repeating itself today except this time around the influences are not just the genre fore-fathers aka: BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS, PENTAGRAM and TROUBLE. Nowadays those influences which have spawned a new generation of Sludge Metal or Stoner Rock bands can be found in the fertile scene of the 1990s.
One of those bands was GRIEF from Boston who in the early part of the decade made a name for themselves with their sludgey grooves of doom. Their debut full length Dismal from 1993 and their breakout release Come to Grief the following year are sludge metal essentials. By the time of this video, recorded at the Caboose by Andy Miller, the band had taken on a legendary status. If you were into extreme metal at that time then GRIEF was the band to see. The Caboose was not a huge venue so packing the place tended to be the norm when bands like this came to town. For those of you who don't know GRIEF is no more, finally calling it quits a few years ago. Although you can still hear their influence on many of today's Sludge Metal acts (some of which admit to GRIEF being an influence while others are in complete denial). They will always be looked upon as one of the genre's greats. I was at this show and it's one of those extreme music moments. Enjoy.
WITHOUT WAVES - Scab Platter CD Self Released Genre: Post Hardcore/Post Metal Rating: 4/5
Releases like this one try my soul. Not that there's anything bad about what this Chicago four piece act are doing on here. It's just that it's not my type of extreme head damaging sounds which I'm a fan of. I know a few people who do but they won't review anything for me because they hate writing or can't write and damm them for it. So that leaves me like a blind man with a blind dog roaming through a minefield. As always I do the best I can which means I'll listen to this four or five times and that will be it because like I said I don't care for this style of music. As far as I can see WITHOUT WAVES has a sound and fury which is not far from what that band DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN does. It's pure insanity like on "Tradition of Fear" or the title cut with neck snapping twists and hang on for your life tempo changes all confined by tight musicianship which is bent towards progressive noodling. They're like the core of a nuclear reactor with guitars and drums if that makes any sense. It probably doesn't and if a friend of mine, who just so happens to be a nuclear engineer, reads that last line he'll probably laugh his ass off.
Obviously these guys come from a Metalcore/Thrashcore background as well, their song "The Way To Crash and Burn" is a good example, but chose to stand shoulders above most of those knuckle draggers. I don't mean that in a bad way of course. I've been to a few shows with a Metalcore band on the bill and watched some people dance. They do drag their knuckles across the floor along with some wild kick moves that they didn't learn at the dojo. Along with this band's technical ability and moments of groove they have a singer/screamer who, what I consider, has that cliche dinosaur vocal style. It's that throaty roar that you hear the T-Rex do in all those Jurassic Park movies. Once in a while he, Anthony Cwan is his name and he also plays guitar, will throw in a clean soft toned vocal (more on that in a few) but most of the time it's the T-Rex roar. I'm surprised these types of singers don't also do voice over work as dinosaur sound-alikes in movies or in anime. They could use the extra money to fund their whole recording budgets. Finally there's the off the wall surprises like the shoegaze influenced cuts “Dhyana” and "Sativa Sunrise" which proves that they're not just a bunch of technically proficient meatheads who can brutalize a crowded hall full of backwards worn baseball capped yahoos. They can slow down a bit, noodle around in a progressive nuance manner and add those softer toned whispered vocals while everyone catches their breath.
Hey look what do I know about this genre. After finishing this write-up I'm gonna settle down with a few shots of bourbon and play some nice non-family friendly Black Metal by a Brazilion band with the word 'goat' in their name. At the same time this band is probably packing a club in Chicago because they're considered the greatest thing since sliced bread and people are willing to kill, kill I say, to see em live plus buy a long sleeve t-shirt from their merch table. It is the windy city so you need the sleeves. By the time they read this (and laughing about it) they will probably be signed and maybe ink a tour deal that has them doing next summer's Euro-Festival tour opening up for LAMB OF GOD, who I did see back in their club days when they were still BURN THE PRIEST. If all of this sounds good to you then check this band out.
LE SCIMMIE - Dromomania CD Self Released Genre: Instrumental Doom Rating: 3/5
At first I didn't know what I was getting into with this one. The opening track, "OOOO", is basically fifty six seconds of drone which sounded like wind howling. Thankfully that was just an intro because what followed is super cool fuzzed out instrumental doom. LE SCIMMIE, which translates into the monkeys or apes, is an Italian duo who could be that nation's version of OM except there's guitar on here instead of just bass and drums. Dromomania is their debut full length which is short on overall time since the ten cuts (okay some of them are noise interludes) on here fly by. Although there's a lot going on here plus it has an exciting fun type of vibe which runs throughout. Yeah I know when was the last time you saw someone use the word "fun" in a Doom review?
