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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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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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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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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)

God Forbid – Earthsblood (Century Media Records)

David E. Gehlke
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God Forbid – Earthsblood (Century Media Records)

To be frank, Earthsblood rubbed this scribe the wrong way right off the bat. Not by sheer annoyance or anything (we’ll reserve that for any band with “core” in their description), it’s just that GF has been on the precipice of breaking out ever since 2004’s killer Gone Forever and they just can’t grab it. In reality, God Forbid’s staccato, rhythm-infested brand of modern metal is heavier, more vibrant than anyone else’s in the same bracket, but I don’t know… they’re still halfway up the mountain with Earthsblood.

Some may argue this point, but this album is not nearly as melodic as advertised. In fact, it’s quite brutish and brash in spots, with the Coyle brothers tuning-down for a more gritty low-end, as evidenced by “The Rain” a less than-impressive opener with a quirky chorus. The band quickly redeems itself with the pounding, mosh-ready “Empire of the Gun,” which might be the best song of the bunch, especially when a lovely little guitar melody is layered into the chorus.

More heavy grooves are dolled out during “War of Attrition,” highlight bysinger Byron Davis’ shouts of “Bring it On!” which are sorta cool, while “Shallow” emerges as the heaviest cut on the album, with some chunky triplets to round things off.

In terms of melody, GF doesn’t go for broke on Earthsblood. Instead, we’re greeted with mildly anthemic choruses (see: “The New Clear” and “Walk Alone”). “Bat the Angels” is incredibly infectious and it puts Dallas Coyle’s clean vocals to good use, something that needs to happen more if the next plateau is to be reached.

God Forbid’s timing is a bit off, what with Lamb of God’s Wrath coming out the same day and we’re now four years removed from IV: The Constitution of Treason. We’ll give it some time, but Earthsblood’s staying power is going to come into question once we’re hit with the wave of Euro metal releases that typically prove to be more memorable and better yet, meet lofty expectations.

www.myspace.com/godforbid

 (This content was originally posted on Blistering.com)

Deathspell Omega – Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum – Chaining the Katechon (Anja Offensive)

David E. Gehlke
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Deathspell Omega – Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum – Chaining the Katechon (Anja Offensive)

Fuckin’ reckless, man. That’s the new Deathspell Omega EP for ya. Shunning every idea that black metal is fully controlled entity, the Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum – Chaining the Katechon EP is a one-song 22-minute frenzy that is as experimental as they come and to top it off, the thing never comes to a head, it just jumps from idea to idea, through hoop to hoop. Really, this thing has sat in yours truly’s CD player for over a month and still no full understanding of it has been made.

By combining the ragey, cagey vibe of latter-day Mayhem (think Ordo Ad Chao) and the winding, totally free-form vibe of Negura Bunget, Deathspell Omega have only thickened their rather impressive scene-cred resume. A cascade of full-blown ideas develop at every turn (see: the spastic blast portion at 16:43) and when that comes to its climax, Deathspell pumps the brakes a little, unleashing an array of discordant, minor chord ramblings that are anything but irksome.

There’s no comfort level to be found here, something the band achieved on its landmark Fas Ite effort over a year ago. One of the most unconvential entities to emerge on the black metal scene, Deathspell Omega have played the black metal textbook to a T, leaving no stone unturned and keeping us on our toes, which is something more BM would be advised to do. Beyond mandatory for those who still seek some adventure in black metal.

www.myspace.com/deathspellomega

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Séance – Awakening of the Gods (Pulverised Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Séance – Awakening of the Gods (Pulverised Records)

A reformation that is long overdue, Swedish death/thrashers Séance are best known for former rhythm guitarist Patrick, who is currently cutting his teeth in the Haunted and Witchery. Since we just mentioned Witchery, it’s important to note two members of the hardly active thrashers are in Séance: guitarists Rille Rimfalt (aka Richard Corpse) and Tony Vargfrost (aka Toxine), so inevitably, there is going to be some sonic spillover. For those ears, that’s a very good thing, as Awakening of the Gods is a riff du-jour, that is surprisingly punishing.

Like Witchery and old, old Haunted (like, circa 1998), Séance’s approach centers on the riff and the power it holds. Tight, punchy rhythms highlight “They,” where bruising chugs run roughshod over a short, but memorable composition. “Your Time Has Come” and “Invocation” sees Séance travel down more frenetic avenues, but with several killer riffs in tow.

The opening of “Flight of the Wicked” is a death metal nod to “Flight of the Bumblebee,” complete with acoustic triplets and serves as a brief intermission halfway through the album. The rollicking “Choose Your Eternity” highlightsAwakening of the Gods. An uptempo, vertical, death and roll number, “Choose Your Eternity” places Séance right in the tiny crevice between vintage thrash and the easy-going, hard-rocking Wolverine Blues-era of Entombed. Awesome.

As we just stated, Séance has somehow managed to fit in that small, relatively empty space between death and thrash metal. A true hybrid and totally worthwhile comeback, Awakening of the Gods was worth the 16-year wait, even if few were paying attention beforehand.

www.myspace.com/seanceseance

(This content was originally posted on Blistering.com)

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