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My Dying Bride – For Lies I Sire (Peaceville Records)

David E. Gehlke
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My Dying Bride – For Lies I Sire (Peaceville Records)

The violin is back and almost instantly, you can’t help but surrender to its enormous weight and depth. No band has made better use of the instrument (sorry Kansas), so its return from an 11-year absence is totally welcome and frankly, awe-inspiring. And so is My Dying Bride’s newest and 10th release, For Lies I Sire, the second best post-“Classic Six” album, right behind 1999’s Light At the End of the World.

The band wastes no time in hauling out the aforementioned woodwind on “My Body, A Funeral.” Slow and sobbing, the track makes excellent use of the interplay between guitarists Andrew Craighan and Hamish Glencross’ melodic riffs and Katie Stone’s mournful violin lines. From there, the band travels back to familiar ground (think a mix between Angel and the Dark River and Like Gods of the Sun) on “The Lies I Sire,” which sees MDB wrestle with its now patented slooow tempo and tortured vocals from singer Aaron Stainthorpe.

New drummer Dan Mullins turns in an inspired performance, even getting colossal drum roll treatment on “My Body, A Funeral” and the death metal-tinged “A Chapter In Loathing.” Stainthorpe’s introspective poetry is traveling down some seriously morose paths this time out, as he grumbles, spits, and moans his way through the excellent “Bring Me Victory” and somber “Echoes From A Hollow Soul.”

If anything, For Lies I Sire is an instant charmer, something 2006’s The Line of Deathless Kings wasn’t and to lesser degree 2001’s The Dreadful Hours could never quite achieve. But this time they’re presenting it all, right front and center; the style and sound so many have been clamoring for. Talk about appeasing everyone, eh?

www.myspace.com/mydyingbride

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

God Is An Astronaut – God Is An Astronaut (Revive Records)

David E. Gehlke
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God Is An Astronaut – God Is An Astronaut (Revive Records)

Okay, so they might not be a metal band in the strictest sense but metal can be a rather malleable substance. If you’ve yet to discover this Irish trio but are a fan of Isis, Red Sparowes, Grails, 65daysofstatic or even Neurosis and Jesu, you’ll will find a whole heap of aural surprises here to caress and soothe your ear-holes. Experts at creating beautiful, instrumental landscapes from sound, a criticism that previously could have been leveled at them was that their songs didn’t go on long enough, reaching the apex and instead of holding there, stopping. Not this time around. Now four full-lengths in and road veterans they know what works, especially with No Return, their finest composition to date.

Opening on a low keyboard swirl “Shadows” then comes into an Adore-style Smashing Pumpkins drum pattern, which drives onto an airy 65daysofstatic body moving section, ringed with fluttering guitar notes. It sounds like stars flying past at high speed, long lines of light. ‘Post Mortem’ is a more icy, gentle path. “Snowfall” has echoes of quieter Placebo, circa Without You I’m Nothing utilising similar guitar tones and tandem bass/guitar work. Of course the nasal Brian Molko vocal is absent. The ghost of GIAA past is present on “Echeos,” an electro-like beginning submerges itself in a bubble of easy, chill-out waves. You could try and listen to this as a wind-down, but your body would still end up shaking, tapping out a beat not only to the drums, but also the flowing guitars, ending on what could probably be classed as a freak-out.

Throughout there are plenty of spaces, gas-leak sounding noises filling the backgrounds, piano dipping in and out adding texture, as such it’s generally the plateau which God Is An Astronaut do so well. Instead of always plunging forwards, taking it from merely loud to soft, GIAA take something of a more meandering, space-faring journey, one that’s hugely romantic. That romanceis prevalent throughout this self-titled record, making it perfect headphone music when walking the streets, causing you to see both nature and architecture in a new way. That could be taken as being pretentious but there’s something absolutely captivating in this music as you loll along softly with it, caught up in its stream. It imposes itself ever-so-gently on your subconscious, dredging up memories and feelings, thoughts you haven’t had for a while. Not always depressing ones either. “Shores Of Orion” opens with an almost retro-futuristic drum sound before the song moves into rises slowly though ending in a strangely hopeful, almost uplifting place.