After that drone opening LE SCIMMIE kick into gear with some menacing stoner rock groove on "L'oblio mistico" then follow it up with a faster pace title track. Both cuts are highlighted by insanely down-tuned guitar playing with so much distortion it makes a pissed off bee's next sound tame in comparison. The two part number "Athazagorafobi" slows thing down to a somber melody with a simple repeated riff that breaks off into slightly picked notes which is the first part and in the second movement the cut drones out. "Frustrazione Della Psiche", "Frekete" and "Nostofobia" are total fuzzed out rockers which sounded like something you would expect from a MUDHONEY jam session. Hey people out of all of those Grunge bands from Seattle, MUDHONEY was the best because they were more Punk Fuckin Rock.
Now for as much as I think this is a cool sounding fun release it also strikes me as a jam demo. There's just too much looseness going on. Granted it's their first proper release although according to their press info they did release an EP in 2007 called L'Origine Ep. I don't know the language nor am I about to translate everything but I'll guess it means The Original EP. Yes I know, I'm so worldly. Be that as it may Dromomania is a little over twenty minutes in length which technically also makes it an EP and not a full length. I don't know of any ruling on that matter but if it's lest than thirty I say EP. I won't write these guys off in fact I believe they should be kept an eye on in the future. Although guys next time more OM and less Mark Arm.
DOGBANE - Residual Alcatraz CD Heaven and Hell Records Genre: Classic Metal/Doom Rating: 5/5
For those of you who don't know it I'm an arborist (tree surgeon) as well as a landscaper with a fair knowledge of plants and shrubs either nursery bred or native. So when I saw this band's name I immediately thought to myself that they're named after a poisonous plant or more commonly described as a weed. By the way Dogbane is similar to Cannabis since it's also a fiberous plant and sometimes goes by the name Hemp Dogbane. For the curious out there I wouldn't try smoking it. Well now that I've told you all what I really do for a living (unlike most music media people who are unemployed post grads) let me tell you about this North Carolina band. First off the members of DOGBANE are not a bunch of young guns new to the music scene. The band is made up of former members of such NC acts as AVALON, UNSETTLED, SOCIETY'S BURDEN (which is the only one I've heard off) RICTUS GRIN and RHENIUM. The band's sound is heavily influenced by late 70's/early 80's classic metal as well as bands whose style of music would go on to become known as Doom. Also they're not a bunch of hipster retards hopping onto a now popular metal genre style by rehashing music they recently found in a used record store (well actually downloaded from a website). North Carolina has a wide variety of bands who play just about every type of metal genre you can name. But one thing I've learned is that classic sounding metal, whether it's the heavy 70's era (PRIEST, SABBATH,etc) or 80's NWOBHM, will always reign supreme.
DOGBANE is one of those types of bands and they're damm good. They even have a classic metal five piece lineup of twin guitarists, bass player, drummer and a vocalist who sings clean and has a good range. When this release starts out with the song "Ride the Serpent" and you hear that riff. Your arm will just rise up flying the horned fist out of habit and start screaming "yeahhhhh"! "Born to Die" picks up the pace with chunky riffs, MAIDEN-esque soloing and artillery sounding drumming. From that point on it's that same formula of explosive classic metal which hearkens back to my teenage years. Listening to this is akin to when I first saw PRIEST in the 70s, it's that exciting. As I said before their vocalist, Jeff Neal, has a good range and on "Banished" he lets loose with a Halford-esque scream. "Annihilator" shows off some heavy SABBATH influenced riffage along with more of that Halford style singing with even some PRIEST like song structure ala twin guitar soloing. "Devil in the Dark" pushes the dual guitar theatrics and the classic metal elements to their fullest. I'd say it's between that one and the opener as favorites but in all honesty every song on here is a favorite. "Burning the Light" is classic Doom, no not sludge not stoner rock, this is DOOM! I'm talking about a mega riff forged by the gods of metal and handed down to DOGBANE, after CANDLEMASS used it of course but still great. "Fire and Brimstone" borrows from LINK WRAY by starting and ending it with his signature song "Rumble". Final cut "How the Mighty have Fallen" has another killer, KILLER! savage sounding riff plus a rhythm that sounds so fuckin familiar (early 80's?). I've said enough this release rules!
