I always find it a little weird when metal bands call their shows “live rituals,” and as times goes on, more and more groups are doing this. I mean, they’re shows. Right? I guess bands see their craft as being something as an offertory thing so some force or another, but I always see them as ust shows. No offense, everyone.

Yet, when I hear English doom metal band The Wounded Kings, I start to change my mind a bit about that whole ritual concept. Their music doesn’t just sound like slowly delivered, occult-driving doom that many other bands work in these days. Their songs always sound like something more, something darker, something far more evil and sinister. That’s especially been the case since vocalist Sharie Neyland joined the fold and added her powerful, mesmerizing voice to the band’s caldron of murk. Her first work with the band on 2011’s awesome “In the Chapel of the Black Hand” gave us an initial idea of just how special she could be fronting The Wounded Kings, but with the arrival of their new, fourth record “Consolamentum” (their first for Candlelight Records) that promise has been delivered like a ton of bricks. She is the bonafide star of this band (not to take away from the rest of the members, who we’ll discuss momentarily), and every word that drips from her mouth entrances and chills. She’s an awesome force who has very few legitimate peers in the doom metal world.

As noted, the rest of the band certainly lifts this band up as well and do a fantastic job keeping this dripping in horror and spookiness. Alan Kearney handles guitars, as does Steve Mills, who also adds piano and organ to the mix and is the one member who has been around since the beginning of the band. Al Eliadis handles the low end on bass, and quite capably might I add, while Mike Heath rounds out the lineup on drums. There definitely is a sense of Black Sabbath, Cathedral, and St. Vitus to what this band does, so you’re getting a nice dose of the traditional sounds, but they also could play along fellow modern artists such as Electric Wizard, Windhand, and Occultation and fit right into the mix. That is, if they don’t overshadow all of those bands.

The record opens with the 13:20-long epic “Gnosis,” a track that unfurls slowly and with a purpose, conjuring magic and slow-simmering sounds in the first few minutes, then unleashing molten guitars and crunch, with Neyland finally making her first appearance nearly five minutes into the cut. She sees the devil, battles “temptation and desire,” and delivers that imagery like it’s literally happening as she sings. The song stays on pace and keep telling its tale until the final minute when the band kicks up the pace and crushes to the finish. “Lost Bride” is flat-out chilling, feeling like a song that could be pulled from an old 1950s, black-and-white horror film, with Neyland calling, “I am yours, and you are mine,” in a voice so icily detached, she sounds as if in a trance. The melodies are sweeping, the punishment righteous, and it’s a song that’ll easily capture your imagination. “Elige Magistrum” is an interlude that brings the first half to a close with smoking guitar work that practically coats your lungs.

The title track, all 9:08 of it, kicks off the second portion of the record, fading in from the darkness and hitting on tasty guitar riffs and organs that set the mood and keep you from entering the light. “How long must we wait before the dark?” Neyland asks, as the band goes from doomy mauling into acoustic guitars, more heavy, goth-style organs, and a wave of emotion that grips. “Space Conqueror” is a cool cosmic western instrumental that moves into “The Silence,” a 12:14 scorcher that opens with a slow-driving pace and some of the more interesting melodies on the record. Neyland sings of “genocide on a dark mountainside,” letting you know immediately this will be bloody, while the band hits on long stretches of haunting doom that boils and drones, sets a suffocating atmosphere, and pulls you through the night. Organs are resurrected in the last few minutes of the song, everything washes out into space, and then the band returns to the surface with melodic hammering, heart-wrenching vocals that’ll leave your jaw dropped, and a fantastic psychedelic finish. Closer “Sacrifice” is an instrumental outro with solemn passages, strong guitar work, and freezing sentiments that work as the perfect finish for this amazing record.

We have had a lot of great doom metal the past few years, so much so that we all should feel thankful and fortunate that we’ve been blessed with such a bounty. That said, The Wounded Kings have come in and re-established themselves as one of the leaders, and with their new association with Candlelight, they should reach a much larger audience that they definitely deserve. “Consolamentum” is a major coming-out party for an otherworldly vocal talent like Neyland, and for an incredible doom force like The Wounded Kings. If you’re a fan of this style of music, do not hesitate to put down money for the vinyl (its proper medium) and let this thing totally entrance you. No way you’ll regret the investment in such an incredible document.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.manicmusiconline.com/

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

It’s a great feeling being able to put on a record and immediately getting yourself caught up in what the band is doing. In my myriad of complaints about modern music well documented on this site, this is another thing that doesn’t happen to me nearly often enough, so when a band that can conjure that experience comes along, it’s something I don’t take lightly.

Tackling “Disgust,” the debut full-length from hardcore-minded Montreal band Hopeless Youth, led to me being overtaken by the band’s power pretty much immediately. You can just feel in their music that they mean every little ounce, and their passionate delivery will grab you by the neck and pull you under if you’re not careful. Their youthful exuberance comes across in waves, but they also have a tenacity and execution that bands in the business for years, putting out heartless record after heartless record, would love to capture in a bottle. Comparisons? Think Converge, Heartless, Cursed. You could imagine this band taking over a small show–in a club, in a living room, wherever–and making it feel like it’s a much bigger thing than it is. That’s not something every band can do, and Hopeless Youth’s grasp of this seems to indicate that the more ears they get their music in, the larger the audience is going to grow. This group sounds like they’d fit nicely on the Deathwish Inc. roster, but Candlelight Records wisely snapped them up (they’ll make nice labelmates with Earth Crisis) and are putting out this dynamic debut. Great move.

You’ll notice vocalist Julien Gauthieer right away, as his energy, forceful shouts, and strong enunciation make him someone you must pay your total attention, and I can only imagine the volatility he provides the band live. Along with him are guitarists Denis Desfoges and John Donnelly, bassist Anthony Harrison, and drummer Yann Therrien, a band that certainly feeds off hardcore strains but also adds elements of death metal, punk, post-punk, and post-rock to the sound so that there’s both explosiveness and variety. The band also wisely gives you 10 tracks that are over in just 27 minutes, so there’s enough here to capture your attention, but they know how to give you the right serving and not bloat themselves.

