I try not to read a whole lot of text written by people who try to describe how music is supposed to sound. I have read the quote, “Where’s the song?” so many times, it makes me want to punch every person who says it. Exactly who decided songs were supposed to sound a particular way, and any deviation from that path leads to making music incorrectly? What a load of horse shit.

Isn’t music supposed to be a form of expression? If that’s so, then why does it have to adhere to structure? Structure is boring. When you’re sad, must you cry a certain way? When you’re angry, must you yell the same thing every time? Can you imagine if you had to reel in your shit just enough so that you made sure you expressed your emotions in the correct way? We might as well be robots. So when I hear someone theorize that songs need to have certain elements or the music just isn’t worth one’s time, I think it’s coming from someone with very little actual imagination.

I’m not suggesting bands that follow certain rules or parameters don’t make good music. Truth be told, most bands do walk a certain path to get an end result, and as long as the passion, creativity and quality is there, who cares how they got from point A to point B? But why must we turn our shoulder to those who do things differently? What’s wrong with taking 10 cans of paint, tossing them at a wall, smearing the contents all over it and yourself, and creating something primal and human? I love when bands do that, and that’s one of the things that drew me to San Francisco’s Sutekh Hexen, an unholy alliance of three musicians that conjures darkness you’re perhaps not ready to experience.

The band is comprised of Kevin Gan Yuen (of the awesome Circle of Eyes) on guitars/electronics/samples, Scott Miller (ex-Circle of Eyes, ex-Cattle Decapitation) on vocals/ guitars/other noises, and Lee Camfield on tape manipulation and electronics. That probably sounds like these guys make electronic, non-human music, what with all the non-traditional instruments especially when it comes to black metal, but what they create on their second full-length “Larvae” is astonishingly real, affecting and from the tortured, deranged soul. As noted, they don’t make songs in the way rigid thinkers demand them. Instead, they make dark, suffocating, ghostly, terrifying soundscapes that capture you and crush you from the outside. They make true scary music in a time when causing listeners’ skin to crawl has become a lost art. They spread their terror and noise like a deadly swarm, and their art may make you think of bands such as Sunn 0))), Xasthur, Leviathan, Palace of Worms and Khanate (this effort is mastered by James Plotkin, so…), but only loosely. There really is no accurate comparison out there. How refreshing.

“Larvae” is only three songs long, but it’s completely mesmerizing and chilling for its 30-minute duration. The band’s desire to wretch sounds and hidden dark bile buried deep within them has never been more impactful. It sounds like these guys plugged in and just let things go where they may. These cuts don’t sound composed, and that’s not a criticism because I like what sounds like very damaged spontaneity. “Isvar Savasana” opens the collection with eerie, washed out ambiance before scrapes and other noises slither in, and doomy passages and hellish screams come to pass. “Lead Us in Warfare” erupts in drone, hissing, and thunder, as melodies set themselves up in a most calculated fashion, disappear, rise up again, and suck every bit of light from the room. “Let There Be Light,” that clocks in at a few ticks over 15 minutes, is even odder than what precedes it, as folkish, unsettlingly calm acoustic guitar playing sets the stage, warbling dialog in the vein of Mike Patton and Tom Waits stands as the incantation, and, eventually, static-fried doom bludgeoning tears a hole through the whole thing. If you’re like me, you’ll need a few minutes after it fades away to collect your thoughts and digest what you’ve just encountered. If you have the cold sweats, that means it’s working on you.

There are no hooks, no sleek choruses, no real structure and no safety on “Larvae.” If you’ve followed this band on their many smaller releases and their first full-length “Luciform,” this won’t surprise you. This is an example of true, honest expression with no regard for how things are “supposed to be done,” and because of that, this music comes off as more horrific and genuine. Sutekh Hexen won’t make sense to all heavy music fans, but for those who can connect, every trip you take with this thing will be entirely different. Who could ask for more?

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.handmadebirds.com/store/HB-034.CD.php

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

Wordless music should not mean story-free music . There has to be a thread woven, a reason to crack open the story and flip through the pages, hoping to find out how it all ends up. You need to be carried from arc to arc, twist to turn, without even thinking about need. This type of music, without the benefit of verbal communication, needs to move you and sway you in order to be effective. If it can’t, then it really is just sound.

One could argue the majority of mainstream rock, all adorned with lyrics, if that’s what you wish to call them, can’t move a feather with its flimsy, soulless content, and I’d not argue for a second. When I have the misfortune of hearing this drivel on a radio or in a store, I can’t imagine what made anyone want to create these songs other than for monetary gain or, you know, chicks. It’s even harder for me to ever grasp how people part with their hard-earned money for these songs unless it’s for, you know, chicks. Yeah, some dudes think that works. It’s an endless source of hilarity for me.

