DRUDKH – Handful of Stars CD review

DRUDKH – Handful of Stars CD
Season of Mist Records

I had thought last year’s Microcosmos was going to be Roman Saenko’s last release under the band name DRUDKH and he was going to turn his newer side project, BLOOD OF KINGU, into a full time thing. Well so much for believing online chat and forum rumors. I already think BLOOD OF KINGU’s release, Sun in the House of the Scorpion, is damm good and this one is interesting to say the least. Since DRUDKH doesn’t tour nor does promo work at all they have plenty of time to spend writing and recording. This gives them a great advantage over their contemporaries by being on the constant creative flow. It also makes them the leaders of the real post black metal genre and others as followers. When I say “real post black metal”, I referring to bands or individuals who’ve come from the black metal scene and not a bunch of indie rock losers riding coattails.

Handful of Stars is essentially four impressive numbers which are book ended by two short somber instrumentals. This is nothing new except that in the past they were actually part of longer songs and DRUDKH would set things more in Folk but here it’s Classical. The opening cut “Cold Landscapes” is simply a piano played opening which sets the melancholy tone. The closer “Listening to the Silence” uses the same effect except the main instrument is acoustic guitar. The meat of this release starts on the second track “Downfall of the Epoch”. The signature of this song is the basic non black metal riff which lies more in the post punk realm of bands like SONIC YOUTH, HUSKER DU or THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE. It’s jangly as well as melodic and the vibe is something which other bands like Neige’s ALCEST and AMESOEURS as well as Ireland’s ALTAR OF PLAGUES have been experimenting with. To all of you out there clutching copies of Forgotten Legends to your breasts it’s true, Roman Saenko has traded BURZUM in for Thurston Moore and Bob Mould.

Is it a bad thing? Well yeah if you’re a hipster because you’ve got two strikes against ya for jumping on the DRUDKH bandwagon to start with and this curve ball will strike you out. For black metal truthers well they never liked this band or post BM to start with so they’ll get their spiked leather belts twisted in a knot anyways. Finally the trendy Hot Topic crowd won’t care at all because they download everything for free anyhow. As for the rest of us there’s alot here to consume. On “Towards the Light” the band takes that savage yet sad beauty and simply subtracts the thundering ambiance. Thurios’ vocals are still painful cries from the wilderness. That’s something DRUDKH will not take away. There’s some post BM which really sounds like JOY DIVISION meets DARKTHRONE at a gay bar, thankfully this isn’t like that. Amidst the jangly rhythms on “Towards the Light” Saenko tosses in a solo worthy of progressive tastes.

“Twilight Aureole” and “The Day Will Come” are the two cuts where the band really dives into shoegazer territory the most. They’re also my least favorites. “Twilight Aureole meanders along for five minutes and then the anger of past releases enters into the picture. “The Day Will Come” is similar although there’s some excitement near the end with an almost psych damaged solo. The song cuts off sharply leading into the earlier mentioned acoustic guitar outro. Yes Handful of Stars is interesting in that they’ve broken themselves down to a cleaner sound, kicked aside the folk elements and left the transcending soundscapes in the past. When I first listened to this the different experimental style had me excited since I’m a fan of early SONIC YOUTH. I figured why not since Thurston Moore has admitted to liking black metal. The first half of this is decent but the second half sounds as if the band lost passion and just went through the shoegazer motions. Their early stuff will stand the test of time. Handful of Stars will be a career curio.

www.seasonofmist.com

THULCANDRA – Fallen Angels Dominion CD review

THULCANDRA – Fallen Angels Dominion CD
Napalm Records


There are so many new bands out today who claim to be original but are not. Secondly you have these scoundrels in the Metal media masquerading as objectionable reviewers all falling over themselves lying their asses off about said bands. Thankfully this German act is a breath of fresh air and honesty. This band’s goal was to follow in the footsteps of one of their influential Swedish heroes and made no excuses about it. They simply wanted to create a body of work that was extreme blackened death like DISSECTION. They have definitely achieved that on Fallen Angels Dominion. WATAIN will always be the true heirs to the throne of DISSECTION but they are Swedish anyway and don’t sound like em. Out of all the bands of the past who claim to have conjured up the spirit of Jon Nodtveidt with their music (yeah right did your Ouija board tell you that?) THULCANDRA is the only one who I believe have truly done it. This band also has the balls to put their cover version of “The Somberlain” on here.

