We have an exciting new record label in our midst, but it’s a name you’ve probably heard before if you’re way down in the gutters of extreme metal. Handshake Inc. is well known for their visual presentations, most notably their “Maryland Deathfest” films (let’s see if VH-1 and their “metal” push has the guts to show this sucker), “When the Screams Come” piece about Pentagram, and “Disgorge Mexico the Movie” based on the album by Canada’s Fuck the Facts, as well as video clips for Jucifer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Hail of Bullets, among many others.

But now Handshake is dedicating  time to releasing new music, and just like their visual work, it’s been a pretty damn exciting venture so far. Taking cues from ANb freak J Randall’s wacky Grindcore Karaoke digital label, Handshake head honcho David Hall moved forward with an eye toward exposing some of the more exciting, daring underground bands going that might not be ready for even the most open-minded of indie metal imprints. And that’s fine because these groups may be better served now by this wholly dedicated boutique-style venture. People with niche tastes probably are more likely to give Handshake a shot until they gain some steam, and those who do check out what’s coming from this label are bound to be blown away by what’s offered. I know I have been. Along with Hall is his partner Kim Kelly — Grim Kim to you … and me — who handles PR, A&R, and is very instrumental in working with Hall on the label’s direction.

We’re going to look at two of the label’s offerings today, but it’s certainly not all Handshake has to offer.  For example, we’re not going to discuss the label’s first release, Sulaco’s “Build and Burn,” and not because it isn’t worth your time. I just haven’t spent enough time with the grindcore noise chaos yet to intelligently talk about it, and I didn’t want to hold this piece any longer. As always, I’ll add a link to the label below so you can find out more for yourself, and if my word means anything, let me say you will not be disappointed in what you’ll discover. Unless you buy your music at Hot Topic. Then you might have some development in front of you, but hey, we all have to start somewhere.

First up is the new full-length from black metal/ambient/doom/electronic crusher Surachai, a one-man audio nightmare who has a smattering of releases to his credit but really hits one out of the park on this two-track offering. The Chicago-based musician certainly has absorbed some of his home city’s influences, and this new effort “To No Avail” is way more brutal and metallic than his last full entry “Plague Diagram,” that was far more industrial and overtly programmed. That’s not to speak ill of that record, because it also was really good and riveting, but Surachai just goes above and beyond on “To No Avail.”

Available both digitally and on vinyl, this collection is bound to get your mind and heart racing. They’ll probably struggle to keep up with each other. Maybe lay off the caffeine for a while before taking on this thing. The songs are simply titled “Side *” and “Side **” and work nicely in tandem with each other. The first track is spacious and sprawling, with furious growls, riveting melodies, a blaze of noise, oddball interference and a cacophony of madness that somehow remains self-contained. There are excellently placed highs and lows, and every time you think you have a moment’s rest, he lights the whole thing on fire again. It’s a nice example of experimental black metal that doesn’t go too far into left field and always keeps you interested. The second cut lets its programming traits show a little more, but it’s smashed by a thunderstorm of psychedelic storming, black metal thunder and simmering hiss, not to mention his banshee, throat-mangling cries.

I’ve listened to this release a lot since receiving the download a few weeks back, and it never fails to keep my brain working and me guessing. It’s one of those efforts that reveals itself more each time you come back for another bout. It’s bound to confuse and put off your less-daring listeners, which is to be expected, but for those who like things unpredictable – the comparisons to Deathspell Omega and Krallice are accurate, and I’d toss in sudden trip-hop lovers Blut Aus Nord as well – you’d be doing yourself a giant disservice by not seeking out this jackhammer.

For more on the band, go here: http://surachai.org/

To buy “To No Avail,” go here: http://shop.handshakeinc.com/

Or here: http://handshakeinc.bandcamp.com/track/surachai-to-no-avail-side-o

The second album we’ll look at is “Summer Darkyard,” the new one from oddly named The Sun Through a Telescope. Like Surachai, we’re dealing with a one-man wrecking machine, Ottawa-based Lee Neutron. His music forces you to pay attention to every second, because he can go from serene and calm one minute to spastic grand mal seizure the next. If you’re driving your car, you may want to pick something else to soundtrack your journey, because nothing will send you over an embankment quicker than what you’ll hear on this four-track effort.

Neutron recorded and produced this effort himself, which he culled from compositions he initially dreamt up working on his past projects and some that he conjured this past summer, and he went to FTF guitarist and producer of all hellish sounds Topon Das for mastering. The music really can’t be pinpointed accurately, but I can tell you with relative certainty that if you’re into bands such as Sunn 0))), Godflesh, Thou and Khanate that you at least have a jump-off point. Opener “Darkyard” is filled with catastrophic noise, some oddball bluesy riffs, mortal wailing and crushing charges. By the way, just when you think this thing is winding down, it absolutely explodes with black hole fury. That’s the point in time when you’d lose control over your vehicle. “Cro-Magnon Nightmare” has a bit more delicacy, but eventually it morphs into Voivod-like space thrash and maniacal diatribes, where Neutron imagines total universal death, especially when observing a “violent death of a star” in the middle of his nightmare. “I’ll Die, Goodbye” leans on Vocoder-laced vocals and a terrifying glimpse into hell and post-life decay, and despite it feeling gorgeous and sungazey, it’s wholly horrific. The closing interlude lets you down easy, but not after your psyche has been permanently scarred.

