If you’re reading this, you likely enjoy metal. I know, right? What a revelation. Well, if you do, someone likely has said to you while hearing something you had playing, “This music sounds like someone is dying.” And you’ve probably had to respond something like, “Really? You got that from Amon Amarth?”

Well, if you’ve been through that before like I have, you should revisit that conversation. Only this time, play that person “Patterns of Failure,” the debut from terrifying Chicago-based doom killers Venowl, and watch the poor bastard’s face turn white in no time. Now this is music that sounds like people dying. Badly. Over a long, torturous period of time. That might not sound very enjoyable to some, but if you like infernally scarring metal like I do, it’s bound to give you hours of crazed fun and mentally warped madness. It’s a noisy, disturbing, sometimes baffling record comprised of three tracks that continually grinds your face into the dirt and makes you taste blood. Then it screams indecipherable nonsense into your face, frightening you because of how little you understand the message. Other than the part where you’re screwed.

Venowl’s debut initially was released in 2012 in incredibly limited number, with fewer than 100 even pressed. So if you have your hands on an original copy, congratulations. Luckily, Broken Limbs is putting out the album on cassette (again, in small numbers, as only 100 are being made), and the music has been remastered by one of the most important members of the noise doom scene James Plotkin. The mysterious, shrouded band members, who simply go by ][, II and ::, have a number of other releases to their name, some of which were recorded in one horrible take just to give you a deep understanding of just how distressing their sound is. But it all starts with this first full-length, a record that should warm the dead hearts of the most ardent Khanate and Sunn 0))) fans.

The record begins with the disturbing 17:55-long title track, a song that’ll drag you over glass and force you to watch as your blood is smeared over the ground. Feedback wails heavily, and deep waves of drone wash over everything, leaving the scene completely blackened. The animalistic growls and howls begin, and they never, ever smooth out on this song. Or this record. The vocals always seem like they’re emanating from a dying soul, crying out for mercy only to be kept alive so the suffering can continue. The music remains scary and deranged, with doom boiling over and causing strange humidity, while the noise buckles again and leads to more pained howls. “Hung Alive By the Ribs to the Gallows,” a really uncomfortable sounding situation, opens with strings rumbling and lurching doom arriving. More feral shrieks rain down, sounding like hungry, ghostly forces fighting to the death in the woods somewhere, and the serving is just pure hell. The whole piece feels unhinged and terrifying, and if you happened upon a scene in real life that sounded like this, you’d run the other direction in no time.

Then oppressive, 27-minute closer “The Bounded Are Loathed” lands, with noise ringing out and the feeling like villages are being burned, with its inhabitants dying alive. The drubbing goes on and on, poking at funeral doom and really not changing its tempo very much at all as it slowly spills over the Earth’s crust. Noise and static are whipped into a frenzy, hanging above everything like a venomous swarm, and the cries, shrieks, and blood-curdling wails keep coming at you without relent. The song feels every bit of its 27 minutes, but that’s not because it drags. It simply inflicts so much punishment, mostly mentally, that you might feel like you need to take a breath. But if you’re like me, you won’t end up taking that break, instead committing to this panic-inducing, rabid chaos that continues to strangle the senses until it finally relents and lets you perish.

Certainly I encourage you to explore all of Venowl’s work, which you can find on their Bandcamp below, but this one is their first full, manic step. That it’s finally back for a limited engagement, with a remastered identity, is a major plus and a giant opportunity for any doom fans who don’t just live for the riff but also want unbridled violence. This is a difficult, demanding listen that might scare even the burliest of doom fans, but if you can make it to the other side, you’ll be better for off for all the heavy scarring you suffer. And you will suffer.

For more on the band, go here: http://venowl.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.com/shop/

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

Death is all around us. We see it on TV every day. We read about it on our social media accounts. Sometimes it happens to us directly when we lose a loved one. It is certain, but what’s after it is shrouded with mystery.

That’s one of the themes that drove Mike Hill, vocalist/guitarist for the mighty experimental black metal band Tombs on their huge third record “Savage Gold.” Death is something we all know is coming, and none of us can avoid its presence. So why not reach beyond that murk and try to find some other kind of meaning?

“When we die, we have no idea what goes on beyond that if anything,” Hill says on the phone from his Brooklyn home. “It’s not like any of us know anyone who passed away who were able to get on Facebook or Twitter afterward and say, ‘Hey man, everything’s OK!’ So there’s this whole idea of imaging what goes on from here. Is there another plane of existence? Does it go black? What’s there when you die?”

It’s a heavy question, and one that could keep people awake at night, but for Hill, he saw it differently. “Savage Gold” is full of references to death, worlds falling apart, fire, and even suicide, but as far as he’s concerned, he’s not seeing death as a negative. He doesn’t view “Savage Gold” as a downer or a dark, depressing record; rather it is one that strives into positive terrain and makes sure doing the most things possible in life is at the forefront.

“It’s not meant to be a negative way of thinking,” he says. “It’s reaching beyond this life, transforming into something else, and perhaps living on in same way or form. That’s what I was looking at when writing this record. Stretching beyond and transformation.”

As for the album title itself, the “gold” contained in the title is not referring to riches or fortunes in the physical sense, but rather alchemy, where scientists long strive to turn base metals into pure gold. Alchemists constantly are looking into greater means of understanding and knowledge, a new level of awareness not discovered before, making something great out of something mundane, and Hill says that mission is something that fueled his thinking while he was writing the songs contained on this incredible
album, the best yet in their catalog.

