It would seem playing heavy metal and hardcore music without a ton of passion and energy would be impossible to do, yet bands seem to pull that feat off more and more every year, which is another reason it’s tougher to snag gems out of a pile of shit.

Yet, when a band hits on a moment, when they truly channel their energy and translate that to their art, something special can happen and can help that band transcend. Actually, showing genuine passion for one’s work can make rudimentary, rote songwriting seem not as glaring. See: As I Lay Dying. Yet when a band combines really strong songwriting along with leaving their heaving bleeding hearts on the stage or studio floor, you know you have something that’s bound to be around for a while and make special art well into the future.

It’s clear even from a cursory listen to Amber’s new full-length “Lovesaken” that something is different about them compared to the tons of other young bands dotting the worldwide metal scene who are hoping to make connections with their listeners. The German band has been so well regarded since their initial release that three labels have a hand in putting out the band’s latest platter (Halo of Flies, Protagonist, and Narshadaa), so clearly a lot of people believe in them. If you sit down with this five-track, 35-minute album, chances are you’re going to be convinced to climb mountaintops for them as well. They just feel genuine and alive, and combined with songs that have oceans full of substance, you’re taking on a band that sounds like it is onto something special.

Simply calling Amber metal is lazy, but I’m using it as a generic term. Obviously the genre is made up of so many different sounds that using the term is more a touch point to bring all lines of thinking together, and describing this band takes more than one word to get it right. The five-headed band comprised of guitarists Christian and Dennis, bassist Tobias, drummer Jakob, and powerhouse vocalist Anna could probably be most accurately described as post-hardcore, but there is some shoegaze, some power, some doom, some blackness mixed in as well. All of the elements mix quite effectively, and Amber get in and get out, make their point, and leave you wanting more. Really, what more can you ask from a band?

Most of the tracks are about six minutes long, not including the finale, and things get started with “Kings Like Us,” a song that opens with feedback squall, pulverizing melodies, and Anna’s awesome, powerful vocals that can rip a hole right in your chest and go for your heart. And not in the loving, caring way. The music is fluid and exciting, and the song has a volcanic finish that feels satisfying and cathartic. “Lost” has a slow, eerie beginning before it emotionally caterwauls and overwhelms you with volume and panic. Anna pushes her throat and vocal cords to their limits, really going for it, and it also finds ways to hit a fevered pitch before finally subsiding. “Silent Lies” can be drubbing and ugly at times, but it also soars at others, finding a strange common ground between uplifting and punishing.

“Fading Away” pulls back the reins a bit, staying at a middle tempo for the bulk of the song musically and incorporating some cleaner, gentler tones. That doesn’t go for Anna, who once again topples planet earth with her devastating, anguishes vocals that sound like she’s at the tip of some sort of psychological bloodletting. She sells this song so well, you cannot but help but live vicariously through her pain. The closing title track runs 10:25, and it continues some of the musical themes of “Fading Away,” staying softer and more reflective at times, but also lets lava flow as well. Anna’s expression should get to you emotionally, unless you’re dead at heart, and the band lets the song boil over before finally letting go and slipping off into space. It’s a fantastic final epic that’s a summary of what the band does well now and shows promise for even bigger things in the future.

Amber is a great young band that is yet another fantastic find for Halo if Flies, who we’re getting damn near ready to blindly follow anywhere. Their gift for expression and genuine humanity is something not all bands are able to do, and the fact that they put great songwriting behind their emotion is icing on the cake. “Lovesaken” is a strong statement from a band who very well could dominate in the future.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.halooffliesrecords.com/releases/

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

OK, it’s only the beginning of April, but I don’t think it’s too early to start thinking about album-of-the-year candidates. After all, I have heard a good deal of the releases scheduled through May (with one notable exception that I hope to hear damn soon), so I think it’s OK to start putting stuff in preliminary position.

With that in mind, one of the first records so far this year that knocked me for a loop and made me excited about music in general is the new release from London’s Light Bearer, a four-song, nearly 80-minute adventure that demands your full attention and your patience but certainly will reward you outright if you give into their music. Most of the six songs push the 10-15-minute mark and are packed with ideas upon ideas. Yet while that might seem like a little too much to endure and something ambitious beyond fault, it all works magically and takes your breath away. At least it did mine.

There’s a good reason the band’s second full-length “Silver Tongue” is as epic as it is. It is the second chapter of a very long and imaginative story (that started on debut “Lapsus”) dreamt up by vocalist/lyricist/conceptualist Alex CF (also of Momentum), who put together a story that centers on the fall of Lucifer from heaven, his disenchantment with a God he loved, and his journey to become the dark leader who provides freedom of will and thought for all those who follow him. The story, which will continue over two more full-lengths and EPs also will move toward Eve, her decision to reject God’s directive in Eden, and her role in the formation of humanity. Hell, it sounds like records wouldn’t be enough to tell this whole tale. Where’s Peter Jackson when you need him?