Without being classed as a metal band, GIAA have the freedom to not simply explode into slabs of distortion, instead the songs build, rising upwards to often fireworks like finales. Take “No Return,” the finest cut, which starts off gently, light drum taps marking a path. By the time it reaches the high point, it’s got a flurry of drum work pushing it forwards around ringing guitars, throbbing bass when suddenly the drums drop to half-time. It’s like a door’s been opened and air has rushed in, giving a whole new sense of space to the track, the guitar and bass continuing with the same motif as before. It’s an astonishing piece that’ll stay with you long after it’s over.

www.myspace.com/godisanastronaut

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Crimfall – As the Path Unfolds… (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Crimfall – As the Path Unfolds… (Napalm Records)

Good lord, another Pagan/epic metal band. They’re coming out of the woodwork and fast, almost too fast. This stuff is going to burn out pretty quickly, something we mused about last year, but hey, can’t fault a band like Crimfall for trying to get in while the getting is good. After all, metal is now more than ever a copycat league (yet another thing we dished on quite often in ’08), so if one band is doing something that works (see: Eluvietie, and for comparisons sake, Epica), someone else might be able to do it just as well.

As the Path Unfolds…, the band’s debut album (thank you, Napalm Records promo voice-over) runs the gamut from gushing, swooning female-focused excursions (see: “The Crown of Treason” and “Aubade”), to muscular, momentous battle metal surges that are pulled off admirably during “Wildfire Season” and “Shadow Hearth.” The juicy vocals of Helena Haaparanta are what heroic metal dreams are made of, apparently, and she sends us all away on a magical journey on “Hundred Shores Distant,” a tried-and-true ballad.

Still, can’t help but get worn out on this album pretty quickly, as it traces over a lot of what is being done in the aforementioned Pagan/epic metal field. Some duds abound in the form of “Sun Orphaned” and “Non Serviam” and it causes As the Path Unfolds… to taper off a bit, which is a why we threw a 7 at it.

Nevertheless, the ever-expanding market for bands of Crimfall’s style will no doubt find something of value in this band. Haaparanta’s vocals are an easy selling point, but the band hasn’t quite hit the bullseye with its stock interpretation of all things epic in metal.

www.myspace.com/crimfall

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

The Agonist – Lullabies For the Dormant Mind (Century Media Records)

David E. Gehlke
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The Agonist – Lullabies For the Dormant Mind (Century Media Records)

Gotta hand it to the Agonist: they’ve taken a now very familiar template (cute female singer + metalcore) and turned it into something more expansive, slightly deranged, far more off-the-cuff than one would expect. Their 2007 debut, Only Once Imagined failed to leave much of a mark, but Lullabies For the Dormant Mind strikes early and often, and is sure to arouse many based on singer Alissa White-Gluz’s banshee roars and devilishly elegant persona.

Like the new God Forbid, this thing is ugly (what’s up with that, by the way?) and it skips past the now rudimentary Swede-melodies so many of the Agonist’s peers are drawn to. Aside from White-Gluz, the real star here is guitarist Danny Marino, whose intricate, shape-shifting riffs keep this album in motion, just refer to his riff gymnastics in “…And Their Elegies Sang Me To Sleep” (the groove riff at 2:41 is a keeper) and “The Sentient.”

White-Gluz’s vocals dominate most of the album and she relies heavily on her growls, which are slightly stronger than her clean vocals. Her background harmonies are quite solid (see: “The Tempest” and “Thank You, Pain”) and should be exploited to a greater degree down the road, methinks, as they have some serious potential when paired with more melodic ventures.

Thanks to our good friends at Century Media, we were provided with the lyrics and it reads more like deranged (savage?) poetry than your run-of-the-mill, pissing-in-the-wind prose that usually comes from a band with a chick at the helm. Clearly, a lot of thought went into these and it’s becoming a lost art nowadays, even though following along amidst the battering-ram music was a task onto itself.

Not sure how this one is going to land, as it eschews the radio-friendly vibes of label-mates In This Moment, isn’t front-loaded with Swedish death metal heritage (i.e. Arch Enemy) and is without any pandering, pointless pretense (i.e. the thousands of female-fronted Goth metal acts). White-Gluz alone makes this an easy sell, but bands like the Agonist that diametrically oppose the sway of current metal trends are often met with furrowed brows and scratched heads. Good for them – people need to be challenged. Quality stuff.

www.myspace.com/theagonist

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Ignominious Incarceration – Of Winter Born (Earache Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Ignominious Incarceration – Of Winter Born (Earache Records)

Less than three years old as a band, British death metal-heads Ignominious Incarceration are already unleashing their debut album through Earache. That sets the standard pretty high before the play button’s even been pressed, you’re already wondering what won the Earache folk over. Well wonder no more, stop wasting time and caress your ears with this delightful noise. Start at the beginning or pick a song at random (“Dynasty Damnation” comes highly recommended) – it’s all gold. Frozen, heavy, gold.

