Tag Archives: metal

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Death Fortress’ pure domination colors black metal with war on killer debut ‘Among the Ranks…’

Death Fortress coverMetal’s always had an affinity for power, strength, and domination. You can hear that in tons of bands across various sub-genres, from doom to sludge to thrash to death. What’s wrong with feeling empowered and mighty in the face of opposition, I ask you? The answer? Absolutely nothing.

Jersey’s black metal squadron Death Fortress have no qualms with balling their fists and crushing your will to live. Their sound is straight forward and ferocious, and the feeling you get from hearing the band is not unlike what it might be like to get crushed by their boots trampling across your chest. Expect bruising, bleeding, and a whole lot of humiliation. The band’s first full-length effort “Among the Ranks of the Unconquerable” tells you this right away, and it’s not some thin statement made to make the guys sound tougher than they are. Once they plug in and begin striking, you know you’re in the middle of a psychiatric struggle, where you will pay a toll but might come out stronger for it. You can thank them later after your wounds heal.

Death Fortress are comprised of veterans of other noteworthy underground hell-breathers, with T. Warrior (Dethroned Emperor, Senobyte) on bass and vocals; J. Averserio (Abazagorath, Dethroned Emperor, Senobyte) on guitars; and S. Eldridge (Funebrarum, Abysmal Gates, Disma) on drums. Every ounce of this six-track, 38-minute crusher feels weighty, devastating, and utterly devoid of mercy. They certainly have the tenets that would make old school black metal fans quite happy, but they also power through with the audio violence that could make death and war metal devotees more than happy to walk with into battle alongside the trio of terror.

Opener “King’s Blood” starts off with dissonant interference, letting the buzz build and approach with threatening power before the track rips open and starts punishing. There’s a strong melody lurking behind the chaos, but up front we have harsh, guttural growls that sound soul-wrenching, spacious fury that makes it feel like you’re in the grips of a tornado, and delirious playing that baffles and destroys. But the bottom line is the track’s brutal underbelly, which is deep and expansive. “Arrogant Force” begins with whipping winds that could eat at your cheeks and then drums that absolutely decimate. There are strong, intelligent lead lines that inject excitement into the piece, and the vocals are absolutely gruff and monstrous, grinding away just as hard as the song around them. The final strains of the track bleed into “Fifth Season,” which takes some time to simmer before reigniting the intensity. The guitars are insane, with vicious growling blending in and upping the ante on the madness. The song pulls back a bit, letting some different colors into the space, and the track ends on an extended section of razor-sharp playing that eventually dissolves.

The title track tears open the second half of the album with a channeled assault and devastating riffs that continue the punishment. The growls are grim and evil, and they join in with the tempo that mashes everything in its wake. The song hovers like a relentless, all-day summer storm, soaking the ground and unleashing thunder that never seems to subside. Soloing emerges that is creative and brainy, but ugliness rules the day as the final moments are smoldering. “Pride of the Enslaver” dumps churning guitars, vocals that capture and suffocate, and encircling melodies that should leave you dizzy and disoriented until it burns out. Closer “Ancestor’s Call” starts firing hard from the get go, with the drums pulverizing your senses, melodic guitars shredding through the muck, and vocals that are charnel and deadly. Interestingly, some post-metal-style melodies slip in, which could be confusing if you’re expecting wall-to-wall burning. Instead, the band ends the record on a mesmerizing, haunting note that finally gives you some mercy so you can begin licking your wounds.

Death Fortress’ name can be taken pretty literally, because that’s what it feels you’re locked inside of on “Among the Ranks of the Unconquerable.” The record is a ferocious one, and if you’re in those ranks of people who think black metal’s gotten too proper and polished, you’ll enjoy hearing these guys take their blades to that whole idea. This is filled with danger and malice, and nothing good can come from this band’s agenda. Well, other than black metal getting another group of warriors here to restore its good name.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Death_Fortress/3540352232

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

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

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PICK OF THE WEEK: Anguish’s odd storytelling, wretched doom hit a high point with ‘Mountain’

AnguishMetal has had its share of great storytellers over the years, people who not only have created powerful music but whose lyrics and delivery have made up an important part of history. We’re talking people like King Diamond, Ronnie James Dio, and Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris, who doesn’t offer his takes vocally but has one hell of a singer to do that for him.