The rest of Light Bearer is rounded out by guitarists Jamie Starke and Matthew Bunkell, bassist Gerfriend, drummer Joseph, and sample specialist Lee Husher. Sorry. I had some full names, and some I only have first names. I’m sure everyone will live. The band’s music moves from post-metal to post-hardcore, into classic, late 90s/early 00s screamo, and even some black metal and sludge, and they need all of those parts to tell each section of the story properly and with the right amount of emotion. It’s a killer, cascading effort that’s akin to that giant book you never think you’ll conquer, but once you get into the meat of the story, you find it impossible to put it down. Same goes for “Silver Tongue.”

“Beautiful Is This Burden” begins this chapter with ambiance, gorgeous strings, and horns that seem to indicate the end of all creation is near. It takes five minutes of build for the song to open up and swallow you, with harsh screams, post-metal-style drama, and incredible shoegaze-like stretching. The song goes back and forth, also coming upon peaks of vicious thrashing, and once it subsides more than 18 minutes later, you’re likely to be out of breath. “Amalgam” and “Matriarch” feel like parts 1 and 2 of the same track but are indeed separate. “Amalgam” is dusty and mucky, with a chugging pace, gruff vocals, and a total assault on your imagination, while “Matriarch” starts to feel aquatic and somewhat prog-fueled, but it also has some devastating, earth quaking moments that feel like the very ground beneath you swallowing you whole and pulling you to the core of the planet.

After the brief “Clarus,” that is creaky, ambient, and death-filled, it’s into “Aggressor and Usurper,” a 17-miniute piece that also is sludgy and heavy like so much of the record, but suddenly the song heaves itself into a faster tempo not heard before on the album, and it grows into a crushing, fevered pitch that should make your insides melt away. The end of the song gets grisly and ugly, but also beautifully emotional, as the promise of, “I will not yield!” is howled and the song fades away. The titanic title track closer is the perfect final scene, the ideal climax to this amazing record. The song opens gently and, dare I say, on a note that reminds me of pop. It’s melodic and gushing, and it’s a great red herring that shields you from the explosion ahead, when the track rips itself open.  The vocal expression borderlines on heart-wrenching, reminding me of envy, and before the apocalyptic, decimating finish, there’s a sequence where the pace halts, the sounds die down, and a folk-like section rises up. It’s lovely and cathartic, yet you then realize we’re only halfway through the overall story, so any emotional shine is temporary.

Lightbearer have come up with a musical and philosophical masterpiece, something you could recommend to fans of Neurosis, ISIS, and Thrice as well as those who love Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” It’s a dark, yet hopeful journey, and it’s some of the most imaginative metallic compositions of the year so far. Go out of your way to hear this thing. You, too, might add it to your short list of album of the year contenders. Yes, already.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.halooffliesrecords.com/releases/

Or here: http://www.protagorascollective.bigcartel.com/

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

We talk so much about bands trying new things that I feel like I can write a standing template intro about it and just insert it every time that’s a major topic of an album we’re discussing. Change is good, as is expanding your thinking and actively trying to push yourself to get better.

As much as we’d like our favorite bands to keep putting out the same record over and over again forever, that would get really boring really quickly. There are bands that basically do that, a ton of them, and it amazes me sometimes how their audience just keeps coming back for the same old stuff. Doesn’t the taste get bland at some point? Don’t you want some adventure? I guess considering the stale, dead state of mainstream art, perhaps people are fine treading water.

But UK doom merchants Moss are not content to sit around and keep trying to same tricks. With three full-lengths under their belts, no one can lump their records together and say that they’re aping each other. Each effort has tried to be something different, and while their retching, droning, hulking doom style remains intact, they have tried to add different spices and new twists to their work over the years in order to keep their art interesting. I’m sure that helps both their listeners who buy the records and the band that plays these songs. It’s nice to know they’re not complacent and will keep you guessing from release to release.

That said, not all change ends up being for good. As much as I admire what Moss tried to accomplish with “Horrible Night,” their third long player, it feels flat to me. Well, not the entire package, to be honest, but the vocals from Olly Pearson, who just about entirely ditches his screams and shrieks of old for clean vocals in the vein of Ozzy Osbourne. In fact, he downright seems to be imitating him at times, right down to his cries of, “Oh NO!” and “Oh YEAH” that sound pulled from the Black Sabbath archives. The problem is Pearson’s delivery often sounds painfully flat and uncomfortably off key. I find myself cringing way too often listening to his vocals, and they sound unnaturally stretched. I can’t imagine him pulling off these songs live, because it sounds like he’s struggling with his pitch. But hey, every other review I have read after multiple listens to “Horrible Night” seem to be cool with the vocals, so maybe it’s me. But I’ve tried multiple times to get with Pearson’s work, and I just can’t. It hurts to hear.

Rounding out Moss’ lineup are guitarist Dominic Finbow and drummer Chris Chantler, and they hold up their end of the bargain quite nicely, rolling out massive, slithering, punishing doom that isn’t nearly as epic in length as what we met on the awesome 2008 album “Sub Templum” but are a little more in line with what we heard on 2009 EP “Tombs of the Blind Drugged.” Pearson certainly has his heart in the game, and he has charisma, but his performance really takes away from these songs for me. Too bad, because otherwise this would have come highly recommended.