Despite their status as newcomers, Ignominious Incarceration (there’s a mouthful right there) have talent beyond their years and they really know how to display it. Where lesser bands might decide to chuck everything full blast at you these boys show some restraint. “In The Face Of Absolution” is a whirlwind, “Dynast Damnation” a building thunderhead cloaked in spiralling guitars and trigger-happy drums, later nipping in a flighty solo over what almost sounds like the Knight Rider theme tune. “Elegance In Aggression” starts off on a sliding time signature, Meshuggah-ish riff before slipping nicely into more familiar death territory, albeit one wrapped in cold winds. The clean production works tremendously in their favour, adding crispness to the proceedings and stopping the whole thing becoming swamped.

While their fellow countrymen and one time tour partners Trigger the Bloodshed batter you continuously about the head, I.I. are a little more subtle, it’s a sharp thud in the snow and then the slow drag back to camp, where inevitable death awaits cloaked in fur and flame. The title “Of Winter Born” in fact couldn’t be more apt. You can hear the ice, close your eyes and you can picture the fog clouding in front of their mouths, icicles forming on hair as they play. That coolness gives depth, which means you can observe properly, instead of having to squint through the usual flood of red.

Sure there’s a debt to their death metal forefathers in the shape of Deicide and to a lesser degree Death, even Hate Eternal are owed some gratitude, but there are also technical moments which Opeth at their heaviest would be proud of. The closest band you could probably compare Ignominious Incarceration to would be The Black Dahlia Murder. They both favour that clean sound, carrying everything clearly, making sure nothing remains buried. Hell, the title track has something of a Primordial tinge in sections, “Solitude” though remains a full frontal assault without resorting to stupidity or simplicity yet they simply refuse to be straightforward. Andy Wardle’s vocal delivery throughout is spectacular, the guitar work between Steve Brown and Danny Guy intricate, yet never flashy, the drums and bass simply refusing to come to the fore, remaining at the core holding I.I. together.

Of Winter Born is of course not the ultimate death metal album (that was the last Bloodbath record), but by Christ, it’s not too far behind. Thoroughly modern, they never descend to the deathcore level which has claimed so many others. This is not just a great album because of the relative youth of its creators; it’s a great album regardless.

www.myspace.com/ignominiousincarceration

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Samael – Above (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Samael – Above (Nuclear Blast Records)

Did not see this one coming, even with just about every other band from the mid-90’s going through a late-career, old sound discovery. Samael have always done their own thing, whether it be the proto-BM supercharge of their Ceremony of Opposites days or the industrial metal tinklings of Passage and Eternal, but the band’s rep and profile has tapered off severely since the late 90’s, which could shed some light as to why Above is a total return to the Ceremony sound.

Originally conceived as a virtual death metal band called “Above,” the Swiss-based troupe (who consist of guitarist/vocalist Vorph, guitarist Mak, bassist Mas, and drummer/programmer Xy) decided to scrap the project and turn it into a Samael album. Calling Above a pure death metal album is quite limiting, as the band’s industrial fingerprints are all over this thing, especially in Xy’s way-too-loud in the mix drums, something that nearly killed the aforementionedCeremony of Opposites album.

The thing with Above, is that’s not all the musical; it’s quite rackety. Noisy. Futuristic, to a degree. Songs bleed together seamlessly with little distinction and when a distinction is made (“Black Hole” is a keeper, so is “God’s Snake”) the results are leave a lot to the imagination. There is practically two tempos here and Xy’s double-bass does not let up, so right away, you’re hit with that.

Old, primal riffage returns in “On the Top Of It All,” but that’s buried at the end of the album. There are some well-worn melodies in “Under One Flag” and “Earth Country” yet those are thrust to the back, barely recognizable with how loud the drums and vocals are.

Above has all the makings of a massive Samael album. It has bravado, strong technological sensibilities and the necessary heaviness, but one has to wonder how the hell anyone is going to decipher what they’re trying to accomplish. Usually when albums described as capable of “blowing one’s eardrums” are heralded; Above had yours itching for completion and running for cover.

www.myspace.com/samael

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Isole – Silent Ruins (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Isole – Silent Ruins (Napalm Records)

Fresh off last year’s melo-doom stroke of brilliance Bliss of Solitude, Swedish doom merchants Isole waste no time in giving us a follow-up in the form of Silent Ruins. Whereas Bliss of Solitude was clearly the most ethereal doom album to come from Sweden since Candlemass’s Nightfall, Silent Ruins is a bit more brutish, with the quartet keeping the foot on the gas pedal, which means things this time out are more lumbering as opposed to deliberate and delicate.