THUNDERSTICK - Echoes from the Analogue Asylum CD compilation Heaven and Hell Records Genre: Classic Metal/Hard Rock Rating: 3/5
Heaven and Hell Records is well known for unearthing material from Metal's past which to some people are considered lost relics. This latest one was a surprise to me although I do know some of their pre-history. For those of you who don't well get comfortable and I'll give you the quick version. Prior to joining IRON MAIDEN, vocalist Bruce Dickinson was in another NWOBHM band called SAMSON. After a few releases he split and of course the rest is history. Back in the day I knew about SAMSON, well basically all American fans learned about em once Dickinson became MAIDEN's new frontman. I never had any of their releases but I had a Metal comp album with one SAMSON song on it. Don't even ask which one because I forget. Anyway SAMSON also had a drummer named Barry Graham who went by the stage name Thunderstick whose gimmick was to wear a leather S&M mask (now commonly refereed to as a gimp-style mask). I remembered the mask but not the name. Shortly after Dickinson left SAMSON Graham left as well. It's at this point in the story where my personal knowledge ends. I didn't know that in 1981 Graham started a new band named after his stage persona THUNDERSTICK. I also didn't know he played drums inside of a cage on stage either.
Anyway THUNDERSTICK managed to put out two releases which were 1983's 'Feel Like Rock'n'Roll' EP and 1984's 'Beauty and the Beasts' full length. The band also recorded a second full length album entitled 'Don't Touch, I'll Scream' which was never released. 'Echoes from the Analogue Asylum' is a representation of THUNDERSTICK's full recorded output from the EP and LP (eleven tracks) plus five previously unreleased tracks. The first thing you need to know is that Graham enlisted a female singer for the band named Jodee Valentine. This woman's vocal style balances out between commercial early 80's pop metal and punk rock. It's evident from listening to this that Graham was probably shooting for commercial radio appeal instead of continuing on with NWOBHM. The song "Long Way To Go" could have been a radio chart hit in 84. I'm surprised they never made it on Top of the Pops. Hmmm I'll have to check Youtube. If you compare this to one of their contemporaries of the time, GIRLSCHOOL, then you can hear the difference. It's not very metalish at all even by early 80's standards. Another thing to add is that the band's other shtick was glam rock inspired by various 70's acts and not the California hair metal scene. I guess if you're into female fronted bands then this is right up your alley, maybe even mandatory. In the end I find it surprising that even with a quality pop rock oriented sound and style they never made a mark in the 80's.
SKELETONWITCH - Forever Abomination CD Prosthetic Records Genre: Blackened Thrash Rating: 5/5
SKELETONWITCH are simply a great band who keep the tradition of US extreme metal alive and well. For a little while magazine and website scribes had lumped them into the Thrash Revival corral even though the band preceded that fad by a few years. Their debut full length, At One with the Shadows, came out in 2004. Also the band has various influences within their music other than straight forward Thrash. 2009's Breathing the Fire removed all doubts, or at least should have, that there was more here than meets the limitations of media scribes looking for a simple way out. Now with Forever Abomination, their fourth full length, this Ohio five piece have basically solidified their standing as a band that cannot be contained within the brackets of simple genre terminology. Although for the sake of argument I call em blackened thrash and prepared a spot for em in this year's best of listings. SKELETONWITCH combine melodic blackened death, classic NWOBHM influences, black metal raspy vocals and of course thrash speed to create a sound that comes as close as you can get to being called 'original sounding'. If you listen to songs like "Erased and Forgotten" and "The Infernal Resurrection" you hear this amazing influence quality melded to perfection. Those are just two examples out of an eleven song album which lasts a little over half an hour in length. Aside from the previously mentioned song examples Forever Abomination is just a great release from it's surprising yet eerie acoustic guitar opening on "This Horrifying Force (The Desire to Kill)" which then explodes forth into a blackened hatefuck of sound and fury till the closer "My Skin of Deceit".
