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Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plague (Metal Blade Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plague (Metal Blade Records)

As quickly as one can sour on brutal death metal, such an affliction has never hit Cannibal Corpse. Granted, they’ve utilized practically the same formula since 1996’s Vile, but where Cannibal Corpse succeeds where so many fail is the fact they write compact, instantly brutal numbers that rely on the band’s strengths. Now at their arguable peak, the Floridians return with what might be their best album since the aforementioned Vile, which in a sense, would make Evisceration Plague their finest hour in the George “Corpsegrinder” Fischer-era.

Now approaching his 13th year as frontman of CC, Fischer’s considerable vocal dimensions are at the epicenter of why Corpse is so brutal (and yeah, we’re going to use that word a lot – deal with it). Fischer’s vocal attack on “Scalding Hail” is as fast as the singer has ever rattled off tales of gore, while his bellows on “Unnatural” and “Shatter Their Bones” totally annihilate anything his once arch nemesis Chris Barnes has ever done.

The riffs are out in full force on Evisceration Plague, highlighted by the frenetic “Scalding Hail,” the chunky “To Decompose,” the tech-savvy of “Beheading and Burning,” the manic buzzing of “Carnivorous Swarm” and the crawling, kill-you-slowly grind of “Evisceration Plague” all are instantly gratifying, long-lasting death metal cuts that stick around well after the first few listens.

As suggested to yours truly in a recent interview with bassist Alex Webster, drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz remains Cannibal Corpses’ ace-in-the-hole. His one-arm blasts (which basically, are the wrong way to do a blast-beat) continue to make CC’s songs more brutish and aggro. Mazurkiewicz even tosses in some nimble time-keeping on “Evidence In the Furnace.”

The one-trick pony world of brutal death metal may never change, but Cannibal Corpse are now and forever central to the subgenre’s surprising staying power. The progression of Corpse is strikingly evident and perhaps that’s the best thing about this band – their death metal comrades (Obituary, Deicide, Nile, to a degree) have topped off, but Cannibal Corpse keep getting better, more brutal, resulting in better, brutal songs. Weird concept for brutal death metal, eh? There’s that word again. “Brootal.”

www.myspace.com/cannibalcorpse

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Absu – Absu (Candlelight Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Absu – Absu (Candlelight Records)

From the “Where Are They Now?” file comes Absu. The Texas mythological occult metallers were an underground staple in the late 90’s and early part of this decade, culminating with the dastardly, highly recommended Tara in 2001. Lineup shifts, lack of motivation, injuries and anything else that could derail a band beset Absu the next several years, but the ever-zany drummer (and owner of “Busiest Hands” in the death metal biz) Proscriptor McGovern regrouped with a new cast of characters and the stunning self-titled album was born.

The band has gradually turned down more thrash avenues since Tara, eschewing the band’s formative death metal leanings. McGovern is still the focal point in the Absu sound pantheon, as his king-sized fills, elaborate tom work and general assault on the kit gives the band an extra weapon in its well-stocked arsenal.

Joined by three new members in the form of guitarists Zawicizuz and Aethryis McKay and bassist Ezezu, Absu sounds like a totally reinvigorated band, especially once the all-world thrash of “Amy” kicks in or the spiraling “13 Globes” takes form. The riff collection assembled is truly seismic; the combination of razor-sharp retro-thrash riffage and odd, mangled black metal chords makes for some truly elaborate moments throughout Absu, and we’ll point to “Night Fire Cannonization” and “Sceptre Command” for additional proof.

Experimentation is present during the rambling keyboard outro on “Of the Dead Who Never Rest In Their Tombs Are The Attendance of Familiar Spirits…” and a haunting acoustic/keyboard interval during “Those of the Void Will Re-Enter,” which emerges as a real standout.

