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Nightrage – Wearing A Martyr’s Crown (Lifeforce Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Nightrage – Wearing A Martyr’s Crown (Lifeforce Records)

Funny…it’s really simple to play melodic death metal of the Swedish variety accordingly. Of course, everyone (i.e. random metalcore band #562) says they do it right, but they’re not Nightrage and Nightrage is not At the Gates or classic In Flames. They just sound like ‘em – which is fantastic.

Laying claim to two of the decade’s best melodic death metal releases in the form of 2003’s Sweet Vengeance and 2005’s Descent Into Chaos, Nightrage have become to the ‘00’s what the aforementioned tandem and Dark Tranquillity were to melodic death metal in its heyday. Occasionally, they’ll stray outside the lines, as in the over-usage of clean vocals on 2007’s quite good A New Disease Is Born, but for the most part, this is textbook melodic death metal, which is fantastic as well.

Founder/guitarist/primary songwriter Marios Illopoulos has more than a few ample riffs at his disposal, just check out the darting lead run in “Abandon,” or the modern In Flames boogie of “A Grim Struggle.” Acoustic guitars pop up all over the place and they’re well-timed and memorable, just check out the hushed mid-section of “Wearing A Martyr’s Crown.”

New singer Antony Hämäläinen is far more throaty than his predecesor, Jimmie Strimell and foregoes clean vocals for a very Lindberg-esque approach, which suits songs like “Collision of Fate” and “Futile Tears” admirably.

Still one of the top three bands doing this style, Wearing A Martyr’s Crownmight not have the gusto of Sweet Vengeance or sugary-simple slant ofDescent Into Chaos, but it’s a cut above anything else posing as melodic death metal for 2009.

www.myspace.com/nightrage

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Yob – The Great Cessation (Profound Lore Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Yob – The Great Cessation (Profound Lore Records)

With the Middian fiasco now in the rearview mirror, main Yob-dude Mike Scheidt appears to have done the right thing by re-activating this very crucial power trio. Prior to disbanding in 2005, Yob had a firm grip on the monolithic doom sludge sound that has been worn-over by the likes of Zoroaster, Black Cobra and the like, so now it’s a matter of getting settled back in, and on The Great Cessation, they certainly accomplish that.

Lots of ugly, grueling moments here, especially in the riffage. Scheidt appears to be in no rush to throw down, as evidenced by opener “Burning the Altar” where his seismic wall of guitars takes hold and never lets up, while a killer groove pops in and out. “The Lie That Is Sin” follows suit, with what could be one of more the earth-shattering intros in recent memory.

Scheidt’s vocals are still a bit on the nasally side, which is passable since he spends very little time singing. Instead, Yob, on The Great Cessation is more about those calamitous riffs than ever before and we can count on two hands the number of purely-heavy-as-balls moments on this thing; it’s one big rattle and hum, all accomplished in the span of five tracks. Naturally, there’s lots of open space, lots of pauses, drawn-out riffs, and tempos that wouldn’t dare to cross the 120-bpm threshold. Get used to it.

When the 20-minute title track make its way through, you’re already well-spent, debilitated, throttled, even. Yob have returned at just the right time, still capable of being one of the heaviest, most gruesome bands in town. Music not for the weak of heart or mind, The Great Cessation is the 2009 definition of heavy.

www.myspace.com/yobdoom

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Hail of Bullets – Warsaw Rising EP (Metal Blade Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Hail of Bullets – Warsaw Rising EP (Metal Blade Records)

Responsible for the best death metal song of the last five years in the form of “Ordered Eastward,” Dutch death metal supergroup Hail of Bullets are pulling out the ‘ole stop-gap EP with Warsaw Rising. And we’re dead serious with that assessment: “Ordered Eastward” will ruin your day and bulldoze your house.

With the indomitable Marten van Drunen (formerly of Pestilence, now in the reformed Asphyx) on the mic, it’s worth the price of admission alone (or free download, you thiefs) and in typical fashion, the man turns in another rousing performance on three new cuts: “Liberations,” “Warsaw Rising” and “Destroyer.” Somehow, van Drunen can employ the same vocal pattern on each song and still sound retain his place as one of the top five best death metal singers ever, so there’s your selling point. Musically, the band is still operating within more mid-tempo, classic Swedish death metal confines, rolling out some major crunch on “Warsaw Rising.”

A trio of live recordings (“Red Wolves of Stalin,” “Nachthexen,” and “The Crucial Offensive”) round out this six-song EP that continues with the band’s theme of World War I-inspired lyrics. War is a cool topic, definitely, but van Drunen can sing about scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush and it would still sound brutal.

www.myspace.com/hailofffuckenbullets

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Gnostic – Engineering the Rule (Season of Mist Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Gnostic – Engineering the Rule (Season of Mist Records)

Sort of a primer for Atheist’s first record in 16 years, Engineering the Rule bears several, if not too many resemblances the legendary tech-death crew. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering long-standing Atheist drummer Steve Flynn and current Atheist lead guitarist Chris Baker and bassist Jonathan Thompson are the primary constituents. The only thing missing is Kelly Schaffer.

