Nails

When this week started, I was pretty much ready to end these seven days before they began. Just one of those stretches where tons of little shit goes wrong, and no matter what you do, the whole thing just keeps getting compounded. So the only answer is to go back to sleep for the rest of the week.

But things don’t work that way, and there are plenty of things to accomplish at my job and here on the site, so we must carry on. Seeing that is the case, some volcanic music to perfectly compliment my frustration and anger is the perfect solution, and the two bands we’ll visit with today managed to be just what I needed. There’s something to living vicariously through the music you hear and bands you follow, and in the case of both Nails and Seven Sisters of Sleep, I was able to channel their aggression and musical tumult and soothe my own frayed nerves and impatience. After all, as frustrated as you might be, there’s always someone out there who feels even worse. So remember that poor jerk.

Grouping these two bands together makes sense not only for their metallic hardcore sounds, but because both were label mates at one point in time. Nails was picked up by Southern Lord after their “Unsilent Death,” originally released by Six Feet Under, was pulled into the fold, and their chaotic emanations have been a strong point for the label ever since. As for Seven Sisters of Sleep, Southern Lord released their self-titled album in an enhanced version for their underground sounds series, and it was a real eye-opener hearing this band and record, that contained some of the freshest, most urgent hardcore-laced sounds in some time. But the band remains with A389 for their latest album “Opium Morals,” that finds them as savage and as necessary as ever.

We’ll start with Nails, the California-based band whose new record “Abandon All Life” is practically two times longer than “Unsilent Death.” Then again, that just means the record is 17 minutes long as opposed to 11, but that certainly doesn’t mean this thing is bloated. I mean, how could it be? It’s 17 minutes long. But it’s a ferocious, pulverizing display that’ll prove to you from the moment the thing blasts into your eardrums that they’re a band that’s here for blood and won’t stop until they’re satisfied.

It’s hard to get too into detail about a record this short because it’s pretty much over before you know it. The band’s penchant for speedy, power-violence-friendly hardcore makes them one of the most blistering bands in the world. In the world! From devastating opener “In Exodus” to fiery, ridiculously furious “Absolute Control” to the frenzied thrash of “God’s Cold Hands” to ultra-punishing “No  Surrender,” there is so much here to keep you bruised and nauseously bloody. But there are some change-ups here as well, such as doomy, mega-heavy, and slurry “Wide Open Wound,” that shows the band has a knack for doom; and the black metal-influenced closer “Suun Cuique” that’s epic, dark, and at 5:22, one of their longest songs to date.

“Abandon All Life” certainly improves on “Unsilent Death,” a record that didn’t really require any improvement, but that didn’t stop Nail from taking things to a different level. Their live shows are bound to be insane, and these songs should make those performances all that more volcanic.

For more on Nails, go here: http://www.streetcleanerrecords.com/unsilentdeath/

To buy the album, go here: http://www.southernlord.com/store.php?dept=MCH

For more on the label, go here: http://www.southernlord.com/

Seven Sisters of Sleep

Seven Sisters of Sleep are the spookier of the two bands, and the visual representation on their site and through social media indicates hardcore fury through ritual and weirdness. It’s pretty fascinating stuff, and their choice of artwork for their records is always ideal for catching your eye and translating to merch. But when you get beyond all of that, they’re just a damn efficient unit, a group that plugs in and pummels you in their punishing haze. Their motto is “tune low, get high,” and that sentiment is ever present in their music, as it feels hellishly evil but also druggedly woozy.

SSoS’s new record runs 10 tracks and 33 minutes, and it’s even better than their self-titled record that turned me onto the band. “Ghost Plains” sets the tone with its mucky melodies, monstrous growls, and utter fury that carries into other fireballs such as “Moths,” a surge of storming that bursts from under a black cloud; “Grindstone,” which is straight-ahead grind fury; “Sunday Mass Grave,” a song that has drums that near blast territory and eventually dissolve into sludge and mud; “Reaper Christ,” a devastating, doom-drenched song that reminds me a bit of High on Fire, as least as far as guitar work is concerned; “Recitation Fire,” that has an interesting punk melody and is as accessible as they get; and closer “Part 2,” which erupts out of feedback and noise and ends with anguished wails and chaos.

Seven Sisters of Sleep are one of the more impressive underground bands combining hardcore, metal, and doom, and of these two records, it’s the one I like the most. Their style works whether you want to get smoked or if you feel like smoking up, and this record could be one that breaks them out to a bigger, hungrier audience.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.sevensistersofsleep.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://www.a389records.com/store/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.a389records.com/site/

Doing something like Meat Mead Metal, and handling some of my side writing work for newspapers and magazines, you can get bogged down in your thinking. Every new record you receive goes from being an enjoyable experience where you let loose and experience the power of music and turns into critical analysis at every turn. It’s just how we scribes think.

