Boston’s Revocation seemed to be on the path to becoming one of modern metal’s most interesting and intricate bands going, and their powerful sophomore album “Existence Is Futile” seemed to be evidence to support that assumption.

That record had really strong guitar work, courtesy of David Davidson and Dan Gargiulo, which could even please prog metal fans, and vocally, it was aggressive enough to grab those in the melodic death and thrash camps. Plus, the band’s profile rose, and magazines that typically don’t do much on metal, such as Spin, even paid honor to the young, up-and-coming bands. Now that their third record “Chaos of Forms” has arrived, it would seem time to build on that reputation and prove they plan to grab extreme metal’s reins with utmost force.

But, at least as far as I’m concerned, that doesn’t happen. The record is one of the biggest disappointments of this year, and while I don’t generally listen to the type of music Revocation makes, I liked their last one enough to be excited to hear this one. There are exceptions with every genre, even ones you typically don’t visit, and I found Revocation to be one of those bands before. Instead of progressing positively, they followed the path of another young metal band that, at one time, seemed to have the potential to become a world beater and instead became a mundane, character-free metalcore group that isn’t challenging anyone. Revocation seem to be doing the same thing, and the fact they sound like that unnamed (at least here) band now makes me worry that instead of these guys being top challengers, they’ll be satisfied with just moving some records and that’s all. And I’m assuming that, so I could be wrong, but I’m not excited about this album, and I worry they’re going down a path on which they never should have tread.

My review is live now at Lambgoat, a link to which you can find below. There you can find, in greater detail, why I feel the way I do about Chaos of Forms,” and you can find out the afore-not-mentioned metalcore band with which I’m grouping Revocation. Also, I should point out this record has gotten a lot of favorable reviews elsewhere,  so go try to find some of those, too, before you make up your mind. This is just one view, after all.

To read my review, go here: http://www.lambgoat.com/albums/view.aspx?id=2940&band=Revocation&review=Chaos%20of%20Forms

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

To buy “Chaos of Forms,” go here: http://www.relapse.com/label/artist/revocation.html

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

I can’t remember an album recently that I met with equal parts excitement and fear like I did Anthrax’s 10^th album “Worship Music.” To put it mildly, getting to this point was something of a circus, and at times over the past few years, it seemed as if the record was going to be an embarrassment or never would surface at all. There were many times I wished for the latter.

In high school, Anthrax was one of my favorite bands. I was supposed to see them open for Iron Maiden in early 1991 at the horrible A.J. Palumbo Center, and I had second-row seats for the show. I broke my ankle a week before the show, therefore could not attend because I couldn’t walk. That sucked. I had a number of Anthrax shirts, had all of their albums, and when I came down with a vicious case of strep throat in the summer of 1990, I pretty much listened to “Persistence of Time” on a constant loop while I recovered (it came out that same week). “Among the Living” was one of the soundtracks to my summer vacations when I was in middle school. Even today, when my wife and I have had a few beverages and we’re playing “Rock Band,” I’ll try to sing “Indians” and still cannot keep up with the bridge.

I kind of fell away from the band after 1993’s “Sound of White Noise,” an album that saw John Bush (Armored Saint) replace longtime frontman Joey Belladonna, and their sound started to change. They went through the same creative lull that plagued many of the other thrash bands of their era, most notably the three with whom they share the Big 4 festival stage – Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica (who never fully recovered). Then came the era that followed 2003’s “We’ve Come for You All,” the band’s last studio record. There was a reunion with Belladonna (and guitarist Dan Spitz) for two years of touring. Then Belladonna was gone. Then they hired some guy Dan Nelson, who was to handle vocals on in-the-works “Worship Music,” but live, he sounded wildly generic. Bush came back for a spell, then he was out. So it finally came back to Belladonna to take the mic, and one easily could understand if he was a little apprehensive to rejoin a machine – that also includes iconic guitarist Scott Ian, guitarist Rob Caggiano, bassist Frank Bello (one of the nicest people I ever interviewed, by the way) and drummer Charlie Benante — that didn’t seem remotely stable. I remember wondering if Belladonna would even make it to the studio or if another change would prevent that.

Luckily, it seems all the turmoil was worth it. Yes, people poked fun, and yeah, I imagine a lot of those folks won’t give “Worship Music” a chance or will dismiss it outright without hearing it. Their loss, because this album rips. It’s definitely their best record since “White Noise,” and if we pass over the Bush era, I might even go a step further and say it’s the best since “Among the Living.” These guys sound like they’re having fun again. While a good album, and one with nostalgic quality for me, “Persistence” was really dark and bleak, and while massively heavy, didn’t feel right for some reason (cover of Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time” aside). “Worship Music” takes me back to the feel of their earlier stuff with Belladonna (beginning with “Spreading the Disease”) and the material feels open and alive and, I’ll say it again, fun. I had fun listening to it, and the songs are catchy and should go down great live.

