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High On Fire - Blessed Black Wings (Relapse, 2005)
Rating: 9.5/10
I saw HIGH ON FIRE open for Clutch back in December, and they smoked, so when Al Kikuras told me that this disc was coming my way, I did backflips.
(By the way, Al, you owe an apology to my downstairs neighbors...) I loved the Surrounded By Thieves record, and Blessed Black Wings is right in the same vein. Riffs so heavy they make your bowels move... Drums pounding ahead like a pack of deranged pachyderms chasing a freight train... It's the usual HIGH ON FIRE approach... In recent years, I've gotten really into the stoner metal bands, and HIGH ON FIRE rapidly emerged as one of my faves because they take the spirit of Black Sabbath, the sludgy riffs and the dark lyrics, and update it without falling into hero-worship like so many of their peers. HOF add enough Motörhead to keep the whole thing moving along.
After two good records already, "Blessed Black Wings" may well be the band's defining moment. I'm usually not a fan of Steve Albini's production--sometimes I think he's a little overrated by the alternative scenesters who just like things to be weird and uncommercial for no other reason than just simply being so--but here he's done a great job. Either he's abandoned his trademark sterile-treble approach or it just works perfectly to bring out the riffs and the gravelly tones of Matt Pike's voice without sacrificing the low end power at all. The crushing power of the title track alone makes the record worthwhile, but in reality, there's no one track that doesn't kick ass. My favorites are "Blessed Black Wings," "Silver Back," with its fast riff that oddly reminds me of classic Deep Purple, and the opening track "Devilution," which I remembered from the concert. It kicked ass then and it kicks ass now. This record is one of the few "stoner" rock records that I can see myself working out to--it's just that powerful. With great new releases from Pig Destroyer, Suffocation, Mastodon, and Alabama Thunderpussy, plus new stuff coming from Leng Tch'e and the almighty Soilent Green, Relapse is kicking ass right now... "Blessed Black Wings" is incredible. Pick it up or you're a big loser. - JW
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Callenish Circle - Forbidden Empathy (Candlelight, 2005)
Rating: 9/10
Sometimes to understand where you are now, you have to go back to the beginning.
Candlelight Records have gone into the past and dug up all previous work from CALLENISH CIRCLE, and has released it all on a double disc set. Their demo Lovelorn, their debut Drift of Empathy, the Escape EP, and yet another full length album entitled Graveful Yet Forbidding). None of this material has seen proper release in America, and the diehard fans may have tracked these recordings down already but this is great for someone who is just looking for an introduction to the band.
I've only heard their name prior to receiving this double CD, and to be honest the last thing I wanted to hear was yet another melodic death metal band. At some point you ask yourself
"What can these guys offer me that no one else has?" and the answer doesn't come until you hit play. The genre has been done to death, but that isn't the worst thing that could happen.
CALLENISH CIRCLE have fused a variety of influences that to me sound like mid-era AT THE GATES, DARK TRANQUILITY, and the other Swedish Gods who have laid down this melodic path such as EUCHARIST, and the result is extremely well done melodic death metal.
Originality is great but lets face it folks, at this point no one is going to reinvent the wheel.
There is a mold for this type of band and so few deviate from the normal, but that isn't a bad thing. You're probably wondering though, why should you check this out? I mean all I'm doing is saying this is unoriginal, and while that might be the case...unoriginal does not mean bad. CALLENISH CIRCLE are one of the best bands to play this style, without a doubt. For slapping down your hard earned cash you get quite a collection of material here, and it is a lot to take in. Usually I'm very timely on reviews but this one has been a hell of a task as everything on here deserves your undivided attention, it is that good. Its technical, its heavy, its fast, its melodic, there are outstanding vocal performances, and no two songs bleed together which often can happen.