But back to instrumental music and the bands who do it just right. You’ve got Pelican, Mogwai, MONO, Caspian, Russian Circles, Gifts for Enola and plenty others. Some of those bands, from time to time, will employ some vocals, but those instances are very few and far between. Instead, they use their instruments, the synergy within the band and their emotions to tell a story and keep you tuned in from front to back. It can’t be easy, but considering the number of records I have from the aforementioned, it works for me. Another band along those lines is If These Trees Could Talk, an oddly monikered group from Akron, Ohio, who have perfected the dramatic and cinematic in short order.

Well, the band isn’t exactly new. They’ve been putting out music since their debut EP in 2006, and “Red Forest” is their latest and greatest. And it is their greatest because they’ve never been this in touch with their creativity and their passion. These nine songs are an incredible ride through your senses, a chance to soar on high and take deep breaths of air as you fly over the world in an out-of-body state. These songs never fail to grab me by the heart and pull me back up for more. Their melodies are surging and melodic, their stories are filled with drama, and their atmosphere is rich and colorful. This quintet hits on everything they try, and even though some of their songs can be kind of lengthy, you never feel like you’re being taken up too long.

The band – guitarists Jeff Kalal, Cody Kelly, and Michael Socrates, bassist Tom Fihe, and drummer Zach Kelly – really bring everything to life on this record. I can’t say enough about how strong and memorable the melodies are, and the guitar lines just stick in your head the way a great chorus would. After a fairly ambient, introductory “Open,” the band launches into “The First Fire,” a true mouthful of juicy shoegaze and post-metal fire. “Barren Lands of the Modern Dinosaur” feels somber and sorrowful for most of its run, eventually trickles like a stream, and ends in a blast. “They Speak With Knives” gets a little heavier and thunderous, as they allow themselves to get properly unhinged; the title cut is similar and has just a killer melodic spine running through it. That track is my favorite on the record by far. “Left to Rust and Rot” also goes for your vulnerable side and achieves a nice, wind-gusted setting with the rich slide guitar work; and the epic closer “When the Big Hand Buries the Twelve” ties the whole thing in a gigantic bow, sending this amazing record out on a high note.

If These Trees Could Talk should be in the collection of every fan of the aforementioned instrumental bands. They all share the same DNA and ability to connect, and this band should become one of the go-to acts for those of us who love this stuff. This has been in constant rotation for me since receiving the promo, and it’s not leaving my ears anytime soon. Movies and TV barely cut it for me anymore, so I need a band like this so I can dream up great adventures for myself.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.scienceofsilence.limitedpressing.com/

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

The idea of two bands I like a hell of a lot combining to make one entity both excited and scared me. The possibilities were endless, considering the artists involved, yet it’s not like the two bands have a ton in common sonically. Would that cause them both to collapse trying to make something magical happen, or would the whole thing be true fate, a union that was meant to be all along?

Locrian, whose last record “The Clearing” made our Top 40 albums of 2011, and Mamiffer, a group bringing together Faith Coloccia, her partner Aaron Turner (formerly of ISIS) and Travis Rommeriem, put their collective forces together for the newly released “Bless Them That Curse You” and could have clashed musically. Locrian is heavier, grainer, and doomier, while Mamiffer’s music generally is awash in beauty and grace. Could those two things not only get along but become a standard for bands working together on a piece of recorded music? Holy shit, yes.

These five tracks, lasting just under 52 minutes, are a revelation. They are gorgeous, thunderous, mind-altering, and soul-enriching. The music these two bands make together gives you the best of both their worlds. Their differences end up complementing each other. They never step over each other, get in each other’s way or dominate the proceedings. These two groups blend beautifully together, and it’s one of the finest collaborative pieces this side of Boris and Sunn 0))) making ridiculous noise together on the earth-smashing “Altar.” But “Bless Them” is a totally different thing, and as we discussed yesterday with the Syven album, this is one of those documents that can help you drift away and achieve transcendence and enrichment. In fact, I listened to this record a lot this week as I got broken in at a new job, as it eased me and assured me that I was capable.

The title cut opens the record, with haunting chants and steaming drone that slowly builds as blocks are put on top of each other. Acoustic guitars enter, followed by keys, drums eventually find their way to the piece, and the pace picks up before the song eventually fades. “In Fulminic Blaze” has a whirring open, almost like it’s a broken soundtrack bleeding slowly, and then strings jangle, a doomy, noisy cloud hangs in the air, and the atmosphere of the track remains stationary, yet active. “Corpus Luteum” and “Lechatelierite” are the quietest, most reflective of the songs on this album, as both let misty, dark moods into the room and can be arresting. “Second Burial” is both watery and cosmic, as things bang and clang together, and noise buzzes, swirls and drowns. The closer “Metis/Amaranthine/The Emperor” is a cinematic triptych that lets Coloccia’s lovely voice take center stage, and she delicately picks and draws blood and memories, at one point vowing (and eventually repeating), “Your breath is mine.” The song runs nearly 19 minutes, and every movement has something new and exciting to say. In fact, as good as the preceding five songs are, this one is far and away the masterpiece of this collection. Just today, sitting at a desk in front of gigantic windows that give a panoramic view of downtown Pittsburgh, I let myself fall into my work with my mind at total ease and stimulation. It’s a true gift when music does that for you.