This is sort of becoming a lost art in modern metal, as songs take the form of rants, philosophical dissertations, social commentary, and personal blood-shedding. All of those have their place, quite obviously, but finding a band that can help you get lost inside their music and their words is something to behold. That’s a thing Swedish doom band Anguish have done for two records now, their latest being “Mountain.” Like on their awesome debut “Through the Archdemon’s Head,” you go on a journey with the band, one that can be punishing and enthralling at the same time. On “Mountain,” tales of fallen kings, murder, destruction, battles from the past, and even arch demons come into play, and the eight tracks on this record don’t give you the choice of sampling. You’re in for the entire ride, and you won’t be able to look away for a second.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????Vocalist J. Dee takes front and center spot with the band, and his pained wailing and, if you’ll excuse me, anguished howls drive the drama and horror behind these songs. He’s one hell of an expressive singer, reminding a bit of Tom G. Warrior from time to time, and he’s full of charisma and evil intent. Listening to him is a morbid joy. Alongside him are guitarists/bassists David and Christoffer, as well as drummer Rasmus. On this record, the band strips things back just a bit, letting their fiery doom/death-inspired chops lead the way, and this is an album that with each subsequent listen, you find yourself sucked into their world more and more.

The simply named “Intro” is the first gush of sound, chilling and trickling, bringing you into the cold by luring you there. Then “Makarian Furnace” opens into a dark, doomy world, building in a calculating manner and letting Dee’s demonic yarn-weaver voice split into the action. He sounds sick and manic at times, almost like a villain watching his world wash away, and the rest of the band delivers, cleverly inserting a cowbell at the point when things are about to erupt again. Well put together. “Stir Up the Demon” is a furious one, with a stomping assault, tremendous leads, and Dee howling the blood-stopping admission, “I murdered him, there he lies smiling.” He spits out diatribes about false loyalty, doomed kings, and other treachery, while the band hits a deadly groove and even covers some thrashy territory. “Master of Peak’s Fall” has a watery, blurry open, with strong riffs blasting the door down and maniacal storytelling keeping you engaged. There is slow-driving misery that gives way to soaring soloing, and the end is dressed in dark organs, mournful singing, and melodies that twist and turn.

“Decomposer of Planets” has a really strange first few minutes, with Dee warbling like a crazy person and the music feeling absolutely ominous. Eventually, the song really starts to chug, the narration turns to growls, and track has a thunderous, disruptive conclusion hammered home by the declaration, “Your king is dead!” “The Woven Shield” has some slick, massive basslines that move into a heavy doom crunch and Dee shouting, “I am hunted across the lands,” meaning it as a threat and without an ounce of fear. More organs spill in, giving the song a gothic feel, and the punishment comes to an abrupt end. “Void” lurches and crawls menacingly, with smashing and mashing from the band, and the song switching back and forth from moodier parts to sections that will devastate you. It’s one of the most interesting songs on the record. Closer “Snowhammer” could not be a better curtain-dropper, starting with cold, fear-invoking passages before it punches its way out and begins its attack. Dee, in his most threatening voice, shouts, “Let them be crushed, see them be bled, let them crawl in excrement!” From there, the band lets everything burn, from savage damage being meted out, to dark keys rising again, and mystical, razor-sharp guitar work leading you to the end.

Getting lost inside Anguish’s dark, twisted fantasy world for 50 minutes is tremendous fun and should fill every desire a true metal fan has inside of them. “Mountain” is heavy, ugly, glorious, wretched, and evil, and every second of this is worth poring over. This band is developing quite the track record only two albums in, and it’ll be terribly exciting to hear what blood-splattered, doomed drama they dream up next.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anguish/175400599142558

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

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

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PICK OF THE WEEK: Godflesh reign in terror, industrial decimation with ‘A World Lit Only By Fire’

Photo by Kevin Laska

Photo by Kevin Laska

Metal is getting its old guard back. Yeah, we should strive toward the future and cultivate tomorrow’s warriors, but it’s also nice to know bands that carved enormous paths and served as influences on so many musicians–good or bad–still are here making vitals statements and reminding everyone how it’s done.