The thing that makes this release and band so great is that they get what Nodtveidt was doing. You can swing a dead melodic death metal guitarist on a Gothenburg street and hit a band member from a blackened death metal band or a former MARDUK member, whoever screams first. Sure there are plenty of good blackened death metal bands out there and they get the easy parts right. But Nodtveidt added alot of melody and incorporated his love of thrash as well as classic metal from the late 70s early 80s into his compositions. Nodtveidt also added some somber atmospheric elements. This German band does exactly the same thing and what’s better is that it doesn’t sound paint by the numbers. Is it original? Hell no, nothing really is anymore. But if you put this on for your jaded snob of a friend who thinks they know “everything”, and they’re still in their 20s lol, they will swear its some long lost DISSECTION recording. Some people might be offended by that but they’re welcome to their opinion and licking my toilet bowl clean. THULCANDRA haven’t taken the template and pressed the copy button. They’ve reinvented the sound from long ago and have given it new life for fresh ears along with old ones which are not jaded. I’ve also got to give credit to V. Santura, guitarist for DARK FORTRESS and TRYPTYKON who produced this. The sound on here is perfect. He really got the best out of his fellow countrymen.

www.napalmrecords.com

HEIDEVOLK – Uit Oude Grond CD review

HEIDEVOLK – Uit Oude Grond CD
Napalm Records

First off let me admit that my family’s ancestral homeland is Holland. Even though we are quite a few generations removed from first landing here in North America (pre-Revolutionary War) I am still proud to call myself a Dutchman. I also get a kick out of hearing extreme bands from the Netherlands. This Dutch band has only been around since 2002, releasing the debut in full length in 2005. But in that short time they have become one of the stronger players in the whole Pagan Folk Viking Metal genre. This is just their third full length as well. What makes HEIDEVOLK (ala: Folk from the Heath Land) and this release stand out amongst the Pagan Fest pack is their attention to homeland. The vocals are sung in Dutch and they are also sung clean as opposed to the typical death metal growl style favored by many of their peers. I always complement bands when they take that route since it makes the music far more interesting. It also allows you to learn what they’re singing about and actually listen instead of just playing the CD for kicks. Their music deals with their culture which lies in the Dutch province Gelderland which once again differs from many other bands who just do the Valhalla chic thing. It’s personable instead of just playing by the numbers.

Another difference is that HEIDEVOLK lean more towards a Power or Classic Metal style, along with a few surprises, with their songs then the much used melodic death metal theme. One of the complaints I’ve heard from people who don’t like Folk Metal is that they see it as melodic death metal with fiddles. HEIDEVOLK do use some alternative to Metal instruments plus vocal harmonies which present the listener with a chance to join in on the choruses if you know the language of course. What’s even better is the accent/dialect that vocalists Mark Bockting and Joris Boghtdrincker use which has me envision being in some ancient drinking establishment watching these guys sing while bellied up to the bar. That’s another thing which I look for in bands of this genre. Does the music transport you to another place or push forth that feeling of identity with something from the past. HEIDEVOLK do that on here whether it’s the rowdy cuts, somber pieces or full blown blasts which make you want to grab a weapon and charge out the front door screaming your best battle cry. Apartment dwellers might want to reconsider that last suggestion.

www.napalmrecords.com

WINDRIDER – To New Lands CD review

WINDRIDER – To New Lands CD
Self Released

I’m still waiting to hear a one man symphonic metal act with female in a prom dress operatic vocals. I’m sure one exists out there, in Berlin perhaps, but I don’t frequent such bars. This one man (child prodigy?) folk metal act from the UK will have to suffice. I say child prodigy since this guy Elliot Vernon is twenty years old but his musical compositions sound like something created by someone with more than just peach fuzz for facial hair. After a few listens to this I’m thinking sure it’s good but it would sound better if an actual band was performing it. While listening to the opener “To New Lands” (Prelude) I was thinking this is not a song but an opening to a movie. All that was missing were the credits. After three minutes of epic rousing keyboards and drums, then electronic bird sounds with a background synth melody, it then gives way to water breaking upon a shoreline with some guy with a deep voice talking about new lands.

