…lle Laihiala of the much missed Sentenced, as the aforementioned commercially viable “Alive” and stripped down closer “Same Blood” attest. Hate to come back to that ‘too long of a record’ argument for Dualism, but a little 20 % trim could have made for a stronger, 50-minute platter in the end. Majesty of Revival wrap exquisite musicianship in tight spots while always honing in on proper hooks and melody parts – as a result assuring itself varied a…
…there’s one difference here. Where a band like Gruesome has been looking towards early Death as a reference point, Grace Disgraced take Death’s later and more progressive elements and try their hand to push things just a little farther. Don’t assume this to be another copycat/clone – while there are some definite influences from the more progressive era of Death’s sound (along with Atheist and Pestilence), Grace Disgraced capture their own vibe. T…
…scenarios symbolizing the beginning of the end for Earth. Parallels possibly to Charly’s personal health struggles and setbacks? This scribe believes so… Ripping power/speed riffs and killer mid-tempo transitions where melody seems to be part and parcel of the game plan resonate throughout these ten tracks. Sharp picking and quick hitting guitar refrains push “Apophis” right out of the gate, while bassist Tilen Hudrap and drummer Kostas Milonas p…
…h is as crushing as anything else coming down the pike. Moreover, Ballou’s lively and open production invites even more space into the proceedings, as heard on the excellent “Overboard.” But like previous Russian Circles forays, the pendulum ultimately swings to the melodic side. The sky-gazing “Afrika,” deceptive “Calla,” and graceful “Lisboa” are each garnished with a melodic angle of their own, the most notable being album closer “Lisboa,” whic…
…the HM-2 tone to simply copy Entombed/Dismember. Nope, things are pleasantly straight forward, but don’t mistake that for an insult. Grond sticks to the mid-tempo crunch for a larger portion of the time, focusing instead on riffs that lead a heavy assault, while keeping it interesting. Sure, speed comes – but it’s balanced by groovy riffs (see “Devonian Tyrant”) and an overall effort to keep the intensity high. Some solid drumwork (again, not jus…
…songs better? It’s a prescient question in some forms of metal, particularly when a growly mc-growlerson spoils the whole broth. (We’re referring to several forms of death and sludge, obviously.) Then there’s the Goth/dark spectrum of things, who almost always lives and dies by whoever is willing enough to take up the vocal spot. A singer of quality can almost single-handedly elevate an album/band, something Seeming Emptiness don’t seem to be too…
…ively speaking, the approach of Syberia on Resiliency doesn’t differ terribly from that of Russian Circles or Mono, two post bands who have existed on metal’s periphery. The sunny melodies found on “Hiraeth” would certainly suggest as such, with the band building a lush foundation from the song’s onset. This is somewhat offset by the conventional “Aram Chaos” and atmospheric “Taunus,” a number that spirals its way through indie, hard rock, and ele…
…options at the band’s disposal – check out the marching strains for “Children of the Future” or the Savatage-esque closer “Flames of Hate” as the marriage of symphony and metal proves enticing in terms of the influence bank. Using battles, wars, and historical intrigue from Russian history in the lyrics, Tsar can be educational for those who love to dig deeper into the stories. A decent start, this scribe hopes Almanac uses the talent tools at the…
…Странствий. Equally impressive is that it’s not just “redone” with English lyrics, but completely reworked and rearranged, and features the band’s new vocalist Ksenia Pobuzhankaya. Tales of Wandering sticks with what works for the folk metal format. Plenty of upbeat and melodic riffs to sink your teeth into, and the keyboards keep things suitably epic. The band doesn’t use any “traditional” (read: non-metal) instruments per say, and this allows th…
…tener from the get-go. Every movement seems deliberate and methodical, really taking the audience on an emotional adventure. There are highs and lows, and that’s only in the first 8-minutes of “Akva.” Not at all a traditional metal release by any means, but don’t let that stop you from checking out Sorni Nai. Rare is it to find a band that can pull off so many emotions in one doom-ish landscape – joy, excitement, trepidation, sadness. Kauan can ru…