The Sun Through a Telescope likely won’t sound all that fitting at your next house party, unless you plan to slaughter all the guests at the end. But if you want to get in touch with your ever-changing mentality and some of the psychotic darkness that lies beneath your demeanor, this will help you get there and might even push you over the edge.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.tstat.org/

To buy “Summer Darkyard,” go here: http://shop.handshakeinc.com/

Or here: http://tstat.bandcamp.com/

As noted, these are only a couple of Handshake’s ventures, and they have future offerings in store from ((Thorlock)), Maruta and Yakuza (the latter two live efforts), and they still have some remaining video clips on the way for Rwake, Rottenness, Vilipend and FTF. They also have a new “Deathfest” film in the works and something on Jucifer that is sure to be awesome. Handshake has me excited for the future of metal. I don‘t always feel that way about things because of how safe and homogenous everything has become, but this company is keeping things exciting and slightly ablaze. I’m down with that.

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

And here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Handshake-Inc/341492067038

http://handshakeinc.bandcamp.com/track/surachai-to-no-avail-side-o

This is a curious case. OK, so we do stuff from time to time that isn’t purely heavy metal or metal at all, as long as there’s some kind of logical crossover appeal. Generally those albums are from decidedly non-metal labels but still are worth your time if you have an open mind. Today we have something that is on a very metal label but really doesn’t belong in that genre at all.

Junius is more like post-rock dreaming, melodic storytelling, and spacious exploration. They have toured with metal bands, most recently taking Ghost’s slot on the Enslaved tour, but they could hook up with a mainstream band such as Foo Fighters or Muse and be right at home. In fact, a jaunt like that might cause this band to blow up commercially. Their new album “Reports From the Threshold of Death” is far better and significantly more riveting than what those arena rock bands are doing anyway, so they’d probably show up the headliners. No one wants that. They also likely will mislead people not only because of the Prosthetic Records stamp on the back of their album but also from that record title that sounds like a guttural death metal assault that goes for your throat. It’s anything but that.

Now, if you read about Junius in Rolling Stone, a magazine that’s proved over and over they shouldn’t even bother covering metal because of their total lack of understanding, you saw they were called a cross between Neurosis and the Smiths. I certainly would not pick that combo to describe this band. Their new record contains zero resemblance to Neurosis as it isn’t nearly cataclysmic enough, but I can hear Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pelican, Caspian, My Bloody Valentine, the Deftones, Cave In and Jesu musically, and vocally, there are hints of Hum and … brace yourself for it … Coldplay. I only mean that in how Joseph E. Martinez’s voice sounds, as it’s full of compassion and drama. It’s not like he and the band are playing pretty love songs, though they do a fine jobs exposing their hearts. Maybe that’s the only way I can sense any connection with the Smiths. Nice try, RS.

Along with their post-rock leanings, there are hints of goth rock and New Wave as well, mostly because of the lush, swarming keyboards and Martinez’s darkness when singing. They open with a soul-crushing, surging salvo on “Betray the Grave,” a song title that sounds like it came from a Chris Barnes songbook but instead is a swelling rocker, where Martinez urges, “Never fear for your life.” “All Shall Float” swims through the cosmos and might make Chino Moreno jealous when he hears the fantastic delivery; “Dance on Blood” is a moody, up-tempo rocker that has the only real hints of sludge on the album; “Haunts for Love” would have sounded excellent on ’80s alternative rock radio and likely have been a big hit; “Transcend the Ghost” floats on synth whir and eventually a bit of doom rock; and closer “Eidolon & Perispirit” is a New Wave-flavored entry that’s dreamy and filled with atmosphere, with Martinez pleading, “Bring me into your light.” It brings to a close a really fantastic rock record, filled with strong songwriting and honesty that is basically absent from the mainstream. In fact, Junius could do a great deal of good if they were to be included on pop, Top 40 radio playlists. Their songs are too strong to ignore, and with proper exposure they could smarten up your average music listener.

Junius has another new release on the market in their split with post-metal maulers Rosetta, who are more muscle-bound and burly. The Translation Loss-released effort allows each band one song, and both make the best of the time. Junius’ contribution “A Dark Day With Night” is far longer than anything on their new record, clocking in at a little more than eight minutes, but it’s pretty much in line with the material on “Reports From the Threshold of Death.” Only difference is this song basks a little more in shoegaze. As for Rosetta, their cut “TMA-3” has a bit more melody to it than some of their past works, almost as if they’re veering more toward Junius’ frame of mind. But fear not, their guttural, hefty growls and shouts are in place, so they certainly haven’t skimped on the hardcore-laced brutality, but you do a little more dreaming than usual on this song. Altogether, this package works pretty nicely, and you experience a dose of two pretty different bands that have similar center points but different paths away from the core. Also, if you’re hesitant to commit to a full-length from either band, this gives you a small taste of what each does best.

I’m curious to hear how metal fans react to Junius. I’m sure since they’re on Prosthetic, people unaware of their work will expect bulldozer violence and mosh-pit fodder. They’ll be disappointed if they’re only in it for those qualities, but more open-minded listeners are sure to take a serious ride with these bands on their adventurous songs. They’ll never win the prize for the heaviest band in the world, but Junius certainly are in the running for the most thought-provoking.

For more on Junius, go here: http://www.juniusmusic.com/

To buy “Reports From the Threshold of Death,” go here: http://prostheticrecords.bigcartel.com/artist/junius

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

For more on Rosetta, go here: http://rosettaband.com/

To buy the split album, go here: http://translationloss.com/store.htm

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

I’ve never been hit by a truck. My wife has, actually. She’s a warrior who will destroy you. Perhaps she should be writing this piece and not me. But I’d imagine if ever that fate would come upon me, it might remind me just a bit of what it’s been like tackling the sophomore effort “From Man to Dust” from doom sludgers Beneath Oblivion. It’s destructive and flattening and does a large amount of damage to your psyche. Luckily you can’t have a physical encounter with the thing because the results would be poor. For you. Certainly not for the band.