I’m not sure if this group is a one-off or if they have future recordings in mind. I’d love it if these two forces came back together again in the future or, behold my heart, took this thing on the road, but as usual, I’m getting a little greedy. “Bless Them That Curse You” could just be a once-in-a-lifetime gem that was a rare gathering of irresistible forces. It’s a record I could see standing the test of time and demonstrating to people who can’t crack ambient doom’s code why this stuff is so emotionally rewarding for those of us who revel in it. This is a piece of art that, if you’re a fan of either band, you must own. These two groups are great enough on their own, but together, they’re a cosmic force.

For more on Locrian, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Locrian/119350991444335

For more on Mamiffer, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamiffer/110768695615501?sk=info

To buy “Bless Them That Curse You” on CD, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com//index.php?option=com_ezcatalog&task=detail&id=862&Itemid=99999999

To buy it on cassette or LP, go here: http://www.bluecollardistro.com/sigerecords/categories.php?cPath=1186

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

Relaxation and being able to remove oneself from the rigors of everyday life can be healthy and, in my case, really necessary. But how does one gets there? Meditation works for a lot of people, but I’m too fidgety. Others escape into a book or a movie, but I often can’t do either for a terribly long time. It makes me think way too much, and I’m trying to give my brain a break. Still others let themselves melt into music, and that’s where I happen to go, too.

Of course, the kind of music that soothes people varies. I tend to lean more toward drone and ambient doom when I need to let things go, so quite often bands such as Sunn0))), Earth, and Wolvserpent tend to be my soundtrack after a long day at work or what have you. I can let myself float away with what’s going on, even if the music is harsh and explosive at times, and get a handle on everything. Usually once an album from one of those bands expires, I am back to being calm and level-headed. Not rested, mind you. Just recharged.

Recently a new Finnish band called Syven came to my attention via a promo from Vendlus (a label close to my heart), and from that moment on, they, too, were added to my relaxation music queue. Don’t misinterpret that as meaning you can just nod off and relegate the group’s work to background music. There still needs to be stimulation so that you don’t nod off, and hey, no one’s going to sleep during a Sunn 0))) album. Right? And you won’t find your eyes dropping during Syven’s “Aikaintaite” either because the group’s mixture of woodsy folk, black metal gazing, and Shamanistic chanting will jar you back into consciousness if you try to drive yourself into dreamland. It probably will feel foreign to those who don’t have a nice chunk of ambient-style music in their lives, because there is zero brutality and violence to be had. But it’s mentally and spiritually heavy, and it’ll help you transcend into that zone where your cells get a chance to be invigorated again.

One element of the band’s music that may be off-putting is the singing. I had a tough time with it myself, and I consider myself quite open-minded. The chanting and calling feel quite tribal at times, as if they’re trying to conjure a spirit from a flame. It can be entrancing. At other points, the singing reminds me of that Trololo guy on YouTube, so it made me feel a little funny listening in. Admittedly, I did chuckle a bit at that, so it took me a few listens until I was able accept the strange approach a little bit more. I’m half on board vocally.

As for the music and the soundscapes, they are the main event and the reason to tune into this record. Aslak Tolonen handles instrumentation and largely uses a Finnish stringed instrument called a kantele — some with 12 strings, some with 15 — to make much of their music. Elsewhere, they texture things with black noise, birds chirping in the wilderness, and a true deep woods folk heart-swelling. Andy Koski-Semmens handles the vocals, and as noted, some of his work is a little wacky, but for the most part, he raises the hair on your arms.  “Syvyys” is the first track that greets you, and while it sounds in tune with Mother Earth, it also seems to be sparking the heart of warriors, like something that would ignite Khal Drogo. “Jäljet” and “Ne Jotka Selviävät Talvestamme” team up to consume nearly 40 minutes of the record’s running time, and this is the point where you can let yourself go a bit, opening up a chance to regain your electricity; “Jäänkätkemä” is jangly and shimmery, as it stands as the softest song on the album; and “Tuulenvire” is doomier and thrashier, as the ritual reaches its climax and the chants rattle. It’s a fitting end to a pretty rousing experience.

Surely Syven isn’t for everyone, and most metal fans who need all brutality all the time probably won’t be able to relate to this. But everyone needs a breather, and having something like what these two Fins put together sure makes easing out of your day and into a mental fantasy a lot easier to achieve.

For more on the band, go here: http://koti.mbnet.fi/atolonen/syven/intro.html

To buy the album, go here: http://vendlus.com/syven-released

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

There are certain bands that require no introduction. Cannibal Corpse. You know them. You’ve heard of them. You’ve likely been sickened, appalled or offended by them. Certainly most people reading this site can conjure an image of one of their album covers in their minds. Most can cite a song title. Probably “Hammer-Smashed Face.” Something more grotesque? Perhaps. What’s that tale about a virgin and entrails?