“Horrible Nights” opens the album with slow, murky tones, hammering terror, and the first clean strains from Pearson as he observes, “These nights seem darker than I’ve ever seen before,” but he eventually lets out some shrieks to let you know that part of the vocal range is still as strong as ever. Too bad that’s about the last we hear of it. “Bleeding Years” trudges and brutalizes musically, with melodies that seem to be conjuring dead spirits and suffocating smoke. In fact, some of that smoke seems to catch up with Pearson as the song winds down, as he stretches for higher notes and ends the piece hacking and choking. It’s a strange thing they left in the song, and it sounds like his voice cracked and left him heaving. “Dark Lady” runs 11:03 and opens with a sheet of noise, bells, and lurching bashing from the band. Pearson temporarily delivers his words in a deeper tone, sounding a little but like Tom G. Warrior, and that approach seems to fit him better. When he strives for more, his voice sounds too tired to keep pace.

“Dreams From the Depths” is an interlude piece that gives you a breath of fresh air, with its eerie noises and acoustic flourishes, and that leads to “The Coral of Chaos,” the most Sabbath-inspired cut on the entire record, and one where Pearson really works on the nerves. I think he might just need singing lessons to strengthen his voice. This is hard to listen to, which is unfortunate because musically it’s pretty awesome. Closer “I Saw Them That Night” finds Pearson improving a little bit, though it may just be because the song suits him better, but he’s convincing when he bellows, “Welcome to the ritual.” There is feedback wail, thick noise, and doom blazing that ends the album on the right note.

Really, this all comes down to one element trumping all, that being the vocal work. As noted, there are plenty of reviews out there that take the opposite stance on this matter, but for me, I have a hard time finishing the album on a single listen because I can’t handle Pearson’s voice and how he uses it. Maybe he’ll get better after more live shows, maybe he’ll work to strengthen his voice, but I hope he does something otherwise this band will be ruined in the future for me. And that saddens me greatly.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.metalblade.com/us/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.indiemerchstore.com/item/18127/

I’m not exactly revealing a big secret here, but if you’re into underground metal, moving to Richmond, Va., probably isn’t the worst idea in the world. How many more killer bands can that area possibly cultivate? Just last week we brought you the latest from Inter Arma, a band from that region that boasts members of equally devastating Bastard Sapling, and that’s only scratching the surface.

Also from that city is Municipal Waste, the hard-partying, beer-soaked thrashers who are making music for Nuclear Blast, not to mention higher-profile bands such as Lamb of God and Gwar who are pretty much household names. How much quality metal can one area possibly contain? Everyone seemed content to throw tons of accolades Atlanta’s way a few years ago when that area was a hotbed, but how about some adulation for Richmond?

Also from that town are two other bands who both call Relapse home, druggy sludge doom unit Cough and smoky, psyche doomers Windhand, a very recent signing for the label. Both have been making boiling cauldrons of goodness for some time now, with Cough’s last full-length “Ritual Abuse” coming in 2010, and Windhand’s powerful, self-titled debut dropping last year on Forcefield. Both appear to have very promising futures ahead of them, and each are interesting additions to Relapse’s suddenly expanding lineup that has gone way past the death metal and grind era of years past. Good for them.

Both bands are represented on a new split effort “Reflection of the Negative,” a 37-minute collection of three tracks that Relapse is releasing to the masses. It serves as an excellent reminder of what made Cough so damn intriguing and deadly in the first place, while it also gives people new to Windhand a taste of what they do so well. It’s a really good collection, and fans of the bands and newcomers to each who just love doom would do well to invest in this release, which is the best split effort we’ve heard so far in 2013.

Cough

Cough are comprised of four dudes–bassist/vocalist Parker Chandler (also of Windhand), guitarists David Cisco and Brandon Marcey, and drummer Joseph Arcaro–and they sound as evil, fucked up, and droning mad as ever before. They contribute one song, but that cut is an epic designed to boil your senses and leave you with no clue where you traveled during their ritual.

“Athame” is a slim, trim 18:31 long, so yeah, you’re going to be there a while. But that’s totally fine because it’s a scorching song that trudges in mud and psychological torture, and every step of the filthy journey is awash in chaos. The tempo is slow-driving and at times coldly mechanical, and there are thick sections of drone that keep the song unapologetically heavy. The vocals are screamy and grimy, but now and then when they reach for higher, they remind of Mike Scheidt’s from YOB. “The time has come for sacrifice!” Chandler howls, and eventually the song slips into trippy, psychological terrain, heavy noise, and a drug-addled haze. It’ll mess you up good, and it’s a track so good that it makes me salivate for a new full-length from the band. Not to be greedy.

Windhand

Windhand is comprised of five members including the aforementioned Chandler, guitarists Asechiah Bogdan and Garrett Morris, drummer Ryan Wolfe, and vocalist Dorthia Cottrell, who is in total command on the band’s two songs. In fact, Cottrell bursts with life and power, and she has improved as much as any vocalist I can think of in the past few years. And she already was really damn good to begin with, but she’s ascended into the stratosphere with her work on this split effort.