That’s why it’s nice and pretty necessary to designate bands whose music you look forward to hearing. It feels less like work and lets you be able to be a fan again for the sake of enjoying the majesty of heavy metal. It’s not that if a band you happen to enjoy puts out bad music you won’t know and identify it. But there are bands that I tend to loosen up around and absorb for the pure enjoyment of their music first and foremost, critical thinking coming later. I have a lot of legacy acts like that including Iron Maiden, Neurosis, and Primordial, but I also have found that same thing with Ash Borer, the California-based black metal band that’s been fairly prolific in their relatively short time as a band (having formed in 2008).

Each step in the Ash Borer experience has provided something new and eye opening, from their early demos and their 2011 self-titled debut full-length, to their excellent 2012 sophomore release “Cold of Ages” (our No. 14 album of 2012, released by Profound Lore) to their new 12-inch release “Bloodlands,” that we’re here to discuss today. Gilead Media is responsible for unleashing this beast into the world (though you’ll also be able to get it through Psychic Violence), and this two-track, 35-minute record satisfies every primal hope I have for new music from this band. After repeated listens to this monster, it’s becoming one of my favorite entries in their catalog. They’ve continued to examine atmosphere and ambiance even more so than in their early days, and slowly, surely, they are morphing into a unique, mind-blowing band like none other in the U.S. black metal scene. They’re also one of the most creative.

This mysterious five-headed monster surely is on the crest of a creative tidal wave, having followed “Cold of Ages” so quickly and with something so rewarding. You certainly can hear some of the sounds and ideas they established on their sophomore album, but clearly the thinking and philosophy have expanded, and now their ideas are even more cohesive and organic. Not that they didn’t sound that way in the first place, but it’s just that the machine has had time for more oiling, and the band is coming up with some magical compositions that should both stimulate and bury you.

“Oblivion’s Spring” begins with clean tones and some cosmic flourishes before it gets torn apart and blows the peace into bits. There are searing guitar lines that slice you up like a blade, and a doom-laced path that acts as the song’s spine. The tempo and approach switch back and forth from furious to dreamy, all the while making sure you remember harm is around every bend. The song goes out on a cloud of ambiance, which sets the stage nicely for what follows.

“Dirge/Purgation” simmers in that fog for several minutes, as the band sets a mood and allows the darkness in to fill up the room. Hazy terror toys with you and a sense of dread builds, and even though you’re sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the violence, it still rips the breath from your lungs when it strikes. Shrieks are buried behind a million tons of noise and metallic damage, the song continues to storm comfortably, with the foreboding clouds hanging above and refusing to move, and its smeary, dreary blankets of sound work to suffocate you slowly. The ambiance is always ever present in this song, keeping a gloomy glaze over everything you hear on this track, and as the song begins winding down, feedback hiss and piercing noise make sure you’re pummeled to the very end.

The more music Ash Borer release, the better and more imposing they become. They’re clearly feeling their way through their run and always finding the right doors to enter and the darkest rooms to perform their dark arts. This 12-inch is an excellent step forward for a band that wasn’t in need of improvement by any means, and it’s a clear indication that the music ahead of them cannot be predicted. That makes Ash Borer an even more exciting band, one I’m sure is a major favorite to more people than just me.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ash-Borer/156748071045193?ref=ts&fref=ts

To buy the album (preorders up soon), go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/

Or here (preorders up soon): http://psychicviolence.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/

With winter choking on its last breath and spring around the corner, it’s a great time to explore some more atmospheric music that will sound perfect when rain is pouring down and fresh smells are in the air. That sounds so metal, doesn’t it?

What’s funny is I had to come in and amend this piece because now there are many inches of snow on the ground, with winter having one last laugh before fading away. Way to read over my shoulder, jerk. But the fact remains that when white stuff is being ushered out, my musical tastes tend to go from grim and frost-bitten to things that make my mind expand and wonder about possibilities. There are two new albums coming out this month that make me feel this way, though we’ll look at just one today, and while the music makes me think of trickling streams, mushy grounds still smarting from the snow it absorbed the last few months, and clean air, there still is music that can make you grasp backward, reminding us the ice can return at any time.