The Cincinnati-based band hasn’t gotten to us with a full-length effort since their 2006 debut “Existence Without Purpose,” though they’ve made good with some split and mini efforts since that time (including their contribution alongside Angel Eyes earlier this year), but the wait certainly was worth it because of how cataclysmic and sometimes utterly terrifying this album sounds. It’s a 75-minute tour-de-force that manages to stay fresh despite the marathon running time and the epic tracks. Not all bands can pull off a record this lengthy and do it this well. But you’re not getting drubbed about the head and torso by the same sound the whole time, and there’s enough variety in the music to keep the collection fresh and exciting.

Beneath Oblivion’s lineup has shuffled some since the band’s first album. Scotty T. Simpson is the only remaining original member, as he handles guitar and the gargantuan vocals, and drummer Nate Bidwell, who’s been around since 2006, is still behind the kit. Guitarist/sample expert Allen Scott II joined up in 2009, and bassist Keith Messerle has been around for about a year, so we’re talking half a new band from their “Existence Without Purpose” days, and you can hear some of those new personalities in the music. If those lineup shuffles make you nervous, worry not, because Simpson’s talents have helped make this band special from the beginning (and that’s not to take way from what the rest of the members do), and every time he opens his mouth to deliver a tortured diatribe, it makes you sit up immediately and take notice. I’ve heard a ton of singers over the years who chill my blood, and he’s up there pretty high on the list. Even their producer, doom legend Billy Anderson, reportedly has said as much.

You might think you’re in for something light or merely stage-setting with the first track “Intro,” but that would be a mistake. It’s a seven-minute crusher of slow-driving doom and animalistic squeals, in the midst of which Simpson growls, “There is nothing left to live for.” Well, I guess maybe it does prepare you emotionally for what’s left. It also bleeds directly into “Atomic Mother,” a lurching, monstrous song that has Apocalyptic leanings and eventually dialog stretched over the chaos that is either a prayer or a Biblical reading. “Hope, the Deceiver” goes more down-tuned musically, as it gulps mouthfuls of mud, and Simpson’s vocals sound anguished, but eventually some acoustic passages blend in and allow air into the room. Things change up on “Barren Earth,” an emotional, caterwauling number that begins like a ballad before barreling into a sonic pit of hell. “Be My  Destroyer” also goes for atmosphere, with more acoustic guitar work and cleaner, deeper vocals from Simpson. It also goes for a mid-tempo, reflective pace, reminding me of Cobalt when they’re not burning things to the ground, but it, too, explodes into chaos before it’s done. The closing title track brings everything back around again, simmering in volume, tar and drubbing, as it spreads itself maniacally over its nearly 20-minute running time. You’ll be out of breath when the track finally reaches its end, finally giving you some mercy.

Beneath Oblivion, with new lineup intact and a volcanic second album, sound primed to take the admittedly oversaturated doom world by storm. I listen to a lot of this stuff both for pleasure and for work, and it’s nice when one of these bands sticks in your head. This band has done that for me over the years, and “From Man to Dust” is going to remain in listening rotation for some time to come. That’ll explain my black eyes.

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

To buy “From Man to Dust,” go here: http://www.mylenesheath.com/catalog.html?Iit=435&Ict=37

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

This site you’re reading, the one with the ridiculous name, tends to skew toward the serious side when discussing metal. I don’t know why that is, as I never planned it that way. It just kind of happens. It’s a loose schedule I have here that tends to revolve around release schedules.

But that doesn’t mean we shun the idea of fun in metal. It should be there in the genre at all times, though not necessarily practiced by every band. I can’t really see any chicanery fitting into Moss’ or Loss’ or Mournful Congregation’s music. But bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Anthrax, Immortal, Carcass and more current bands such as Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch and Kvelertak hammer with you heaviness and majesty but also let you smile along with their work. It’s a release and a way to forget what ails you. It’s a means toward letting loose and shelving your worries.

Another band along those lines, though they certainly lean more toward ridiculousness, is Ghoul. The quartet goes by the names
Fermentor, Cremator, Dissector and Digestor, they wear ridiculous costumes, and they claim to hail from a place called Creepsylvania. Their songs are autobiographical-fantasy, in that they write about themselves, as their characters, doing disgusting and horrific things. They would make Alice Cooper smile and them vomit. But they also have excellent punk-flavored thrash chops, so while you’re taking in these cockamamie stories — they will make you laugh more often than not unless you take yourself way too seriously – you’ll be floored by their awesomeness as musicians. Not so bad for a bunch of guys who wear gear that looks as if it needs laundered after a murder.

Of course, you know some or all of these guys. Bassist/vocalist Cremator is actually Ross Sewage, who you know from bands such as Exhumed, Impaled and Ludicra; drummer Dino Sommese plied his trade in groups such as Asunder, Dystopia and Carcinogen; guitarist/vocalist Dissector is Dan Randall, who played with Born/Dead and Desolation and also worked mastering albums for Abscess, Impaled and Toxic Holocaust; and Digestor is Sean “Bloodbath” McGrath, who also played with Impaled, Engorged, Stormcrow and others. Along with the impressive resumes elsewhere, the fellows as Ghoul also have four full-length efforts to their name since their formation more than a decade ago. Their latest is “Transmission Zero,” a blast of blood and guts that’ll have you going back for more, no matter how repulsed you may be. And maybe there’s more going on than you can sense beneath the rot.