The music isn’t quite as thrashy and heavy as their earlier stuff, and there’s more of a classic metal vibe to a lot of the album, but it fits. Belladonna just takes control of these songs. His voice is a bit huskier than it was in his younger years, but it’s just as powerful and melodic as ever before, and I can’t imagine any other singer handling these songs. It’s almost like he never left. After a brief intro cut, “Earth on Hell” mangles the senses, with Benante’s drumming sounding vicious and earthquaking, with Belladonna taking full command of a band that always should be his to lead. Same goes for “The Devil You Know,” a song that might as well be about the band itself, as well as anthemic first single “Fight ’Em Til You Can’t,” a song with a fist-pumping chorus that promises revenge against an army of zombie. These three cuts are surprisingly strong and get the record off to a fantastic start.

“I’m Alive” is more of just a regular metal song, not particularly heavy or mashing, but Belladonna takes what otherwise would be a decent piece and breathes life into the thing. Ronnie James Dio/Dimebag Darrell tribute “In the End” and “Judas Priest” (guess who that’s about) are in the same vein, and live they should help give the audience a breather physically but still command undivided attention. “The Giant” has a verse structure that reminds me of early Anthrax, but the chorus loses a little bit of steam. “Crawl” is more of a mid-tempo rocker, with Belladonna dialing down the pitch of his voice, and it’s only OK, and same goes for “The Constant,” that doesn’t get interesting until the chorus hits. Not bad songs, just not the best cuts on here. Luckily sludgy thrasher “Revolution Screams” ends the set on a pulverizing note, proving they still have the venom and power to ramp up the tempo, though the chorus is still taking some getting used to before I fully embrace it.

So for all the barbs they endured and all of the pitfalls, some self-made, “Worship Music” finally is unleashed, and it’s a beast. Not a perfect album by any means, but it’s a hell of a lot better than I thought it might be. Belladonna sounds incredible, and the rest of the guys still have the chops. They may have matured, and in some areas slowed down, but when Anthrax needs to hammer you, then do. Anthrax has made the best later-career album of any of thrash’s primary ’80s titans, and they should be proud of this record. I hope this form of Anthrax is what remains, because it has drummed up a ton of goodwill with this great new record and sound like they have many good years ahead of them. Let’s hope “Worship Music” is merely step one.

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

To buy “Worship Music,” go here: http://www.megaforcerecords.com/store/product.php?productid=16516&cat=253&page=1

For more Anthrax merch, go here: http://shop.anthrax.com/shop.cfm/pk/category/ac/list/cid/400025

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

This isn’t exactly the kick-off to the week for which we were hoping, but, as has been reported elsewhere and was confirmed this morning by Prophecy Productions, Lifelover guitarist/lyricist/all-around brain trust B (real name Jonas Bergqvist) has been found dead. Below is the text from the release Prophecy sent to media outlets:

On the night of the 9th September, Jonas Bergqvist, a.k.a. ‘B,” founding member, main composer, and guitarist of Lifelover, died unexpectedly. The cause of his death is still unclear and has yet to be established.
The message of Jonas’s passing came as a surprise to the Prophecy team. Hence, we lack the appropriate words for this tragic event. To us, Jonas wasn’t just a very creative artist, but also a pleasant and enthusiastic person. It is for certain that we won’t be the only ones missing his character, his passion, and his unique musical language.
In the face of this tragic loss, we would very much like to extend our heartfelt condolence towards Jonas’s family, his friends, and the remaining musicians of Lifelover.

The band’s darkly melodic black metal rock was infectious and seemingly dripping with suicidal tendencies. In fact, their most recent album “Sjukdom” was sold in a box set form that included a syringe, razor blade and strip of barbed wire (see inset photo). So, you kind of get the aura they were going for with their music. That’s not to suggest B had anything to do with his demise, because I never knew him and have no business putting that idea out there. It’s just tragically odd how they packaged their last record with what happened a few days ago. It could all be a giant coincidence, but really, who cares? A gifted, talented musician is no longer with us, and no matter how it came to pass, it’s profoundly sad. So let’s not make any guesses until we know the facts.

Lifelover really seemed to be picking up steam with their new record, which followed the re-release of the band’s 2008 album “Konkurs,” their third effort overall. “Sjukdom” only compounded the group’s popularity, and they seemed ripe to break out to a larger audience, who would revel in their morose, yet often disturbingly humorous, music. Sadly, the band seems to be at its end, and with the loss of such an important player, it only makes sense Lifelover follow B into the night. All of our thoughts, prayers, well wishes, whatever’s appropriate to B, his band, and his family and friends.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.lifelover.se/

To buy their albums, go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Search/lifelover

For more on the label, go here: http://www.prophecy.cd/

This has been an insane week, and certainly not in a good way. At all. Sometimes that anxiety and frustration you feel can be tempered some by music that sounds even more unbalanced than you are at the time.