Today we talk about “The Plague of a Coming Age,” the new record from Finland’s  October Falls, the brainchild of M. Lehto, who has been its primary force since the band began in 2001. They also are not to be confused with other groups that take on that autumnal month as a descriptor, such as October File and October Tide. It can get confusing, and I sometimes have a hard time keeping it all sorted when I scan my iPod. Lehto’s band blends sounds of groups such as Opeth and Katatonia from their earlier years, but the music also has many traits of other like-minded warriors such as Winterfylleth and Agalloch. There is plenty of room to breathe when taking on these songs, and the way everything cascades downward makes me think of sheets of rain soaking the terrain below.

While Lehto remains the driving force behind the music and handles guitars and vocals, he has two capable creative partners to help him flesh out his sound in bassist Sami Hinkka (Ensiferum) and drummer Marko Tarvonen (Moonsorrow, Barren Earth). “The Plague of a Coming Age” isn’t exactly about the sprouting of new life or brighter days ahead, but for some reason when I hear the music on their fourth full-length effort, I can’t help but think about walks through muddy wooded areas, warmer weather, and a new round of life. Instead, the album examines the trials and tribulations of ancestry, pays homage to bloodshed and lives lost for things to be as they are today, and the path made possible for these creators to travel. It’s deep in scope both lyrically and musically.

“At the Edge of an Empty Horizon” is a gripping, spacious opener that’s basically an instrumental introduction and leads right into “Bloodlines,” an emotional, thorny song that is full of melody and Lehto’s passionate screams. Weird thing about his vocals is that there’s hushed sense to his wails and growls and never sound monstrous, but they fit the music perfectly. “The Verge of Oblivion” begins with calm, cleaner tones, and fires crackling, but it’s not long until that cloud bursts and the storm soaks the soil. “Snakes of the Old World” is my favorite track on the album, as it’s catchy, loyal to days and pioneers of old, and it has something in it that reminds me of later-era Bathory.

The title track is another stunner, with textured melodies, soulful clean vocals, crunch where it needs to be, and an approach that reminds a lot of current-day Amorphis. “Mouth of a Nation’s Harlots” has a slower start and takes some time to develop, but once it does, winds sweep up, and intensity overrides all other emotion. “Boiling Heart of the North” begins with dripping piano and strings, then Lehto’s singing comes in, sounding sullen and mournful, and this gorgeous ballad will sound great on nights when warmer air dominates and it’s time to reflect. “The Weight of the Fallen” erupts with fast drums, soaring guitar melodies over top of the piece, and guttural, low-register growling that give the song violent overtones. “Below the Soils,” the longest track on the album at 7:28 and the closing number, is largely mid-tempo and obviously emotional, with Lehto unleashing his final growls and the guitars simmering and blistering before the record comes to its end.

October Falls have come up with another great chapter to their musical story, one that makes the wait from 2010’s “A Collapse of Faith” totally worth it. The music that is perfect for the dawning of spring will let you dream and wonder, not only about where you’re headed but perhaps from where you originate. Music that helps you feel that way is special and cannot be deliberately manufactured. October Falls are one of the more genuine, thought-provoking bands out there and always seem primed to take you on a mental trip somewhere new.

For more on the band, go here: http://koti.welho.com/mlehto4/of/of.html

To buy the album, go here: http://www.eitrin.com/search.php?mode=1&match=1&search=OCTOBER%20FALLS

For more on the label, go here: http://www.debemur-morti.com/

It’s reassuring to know that, as our path through heavy metal and all of its changes and metamorphoses progresses, there always will be those bands on which we can rely to keep order and remind the younger wave of bands how it is done.

I defy anyone to challenge the credibility, influence, and altogether brutality of death metal legends Suffocation. The Long Island-based band has been at it more than two decades now, releasing flattening records that continue to up the ante when it comes to audio violence and leaving exhausted audiences in their wake then they play live. Any indication that this band would mellow or slow down with age simply is not there, because these guys do not stop and never relent in their assault. And to their credit, they’re not just mashing you for the sake of being able to do so. Their music remains imaginative and challenging to this day, and their latest record “Pinnacle of Bedlam” is an excellent example of that point.

Suffocation have gone through some changes lately, with drummer Mike Smith once again exiting the band, only to be replaced by Dave Culross. Again. In addition, Frank Mullen, one of metal’s most engaging and interesting frontmen, has decided that touring full-time is something he no longer can commit to continuing, with family and work commitments needing his attention. Maybe something would halt a different band or have the other members pushing for a change at vocals, but these guys aren’t dumb. Mullen’s presence in Suffocation is one of the things that make the band as special as it is, and these guys understanding that home responsibilities sometimes trump all shows the strength and bond this band has and that they’re not irrational dudes.