…ons (“Nila”). The soaring melodies of “At” is another highlight, particularly as it begins to shift towards something more sorrow-filled and glum as the piece progresses. This is an album meant to be taken in all at once, with your full attention span. Not at all a traditional metal release by any means, but don’t let that stop you from checking out Sorni Nai. Rare is it to find a band that can pull off so many emotions in one doom-ish landscape –…
…und its way into the speakers. The rest is all history from there, as this Russian black/death metal band firmly held this writer’s attention with a number of tricks up their sleeve with Black Wisdom. While the base coat is definitely in the black/death range, the influences that Grey Heaven Fall flirt with over the course of the 51 minutes of Black Wisdom will keep you on your toes. They can go from intense, primal black metal to dark and siniste…
…chtmystium, of all bands. A well-developed song, vocalist Astaroth eventually transforms himself into a bit of a Tibetan monk to conclude the track, which lends a real believability to the album theme. And speaking of Astaroth, his vocal delivery across the album is fierce and rich, no clean vocals in this stuff. It also must be mentioned that Astaroth is Raventale. He handles all musical duties for the band. This is a “one-man band” that sure doe…
…nment took place, resulting in a very tricky and difficult border war with Russia, Ukraine’s one-man Zgard has managed to channel whatever otherworldly energy sole dude Yaromisl has into a spirited body of work otherwise known as Totem. The band’s fifth album (thus, necessitating a deeper inspection into the man’s catalog), Totem is a zealous blend of blazing black metal, lush acoustic interludes, and a prevailing folk center, sending the album (a…
…e is a heavy exercise for anybody. If he drank every night it would be really, really hard and dangerous. We had to bite the bullet and think about the physical side of touring. I think Alexi is doing better than I’ve ever seen him do, he’s doing really well. Dead Rhetoric: Do you think you’ve been able to maintain a lot of your early fans from the Something Wild and Hatebreeder days, or has it been a case of gaining new converts to replace old on…
…don’t distract from the music, but they are also rather amusing. Particularly if you are fan of amusing/strange ones like Skinless used to do (see Progression Towards Evil). These, in combination with the song titles themselves (“Keg Stand By Me” and “Screech Even Gave His Body to Science”) give the band a quirky sense of humor that elevates them past the usual, deadly-serious bands. If you like your death metal served up with plenty of tongue-in-…
…nts. Scorn of Eternity should be sought out by many an extreme metal fan. Swarm – Swarm EP Release Date – February 2015 Location – California, USA Style – Instrumental metal that leans towards modern death and djent Most of the time, instrumental metal just doesn’t have enough to keep my attention span. But Swarm’s self-titled debut EP has proven itself otherwise. Using a combination of standout lead work (you don’t have to go past the first track…
…SBM (National Socialist Black Metal), the Nazi wing of the black metal family (every family has one), but now I’ve gotten too far ahead of myself. Khors is not one of these bands, and shouldn’t be considered a part of that scene. What they are is a really good Slavonic pagan black metal band from a troubled part of the world. Night Falls Onto the Fronts of Ours is the sixth studio album from Khors, who now follow up 2012’s great album Wisdom of Ce…
…prove there’s fairly wide derision and overall negative sentiment, especially on the last two (I personally found Estrangement to be a weaker affair than The Eternal Turn of the Wheel, despite the latter’s overwhelming un-inspiration). Last year’s great split EP with Winterfylleth has proved to be a clear indication that the band had not lost their touch. A Furrow Cut Short delivers seven new songs, clocking in just under an hour, filled with text…
…2. Battle’s Won 3. My God-Given Right 4. Stay Crazy 5. Lost In America 6. Russian Roulé 7. The Swing Of A Fallen World 8. Like Everybody Else 9. Creatures In Heaven 10. If God Loves Rock ‘N’ Roll 11. Living On The Edge 12. Claws 13. You, Still Of War The limited digipak (with special 3D cover) and the vinyl version will feature two bonus tracks: 14. I Wish I Were There 15. Wicked Game The digital version contains three bonus tracks: 14. I Wish I…
