Metal News
May 1st, 2013 at 8:26am
Agrimonia – ‘Rites of Separation’ (Southern Lord)
Southern Lord Records
Genre: Post Metal/Sludge Metal/Crust
Gothenburg, Sweden’s female-fronted Agrimonia have unleashed an epic full-length with Rites of Separation. With only five tracks, it clocks in just shy of a full hour of quality post metal, sludge and crust goodness.
Songs like ‘Hunted’ and ‘The Battle Fought’ are crushing and, at times, beautiful. The length of the songs allows the members of Agrimonia to venture into quite a few dark places, and with good results. All five tracks on Rites of Separation are extremely good. The band’s musicianship is beyond stellar. The production is great; crisp and loud. Well done.
Rating: 4
(JH Statts)
Altar of Plagues – ‘Teethed Glory and Injury’ (Profound Lore)
Profound Lore Records
Genre: Experimental/Post Black Metal
Teethed Glory and Injury from Altar of Plagues is an intensely challenging listen. The unconventional song structures and idiosyncratic riffs deny the listener a chance to get comfortable. Torturous black metal screams and howls wrack the senses from the deepest recesses of hell’s dungeon.
A number of unexpected instruments take the album to atmospheric heights while deep frequency vibrations freeze the nerves, leaving you locked in place and unable to escape the disaffecting nature of the album. Teethed Glory and Injury is far from a casual listen, demanding the utmost attention for maximum gratification. It’s entirely unsettling and one of the most intriguing releases of the year.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
Battle Dagorath – ‘Cursed Storm of Ages’ (De Tenebrarum Principio)
De Tenebrarum Principio
Genre: Black Metal
No war is fought without a great well of ambition, and California’s Battle Dagorath are certainly not lacking. Akin to their two prior full-lengths,Cursed Storm of Ages is a massive 100-minute album of windswept character and bitter black metal that rushes away from civilization, into the wuthering passes, howling its hurt with a maddening, if not completely pitiable, resolve.
Although the ambient sections remain a tad extraneous, the music on hand casts its listener into realms of a cold, convincing scope. If the album is not dragging you through the storm, songs like “Awakened by the Spell of the Wind” will find their ways to enchant you. A marathon of disturbing and rewarding black metal.
Rating: 4
(Evan Mugford)
April 30th, 2013 at 7:11am
Agrimonia - Rites Of Separation (Southern Lord)
Amorphis - Circle (Nuclear Blast)
Arsis - Unwelcome (Nuclear Blast)
Altar Of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury (Profound Lore)
Avantasia - The Mystery Of Time (Nuclear Blast)
Battle Dagorath - Cursed Storm of the Ages (De Tenebrarum Principio)
The Body - Master, We Perish (At A Loss)
Bone Sickness - Alone In The Grave (20 Buck Spin)
Cathedral - The Last Spire (Metal Blade)
Cauldron - Tomorrow’s Lost (Earache)
Coliseum - Sister Faith (Temporary Residence)
Corsair - Ghosts of Proxima Centauri Re-Release (Shadow Kingdom)
Deep Purple - Now What?! (Eagle Rock)
Famous Last Words - Two-Faced Charade (InVogue)
Freedoms Reign - Freedoms Reign (Cruz del Sur)
Heaven Shall Burn - Veto (Century Media)
Hessian - Manégarmr (Southern Lord)
HIM - Tears On Tape (Razor & Tie)
Howl - Bloodlines (Relapse)
Hybrid - Angst (Deepsend)
Louna - Behind A Mask (Red Decade)
Mechanical Swan - Black Dawn Romance (Bakerteam)
The Melvins - Everybody Loves Sausages (Ipecac)
Monarque - Lys Noir (Sepulchral)
Moonreich - Terribilis Est Locus Iste (ATMF)
NightShade - An Endless Vision (Bullet Tooth)
The Ocean - Pelagial (Metal Blade)
Purson - The Circle And The Blur Door (Metal Blade)
Pushmen - The Sun Will Rise Soon On The False And The Fair (The End)
Rainbow - Live In Munich 1977 CD/DVD (Eagle Rock)
Redrum - Victims Of Our Circumstances
Revelation - Inner Harbor (Shadow Kingdom)
Sacred Mother Tongue - Out Of Darkness (The End)
Sacrilegious Impalement - III:Lux Infera (Woodcut)
Simulacro - Fall Of The Last Idol (De Tenebrarum Principio)
Soul Of Steel - Journey To Infinity (Bakerteam)
Starkill - Fires Of Life (Century Media)
Tom Keifer - The Way Life Goes (Merovee)
Ugly Kid Joe - Stairway To Hell (MRI)
Watertank - Sleepwalk (Solar Flare)
Yellow Eyes - Hammer Of Night (Broken Limbs)
April 24th, 2013 at 8:45am
Ace Augustine – ‘The Sick And Suffering’ (Red Cord)
Red Cord Records
Genre: Metalcore
After releasing their debut album, Ace Augustine split up. The Christian metalcore band has reformed with three new members, including a new vocalist, for their sophomore effort The Sick And Suffering.