All of this, and the band’s incredible past and wealth of experience they’ve amassed over the years spills over on their seventh record “Pinnacle of Bedlam.” Much of the content on this album is inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead and life and death cycles, a pretty heady and intriguing topic, and the music not only encompasses their brand of brutal, incredibly well-played death metal, but you also get some tastes of power and thrash as well. Also interesting to find on the album is a re-recording of “Beginning of Sorrow” from their 1993 “Breeding the Spawn” album, a curious choice to act as the album’s final chapter.

If you thought Suffocation would ease you into this record, you’re dead wrong. Opener “Cycles of Suffering” just ignites right off the bat, with grinding fury. Mullen’s deep, monstrous growls, and awesomely exploratory lead lines and soloing from Guy Marchais and Terrance Hobbs highlight this ferocious piece. From there it’s on to “Purgatorial Punishment,” a song with a similar tempo, style, and feel as the opener, with some wicked crunch and soaring fury to boot. “Eminent Wrath” feels thrashy and violent, and the drums are positively mashed during this one. “As Grace Descends” is fast and maddening, with more adventurous guitar playing and strong compositions that prove Suffocation are more than just pure brutality. “Sullen Days” is the curveball, opening and ending with clean, atmospheric guitar passages like it’s going to be a ballad, though inside it contains damage and auditory violence, yet with more reflective, personal-sounding lyrics.

The title cut is a total mindfuck, with tricky guitar work that’ll leave you dizzy, spacious leads, and pushy, powerful vocals that have Mullen in total command. “My Demise” is one of those cuts where they just let loose and force you face first into a steel industrial fan, with blood and guts splattering everywhere. “Inversion” pulls back a bit on the tempo, though certainly not the heaviness, and there’s a good bit of thick, muddy mangling here to keep you full for hours. “Rapture of Revocation” has all the parts you want from a Suffocation song, with even a hint of East Coast hardcore muscle throw in for good measure and a close that feels inspired by Bay Area thrash. Their re-do of “Beginning of Sorrow” rounds out the package, capping off one of Suffocation’s strongest, most cohesive records in years. And they’ve had some damn good records the past decade, but this one rises above all of that.

Who knows how much more carnage is left in Suffocation’s tank? They’ve been one of the best, most consistent death metal bands of the past 25 years, and they have nothing left to prove to anyone. But if “Pinnacle of Bedlam” is any indication as to how much fire is within them, then chances are those raging embers won’t subside any time soon, and we’ll have Suffocation leading the way well into the future.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/suffocation

To buy the album, go here: http://jsrdirect.com/webstores/nuclearblast/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.nuclearblast.com/en/

Embracing something and paying homage to it is a respectable, worthwhile venture. But taking steps to stretch beyond the boundaries of the thing you love to make it more expansive, dramatic, and personal is the sign of understanding one’s surroundings and knowing how to make it a better place.

People have been playing doom for years. Sure, Black Sabbath always will be marked as the band that started it all, but if you delve into the blues and that bloody, murderous, heart-wrenching terrain, you’ll find more doom than you’ll know what to do with. Over the years so many other styles and ideas have moved into doom, from death to deathrock to psychedelics to black metal violence, that there are so many different ways to stretch this style of music that the possibilities truly are limitless.

Norway’s Altaar recognized just how much possibility was available on the doom landscape, so they  decided to jump on that and create something that was their own, yet still very much in debt to doom and the many pioneers who came before them. The result is their two-movement, self-titled debut album released by Indie Recordings, and what you’ll hear will sound like what many other doom bands also have done, but presented in a way and played with a passion not every group pulls off this well. The entire package is moving and genuine, and while I’m not sure they’ve invented a new doom sub-sub-genre with this release, they have forcefully put themselves into the conversation as to who are some of the most promising new doom outfits. Altaar is one of them without question.

The cover of Altaar’s debut is a curious choice, and I mean that in a good way. Two hooded figures seemingly assembling a worm-infested heart will stick with you, even if that means it’ll gnaw away at your gut. It’s equally fascinating and disgusting, and it’ll look damn good on a T-shirt. Not sure that was the reasoning behind using this Sverre Malling piece, but it was an excellent pick. The band itself is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Andreas Tylden; guitarist/synth player/vocalist Espen T. Hangard; bassist Didrik Telle; drummer Kenneth Lamond; and guitarist/piano player/electronics handler Sten Ove Tofft, and the group members have a wide array of backgrounds in numerous extreme metal camps, and that, too, likely is why Altaar have such a varied and interesting take on doom metal.