Wait a minute is this FAIRYLAND or the MOODY BLUES? Either way it bleeds into the title cut, part one. This is heavily keyboard driven power metal with Viking/Folk motifs. The over nine minute title cut does get boring by the halfway point even after Vernon adds his just passed puberty wannabe Nordic vocals which are as gruff as he can get. The third cut “The King Under the Mountain” opens with a synth imitating an accordion then the in studio choir effects to finally give us a TYR quality folk tale. Once again this could be a better song if you had a band performing it adding meaty riffs and more powerful drumming. Vernon performs everything in studio but supposedly he now has a live band where he does the vocals and guitar with a session bass and drummer. I’ll guess and say he has programmed keyboards for the live performances. Don’t you just love it when those things fuck up during a show because of amateurish sound checking?

There are seven tracks total on here and a few are long boring epic keyboard driven indulgence like “There is no Victory” which after nine and a half minutes had me thinking is there no let up? “Seven Fathers of Iron and Stone” should be handed over to FALKENBACH to record. In fact I think Elliot Vernon is a great composer who needs to hand over his songs to other bands to perform or write film scores. I think fantasy movies are in vogue again. Look no offense but I just can’t get into this to the point where I should. Instead of Vikings on a longboat singing about wind in their sails I keep picturing Vernon with a mini synth and a laptop singing while wearing a plastic Viking helmet for inspiration. After over thirteen minutes of the final track “To New Lands” part 2, I’m ready to hail Thorazine and say good night. Get a band and record together next time.

www.myspace.com/windridermetal

BLACK BREATH – Heavy Breathing CD review

BLACK BREATH – Heavy Breathing CD
Southern Lord Records
Genre: Hardcore

Did Greg Anderson of Southern Lord Records lose a bet or what? This is not Doom which Southern Lord is some what known for along with Black Metal. This is fuckin Hardcore. Someone took a bunch of old Hardcore 7”ers from the 1980s, handed them to some young metalheads and here are the results. I’ve heard every one of these fuckin riffs years ago albeit they’re being played well on here. The vocals are as caustic and angst ridden as if they were sung by a bald headed psychopath or a spiky haired nihilist back in 1984. Back in the eighties it was common knowledge that the difference between Hardcore and Thrash was the musicianship. But this is nowhere near Thrash standards of today as in clean sounding garbage which tries to copy the past and fails miserably. Ok not all modern day Thrash bands are like that and the production on here is clean but not polished.

BLACK BREATH hail from Seattle so obviously this five piece band know about the greatest Hardcore band, in my not so humble opinion of course, ever to walk out bloodied but unbowed from the Northwest. I’m talking about POISON IDEA, the best American Hardcore band that ever lived and Pig Champion the world was never the same after your passing bro. To be honest back in the day the punk rock hippie commies hated POISON IDEA along with alot of other cool bands for a variety of reasons, all dumb reasons of course. They would’ve hated BLACK BREATH as well. Thankfully no one gives a flying fuck about what any commie hippies have to say, if any of em are still around. Does Maximum Rock n Roll magazine still exist?

I’m gonna guess and say people will try to put BLACK BREATH into the square peg of D-Beat. Here’s a fact from someone who was actually around back in the late 70s Punk era and all throughout the 80s Hardcore scene. No one ever used the term “D-Beat” instead we simply called it Hardcore because that’s what it was. In the late 80s you did have a bunch of Anarcho bands that basically stole their whole sound from DISCHARGE and even had “DIS” as part of their band names. As a joke we reviewers called them “DIS-Bands” but their sound was Hardcore, period. As far as the term “Crust” well that came from the Anarcho Punk crowd who wanted to create a sub-genre to disassociate themselves from other Hardcore bands, especially NYHC, who weren’t spouting communist/peace punk politics. Who came up with the term “D-Beat”? I’ll never know and don’t start tagging this Seattle band with it. You already have DISFEAR. And most of you losers out there think Punk Rock started with RANCID.

Yeah there’s some DISCHARGE influence on here but that band only had a handful of riffs which they used on all of their 7”ers and LPs, except when they entered the “Brave New World”. BLACK BREATH capture alot of the fury and intensity that was common with bands from LA to DC and all inbetween. The guitars have that buzz saw type of sound which just makes you wanna jump out of your chair and slam into a hippie punk. The rhythm section is flat out perfect for what these guys are following. As far as the vocals, like I said before its old school and I would know. Every two bit burg in the US had a band like this back in the 80s and they all put out demos or if they were lucky, a four song 7”er. This Seattle band is now joining the ranks of other great modern day HC acts like DOUBLE NEGATIVE who are keeping the spirit of the 80s alive and sounding authentic.