So, instead of waxing all poetically about some mental or physical connection I make to their music, why not cut through all that with a sticky cleaver and just get to what you want to know? Is “Torture,” their 12th studio effort, any good? Is it worth your hard-earned dollars in an economic climate that doesn’t make parting with cash very easy? If you’re a big fan of the Corpse, yes, you’re going to like it. They do have that AC/DC vibe where their albums sound a lot alike, but you expect that. Yet, there are neat twists and turns on the new one that’ll excite you and keep your head in this thing. If you’ve never really understood the appeal of the band, well, chances are this won’t change your mind. This tends to be one of those all-in or all-out bands with very little in between.

If there’s one thing that has evolved about Cannibal Corpse over the years, it’s their musicianship. They’ve become tighter and tighter as a unit as they’ve beheaded together, and even with some minor roster reshuffling, they never really lost their way. On “Torture,” guitarists Pat O’Brien and Rob Garrett shred and pulverize with their leads, solos and thrashing, bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz continue to make a formidable rhythm section, and frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher keeps the blood flowing and the flesh freshly chewed in his mouth. His vocals are churning and furious, and he’s the perfect storyteller for the band’s gross tales.

As always with the Corpse, you need to be able to smile along with their gory transmissions, as they’re meant to be like horror films in music form. If you’re out there taking things too seriously, now, you might want to check into a sanitarium. You being out in the open, free to walk amongst society, isn’t doing anyone any good. But surely “Torture” will ruffle the same feathers internationally that they always do and probably will frighten people in their own homeland of America into thinking the band promotes and encourages the same violent acts they detail in their songs. Seriously, get with it already.

The record opens with “Demented Aggressor,” that, yes, is both demented and aggressive. In fact, it’s one of the heaviest, most brutal tracks on here, as the assault is thrashy, yet groove-laden, and Fisher spits out his words a mile a minute. So yeah, age is not slowing down these guys. “Sarcophagic Frenzy” also proves these guys still have sick minds and are willing to mash and maul; “As Deep as the Knife Will Go” requires no reading between the lines, nor does “Intestinal Crank” a, uh, gut-wrenching song dressed with tricky guitar work and strong soloing; “Followed Then Killed” is a stalker anthem that has its eerie moments but is mostly drenched in chaos; and “Torn Through” highlights a killing spree and the balance of guilt on the killer’s mind as he (she?) stabs a plasmatic path. The only real curveball here is “Scourge of Iron,” a mid-tempo mangler that’s more sludgy and doomy, but it never skimps on the heaviness. It’s a cool change of pace that lets you get a bit of a breath and keeps their assault at least a tiny bit unpredictable.

Cannibal Corpse never will change, and that’s a good thing. They’re steady, reliable, disgusting and a lot of fun. They rips out their victims’ guts and show them to you, and isn’t that what you really want? “Torture” is more of the same, and that should thrill their massive following.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.indiemerchstore.com/item/13533/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.metalblade.com/english/content.php

I like bands that, when you hear the name, you kind of know what’s ahead. There’s no guessing what a band called Behemoth might sound like. Same for Mournful Congregation. You’re going to get sad and depressed, aren’t you? You better believe it. Pretty sure when Slayer first came around, people weren’t shocked that they were heavy and relentless. It’s kind of nice to go in head first with a band simply based on what they’re called because you know your primary expectations are going to be met.

When I first started reading about Mutilation Rites, I figured I was in for ugly, relentless black metal that would provide no mercy at all. When I got a hold of their first demo, what I heard was what I expected I would hear. I don’t mean they’re predictable; they’re just very properly named. So yeah, you won’t put on their albums and get jazzy metal or something that’ll soothe you after a long day (unless, of course, you need to blow off a ton of steam). Their music is primal, furious, gut-wrecking and brutal, and you get 100 percent honesty with every one of their songs.

The band’s profile rose a little more last year with another demo and a split with Batillus that both opened a ton of ears. They ended up landing a deal with Prosthetic, who are doing one hell of a job making their roster nastier and heavier, and their debut full-length is one of the year’s more anticipated releases. At least as far as I’m concerned it is. But before we get to that point, this NYC-based beast has a 12-inch called “I Am Legion” coming out on Gilead Media to calm your thirst for blood. It’s a devastating effort that proves Mutilation Rites are one of the United States’ freshest, most promising young bands and are here to put a cleaver through the genre’s head.

The effort is but three songs and lasts a little less than 20 minutes, but it will blind you with its greatness and power. While Mutilation Rites remain black metal through and through and are just punishing on these tracks, they do let air into the room with some of their mind stretching on these songs. They do a nice job setting a mood, thus making the volcanic, often crusty outbursts even more effective. They’re well-rounded, smart players, and I would not be surprised if this band continues to evolve its sound into the future to include other elements. But I doubt they’ll ever be anything less than crushing and violent no matter what folds into their formula.