One of the most respected acts to emerge from the early USBM scene, Absu’s comeback is every bit as colossal as the ancient Gods the band so fondly adores. In fact, it’s quite amazing to see how this stacks up against the (black) mass of death/thrash, black/thrash/ black/death metal we constantly get hit by. Absu might be the kind of jolt the US metal underground needed.

www.myspace.com/absu

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Iron Fire – To the Grave (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Iron Fire – To the Grave (Napalm Records)

For a band that’s traditionally been a tough sell to the power metal crowd, Denmark-based Iron Fire appear to have all the right pieces in place: a take-charge vocalist in the form of Martin Steene, sing-songy anthems, clichéd lyrics, and the prerequisite double-bass jarring and blazing guitar solos. With a nary a dent made after their relatively impressive Blade of Triumph album in 2007, the band return with To the Grave and if you weren’t a fan before, now is probably not the time to start.

Steene’s vocals have always been a sticking point for some, even crossing over to his stint with the post-Mercyful Fate Force of Evil, but the man can get the job done if given the proper material to work with. Opener “The Beast From the Blackened” is the right way to go, same for “The Kingdom,” where Steene leads the charge with calls for brotherhood and honor, you know – typical power metal topics.

To the Grave is wrought with every cliché one can think of in the power metal realm, notably the very Manowar “Kill For Metal” which is terribly cheesy; same for “The Battlefield.” The band’s textbook handle on the power metal format may not help matters either, even when strong cuts like “Hail to Odin” and “Frozen In Time” make their way through. There’s just something so unassuming about Iron Fire that you can’t help but at least give these numbers a passing listen, but again, the picky, picky power metal throng may not see it that way.

Of the dozens upon dozens of bands that genuinely ruin power metal, Iron Fire aren’t one of them. Although they are hardly a world-beating band (the last hope for power metal was Lost Horizon, sadly), Iron Fire is what it is and invariably, have some good – not great – songs to boot. Not sure what that counts for nowadays, so keep on keeping on, Iron Fire.

www.myspace.com/officialironfire

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Thyrfing – Hels Vite (Regain/Candlelight Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Thyrfing – Hels Vite (Regain/Candlelight Records)

Not the first name uttered when discussing the now widespread Pagan/epic metal scene, Sweden’s Thyrfing have been at it since the late 90’s with a batch of wholly respectable albums to their name, most notably 2000’s glorious Ukraft and 2002’s Vansinnesivor. After a three-year layoff from 2005’sFarsotstider (this is technically an ’08 release, mind you), the band returns withHels Vite which is far and away their best album to date.

The addition of former Naglfar vocalist Jens Ryden hasn’t put the band over the top; rather it’s the first four numbers on Hels Vite that are arguably the band’s most inspired and memorable compositions to date. Eschewing the usual folk-based instrumentation in favor of a more riff-based approach, numbers like opener “En Sista Litania” and “Hels Vite” are shocking straightforward, yet are blanketed by subtle keyboard flourishes that embellish the numbers with icy hooks.

“Isolation” is the obvious winner here, a frenzied, valiant jam that melds the grim Nordic landscapes with epic metal heroics. Plus, it’s one of two songs onHels Vite to be sung entirely in English. The band has always toyed with a few English-sung numbers on previous albums, making one wonder if they’ll ever fully take the plunge. Probably not.

The album peaks at the title track, but “Becoming the Eye” emerges as a stout stomper, as does “Griftefrid.” The overall finesse and simplistic nature of the album (and it’s first four songs) are going to take a lot of people accustomed to overbearing Pagan/folk by surprise, that’s for sure.

On regular rotation in the thick of winter in these parts, Hels Vite may not have gimmickry of a Turisas or the full-on image of an Ensiferum, but they do have a set of mighty, mighty songs that can hold up in this imaginary epic metal battle.

www.myspace.com/thyrfing

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Grave Digger – Ballads Of A Hangman (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Grave Digger – Ballads Of A Hangman (Napalm Records)

Long, long, long-running German power metallers Grave Digger have always been a bit of choice commodity in trad metal circles. The X-factor with the band has always been singer Chris Boltendahl, whose gruff vocals separate him from his helium-induced contemporaries. This scribe has always had a bit of a soft spot for Boltendahl’s vocals and Grave Digger itself, so it’s no surprise Ballads Of A Hangman is a dependable, well-executed power metal platter.