…s the songs value even if you haven’t heard the original (which will probably be the case, particularly with the two songs that are in Russian). The album closes with an acoustic version of “Species Selector” (from Ratocracy) that completely deviates from the original but makes total sense among the tracks on this album. It’s a nice little tidbit for fans until the new album drops in the fall. Hero’s Fate – Human Tides: Cosmos Ex Chaos Release Dat…
…2. Battle’s Won 3. My God-Given Right 4. Stay Crazy 5. Lost In America 6. Russian Roulé 7. The Swing Of A Fallen World 8. Like Everybody Else 9. Creatures In Heaven 10. If God Loves Rock ‘N’ Roll 11. Living On The Edge 12. Claws 13. You, Still Of War The limited digipak (with special 3D cover) and the vinyl version will feature two bonus tracks: 14. I Wish I Were There 15. Wicked Game The digital version contains three bonus tracks: 14. I Wish I…
…2. Battle’s Won 3. My God-Given Right 4. Stay Crazy 5. Lost In America 6. Russian Roulé 7. The Swing Of A Fallen World 8. Like Everybody Else 9. Creatures In Heaven 10. If God Loves Rock ‘N’ Roll 11. Living On The Edge 12. Claws 13. You, Still Of War The limited digipak (with special 3D cover) and the vinyl version will feature two bonus tracks: 14. I Wish I Were There 15. Wicked Game The digital version contains three bonus tracks: 14. I Wish I…
…with the first look on the artwork: it seems to be a film still and you only have to press the ‘play’ button. So the female protagonist flees — reminiscences to different (post)apocalyptic films and stories are deliberated — from an army of robotic pumpkin soldiers through an empty world. On the other side, the band performs in frightfully beautiful, rocked out ambience. When the tough girl realizes that she won’t escape, she turns around and kil…
…trial side of the band is best represented on “Phase III – Death and Decay,” where a nihilistic tone obscures the entire track. EP closer “Phase IV – The New Embodiment” ventures out even further, portraying a total sci-fi feel that is the least metal (and interesting) of the four cuts. Probably a case of too much experimenting, Strafk’s Phaseshifting lacks a definite vision, not to mention a batch of songs that are able to be easily digested. In…
…ow long this band can take me. Dead Rhetoric: How would you describe Civil War in a live setting, what have been some of your favorite gigs to date with the band, and what are some of your favorite personal shows that you’ve attended through the years purely as a fan? Johansson: My favorite gig with Civil War was absolutely the Sweden Rock Festival. We played for 15,000 perhaps, it was great. We also played Graspop and I loved that. Civil War is a…
…ance to put together the ultimate one day metal festival of any act currently alive or deceased, who would you love to share the stage with? Pontiac: That’s a tough one! The festival name would be ‘Only The Strong’-fest and it would be like: Manowar with Ross The Boss Exodus with Baloff Exciter Destructor The Rods Anvil Riot with Mark Reale Raven King Diamond and Mercyful Fate Accept in their current lineup and headliner JUDAS PRIEST Dead Rhetoric…
…e this possible: producer Charlie Bauerfeind and Martin Häusler, who made a massive 3D artwork this time WITHOUT stressing the whole color range.” States HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath: “This proves what a bit of snow not only is able to but really causes! I personally hate snow and the cover shows that too much of everything is never good. Just like Andi Deris, I’m very happy about the new album.”…
…e this possible: producer Charlie Bauerfeind and Martin Häusler, who made a massive 3D artwork this time WITHOUT stressing the whole color range.” States HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath: “This proves what a bit of snow not only is able to but really causes! I personally hate snow and the cover shows that too much of everything is never good. Just like Andi Deris, I’m very happy about the new album.”…
…today through a great deal of determination and perseverance. The Finnish invasion of the global rock music scene began with HANOI ROCKS back in the 1980s. The other bands featured in the stamps are THE RASMUS, HIM, APOCALYPTICA, CHILDREN OF BODOM and NIGHTWISH. “For each stamp, I selected a band photo and a logotype that together resemble a band poster,” says Klaus Welp, the graphic artist that designed the Million miles away sheet. The backgrou…