The record opens fittingly with “Battlefield,” a raucous dose of melodic hardcore that’s energetic, catchy, and driven hard by the throaty, raspy vocals. That song washes out and leads right into “Ghost,” a song you may have heard on some corner of the Internet, as it’s thrashy, gnarly, and snotty, with vicious riffs, maniacal power, and a deadly breakdown that could get your face punched. “We Were Told” opens with some blast beats, as the song is fast and crunchy, with Gauthieer shouting diatribes such as, “Crack open my skull so I wouldn’t think.” The song eventually chills a bit and lets a nice post-rock edge slip in. “Rain of Arrows” pretty much enters, destroys you, and leaves before you know what hit you, while “Faithless” has imagery of “drowning in frozen water,” confrontational thrashiness, and even some atmosphere that lets you have a few breaths of fresh air before they go for your throat with one final burst.

“Failure” kicks in with some post-punk stylings, letting them explore their darker melodic side, but then its gets sludgy and doom-infested, with some interesting melodies, and a final gasp filled with harsh growls. “Burnt Offering” is the most metallic track on the record, as they delve unabashedly into crushing death metal territory before they launch into punk-fueled aggression. There is plenty of noise and feedback to batter your eardrums, and Gauthieer’s vocals reach a crazed, unhinged level. “Divided United” explodes out of the gates, with forceful shouts and more hardcore punishment, and that leads into “Hellhounds,” another track that does not waste time spitting shrapnel. The song is violent but melodic, with inflamed vocals that include revealing lines such as, “When you look closer, the scars go deeper.” The record ends with “Abomination” that rises out of a pocket of noise and then runs headlong into awesome riffing and strong melodies that swell amid the carnage. Gauthieer repeatedly howls, “Walk the line!” as the band crafts another world-bursting breakdown that develops organically and should make all the blood in your body hit an instant boil. Awesome finish to a really strong debut.

Hopeless Youth are a definite bright spot for modern hardcore and proof that there are bands that are not interested in painting by the numbers and doing things according to some sort of time-honored formula. How refreshing. They are explosive, infectious, and the absolute real deal, and if they keep coming up with records as strong as “Disgust,” they could become standard bearers in very short order.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.manicmusiconline.com/

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

Putting on a record and immediately, and perhaps even loudly, wondering, “What the hell is going on here?” isn’t something that happens all the time. A major reason for that is not enough bands are bold enough to take chances anymore, and another is so many artists play it close to the vest and don’t want to do something that might aggravate a listener.

I don’t think metallic wackos Dephosphorus even have a word that means “safe” in the universe from which they hail. Oh sure, they claim Athens, Greece, as their hometown, but that’s got to be a front. No band that claims their style as “astrogrind” and that have a record as damaging and as warped as their second effort “Ravenous Solemnity” can possibly be drawing oxygen through human lungs. Or maybe I’m just buying into the whole thing because it’s so damn convincing. Either way, this band actually has come up with something fresh in a world that has seen and heard every idea already. I mean, OK, they’re not reinventing music or anything. They still adhere to grindcore, death, black, and doom metal, but they combine it all in a way that works so great, you wonder if they really are operating on a level above what we humans can comprehend. And if that’s the case, please send more bands like you. It’ll make a scribe’s job a hell of a lot easier.

Above how interesting their amalgamation of sounds happens to be on “Ravenous Solemnity,” their follow-up to 2012’s “Night Sky Transform,” and how well the band gels and carries out these ambitious ideas, there’s a crazy person howling over top of all of this who will cause you to drop what you’re doing and tilt your head. The closest comparison I can make to who vocalist Panos Agoros sounds like is Lemongrab from “Adventure Time,” and I don’t mean that as an insult. He happens to be one of my favorite cartoon characters going. Agoros has that same unbridled rage, high-pitched shrieking unreasonableness, and a way about how he delivers what he’s saying that you wonder if his eyes are bulging out and he’s reaching for your neck. But we also need to pay respect to the other folks supplying this insanity, including guitarist Thanos Mantas and new drummer John Votsis (Dodsferd, Ravencult, etc.) who joined the fold in 2013. These guys are really onto something, and this record is one that, even if it gnaws on your nerves a bit (I love the thing, but I can understand how it could grate some), you’re never going to be anything but morbidly and wholly invested and interested.

“Reversed Into Contraction” opens the record with proggy death metal, those crazed shrieks I mentioned (they are just inhuman, which fits the idea, no?), and a sense of morbid adventure, and that works into “There Is a Color,” with more harsh vocals, a punk flavor to the riffs, and eventually a violent, chewy section of grind that takes the song out. “Ancient Drone” has more frenetic riffing that blows up into a fury, only to run headlong into a murky cloud of doom metal, and “Dark on Dark” is propulsive, fast, and punishing, getting in and out quickly but definitely making its point. “Astrocyte Portal” is a weird one and is one of the most alien-style tracks on this record, as it has its violence, yes, but it really peaks in its final moments when the music evens out, drone rises, and detached, clean vocals emerge, warbling and creating a nightmare state. “Storming the Sloan Wall” has a nice infusion of hardcore-tinged violence, but it also has its share of meaty riffs, strong melodies, and drums that crush, while “False Vacuum” is unhinged, with near blast beats, insane vocals, and outright chaos.

The title track settles into a doomy, filthy groove, playing more on sludge and muddiness, which is a nice change of pace, and that leads into “Towards the Cold, Mysterious Infinity” that has a mystical, chilling start before it blows up in your face and rages. “Hammer of Logic” has more powerful guitar work, crazed grindcore storming, and eventually a slow, weirded-out ending, followed by “A Fountain of Daggers” that’s packed with eerie prog death, raspy shrieks, and strange voices calling out from the darkness. “Buried Alive in Obsolescence” has a Krallice feel at the beginning, with a strange, science lab black metal atmpsphere that eventually melts into punishing thrash and grind. This is a great example of how this band can pull together so many diverse elements and make them seem as if they always belonged together. “Glorification of the Anti-Life Equation” is blistering and strange, with tricky guitar playing, some infernal wildness, and eventually a slowdown that gets airy and, dare I say, introspective. The record closes with “Vicious Infinite Regress,” that kind of pulls everything back together again and gives one last blast of what these guys do so well, from punchy, pushy tempos, to maniacal shrieks, to rough speed thrash that could get you blasted in the mouth. Great finish to a record that always keeps you wondering what explosive pocket of stars they’ll explore next.