TAAKE - Noregs Vaapen CD Candlelight Records Genre: Black Metal Rating: 3/5
You know TAAKE has hit the mainstream when you meet a young, plump, southern girl at an out of the way strip mall nightclub sporting one of his t-shirts claiming them (well actually Hoest is the mastermind behind TAAKE and he adds session players to fill certain spots) to be her all time favorite black metal band. Now for some people (re: idiots) that might be a bad thing but not me. I say the more people giving Hoest his due, as well as recognizing the greatness of extreme metal/music without wanting to water it down like an indie rock loser/hipster retard, the better. Not many people know that his full length debut Nattestid Ser Porten Vid from 1999 is an out right Black Metal classic. You can also toss in Over Bjoergvin Graater Himmerik from 2002 along with Hordalands Doedskvad from 2005 as essential TAAKE releases. Of course Hoest has not made things easy for himself. Whatever acclaim for his audio output has been over-shadowed by his other exploits. The guy did short time for assault but is most infamously known for going on stage in a German club with a swastika painted on his chest. Granted things like that are more juvenile in a wanna-be an offensive bad boy sense that actually pushing boundaries by getting people to debate unpopular ideas. Still it's sensationalism that sells for a little while at least then the losers go back to listening their crap and the adults can return to the room.
Which brings us to TAAKE's post 2005 output and this release here. If you take out the various EPs and Split releases he did in 2006/2007 and concentrated on 2008's self titled release and the Kveld EP from earlier this year you notice a pattern. TAAKE has been morphing into an accessible sound which is more acceptable to people who actually hate Black Metal. That's not a jaded or elitist opinion on my part either since the promo press which accompanied this contained a dozen or more quotes from scribes on other websites and as well as print media all praising it. Yeah I'm late to what could be referred to as metal media choir practice. These accolades are from people who over the years regularly crap upon traditional blackened extreme metal and go for the light hearted stuff because, well, they're pussies. (Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's not like it was their choice to be pussies. They were just born like that.) Some quotes were even using the exact language written in the promo press release which in my not so humble opinion is shameless unoriginal thinking on their part. Lets get something straight, stretching the blackened template by including non-BM influences as well as instrumentation is nothing new. So what if Hoest includes a banjo at the halfway point of the song "Myr" as if it's Hee-Haw in corpse paint. CARPATHIAN FOREST use to include saxophone with mixed results. There's countless numbers of blackened pagan/folk acts who include various woodwinds and non metal acoustic stringed instruments. The most important questions are whether or not the music enjoyable and does Hoest do a good job at melding genres? On Noregs Vaapen, Hoest sounds like he's accomplished this by keeping the traditional blackened parts simple that way to easily incorporate the outside structures to meld together well. On a whole I think he nailed it but then again so had SATYRICON before and they were called 'sellouts' by the corpse paint police.
As far as Noregs Vaapen being called one of the best black metal releases of 2011 (according to former hot topic clerks now unemployed college grads and writing reviews for well known websites) I think that's pushing it a bit. Maybe it's the best 'those people' have heard and since I've heard more releases than them than their opinions are invalid. It's a good release for sure. Hoest doesn't waste anytime as the opener, “Fra vadested til vaandesmed”, literally charges out of the gate with melodic ferocity. It's the most blackened cut on here and with the thick production value even the repetitiveness of the riffs doesn't bore you to death. “Orkan” follows suit but with a mid-point hard rock sounding break, the first of many more as the release continues on. Strangely "Nordbundet” starts off with that same hard rock sounding break which was in “Orkan”. Hoest also adds a sludgy groove breakdown to keep you off balance. The totally impressed out there don't know that Hoest has done that same thing on every full length. Hoest also knows how to bleed his songs together well simply because they start out as long jams which he 'cuts' apart. Noregs Vaapen might officially contain seven songs but in reality it's three long ones broken up. Unfortunately reality is a concept which overwhelms both elitist kvlt black metal forum snobs as well as the clowns in mainstream metal media. “Du ville ville Vestland” repeats the same formula of “Orkan” by starting out with simplistic black metal styled riffs then switching over to something more NWOBHM sounding. "Myr" is another good cut that also contains the above mentioned banjo solo which has the scribes in the mainstream metal media wetting themselves over. Luckily they have more than one set of underoos to wear to bed. I'll stop here because the release continues on in the same pattern I've already described twice now. Well "Helvetesmakt" might be the exception and the final also longest cut on the release, "Dei vil alltid klaga og kyta" pushes on power metal epicness. All in all as I said earlier, Hoest nailed it. Unfortunately once you've played this a few times the excitement wears thin.