“Transmission Zero,” an 11-track album that runs about 40 minutes, gets off to a relatively benign start on the instrumental “The Lunatic Hour,” a well-played, nicely executed song that acts like the opening credits to this whole package. The band goes for the throat on “Off With the Heads,” a track where our heroes are making their final gasp toward the catacombs beneath Monture Noire cemetery, where only carnage and bloodshed are on the minds. It also is the destination for the many characters involved with this story, for they seek what’s hidden inside. “Destructor” has the fellows trying to avoid their demise at the hands of the Killbot (listen for the weird, robotic sound effects behind this tasty masher); “The Mark of Voodoo” is punchy and speedy, with the yarn being spun about the mysterious Baron Samedi looking for an audience in lizard king Basilisk’s palace, where he’s then directed to the catacombs. “Blood Feast” is punishing and mucky, where our Ghoul beasties go about devouring everything in front of them; “Morning of the Mezmetron” is an eight-minute epic that’s devoted to doom metal, and has three of the Ghoul members in captivity while Basilisk’s mind-control machine prepares to devastate Creepsylvania (told further on the title cut); “Tooth and Claw,” a thrashy, gurgly entry that sounds like Slayer moaning about mangled limbs, is the result of the brainwashing; and bizarre closer “Metallicus ex Mortis” is sort of your conclusion, where the Ghoul fellows get a means of control over the scene, only to have the whole thing transported via videotape back to some dork in Portland, Ore. It’s such a strange, wacky closer that it almost requires pizza and soda along with it.

“Transmission Zero” isn’t terribly profound on its surface, though you can decide if they’re making a deeper commentary on our cultural tendency toward mass consumption and total mental control by our television networks, that try to convince us a televised (and disgustingly mass-marketed) wedding of two celebrities is real and that you really can shape singing careers by voting on any number of live performance shows. After all, George Romero always packed his films with foreboding messages that went beyond flesh-eating and brain-destroying, but it was up to you to find them. Or maybe this is just a blast of thrash goodness that is here to make you wretch and laugh. Either way, you’re bound to get hours of enjoyment out of this pile of death and puss that, luckily, can only be heard and not smelled.

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

To buy “Transmission Zero,” go here: http://www.tankcrimes.com/catalog/

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

And here: http://downloads.tankcrimes.com/

A few weeks ago, it snowed here. Generally that doesn’t happen until late November in these parts, and it led all of those wackos out there to declare global warming a myth, a lie, and a product of liberals. Yet here we are, a week before Thanksgiving, and I’m wearing shorts, the widows are open, and it’s been this way most of the month. Where are those people now?

You’re probably wondering about my point. Understandable. When I hear certain types of music, I like when what I see outside my window matches the spirit of the sound. And that’s only applicable to my little world, so if you don’t require snow and wintry majesty to be fully engulfed by “Declaration of the Grand Artificer,” the debut album from Portland, Ore., black metal band Chasma, then by all means take the leap. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the music, just so I’m clear, but it would have been a fully enhanced experience if the weather outside my window was more in line with what we typically feel here in November. I guess I’ll have to wait for that. It’s not a major issue.

Chasma, made up of members of bands such as Nanda Devi and Altar of Earth, have that Cascadian sound. They’re from the same path as Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room, yet they have more of a wintry feel, almost like they grabbed some of that Nordic influence as well. Their first album is only three cuts at 33 minutes, making it more like an EP, but it’s emotional, melodic, raw and wrenching, with the band making like they’re dripping every ounce of their life force onto the forest floor. You’ll likely find yourself daydreaming of difficult journeys on foot up hills, across a babbling body of water, into the mountains and through the brush, gazing into the sky for celestial guidance. As clichéd as I’m sure that sounds, it’s true. Just this morning as I was sitting in the car dealership listening again to Chasma while some damage was being repaired, I was able to ignore everything going on around me in the bustling waiting room and think more of what would be waiting for me when I went back outside. Too bad it wouldn’t be snow, but it was threatening storm, so that seemed fitting enough.

“Daystar Angelwar” opens the collection with a hammering, melodic pace, wild howls and shrieks that sound downright animalistic, and a vicious hiss. Eventually some calm sets in, the music goes a little cleaner, and some shoegazey fog rises up and envelops the land. That leads into “Shadowbend,” a song that begins with serenity and beauty, though eventually a progressive, rollicking bassline sets up shop, cymbals gets positively crushed, gorgeous post-metal style strumming arrives, and the whole thing bleeds out with tortured, panicked gargles and growls. “Blue Jewel Destruction” begins with an eerie, chilling playback of someone speaking indecipherably (the dialog might be played backward, but I can’t tell), and perhaps it’s the tail end of someone’s torture. Musically, it ranges from hulking and violent to alarmingly thought-provoking, with maniacal shrieks, throaty growls and quaking madness. The album ends way too quickly. That’s my only complaint. When the third song expired I really wanted there to be more, so there’s something to be said for that desire.

Chasma don’t veer too far from the Pacific Northwestern idea of black metal, which is something that’s gotten a black eye on the Internet lately, mainly from jerks. But fans of other bands such as Deafheaven, Weakling, FALSE, Woods of Ypres and Drudkh probably will be interested in this record as well. Chasma is a different type of signing for Moribund as well, who typically go for the ultra-evil, raw and pure black metal hellishness. Having this band on their roster is a demonstration of the label’s open-mindedness, and they’ve found themselves a future-star player here with Chasma. I’d like to hear more material from the band next time around, but it’s tough to complain with a piece as effective as “Declaration of the Grand Artificer,” one of the more promising black metal albums of the year.