Dephosphorus sure make outer space and grinding through the cosmos a pretty damn good time, and they certainly seem like a band that is capable of just about anything. They do so many things so well, and they always figure out a way to make all of those volatile parts work together. “Ravenous Solemnity” is a mind-blower of a record that proves this band fears no borders or lands unexplored, and once they get there and plant their flag in those regions, they are going to dominate everything.

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

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

Or here: http://www.7degrees-records.de/Bestellen-/Order

More more on the label, go here: http://handshakeinc.com/

And here: http://www.7degrees-records.de/

Take two important cogs out of any good band, and you likely have chaos. Sure, you can replace said parts with newer players who maybe bring something entirely different to the table, but really, things are never the same ever again. Or, imagine the remaining members carrying on without any new members and morphing into something different. Sounds a little risky?

OK, that’s not exactly what we have going on here today, and I’m just playing around. Blame my head being full of thick liquid and mind-erasing cold medicine, but it’s what I was thinking about when listening to the debut release from Geryon over and over the past few days. Great medicine head music, by the way. But what this band is is Krallice divided in half, with no guitar players. Yes, what we have left is bassist/vocalist Nicholas McMaster and drummer Lev Weinstein on their own, a bass-and-drums combo playing senses-defying death metal that flies in the face of sanity and convention. Now, keep in the mind the idea of removing the guitars away from Krallice would be a silly idea, and again, that’s not what’s really going on here since they aren’t doing the same things musically. But that might be the perception from afar, and if that’s what’s in your head, ignore that and go into this four-track release with an open mind. If you do, you will be swept away by one of the most interesting metal releases of the year so far.

Both McMaster and Weinstein not only have plied their trade pushing Krallice into the forefront of the era’s most intriguing, thought-provoking, and pioneering black metal bands in America, but they’ve also played together in other bands such as doom monsters Bloody Panda and progressive death group Astomatous, and clearly they are comfortable working together and pushing each other creatively. Geryon is as strong and fun a project as anything they’ve done together, Krallice included, and this is a project I’d love to hear from in the future. By the way, this album was available digitally last year, with Gilead Media stepping up with the vinyl version of this record that’s up for pre-order now. I’m thinking that’s the best way to experience this mammoth.

The album starts off with “De Profundis,” a song that rumbles open, with super flexible bass lines popping all over, the drums lacing and pounding, and McMaster’s harsh growls pushing through the murk and madness. There’s a strong sci-fi connection to this song, with really interesting, bubbling melodies in which you cannot help but get caught up, and the song ends in static sizzle and angelic glory. “Birth” follows with buzzing basslines that rollick hard, progressive melodies, and twist and turns musically you’ll never see coming. There’s a lot of twists and sudden turns, with the guys always churning and flattening you. McMaster sounds like a monster vocally yet again, and the song fizzles out in a bed of noise.

“Lament” kicks off the second half of the record with a burst of speed, with the guys going all over the place to stretch their sound and find new ways to sound innovative and bizarre, before they slip back into the mindset of drubbing you with fury and violence. Beds of noise rise and fall, some keyboards slip into the scene and fill the place with fog, and there’s an alien-like pulsation that permeates the song and, yeah, totally jibes with the medicine head idea mentioned earlier. “To the Silenced” is the finale, complete with a punishing open that could draw blood, cosmic zapping, and a calculated bashing that is powered by Weinstein’s drumming. The song keeps transforming over its eight-minute running time, sometimes slipping into slower driving tempos, but always returning to blister you again when you have lowered your defenses. The song has a fittingly frozen, spacey ending that, if you’ve fully connected, should allow you to float off into the unknown with the band, exploring places you’ve never been before. At least in your mind.

This is one hell of an interesting, fun record, and Geryon could have a real big future as one of metal’s most stimulating projects. Yeah, the Krallice connection is hard to avoid, but this band is a totally different animal altogether. It’s not as easy as my intro made it sound, the rhythm section carrying on without the guitarists. This is a brand new beast, one with a completely different agenda, and an effort that easily should capture the imagination of metal’s most ambitious listeners. Go out of your way to hear this record.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/

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

I was coming out of a doctor’s appointment the other day, headed for the pharmacy, when I had to jump out of the way. An attacker? No. An out-of-control car? Good guess, but no. Instead, I had to avoid three people with their heads down as they typed away on their smartphones while walking, none of them realizing or acknowledging I was in front of them. I probably could have just walked into them with no consequence, unless I knocked one of their phones to the ground.

It made for a robotic experience, and a sobering one, when it comes to the role technology plays in our lives. And hey, I am not professing innocence here! My wife and I commonly catch ourselves on the couch, only separated by the dog, as we type away on our respective computers or phones. We’ll laugh about it and wonder why we don’t maybe just talk to each other instead of spending so much time with our devices, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones. We’ll also lie in bed at night, looking at our phones, instead of doing something more constructive like reading. We’ve actually taken some steps to cut back on this one. We’re still working.

These scenarios also serve well when it comes to “Digital Resistance,” the new, ninth record from Slough Feg. As their albums are wont to do, it has a common theme running through, though it’s not a concept piece like some of their other records. Our slavery to technology, and the way it is making us less likely to dig into a book, do some hard work, or research a topic beyond what’s at our fingertips are amazing statements as to how far technology has come and sad testaments to how undyingly we rely upon these devices. Even the cover art seems to poke fun at this, with two people seemingly ready to feed off the teats of a stone animal that very well could represent technology. They do a damn good job getting the message across on this album, and might even leave you singing along to hymns about your own behavior.

It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since we got Slough Feg’s excellent last album “Animal Spirits,” one of my favorite of that year, and if you’ve been along with the band ever since they still had “The Lord Weird” before their name, you’ll need no adjustments whatsoever. The band’s mix of classic heavy metal, rock, and Celtic folk is alive and well, and singer/guitarist Mike Scalzi (formerly of Hammers of Misfortune and Unholy Cadaver) is in fine, gruff voice, with his storytelling as biting, relevant, and even as humorous as anyone going. He’s joined again by guitarist Angelo Tringali, bassist Adrian Maestas, and drummer Harry Cantwell, as they do a fine job crafting music that should appeal to fans of pre-Dickinson Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Manilla Road, Jethro Tull, and, of course, the aforementioned Hammers.