“Amaranth” is witchy and smoky, and it’s the perfect introduction for new listeners who need a quick taste of what this band does well. Right away it is noticeable just how powerful and commanding Cottrell is on this record, as she just soars like a dark spirit in the night. The band’s brand of doom is buzzing and numbing, and the melodies on this song are catchy and sticky, leaving them in your head for long past the cut’s expiration. “Shepherd’s Crook” is unreal, the best song the band’s even created, as organs spill out and fill the room with fog, the music enraptures you and leaves you in a trance, and Cottrell’s expressive singing carries the band’s agenda wherever it needs to go. She’s so good on this song and has such a presence, it might not be long before she is acknowledged as one of the best new voices in doom metal if she can continue turning in performances this good. The rest of the band? Yeah, they’re pretty damn good too.

This is a must-have collection for anyone huffing the fumes of underground doom who want to be up to speed on the sub-genre’s best up-and-coming acts. The fact Relapse claims both on their roster is a giant coup for them and shows their ears are near the ground, and both of these bands have what it takes to be doom heavyweights for years to come.

For more on Cough, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Cough666

For more on Windhand, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Windhand/115952841804204?ref=ts&fref=ts

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

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

Having gigantic expectations to live up to is both a blessing and a curse. First, it means you’ve had a modicum of success and that the next thing you do will be under heavier scrutiny and will be met with a mountain of anticipation. Second, it means the next thing you do better be good, or your stock will drop like a rock.

Such is the situation that greets Nordic band Kvelertak on their second record and follow-up to their mammoth self-titled debut from 2010. That thing lit the world on fire with its mix of black metal, hardcore, and rock and roll, and it seemed after a while, everyone was on board with this raucous crew and owned at least some piece of their merchandise. I think Kvelertak is the band that I see represented most when I peruse local metal shops, and why not? The artwork is colorful, the band is killer, and everyone just seems on their way riding the tidal wave of their good fortune. It’s the feel-good metal story of the 2010s.

Now comes their follow-up effort “Meir,” released by powerhouse label Roadrunner (it’s nice to know they have at least one other good band besides Opeth) that has been met with the fervor I expected. From the John Dyer Baizley album art (you can tell his work from across a stadium blindfolded) to the songs and lyrics written and sung in their native tongue, to the Kurt Ballou produced-sound, everything is in place for Kvelertak to not only make good on coming up with a proper sophomore album but to take this rowdy machine to the next level and capture even more souls. But would the music on “Meir” measure up and be what it needs to be for these guys to continue slaying the masses? You bet your ass it is. Imagine throwing Immortal, Guns n Roses, Turbonegro, Judas Priest, and Converge into a pot, and you’ll have a good starting point for how this record sounds.

While there are some stylistic and textural changes on “Meir,” fans of the band from their debut will feel right at home otherwise. The band still plays big, loud, and spirited, the vocals remain delivered in a sharp, harsh bark, and the hooks and melodies are enough to bury you alive, but leave you feeling pretty damn good about it. This is a great rock record with cutting metallic edge to boot, and if rock radio wasn’t a corporate block structure, these guys have what it takes to be a real phenomenon. Yeah, so they don’t sing in English. Big deal. I’m glad they didn’t bend to American needs and kept their own ways about creating their art, because it would have been the only genuine way to go about it. Plus, once you hear these crushing songs, you won’t give a shit if the band is cursing out your own family in alien tongue. You’ll be too caught up in the music to care.

The album takes a few minutes to get moving into high gear, but that’s only because the opening of “Åpenbaring” lets the noise sizzle at the start before it launches into a Torche-like melody and Erlend Hjelvik’s trademark shrieks come barreling in and douses you with craziness. “Spring Fra Livet” is built on glorious classic guitar riffs, more screamy vocals, and a blast of adrenaline that is impossible to ignore. “Trepan” starts more black metal-based with fast guitars and crushing vocals, and eventually exuberant gang shouts and sugary rock goodness take control. “Bruane Brenn” is one of my favorite cuts on the record, with punk meeting Southern rock fire, a garage rock style of play, and a fun chorus that I can’t decipher for the life of me but always captures me nonetheless. Seriously, it’s such a good time. “Evig Vandrar” has an acoustic opening that explodes all of a sudden with menacing screams, though the tempo of the track stays toward the middle. It’s a cool changeup.

“Snilepisk” seems a little Wild West at first, but more black metal thunder spills in and the pieces go flying all over. “Månelyst” is punchy and, like every other song on the record, impossibly catchy, and  that sets the stage for an interesting three-song pack that extends the time limits, lets the boys jam out a bit more, and shows what they can do. “Nekrokosmos” is the nastiest of the bunch, feeling like an evil spirit that crept out of a Nordic forest looking for blood. There is plenty of black metal fury within its confines, but also adventurous guitar work and, after you think the song has ended, a wacky little instrumental section that’s designed to flick you in the nose. “Undertro” has some sleazy glam metal riffs within it, spirited shouts, and even some passages that sound like AC/DC’s longer, more ambitious guitar lines. “Tordenbrak” is the longest cut at 8:53, and it has some slick bluesy guitar licks, ultra-catchy melodies, and a section toward the end that sounds like them trying to stretch out a Southern rock noodling session all the way to Norway. Then their namesake song ends it on a blast of a note, a song perfect for firing back quality beers and singing along at the top of your lungs, even if you don’t know the words. That’s the power of this album.