The album shows more of the band’s progression, something that’s been a major part of Tombs from their humble beginnings on their debut EP, through to their 2009 debut “Winter Hours,” into 2011’s “Path of Totality,” and now to “Savage Gold.” Hill says progression and refusal to adhere to boxes or restraints from any one genre have fueled the band from day one, and he says he’s not concerned if naysayers out there are worried there is not enough black metal in their sound or if they happen to add more post-punk sounds into their mix like they do on the new album.

Hill also has expanded his voice quite a bit. Yes, you hear plenty of his burly growls that sound as monstrous as ever, but he’s also using more of his low-register singing voice, something he says is inspired by heavy hitters such as Tom G. Warrior of Triptykon, Celtic Frost, and Hellhammer (“He’s one of my heroes, for sure.”) and Carl McCoy of Fields of Nephilim. It’s another way he is branching out and becoming the most he can be as an artist.

Some other changes come as far as lineup and those working behind the scenes. Death metal producer extraordinaire Erik Rutan (whose band Hate Eternal is one not to be messed with) is behind the board for “Savage Gold,” as Hill says he’s always been impressed with his work, especially with what he’s done with Goatwhore, who Hill calls “probably one of my top five favorite metal bands.”

As far as the band goes, guitarist Ben Brand (ex-Woe) and Garrett Bussanick (Flourishing) joined the band to replace Dan Howard and Carson Daniel James, respectively. There was no crazy drama or gossip-rich stories behind the lineup shuffling, as Hill says the responsibilities of everyday life combined with the rigors of touring and being in the band simply made it impossible for the former members to continue on with Hill and drummer Andrew Hernandez II. It’s not that he doesn’t miss playing with those guys, but Hill thinks Tombs’ current formation is formidable and one that could power the band well into the future.

“I’m really happy with this lineup,” Hill says. “We’ve had some really great players in this band over the years, and all have helped Tombs get where we have gotten. But I’m really excited about this lineup, and I think it’s one of the strongest in our history.”

As far as the record goes, it tears open with “Thanatos,” a callback to the Greek daemon of death that Hill says inspired the song. It’s a grisly, meaty number that’s unforgivably heavy and should leave massive bruising. Hill’s howls of, “Our savage gold!” midway through the cut is one that easily could be shouted back live, and it’s a great first dose of this new Tombs. “Portraits” follows with a strong black metal-style lead, along with some post-punk melodies trickling over top everything, and Hill unleashes some of his most monstrous growls, backed by drumming that sounds like it is trying to turn everything to dust. “Séance” is heavy and blistering, with a calculated pace, more harsh growls, and a tempo that chugs along mightily. Hill revisits the record’s underlying theme, howling, “I hear the calm from beyond this realm, exist outside of time,” with the last portion yelled repeatedly. “Echoes” has colder, cleaner tones, with Hill’s vocals easing into lower register singing. When the tempo kicks up, so does the intensity of Hill’s voice, as he sounds like he’s channeling current-day Tom G. Warrior with his icy shouts. “Life is fragile,” he later reminds, bringing everything back into perspective and finishing the track with freezing sentiment and more raucous drums. “Deathtripper” also pulls back a bit, at least at the start, with darker melodies flowing and the singing taking on a purposeful monotone. As the track progresses, sludgy doom re-emerges, as the band pounds away vigorously, with Hill shouting, “I can’t stop the dream of blood and suicide.”

“Edge of Darkness” digs back into pure heaviness, with guitars taking on black metal tones, Hill declaring, “I see the end of time,” in as morbid a way as he possibly can, and the fires burning along until the track reaches its final destination. “Ashes” is built on aggression and some boiling guitar work that can get your blood moving, as the words reach beyond this plane of existence and into something altogether not accessible by human touch. “Deny the gifts of heaven,” Hill shouts, not so much as a lash out against spirituality but as a means of encouraging more open-minded thinking about what’s out there. “Legacy” is the most straightforward track on “Savage Gold,” setting up its crushing mission, carrying out its intentions, and bludgeoning you with power. “Severed Lives” slips back into the murk, with Hill’s voice joining it in the darkness, singing, “We rule the world/This burning world,” as eerie guitars ring out and the final moments get ready to unfurl. That last blast is “Spiral,” a song that addresses death to its face, with guitars swirling, some weird sounds spilling out, and Hill prodding aloud, “We live in fear/What lies beyond our mortal soul?” Therefore, his final words are turned on the listener as much as himself as he poses the question, “And when you feel the darkness calling, how will your final thoughts assemble?” And the final moments of the song sound like what he just described, as blips and strange wooshes settle in, almost as if your soul is being transported to whatever journey awaits you next.

Tombs never are at a loss when it comes to though-provoking material and damaging metallic assaults, but “Savage Gold” is both their most sobering and, if you approach it the right way, most inspirational. None of us know when the switch will be turned off, and many of us could do a lot better living like there is no tomorrow and making the best of this plane of existence. This is Tombs’ most ambitious work yet, a record that will take you on an existential journey mentally and still bludgeon you sonically. Good luck shaking it, because this thing’s going to stick with you.

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

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

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

Photo by Mark Dawursk

Bands with true, distinct personalities are not that easy to come by these days. So when you get one, it’s easy to hold them close because you know when they come at you with new music, it’s going to be a unique experience.