There are different styles of music and various approaches that can make the madness and chaos in your head seem to make some sense. Or at least manageable. So I’m quite thankful this week for two new offerings from Flenser Records, who we’ve spoken to you about many times in the past and will do so well into the future. They have two new albums ready for you that, if you’re like me and just need to know someone is more fucked up than you at a particular time, should help you rest a little easier. Or maybe it’ll stop you from destroying a piece of furniture or valuable vase. I own no vases.

It is with that introduction that we start with the second full-length offering from San Francisco’s ultra-bizarre, completely-out-there, no-way-to-describe black metal unit Bosse-de-Nage. But, Brian, you just described them as black metal. OK, yes, that’s a description. But it’s like describing Cookie Crisp as cereal. What does that really tell you? And actually, they prefer the title grey metal. I have almost no information about the band to share with you other than they’re a four-piece who go by letters instead of names and produce some of the most psychotic, yet exciting black metal today. Their music truly is an emotional gut-check, and you can’t just put this on because you want background noise. You better be ready to pay attention and be as disturbed as you’ll be listening to any metal band of any sub-genre. In a day and age when devils and skulls and upside-down crosses come across as amusing and static, I require something that conveys true anguish and mental scarring, because it’s what feels real to me. “ii,” the new one from Bosse-de-Nage gets me there every time. I don’t know, if I had a chance, if I’d even want to meet these people. I like the mystery behind the band, and I don’t want the curtain raised. I relish in the cloaks and masks (figuratively, of course).

The one slight revelation we get from the band this time is a lyric sheet. And good luck with that. The lyrics sound like a mad man’s diary. These are straight-up stories that serve as what’s howled manically over these songs, and the words are chilling, seemingly nonsensical in spots, but weirdly aware. In fact, these songs sound quite observational. I’m not even sure on what level. Sometimes it sounds like seductive slave master such as “Marie in a Cage,” and it’s nice to have our Marie back after her turns in “Marie” and “Marie Pisses Upon the Count” from the band’s first record. I’m also going out on a limb that this is even the same Marie. Sometimes it’s as actual servant, which seems apparent on closer “Why Am I So Lovely? Because My Master Washes Me.” I mean, just take in that song title.

Musically, what’s on “ii” is more digestible than the band’s debut. Now, hold on. That doesn’t mean you can come into this record having no knowledge of this band’s nightmarish transmissions and expect to get this right away just because you’ve heard some black metal. You can’t. It won’t work. It’s only more approachable to those who spent hours with their debut, as I have. If you never heard their debut, by all means, do so before jumping into this just so you can appreciate the new ambiance. The songs, while dark and damaged, burst with melody, and the vocals, harsh and shrieky, fit with the music perfectly. There’s even some singing here, as thorny as it may be, even if it doesn’t like crooning. Opener “Volume II Chapter I” is riveting and punishing, leaving you a mangled mess, but “The Lampless Hours” actually begins with a calming post-metal opening that would make Slint or ISIS smile before letting loose into emotionally gushing black metal. It’s a song that makes your heart surge, even if the narrator seems to be struggling with his outward expression. Haven’t we all been there? “The Death Posture” is a bit more calculated, at times, in its tempo, and there’s even more post-metal influence on the track, giving it a nice variety that keeps it fresh over its lengthy running time. And, of course, “Why Am I So Lovely?” sends us off screaming into the night, likely naked with fear, about what we’ve experience and what’s ahead. It’s an amazing trip and an incredible second opus from a band that deserves a lot more attention from our magazine friends than they’ve gotten. This is, to me, what true black metal is these days, and I can think of only a few bands who do it as interestingly and a bloodily as Bosse-de-Nage.

For more on the band (and don’t expect much), go here: http://bdn.greymetal.com/

Now, the other record Flenser has ready for you is from Circle of Eyes, a band name that freaked my wife out so badly she asked I never repeat it. If you think about it, it is kind of an uncomfortable image. But maybe you’re supposed to feel that way when listening to their self-titled debut album that’s out now on cassette (in really limited quantity) and on vinyl by way of Anti-Matter (link below). Basically, if you like your doom drone metal forest-fire-smoke thick and suffocating, then this effort’s going to be for you.

I hear a lot of Sunn 0))) and Bloody Panda in what these guys do. And these guys, by the way, are Thrull from Necrite (a band not to shy about its affection for Anderson/O’Malley) and Kevin Gan Yuen of Sutekh Hexen on guitars, with Swamp Witch’s J acting as the guy who sounds like he’s being bludgeoned to death in the background. His vocals sound like they hurt to put to tape, and they’re painful to hear played back, but in a good way. The music, obviously, is fed to you quite slowly, but with incredible blasts of volume and thick rivers of sludge pouring down your throat mercilessly.  Just take on a little bit of Side A cut “Penumbra (Awoken)” for all the evidence you’ll need.