Kvelertak are one of metal’s great success stories, and with two unstoppable, classic albums already on their resume, they seem primed for total domination. “Meir” had gigantic shoes to fill and enormous expectations to meet, and they blew it all away. What’s scary is this band is only at its start, and they’re already a terrifyingly well-oiled machine.

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

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

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

Getting visits from old friends can be fun, or they can be awkward. You either find you have a ton of things to talk about and miles of space to pull together, or you realize why you lost touch in the first place and don’t really feel any connection with the meeting. Either conclusion goes a long way toward informing you of how that relationship will exist in the future.

Same goes for music when you hear back from a band that hasn’t come up with any new material in a long time. It can be a strange situation as well because you have to decide if that band’s new music has a place in your world or if it doesn’t meet the needs you have in this day, in this form of human you have become, to make you feel what their early material did. Again, it can be as awkward and seeing an old friend, but you don’t have that personal interaction where you either embrace the current state of the relationship or you let it go forever. It saves you the tears, quite honestly.

When I got the promo for the new release from Zozobra, the creation of Cave In’s Caleb Scofield, I didn’t know how I was going to feel about the idea of having new music from the band. I like their first two full-lengths “Harmonic Tremor” and “Birds of Prey” just fine and listen to them when I’m in the mood for what they offer, but I was beginning to believe those collections could be the only things I’d have from the band. Now, five years after “Prey” dropped we get this new six-song, 15-minute release “Savage Masters” that gets right to the point and wastes no time leaving the surroundings in a burning heap. As worried as I was that my current musical atmosphere might not embrace a band I haven’t heard from in half a decade dissolved immediately and I wondered why the fuck I overthink this stuff so much. Just plug in and go, and that’s exactly what I did with this head crusher.

Scofield is joined by other members of Cave In on this record, namely guitarist Adam McGrath and drummer J.R. Conners, and the music is sludgy, pulverizing, uncompromisingly heavy, and seemingly ripped from the heart of a raging furnace looking to incinerate everything in its path. Yeah, it’s a collection of songs that are properly labeled by the album title, and it goes to show Scofield is just as hungry and punishing an artist as ever before.

The record kicks off with “The Cruelist Punishment,” a deep-dish serving of sludge and goo and muddy sheets of noise that are designed to overwhelm you and leave you with deep bruising and internal bleeding. “Venom Hell” has a rock and roll-style melody line that snakes through it, almost as if it’s taking some notes from the more fun aspects of Venom, and the throaty screams and cool guitar work make this one of the best songs on this collection. “Deathless” has a D-beat feel and is fast and in your face, with raucous rhythms and shrieky vocals that sound prepared to peel your face off. “Black Holes” opens with some thick bass lines before it ignites. There are howled lines about “the virus, the poison liquid” that don’t sound too friendly, and the groove-infested, bluesy guitar work is there to make the infection a little dirtier. “A Chorus of War” is a weird one, with guitars that sound digitized and a personality that’s alien and claustrophobic, but it’s also filthy and trippy. Closer “Born in a Blaze” lets the record burn off righteously, with fiery playing, grimy noise interference, and a tempo that breeds physical and psychological violence.

So yeah, it’s great to have Zozobra back, and after spending more time with “Savage Masters,” I’ve gone back and revisited their past work as well. This band needs to come back for visits more often because clearly they have a lot to offer the extreme metal world and its fans, and they do this style of metal as well as anyone. But if it takes them five more years to come up with something this good, I’ll guess we’ll just have to bide our time. Clearly the wait will be worth it.

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

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

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

It’s weird to me how some bands explode and become sensations on the internet and in extreme metal magazines, and some don’t seem to catch on. It’s not like there’s criteria written up for these things, and it’s just that people with the power to persuade catch on to some bands, while other groups that deserve it don’t seem to catch fire.

I thought about this when considering the new record from Chasma, the atmospheric black metal trio out of Portland, Oregon, who blew me away on their debut full-length effort “Declarations of the Grand Artificer,” released by both Moribund Records (CD version) and the Mylene Sheath (vinyl). My first thorough listen to that record was while I was at an auto dealership getting 100 things checked on my car, so I was pissed off and annoyed and didn’t feel like relaxing or meditating. Yet I put on my headphones and indulged in “Declarations,” and it made an hour go by like nothing, so instantly I was hooked on this band and this record, and I still listen to a lot two years later.

With the release of “Codex Constellatia,” the band’s sophomore effort, we not only get a return from Chasma, one that might finally turn the tide of public opinion toward this awesome band, but we also have our first Moribund release of 2013. Not sure what happened there, but that label hadn’t put out anything new since the last Canis Duris album in November, but they follow that up explosively with this effort. As for Chasma, they’re still making terrifying noises that sound like they were inspired by some great cataclysm in space. They remain heavy and pulverizingly melodic, and they intersperse little bits of dialog samples here and there to maintain a mood. Yeah, that’s been done a million times before, but they keep it to a minimum and use the pieces to full effectiveness.

