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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)

Avantasia – Lost In Space Part 1 & 2 (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Avantasia – Lost In Space Part 1 & 2 (Nuclear Blast Records)

2008 was a breakout year for Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia project, perhaps forcing the Edguy frontman to put more of an onus on something was considered nothing more than an outlet for Sammet’s extra curricular Edguy activities. The success of The Scarecrow and its “Lost In Space” singles have put Sammet in a whole new tax bracket (or not) and with plans for another full-length by the end of ’09, now is the time to strike while the proverbial iron is hot, hence the combination to put the two “Lost In Space” singles together on one album.

The song “Lost In Space” aims well outside the power metal spectrum, and succeeds, in spite of its trite lyrical approach, although it can be said the same slant worked for “Carry Me Over,” another charting single off The Scarecrow.

Lots of covers here, including the dance-oriented “Lay All Your Love On Me” (ABBA) and “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” (Ultravox), the latter of which is oddly enjoyable, as well as “Ride the Sky” (with drummer Eric Singer on vocals) from Lucifer’s Friend and “In My Defense” from Queen singer Freddie Mercury.

Of the b-sides, “Another Angel Down” is a stirring number, heavy on chorus histrionics, although it can’t called a b-side since it appeared on The Scarecrow. “Scary Eyes” is traditional power metal fare that is sorta ho-hum, while “The Story Ain’t Over” emerges as one of the more over-dramatic songs in the Avantasia pantheon, complete with a huffy, rousing chorus. Good stuff, actually.

Kudos to Nuclear Blast (and Sammet) for putting the two single releases together, making this yet another wise purchase still brave enough to actually purchase physical music. This might be the last power metal-tinged release from Avantasia for a while, or ever, so eat up that Ultravox cover while you can (‘tis awesome) and re-visit The Scarecrow too.

www.myspace.com/avantasia

(This content was originally posted on Blistering.com)

Edguy – The Singles (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Edguy – The Singles (Nuclear Blast Records)

Always considered Tobbias Sammet and crew to be the likely successors to the Helloween “happy/goof” metal throne, especially after 2004’s excellent Hellfire Club, but as fate would have it, Edguy has gone down a more traditional rock route, so let’s hold off on those ‘Weenie comparisons for now. A dead giveaway for an album title, The Singles is a collection of the band’s singles and b-sides, all exposing Edguy’s lighter side (i.e. “Lavatory Love Machine”) and some cuts from their early power metal days.

The obvious songs are here: “Superheroes” (off 2006’s Rocket Ride), the aforementioned “Lavatory Love Machine” (Hellfire Club) and “King of Fools” (Hellfire Club). All certainly have their merits, notably the kiddy, Saturday-morning cartoon themed “Superheroes,” but the b-sides are what makes The Singles a worthy purchase.

Starting with “Spooks in the Attic,” a free-wheeling, saccharine number that has one Edguy’s patented gleeful choruses, and “Judas In the Opera,” which bears close ties to Sammet’s Avantasia project (probably because Avantasia regular Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) lends his considerable vocal talents), are both top-notch power metal tunes. The band’s cover of Europe’s “I’ll Cry For You” isn’t exactly stirring, but demonstrates Edguy’s knack for fitting right in the crevice between trad power metal and 80’s cock-rock.

Rounding out the compilation are a cover Magnum’s “The Spirit,” an “epic” version of “Superheroes,” an acoustic edition of “Lavatory Love Machine,” andHellfire Club leftovers “New Age Messiah,” “The Savage Union” and “Holy Water.”

Totally necessary if one is still aboard the Edguy bandwagon (this scribe is still on) and even if not, one has to recognize the tireless work ethic of Sammet, who in a year’s span has managed to front two high-priority, high-visibilitybands with little or no dip in quality. Maybe he’s a superhero? Wow, that was weak…

www.myspace.com/edguy

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

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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0
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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0
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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0
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)

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