This one’s tricky, because it picks right up where Atheist left off, loaded with technical tenacity and bite, especially from singer Kevin Freeman who can either annoy or impress – it’s give or take. The problem is that it will most likely cover all the ground Atheist plans on covering, begging to ask: what’s the point?

Flynn is still a whirling dervish behind the kit, adding colors and shades to stellar numbers like “Isolate Gravity” and “Wall of Lies” and even tosses in a quicksolo during “Life Suffering.” The arrangements are off-the-wall, unconventional and don’t add up like Atheist and even some of the riff-runs are straight out of the band’s early 90’s playbook (“Sleeping Ground” is the most prime example of this). In fact, if you shoved Schaffer on the mic, this could be the new Atheist album. No one would be fooled, which is fine – Engineering the Rule is actually more deserving of its above rating. But…

If we look at it from another angle, there are those out there still unfamiliar with Atheist and their trifecta of pre-tech, technical death metal, soEngineering the Rule has a chance with that minute crowd, wherever they may be. For the rest of us though, it’s like a movie preview or opening act. Who knows, this could very well be better than the new Atheist. Guess we’ll find out soon enough…

www.myspace.com/gnosticmusic

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Precious Metal – Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces (Da Capa Press)

David E. Gehlke
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Precious Metal – Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces (Da Capa Press)

As print dies a slow and painful death, those who grew up devouring Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer, and Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles (read: anyone over the age of 25) are left with few little options. Luckily, in the span of five years, Decibel magazine has emerged as the pre-eminent extreme metal rag. And while we won’t go into reasons why Decibel is a worthy read (we don’t plug other publications for selfish reasons), it’s proven to be the only existing metal magazine on North American shores worth giving a flying-you-know-what about.

Central to Decibel’s worthiness is their “Hall of Fame” feature, which takes one classic metal album, interviews all of its living key players, and breaks it down. It’s vastly entertaining, especially those of the anal-retentive nature (i.e. yours truly) who want to know every tiny factoid about a classic album. WithPrecious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces, editor Albert Mudrian culls 25 of the best Hall of Fame into one excellent, I-can’t-put-this-down read.

The obvious suspects are included: Slayer’s Reign In Blood, At the Gates’Slaughter of the Soul, Entombed’s Left Hand Path, so on and so forth. However, the real charm of this book are the selections on Monster Magnet’s Dopes to Infinity, which turns into a shit-talking fest between the band, or the story behind Bob Rusay’s unceremonious dismissal from Cannibal Corpse during the recording of Tomb of Mutilated, or Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork freely admitting he was going through the motions during the band’s hallmark Sky Valley album.

Swathed in honesty, this stuff gets the nitty gritty of the albums in question. Even relatively recent releases such as Converge’s Jane Doe and Dillinger Escape Plan’s Calculating Infinity are included are give further weight to both album’s already immense girth.

The Hall of Fame idea one of those strokes that most metal journalists wished they would have came up with, so hats off to Decibel and its staff for bringing it to life. Totally recommended for anyone who craves knowledge on metal that goes behind and beyond the music. Gnarly.

www.decibelmagazine.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

The Legion – A Bliss To Suffer (Listenable Records)

David E. Gehlke
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The Legion – A Bliss To Suffer (Listenable Records)

A Bliss to Suffer is neither here nor there; a by-product of the generic nature of blackened death metal. It’s the brand of samey, hook-less extreme metal that has killed for lesser bands than The Legion, although one has to ponder if they’ll end up in that scrap heap in no time.

A lot of parallels to similar bands can be drawn throughout A Bliss to Suffer, whether it’s the Dark Funeral-inspired hyper-intensity of opener “Shining Redemption,” the orchestral movements of “Call of the Nameless Black” which are derived from Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir, and stripped-down, viral attack of “Blood, Be Gone!” and “Man Beast,” that harken to Marduk’s early 00’s output.

Since The Legion is without evil, harmonized hooks or subtle melodic flourishes, there’s nothing really to grasp here. It comes and goes, nothing registered, nothing remembered. “Blood, Be Gone!” is a killer songtitle, though.

www.myspace.com/legionsweden

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Divine Heresy – Bringer of Plagues (Century Media Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Divine Heresy – Bringer of Plagues (Century Media Records)

Talk about picking the best time to release an album. Bringer of Plagues is going to be released right in the thick over a legal battle of the Fear Factory name, which, depending on one’s perspective, is a genius PR move or yet another maneuver in which to confuse the underground. We’ll stay neutral and focus on the merits of Bringer of Plagues which will probably not overtake 2007’s Bleed the Fifth, but might serve as one of the year’s most crushing releases.