Chasma’s lineup remains intact from their debut, as Ryan Whyte handles bass and vocals, Aaron Schomaker is on drums and vocals, and Brandon Gordon is responsible for the mountains of guitars you’ll hear on this record that sound massive, but not obtrusively so. The songs move along poetically and seamlessly, and much like their debut, you can get caught up and lost in these songs and find yourself on the other side of this 44-minute album wondering where time went.

“Burning Shapeless” opens with a clean melody line and some eeriness, then some noise drone slips in, and the intensity slowly ramps up. A ferocious assault breaks out, though it’s cut a bit by atmosphere, and the shrieking vocals are fully of intensity and blackness. It’s a strong opener that is a sign of promise for what’s ahead. “Solarsin” has a dark, dreary intro, and the tempo stays murky and mysterious as it moves along. Interestingly, they choose some fairly violent, disturbing quotes form the 2009 film “The Road,” one of the last movies I ever thought would be incorporated into a black metal song, but it really works well. “Forbidden Symmetry” follows and is an instrumental interlude that is weirdly cosmic and makes you feel like you’re floating into a wormhole.

“Wormwood Horizon,” the longest cut at 11:51, also is situated in slow-melting guitars and whirry oddness, and the noise slips into shoegaze thunder and a flood of sound. There are noisy sizzles and some clean passages weaved into the song, and toward the end a really bright melody comes into the scene and adds some positive color. It feels like black metal terror interpreted through an ISIS filter. Suddenly, things don’t seem as horrific, even if that’s just the personality of the music telling you that. Closer “Reflections” is, well, reflective as it opens, making it sound like the album might expire on a contemplative note, but then it explodes with fiery shrieks and metallic panic. Yes, there are some moments that are calmer than others and let you have a breath now and again, but eventually the doors get blown off again, and moody punishment takes you to the end of the road. If you find at the end of this thing you floated away now and again and did some mental exploration, you’re not alone.

Chasma should be a bigger deal and should get far more mention than they do, but maybe this record will fix all of that. “Codex Constellatia” is a strong sophomore effort from this trio that never eases up on the drama or the fireworks. This is a band you want to check out right now if you’re behind the curve so that once everyone else catches up, you can ask where the fuck they’ve been all this time.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.moribundcult.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

For more on the album, go here: http://www.moribundcult.com/

Unconventional weirdness and terror always go over really well on this site, when done right, and really, don’t we have enough death metal bands that don’t strike a bit of panic or fright in your system? We’re on overload, and trust me, from the backlog of dull, weapon-less death metal marring my inbox, running into something truly horrific is a great gift.

It’s even better when you get a double dose of madness from the same band, which is what we have with Abyssal, a demonically warped death metal band out of the UK that is shrouded with mystery and encrusted in soil-rich doom. One could point to bands such as Portal or Paroxsihzem  for like-minded comparisons, but those aren’t 100 percent accurate. Finding an online presence for this band isn’t all that easy, that is if you’re seeking pertinent information such as who is in the band and matters such as those, but as we’ve said countless times, a band removing itself from easy access and public consumption of all of their personal data is refreshing and, in a way, a manner of making them more frightening. They’re faceless.

As noted, there is extra Abyssal chaos for you to consume, as we have two records from the band to discuss. One of the records came out in 2012 originally, but is being re-released via Hellthrasher Productions to get their sickness a little deeper into the world. The other, their latest platter, also was put out by the band but eventually picked up by Profound Lore, who are putting the album into circulation via limited release. Both records are more than worth the money, and while it might feel like a bit of an overdose on a band you might not yet be familiar with, it really won’t feel that way. Each record, while having similar fucked up philosophies, show different approaches by the band and stand apart from each other sonically.

Hellthrasher is offering up the band’s debut “Denouement” on CD/LP, and it is the more melodic record of the two. It’s not over the top or anything, and you won’t confuse it with power metal, but there certainly are shades of color lighter than absolute death and doom. At six tracks and 50 minutes long, it is an involved listen that requires your attention to detail and willingness to go on their macabre trip, but if you like death metal nasty and sooty, but also with a sense of morose adventure, you should like this album just fine.

Most of the songs on “Denouement” are in the 8-11-minute range, and only one is shorter than five minutes. Abyssal make expert use of that time and put together a captivating, colorful album that rips open with “The Moss Upon Our Knees” that’s packed with murky, urgent guitars, damaged melodies, odd-colored corners, and a slope that lets you slide right into “Celestial Dictatorship.” That song is full of blasts, mangled violence, strange pockets of dissonant noise, and piercing shrieks that makes the closing stretch of hymnal chants all that more unsettling and bizarre. “Deus Vault” is chunky and thrashy, with mean and infernal growls, some progressive moments (not in the dorky way, of course) and penetrating noise; “Detritivore” throws a curveball at one point with a melody line that’s damn near rock and roll-based, but it’s surrounded by unholy chaos and gurgly growls. “When Paradigms Supplant Gods” begins with angelic drone but takes trips into post-metal gazing, bizarre, eerie guitar experimentation, and a strangely catchy finish, while 11:17-long closer “Swansong of a Dying Race” lives up to its name, with funeral-ready keys, slurry guitar work, some aggressive mashing, and finally a folk-like, woodsy conclusion that shows yet another side to the band.