For a career that has spanned 25 years and now 13 studio albums, Grave Digger clearly knows its limitations, not unlike Saxon, Gamma Ray, or any gray-haired troupe. Ballads sees the band stick to tried-and-true metal workouts, namely the festival-ready “Hell of Disillusion,” which sees Boltendahl lead a choir of gang vocals in a rousing chorus. “Sorrow of the Dead” is equally as pleasing, achieving a melodic balance that we’ve come to expect.

“Lonely the Innocence Dies” drags matters down a bit, venturing into ballad territory, yet the aggro “Into the War” and “The Shadow of Your Soul” are jams that would make Kai Hansen and crew proud.

Back to Boltendahl. The man can at times be a hindrance to Grave Digger’s sound, most notably during the cheeky “Funeral For A Fallen Angel” and the aforementioned “Lonely the Innocence Dies.” The man’s ugly, barely tuneful vocals are certainly an acquired taste, but somehow the Germs have turned an apparent weakness into a strength.

Ballads Of A Hangman is far from world-beating power metal and that is fine – someone else is going to have to pick up the slack in the coming years for the style to sustain itself. Grave Digger, though, haven’t enjoyed a career of stability on accident – few bands in power metal recognize their limitations like they do.

www.myspace.com/gravediggerclan

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Dimension Zero – He Who Shall Not Bleed (Candlelight Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Dimension Zero – He Who Shall Not Bleed (Candlelight Records)

Sure, Dimension Zero’s melodic death metal approach isn’t going to split the world in two. And yeah, they trace over familiar path once tread by At the Gates, In Flames, and the like, but wow, He Who Shall Not Bleed has some of the sharpest, most agile melodic death metal cuts in recent memory.

The follow-up to 2003’s mostly good This Is Hell, He Who Shall Not Bleed sees Dimension Zero (who consist of former Marduk singer Jocke Gothberg, current In Flames guitarist Jesper Stromblad, current Soilwork bassist Daniel Antonsson (who plays guitar for DZ), and former The Great Deceiver drummer Hans Nilsson) fully exploit all that is right and good with melodic death metal. The litany of melodies presented here is overwhelming and in a rare occurrence, picks up speed as the album moves along.

Case in point, the relatively quick “He Who Shall Not Bleed” and “A Paler Shade of White” are melodious, but more thrash-tinged numbers, with Gothberg’s mammoth rasp taking charge. Then as the album moves into its mid-portion, tracks like the buzzing “I Can Hear the Dark,” “Going Deep” and “Is” morph into glowing, classic melo-death forays.

The highlight of the album is “Deny,” a straightforward, anthemic number that boasts a pile-driving main riff and dominating chorus augmented by a flurry of crashing cymbals from Nilsson and a crisp guitar melody.

Bonus cuts include a funny, head-turning version of the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” the all in Swedish, “Rovarvisan.”

Released in Europe in September of 2008, He Who Shall Not Bleed may not be technically a 2009 release, but it is the first must-have shard of pure melodic death metal of the calendar year. Totally necessary stuff for those who still pine for the Gothenburg glory days to return…

www.myspace.com/dimensionzero

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Darkane – Demonic Art (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Darkane – Demonic Art (Nuclear Blast Records)

Once regarded as the future of melodic death metal, Sweden’s Darkane have never gotten their just due. Without the pop measures that In Flames and Soilwork so readily adopted, the quintet (who comprise of new vocalist Jens Broman, guitarists Christofer Malmstrom and Klas Ideberg, bassist Jorgen Lofberg, and drummer Peter Wildoer) has had to rely on the cult success of their Rusted Angel debut and the subsequent minor success of 2002’s shiningExpanding Senses and 2005’s razor-sharp Layers of Lies.

Over three years removed from Layers of Lies, the band returns with Demonic Art, which for all intents and purposes is a roundhouse combination of Rusted Angel and the aforementioned Layers of Lies.

Broman emerges as a near carbon-copy of recently-departed throat Andreas Sydow. The two share numerous similarities in their diction and the clean vocal approach, especially during the choruses of “Leaving Existence” and “The Killing of I.” Broman is probably the better of the two, as his scratchy growls have a little more intensity to them.