“Woe Betide the Worms (Dirge for Eternity),” your Side B opener, reminds me a bit of Khanate vocally, where J sounds like a man possessed with no else to have discussions than with his demons, while the music slinks along and actually sounds dissonantly pretty at times. Or is that dissonantly abused? Not sure. Maybe both work. Closer “To Wander (Sacred Time)” has a seemingly gentle way about it, as the moody guitars and feedback hum together, as the vocals still teeter on madness, as they should. It’s a punishing, anguished song that sounds like the end of one man’s sanity, and if that’s the case, perhaps the end of his existence. It’s not something you want to hear if you are on the brink. And if you are, please call somebody. Not Circle of Eyes, though.

So there, two spectacular records that come to you by way of Flesner. Each approach your fragile psyche from different directions, with separate ways to attack or soothe you. It really depends on what style of music you like when figuring out which to buy (if you’re torn), but remember you need an open mind to fully embrace these pieces of art. For the right consumer, these are bands you’ll treasure, even when your friends give you strange looks and call you weird. Of course, you’re weird. You should embrace that. You also just might be more enlightened than the rest, and I think Bosse-de-Nage and Circle of Eyes are more substantive than most other metal bands I hear every day.

For more on Circle of Eyes, go here: http://www.myspace.com/circleofeyes

To buy these albums, go here: http://store.theflenser.com/

To buy Circle of Eyes on vinyl, go here: http://www.anti-matterrecords.com/2011/07/amr-001-circle-of-eyes-self-titled_20.html

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

You know what I always found odd? I don’t like oranges, but I like orange-flavored things. Orange soda, orange drink, orange candy, orange cake, orange gum. All good stuff. The actual orange? Not so much.

I’m not sure I’m going to get the Vitamin C I’m missing by listening to the new, self-titled full-length from Portland doom rockers White Orange, but I’m sure willing to find out. Actually, my guess would be if anything of substance were to affect my body because a White Orange album was playing, it probably wouldn’t be all that good for me, if you catch what I mean. You do.

Anyhow, I’ve had my hands on their debut, that is just getting ready for release, for a few months now, and it’s been a bit of a strange trip for me. First few times with it I was OK with the music, but it didn’t quite resonate. I returned a few weeks later, and something about it caught fire with me, and now I’m spending a lot of time with the record. Part of this could be I now have a better pair of headphones, and all of the psychedelic color is coming at me full force. It’s a record that’s all over the map, as you can hear strains of Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Dinosaur Jr., the glammed-out David Bowie era, really early Soundgarden and Mudhoney, and so much more. It’s kind of doomy at its base, but it swings. It has a lot of pre-grunge-explosion-era Seattle in the guitar work and melodies, and the vocals are clean and smooth, but with a snarl and attitude. It’s a really cool approach that, while it draws on many camps for the formula, sounds pretty unique compared to many of today’s bands of the same ilk. I could see these guys winding up on Tee Pee Records at some point.

The songs rock pretty hard, but calling them straight-up metal is a bit of a stretch. Still, I think for those who like, say, The Sword, High on Fire and even a band like Baroness could find plenty to enjoy on this disc. The nine-track effort opens on a gnarly, stoner-friendly note with “Where,” the song most likely to get you into a full-on brawl at one of their shows. Not that we condone that kind of thing. “Color Me Black” has a bit of an ominous feel initially, with a dark, almost Danzig-like lead-in, before it melts into a sludgy groove, with Dustin Hill settling into a Josh Homme-like croon; “Dinosaur Bones” has that early ’90s indie rock slide, like it could have been something on the “Singles” soundtrack, and is one of the catchiest songs on here; “Kill the Kids” is dark, abrasive and almost hardcore-minded; and dreamy ballad “Sigourney Weaver” closes the disc on a trippy, honey-dripped note that keeps ringing out in your head after it’s over.

White Orange are like a fresh-squeezed glass of doom rock, with chewy pulp and a kick. It’s a great rock record, front to back, in an era when those things are growing increasingly rare. The songs are a blast and might even get you digging back into your dusty cassette collection from an era when the term “alternative rock” existed and when stoner metal was a drop of water on the floor and not an ocean of a genre.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://whiteorange.bandcamp.com/releases

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

There’s an old episode of the “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” cartoon that introduced the heel character Evil Seed, who is hellbent on making Eternia a home for his plant life to survive and who will suffocate all living things. Of course, his methods were of the purely selfish variety, and after the obligatory struggle in order to fill out a 22-minute episode, He-Man prevailed. The good guys won.