Opener “Tidi Kjem Aldri Att” begins with a gentle psychedelic glaze and eventually turns into something that the modern version of Earth might conjure. The song goes mid-tempo and fluid, but eventually the doom curtains drop and things get downtuned and very ugly. Chilling melodies flow into the piece, and progressive doom spots arise that remind me a bit of Cult of Luna. The tempo and volume then begin to build back up again, hinting that it’s going to boiler over the top, and chugging guitars, noises that sound like air raid sirens, and swelling atmospherics begin shaking. Once the song hits its emotional climax, the band returns to a slower crunch, the piece begins to wind down, and a spacey drone pulls the whole thing into the dark.

The other side of the album, “Dei Absolutte Krav Og Den Absolutte Nade,” is a much different song. The cosmic fog that ends the first cut bleeds into this track as well, and the first three or four minutes of the song is simply noise building and simmering. Then guitars charge up, drums blast through the gates, and the intensity hits a new level is viciousness. Vocals finally erupt as vicious shrieks plaster your senses, drums come crashing down like boulders off a mountain, and the rest of the band whips things into a frenzy. Things continue to swell, and the catastrophe keeps picking up speed. What at one time was a psychedelic journey through doom’s most adventurous hills and valleys turns into a natural disaster that rips apart countries and makes seas rise and flood lands. It’s like being caught with no defenses in the middle of an unforgiving thunderstorm. Eventually the bloodletting begins to ease up, the fury subsides, and the song fades out in slurry guitar and smoke.

Altaar’s debut certainly is an intriguing one, and their approach to doom is something I imagine may change and shift over time. These two songs are enthralling and intense, and I’ve had no problem listening to them over and over again. They’re not totally retooling doom metal, but they are proving that with heart, soul, and imagination, you can make something worthwhile that’ll stick with you long after the record comes to an end.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/altaarnorway?ref=ts&fref=ts

To buy the album go here: https://itunes.apple.com/no/album/altaar/id605501224?l=nb

For more on the label, go here: http://www.indierecordings.net/

It’s Friday (at least it is the day this is being posted), and there’s not a better day of the week to blow off some steam. The work week just ended for many people, we all worked our asses off, and we need a little release. That’s where White Widows come into play.

Having a nice slab of metallic hardcore to get your juices flowing when they are at their lowest level, or to help you get some of that pent-up anger and frustration out of your system, can be a fine thing. These guys answer the bell repeatedly when it comes to drumming up something to make you want to hurl a lamp at a wall (or a person), and their debut EP sounds like what you’d want blaring from your car speakers as you try to drive home at the end of the week as you deal with hundreds of assholes who drive like they’ve never been behind the wheel of a car before.

While White Widows is a new band, the people who comprise the unit are no rookies. Vocalist David Castillo also plies his trade with Primitive Weapons (and also the St. Vitus Bar, that runs Sacrament Music); guitarist Nick Emde plays with The Destro; guitarist Travis Bacon also calls The Grudge home; drummer Kenny Appell also has Goes Cube and Cleanteeth on his resume, and bassist Brian Ponto rounds out the lineup. These five songs captured on their self-titled debut, which is being released digitally today, are furious, mean, aggressive, and remind me a lot of the hardcore bands that popped up in the early ’00s before the scene got watered way the fuck down. If you, too, found your emotional release in that era, by all means see if this EP suits you.

“Ace Rothstein” (yeah, DeNiro’s character from “Casino”) opens the record with a thick bassline, pissed-off, throaty screams, and catchy, crushing  melody lines that are as infectious as they are unforgivingly violent. It’s a killer open. “El Marrano” starts with a line lifted from, of all movies, “Airheads,” and from there they go into full demolition mode and smash everything in front of them. “Slow Burn” has industrial-smoked drums and effects, sludgy guitars, and a chaotic, muddy servings of thrashing that should get some faces punched live. “New Pollution Group” is DIY-hall ready, where merch tables and people outside the pit are in just as much trouble as those getting their asses kicked, and the Southern rock-friendly guitar work gives the song a dirty feel. “Sin Taxes” is defiant and also has some of that same swampy guitar work as “Pollution,” dumping a whole lot of spice into this metallic stew. Closer “Collateral Damage” is chunky, punchy, and agitated, and it’s an excellent way to top off this debut collection, because you’ll feel like you need a breather on the sidelines when it’s all over.

Nothing gets overthought here, these guys aren’t trying to get all fancy with experimentation, and chances are they don’t care if this doesn’t sound pretty and proper. They’re here to plug in, get loud, and melt your fucking face. It’ll make you feel better after a bad week or a bad day and will let you live vicariously through their rage. You require that sometimes, so when you’re in need of an outlet, it’ll be a nice day for White Widows. (I am so sorry…).

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/whitewidowsNYC

To buy the album, go here: http://sacramentmusic.com/collections/all

For more on the label, go here: http://sacramentmusic.com/