Their music is sometimes dark, heavy and brooding, other times melodic and upbeat. Both the screaming and singing vocals are good, and the lyrics deliver a positive message. They stay mostly in the comfortable confines of the genre box, but stretch themselves periodically on the ballad “The Great Disconnect,” with all melodic singing.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Across Tundras/Lark’s Tongue – ‘Split’ (Cavity)
Cavity Records
Genre: Psychedelic Stoner/Rock
Here’s a quick look at a split from two psychedelic stoner bands only skirting the edges of metal. First up are two sprawling songs from Lark’s Tongue, a Peoria, Illinois-based quartet playing psychedelic, light stoner rock. Their two-song contribution is not heavy, but is pleasing, melodic, and innocuous.
Across Tundras, now based in Nashville, are a bit more metallic with a more riff-oriented approach and with music dovetailing into desert rock. Across Tundras’ half of the split is another pleasing two-song contribution, and is a worthy compliment to their growing discography.
Rating: 3.5
(Dave Schalek)
Amarok/Hell – ‘Split’ (Vulture Print)
Vulture Print
Doom Metal
If the cover to the left looks strangely shaped, it’s because it is for a cassette, not a CD. Doomsters Amarok and Hell join forces for a split album. Chico, California’s Amarok have done several splits in the past year or so, and their side is one 20 minute track. It’s glacially paced doom with an interesting vocal combination of low-pitched growls and black metal rasps. There’s also a lengthy violin solo in the middle.
Hell is a one-man project from Salem, Oregon. His three songs are denser with a bit more musical variety along with high-pitched rasps, and also includes a guest violinist, which gives the two sides of the cassette a common theme. It’s a good pairing for underground doom fans, because the artists have their own sound, but should also appeal to each other’s base.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
April 19th, 2013 at 7:18am
“God Is Dead?” is a brand new single from BLACK SABBATH, and is available for streaming. The track, will be made available digitally on April 19, comes off “13″ — the band’s first album in 35 years to feature bassistGeeezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne — due out June 11 on Vertigo/Republic. This marks BLACK SABBATH‘s return to Vertigo, their original label, and the group’s first studio album together since 1978′s “Never Say Die!”
April 16th, 2013 at 10:34am
Ade - Spartacus (Blast Head)
Among Gods - Among Gods (PRC)
Anciients - Heart Of Oak (Season Of Mist)
Aosoth - IV: Arrow In Heart (Agonia)
Asofy - Percezione (Avant Garde)
As We Draw - Lines Breaking Circles (Throatruiner)
Beatallica - Abbey Load (Oglio)
Beissert - Darkness:Devil:Death (Agonia)
Bovine - The Sun Never Sets On The British Empire (FDA Rekotz)
The Bunny The Bear - Stories (Victory)
Cerekloth - In The Midst Of Life We Are In Death (Hells Headbangers)
Ceremonial Oath - The Book Of Truth Re-Release (Century Media)
Cough/Windhand - Reflection Of The Negative Split (Relapse)
Cultes Des Ghoules - Henbane (Hells Headbangers)
Dark Quarterer - Dark Quarterer Re-Release (Shadow Kingdom)
Destroyed In Seconds - Becoming Wrath (PRC)
Divided Multitude - Feed On Your Misery (Nightmare)
Dust - Dust/Hard Attack Re-Release (Legacy)
Echtra - Sky Burial (Temple Of Tortuous)
Eibon - II (Throatruiner)
Eternal Rest - Prophetic (Deepsend)
Eyeconoclast - Drones of the Awakening (Prosthetic)
Flotsam and Jetsam - Ugly Noise (Metal Blade)
Ghost B.C. (formerly Ghost) - Infestissumam (Loma Vista)
Iced Earth - Live In Ancient Kourion (Century Media)
Impious Baptism - Wrath Of The Apex Predator (Hells Headbangers)
Inter Arma - Destroyer EP Re-Release (Gilead)
Jeff Loomis - Plains Of Oblivion Tour Edition (Century Media)
Kill With Hate - Voices Of Obliteration (PRC)
Magister Dixit - Maze Of Thousand Ways (PRC)
Manilla Road - Spiral Castle Re-Release (Shadow Kingdom)
Memory Garden - Doomain (Metal Blade)
The Moth Gatherer - A Braight Celestial Light (Agonia)
Neige Eternelle - Neige Eternelle (Sepulchral)
October Tide - Tunnel Of No Light (Pulverised)
Progenie Terrestre Pura - U.M.A. (Avant Garde)
Pyrithion - The Burden Of Sorrow EP (Metal Blade)
Reign Of The Architect - Rise (Pitch Black)
Revel In Flesh - Manifested Darkness (FDA Rekotz)
Senseless Beauty - The Belonging Endeavor (Standby)
Snow White’s Poison Bite - Featuring: Dr. Gruesome And The Gruesome Gory Horror Show(Victory)
Skid Row - United World Rebellion: Chapter One EP (MRI)
Smohalla/Omega Centauri - Tellur Epitome Split (Duplicate)