That’s one of the many things that have kept me tuned into The Atlas Moth over the years. The Chicago-based band has a knack for songwriting, in that their work stays with you well after it’s done playing and you remember significant hooks and melodies from their songs. They also have an approach that draws from different areas but, when put together, is all their own. You’ll hear strains of ISIS, the Deftones, A Storm of Light, and bands of that nature, and they very easily could break out into some mainstream success or stay perfectly tucked underground. The sky really is the limit for this band, and their latest opus “The Old Believer” is their most realized, enriching experience to date. Everything you’ve come to from these guys over the course of their three full-lengths is here—the spacey sludge, the doomy dreamy, the black metal-tinged rock—just in more astonishing doses and extra clarity than ever before.

The band’s lineup remains pretty steady from 2011’s excellent “An Ache for the Distance,” with guitarists Stavros Giannopoulus (the harsh vocals) and David Kush (the clean vocals) handling the dual-personality singing, contributing to pieces that equally can be beautiful and volatile; Andrew Ragin handling keyboard and guitars; Alex Klein on bass; and new drummer Dan Lasek. What they create on “The Old Believer” is a record that’s as picturesque as it is sonically moving, the perfect soundtrack for late-dusk gazing when the skyline is a mix of orange and dark blues hues. The songs have their heavy, punchy spots, but they also are melodic and approachable enough that they could bring in followers from many different styles of music, even the deader-than-dead mainstream rock scene, which could use the shot in the arm The Atlas Moth could provide. And as noted at the start, their music has clear-cut identity and personality, and they’re never a threat to just blend in with background noise. You know when you’re hearing The Atlas Moth, and that’s a refreshing thing.

The record begins ringing out from the skies with opener “Jet Black Passenger,” a fluid, involved song that, like each track on the record, has the clean singing/growling companionship driving the way. Rarely are these voices not heard together, but those moments do occur on this album. The song feels like a jolt into nighttime, with the howled call of, “Can you accept this transmission?” Then it’s into “Collider,” a song that has keys dripping like ice shards, warm guitars, and melodies that envelop your headspace with weird dreams and visions. “The Sea Beyond” is a definite highlight, with keys leading into a burly, massive guitar line, and melodies surging throughout the song. The words are delivered as if they’re reaching out for some greater understanding through various planes, as Kush wonders, “If I concentrate, will you take shape again?” This is one of the best tracks in the band’s entire catalog. “Halcyon Blvd.” has a shimmering start that opens up for some of the most soulful signing on the record and passages that feel eerie and alien-like. “Sacred Vine” is another song that could help this band break out, with sunburst guitars that feel hazy and comfortable, and great vocal hooks, such as when Kush observes he’s “closer to space where the lines disappear.” This is a really strong song that could lure in anyone.

The title cut is built on crunch and new shades of colors, with the growls from Giannopoulus taking a greater role. There’s a heavy stoner feel to the song, and when it seems to be gaining momentum, it drops like a rock into the ocean. “City of Light” has classical-style synth lines that jerk you awake, followed by soaring guitar textures, and the dual vocals bringing on a sense of liberation. “Wynona” has a thunderous feel to it, with the shrieks pelting the side of your body like hail, but there also are layers of dreaminess that could make you feel drowsy like you had some strong medicine that plans to lull you to odd spaces in your brain. The song also can be jagged and fierce, making for an interesting experience that seems to be pulling you two different directions with equal force. “Hesperian” has a bizarre open that makes it feel like you’re entering into a trance, and even once the guitars open up and the vocals take shape, you can’t help but feel woozy over what’s happening. Toward the end, the guitars rise up and bubble, giving the track a compelling finish. Closer “Blood Will Tell” is sweltering and humid following its brawny open, and there are some of the heavier moments on the record on this cut. At one point Giannopoulus howls, “I feel the world crumbling down!” as if he’s seeing pieces of sky clobber the Earth’s surface, with the band playing on and fading away as the world comes to an end. Turns out the scene is not as hellish as you thought. It’s rather comforting and serene.

“The Old Believer” is another giant step ahead for The Atlas Moth, a band that’s been blowing out minds for nearly a decade now. This record needs to be in more ears, and it’s the type of album that could make people realize there still is great, stimulating rock music being made. You just need to know where to find it. This band just keeps getting better with age, and there’s no telling what their high-water mark might be. Maybe they don’t have one, and they’re going to keep making one space majesty after another. You certainly won’t get any complaints out of me if that’s the case.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.profoundlorerecords.com/products-page/

Or here: http://brutalpandarecords.com/shop/atlas-moth-old-believer-12/

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

It seems like being in Trap Them isn’t all that easy a lot in life. That’s not to suggest they don’t have their share of fun, and their brand of blackened metallic hardcore certainly can bring down a house, but just listening to their records and witnessing the steamroller lives just screams “hard living.”

Some of that actually has come to pass for the band. Check out the feature on the band in the new issue of Decibel (Eyehategod cover), and you’ll read about how vocalist Ryan McKenney has done so much physical damage to his body that the amount of shows the band can do remains in flux, and his very health has been compromised. Much has been brought on itself due to the band’s physical style and refusal not to throw caution and whatever shrapnel surrounds them to the wind. It’s scary on one hand because it’s something that sounds like it could have been avoided. But had they played it safe, they wouldn’t be Trap Them, one of the most savage bands alive.

The band’s new, fourth record is called “Blissfucker.” Enough said right there. What more is there to read into and analyze? Well, actually, a lot. There still are words being spat, tension being released, and anger, frustration, and disappointment being doused all over this thing, only to light the whole thing ablaze as if turns to ashes on the ground. It’s an intense, furious experience, pitting founding members McKenney and guitarist Brian Izzi and new rhythm section of bassist Brad Fickeisen and drummer Galen Baudhuin against the world, nature, good sense, morality, and anything anyone holds pure. It’s an explosive, dangerous record that could be the band’s last considering the damage that’s been done to these guys. Who knows with a band that operates on this volatile a level? There’s no indication that’s the case, that “Blissfucker” is their last, but it’s so fiery and filthy, but with a killer rock and roll edge smeared all over the thing, that’s it’s as good a last will and testament as you’re bound to find.