You know who I mean. Carcass last year returned with an astonishing platter that felt like their glory days returned for a victory lap. Judas Priest rose from the ashes this year with one of their best efforts in a long time. Plus, we have At the Gates first release in nearly 20 years breathing down our necks, with the initial signs of it seeming positive. And then, we have Godflesh. Like Carcass and ATG, when Justin Broadrick and C.G. Green reunited to play shows (mostly festivals and smaller tours), there wasn’t much promise for new music from the band. Then, a cover of Slaughter’s “Fuck of Dead” was released for Decibel’s Flexi Series last year. Then in June, the band offered up a pretty promising EP “Decline & Fall” that served as an appetizer for what would come later in the year, that being their brand new full-length effort “A World Lit Only By Fire,” their first full studio effort since 2001’s “Hymns.” It was an incredibly excited thing to put on our calendars back in the spring, but would the record live up to expectations? Would it be a worthy addition to a collection that already boasts stone-cold classics such as “Streetcleaner,” “Slavestate,” and “Pure”?

Godflesh coverLuckily we now have an answer, and it’s a damn good one. This record. Holy shit. It’s 10 tracks of unforgiving, devastating, honest Godflesh material, and it will beat the living hell out of you. Broadrick’s roar is full on again (as we know, he used more delicate vocals for other projects such as Jesu), and Green’s bass wallops and commands, reminding the world just how vital he is to this band’s penetrating sound. These guys together again as an active, recording band may have seemed impossible even last year at this time, and who could have imagined this new record would be as wholly satisfying as it is? In fact, out of all of those efforts by metal’s established guard, this one is the best one.

“New Dark Ages” is a fitting title for the first song on this record, because that’s what it sounds like it’s ushering in for us all. Eerie noises hang in the air before the bottom drops out, a thick and ugly bassline slithers through it, and Broadrick lets his howls rip, as he belts, “Don’t look back!” That’s a fitting sentiment for this band that’s hammering forward, and up next is “Dead End” that begins with sludgy guitars, barked vocals, and a mashing, chugging tempo that chews flesh. Noise spits fire at the end, leading into “Shut Me Down,” one of the most powerful tracks on the album. The guys hit on a massive groove on this one, and it could be the one that gets you maimed in a live setting. The vocals take on an alien effect, Broadrick and Green wail away with their strings, and the song has a killer crunch you won’t be able to shake. This is my favorite track on the album. “Life Giver Life Taker” lets the bass grab center stage, and the vocals are cleaner and hang in the air like a mist. The guitars take on a classic metal feel, something you don’t often get from Godflesh, and the track drifts off into the ether after it has made its mark. “Obeyed” has a doom metal tilt to it, with the ambiance threatening and foreboding, and Broadrick’s howls of, “You will never make a difference” should smother you in bleakness and misery.

“Curse Us All” also has some sludginess to it, and it is thrashy and massive. There isn’t a hint of forgiveness to this one, as the guys keep beating and pounding away, with the vocals throaty and painful. “Carrion” is terrifying at times, with mechanical-minded chaos bursting forth, as frosty, bendy riffs and thumping bass create the surrounding, one in which Broadrick’s shout of, “You are a vulture, picking flesh from bone!” sounds both threatening and detached at the same time. “Imperator” pulls back just a bit vocally, as the singing is cleaner and less violent, though the other elements of the track waste no time eviscerating your soul. “Towers of Emptiness” is chunky and hammering, with everything sounding like monsters battling robots, and the band checking out different moods from reflective to violently agitated. Broadrick howls and warbles through the track, and once it’s over, you’re not quite sure what hit you. “Forgive Our” closes the record with 7:41 of volcanic emotion. Furnace hiss greets you from the start, as everything swells and the assault comes on in a calculating manner. The beatings are meted out with a terrifying degree of control, crushing your will and leaving you an apologizing heap. The song bashes back and forth, with Broadrick and Green taking one last chance to do psychological and physical damage and leaving every bit of their anger and frustration on the line for anyone who experiences this record to absorb in full.

Godflesh could have put out anything and most people would have been thrilled. But “A World Lit Only By Fire” is one of the strongest statements in their catalog, a total triumph for this band 13 years after they last made a record. I’m not sure if this album is the beginning of a new era or their last will and testament, but whatever the answer, they could not have done a better job, built a bigger blaze, or fired as effective a shot. This is an all-time great band that remains great, and this record will punish you thoroughly.

For more on the band, go here: http://godflesh1.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://avalancheinc.co.uk/

For more on the label, go here: http://godflesh1.bandcamp.com/merch