Profound Lore is handling the small run of the band’s latest record “Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius,” a title that basically means “kill them all and let God sort it out.” That’s more the Americanized version of the saying, but you’ll definitely get the sense of total extermination and stride toward Armageddon the music seems to hint toward. It’s also the heavier, more suffocating of the two records, and the melody that reared its head on “Denouement” is snuffed out and suffocated entirely. It’s pure death through and through with no chance of catching a last gasp. You’ll be burnt to a crisp.

There are 11 tracks on “Novit enim” but that’s a little misleading since there are three interludes and a few shorter songs, namely Portal-esque “The Headless Serpent” and warped, scornful “A Sheath of Deceit.” “The Tongue of the Demagogue” is the first full track on the record, and it’s a crusher, with dizzying demolition and utterly devastating vocals, setting the scene for the hell ahead of you. “Under the Wretched Sun of Hattin” has the nausea-inducing fury of their debut album, but with an extra turn toward intensity and terror. “A Malthusian Epoch” has a bizarre intro that melts into molten, deformed rivers of noise that flow toward a hellish, storming final few minutes. “As Paupers Safeguard Magnates” practically defies logic that death metal this charnel and scarring is permitted to exist, and the deep, menacing growls remind you that you’re neck-deep in danger. “Created Sick; Commanded to Be Well” is a 10-minute instrumental that forces you on a gut-squishing ride upside down, forcing your chin to bang off rocks and trees as it immerses you in ambient fog and doom ugliness; and punishing closer “The Last King” finishes you off just right, with fucked-up noise and guitars and furious growls that rip the curtains down and light them on fire.

This is a lot of material to handle from one band, and neither record is an easy listen if you don’t have a taste for challenging, difficult music. These are two slabs of quality, true death metal that could permanently damage your psyche, and might even renew your faith in extreme music that someone out there still gets it. Abyssal are a hellish bright spot in a bloated world, and their campaign should only grow more painful from here.

For more on the band, go here: http://abyssal-home.bandcamp.com/

To buy “Denouement,” go here: http://hellthrasher.com/shop/

To buy “Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius,” go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/products-page/

For more on Hellthrasher, go here: http://www.hellthrasher.com

For more on Profound Lore, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/

Hearing a young band grow and morph as their time together goes on can be one of the most exciting things about listening to music. At the same time, it also can be one of the most frustrating, depending on where you stand and how the band progresses. Not all change is good, remember.

For example, I recently got a promo from a band whose last album was a revelation to me and was one of my favorite records of that particular calendar year. The new one could not have been a bigger disappointment to me. They went from a band I eagerly wanted to follow into the future to one that I don’t care what they do from here. It took that much wind out of my sails. I am being secretive because the album isn’t out until late April and I haven’t written a review yet. And I hold out hope that maybe my opinion changes, though after multiple listens, my distaste is actually growing.

On the other hand is Batillus, whose “Furnace” was one of my favorite records of 2011 and who became one of my go-to bands in the process. That means they’re on pretty constant rotation in my ears. Anyhow, when word of their new record “Concrete Sustain” came down, my enthusiasm and excitement were through the roof because there would be new music from a band I’ve very much come to love. Then that moment arrived when I finally got to hear their second full-length, and immediately I didn’t know what to do with it. It was so markedly different from “Furnace” that it seemed like a completely different band had created it. It was bizarre and a little unsettling. What was this? Where was the fantastic, thought-provoking, sludging doom band that had blown me away? Turns out, it was still there.

“Concrete Sustain” was not an easy first listen for me. Or second. Or third. In fact, I don’t even know what visit with this record was the one that opened my eyes, but I did finally awaken, like I had been ripped from my bed by a thunder clap in the night. The sound on this record is heavily industrially influenced. If you think back to early-day Ministry and even Nine Inch Nails when hearing this, you likely won’t be alone. Now, it’s not entirely that route as they still are firmly entrenched in the doom camp as well, but when those two continents of sounds meet, it’s devastating. And if you’re like me and it doesn’t totally feel right at first, give it time. My guess is it’ll sink in over time and eventually overpower you like it did to me.

The lineup remains intact from “Furnace,” that being guitarist Greg Peterson, bassist Willi Stabneau, drummer Geoff Summers, and vocalist/effects specialist Fade Kainer, who has, hands down, the largest influence on this record of any of the members. Actually, Summers’ drumming and some of the interesting stuff he does here behind the kit would be second, but Kainer’s work installing the dusty industrial drapery and effecting, mutating, and digitally twisting his vocals really stand out as major factors in what makes Batillus so different–and so fresh–on “Concrete Sustain.”

The record opens with an utter piledriver in “Concrete,” complete with stuttered drum beats that cut through the piece and keep you alert, sludgy, chopped riffing, squeals, and Kainer’s devastating, monstrous vocals that practically roar in your face. This is mean and crushing stuff. From there, it’s on to “Cast,” where the industrial bruising and sense of brutality via factory come into play. The melody line, especially the bass, proves infectious, and Kainer again hauls off with his approach, but in a way where he sounds authoritative, not out of control. Another great track. “Beset” changes things up a bit, with slurry guitars, a hint of grunge, manically deep growling, and a nasty darkness-laden finish that makes this the truest example of doom metal on the whole record. It slithers like a river of mud.