“Salted Crypts” opens the record with mucky, pounding violence, making it seem like it’ll slowly drag you along, but then it ignites, with McKenney unleashing his raspy shouts. The guitars sometimes have a Southern-friend edge to them, and the song has a downright thrashy feel. “Habitland” has an assault that slips out of guitars ringing in the air, with blistering punishment, and the final moments being dressed by rabid shouts over cymbals getting crushed to death. “Gift and Gift Unsteady” unleashes some rock and roll goodness along with the Converge-style clobbering, and a slithering guitar lines loops itself all through this thing and ends in a squall. “Lungrunners” is built on raw riffs and speed, with the drums exploding like storm clouds and the melodies reminding of Motorhead at their gnarliest. “Organic Infernal” is a little different, with a strange tempo and chilling guitar tones, with howled vocals that sound like they’re bouncing in reverb. “Sanitations” is ripped apart by the devastating drumming, screamy vocals, and bloody guitar work.

“Bad Nones” starts slowly, with cymbals being tapped, and murk rising up, and most of this one adheres to a muddier personality that takes its time pummeling you. “Former Lining Wide the Walls” is explosive from the start, with a tempo that sounds like it’s aiming for your jugular, and some black metal-style melodies seeping into the mix. “Savage Climbers” is the longest cut on the record at 7:28, and it is in no hurry to exhaust its energy, settling into a heavy, but more deliberate pace for its running time, with the growls feeling menacing and dangerous. “Ransom Risen” is a boiling instrumental—well, mostly, as McKenney is present, but only in the form of wordless screams—that starts with a tribal feel but eventually evolves into sonic madness. The 6:25-long closer “Let Each Fall and Every Sedition Symptom” unloads fiery riffs, fierce vocals, and massive drumming and lets every element run roughshod. The cut is thrashy and monstrous, a perfect sweltering finish to this physically and mentally demanding record.

Trap Them are an entity unto themselves, and very few have the piss, vinegar, and lava to match what they do. They have teetered on the edge of burning out and dissolving, but they always found a way to adapt and survive. “Blissfucker” is their most captivating, masochistic release yet, one that scars psyches, starting with their own. My guess is we haven’t heard the last of Trap Them. But if for some reason we have, this record will be their equivalent of acting like an asteroid tearing into the Earth, leaving a worldwide cloud of dust to choke out all surviving inhabitants.

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

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

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

God Macabre in their early days

The Swedish death metal scene is revered and has been for years, as the Scandinavian country has pumped out a ton of vital, pioneering bands such as At the Gates, Entombed, Carnage, Opeth, and more. But there are other bands from that nation that have had a mighty pull on what extreme music would become who haven’t been celebrated quite as heavily.

In a similar fashion as the revisiting of Nirvana 2002 a few years back, God Macabre’s sole full-length record “The Winterlong” is getting reissue treatment from Relapse Records. This comes on the heels of their successful, well-received set at Maryland Deathfest on Memorial Day weekend (their first appearance in the United States ever!), as well as word the band was gearing back up for other actions in the future. People who had followed God Macabre, whose debut came out after the group had gone inactive, were excited about what was to come, and having this deluxe, remastered version of “The Winterlong” is the perfect way to celebrate their revival some 20 years after they faded away.

Now, yes, Relapse also reissued the record in 2002, along with the tracks from their “Consumed By Darkness” demo (from when they were Macabre End), so perhaps a new copy with expanded packaging doesn’t sound like a must-have if you own the last version of the record. But if you’re clinging to the 2002 version (or even the one put out by Blood Harvest), you’re missing one of the main attractions of this 2014 reissue—a new song from the band, the first since they finished their debut. Yes, “Life’s Verge” might be just one track, but it gives the first glimpse into what further new material from the band might sound like, and it’s the most exciting part of this project. As for the current lineup, three-fifths of the band’s lineup remains intact with vocalist Per Boder (Morbrand), and guitarists Jonas Stalhammar (Bombs of Hades, Darkcreed) and Ola Sjoberg still on board. But they have a new rhythm section in bassist Bjorn Larsson (Mordbrand, d) and drummer Tobias Gustafsson (Torture Division), who more than prove their worth and were absolute maulers live.

Rehashing the entire record is kind of pointless since the songs have been available for 21 years now, but hearing it in 2014 as opposed to 1993 really makes no difference sonically. It’s raw, explosive, and massive, a true sign of where the Swedish death metal scene was to go. And sure, there are tons of bands today that have aped this very approach, but most don’t really hold a candle to these songs. Tracks including the massive opener “Into Nowhere”; the blistering and doomy “Ashes of Mourning Life”; and murky, violent “In Grief,” the closer on the original version of the record, actually go further toward showing that no matter how many followers come along and try to crowd your path, you just can’t topple the originators. These songs are as heavy and crushing as ever, and they’ve not lost an ounce of their intensity over the years. Surely the MDF crowd that actually had the honor of seeing this band in the flesh can attest to that.