Few are going to out-technical Darkane, and the proof lies in the frenetic “Execution 44” and over-the-top “Impetous Constant Chaos,” which sees emerging drum lord Wildoer fly off the handle with some well-placed blast beats. The band even touches upon some cool melodic flourishes on “Demigod,” a welcome sight considering how well Malmstrom and Ideberg work together when traveling down more melodic avenues.

A minor complaint lies in Wildoer’s drum sound, which is nearly not as in-your-face as his previous work. As one of the more elaborate and creative drummers in the metal, the man has every right to be upfront in the mix, but consideringDemonic Art was totally self-produced and engineered by the band, one could understand this minor hiccup.

Darkane may never be as inherently catchy as some of their contemporaries, but their ability to find that empty space between melodic death metal and futuristic cyber-metal of a Strapping Young Lad or Fear Factory makes them one of the metal’s top commodities. Demonic Art is clearly top-notch, as is everything in the Darkane catalog, so let’s see what a return to North American shores this winter will do for the band.

www.myspace.com/darkane

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Sylosis – Conclusion Of An Age (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Sylosis – Conclusion Of An Age (Nuclear Blast Records)

nitially, Conclusion of An Age rubbed this scribe the wrong way. You know, kinda how deathcore or cop-out thrash does to just about anyone, but repeated inspections reveal a band teetering on thrash respectability. Sylosis (who are British) isn’t your mother’s thrash metal, meaning they aren’t throwback thrash, but they aren’t Euro thrash either. Modern thrash, perhaps, so we’ll go with that. Yeah, modern thrash.

Riff-wise, Sylosis has what it takes to keep its head above water. While other so-called thrash bands (hey, Trivium) couldn’t formulate an original and/or catchy riff if their life depended on it, Sylosis rolls out some crunchy, tricky triplet-infested riffs that make numbers like “The Blackest Skyline” and “Swallow the World” winners.

Singer Jamie Graham has a respectable clean vocal delivery that complements his discernable scream, which the bulk of the vocals consist of. Graham has some good moments in “After Lifeless Years” and “Reflections Through Fire” and for once in modern thrash, proves to be a contributing factor to the worthwhile nature of the songs of this 12-song affair.

The glaring drawback is that Conclusion of An Age is in fact, 12 songs. Some jams could have been omitted an even sequenced better, namely “Stained Humanity” which should be the album closer, but such mistakes are bound to happen to a band as green as Sylosis.

Thrash is now a splintered entity, with the retro clashing with the modern, so we’ll have to wait and see if a band like Sylosis can hold up. Methinks they will; this album is too gnarly, too rigid, and is of a higher quality than one would think.

www.myspace.com/sylosis

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Saxon – Into the Labyrinth (SPV Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Saxon – Into the Labyrinth (SPV Records)

Not even two years removed from the excellent Inner Sanctum, long-running NWOBHM act Saxon return with Into the Labyrinth and it’s business as usual for Biff and the gang. More arena-ready than ever, Saxon’s mid-tempo anthems are just that – anthems. There’s a cinematic quality to the bulk of the songs here and it makes Into the Labyrinth float a little longer than most veteran metal albums do. How they do it, who knows…

Opener “Battalions of Steel” is a strong number and makes Saxon’s case early via domineering chorus from Byford. Same for the marauding “Demon Sweeney Todd,” which is one of the more up-tempo numbers that band has rolled out of late. “Valley of the Kings” follows suit, as a surging main riff carries the songthrough familiar territory which includes a massive chorus.

“Live to Rock” is a blatant nod to AC/DC which is fine and “Slow Lake Blues” corners the blues market for the band. “Crime of Passion” and “Hellcat” are throwaways, but “Voice” is an ominous, early 90’s FM radio joint that shows surprising versatility for a band that has been at it for decades.

While not as strong as Inner Sanctum, Saxon has added another strong album to a catalog that is now nearly double that of some of its contemporaries. Great songs abound; Saxon just doesn’t know when to quit…

www.saxon747.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

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