“Analogue Avengers/Bertrand Russell’s Sex Den” opens the record, with Scalzi observing, “The lone obsolete engineer is here,” and, “The novice is guiding the seer, it’s clear,” putting into motion the idea of technology trumping actual intellect. On top of that, the song is a piercing one that should get your interest piqued in no time. Then it’s on to the title track, with riffy magic, references to killing technology (in a different manner in which Voivod delivered the message), a punchy composition, and Scalzi imagining, “Viruses burning through shields” and violated firewalls being torn down and destroyed. “Habeas Corpsus” pulls back the pace a little bit, opening with a Western-style section, then entering a cold, chilling pace that goes along with its murderous storyline, as well as really strong guitar work that’s a highlight of the song. “Magic Hooligan” has moments that feel like an old Rush song, primarily because of the guitars, and it’s a punchy track that gets in, makes its mark, and gets out. “Ghastly Appendage” delves into horror storytelling and feels like a tried-and-true Slough Feg song. The band takes its time, chugs slowly overs its running time, and all of a sudden it ends.

“Laser Enforcer” is one of the catchiest songs on the record, with Scalzi warning, “There are forces in this universe that you cannot comprehend,” as the band digs into a more rock-oriented groove. Toward the end, the guitars get more atmospheric and stretch out, almost like an extended Maiden section, before it wraps up with a couple more blows to the gut, with Scalzi noting, “Resistance is always pacified.”. “The Price Is Nice” has a strong classic metal feel to it, as it’s calculated and deliberately paced, with a rock-solid chorus you might want to call back, and some blistering soloing. “Curriculum Vitae” has a dark, ominous start, with an extended instrumental section. Acoustic guitars eventually slide in behind all of the crunch, giving you a taste of folk rock, and it’s one where the music takes the focus over the vocals. It’s a nice change of pace. “The Luddite” brings our storyline back into focus, as Scalzi notes, “Children stare with vacant minds,” paying off the warning that technology is sucking us dry, and the band hits on a 1970s-style vein with some especially warm guitar work. It all wraps up with “Warriors Dusk,” a track that feels like it could open an old film about street gangs, as they sink themselves into ideas of destruction and war, with Scalzi admitting, “Warriors don’t age well.” Hopefully he’s not referring to the band, because that’s definitely not true of them. The guitar work sizzles, the vocals grip you and force your attention, and the song catches fire one last time as it draws to a close. The album ends up feeling a little short at only 40 minutes, but I find myself satisfied nonetheless every go-around I spend time with this record.

Slough Feg might not adhere to trends and might not sound cool to some people, but they’re a true metal force that’s been going for well over two decades and always deliver albums that are catchy, unique, and thought provoking like “Digital Resistance.” They don’t need beasts and blast beats and over-the-top horrors to make their point. They look right at society, observe the downward trends we’re on, and then tell us how it very well could destroy us all. That’s scarier than some devil rising out of fire, because these things might really happen.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.indiemerch.com/metalbladerecords/band/slough-feg

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

Omnivore

While attending last year’s Maryland Deathfest, I went on a record shop hunt because that’s what I generally do when I visit a town I previously haven’t (or at least haven’t in a long time). To my utter glee was The Sound Garden record shop in Baltimore, where I could have spent all day and blown a ton of money if I was a little more free spending. It was magical.

We don’t have a shop with quite that expansive of vinyl metal offerings where I live, and it left me in  quandary of just what to buy while I was there. I settled for Testament’s “New Order,” one of my favorite thrash records ever and one that shaped some of my musical tastes growing up, and Bolt Thrower’s “In Battle There Is No Law!” something I had been seeking for quite some time. It was a spectacular day. I got into the vinyl revolution kind of late and have been playing catch-up for some time finding some of the classic records I wanted in my collection, and hearing them reaffirmed my undying love for both bands and the early sounds of both thrash and death metal. I got into thrash way before death, and I always kind of feel protective of it and immensely disappointed new bands try to recreate an aesthetic they cannot possibly understand. I’m sure younger fans who are all into those bands read jerks like me and wonder what my problem is when it comes to modern thrash. It usually just doesn’t feel right.

But there are bands that get both thrash and classic death right, as I’ve admitted in the past, and two of those are coming your way by way of Unspeakable Axe, an imprint of the unstoppable Dark Descent Records (that generally concentrates on death, black, and doom metal) here to put focus on bands that covet early thrash, as well as classic death and black metal. The two bands we’re discussing today have tenets of death and doom but also thrash forward with intensity and in a way that warms my old, judgmental heart. They make me remember what I love about true thrash metal and early death and why they ignited my interest in extreme metal.

First up are Italian death-thrashers Omnivore, whose self-titled debut record is here for your enjoyment and who strike memories of early thrashers such as Nuclear Assault, Exodus, Hirax, Kreator, and more of that ilk but who also have some death tendencies in their sound. They play confrontational, agitated, sometimes snotty thrash that takes your face and mashes it in their sound. While a great sounding band–it’s made up of is made up of guitarist/vocalist Pol (also of Skarsfukkers), guitarist Josh (also of Skarsfukker, as well as Overcharge), bassist Giona (ex-Nightmare of Fallen), and drummer Ste–they don’t seem the type to wow you with their prowess or polish, and if you have an issue with that, your apology isn’t likely forthcoming.

After a cloudy weird intro cut, the band blasts into “Dead,” complete with a quote from the movie “Watchmen” and nasty, raspy thrash that goes right for the throat. The basslines are mega thick, and the guitar work is hot enough to burn skin. “Trust” drinks deeply from the 1980s canon, and they’re convincing in conjuring a sense of true thrash mayhem with grisly shouts and powerful gang vocals that certainly will be howled back at the band live. Then it’s into “I Hope the War Comes,” a track Dave Mustaine might have been able to muster decades ago before his balls fell off, as it has elements of speed, drubbing doom, and a sense that at any moment, the bomb could go off leaving the entire world choking in its last breath.