The album opens with “Cloaca Maxima,” a song that feels a little proggy and adventurous at the start, with some mid-tempo playing that reminds me of Mastodon’s earlier years, before it ignites into a full-bore assault from guitarists George Paul and Michael Dimmitt, while the rhythm section of bassist Ryan Jones and drummer Justin Ennis keep the low end rupturing. Paul’s hellish growls and shrieks hammer home their message like a rusty nail to the throat. “Blood Will Tell” also has some interesting melodies and atmosphere that sets the stage for the total panic and bludgeoning that grows out of them. The tempo gallops and chops at you, with a thrashiness that should inspire fists to pound off tables, doors, people, what have you. “Terrestrial Hell” closes the thing with a tirade that reminds me a lot of two other Gilead artists – FALSE and Barghest. It’s a violent thunderstorm of psychosis, with Paul sounding like he’s about to go off the rails emotionally, and the rest of the band members follow him up with off-kilter playing, eerie melodies and complete reckless abandon. It’s a stunning closer and leaves you begging for more helpings. But you’ll have to wait a while. Or you can play the thing over again.

Mutilation Rites have me excited, not just for their blossoming career, but for the future of USBM. They are keeping things interesting, they don’t do paint-by-numbers viciousness and they don’t seem to have any eye toward trends. They just plug their shit in and go, and if anyone in their wake isn’t prepared for them, to hell with those people. This stuff is angry and unfiltered, and to me, this is how black metal should sound. I plan to continue to spend a ton of time with this thing and sing their praises to anyone who will listen (and even to those who won’t). This is one dangerous machine with sharp gears that’ll cut you to pieces. Kind of like how their name indicates.

PS: If you’re heading to Gilead Media Music Festival, Mutilation Rites will be there to behead you in person. Check the details at Gilead’s site. Link’s below.

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

And here: http://mutilationrites.bandcamp.com/

To buy “I Am Legion” (up for sale soon, so keep checking back), go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/

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

I am an unabashed, unapologetic fan of ’80s power metal. I grew up with it, I love it and I always will. The other night, I listened to Helloween’s “Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 1” in the shower and came to the conclusion the events detailed in “Twilight of the Gods” is two years away from taking place. I was so excited that a song I have known and sung since my pre-teen years still is an active part of my life, and as silly as the German-based band can be, that era of the band was perfection to me.

But it doesn’t end there. I have plenty of music from bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Gamma Ray, Sanctuary and Metal Church and spent so much time with their music that their work is as much a part of my musical DNA as anything. I know not all of those bands typically are labeled as true power metal, but I think it all fits together. It seems that when the ’80s closed, I stopped finding bands of this ilk that interested me. I never dug the more recent bands such as Dragonforce, Blind Guardian, Nightwish, Sabaton and especially Iced Earth, so my love of the genre remained with the classics.

But there’s one modern band that made me realize newer artists could capture the same vibe of majesty, epicness and, yeah, ridiculousness that the ’80s guard mastered. Over the course of three albums, a split and an EP, Pharaoh have managed to wedge themselves alongside my all-time favorites and take a place on the power metal mantle. Their art is true, their hearts are in the right place, and they play the music with a passion. I’m sure some people will hear their songs and think it’s cheeseball, because we’re in an era of tough-guy, menacing metal. But so much of that rings hollow that I’d say most of that music is laughable and what Pharaoh do captures the real heavy metal spirit.

This quartet – vocalist Tim Amyar (ex-Control Denied), guitarist Matt Johnson (Dawnbringer), bassist Chris Kerns, and drummer Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits and a long-time collaborator with Nachtmystium) – are back with their fourth full-length record “Bury the Light,” arguably their best record yet. (Side note: New Dawnbringer this year … heavily excited) This is power metal that, as far as I’m concerned, is played the way it is supposed to be played. It’s glorious and reminds me of why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. Hearing this record over and over the past few weeks is what sparked my resurgence in checking out my old albums and getting reacquainted with specific records such as the aforementioned Helloween album, Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” and Metal Church’s criminally underappreciated “Blessing in Disguise.”

“Leave Me Here to Dream” opens “Bury the Light” with a song about slumber and dreams, and lurking behind the shadows is death. The guitar work is awesome and has a vintage power feel to it, and it’s the perfect way to lead to what’s next, including the aggressive, catchy “The Wolves”; “Cry,” a track awash in regret and the desire for true companionship;  and “Burn With Me,” a spacious, fiery song that reminds me a lot of Dio’s finest work. The band unfurls some choice epic cuts here including “Graveyard of Empire,” a war-torn song that gallops most of the way, goes clean and almost classical in the middle, and eventually packs a wallop with its finish; “In Your Hands,” another fairly aggressive song that lets some anger through but also has an empowering message; and “The Year of the Blizzard,” the standout song on the record. This cut sounds like the dudes channeled ’70s-era Rush, as the guitar work feels like something directly from a recording session for, say, “Caress of Steel,” “2112” or “A Farewell to Kings,” and the storyline of being buried under the snow with supplies running out might as well have been penned in Neil Peart’s notebook. It’s such an awesome flash of prog and classic hard rock, and Amyar soars as he tells the harrowing story.