www.southernlord.com

HOWL – Full of Hell CD Review

HOWL – Full of Hell CD
Relapse (BEEP) Records
Genre: Hipster

This Rhode Island band might just (BEEP) fill the top spot of 2010’s hipster favorites. (BEEP) Frankly any band that follows along the MASTODON template these days (BEEP) is hipster material and this is just their debut full length. I won’t be surprised if (BEEP) they’re on a bigger label next year. Musically this is early (BEEP) MASTODON sludge rock to a T. The cover artwork looks like something John Baizley of BARONESS would’ve come up with. The only thing (BEEP) missing is a one word title. Oh and before I forget (BEEP) there’s a woman in the band but she’s on second guitar and not (BEEP) bass. That’s sure to gain points with the Indie Rock/Hipster crowd (BEEP) who haven’t realized there are women in Metal. Sure there aren’t many but to hipsters (BEEP) they’re clueless to even that fact. That crowd thinks black metal is an offshoot of rap metal. (BEEP)

By the second playing of (BEEP) this, yes I went for it a few times, I could only (BEEP) think of this in the same vein that I thought of THE SWORD. Musically (BEEP) they’re not the same of course but the pretense is spot on. Where (BEEP) as THE SWORD were for Indie Rock losers who (BEEP) were clueless to the fact that there was something called (BEEP) Stoner Rock back in the late 90s along with the whole Doom genre which is (BEEP) older. HOWL seems to fit in now for the faux sludge crowd who are (BEEP) clueless to the pre- MASTODON era of bands. I was (BEEP) surprised to see that they were not from Atlanta, Georgia even. I’m (BEEP) sure it’s on their touring schedule and they will be playing (BEEP) a newly reopened Indie Rock club here in September but on a (BEEP) weeknight. Good luck with (BEEP) that one since if present experience shows the only time (BEEP) you can get a crowd out on a weeknight is to have (BEEP) it a free show or make sure the band caters to the (BEEP) under twenty-one crowd.

By my third listen (BEEP) to Full of Hell my thoughts were that they are a sludge version of LORDI including the corny song titles like (BEEP) opener “Horns of Steel” along with “Parish of (BEEP) the Obscene” and “Heavenless”. (BEEP) I think MANOWAR might have a case for copyright infringement. I also think the (BEEP) metal community will see this as more like being “full of shit” with the monotonous quality of the songs, especially that (BEEP) over ten minute opus which closes (BEEP) this dink. The hipsters will eat it up (BEEP) which is what I’m thinking it’s geared for. I mean come on (BEEP) this is like the MONKEES. Even a band (BEEP) like BLACK TUSK has a little more (BEEP) originality. Oh and if you are wondering about the (BEEP), well the mp3 promo contains a (BEEP) every thirty seconds. I figured it should be included (BEEP) in the review. Hopefully I’m not the (BEEP) only one with the brass balls to (BEEP) mention how fucking (BEEP) annoying it is. Although I don’t blame Relapse (BEEP) one bit after what happened with (BEEP) the Blue album by BARONESS en all. (BEEP)

www.relapserecords.com

BLACK SUN AEON – Routa CD Review

BLACK SUN AEON – Routa CD
Cyclone Empire
Genre: Doom

This is the side project of Tuomas Saukkonen who also fronts the Finnish band BEFORE THE DAWN. What’s similar to his main band is that on here Saukkonen also takes on all instruments and vocals aka: uberman. While his vox is more on the death growl side he also includes two background vocalists, one male and the other female, to add some clean vocals. Routa is two CD’s worth of melodic doom which is frigid and frankly miserable. Each disc has its own separate title with the first one called Talviaamu and the second one Taiviyo. One disc would’ve been fine but with two you get the feeling of what it would be like to get stuck in a snow bound cabin with AMORPHIS. Nothing against AMORPHIS of course but we’re talking no heat, no sauna and no booze. Someone please give me a knife.

Frankly I consider this to be complete overkill on Saukkonen’s part unless he plans to use this for a background soundtrack for a future documentary on Finnish winters. Along with the melodic death doom sounds you also get heavy does of gothic rock as if someone actually did bring some knives in the cabin with them. Actually I like the gothic tones more since the melodic doom simply gives you boring riffs and keyboards laying down an atmosphere as exciting as the color white. I could nail this down with just a few cuts which would include the title track plus “Funeral of World” and the song “Black Sun Aeon” which features the female vocals of Janica Lonn. The rest of this is headache inducing.

www.cyclone-empire.com