“Hypochrist” opens with a lengthy portion of the televangelist speech from the 2004 “Dawn of the Dead” remake, rebuking humankind for their behavior and so-called sins, and out of that erupts a lightning-fast assault, with more gang shouts, the tempo and intensity boiling over, and an old-school finish that should make us older folks feel right at home. “Nothing More Than Dust” is the longest cut at 6:28, and it opens on a sinister note, with a dark, foreboding lead guitar line that eventually meets up with more chaos. The song ignites, the band gallops at a reckless pace, and once the smoke finally dies down from all of the carnage, charnel winds begin to blow and acoustic guitars comes to the surface. The playing is smart and classically inspired, showing a different side to the band. Of course there’s a song called “Omnivore,” something you only can get away with in metal, and it’s a killer. The riffs feel like old Slayer, and the song goes from charging ahead to more calculated moments, with the whole thing drowning out in noise. Closer “Arise” is an absolute barnburner, wearing their Sepultura influences on their sleeves with this thunderous cover that puts a giant dagger of an exclamation point onto the end of this album.

Next is Philly crew TrenchRot, a band that might remind you of the aforementioned Bolt Thrower, as well as Asphyx, Hail of Bullets, and Pestilence. Those bands are more death-minded acts, all with war on their minds, but they also have enough traces back to thrash metal that there’s a clear crossover appeal. TrenchRot have that at their core as well, and their debut record “Necronomic Warfare” is one probably better served on the Unspeakable Axe label because they fit better under this umbrella. This band consisting of guitarist/vocalist Steve Jansson (of Dark Descent band Crypt Sermon), guitarist Brooks Wilson (also of Crypt Sermon), bassist Steve Geptik, and drummer Justin Bean have what it takes to whip their audiences into a frenzy, creating great chaos and the desire to see nations fall. They’re that damn explosive.

Of course the band opens with “Death By TrenchRot,” because how else could they possibly do it? It’s grindy, has fumes of death, and revels in speed that’ll bash your head apart. “Gustav Gun” is situated in tasty, violent riffs (one of the band’s strong points throughout the record), and this is one where the Bolt Thrower influence, intentional or not, really comes shining through. I mean that in a good way, of course. “The Most Unspeakable of Acts” launches with Jansson howling, “Go!” as a practical battle cry, leading the band into pulverizing chugging, a thrash groove that is infectious, and shouts of, “Your sanity is under attack!” and, “Only death is your reprieve.” How can you not want to join the in war after hearing this one? Then it’s on to “Mad Dogs of War,” which is blistering, slow driving in spots, with lead guitar work that is totally scintillating. “Sickening Devotion” then tackles people’s blind faith, with raspy growls, a trucking assault, and a crushing intensity that spares no prisoners. Awesome sounding cut.

“Necrotic Victory” imagines “the skeleton army rising from hell,” as it settles into a meaty little segment, and that paves the way for “Maddening Aggression,” a faster song with a rather catchy chorus (you’ll bruise your vocal chords singing it back) and guitars wailing at full blaze. The 7:25-long title cut follows and takes its time getting started, with a murky, foggy opening that sounds like the soundtrack to a horror film, but before long you’re mired in thrashy goodness, crazed yowls that sound unhinged, and spookiness that drags this track to its conclusion. This is the most purely death metal song on here, and it’s a punisher. “Gallery of the Dead” is nasty and destructive, with more furious chugging leading the way. In fact, the way these guys approach this song is what is missing from so much modern thrash. Study this, kids. No, really. “Trapped Under Treads” takes its time pulverizing you with its doomy pace, molten guitar work, and swollen pain, with the song finally blowing into full-on aggression once it reaches its conclusion. Closer “Dragged Down to Hell” is fast, deadly, and to the point. They waste no time, they don’t mess around, and they give you one final hammering with ugly guitar work, punishing drums that near blasts, and a great finale that pours the last bit of gas on the fire. This is a killer debut from a band that has me really excited to see them do this live and destroy lives.

These two bands reignite how I feel about thrash and death metal in general and give more hope that bands really are out there that get these styles and aren’t just here to ride the wave of some trend. These bands have spirit that those old Testament and Bolt Thrower records have, and that’s a fantastic thing to behold. These bands have a lot to accomplish in front of them before they can be on the same level as those legendary groups, but these are fantastic starts for each. If you’re like me and are dying to find new thrash and death metal with a bloody hearts and sick souls, with roots firmly entrenched, here are the records for you.

For more on TrenchRot, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Trenchrotdeathmetal

For more on Omnivore, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Omnivore/265473320143668

To buy either record, go here: http://unspeakableaxerecords.com/purchase.html

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

Photo by Scott Kinkade

There’s something to be said about going out on top. Apparently it’s not easy to do, because so few people do it, but the ones who recognize it’s time seem to be able to pass into their next project or phase of life ever so gracefully. It’s a lesson a band like Queensryche–all 47 versions of them–could learn a little something about.

Had the members of beloved grindcore outfit Gridlink not decided to call it a day as a band, it would be hard to imagine anyone complaining or accusing them of staying around too long. After all, on three releases, the band has hardly enough material combined to fill, say, the length of one Iron Maiden record. But this is grind, and the atmosphere is so much different in this genre, so this isn’t some kind of surprise. Nor is it an accusation of a lack of material, because even though their albums are so damn short, they always packed a wallop and have become some of the most beloved grindcore releases in the modern era. They were just that good.

Last year, through a series of social media posts, the band indicated it no longer would be going forward as a unit. It was said that guitarist Takafumi Matsubara wanted to move on from playing grindcore, which is understandable since it’s an exhausting effort and might not provide the creative outlet that he truly needed. As for the rest of the members, certainly committing to this style has to be draining. But they did indicate another record was a possibility, and we now have that monstrous thing with their third, and final, effort “Longhena.” From it’s hefty (for them) running time of 22 minutes, to its weirdly futuristic cover (a woman seemingly prepared for space battle, rather than the Kabuki figure that graced their last two), to the savage intensity we’ve all come to expect from the band, the band put its best foot forward for their final record, one that’ll leaving us wanting more even though we know we’ll likely never get that.

Vocalist Jon Chang is well known from his time fronting grind pioneers Discordance Axis, another band cut short at what seemed to be its creative apex, as well as the decidedly thrashier Hayaino Daisuki, who we haven’t heard from since 2010. His vocals are unmistakable, screamy, in your face, but always strangely in control. Matsubara (also in Hayaino Daisuki, as well as several other bands) is an integral member on guitars, as his playing is imaginative, all over the map, and dominant in so many forms of metal that he weaves into the music that it would be impossible to imagine this band without him. Rounding out the lineup on this record are bassist Teddy Patterson III (also of Hayaino Daisuki, as well as a former member of Burnt By the Sun and Human Remains) and drummer Bryan Fajardo (Kill the Client, Noisear, Phobia), who make their explosive presences known. Recorded over five days in Japan, the band struck while the iron was hot and pumped out 14 crushing tracks that, if these really are the final we ever hear from Gridlink, certainly will make for a fitting epitaph.