The world of The Botanist is much like that of Evil Seed’s, just without the self-serving rhetoric. He sees humankind as having a hand in the destruction of the green parts of our world, and many people would be hard-pressed to disagree with that assertion. The ones who do disagree are called Republicans, at least for the most part. The Botanist, who is both the name of the musician responsible for this project and the name of the main character in the story, isn’t afraid to bandy about a term such as eco-terrorism, and while that action has negative connotations to it, his protagonist sees it as the only way to battle against the very people who are trampling the green life he holds dear. In his eyes, this is self-defense.

While the philosophies of the Botanist’s music are very real and ever so timely (especially with the next presidential election potentially having a giant impact on environmental protection going forward), there are some fantastical elements as well. Our main character hails in exile in a place called the Verdant Realm (the musician hails from San Francisco), and while on his throne of Veltheimia, he awaits the day that plant life rises up and chokes out those human forces that seek to destroy it who, along the way, do irreparable harm to their own fellow man and woman. You have two Armageddons playing out at once, and in the end the Botanist hopes to be the one who survives, along with his beloved greenery. It’s bizarre, thought-provoking, and even a little psychotic, and just flipping through the booklet that accompanies this effort helps the listener see the leaves and vines rise up and prepare to rule their kingdom. They’re intertwined with the Botanist’s words, that speak for the foliage. It’s fascinating stuff. On the Botanist’s web site (the link is below), you also can find all of the elements that make up this entire realm, which will help flesh out the concepts and philosophies even more. Some of the plants have voices, too, and they help the Botanist create his vision of destruction.

This doesn’t even begin to dig into the music. Last week, I told you we’d visit an album that may be the weirdest metal record you’ll hear all year long, and this is the one. It’s black metal. But think about what you come to expect, sonically, from black metal. The only one you get here are the monstrous, creaky faucet growls and warbles the Botanist uses to tell his tale and explain his future, but other than that, it’s nothing you’ve heard before. The primary instruments are rattling drums and hammer dulcimer, an instrument that hardly has an expectant seat at the genre’s table. But the Botanist makes it work like the most sinister of guitar lines, the most guttural of all riffs, and it becomes a creepy, terrifying weapon. Typically the strange-looking instrument, that often sounds like one is strumming piano chords, typically is used for folk music, but not much here sounds that like form of music. It does, however, suit the deep forestal heart of this project and sounds more fitted for this music than any electric guitar ever could.

If you need a crash course on the instrument, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammered_dulcimer

The Botanist not only is ambitious in his message and goals, but also in his music. The double album “I. The Suicide Tree/II. A Rose From the Dead” is comprised of 40 tracks and are spread over two CDs. That may sound like a lot of material to absorb at once, but it really isn’t. It’s more like two separate movements of music, where the tracks seamless are attached, so you’re more inclined to want to take this thing on as a whole in order to fully understand it. Most of the songs are pretty short, with the longest coming at the tail end of the entire production, with “Abrus Precatorius” and “A Rose From the Dead,” so usually, if you’re not paying attention to the track listing, you’ll be deep into this thing before you even know it. The songs are buzzsaw raw and typically throbbing, but there’s also a rich, hearty melody in these cuts, too. They’re catchy and theatrical. There’s a sense of showmanship. It sort of reminds me if The Dresden Dolls tried to do a black metal album. They’re stripped-down songs that drip with life but conversely include the premonition of death. The album opens with a warning – “The beast rises” – on “Dracocephalum” as it sets the stage for what follows. “Helleborus Niger” has a classical feel and is oddly playful in spots; “Dionaea Muscipula” is dissonant and sorrowful; “Bromeliad” sounds Shakespearian yet also quite ominous; “Convolvulus Althaeoides” actually has some savagery built in, with the dulcimer struck as violently as ever; and “In the Hall of Chamaerops” even has a gothic pop melody line to it, making it damn-near approachable. I could go on and on, but there’s a lot of ground to cover, so hopefully you have some kind of idea of what is in store for you if you enter the realm of the Botanist. Yet how could the picture be complete with hearing these strange passages?

Admittedly, it took me a few listens to get with the Botanist, but I never was turned off from what’s on the double effort. It just took a little adjustment from what I’m used to hearing, but that was a refreshing transformation for me. It was getting out of my comfort zone and accepting something dressed in a way I don’t expect. But, as odd as this record sounds, make no mistake it’s metal through and through. It’s threatening, dangerous and passionate, sort of like the Nordic musicians of the early ’90s, only more mature, and scary enough, based more in reality. As crazy and abstract at this story is, everyone can understand the Botanist’s plight, and even if you don’t agree with his methods or are shaken by his psychosis, you should heed his word. Despite what some may insist is a myth (because of special interests, natch) we are in a dangerous time, surrounded by deniers and naysayers who are armed with nothing more than a political affiliation. Maybe we need more people like the Botanist to wake us up before he ends up our ruler. Evil Seed would end up seeming like the wacky cartoon character he is in comparison.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.botanist.nu/reviews_I_II

To buy “I. The Suicide Tree/II. A Rose From the Dead,” go here: http://aquariusrecords.org/bin/search.cgi

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

I don’t have anything to say, really. It’s Saturday. College football is on. No one is on the Internet. Except you. And thank you for visiting. Might I suggest you do what I am doing and annoy your neighbors with some Burning Witch? You’ll feel so much better when it’s all done.