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

To buy “Declaration of the Grand Artificer,” go here: http://www.moribundcult.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=DEAD177&Category_Code=M

To buy the vinyl, go here: http://www.mylenesheath.com/catalog.html?Tp=6&Vl=chasma&sbT=Go

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

It is altogether possible that Metallica and Lou Reed killed the idea of the collaborative album. I mean, who really wants to venture down that road anymore? Do things wrong, and you’ll always be compared to that lump of tarry coal that is “Lulu.” People will say the bands that try and fail to work together on an album really Loutallica’d that thing.

And that’s a shame. One of my favorite records of the last few years or so is “Altar,” the combined effort of drone gods Sunn 0))) and amplifier worshippers Boris. It’s a fantastic album that finds both bands comfortable in their creative flow, and put together, it’s as tasty as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I wonder if anyone’s ever compared “Altar” to a sandwich before. So my mind hasn’t yet been changed by Loutallica about letting two bands meld together, and what’s helped me stay positive is collaborations such as the one from drone/doom duo The Body and dramatic, orchestral post-rock band Braveyoung, who used to record as Giant (their split with Tides is a killer). The bands, who have been working as one in live settings, came together to make the excellent new four-track effort “Nothing Passes,” an album that lets both bands play to their strengths but never in a way that overshadows the other group. It sounds like if Sunn 0))) and MONO blended as one. Imagine that one.

Actually, you may notice there’s a huge helping of thunderous drone, and that may make you decide that the Body dominates this effort. But I don’t think that’s the case. While, yes, their smoking noise is ever-present on this thing, if you peek underneath all of that, you can hear Braveyoung forming the spine of this piece. They sprinkle the magic and the wonder that serves to both counteract and enhance the end-of-the-world ugliness. Their contribution to this effort is really gorgeous, and you might have to listen to this thing a few times to really sense that point. I had to do that, because the first time I heard “Nothing Passes,” I was first overtaken by the burliness of the Body. But as time went by and I visited again and again, Braveyoung’s personality made itself present. It’s a really fantastic, affecting partnership, and I hope it’s only the first of many efforts from these two bands.

Let’s also not downplay the presence of Rhode Island-based female chorus The Assembly of Light Choir, who have worked with both bands in the past and made their presence felt on The Body’s last record, the incredible “All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood.” In fact, the ladies popped up in Pittsburgh recently when the Body blew through here, making what already was going to be a hulking night into a wholly entrancing event. Their work here, especially on closer “The Vision,” a faithful cover of Exuma’s 1970 track that basks in both Armageddon and rebirth, brings a sense of beauty and wonder to the proceedings, making the world’s dissolution into ashes almost palatable.

The record opens with simply titled “Song One,” something of an introductory piece that runs a little over three minutes and lets both bands have a chance to warm their engines. A primitive sounding melody runs behind the fog, only hinting to what’s ahead. “Song 2” opens with drone fire, haunting chimes and the first choral notes of the collection, and over its more than 15 minutes, it slips into cosmic noise, glistening melody, howled shrieks and impenetrable darkness. This song is where Braveyoung stand out the most, as they color in the open pockets with their imaginative compositions and adherence to atmosphere. Remove them from this piece, and it might grow a little tired halfway through, but they help it breathe with extra life. The title track allows all the collaborators to get a little psychedelic and heady, with the Body’s suffocating doom bringing in and carrying out the song, but in between, you’re whisked across the galaxy to see worlds born and buried. And of course, it all ends with aforementioned “The Vision,” a song that initially seems like it doesn’t belong with the rest of the collection, but as it runs its course, makes you realize “Nothing Passes” wouldn’t be nearly the same without its inclusion.

These two bands sound like they were made to work together. I guess I should say three, because I don’t want to downplay the presence of the Assembly. But these groups – one a burly drone duo from Providence, a post-rock tandem from North Carolina, and a swelling chorus – make their worlds meet and live amicably in a haven of chaos. “Nothing Passes” is a mind-altering, soul-moving, skin-bruising effort that will stick with you for days. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, and it should do a ton to save the idea of the harmonious collaboration that Loutallica so spectacularly sullied.

For more on the Body, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-body/334047229514?sk=info

For more on Braveyoung, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Braveyoung/130891160221

For more on the Assembly of Light Choir, go here: http://www.facebook.com/Assembly.of.Light.Choir

To buy “Nothing Passes,” go here: http://www.bluecollardistro.com/atalossrecordings/categories.php?cPath=719

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

I’ve never traveled to the U.K., and from the sound of some of their doom metal, I’m not I sure want to go. I feel like spending time there may make me too aware of my inner strife, and I get a healthy enough dose of that living where I do now, in the relatively benign Northeastern U.S.

Take some bands such as Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema, among others, and you’d probably be left wondering if the entire land’s population should be on some kind of anti-depressant. Yet, the music is riveting, memorable and relatable, especially for those of us who find ourselves under a black cloud now and again. Another act that should be on that last is long-standing doom/death band Esoteric, who have been making pulverizing, anguished funeral-style metal for years. Their latest album “Paragon of Dissonance” is yet another that won’t raise your spirits or leave you giddy with joy, but if you enjoy their calculated, deliberate assault, you’ll love every moment of this mammoth.