The record opens with “Constant Autumn,” a track that has a weird prog-like start before it ignites into a grinding assault complete with Chang’s banshee-like wails and even some well-placed melody over the chorus. “The Last Raven” is one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss it cuts that lands, crushes, and takes off, making for a strange lead-in to “Thirst Watcher,” an instrumental track featuring violinist Joey Molinaro (Pittsburgh/Brooklyn-based player who is no stranger to grind, since he has played Discordance Axis songs during performances). The song is swirling, cool, and spacey, a total departure for the band. Then “Stay Without Me” blows up righteously, throwing shrapnel in your face as Matsubara weaves a little bit of power metal glory into this track, and it’s another that’s as catchy as it is violent. “Taibas” is like a fire flash, with tricky guitars and pulverizing drums, and that’s followed by “Retract Perdition,” that has some black metal melodies, a tempo that stomps guts, and Chang going off with some of his wildest shrieks. “The Dodonpachi” then rises up, does its damage with equal amounts of speed and melody, and then fizzles out in smoke.

“Black Prairie” is blinding and panic-inducing, with authoritative vocals, mathy guitar work, drums laying waste to everything, and the band hitting a severe chugging pace as the track draws to its close. “Island Sun,” one of the longest cuts on here at 2:32, also infuses black metal majesty into the scene, with plenty of crunching intensity but also some atmospheric pockets that give you some breath before you’re trampled undertow. “Chalk Maple” goes back to outright violence, with deeper, deathier growls that very well could be coming from guest vocalist Paul Pavlovich of Assuck. “Wartime Exception Law 205” is one of the shortest cuts on the record, and it reeks of death and manic frothing at the mouth. “Ketsui” is completely insane but also impressively experimental, with more black metal touches and melodies that should make your head tilt. The title track is built on swirling guitars, crazed vocals, and even some calculated, thrash-infested sections that are meaty and mauling. The closer “Look to Windward” is your epic at 3:11, with guitars hellbent on achieving speed, tricky compositions, more cutting violin, portions that sound inspired by classical music, and more catchy bits that’ll get your heart racing.

Although only 22 minutes long, “Longhena” is an exhausting record just because of all the twists, turns, earthquakes, and intensity. You definitely get your fill. In many ways it’s a very surprising Gridlink album because of all of the added colors they put into their music, but they always were a creative band, opening their reaches well into the future. It’s a sad feeling knowing we won’t be getting anymore live Gridlink appearances nor recorded output, but at least the band went out on top, when they still were operating with breathtaking precision. You have to respect and appreciate that they felt their time had come to call it quits, and they went out with a hellacious, world-smashing bang.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/GridLink512

To buy the album (vinyl/digital), go here: http://shop.handshakeinc.com/

Or here (on CD): http://selfmadegod.com/en/shop

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

And here: http://selfmadegod.com/

I love watching old outer space movies, preferably in black and white, because they’re so bizarre, claustrophobic, and unquestionably fun to watch. Nothing good possibly could come from being in deep space, and there’s sure to be carnage at some point, with forces beyond people’s control coming to kill.

It’s equally as great when a band comes along and makes music that gives off that same chilling feeling. Voivod were masters of that (their mascot is an intergalactic warrior who goes through space on a conquest) and still can instill those thoughts today. And a new band Artificial Brain has come along whose members also have their minds in the skies and beyond. They go past dead stars and undiscovered planets (at least by Earthlings), bring their own damage along the way, and work to separate themselves from the rest of the modern death metal crop simply from their strange sound and brutal approach. It’s like space movie gone wrong, where the heroes die horrible deaths on screen and aliens extend their tentacles to choke out humanity. That’s it. No happy ending, and no golden boy to shoot into the stratosphere and saves us all.

It’s not that Artificial Brain are onto something completely different with their debut record “Labyrinth Constellation,” but they certainly are one of the more interesting, thought-provoking death metal bands to come along recently. I’d make loose comparisons to bands such as Gorguts, Gigan, Krallice, and Demilich (more on that later), but it’s not like Artificial Brain sound exactly like any of those bands. The guitar work, courtesy of Dan Gargiulo (Revocation) and Jon Locastro, is devastating and exploratory, giving you a dose of their incredible prowess and machine-like brutality. The bass playing is rubber-band dexterous, popping and bending all over the place, proving how good and imaginative Samuel Smith is. The clubbing drumming from Keith Abrami works perfectly, and the guttural vocals from Will Smith is gurgling and deep, almost like that of Antti Bowman of aforementioned Demilich (which makes sense since Smith was in a group called Biolich that basically worshipped the Finnish technical monsters). In fact, if there’s one thing that may keep some away from the band, it’s the vocals. I tend to be hot and cold on this style, but I like Smith’s work, as it’s not just cliched pig squeals he brings to the table. He has a force and a presence vocally that, to me, sets him apart from the rest of these types of vocalists. Maybe you’ll feel differently, but don’t let it scare you away.

The record opens with a sci-fi basher “Brain Transplant,” starting like a strange downtuned engine before the band explodes with a force, with belchy growls and spindly, technically wicked playing dominating the situation. That leads into “Absorbing Black Ignition,” an off-kilter, mind-altering track full of thrash and crunch, with the vocals going into screaming hisses. The bass snaps like a dragon’s tongue, and strange organs freeze you and carry the track to its ending. “Wired Opposites” is more atmospheric, letting you have a few gasps of oxygen, with the music bubbling over, and the vocals remaining in their gurgling, brutal fashion. It’s a really compelling track, one that demonstrates how they’re operating on a creativity level a step above many modern death bands. “Worm Harvester” begins in ugly fashion, then it evolves into musical gloop and a ton of tempo changes that keeps you guessing as it progresses. “Frozen Planet” also is an adventurous one, with tricky playing, cosmic mentalities, and a tempo that keeps ramping up as it goes on, with Smith’s vocals reaching into screamy madness.