The production varies, obviously the demo isn't going to sound perfect as..its a demo. The key is though, the music here is real. While the style might be unoriginal now, there is
some passion to their playing. It doesn't feel like yet another band being melodic for the sake of being melodic, it feels like they know what they wanted when they wrote the songs on here and that
is the most important thing. - Rick
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Defacing - Spitting Savagery (Xtreem, 2005)
Rating: 7/10
Defacing are a brutal death-grind band from Chile, and I believe this is their first album for Xtreem, having been signed on the promise of a demo full-length awhile back.
(See, kids? You can learn things from the internet.) The music is crushing--tight riffs, pounding blast-beats, the whole shebang--and honestly, I'd give them higher than a 7 if their vocalist was better. He's got the whole burping growl going on, but it just doesn't do it for me here. There's a Cryptopsy cover, so Defacing are showing their influences pretty openly, and that's probably the best comparison I can draw to the music. If they only had a vocalist as versatile and entertaining as Lord Worm, then I'd be more of a fan. As it stands now, I can pretty much take or leave this record. There's nothing wrong with it really, but it just doesn't set my pants on fire. - JW
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Domination Through Impurity - Essence Of Brutality (Comatose, 2005)
Rating: 8.5/10
I'll start out with the sweeping statement that this record is damn good.
Domination Through Impurity mainman Joe Payne is now the bassist in Nile, so you know up front that the musicianship is top-notch. (For those of you keeping score, Payne was also the bassist in Lust of Decay.) The title track starts the album with a flurry of guitar and drums that kind of reminds me of the intro to "Hell Bent For Leather," except on speed and steroids. The riffs are intricate as hell, brutal and crushing one minute and then dazzling and fluid the next. Drummer Jordan Varela, also of Lust of Decay, flies along with mechanical precision, varying up his approach enough to keep everything interesting. In fact, his playing is maybe even good enough to excuse him for thanking himself in the liners for going "beyond the call of duty to make myself one of the best death metal drummers..." The vocals are the requisite low guttural death-metal growl, a la obvious influences Nile or Suffocation, and it fits the music perfectly. None of this is anything new to death metal, but listening to the disc, it becomes evident that DTI know how to make extreme music and not sacrifice listenability. There are enough odd time signatures and dueling guitar riffs to satisfy all but the most rabid fans of technical metal, and yet the whole thing progresses without falling into the trap of "look how complicated we can make our songs." Standout tracks include the title track, second song "Pinned To A Guardrail," and the grammatically incorrect "Bit By A Rat." My only complaint is the mediocre lyrics, but honestly, who really cares? The music is cool, and you can't understand the words anyway. Check out the disc and just don't read the lyrics .- JW
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Embalming Theatre - Hormones From The Dead (No Escape, 2005)
Rating: 9/10
EMBALMING THEATRE's
full length release of '04, Sweet Chainsaw Melodies (Razorback Records), didn't do the disco for me. All the elements were there... heavy tunes, good playing, groove, deep vocals, but it was kind of like
American cheese. Disgusting and unsatisfying... a bit too "by the numbers" and lacking the attitude that makes most Razorback releases the barrels of monkeys that they are. I don't know what
the guys in EMBALMING THEATRE have been doing over the past year, but whatever it is, they should teach JUDAS PRIEST how to do it because that last album is LAME. The EP starts off with the title track
which, from the first notes, is creepy as hell. Dismal clean guitar with guttural vocals that sets a sombre mood before launching into a quick blast that, somehow, still maintains the same feel. The main
riff of this song is just a killer. Straightforward with a plain melody, the whole song just kills. That creepy feeling pervades the entire release and it is what really makes Hormones From The Dead the
exceptionally good disc that it is, and one that I find myself listening to over and over. EMBALMING THEATRE aren't going for the over-the-top gore factor, or trying to be ultra-technical. They are
writing good songs with memorable riffs, two things that are lacking from many a gore/death release these days, and they are at their absolute catchiest at the end of the song "Buried Alive III:
Suffocation In The Sandbox," which features a clap part that is so goofy and infectious that not only will you laugh out loud when you hear it, but you'll walk around the house, singing and clapping
it to yourself over and over.