And it is a whale of a collection, spread over two discs and lasting more than an hour and a half combined. Then again, their last full-length, 2008’s “The Maniacal Vale,” also was two discs long at about 100 minutes, so folks already into this band know what’s in store. Prepare to be fully stuffed with extreme doom when it’s all over, and don’t worry about saving room for dessert. Also, if you were intrigued by our piece on Mournful Congregation and decided to buy those records, you might want to consider “Paragon of Dissonance” as well because it goes hand in hand quite nicely with the Australian band’s emissions.

Only vocalist/guitarist Greg Chandler remains from the band’s 1992 formation, and he’s joined by bassist Mark Bodossian (around since 2003), guitarist Jim Nolan (who debuts on this album), guitarist Gordon Bicknell, and drummer Joe Fletcher (on board since 2007) on “Paragon of Dissonance.” While it might seem like a lot of material to absorb, and it is, they aren’t outdone by their ambition. Truth be told, if you played this whole thing at a few speeds faster than Esoteric delivers it, you might be able to get through it in an hour or so. That’s just how drubbingly slowly these guys deliver these songs. It’s exactly how it should be, too.

Disc one opens up with “Abandonment,” a crushing, melodic and hulking piece that has its fair share of melody and eventually drowns out in a storm cloud of noise. “Loss of Will,” a somber, moving entry, is the shortest of the entire collection at 7:16, and the song drips with pain and suffering that you can feel through your skin. “Cipher” has a watery opening that takes some time to bleed over, and eventually Chandler’s monstrous growls take control as noise and ambiance hang in the air like a fog. The disc is capped off with “Non-Being,” a cut that has a psychedelic edge at times, not unlike some of Pink Floyd’s edgier moments, and it slowly sizzles and shakes, at moments taking on power metal-flavored riffs and at others trickling into calm waters and the unfurling canopies of dusk. This first disc alone would be enough to make “Paragon of Dissonance” worth your investment, but alas, there is more.

“Aberration” is the airiest, least direct song on the whole album, which is not a criticism. It lets your mind wander and your body absorb the darkness that’s ahead on the rest of the disc. “Disconsolate” is the angriest, most aggressive song here, as it begins with the band’s trademark trudging-through-mud pace but eventually blows up into some monstrous thrashing, fiery guitar work, and metallic fireworks that helps counter the otherwise somber atmosphere. “The Torrent of Ills” slithers as slowly as any song on here, or in the rest of their catalog, but it’s nothing less than suffocating and punishing, eventually tapping out to a tidal wave of ambient hiss and barbaric noise. It just bleeds and bleeds until there’s nothing left to give.

Esoteric strangely don’t have that high a profile in the United States, and their style of doom/death does seem to be more of a niche style. But that’s too bad, because there’s so much emotion and anguish here that, while it might not fill you with sunshine and flowers, it should help you address and conquer your dark side. Isn’t that what metal’s supposed to be about anyway? Hopefully more people take advantage of this band’s incredible output and their spectacular new record “Paragon of Dissonance.” It’s funeral-style doom metal the way it’s supposed to be done, and they remain one of the sub-genre’s go-to acts.

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

To buy “Paragon of Dissonance,” go here: http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/en/items/esoteric/paragon-of-dissonance/dcd/28607

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

Any time I see the term “companion piece” when receiving a new collection of music, I grow wary. Often I find that term means “stuff that wasn’t all that great first time around, but maybe you’ll go ahead and buy it anyway until we come up with a new album.” I immediately become the skeptical consumer.

Louisville’s Coliseum have one of those efforts called “Parasites” getting ready to hit the streets, and before I even encountered the music, I had mixed emotions. I loved last year’s “House With a Curse” after being hot and cold with their previous material – I liked their other work just fine, but their first two albums didn’t really make Coliseum one of my favorite bands – and I was wondering just how much they had left in the same creative tank that led the way to their third record. Turns out, they must have been overflowing before committing “House” to record, because the eight tracks on this EP are just as good and even manage to be heavier and nastier in spots.

Actually, “Parasites” isn’t just stuff left over from their sessions at The Funeral Home with J Robbins that resulted in “House With a Curse.” There are some of those included here, but there also are newer pieces they cut with Robbins at Inner Ear Studios in Washington, D.C., a legendary recording space used by bands such as Bad Brains, Fugazi, Lungfish, and Rites of Spring. Perhaps being in such a hallowed space is what led to some of these songs being more bruising and hardcore-laden than what was on “House,” an album that saw the band head more on a traditional, albeit earth-quaking, path.

Just as they discovered on their last album, Coliseum are gifted with the ability to create meaty hooks and catchy melodies that make you want to scream along and punch a wall at the same time. These songs can be rowdy, yet introspective, boisterous, yet vulnerable. The trio kicks off the eight-track collection with “One Last Night,” a song that reminds me of Fucked Up’s more recent anthems, and guitarist/vocalist Ryan Patterson tries to reach out to the disillusioned in his audience by observing, “We spread to where we don’t belong.” That leads us into “Waiting (Too Late),” that has a stoner rock groove, some talky vocals, and Patterson telling his nameless muse, “I’m sick, sick, sick of losing you.” He’s both angry and desperate while delivering his plea. “The Fiery Eye” reminds me a bit of “Blind in One Eye” from “House,” as the song takes on an atmospheric, punchy rock personality. The guitar work is really cool and airy, and it’s like The Edge was ripped from the early ’80s to Coliseum’s creative sessions to add his input. ’80s The Edge is going to be surprised and perhaps appalled to see where his band has gone.