“Orbital Gait” completely erupts from the start, with a faster pace, drums that aim to break every bone in your body, and more playing that easily should capture your attention. There even are some vocals that reach more toward yelling than growling, which is a nice change of pace. “Bastard Planet” is gruff and raspy, with the fellows going all over the place with their playing and creating a dizzying pace, and a finish that is bashing and mashing with spastic guitar work. The title cut is prog-minded and menacing, with a nice robotic noise glaze at the finish, which leads to “Hormone’s Echo.” That track has a calculated, massive pace, with tortured wails, guitar static feeling like cosmic interference, strange echoes, and further mind-altering playing that should twist your brain. Closer “Moon Funeral,” the longest cut at 7:01, starts with plenty of atmosphere and dreamy sequences before it corrodes and gets massively heavy. The vocals maintain their belchy, deep, monstrous tones, the playing is slurry and drunken in spots, they eventually slip into areas of complete destruction, and the finish is raucous and violent.

Artificial Brain shouldn’t worry about impressing with their playing, because only an idiot would not realize how strong these guys are individually and as a band. Sort of like Demilich, they might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who love this style of sci-fi-washed, technical death metal, chances are going you’re going to be thrilled to death. I’m interested in seeing where this band goes in the future and how and if things change up musically or they get weirder. There’s a ton of potential here on “Labyrinth Constellation” that should hit home with anyone else who have nightmare of floating through deep space with only death as a certainty.

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

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

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

Photo by Mary Manchester

Each year, there are those monumental releases that you wait for, devour once they’re in your grasp, and roll around in your head for weeks as you try to determine what it means to the world and, most importantly, to your own experience. We’re so very lucky to have one of those for you today, perhaps my personal most-anticipated record of 2014.

We have not gotten a full-length record from Baton Rouge, La., sludge/doom band Thou since 2010’s incredible “Summit,” a record I specifically remember hearing for the first time on my way home from work, after a particularly brutal day, and being overwhelmed by the depth of the music. I recall e-mailing label owner Adam Bartlett on my way home (at a red light, of course, by how blown away I was by the record, and that feeling remains to this day). Part of the reason for that reaction is because I already was a major fan of their first two full-lengths “Tyrant” and “Peasant,” and the song “Fucking Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean” has been my favorite track in their discography. Well, until now. The advancements I heard were just profound.

In late March, “Heathen,” the fourth full-length record from Thou, arrives. Just having the music in my possession was cause for great elation, and the first trip through it was practically ceremonial. This band has meant a lot to me ever since they came to my attention when their first album was released, and to me, they are the most important doom metal band out there right now. I don’t know the band personally, but from having read some of their interviews, I’m sure they’ll brush off that statement and keep forging forward with the menace and hunger they’ve always had inside of them, but for me, modern doom begins and ends with them. There are no other bands that make me feel inside my soul what this band makes me experience, and there are very few vocalists who can match the intensity and boiling humanity of Bryan Funck, who enunciates as well as any vocalist in metal. You feel and experience every word and phrase, and the lyrics are something worth poring over for hours, which is especially the case with “Heathen.” In fact, if you want to check out the words in advance of hearing the music, go to the band’s site (listed below), and you can read them for yourself. But as impactful as they read, they gain a million pounds when delivered by Funck.

I also have been a little hesitant and intimidated to write this review, because after having fully digested “Heathen” after so many listens, I want to make sure I do justice to this record. It is yet another gigantic leap forward for Thou, their most-realized record to date, and one of the best doom-based records I have heard in a long time. Having the respect and admiration I have for Thou, I also was nervous taking on the album because I didn’t want to be disappointed. That notion washed away immediately as I realized I was in the grasp of a document people will remember for years and that for sure will be in my personal collection until the day I die. I know those words sound hyperbolic, but I’ve had ample time to weigh these thoughts and figure out exactly how I feel about “Heathen.” It’s a triumph on every level, as it revels in subject matter such as agony, steadfastly living in the present and rejecting any notion of future or everlasting existence, sexual frustration, the power of nature, and so much more.

“Heathen” opens in as calculating a manner as possible with 14:32 “Free Will,” as the band lets sounds build, makes tensions, rise, and sets the stage for the song’s water bursting several minutes in when Funck howls, “Open your eyes and exalt, exalt in this fragile world!” This is where he directs your attention to living in the now, making the best uses of the resources you have in front of you, because who knows when your number is up? The song has some incredible ups and down, some pits of vicious sludge, and when Funck growls, “There is no such thing as time, there is no such thing as negation,” the hairs on your arms can’t help but rise. “Dawn” is an interlude, one of three instrumental cuts on this record, and it leads into “Feral Fawn,” that begins with quiet guitars from Andy Gibbs and Matthew Thudium (their work complements each other perfectly), that leads into a punishing outburst, with animalistic vocals, and emotional playing by all members (including bassist Mitch Wells and drummer Josh Nee), with the final two minutes of the track burning particularly brightly. “Into the Marshlands” feels mournful at its start, and out of that grows molten, infectious melodies. Funck observes the decaying influence of urban areas and humankind’s journey further and further away from nature, as he commands, “We must return to the womb, to the heart of vitality, wherein lies the strength, the marrow, the pulsating blood.” It’s hard not to be affected by those lines and the fact that everything he says hits home for me. “Clarity” then trickles in, another interlude, to take you to the second half of the album.

“At the Foot of Mount Driskill,” a reference to Louisiana’s highest natural summit, is yet another piece admiring the hugeness and majesty of nature and realizing our smallness in comparison. The song drives slowly, as guitars conjure a foggy feeling, and the whole band works to just drub you. There are cleaner melodies lurking underneath all the crunch, and, as usual, Funck grasps the subject matter by the throat and delivers his words with humble conviction. “In Defiance of the Sages” also is clubbing and nasty, as Funck once again demands existence in the presence and eschews those who live too much in the past and too far into the future to be productive and meaningful right now. It’s a powerful message we all could use. “Take Off Your Bones and Dance In Your Bones,” is a longer instrumental piece that is clean, dreamy, and buzzing. Then comes “Immortality Dictates,” a song that is one of my favorites in their history and rivals aforementioned “Chained.” The song is gorgeous in spots, and sobering, as Funck’s companion Emily provides vocals that are as sobering as they are lovely. Of course, the song itself is damaging after it grows out of its deathrock-style opening, as it moves and grinds at you, with vocals sounding like they’re right in your face. Again there are reminders of the present, as well as the unmet desires that can torture, and the refusal to live freely within those wants and needs. Toward the end, Emily calls, “You know that I love you, here and now, not forever. I can give you the present. I don’t know about the future.” It’s just an amazing song. Closer “Ode to Physical Pain,” just like the opener, takes its time to bloom, with a quiet, humming introduction, and a Western feel to the music before it ignites. The song is bludgeoning but also solemn and melodic, and as the track goes on, the band builds layers of burly, dark, filthy playing that works perfectly, with Funck insisting, “Lasting wisdom only exists in abandoned fields, in the dusty swamp, on the burnt out plains, on the desolate hillside.” It’s one final massive dose of reality for a record overflowing with it, for the good.