You also get the “Consumed By Darkness” demo, highlighted by the brief but charred title cut that blasts by in no time; “Ceased To Be,” a clubbing, burly, and raw cut that’s highlighted by some damn raspy vocals; and “Spawn of Flesh,” that also dabbles in doom and ugliness. But it’s that one new cut “Life’s Verge” that really gets the juices flowing. It’s the first new track from God Macabre in more than two decades, and a nice touch is that it isn’t glossed up with modern production values. It sounds as guttural and nasty as the other 10 tracks on here, making it fit like a miserable, bloody glove. It’s heavy, massive, and a blast of fun to hear this band sounding as great as ever, and the potential of more new music, or even a full-length album, is a welcome thing.

“The Winterlong” is a Swedish death metal classic, even if it didn’t lead to the band becoming one of the two or three that comes out of everyone’s mouth when discussing that scene. The record stood the test of time, as has the band after such a long hiatus, and it’s not too late for them for forcefully interject themselves into the conversation. Anyone with an interest in the origins of Scandinavian death metal or just wants to get one of the great unsung progenitors of the sound absolutely have to have this killer slab in their collections.

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

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

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

In the midst of all the darkness, morbidity, and evil espoused by so many bands that dot these pages, there’s something to be said about a group that can just get your adrenaline going the old-fashioned way. I’m talking with glorious guitars, great melodies, and drama-filled stories, with the songs getting stuck in your head and you going back to visit over and over again to take the ride all over.

I always felt that way about Northern Irish metal band Darkest Era, a criminally underappreciated group that mixes classic heavy metal with power and Celtic energy, always finding ways to make catchy songs that have great sweet spots. Their debut record “The Last Caress of Light,” released by Metal Blade in 2011, was one of my favorite records of that year, one with great spirit and rousing anthems that sounded arena-ready but also kept a foot in the underground with the heathens. The fact that record didn’t catch on astonished me because it was just so damn infectious. It’s insane more people don’t know about it or this band. Maybe their first record came a little too early, and perhaps with the way a band like Atlantean Kodex has been embraced by the extreme metal community that the time is just right for Darkest Era’s second platter “Severance,” being released by Cruz del Sur (a very fitting home). Plus, it’s just a damn good true metal record, and it deserves heavy accolades.

The band has a knack for those Iron Maiden/Thin Lizzy-style galloping melodies, thanks to their two killer guitarists Ade Mulgrew and Sarah Weighell, as well as their powerfully solid rhythm section of bassist Daniel O’Toole and drummer Cameron Ahslund-Glass. They make for a formidable unit that injects so much energy, darkness when they need to, and storming emotion into their music, it’s impossible not to get caught up and swept away by what they do. Fronting the band is their dynamic frontman Krum, whose soulful singing really sells the hell out of their Celtic tales and really makes this group into something truly special. In a time when so many eschew great singing for growling and shrieking, he stands in a corner of his own, and the closest comparison I can draw is Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill of Primordial. He’s just excellent and one of my favorite modern vocalists in metal.

“Sorrow’s Boundless Realm” opens the record cleanly, solemnly at first, perfectly setting the stage for what’s ahead. The vocals swell and soar above the adventurous music, with strong guitar work and every member matching the intensity being displayed by everyone else in the band. It’s a great first dose. “Songs of God and Men” is a dark one, with foreboding history and death in the air, but it’s also a damn catchy one, with Krum ruling, “Light a candle for the dead,” and later, “Raise a glass to Caesar,” as the band catches fire and drives this song to a righteous finish. This song is unreal, and probably my favorite track on here. “The Serpent and the Shadow” has compelling drama and a true old-school power metal feel, with a gigantic, intense chorus, and the soloing on this one just scorches all the hair on your arms. This is another burner. “Beyond the Grey Veil” pulls everything back a bit, with ceremonial playing, slower tempos, and danger afoot, with Krum noting, “All is lost in earthly fire.” The song is full of darkness and sadness, like a major wound dealt eons ago that still is felt ages later.

“Trapped in the Hourglass” gets things back in high gear, with speedier guitars opening the track, then things settle into a more controlled tempo. You can sense the loss of control being conveyed by the song, as Krum admits, “I’m falling fast, trapped in the hourglass,” and as the song goes along, it gets darker and darker. “The Scavenger” feels like a Maiden classic, as it has a great thread of storytelling woven through it, with Krum declaring, “The silence is broken.” The song goes from classic metal fire to Celtic-style folk melodies, with the tempo shoving forward the dropping back a few times, just to keep you on the edge of your seat. Then there’s a smoldering finish that caps this track off right. “A Thousand Screaming Souls” has energetic riffs and a great show of force, and it’s a cinematic, raucous track that has what you’ve already come to expect from the band—killer guitar leads, a low end that’ll blast you, and singing that keeps you engaged and following every step. Closer “Blood, Sand, and Stone” has a cold start, making you think you’re in for a purposely foggy cut, but then the thing ignites, getting explosive and thorny in a hurry. The singing is as soulful as ever, and the tempos go back and forth over this 8:08-long epic, with compelling melodies, slower sections that let everything breathe, and some fantastic soloing by the two tremendous guitar players, who are as strong of storytellers as their amazing vocalist. The band gives you just enough on this record and certainly leaves you wanting more.

It was ridiculous that Darkest Era’s debut record got swallowed and forgotten like it did, but this band didn’t take that lying down. They’ve come back with just as great an album in “Severance,” a collection that should light the fires of anyone who hungers for classic heavy metal and is searching high and low for bands that pay proper respect to the roots but have designs on the future. This group has the potential to be a huge one, and if that comes to pass, we might look back on this record as the first step on their path to domination.