SKAUR - Skaur CD Self Released Genre: Black Metal Rating: 5/5
If there's an overseas flight straight from a US airport to Norway this should be playing over the intercom while the flight attendants serve Farikal (lamb and cabbage) as the in-flight meal with plenty of whatever the choice Norwegian beer is in stock. By the time you touch down there would be a plane load of farting drunks (well I don't know about you but cabbage gives me some serious gas and I like cabbage) wide eyed and vicious from over-dosing on True Norwegian Black Metal. This is SKAUR's debut full length only after starting out back in 2003 and previously releasing (wait for it) ten demos and two splits. Underground BM forum junkies would call that effort 'uber-kvlt' and maybe even 'troo'. Actually I'm going on memory with that comment. I haven't been on a forum site in years and probably never will again. It's bad enough I stumble upon pretentious Interweb scribes (aka: out of work indie rock losers/hipster retards masquerading as metal fans) who like to make provocative hipster vogue statements like "Norwegian Black Metal is dead" as well as "The future of Black Metal is progressivism". I'd love to find one of these faceless pussies, set fire to their dog eared copy of Lords of Chaos and shove up their ass. I would also have SKAUR's self titled debut full length playing in the background for emphasis on how ignorant they truly are.
For the record SKAUR is not adding anything new to the genre. They (aka: Normann - Vocals / Guitar, Simon Larsen - Bass / Vocals, Ivel - Guitar and Hetzler - Drums) are simply keeping within the boundaries of a traditional sound structure. That particular sound is heavy on the treble, epic in atmosphere and includes some folkish elements which I'm always a big fan of. Contrary to what the beautiful cover artwork depicts this band's music is not at all inviting and friendly. You could keep your beer cold by sitting it next to this disc. The guitar melodies alone will bring down the room temperature a few degrees. Normann's vocals, whether he's screaming harshly or his throaty beast vox, have a frosty bite like a harsh winter storm. The five proper songs and one instrumental as a closer on here have variety in structure and yet it does all seem like a conceptual piece. Opener "Fullmaanesang" comes at you like a folk tale of woe, a nordic saga that adds some clean sung vocals for added texture near the end. The next cut "Nordnorsk Svartmetall" lifts you up as if you've sprouted wings and are now soaring high above that nation's majestic ancient landscape. It's an almost ten and a half minute flight. There are moments when Normann lets out this scream which even sounds like the cry of an eagle. "Heimfar" is probably the most intricate song on here with it's varied twists and breaks in momentum. After listening to this release a few times I kinda thought that SKAUR is in a similar league with fellow Norwegians acts KAMPFAR and ISKALD, two of my favorites as far as frosty pagan black metal goes. And like those two bands whose 2011 outputs have found their way into my list of top BM releases of the year. So to does this masterpiece and I'm not speaking hyperbole either. Norwegian Black Metal is far from dead. Although it might be too cold and cruel for the weakling amongst us.
ARCHGOAT - Heavenly Vulva (Christ's Last Rites) MCD Debemur Morti Productions Genre: Black Metal Rating: 3/5
For those of you who don't know about ARCHGOAT (yeah there might be one or two) I'll explain. In my not so humble opinion they are one of a handful of Finnish acts who over the last five years have resurrected that nation's representation in the world of Black Metal. They were originally a second wave era band, starting out in the early nineties and following in the hoove steps of fellow Finns BEHERIT. But by the middle of that decade they pulled the horns down and replaced it by giving a middle finger salute to the whole Black Metal scene. They didn't care for the way the scene had become commercialized or for a more familiar term "FALSE". Then in the middle 2000s they returned with a vengeance releasing some of their most fiercest material as in the Whore of Bethlehem full length from 2006 and the essential from 2009 The Light Devouring Darkness. They also put out a few shorter version releases, an EP and a split release, plus the two disc compilation from last year, The Aeon of the Angelslaying Darkness.