Pharaoh do power metal perfectly, with reverence and respect for what preceded them and with an eye toward expanding the genre into the future. And for a curmudgeonly fan such as myself who is satisfied by almost nothing power metal has given me the past 20 years, I’m beyond thrilled that this band has been in my life the past decade to warm my thrill-seeking heart. Turns out all I need are my old records and cassettes and anything new that Pharaoh puts on the shelves.

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

To buy the CD, go here: http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=484

To buy the vinyl, go here: http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=485

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

Narrows

There are those record labels that, when I get new releases from them, they go into my brain right away. Profound Lore, Flenser, Rise Above, Peaceville and, on the non-metal tip, Secretly Canadian/Dead Oceans/Jagjaguwar generally put out music that I enjoy thoroughly. I get pumped when their promos arrive and usually clear my schedule to take on the new music.

Another label on that list is Deathwish Inc., who put out hardcore-centric bands that generally do not adhere to strict genre boundaries. Their bands are challenging, stimulating, and a breath of fresh air from the so-called hardcore fodder put out by many other labels with wider distribution but less-demanding artistic aspirations (looking at you, Victory and Rise). So while putting on any Deathwish record probably guarantees that whatever hardcore whim you have lingering deep inside of you will be satisfied, you’ll also get to stretch your legs, expand your mind and get a taste of other things. Last year, they put out Deafheaven’s debut record “Roads to Judah,” which made our Top 40 of 2011 and has gone on to become one of the brightest releases in the USBM scene. Yet their punk and classic screamo traits also shine through.

Deathwish also recently signed Code Orange Kids, who hail from my end of Pennsylvania, another ripper of a band that’ll excite the masses, as well as French band Birds in Row, and they are added to an already impressive roster that includes Doomriders, Blacklisted, Integrity, Oathbreaker and tons more. And today we’ll take a look at two more bands, one that’s back with their second album for the label and the other making their Deathwish debut after a string of successful self-issued releases.

Narrows claims some band members in Seattle, some in San Diego and others in London, and they’ve been one of the more interesting, forward-thinking hardcore bands since their awesome 2009 debut “New Distances,” a non-accidental title considering all the land that separates this band. Complete with eye-catching artwork and a progressive, math-friendly, indie-charged approach to hardcore, the album was a really captivating listen because it combined so many different styles, but did so seamlessly and successfully. It’s been on my iPod and in fairly regular rotation ever since it dropped.

Their new album “Painted” also will catch your eye when you see the wacko album cover (above), and the music will reveal a band that’s really grown, matured and warped even further from what they revealed three years ago. It’s amazing how cohesive the whole thing sounds considering, again, the distance keeping members apart and creation in different settings (Skype was used!), and it’s a punchy, heavy record that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. “Under the Guillotine” gets things going with a nice sense of groove coming from Ryan Frederiksen’s and Jodie Cox’s (T hese Arms Are Snakes) guitars, and frontman Dave Verellen (Botch, Roy) lets loose with harsh barks and shouts. “TB Positive” jerks around and leaps all over the map with its aggressiveness; “Absolute Betrayer” has an indie rock edge to the guitar work, and the same can be said for “Final Mass”; “It’s in the Water” has some Southern rock mud to stomp on, as Verellen laments, “Another fucking curse”; while centerpiece “Greenland” simmers on drone and noisy ambiance for its first half before folding into doom and roll and a calculating, crushing finish. A Sunn 0))) fan probably could dig that.

Narrows are two-for-two with their first couple of full-lengths, and clearly distance and pesky immigration laws are not going to keep this machine from rolling. As excited as I am about “Painted,” I can’t wait to hear how they shape and shift into their third record. Until then, I’ll stop being greedy and will be satisfied with the band’s catalog up to this point.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://deathwishinc.com/estore/category/NEW.html

Loma Prieta

Loma Prieta have been holding things down in the San Francisco Bay Area since 20005, and they have four 12-inch releases and a couple 7-inch records out on their own Discos Huelga. So they’ve been super active and have been carving out a following of their own before Deathwish came calling. Their style, much like Narrows, certainly centers on hardcore, but they have threads of melodic punk and indie rock. Added to that is the passion and emotion the band displays in their music, which gives their stuff the makings of public catharsis anytime they pull into your town for a show.