For more on the band, go here: http://darkestera.net/

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

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

This week, we’ve been exploring bands that are breathing new life into older sounds, and that’s not really on purpose. It just happens there are a lot of bands putting out records this week and next who have more of a vintage bend to their formula.

Today, we’re taking a look at “Endless Asphyxiating Doom,” the debut mauler from Winnipeg-based death metal killers Sabbatory, who count among their lineup current and former members of thrash squadron Besieged as well as technical instrumental wizards Electro Quarterstaff. If you don’t have to dust off all of your late ’80s thrash records and early ’90s death metal collection because you still listen to both regularly, you’re going to find a ton to like about these guys. Think Kreator, Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Asphyx, things of that nature. It doesn’t sound like its purposely serving that purpose either because, let’s face it, tons of bands these days are feeding off the past for current glory. No, these guys sound like they could be transported back to that formative age and fit right in.

Sabbatory only have been a unit for the past three years, with just a 2012 demo to their name before the arrival of the crushing “Endless Asphyxiating Doom,” but they sound like a pretty well-oiled machine. Yet they maintain a rawness that let’s you know that keeping it violent and heavy takes precedence over making it digestible by the masses, and that’s another area where this band shows its charm. The guys responsible for all this noise are guitarist/vocalist Kier Keating, guitarist Marshal Fries, bassist Nick Tober, and drummer Dan Earle Ryckman, and they mete out plenty of fire and disaster on this seven-track, 33-minute record, that is the perfect dose. There’s another way these guys get what made some of the bands that influenced them clearly understood about presentation size and impact.

“Being, Thy Eternal Perplexor” rips the lid of this record with a furious blast, growl-infested vocals, and stabbing madness, with raspy howls of, “Perplexor!” coming right at you. Makes me think a bit of the Hellhammer classic “Horus/Aggressor,” to be honest. That’s never a bad thing. We then go into “Hypnotic Regression,” a punk-fueled masher that’s punchy, thrashy, and just the right amount of evil, with heinous cackles, riffs swirling and ripping you out of your comfort zone, razor-sharp guitar soloing, and a final blast of speed. “Corrosive Decay” has a nice bit of crunch to it, but also some swollen guitar work and a bone-crunching gallop that leads into a gritty, heavy section that ups the ante in a huge way. It keeps the beatings going in full as it ends in a blast of thrash and throaty howls.

“Infantasy” is richly riffy, as gruff vocals are emitted, and even some doom gloominess enters the make everything a little blacker. The song eventually gets charged up and explosive, with shrieks helping the growls make the song more menacing, and the drum work making a bloody mess of everything. Ah, in a good way. The title cut is meaty and clubbing, with more throat-mangling vocals and punk-style stomping that adds a sense of fun to this pulverizing track. “The End of a Pessimistic Voyage” is more spirited than its title indicates, with Keating howling the command of, “Go!” and his mates battling alongside him with searing leads, mean and monstrous playing, and even some atmospheric soloing at one point, that’s eventually buried in a mound of ash. Closer “Orbiting Obscuron” begins with eerie, sinister guitars that seem to build toward a slow burned until the track just ignites. There is plenty of speed and punishment, fierce growls leading the charge, and awesome all-around playing from every member, sending this great debut out on a stellar note.

“Endless Asphyxiating Doom” isn’t going to be remembered as a revolutionary album that started a new movement or anything, and it doesn’t have to be. It’s a solid slab of classic death mixed with true thrash metal, and it satisfies every time. That’s good enough for me, man, and as long as these guys keep plugging in and pounding away, the metal world will be a better, slightly more volatile place.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabbatory/302276589803917

To buy the album, go here: http://www.unspeakableaxerecords.com/purchase.html

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

There are people who claim there is a war on religion taking place in the United States. Of course this is ridiculous, but when there’s an entire television network selling this lie, and plenty of people willing to blindly follow along, these things gain traction. Truth is, some people of the religious persuasion are upset they don’t get to dominate all proceedings and push their will on others, so their response is that of a spoiled child who doesn’t get his or her way.

Naturally, there is a backlash against people forcing their beliefs on others and wanting everyone to live the same way they do, and that very thing has been a part of heavy metal pretty much since the beginning. There’s a blind belief by some that all bands who rail against religion are trying to get attention or seem hollowly rebellious, but many of these people live in societies where these ideals are forced on them, and their rejection of said thinking makes them into the outcast. That’s how we get bands like Vanhelgd, a Swedish death metal force looking to strike back against those who try to impress their ways on others. The band’s third record “Relics of Sulphur Salvation” is a violent strike back against those who refuse to let others live as they choose. It’s a breaking of the chains.

This band has been kicking around since 2007 and released their first record in 2008 with “Cult of Lazarus.” They fired back in 2011 with “Church of Death,” released by Nuclear War Now! Productions, and now they’re back with this fire-breather that is being joint released by Pulverised Records in Europe and 20 Buck Spin in North America. The warriors who created this chaos have plenty of experience in other bands such as Thy Primordial, Ceremonial Execution, Blump, Bloodshed Nihil, and King of Asgard, and the lineup here includes guitarists/vocalists Mattias “Flesh” Frisk and Jimmy Johansson, bassist Jonas Albrektson, and drummer Bjorn Andersson. The band has a knack for filthy, old-school death metal that’s also infused with melody, and the vocals are as infernal and dangerous as you may expect. The sound totally hits that sweet spot for the good, vicious stuff that turns its collective nose at polish and anything that aims to be widely embraced. It’s death metal. It’s supposed to be ugly.