Spiritual Beggars - Earth Blues (Inside Out)
This Misery Garden - Cornerstone (Season Of Mist)
Todtgelichter - Apnoe (Code666)
Tombstone Highway - Ruralizer (Agonia)
Total Negation - Zur Späten Stunde/Zeiträume (Temple Of Tortuous)
VHOL - VHOL (Profound Lore)
Wandersword - Waiting For War (Blasphemour)
Whitechapel - The Somatic Defilement Re-Release (Metal Blade)
April 12th, 2013 at 8:05am
Apparitions – ‘Kiss Me Sleeping’ (Indianola)
Indianola Records
Genre: Metalcore
Formerly This Twilight City, the band now known as Apparitions release their debut album Kiss Me Sleeping. They rework some older material along with writing some new stuff.
The band describes themselves as “pop metal,” but it’s really just metalcore and post-hardcore with an industrial tinge. The songs have a lot of electronic elements and pop melodies along with screaming vocals, more aggressive sections and breakdowns. The melodic vocals are very earnest, fairly high pitched and heavily processed. There are some interesting moments, but nothing new or groundbreaking.
Rating: 2.5
(Chad Bowar)
Arkona – ‘Decade of Glory’ (Napalm)
Napalm Records
Genre: Pagan/Folk Metal
Fans of pagan and folk metal should find much vodka-induced enjoyment with Decade of Glory, a massive live album by Russia’s Arkonathat harbors nearly three hours of music. Recorded at the P!PLE concert hall in Moscow, and accompanied by a choir, a string quartet, and other guest vocalists, the band scorches through 31 songs in grand and energetic fashion, rearing a fulsome sound that accentuates Arkona’s knack for beauty and power.
With such a mammoth collection of songs, Decade of Glory remains a bit overwhelming. Less a welcome mat for folk/pagan greenhorns, the album operates more as a stupendous gift to their devotees where everything from Masha Arkhipova’s diverse vocals to the band’s trademark eclecticism, merges lavishly.
Rating: 3.5
(Evan Mugford)
Birth A.D. – ‘I Blame You’ (Unspeakable Axe)
Unspeakable Axe Records
Genre: Punk Metal
This Austin trio touts its roots in three letter thrashers like D.R.I, S.O.D, C.O.C, but truth be told this album is distilled punk, recorded in the tradition of ‘throw the sliders up, give us a couple mikes and don’t twiddle any of them knobs.’
Sociopathic and served up in hateful scoops under three minutes, except the mega-opus “Burn LA,” at over 4 minutes, the thrash makes sporadic flashes through the monotone three chord compositions and snarling puke-on-you punkiness. Birth A.D. hates L.A. and everyone else, too.
Rating 2.5
(Todd Lyons)
April 9th, 2013 at 7:55am
Antropofago - Beyond Phobia Re-Release (Kaotoxin)
Apparitions - Kiss Me Sleeping (Indianola)
Arkona - Decade Of Glory Live (Napalm)
Birth AD - I Blame You (Unspeakable Axe)
Blaak Heat Shujaa - The Edge Of An Era (Tee Pee)
Blowsight - Life & Death (Eclipse)
Code Of Silence - Dark Skies Over Babylon (Mausoleum)
Dawn Of Ashes - Anathema (Metropolis)
Deathchain - Ritual Death Metal (Svart)
Device - Device (Warner Brothers)
Devil To Pay - Fate Is Your Muse (Ripple)
Encorion - Our Pagan Hearts Reborn (Sleaszy Rider)
Enabler - Shift Of Redemption EP (Think Fast)
Facedown - The Long Lost Future (Autoproduction)
Gloryhammer - Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife (Napalm)
Greeley Estates - Devil Son EP (Self)
Krzak Experience - Krzak Experience (Metal Mind)
No Omega - Shame (Throatruiner)
The Omega Experiment - The Omega Experiment (Listenable)
Osada Vida - Particle (Metal Mind)
Pasadena Napalm Division - Pasadena Napalm Division (Minus Head)
Russkaja - Energia! (Napalm)
Serenity - War Of Ages (Napalm)
Supuration - Cube 3 (Listenable)
Terror - Live By The Code (Victory)
Thy Symphony - A New Beginning (Sleaszy Rider)
Trinakrius - Seven Songs of Seven Sins (End of the Light)
U.D.O. - Best Of Anniversary Edition (AFM)
U.D.O. - Live From Russia Re-Release (AFM)
Visions Of Atlantis - Ethera (Napalm)
Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (Republic)
April 3rd, 2013 at 7:23am
Abyssal – ‘Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius’ (Profound Lore)
Profound Lore Records
Genre: Black Metal
The United Kingdom’s Abyssal have obviously spent a great deal of time listening to Portal as one could easily mistake the tongue twisting Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius for just about any of Portal’s early releases. The swirling, backwards chaos of weird forms, riffs, deep vocals, off kilter time changes, you name it, Abyssal have the shtick down pat, even right down to a mysterious front put on by the nameless hooded band members.