Opener “From the Dark” has a nice little primordial surge to it, augmented by vocalist Daniel Bryste’s laid-back, but ever-so haunting vocals. In fact, Bryste takes on more of a prominent role this time out, heading up numbers like “Nightfall” and “Dark Clouds” in a more authoritative fashion.

The straight-ahead rumble of “Forlorn” is guaranteed to click live and contains a handful of agile, formidable riffs. “Hollow Shrine” emerges as the go-to number of the bunch, a carefully constructed gem that ebbs into a multi-faceted, doom charmer that is equally atmospheric as it is heavy.

”Soulscarred” recalls the dark beauty of the bulk of Bliss of Solitude via a slow build-up and slabs of proto-Sabbath power. The same bodes for “Peccatum,” which allows Bryste to work his vocal magic up against a basic piano line.

Hardly a repeat of Bliss of Solitude or even their early Forevermore effort,Silent Ruins is melodic doom metal of the highest quality and should soon make Isole synonymous with the term. The components and songwriting savvy of this troupe are hard to deny and given the relative dearth of bands of this style, Isole should be a name most of us should be uttering in this post-Messiah Marcolin-led CMass world.

www.myspace.com/isole

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Kylesa – Static Tensions (Prosthetic Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Kylesa – Static Tensions (Prosthetic Records)

Always a critics choice, Kylesa continue to make us all look good with Static Tensions. The band’s amalgam of stoner, sludge, and doom has become even more formidable, with a batch of songs here that are instantly memorable and even step outside the normal bounds of their previous Time Will Fuse Its Worth release. In fact, this album (and band) has something for everyone. And they still have two drummers – .38 Special-style.

The dual vocal attack of Laura Pleasants and Phillip Cope isn’t what makes Kylesa, neither does the twin drum assault (which for some odd reason, could be more bombastic, I guess), but it’s those simple, suckerpunch riffs. They’re all over this thing: on the driving opener “Scapegoat,” the rumbling “Only One” and even touch some melodic bases on “Almost Lost,” which is probably the best cut on the album.

The haunting “Unknownawareness” is pure brilliance, as a creepy lead guitar melody guides this tribal-esque number down foreboding paths for Kylesa. Same for “Runningred” a king-sized rocker with one of the band’s more laid-back riffs, but man, it all clicks.

Static Tensions is arguably the band’s finest hour; an album chalk-full of tantalizing riffs and satisfying arrangements. There’s no fat here, just all meat, thick, red, and firm, and will probably be the most “spot-on” album of the stoner/doom genre all year.

Don’t take the 8/10 rating at face value; this very well could be higher by year’s end. Static Tensions is solid as fuck.

 www.myspace.com/kylesa

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Throne of Katarsis – Helvete – Det Iskalde Mørket (Candlelight Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Throne of Katarsis – Helvete – Det Iskalde Mørket (Candlelight Records)

Don’t know about you, but seasonal depression isn’t made any easier with albums like this. The snow, the ice, the wind, the horror…one can only imagine with our friends in Scandinavia have to endure (methinks it’s not all mid-winter sunshine and lollipops). That being said, Throne of Katarsis’ Helvete – Det Iskalde Mørket provides not a respite from Old Man Winter, but a window into total fucking darkness, something the band would surely coin in an interview.

A vast improvement from their rather ho-hum 2007 effort, An Eternal Dark Horizon, Helvete – Det Iskalde Mørket carries forth a wealth of quality, humbling BM ideas and ideals that work in a variety of ways. Central to this notion is “The Darkest Path,” a cavernous, totally bleak number highlighted by one of the more uneasy note intervals heard in BM in recent memory. It steadily builds and grows, then wraps up in a mess of colliding cymbals and crashes. Quite the wop-bang.

Even of more value is the title track, perhaps an in-direct homage to Burzum’sHvis lyset tar Oss where a rolling pace is off-set by feverishly-strummed chords. Like its predecessor, the bottom drops, leaving only one of most dastardly BM riffs of the decade (starting at the 4:30 mark) to take hold. It’s utterly chilling.

Throne of Katharsis may not have perfected the cold, chilling necro bushwhack of their early Norwegian predecessors, but they have made quite the leap withHelvete – Det Iskalde Mørket. In fact, this one is better than you might think and for once, proves that sticking to the Norwegian BM playbook can actually work once and a while.

www.throneofkatharsis.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

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