The band’s new album “I.V.” was recorded at a time of great pain and tumult for the band, and their path through dark and challenging situations comes across on this effort. You feel every ounce of this thing, as if you are in the room with them during a bloodletting. If you aren’t captured by what’s going on in these songs and in their hearts, you might be dead. The album is a light that burns out very fast, as it lasts a mere 22 minutes, but the guys make the most of it with 12 songs that hopefully helped them heal from such anguish. “Fly By Night” (not a Rush cover, thanks) launches a melodic assault that sounds like it could be embraced by mainstream listeners who can get with the acidic, strong vocal work. “Torn Portrait” sounds angry and menacing, as does “Reproductive,” that just goes off. The triptych “Trilogy IV”-“Trilogy VI” carries over a theme from their “Lost Worlds” release and is stitched together effortlessly. The piece goes from thrashy to furious to forceful, especially with the warning shot, “Stay the fuck away!” “Uniform” is mathy and pissed at you; “Biography” has that aforementioned indie/punk edge; and “Aside From This Distant Shadow, There Is Nothing Left” feels like vintage At the Drive In, with vocals that sound designed to permanently damage the throat.

Loma Prieta should only grow bigger with Deathwish behind them. They’re a band that’s gone beyond promise and has shown a deadly consistency that proves they should be here for the long haul. As long as they are, we are too.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LOMA-PRIETA/69571119156

To buy the album, go here: http://deathwishinc.com/estore/category/NEW.html

To buy the band’s other releases, go here: http://discoshuelga.bigcartel.com/

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

I never could see me wanting to pick up an arm and head into battle, but I oddly really enjoy music that makes me daydream about it. There’s something about aggressive, galloping music that packs a fury and causes me to think about catapults smashing the sides of castles, fleets of planes liberating a town under tyrannical rule, giants doing battle, wielding clubs the size of people. And I’m a pacifist!

But metal’s concentrated on war quite a bit from the start, so it’s become a part of its DNA. A lot of times the music decries battles and bloodshed, sometimes it glorifies it, yet other instancess it recalls times of great struggles that led to telling a nation’s story. Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” always comes to mind as a song that gets the adrenaline going, no matter what atrocities it details. Bands such as Bolt Thrower, Cobalt and Black Pyramid also work well when wanting to immerse oneself in the chaos of battle, as do Hail of Bullets, a war-centric outfit whose inclusion in today’s piece is quite fitting.

This leads up to “Deathhammer,” the punishing new effort from Dutch death/doom warriors Asphyx, whose frontman Martin Van Drunen and guitarist Paul Baayens also comprise part of Hail of Bullets’ lineup. Van Drunen also did time with Bolt Thrower as well as Pestilence, so his commitment to firepower is well known. Yet Asphyx aren’t concentrated on war, per se. They delve into death and destruction and pain and sorrow and madness in every realm. You don’t go to an Asphyx record to find a positive note to start your day, unless of course you are headed out onto a battlefield. But if your daily tumult is too much and you need an escape into a fantasy world where you could detonate the very things that ail you, by all means, treat yourself to “Deathhammer.” Just keep that violence in your mind, where it belongs. This music should be used as a mental release.

This is the second album with Van Drunen back in front of the band (their eighth overall), following up 2009’s awesome “Death … The Brutal Way,” a record that really doesn’t need a description. Just read the title. It was a fine return to form for the band, and now “Deathhammer” takes that several steps further. This thing sounds flat-out mean. There’s no mercy to be had, no hand up from the ground, no compassion for anyone in its path. You get steamrolled over and over again by the band’s potent mix of death metal and doom, and if the music comprised a real killing machine, all that would be left of you when it’s over would be bone fragments and charred flesh.

This son of a bitch meets you head on as soon as it begins, as the band launches “Into the Timewaste,” a grindy, thrashy mauler of a track that doesn’t intend to allow room for breathing. From there, the earth-swallowing title track kicks in, then stops, then ignites again, and it’s sure to be a fan favorite. Van Drunen howls, “This is real death metal, you bastards!” as the rest of the band takes up arms and drowns your senses in a bomb raid of mashing and menace. The chorus is so simple, but it resonates and likely will result in shout backs live. There are some longer, typically doomier cuts on here such as war-torn “Minefield,” where the guitars remind a bit of vintage Celtic Frost and the presentation feels kind of ceremonial; “Der Landser,” that also talks of a young solider, battlefields, conscription and hell on earth; “We Doom You to Death,” that has a nice sludgy finish; and the ominous and plodding “As the Magma Mammoth Rises,” a song that hulks along like it’s fictional title creature might.

There also are blasts of faster, quicker numbers such as ferocious and clubbing “Of Days When Blades Turn Blunt”; “Reign of the Brute,” a post-Apocalyptic nightmare that’s creepy, crawly and completely savage; and “The Flood,” a flattening number that’s of the flash, tidal wave variety. It leaves your head spinning and you gasping for air.