The record begins with “Dödens Maskätna Anlete” and a serious helping of swirling guitars, airy atmosphere, and eventually gut-wrenching violence, complete with menacing growls. The music runs headlong into death and black metal fury, with a savage delivery and fantastic riffs that sound like the very foundation of this genre. “The Salt in My Hands” has thrashy tones, throaty vocals, and channeled guitars that are working hard to drive home the madness. Eventually the song halts and teases calm only to blow back open and start killing again with hefty drums, lumbering guitars, and howls of, “I am the great deceiver!” “All Flesh Is Soil” simmers in doom at the beginning before it ignites into a total death assault complete with relentless speed and devastating growls that are terrifying and weighty. “Ett Liv I Traldom” grinds away with filthy guitars but also some melody that dashes the song with color. The band kicks in with a gang-chanted section that keeps coming back, like they’re holding a séance in a cave before a mission, and the track is completely barbaric and out for blood.

“May the Worms Have Mercy on the Flesh” obviously doesn’t have good intentions, and it launches full bore into crushing riffs, hellish vocals, and even some higher-pitched screams that injects more terror into the track. There is a tradeoff of doom clouds and speedy fire, with the growled words sounding like they were choked forth. The title cut has piercing guitar work and drums that are looking to maim, and the mauling that takes place is both heavy and threatening to bury you. The final minutes are equally smothering and flushed with razor-sharp melodies, leaving everything in a gigantic pile of dust. “Sirens of Lampedusa” rips right open, with aggressive riffing, painful-sounding shrieks, killer blast beats, and shriek-filled vocals, with the band sounding like they’re letting loose and planning to take out whatever or whoever is in front of them. The end of the song is buried in meaty riffs, with heavy waves lapping the shore. “Cure Us From Life” is a closer that is short and to the point, with a punk-fueled surge and a tempo that trucks forward heavily and with malice. A declaration stating, “We all face eternal damnation!” wails on you, as the grisly, ugly journey comes to the end, leaving you with a mouth full of blood and a body full of bruising.

Vanhelgd’s brand of death metal isn’t going to be featured on some corporate-driven summer shed show (thankfully) and isn’t buffed and pristine. It is filled with hate and bad intentions, with “Relics of Sulphur Salvation” landing as one of this year’s more dangerous exercises in classic death metal. They have a mission to fight back against what they have perceived as spiritual oppression, and they’ve done so in the ugliest way possible. This record completely kills, and it’ll blacken your entire day.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.20buckspinshop.com/

Or here: http://pulverised.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/20buckspin

And here: http://www.pulverised.net/

Dark forces have had a huge part of metal ever since the dawn of time, and the element of danger taking over the world and swallowing humanity always has been there as a threat thematically. At the same time, that thread might seem a little tiresome, but when the tale is told right, it still can be as compelling as anything.

New York-based black metal band Funereal Presence nail the whole thing on their debut full-length “The Archer Takes Aim,” a record that is as spooky and haunting as it is devastating and moltenly heavy. Led by sole creator Bestial Devotion (who also plays drums for the mighty Negative Plane), this band is one of the most interesting going in U.S. black metal and in the sub-genre the world over. The fact there is one man behind this whole thing is stunning, because this record is wholly realized like it had a handful of artists involved. There is so much going on here, and it is woven together seamlessly, that you can’t help but get totally hooked and sink into the dark violence lurking beneath everything. This is one of the most original-sounding metal albums I’ve heard so far this year, and I can’t stop listening to the thing, just trying to get a grasp on what’s going on. That doesn’t happen nearly enough these days.

If you go through the lyrics, you get a dark, threatening tale of the great beasts rising up, trying to choke out all light. In a way, it feels like a Biblical-style tale the way the story is told, and it has a feeling like what’s going on here not only threatens all humanity but the entire universe. There is a poison lurking that is seeking any vein that will accept its black tar, and if it has to infect by force, it will do so. It’s a terrifying display, one that could have you quaking inside, and this record gets over the idea better than any number of movies and television shows have tried to do and failed. It’s a charred display, and it’s not just a black metal opus. There are gothy, post-punk undertones present, as well as processional passages that might make you feel like you’re witnessing a mass burial in the face of black death.

The record opens with 12:29 “The Tower Falls,” a doomy, elegant number that sprawls out before it hits a devastating pace. The vocals are charred and chaotic, and death bells ring out on a consistent basis, always reminding you that death is right around the corner. There is some clean singing that reminds a bit of Ian Astbury, feeling dark and morbid, and the song keeps churning, making like a perfect soundtrack to a dark, ominous thunderstorm that soaks the earth. The song delves back into clean, murky territory before it charges back up again for one final assault. The 12:47-long title track follows, with huge, infernal organs breathing black smoke into the room, and the song blowing open with a great fury. There are strong guitar leads, galloping that has a NWOBHM feel to it, and savage, thunderous playing that is threatening and bold. More clean singing is worked into the mix, giving the song goth-fueled texture, and eventually the fierce tempo re-emerges and keeps the pace matching the menacing, calculating storyline, with a final howl of, “And the fall comes hard, down below into fires.”

The instrumental “Dammerlicht” is up next, which acts a perfect bridge from the title track to the epic conclusion that wraps it all up. More bells chime, a classic metal feel is infused back into the proceedings, and a full assault is launched onto your senses. The pace goes back and forth, letting this rise, subside, and boil over again, with the final moments absolutely exploding. That all sets the stage for the 16:19-long closer “Gestalt des Endes,” with guitars spilling out, the vocals sounding like they’re filtered through coal, and later some clean singing coming back to darken everything. Swirling melodies emerge and add a new element into the song, and more classic guitar work is infused to keep the charge moving forward. Once again, the tempos rise and fall, bringing you through various steps of drama, and the final fury-filled moments let the fires reach their highest point, strangling you with smoke and delivering a final blow designed to let the dark forces take hold and choke the world to death. It would be beautiful, actually, if the tyranny and violence wasn’t so thick and omnipresent.