I wasn't excited when I first pulled Hormones From The Dead out of the mailer it came in, but having listened to it over and over, I am really looking forward to
their next full length. - Al Kikuras
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Fall of the Bastards - Dusk of an Ancient Age (Inteolerant Messiah, 2005)
Rating: 7/10
This band wins an award for the cheesiest bio I've ever read in my life.
Apparently the entire band is infected with some curse, and that curse drives them to make semi-melodic black metal. That same curse apparently destroyed one of their former members whose body apparently couldn't handle such evil. Oo. Evil. C'mon people. Is that supposed to endear me to your band? That is neither creative or interesting. In fact, that's totally lame. It kind of makes me want to punch you in the face.
However, being an objective guy not terribly influenced by personal annoyances outside of the music, I refuse to succumb to such a blatant effort to get me to throw their disc out (and assault them)!
In fact, I'd say that FALL OF THE BASTARDS is actually pretty good! While they're nothing particularly out of the norm, they certainly kick ones ass with a great, energetic variety of death influenced black metal. Every song on this album is a kick in the teeth from start to finish, and that's what I like to hear. Aside from the all-to-frequent pig squeals (it happens at least twice, I was waiting for a Kerry King divebomb, but I wasn't to be so satisfied), they've actually managed to put together a well-paced, cohesive, intelligently written black metal album.
Every piece of this band works well together to creative a very cohesive sound. The composition is solid, and while the vocals aren't very atmospheric, they certainly get the job done and are a
presence of their own. This disc has the added bonus of being cool because it's got some (poorly recorded) live tracks tacked onto the end. So you can hear how adamant the five guys who were at the
show were! Though, I must admit, the crowd reaction on these tracks are better than on MAYHEM's (in)famous Live in Leipzig, so maybe these guys are on to something!
No, seriously, if you like good black metal, these guys are pretty good. I'd say they're on caliber with bands like TERATISM and LEVIATHAN musically (even if they're not able to figure out the image
as readily as the other two). Check them out, I doubt you'll be very disappointed. - Jim Bob The Enforcer
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God.Fear.None - Envy (Sonic Age, 2005)
Rating: 8/10
So you've got nu-metal, right?
Then you add people who can play, and you remove all the suck and whininess and you end up with real metal. That's GOD.FEAR.NONE. These guys are the answer to shitty nu-metal, with their own brand of groove driven, angry, metal. And while the answer may be late, it's certainly still welcome.
GOD.FEAR.NONE. do what they do with serious authority.
There's some serious energy put into their sound and one can't help but feel a bit bad that these guys are releasing this album now instead of 5 years ago. Every song from start to finish is a catchy, groovy, angry mosh-happy blast of melodic energy, but where this band differs from lesser entities is that they have an awesome guitar player who not only shows brilliant talent but brilliant restraint, as well!
But it's not just the guitars that stand out. The vocals are great!
A sound (old) IN FLAMES style vocals approach, mixed in with great clean vocals that are produced down to the point where they sound almost mechanical at times, makes for a really modern sound. The bass is authoritative, with great tone and huge presence when working as well with the drums as well.
Finally, man, this band can pull off both great guitar solos and great hardcore breakdowns. They put bands like KILLSWITCH to shame because of their originality, and it begs whether or not they'll end up
on a GOD FORBID tour, or Ozzfest in the near future. If you like SOILWORK, GOD FORBID, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, or any of that style of crunchy, groove driven, semi-melodic hardcore stuff, check these guys
out, they're worth your time. - Jim Bob The Enforcer
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Human Mincer - Devoured Flesh (Xtreem, 2005)
Rating: 8/10
As with their 2003 release Embryonized, on Devoured Flesh we
find HUMAN MINCER sticking to a tried and true formula of ultra-brutal death metal, but things have shifted ever-so-slightly on this outing, finding the band moving a smidgen away from goresoaked death
metal into slightly more ominous waters. Devoured Flesh has a touch of the atmosphere of old classics like Left Hand Path and Blessed Are The Sick, with HUMAN MINCER opting for a sound that is darker and
more evil than repulsive, but you will still hear moments on this album that sound like they could have been lifted from the debut. The new twist adds another layer to the music, making Devoured Flesh a
more rewarding listen. The drums are fast, the band very tight, the vocals deep and nasty and the songs are short and to-the-point, as is the album, clocking in at just over 27 minutes. If you need a
quick fix for dark, brutal death metal, Devoured Flesh is just the thing. - Al Kikuras
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Icarus Witch - Roses on White Lace (Magick Records, 2005)
Rating: 7/10
ICARUS WITCH is a band that I'd never heard of prior to this record. I wasn't thinking about the title of this EP before I put it in.