“Ghost of God” lets the band delve into some mechanical weirdness, but its headiness is a red herring for what follows. From there, the band throws all the hammers and wrenches out the window with some furious, temperature-raising songs that remind me a bit of their hardcore past. “The Big Baby” is abrasive and screamy, and it’ll be the song that leads to fist flurries live; “Gone With the Pope” is absolutely simmering, with some grungy, punk-flavored guitar work; and “Blood of the Beast” is gruff and violent, lasting very little time but still doing much damage. “Give Up and Drive” ends the record on a melodic, hopeful note, reminding the listener once again just how well-rounded this band – rounded out by bassist Mike Pascal and drummer Carter Wilson – really are. It’s moving and inspiring, capped off by Patterson declaring, “This road drives me down to my destiny.” He sounds like a man of purpose delivering that line, and his bandmates are just as determined hammering their way through.

So yeah, don’t shy away from this “companion piece.” I understand why it’s considered that, but “Parasites” is a separate animal and can stand on its own. It’s more proof Coliseum are hitting their stride creatively and are one of those bands you need to follow into the future, because things are just starting to get good.

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

To buy “Parasites” or to learn more about the label, go here: http://temporaryresidence.com/

To read my review of “House With a Curse,” go here: http://www.metal-army.com/?p=8018

As a fan of most major sports, I’m pretty used to the comeback. Some of them go pretty well. Mario Lemieux every time he laced up the skates again. Brett Favre in his first year in Minnesota. Michael Jordan after his ill-advised run as a baseball player. Some of them don’t go so well. Favre in his first year with the Jets and second year with Minnesota. Each time Eric Lindros tried to best his concussion problems. Jordan with the Wizards. Tiki Barber hilariously trying to get back into the NFL.

Music has had its fair share of returns, and just like sports, some are worthwhile and others aren’t. One of the comebacks that has gone the best is the rejuvenation of Cynic. The band helped pioneer the prog-tech-death sub-genre and was one of the most important and influential groups of the early 1990s (Between the Buried and Me basically owe them a ton of gratitude, and I’m sure they’d agree) until they disbanded in 1994 after releasing their groundbreaking record “Focus.” In 2007, the band was revived, and Peter Masvidal on guitar and vocals, Sean Reinert on drums, Sean Malone on bass and stick, and Tymon Kruidenier on guitar and aggressive vocals recorded the group’s second full-length “Traced in Air.” It was noteworthy how less death metal and how more prog rock the collection was, but it worked for the band and certainly was a breath of fresh air. Who am I kidding? It was excellent! Their EP “Re-Traced” was a reimagination of some of the “Traced” songs, and it was a cool stop-gap effort but certainly not an essential find.

Since then, the band has been reduced to Masvidal and Reinert as full-time members (bassist Brandon Giffin, and guitarist/vocalist Max Phelps join them in live settings), but that hasn’t gotten in the way of their productivity. The band is back with a new EP “Carbon-Based Anatomy” that takes what they started on “Traced” and goes even further away from death metal and way more into spacey prog rock. Masvidal doesn’t rely on a Vocoder at all on this album, so his singing takes on a more natural, human, Earth-based personality, and the rest of the music is more lush, organic and welcoming to a larger audience. In a way, it reminds me of the drastic step Opeth took on their new album, where they left death metal behind but still maintained a sound you knew was them. Same goes for Cynic on this mini-effort, and those who were upset they took the thorns out of their work probably jumped ship a couple of years ago anyway and won’t be lured back by this one. That’s too bad, because Cynic are an amazing band who make incredible music, and the path they’re on in the second half of their career is introspective and exciting.

The EP opens with “Amidst the Coals,” a quiet, woodsy song that is more folk-like than anything they’ve done before. Country singer Amy Correia (who worked with the band on “Traced in Air”) takes on all of the vocals, coming off like a haunting ghost here to lure you in with her gorgeous chants. That leads into the title cut, a juicy, fluid slab of prog-rock goodness (a reinterpretation of Æon Spoke track “Homosapien”) that finds the band quite aware of their fragile existence as people, especially when Masvidal croons, “The longing never ends/Not while you’re human.” “Bija!” is almost like an interlude, with thick percussion and spiritual ambiance; “Box Up My Bones” is a thrilling song that sounds like it’s soaring free in the atmosphere, allowing the listener to feel a freedom to explore both here and in their personal lives; and closer “Hieroglyph” is awash in shoegazey fog and noise, going into heady, cosmic territory, with Masvidal noting of his protagonist, “He’s been blown to all corners of the universe.” That statement also could be applied to the band’s current sound.

Cynic remain one of the most free-thinking bands in all of heavy rock, and they refuse to be bound by genres. This may not be metal by definition, because it really isn’t very heavy at all and won’t make you want to start a circle pit. But for those with an open mind, who can be enraptured by melody and great songwriting, “Carbon-Based Anatomy” will prove a refreshing, colorful, imaginative collection that will open up the doors for your personal daydreaming. I’m quite thankful to have Cynic back and in the throes of a creative explosion.

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

To buy “Carbon-Based Anatomy,” go here: http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/en/items/cynic/carbon-based-anatomy/mcd/28603

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

Growing up and coming of age musically in the late ’80s and early ’90s, my ears took quite a beating from thrash metal. That’s basically all I listened to on the way to school, on the way back, while studying, while playing video games. It consumed me, and I turned to magazines such as Metal Maniacs and Hit Parader and spent time sifting through tapes of Headbangers Ball trying to find all the newest thrash news and videos. It’s also what led me to death and black metal and so forth, so it also worked as sort of a foundation of growth for discovering what else was out there.