Hey, next week we have some fun stuff. We’ll have a really great Outer Edges piece about two non-metal releases that have very, very metal connections. One of those records is, in my opinion, the best non-metal album of the year so far. And it is both weird and seductive. Think Burzum. That’s a really easy hint, actually. We’ll also have a look at two new records from one of my favorite up-and-coming labels. Both albums are not for the weak of heart or the bland of taste. And one you better get on right away because it’s only out in limited release! We’ll also have a look at, hands down, one of the most bizarre metal albums of this year. Or any year, for that matter. Let’s put it this way, the instruments you’ve come to expect from a black metal band, only one of those come into play on this thing.

OK, so, all of our U.S. readers, have a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend. Please use your brains this weekend, because we don’t want you to end up in jail or dead. Everyone else, have a splendid regular weekend. We love you all the same.

I speak often on this site about beer-drinking metal, mainly because it’s fun when kicking back some brews to have something ass-kicking bleeding from the stereo. Not everything qualifies under that designation. For instance, I’m not going to be too eager to have a nice ale alongside, say, Lurker of Chalice or Agalloch. Love those projects, but they don’t really ice my glass a whole lot. That music is for entirely different activities and moods.

Now Oakland’s Saviours always have been labeled a stoner metal band, and certainly that’s with good cause, but I’ve always liked to hear them when enjoying a few choice, cold bottles from my refrigerator. Their 2008 album “Into Abaddon” always has been one of my favorites for that type of occasion, as its furious, Motorhead-meets-thrash make-up made for the perfect rowdy mood-setter. But, you know, I’m a little older now, as are the dudes in Saviours, and I like to chill a bit more than I did a few years ago. So it is with the band’s fourth record “Death’s Procession” that I have found a new record to give me company when I want to sit on the couch, put on a pair of headphones, and slowly take down a dark, bitter, probably high-ABV beer. I could not be happier. I said similar things about label mates Moab this week, so apparently Kemado wants me to drink. Well, if I must.

Saviours’ sound has come a long way since aforementioned “Abaddon” and their first full-length “Crucifire,” that dropped on Level Plane in 2006. There’s an even bigger feel of New Wave of British Heavy Metal on “Death’s Procession,” and seeing that I’m a huge sucker for that sound, this record instantly drew me into its power. There isn’t the reckless abandon here as there was in the past, but I think it suits them fine. If anything, it will add some variety to their ear-splitting live sets. Speaking of which, true story: A few years ago I took my non-metal-loving wife (who, at the time, wasn’t bound to me legally) to go see Saviours, High on Fire and a few other bands on Valentine’s Day evening. Yes, she still married me. Anyhow, she was due for dental work coming up, and Saviours was so damn loud (and HoF didn’t help later in the evening) that we had to leave the show since she was in utter pain. Now, THAT is power. No wonder she hasn’t been too eager to let me play the new Saviours.

Before hearing this new album for the first time, I did have some reservations. I didn’t get too into the band’s last record “Accelerated Living.” There was just something about it, as a whole, that really didn’t work for me. I can’t really recall the last time I listened to the thing. But those fears were dashed early when hearing the opening strains of “The Eye Obscene,” a song that does have a nice gallop, but a more calculated one than I’m used to hearing from these guys. Austin Barber maintains his Lemmy Kilmister/Matt Pike bark, but it’s a little smoother now. He’s singing more than howling, and that suits these songs really well. “To the Grave Possessed” and “Fire of Old” have that NWOBHM sensibility that I mentioned, and it actually kind of makes me feel a little nostalgic. That’s an odd reaction to new songs, eh? “Earthen Dagger” has a doomy condition, sounding more like the band’s older stuff, and it arrives in time to change things up and keep the pace interesting; “Earth’s Possession, Death’s Procession” is a really cool instrumental that is fiery and adventurous; while closer “Walk to the Light” is trippy, even dreamy in spots, but it eventually picks up steam and blows the doors off. The track also has some excellent guitar work by both Barber and lead man Sonny Reinhardt.

Simply put, “Death’s Procession” is just a really great, classic-sounding heavy metal record. I miss collections such as this. There’s no worries about trying to fit into a scene, sound according to whatever the genre’s parameters say they should, or do something that’ll get them a nice, warm hug from the Internet. It’s a record that will make you want to pull out a jean jacket, preferably with an oversized back patch, chains, a bullet belt, whatever. Yeah, that’s a cliché, but you’ll know why I wrote it once you hear this thing. It’s the truth. It sounds great, it’s an example of how heavy metal is supposed to sound, and it’ll be a go-to record for me just as long as my wife doesn’t have any impacted teeth.