Asphyx certainly continue to get better with age, and they’ve never sounded more pissed off than they do on “Deathhammer.” Van Drunen’s raspy growls and shouts are a credit to the genre, and the rest of the band shows a hunger and desire most of the band half their ages couldn’t match after a case of Red Bull. This truly is real death metal, the brutal way, and the manner in which it was intended. All hail Asphyx, one of the true rulers of the metallic world. Now, where’s my sword?

For more on the band, go here: http://www.asphyx.nl/

To buy the album, go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Search/asphyx

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

You probably think you have a lot to do. You have to go to your job or school or both, pay the bills, fulfill some tedious social obligations, do laundry, make meals, and eventually find some way to squeeze in rest. It’s a lot to do, and everyone really feels for you. It’s all pretty silly, right? We have things to do. That kind of constitutes life, does it not? So we go about our day and do what’s ahead of us and start again tomorrow.

Things like that make me wonder how the dudes in Drudkh get anything done. Surely the Ukrainian black metal band members have their own responsibilities around the house and in their everyday lives, but on top of that, they also hold down their main project as well as a bunch of side bands. And they do it pretty damn well. Blood of Kingu have delivered two strong records, and the band’s latest offshoot Old Silver Key combined them with Alcest leader Neige for a spacious post-rock surprise that resulted in “Tales of Wanderings,” one of Meat Mead Metal’s top 40 albums of 2011. Then again, considering the band members never reveal their real names, don’t provide photos, have no official web site, and never perform live, that likely gives them more ability to focus on the matter at hand, creating stimulating music. Perhaps the secrecy and isolation from the rest of the world is their key to being so prolific.

The band’s new record “The Eternal Turn of the Wheel” is their ninth full-length offering since 2003. That’s a lot of music in a small amount of time. I feel like every time I turn around there’s new Drudkh music, and they’ve yet to let me down. I know some folks weren’t wild about 2010’s “Handful of Stars” because it was softer and a little more post-rock than metal. But I liked it, and it sort of served as a breather from a monstrous catalog that often was thorny and convulsive. It also seemed to pave the way for Old Silver Key and what they accomplished with that band. Their new one delves deeper into their past, sounding more like some of their heavier earlier work, but they still leave room for some lush atmospherics and gazey wonder.

Obviously we’re giving you the English translation for the band’s album and song titles, as they’re formally named in their native tongue, and you won’t be able to cull a hell of a lot from the lyrics unless you speak their language. But the band – Thurios (vocals/keys), Roman Saenko (guitars/bass), Vlad (drums/keys) and Krechet (bass/keys) – can move you with their music and help you feel an emotional connection that way. Their songs, that typically are drawn from Ukrainian poetry and are inspired by nature and history, are spacious and take deep breaths of air. Their music is heavy and quaking, but not really violent. You don’t get a sense of anger or hatred from what they do, and instead, you sort of feel alive and invigorated by their sound. It’s pretty unique for a black metal band to accomplish that.

The five cuts will please those who like their Drudkh more forceful and aggressive, and they tell a tale of a calendar year being born and progressing into the dead of winter. After a quick intro “Eternal Circle,” that gets winds whipping through your hair, they launch into “Breath of Cold Black Soil (March),” that blows open from the start with growling vocals, enrapturing melodies, and woodsy synth that keeps one foot in the forest. “When Gods Leave Their Emerald Halls (August)” sounds just like what you’d think from reading its title. It has a battle-of-the-heavens sort of feel to it, like it’s transcending earthly bounds for a plane of existence once only can imagine. It has a dreamy underbelly, but on top is a full assault of forceful vocals, adventurous black metal and even some hints of folk. “Farewell to Autumn’s Sorrowful Birds (October)” also reveals itself in its title, as the song is crushing but mournful, with winds whipping back up and the guitar work travelling on those gusts. Only when the crow calls do you know this trail is at its end and the cold air is about to arrive. Closer “Night Woven of Snow, Winds and Grey-Haired Stars (December)” is the strangest of the group, with an off-kilter melody holding the piece together, proggy melodies and gothic keys playing their part, and the vocals sound like they’re reaching out into the night for some sense of warmth. It’s an odd song that demands the longest adjustment, but the more I hear it, the more I understand what’s going on inside.

I’m sure by the time I post this review, there probably will be more Drudkh-related music awaiting me in my inbox, and I’ll digest it happily. So let’s wrap this before it happens. I loved “Handful of Stars” and “Microcosmos,” both of which started to show new shades of the band, but I welcome this return to times when “Autumn Aurora” and “Swan Road” still were new in our psyches. I’m always surprised and pleased by Drudkh’s output, and certainly “The Eternal Turn of the Wheel” is no exception. This band remains one of metal’s most consistent and active bands, and I doubt that’ll change any time soon.

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

To buy “The Eternal Turn of the Wheel,” go here: http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/en/items/drudkh/eternal-turn-of-the-wheel/cd/30174

For more on the label, go here: http://www.season-of-mist.com/