Then I heard it. What the hell? They named their EP after someone else's song and they covered it as the first track on the record? That's right, this is named after the ALICE COOPER song of the same name. I think it's a little quirky, but hey, NIGHTWISH did it with Over the Hills and Far Away, so I guess ICARUS WITCH can do it, as well.
This EP wasn't bad, really. They have a traditional metal sound if ever traditional metal could be heard. The cover certainly didn't lie, if you like QUEENSRYCHE, YNGWIE, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS
PRIEST, etc., you'll dig this band. If you're into all those bands, you probably will like this band, as they're playing a very old school blend of metal, right down to the shrieky vocals, the rock
beat and the wanker guitarist.
The band is talented, undoubtedly.
They certainly play well and with a good cohesive sound (and their ALICE COOPER cover is great!), and while they have a wanker for a guitar player, he's held under control so that he doesn't get too annoying (or even worse) self-righteous! But don't get me wrong, dude rules.
Plus, hearing all this old school metal stuff made me reminiscent for a time when guys with puffy hair and tight pants owned the stages across the world with their authority and crotch stuffing abilities
alone. And while that wasn't all good, these guys could've really hit it off with the IRON MAIDEN fans back in the day.
As with most power metal bands, the final criticism has to come down to the vocalist. I was actually impressed with this guy.
His voice held up pretty well, and if his stage presence is as good as his vocal presence, he's the guy for the job. The big complaint I have is that his lyrics are mediocre at best and atrociously cheesy at worst. The last song is terribly cheesy (Dragon Ryder? Is this the kind of dragon that moves you from Narnia to Krynn?), but other than that they pull it off pretty well.
Oh, one last thing. Extra point because they thank D&D in their inlays. Nerds! \m/ - Jim Bob The Enforcer
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Impiety - Paramount Evil (Paragon, 2005)
Rating: 9/10
My wife's not much of a death metal fan. She
never complains when I have it cranking in the office while she is in there working, as I usually do (and, incidentally, do right now as she sits next to me). She's heard it all, but occasionally I put
an album on that actually makes her stop what she is doing and listen, which to me, means I have a good album on my hands. IMPIETY's Paramount Evil had that effect, several times, just because it is so
fucking intense. What she likes best is when they blast and Shyaithan unleashes a "RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" scream, which he does quite often. In fact, she got such a kick out of it that I
spliced a scream after the intro of one of her band's tunes, which had her shooting water out of her nose when she heard it (check it out here). That intensity that made her look up is what makes Paramount Evil the motherfucker of an album that it is. Death and
black metal bands are a dime a dozen, and ones that blast all the way through are far from rare as well, but IMPIETY are so over the top, and so good at what they do that Paramount Evil stands above the
masses as an exemplary example of just how fast and insane this kind of music can be, and the most impressive thing is that they manage to be on "eleven" 99% of the time and STILL write catchy
songs. IMPIETY are up there with ANGEL CORPSE, BESTIAL WARLUST, REVENGE and those new fellas ALLFATHER at the top of the "extreme beyond extreme" heap. If you are a death metal or black metal
fan, Paramount Evil is a no-brainer, as if you don't like it, it is your problem, not theirs. I can't get my horns high enough in the air for this one... - Al Kikuras
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