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

To buy “Death’s Procession,” go here: http://www.kemado.com/shop/

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

The band also has a ton of tour dates coming up, both in the States and abroad. Here they are:

9/2 Lawrence KS @ Jackpot w/ BISON B.C. only
9/3 St. Louis MO @ FUBAR w/ BISON B.C. only
9/4 Nashville TN @ The End w/ BISON B.C. only
9/5 Asheville NC @ Lexington Ave Brewery w/ BISON B.C. only
9/6 Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barcade
9/7 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
9/8 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
9/9 drinking in NYC – no show
9/10 drinking in NYC – no show
9/11 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
9/13 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
9/14 Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall
9/15 Columbus, OH @ Outland Live
9/16 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
9/17 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
9/18 Marquette, MI @ Upfront And Company
9/19 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
9/20 Rock Island, IL @ Rock Island Brewing Company
9/23 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
9/24 Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge
9/26 Seattle, WA @ The Highline
9/27 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
9/28 Portland, OR @ Branx
9/29 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
10/1 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
10/2 West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
10/4 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
10/6 Austin, TX @ Emo’s
10/7 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
10/8 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
10/9 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/10 Athens, GA @ New Earth Music Hall
10/11 Tallahassee, FL @ Engine Room
10/12 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
10/14 Savannah, GA @ The Jinx

19.10 GER – Cologne @ Sonic Ballroom
20.10 BEL – Brussels @ Cafe DNA
21.10 NL – Tilburg @ 013
22.10 NL – Nijmegen @ Merleyn
23.10 NL – Utrecht @ ACU
24.10 GER – Hamburg @ Hafenklang
25.10 NOR – Oslo @ Revolver
26.10 SWE – Gothenburg @ Truckstop Alaska
27.10 SWE – Stockholm @ Kafe 44
28.10 SWE – Linkoping @ L’ Orient
29.10 DK – Copenhagen @ Stengade 30
30.10 GER – Hannover @ UJZ Korn
31.10 BEL – Kortrijk @ De Kreun
01.11 UK – Stoke On Trent @ Harry’s Bar
02.11 UK – Manchester @ Gullivers
03.11 UK – London @ The Unicorn
04.11 UK – Plymouth @ White Rabbit
05.11 UK – Oxford @ The Wheatsheaf
06.11 UK – Brighton @ The Prince Albert
07.11 FRA – Lille @ Le Bistrot De Saint-Saveurs
08.11 FRA – Le Havre @ Mc Daid’s
09.11 FRA – Paris @ Les Combustibles
10.11 FRA – Besancon @ Les Passagers Du Zinc
11.11 LUX – Arlon @ La Curieuse
12.11 SWI – Winterthur @ Kulturzentrum Gaswerk
13.11 AUT – Dornbirn @ Cafe Schlachthaus
14.11 GER – Wuerzburg @ Immerhin
15.11 CZ – Slavonice @ Baràk
16.11 AUT – Vienna @ Escape Metalcorner
17.11 ITA – Pisa @ La Centrale
18.11 ITA – Roma @ Init
19.11 ITA – Fidenza (PR) @ Arci Taun
20.11 ITA – Arese (MI) @ S.G.A
21.11 SLO – Ljubljana @ Klub Gromka
22.11 HUN – Budapest @ Szabad Az A’
23.11 CZ – Brno @ Yacht Club
24.11 CZ – Prague @ Klub 007
25.11 GER – Leipzig @ Zoro
26.11 GER – Berlin @ Schokoladen
27.11 GER – Osnabrueck @ Bastard Club

If you put on “Destined for the Sun,” the debut album from Elks, and we quizzed on from where you think the band hails, my guess if we’d get Atlanta or Savannah more often than not.

That’s because the burgeoning quartet sound like they drink from the same water supply as bands such as Mastodon, Kylesa and Black Tusk, mixing muddy thrashing with sludgy heaviness in a way that should make a fan of anyone who enjoys those aforementioned bands. But instead, Elks hail from Brooklyn, and while you may instantly think of hipster silliness when considering that borough of New York, these guys do it ugly and get down in the gutter. But it’s not of a meathead variety, which I worry some tend to think when something’s described as dirty. It’s intelligent and well calculated, and there’s a cosmic storyline that involves a tribe of space Vikings and a “super computer” at the end of the universe called “The Wizard.” Yeah, it’s weird and apocalyptic, and it reminds me conceptually of what The Sword explored on their most recent record. But most of all, this thing is just heavy as hell.