My tape decks were full of what one might expect – Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament, Nuclear Assault, Overkill, Vio-Lence, Prong, Voivod, Sepultura, etc. – and I wore out those cassettes. Funny enough, but last night I tried to listen to my tape copy of Testament’s “New Order,” and it’s so beaten that any attempt to add any volume resulted in loud rattles and hisses, totally drowning out the music. If Atlantic would stop being jerks and allow Testament to reissue their back catalog remastered, that would be so nice. That way I wouldn’t mind parting with my cash to buy them because I know they’d sound good, unlike the versions available to the public now.

The recent new wave of thrash metal bands has gotten a cold shoulder by a lot of people. Metal fans can be just as elitist as the Brooklyn hipsters they likely mock, and they can be as rigid as anyone. I’m not totally innocent myself, but I try to keep an open mind about things when it comes to metal. It’s a large field with so many sub-genres, and while they don’t all work for me, I give everything a chance. But I never turned a cold shoulder to the newer thrash bands, basically because it’s a sound I grew up enjoying and am happy to hear younger musicians revive the scene. I’m cool with bands such as Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste, Violator, and SSS, and the two groups we’ll discuss today I’ve followed fairly closely and, despite some snide remarks from people questioning the bands’ intentions, I’ve never felt a reason to pre-judge them. So let’s put all that crap aside and talk about music, OK?

First up are Warbringer and their hellacious new record “Worlds Torn Asunder,” their third. The band is technically capable, and their sound is growing more mature with every release, proving they’re interested in being a quality unit and not just cashing in on a trend. They lean toward your tried-and-true thrash subjects of war, pestilence, evil and the crushing weight of being governed, and while their approach sometimes sounds a little cheeky, if you really pay attention to what’s going on, you’ll also realize they have their ears to the ground and are aware of what’s going on around them.

The quintet are doing their finest Spinal Tap by breaking in yet another new drummer, though from how they described it in a recent issue of Decibel, the band never has felt more secure. You can hear that in their music, too, and their assault is channeled and bloodthirsty, ripping into “Living Weapon,” a strong, stirring opener, where vocalist John Kevill sounds like he’s opening a war salvo by screaming, “Open fire!” “Shattered Like Glass” has solid bass work and a nice double-kick drum quake, as the song’s protagonist faces his own mortality at the throes of disease; “Wake Up … Destroy!” is a kick-ass blast that could be an excellent show opener, the thematically it sounds like an anthem for the Occupy movement; “Savagery” imagines black seas and dark skies as the world is torn apart; “Enemies of the State” has ties in today’s politics but would have worked just as well in thrash’s heyday, especially when Kevill warns, “The iron curtain closes, there’s no chance for escape”; and “Behind the Veils of Night” is a lucid instrumental that sounds like it belongs on an Opeth record.

Warbringer remains one of thrash’s best young bands, and their improvement since their formation in 2004 is quite evident. They sound dedicated to their craft and their sound, and they should keep getting better. They still need to make a landmark, special album that etches their name in history, but they sound capable of accomplishing that goal.

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

To buy “Worlds Torn Asunder,” go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Search/warbringer

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

UK thrashers Evile have done a pretty good job getting their name and music out there, claiming tour support slots along titans such as Megadeth, Kreator, Overkill and Vader, getting their music onto Rock Band, something that surely exposed them to new fans, and becoming one of Earache’s most important bands. They seemed on their way. But tragedy struck the band in October 2009 when bassist Mike Alexander died while being rushed to the hospital with a pulmonary embolism, and the rest of Evile were left to pick up the pieces. But they did just that. They paid homage to their fallen mate, worked to help Alexander’s family, and then they moved on to continue their art, culminating in the new album “Five Serpents Teeth.”

If you’ve followed the band since their inception and their debut record “Enter the Grave” and follow-up “Infected Nations,” you may be wondering if the group still sounds like they’re trying to be the new Metallica. Yes, they sort of are still doing that, but not nearly as blatantly as they were on “Infected.” A lot of that is due to the vocal approach and phrasing of vocalist/guitarist Matt Drake, who has way too much James Hetfield inside of him, but even he tries to change that up a bit on their third album. I don’t think Evile ever will get away from the Metallica worship, but now it’s used more as a base, and they branch out some musically. In fact, there are moments on “Five Serpents Teeth” that sound closer to modern-day Machine Head. “Five Serpents” is a good listen and a strong Evile album, which is right up there along with their debut. They open with the title track that begins sounding like the opening to “Blackened” and is the most blatant attempt on here to sound more like their idols than themselves. But things change up on “In Dreams of Terror” and “Xaraya,” which show the band is capable of standing on their own merits, and ballad “In Memoriam” is a sad, earnest tribute to their fallen mate Alexander. It’s one of the best songs in their catalog, bottom line. “Origin of Oblivion” and “Descent Into Madness” are both speedy rippers that prove Evil can be gnarlier and grittier than those who paved the way for them, and I’d like to hear them go this route more often.

This band is capable of doing their own thing, and while totally shedding the Metallica feathers may be tough, it’s something they should pursue more aggressively. This is a decent step toward that direction, and they should be commended for being able to recover from a horrible tragedy to reign again. Evile’s also one of the better thrash bands out there, but like Warbringer, they still need to make that special statement that gets them mentioned alongside thrash’s greats. Maybe they’ll get there on album four.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.evile.co.uk/

To buy “Five Serpents Teeth,” go here: http://earache.com/uswebstore/index.php/cPath/667_669_41?osCsid=t2iqohlt51m7eefhi2r1bbrgb5

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