Funereal Presence have a take on black metal all their own, and “The Archer Takes Aim” is one of the most interesting releases of the year so far. The record gives you plenty, always keeps you engaged, and continually feeds you morbid reminders that the world could be swallowed by dark forces at any moment, be that of a beastly or human variety. This album will envelop you in madness in a way few could, and the stories lurking here should keep you terrified and uncertain of your fate for hours on end.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.last.fm/music/Funereal+Presence

To buy the album, go here: http://www.theajnaoffensive.com/products/funereal-presence-2

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

Let’s not waste a lot of time with today’s album, because Black Anvil have dropped something on us that is revelatory. This band always killed. But they always hinted at having something a little more than what they were showing us, like they had stockpiled weapons for a massive assault and only were giving us heavy body blows until the real arsenal arrived.

Over the course of their great first two records—2008’s debut “Time Insults the Mind” and 2010’s “Triumvirate”—the NYC maulers, veterans of hardcore unit Kill Your Idols, found a way to take the base they formed with their old band and add giant helpings of black metal and sludge to form a terrifying, lumbering group that could face any other band out there in hand-to-hand combat and more than hold their own. So the arrival of their third record “Hail Death” already was heavily anticipated by the metal world, and definitely by me, who spent a ton of time with the first two albums. In fact, for my running/exercise hate playlist, I have plenty of Black Anvil on there to keep me motivated, pissed off, and moving. But I had no idea that we’d hear on this third record would be this world toppling.

At 10 tracks and clocking in at 71 minutes, Black Anvil have turned in the most ambitious, varied, violent, and astonishing record of their seven-year run. It topples everything they recorded before this, which is no easy task because, as noted, those offerings were massive. But they go so far beyond and into the darkness on “Hail Death,” that it’s practically a point of no return for them. In the best way possible. My first experience listening to this record stopped me dead in my tracks because I knew this was the band realizing their true potential. This would be their high water mark, and everything that comes after will be measured against this, whether or not that’s fair to the band—bassist/vocalist Paul Delaney, guitarist/vocalist Gary Bennett, drummer/vocalist Raeph Glicken, and new guitarist Sos. They remain true to black metal, for sure, but there are more elements of thrash, classic heavy metal, and even rock and roll, which makes for one raucous combination.

The record tears open with “Still Reborn,” a 9:09 crusher that opens gently enough with strains of acoustic guitars before erupting into molten lava. The music gets crunchy and vicious, the growls sound like they’re coming from the depths of hell, and the guitar soloing tears through your flesh like a knife. It never feels half as long as it is, but it definitely leaves you exhausted. “Redemption Through Blood” follows with militaristic drumming, bleak growls, gang shouts, and a hardcore spirit trickling through the song. Toward the end, everything ignites, with strong soloing, thrashy madness, and more chaotic shouts that hammer home the intensity of the thing. “Eventide” is chunky and fiery, with the growls letting menace rise, and eventually melody flushes into the song, infusing it with a Motorhead-style catchiness. “Together we run to death,” Delaney howls, as the band responds with vile amounts of crushing. “Seven Stars Unseen” has a clean intro that gives way to simmering, rock-style guitars, vocals that spit fire, and a true sense of classic heavy metal that makes me think back to the early 1980s. Great track. “G.N.O.N.” has wicked sounding guitar lines, chugging thrashing that could incite violence, and a blistering, speedy pace that will beat you half to death.

“Until the End” also begins with a sense of calm, taking its time to set up its intentions. The vocals are a mix of clean, but gruff singing and growls, and more classic metal guitar work sets up shop and meets headlong with their black metal tyranny. The song hits on a crushing pace that could destroy buildings if played loudly enough, and the track ends in a blaze of savagery. “My Hate Is Pure” kicks into high gear after an eerie intro, with the bulk of the song reeking of demolition and the torture of lost souls. The guitars gallop madly, the soloing is blazing, and the cut ends with everyone laying waste to their instruments and your senses. “N” is a strange one, with heavy moments but also paths of dark melody, and there are plenty of tempo changes that jerk you back and forth. The band eventually takes up arms by shouting in unison, “We are all, we are nothing!” making it almost like a mantra. “Next Level Black” could not have a more fitting name, and at 11:39, it tests your will. It begins with vocals and playing that are doomy and sour, leading you on a path to misdirection, before they launch in full and pour on the hate. The guitar playing is channeled and angry, the tempo smothers you, and the growls are downright animalistic. The band spends the entire run time just gouging away, piling on layers of blackness, and slaying until the final second when the song finally gives way to mercy. Capping off everything is a cover of one of Kiss’ weirdest songs—“Under the Rose” from their “Music From ‘The Elder’” record. It actually fits really well here, as the band puts in an honest reading of the song that matches the dour personality of this record. Cool choice.

“Hail Death” is a monumental moment in Black Anvil history, the record that truly signals their arrival as a leader of underground metal.  I can’t get over how heavy, abysmal, and violent this album is and just how far they’ve come as a band. If you’ve been along for the ride with Black Anvil, seek this out now. If you’re new to these guys, get ready to have your world burned to the ground by one of the world’s most devastating bands.

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

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

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