“Mirrors” has a slow, slurry start, but eventually mechanical interference and blips kick in, giving it a robot makeover, and warm keys trickle in to offer some comfort. Then they rip the rug right out from under you and pound on your senses again. “Rust” starts with a thick bassline and a deep serving of muck before it evolves into a loopy guitar line that sounds cartoonish. Not in a bad way. In a total devolution into lunacy kind of way. The tempo feels more like hard rock, though it has its killer moments, and Kainer makes his presence felt both through keys, effects, and his mammoth yelp. Closer “Thorns,” the longest track at 8:52, will blow your mind. It’s awash in gothic haze, like Sisters of Mercy, Kainer unleashes a deep, clean bellow encased in misery (though he shrieks along with himself through much of this), and the band delves into deathrock mode, showing a side to themselves I didn’t realize existed. It’s an astonishing display, one that shows just how deep these guys are as musicians.

This is a ridiculously huge step ahead for these guys, who probably could have kept producing the same type of stuff they did on “Furnace” to much acclaim. But that obviously wouldn’t have made them happy, so they followed their dark muse and created another scorching masterpiece, one that sounds like nothing they’ve created before. Batillus are one of metal’s most exciting, creative bands, and no one could possibly imagine what terrain they’ll explore next.

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

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

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

When one thinks of heavy metal and rock that originates from Norway, many people probably will think of the murderous black metal scene of the early ’90s and the subsequent bands that came from that land ever since. And probably Vikings. Would you be willing to amend that thinking to add smoking, trippy psychedelic rock?

Not that the land is devoid of that kind of thing, but it’s not all that common that a band like High Priest of Saturn comes into the night and sets up their canopy of mind alteration. Their self-titled debut album, out on Svart, might make you think more of the late ’60s and early ’70s than right here and now, and probably would have been right at home on the Rise Above label, where this type of music seems to flourish. But Svart’s done really well with this type of music, too, as Jess and the Ancient Ones stand as a good example, and they snapped up this band following their 2011 demo. Added to High Priest of Saturn’s witchy, ritual-setting sound is a heaping help of classic doom that mixes in perfectly and gives the band’s music an extra punch.

This album would be a great choice if you plan to spend the evening indoors, with little to no lights, trying to even out your senses after a busy week. You can add any number of mind-soothing substances to the mix and find that these four songs (combined they last over 40 minutes) are what you need to help you float away and sort out all the little things. Yes, there are dark, foreboding moments as well, as one should expect from any band that mixes doom into their work, but for the most part, that’s just there to help you see ghosts and demons, not be swept up by them. Make sense? It will if you spend time with the music.

This cauldron of Sleep-worships-Black Sabbath-mingles-with-Coven bubbling is made by only three people, though their sound sounds thick, massive, and of a doom army. Merethe Heggset handles bass and vocals, and her voice is a dark, deep, trickling presence throughout these songs. She doesn’t overpower at all, and she isn’t trying to be something that rises above the music, but instead she lets her voice blend in with everything else going on, acting as both a storyteller and another instrument in the compositions. Martin Sivertsen handles guitar work, while Andreas Hagen is on drums but also tosses in some of his own guitar prowess. Together, these three pair a formidable trio whose debut is a strong slab of psyche doom but also holds promise for more adventurous times ahead.

“Protean Towers,” a song that originally appeared on their 2011 EP and is re-done here, opens the record with simmering stoner guitar, infernal organs, and a deliberate pace that can keep you both enthralled and drowsy (in a good way). Heggset’s echoey vocals finally make their presence felt, and they add a ghostly presence to the song, while Sivertsen picks up with fiery, bluesy lead guitar work that slips into a cloud of smoke. Some channeled crunch brings the song to a close. “Kraken Mare” is up next and is pretty menacing overall. The vocals float above the whole thing like a bottle cap on a beer head, and more charged-up guitar work and druggy melodies keep this thing chilled out but also on fire.

“Crawling King Snake,” the other song that originally appeared on their demo, also gets some new musical threads, with more evil blues guitar excursions, and sweltering organs that sound like they’re summoning undesirable souls from the underworld in an effort to take over the earth. The music is fluid and expressive, and Heggset’s role, again, is to act as a spirit in the night leading the masses to their ultimate demise. Closer “On Mayda Insula” is the longest cut on the record at nearly 13 minutes, and it sounds like it was boiled in a pot and inspired by magick. It has a strong 1960s doom rock feeling, like it originated with the genre itself, and the song ignites early and slowly burns through its running time. It’s great for hanging back, searching your soul for answers, and getting closer to your own personal darkness. It’s good to do that sometimes.

High Priest of Saturn are giving Norway a whole new personality when it comes to heavy rock and doom, and that’s a great thing. Their debut is really strong effort that grows more infectious with each listen, and they seem like a band that has room to grow into their musical personality. All the parts are there, and I’m curious to see where they go from here.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.svartrecords.com/shoppe/

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