Therein lies the problem: Bringer of Plagues is so over-the-top and sonically throttling, it’s overload. Drummer Tim Yeung is WAY to high in the mix; his double-kicks and blasts fight a constant battle with Dino Cazares’ guitars and it’s more of hindrance than asset. Of course, the duo hooks up for some rather uber-extreme moments during “Facebreaker,” “Enemy Kill” and “Darkness Embedded,” but subject yourself to repeated listens, you’re going to fill a bit bombarded.

New vocalist Travis Neal is an acquired taste, who on more than one occasion resembles the work of Threat Signal/Arkaea vocalist Jon Howard. Neal has more of a modern metal attack and that ends up hurting songs like “Immortal Pain” and “Redefine.”

There are several winners here, namely the title track which just destroys, “Anarachaos,” a throwback to Fear Factory’s Soul of a New Machine days and “Letter to Mother,” which displays a nice round of guitar melodies from Cazares.

You’re not going to get much more extreme with the syncopated/staccato template than Bringer of Plagues. Cazares and Yeung have pushed this sound to the brink and how they plan on getting more extreme, is beyond anyone. It will beat you into the ground, but Bringer of Plagues is not so much of an improvement than a lateral step from Bleed to Fifth, so yeah, when that’s new Fear Factory album coming out?

www.myspace.com/divinehersyband

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Celesty – Vendetta (Spinefarm Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Celesty – Vendetta (Spinefarm Records)

It’s split down the middle: if you’re a Finnish power metal band, you’re going to sound like either Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica. Not like there’s anything inherently wrong with that (is Thunderstone still making albums?), it just puts a cap on creativity. For Celesty, they fall on the Sonata Arctica end and yeah, it doesn’t help that Tony Kakko does guest vocals on this thing. It was nice of him to drop by, actually.

Vendetta unfurls like a typical symphonic power metal album and is usually at its best when singer Antti Railio is given some muscular, yet melodic riffing in which to belt over. This is none more evident during “Greed & Vanity,” where the line of “Oh how I hate it when I’m right” has somehow left an indelible mark on this scribe’s brain. “Autumn Leaves” gets the Kakko treatment and is augmented by flowery keyboards and a momentous guitar solo, making it very much Sonata Artica-fied.

In true Finnish power metal fashion, there are lots of pop elements being tossed about. “Feared By Dawn” (which is the heaviest and best jam here) and “New Sin” hold up this end and while they are power metal to the core, they have enough sugary hooks and dramatic pauses to be warranted inclusion for a movie script. It’s Hollywood Metal, Finnish style.

Surprisingly, there’s not nearly the glut of pompous Finnish power metal as one would think, so it’s not like Celesty is piling things on. Instead, they’re doing an admirable job of holding up what the predecessors created…nothing new to see here; rather an album very reminiscent of the classic works of the bands we mentioned from the onset and as you know, you don’t mess with the classics…you merely try to re-create them.

www.myspace.com/celestymetal

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Fairyland – Score To A New Beginning (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Fairyland – Score To A New Beginning (Napalm Records)

Fairyland, who without question have the worst name in all of power metal, won’t strike fear into anyone in the near future, but Score To A New Beginning has some legs to it. And since there are no new revelations in power metal (Lost Horizon was the last great, white, poorly-costumed hope), albums as well-constructed as this will always rank high in these parts.

Now consisting of one multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Phillipe Giordana, the band (or one man project) utilizes a revolving cast of vocalists to great effect. Marco Sandron of Pathosray handles the bulk of the duties, while Tony Kakko sound-alike Georg Neuhauser of Serenity does significant spot, giving Score… a thematic slant that might not had been achieved with just one singer.

Naturally, there’s little in terms of variety here; just Euro fluff, keyboard overload, maxed-out double-bass portions, and vocal pyro, yet there’s a handful of songs here that are near-worldbeaters. Case in point, “Assault On the Shore,” which opens with a fluid guitar/keyboard melody then drops into 70’s prog territory or “Master of the Waves” which is perhaps the best song Kamelot hasn’t written the past decade. “Godsent” and “Score To A New Beginning” also rank as top-notch, instantly memorable numbers.

Score To A New Beginning proves that for once, not deviating from the course nets results. Nothing heard on these 10 songs haven’t been beaten to death by every other Euro power metal band, but Giordana must have caught fire during the songwriting process, as this album has proven to be one of the few weighty, go-to power metal albums of 2009. Well done.

www.fairyland-metal.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

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