The album’s a pretty short one, as it runs six tracks and is just a bit over 22 minutes long, so it’s really more like an EP. Luckily, the band doesn’t waste one second on this thing, steamrolling right into opener “White Fangs Learn to Hate” in a way Mastodon used to way back when they were first getting started. Only, I want to say Elks do it even nastier. “Two Moons of Mars” has a punchy, violent tempo, and it’s dressed a bit by some power metal riffage; “Destined for the Sun” lets a little bit of Southern rock thunder enter into the equation; while closer “Weed Wolf” is dizzying, smoldering, and not nearly as easy going as the title might suggest. Sure, you end up in a cloud of smoke when the song’s over, but it’s only altering your mind in that you’re trying to figure out a way to recover from all the bruising.

This a really awesome, beast-like debut record, and from someone who often feels overwhelmed in the sludgy swamps because of just how many bands are soaking in there now, finding a new group that is this exciting is a big plus. This is a highly recommended record that’s dropping at just the right time, when summer’s ending, darkness comes calling early, the beers are getting darker, and we have more time to gaze into the stars. You’ll feel this one when it’s over, and my guess is you’ll be back for return bouts quite often. I know I will be, no matter how badly my ears are bruised and battered.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elks/8805335209?sk=info

To buy “Destined for the Sun,” go here: http://teepee.hasawebstore.com/

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

Photo by Evan Bartleson

When Juan Montoya left the guitar helm with Torche, I was worried about the future of that band. I should have been worried about Montoya’s future instead.

Torche struck back with last year’s kick-ass “Songs for Singles,” proving they have enough songwriting fire to make it work without the thick-maned guitarist prowling the stage, and now it’s Montoya’s chance to show he, too, can come back with something crushing that’ll let him carve out a new path apart from his former band. And I’m sorry to make this all about Montoya, as he’s just the guitarist for new band MonstrO as he was with Torche, but I’ve been very curious to hear what kind of band he would put together, and now that I know, I may not need to hear anymore.

MonstrO, despite having two former members of Bloodsimple, a metal band so unimpressive that I’m not sure anyone cares they’re on hiatus, isn’t all that bad. For one, Montoya’s guitar work is way out front, which is a huge positive, and at times he kicks back into the melodic sludge he helped create and make great with Torche. At other times he lets his lead work soar. Bassist Kyle Sanders and drummer Bevan Davies (he also played with Danzig) do fine for themselves and surely are comfortable together as a rhythm section, so the fears I harbored over my distaste for their former band were washed away pretty quickly. So, this all doesn’t sound so bad, right? That’s because we haven’t gotten to vocalist/guitarist Charlie Suarez, who has the perfect voice for being a back-up singer. He can hold a note, sure, and if was needed to beef up choruses behind a much better singer, he’d be totally serviceable. As the main voice, he could not be duller sounding. He sounds like a guy a heavily washed-up band in search of a singer such as a Journey or a Foreigner would tap as a leader — forgettable, without passion, non-challenging, and lacking personality, but young enough to make the band seem with it. MonstrO needs better than that, and Suarez’s voice does this record a huge disservice.

As for the music, it sounds more hard rock than metal, and while the sludge does ooze in from time to time, these guys seem more like they’d like to score a few radio hits than get people to bash their heads together. Nothing wrong with that at all, and considering the dreck that makes the airwaves these days that disguises itself as rock music, MonstrO would be one of the better groups on your local Clear Channel or whatever-moderated station. And chances are, that would be the place where Suarez’s voice would be most forgiven, considering how many people who think that AlterBridge singer is so great. Really? We’ve really lowered the mainstream bar, have we not?

The band holed up with William Duvall, the dude who’s imitating Layne Stayley for Alice in Chains these days, and in the course of two weeks, they cranked out their debut record. There is a looseness and organic quality to what they do, and you don’t get the idea these songs were thought about too much. They don’t sound overdone at all, which in the case of “Fantasma,” “Anchors Up!” and “Solar” is a good thing, because they set it off, get their job done quickly, and leave you rocked. Then there are songs such as drawn-out ballad “Concertina,” morose “Elizabeth” and seemingly never-ending closer “April” that could have used more scrutiny and benefitted quite a bit from a self-edit. Then there’s a cut like “Stallone” that’s just dumb, evolving from being about “Rocky” to simply being about struggling with life’s woes. It just isn’t a very good song.

But no matter what positives can be drawn from this album, it all goes back to Suarez and his blandness. It took me several tries just to get through the album once because of how bad the vocals are and how distracting they make the songs seem. This is a decent-enough band with a really good guitar player in Montoya, but it’s hard to overcome bad singing. It’s a killer, and it does in what could have been a relatively impressive debut album. There are strong musical ideas here, and clearly there’s a direction that could do good things for MonstrO, but as long as Suarez is leading this band, they might as be travelling down a road in a van with flat tires.

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

To buy their album, go here: http://www.merchlackey.com/vagrant/

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