Abyssal are not quite all things Portal as the music is generally a bit slower and has a doomier vibe, but Portal is the obvious template. Intrigued? You should be. It’s pretty good.
Rating: 4
(Dave Schalek)
Azure Emote – ‘The Gravity of Impermanence’ (Selfmadegod)
Selfmadegod Records
Genre: Avant Garde Death Metal
The Gravity of Impermanence, the newest release from avant garde death metal project Azure Emote, is dazzling in its intricacy. This brainchild of Mike Hrubovcak (Abraxas, Vile) features contributions from members of Rumpelstiltskin Grinder, Fear Factory, Death, Monstrosity, Yakuza and more. Even female vocals compliment the anything-goes (well together) approach.
Jaws will drop while trying to take it all in, yet the album never loses focus. Far from a passive listen, knuckle-draggers will find little appeal here, but those with astute minds and an appreciation for its artfulness may lose themselves within the depths of Hrubovcak’s vision. It’s a highly ambitious project well worth your attention.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
Beyond The Shore – ‘Ghostwatcher’ (Metal Blade)
Metal Blade Records
Genre: Metalcore
The debut full-length from the Kentucky metalcore band Beyond The Shore has everything you’d expect from the genre. Ghostwatcherdelivers pummeling breakdowns and a combination of harsh vocals and melodic singing.
The harsh vocals are good, and the band is at their strongest when the tempo is galloping along and the choruses are gang vocals yelled over top of a catchy melody. Singing vocals are used sparingly, and that’s a good thing. Beyond The Shore vary the tempos to avoid monotony, but rely a bit too much on the constant breakdowns.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
April 2nd, 2013 at 6:02am
Abyssal - Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius (Profound Lore)
Adema - Topple The Giants (Pavement)
Azure Emote - The Gravity Of Impermanence (Selfmadegod)
Beyond The Shore - Ghostwatcher (Metal Blade)
Bleed From Within - Uprising (Century Media)
Blood Bright Star - Solar Infinite (Antithetic)
Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal (Epitaph)
Chasma - Codex Constellatia (Moribound)
Dead Awaken - Where Hope Turns Dripping Red (Abyss)
Echtra - Sky Burial (Temple Of Tortuous)
Finntroll - Blodsvept (Century Media)
For Today - Prevailer EP/DVD (Razor & Tie)
A Hero For The World - A Hero For The World (Jacob K)
Hypocrisy - End Of Disclosure (Nuclear Blast)
Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Descent (Roadrunner)
Lost Society - Fast Loud Death (Nuclear Blast)
The Mongoloids - Mongo Life (Six Feet Under)
Monsterworks - Album Of Man (Mortal)
Morgengrau - Extrinsic Pathway (Blind God)
Moss - Horrible Night (Metal Blade)
My Endless Wishes - My Endless Wishes (Doolittle)
Niacin - Krush (Prosthetic)
No Consequence - IO (Basick)
Pryapisme - Hyperblast Super Collider (Apathia)
Septicflesh - The Eldest Cosmonaut Re-Release (Season Of Mist)
Set To Reflect - A New Path To Walk On (Standby)
Shadows Past - Perfect Chapter (Doolittle)
Spock’ Beard - Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep (Inside Out)
St. Vitus - C.O.D. Re-Release (Season Of Mist)
Thy Art Is Murder - Hate (Nuclear Blast)
Toxic Holocaust - From The Ashes Of Nuclear Destruction (Relapse)
Warbeast - Destroy (Housecore)
Wardruna - Yggdrasil (Indie)
Years Of Tyrants - Leading The Blind (Kaotoxin)
Zozobra - Savage Masters (Brutal Panda)