So here we have their latest for this decade which is basically five new songs and an intro all lasting a mere sixteen minutes. Now for anyone new to ARCHGOAT I'd say Heavenly Vulva is worth it's weight in ah, heavenly vulvas. Yeah I bet that mental picture made you sick. As for long time fans well it's better to have then to dismiss outright. You can never have enough raw necro blackened Finnish filth. Once you get past the worthless intro it's like welcoming home an old friend. The title track actually starts this ritual off with a doom laden slow groove that guitarist Ritual Butcher sinks his teeth into in order to produce a life sucking riff. Lord Angelslayer (vox/bass) plucks a heavy yet simple bass line as he croaks out the lyrics. Yes in the past you've seen me use the term 'satanic frog vocals'. Well Lord Angelslayer takes that to an even lower degree as if he coated his larynx in tar prior to the recording. Listening to this title cut is like riding a carousel with it's repetitive groove continuously tracking. You're perched upon a horse laying into an angel's behind while demons surround the perimeter spitting hot saliva upon you. The next cut, "Penetrator of the Second Temple", is where ARCHGOAT's patented blackened death grind style kicks in with punishing results. Although not as hateful as their older pursuits this runs at a few seconds over three minutes with a few take a breather breakdowns to stretch it out.
The release's mid-point cut, "Goddess of the Abyss of Graves", starts off with a woman moaning in sexual delight until the 30 second mark then is replaced with what I'd say sounds like a goat braying in orgasm. Expect nothing but total no class filth from ARCHGOAT. Once the song commences it's more hateful blackened death grind exactly like the earlier cut. That bleeds into "Day of Clouds" as if it simply was a continuation of the previous cut. If I was gonna shave points off of this EP it would be the band's obvious going through the motions style throughout it's length. The final song, "Passage to Millennial Darkness", is simply a continuation of the same thick filthy riffs and blast-beating. Look here I'm not trying to come off like a pretentious egocentric indie rock loser masque raiding as an extreme metal fan. When it comes to ARCHGOAT you pretty much know what to expect but in all honesty with the exception of the intro and title cut, the rest of this could just as well been one long multi-part song. I'm a fan but an honest one. I'd beware of any scribe who states that this goes beyond their previous audio hatred. To me this is almost a rehearsal for hopefully a future total hatefuck. For now this is okay and I'll look forward to something next year.
NUNFUCKRITUAL - In Bondage To The Serpent CD Debemur Morti Productions Genre: Black Metal Rating: 3/5
Whenever a promo press release states " likely to go down as one of the most corruptive, vile albums of 2011" one should take notice. Before I even get into this release it needs to be explained that NUNFUCKRITUAL is another Black Metal super group. It's mainman is guitarist Teloch, aka: Morten Iversen, who for years has been a hired hand playing live with such notable Norwegians as MAYHEM, 1349, GORGOROTH and OV HELL. He's also been a full fledged member of NIDINGR and UMORAL to name a few. Joining Teloch is vocalist/keyboardist Espen T. Hangard (formerly of DISKORD), bassit Dan Lilker (from BRUTAL TRUTH) and drummer Andreas Jonsson (formerly of TYRANT). Also Teloch retained the services of MAYHEM's Attila Csihar (who will sing for anyone nowadays) and 1349's Ravn as guest vocalists. So on paper with all of that talent of blackened alumni, except for the majority of Lilker's musical career of course, you would accept the premise that this is going to be a truly vile release, vile meant in a good way of course. Well not so fast.
In Bondage To The Serpent is not as corruptive or vile as it is darkly hypnotic. I'll even toss in sinister sounding since it's highly influenced by the last creative works of MAYHEM (Ordo Ad Chao) and 1349 (Revelations of the Black Flame and Demonoir releases). The sound on here is suffocating with atmospheric blackened tremolo picked doom which is not a bad thing. The six cuts on here, all over the six minute mark in length, literally crawl for a whole forty-five (close to it at least) minutes. The first attempt at speed comes in at the half-way point of the fourth cut "Cursed Virgin, Pregnant Whore". The saving grace of this release are the keyboards which add a truly foreboding gothic atmosphere to some of songs. At least Espen T. Hangard earned his stay in the band with that because vocally his tormented (studio effects) growls and rasps are average compared to Csihar's little yet incredible contribution. In my not so humble opinion Csihar should have sung on the whole release. Even stranger still is that Teloch's guitar style on here is closer to what Blasphemer aka: Rune Eriksen was doing on MAYHEM's Ordo Ad Chao release and is now doing with his present gothic doom band AVA INFERI. In the end it's closer to being a Halloween soundtrack than murder music.