Thou’s power and meaning is unmeasurable, and their influence on modern doom and sludge metal might not be completely at hand yet, but it will be soon. A record like “Heathen” should stop the world in its tracks, should cause other artists to take notice, and should make listeners rejoice in having a document so heavy, honest, and true. This band is one of the most important going right now, and they are a true representation of the spirit of the underground, and a group that has plenty of personal meaning to me. All hail “Heathen,” a record that already has a ridiculous head start toward the best metal recording of 2014.

For more on the band, go here: http://noladiy.org/thou.html

To buy the album, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/

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

Seattle has plenty to be excited about these days, what with their professional tackle football team prevailing in the Super Bowl, a game highlighted by me blowing out a tire and damaging my car in the process while driving home during halftime. Remember how I said it’s been a bad week? So yeah, they’re all pretty happy right now, and rightfully so.

But there’s another reason Seattle folk should be excited, because yet another awesome band from that area is back with a new record, that being “Sleepwalking Sailors,” the third full-length from Helms Alee. Here’s a band that really should be better known by now, and maybe this great new 11-track record will get the job done. The band is heavy enough to appeal to a metal audience (they’re touring alongside Russian Circles and Inter Arma, but sadly they won’t be on the version of the bill hitting my hometown), yet they also are melodic and approachable enough to appeal to fans of modern rock and roll and indie rock. I always found their records a lot of fun, and their sophomore album 2011 “Weatherhead” is on still in heavy rotation at my house today.

The story of “Sleepwalking Soldiers” is pretty interesting. Helms Alee used to be on Hydra Head, the incredibly eclectic label founded by Aaron Turner responsible for releasing music by bands such as Oxbow, ISIS, Torche, Cave In, Daughters, Jesu, and plenty more. But Hydra Head announced they no longer would be releasing new music, so Helms Alee found they needed another label home. They started a Kickstarter campaign to fund the making of “Sleepwalking,” and eventually, Sargent House came into the picture and decided to release the album. That’s a big move for the band, as Sargent House has a pretty great reputation for putting out strong, adventurous music by artists including Chelsea Wolfe, Boris, and Marriages, and perhaps this is what will help them get into more ears and their records into way more homes. They totally deserve it, as they’ve been working hard and making great music for years.

The band formed in 2007, combining Ben Verellen (Harkonen, These Arms Are Snakes) on bass and vocals, Dana James on guitars and vocals, and Hozoji Matheson-Margullis on drums and vocals. It’s an all-hands-on-deck approach, especially vocally (seeing as that everyone gets a chance), and that’s a formula they’ve always made work quite well. Their first full-length “Night Terror” dropped on Hydra Head a year after their formation, and their aforementioned “Weatherhead” arrived three years later, showing a band that had progressed dramatically as players and performers, but still had the weird, mathy quirks that helped make them special. They also offered up a few smaller releases last year, including splits with Ladder Devils and Tacos!, keeping them in their followers’ minds while we waited for their third full-length. Now, two years after their last long player, Helms Alee keep improving as a unit, and they’ve never sounded as good as they do on “Sleepwalking Soldiers.”

“Pleasure Center” opens with swollen feedback, liquidy riffs, and Verellen howling on vocals (he actually handles the bulk of the lead duties on the record). It’s a buzzing, gruff song, and it’s a blast of energy. “Tumescence” is sludgy and metallic, with lush backing vocals balancing out the meatier yowls, and the guitar work is really strong and razor sharp. “Pinniped” delves into 1990s-style rock, sort of in the Breeders’ wheelhouse, and it’s a nice chance for listeners to sing along with this sometimes-punchy, sometimes-breezy cut. This should go over well live. “Dangling Modifiers” follows on the same pathway, with a jumpy opening that settles into a bumpy melody, shoegaze guitars that spread over the terrain, and atmospheric treatment. “Heavy Worm Burden” is one of the more confrontational songs on the record, with guitar squall, vocals that are in your face, especially shouts such as, “Animal mind is not simple,” and a musical breakdown at the finish matches the complications mentioned in the lyrics. Strong cut.

“Crystal Gale” is a shorter song that feels more like an interlude (not to mention the cheeky title has to make you chuckle), and that moves into “New West,” that has gritty guitar work, plenty of melody, and vocals switching off among members (giving that all-inclusive feeling). Eventually the music rises up to flood levels, with the guitars bubbling and giving off fumes, and the band exploring its way through the cosmos. “Fetus.Carcass” is an interesting one, as Verellen steps back from the mic for part of the song, allowing more soulful singing to take center stage (I admit I’m not sure if it’s James or Matheson-Margullis on vocals), and throughout its run, it keeps changing its pace, personality, and colors. “Slow Beef” has a Western-style opening, a long intro that establishes the song, and suddenly a blow up as the drums go nuts, the song plods along and bruises, and keyboards bleed in to add more texture. “Animatronic Bionic” is proggy, catchy, and muddy, and it paves the way for closer “Dodge the Lightning,” a grindy, mucky, but eventually dreamy song that lets them stretch their muscles. The middle portion is damn-near pop territory, though that doesn’t last long as the song picks up intensity, howling vocals erupt, and the final moments of the track chug mercilessly.

It’s great to hear Helms Alee firing on all cylinders like they do on “Sleepwalking Soldiers,” and the benefit of having Sargent House behind them should only strengthen their position. These are songs that sound like they’ll translate pretty well live, and they’re full of energy, interesting turns, and explosive fun. Helms Alee still remain something of an undiscovered treasure, so hopefully that changes for them as more people discover this killer new record.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://sargenthouse.com/stores/

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