(Andy Synn provides four, rather than his usual three, fantastic examples of British steel for you to enjoy)
Looking back at the year so far it appears that while I’ve been pretty regular with these “Best of British” articles I haven’t quite managed to do one a month, hitting January, but not February, then publishing one each in March, April, May,and June, before skipping July, and then just about squeezing one in during August and September.
For this edition (which might not be the only one in October, if all goes well) however, I’ve slightly mixed things up a little, including one album released all the way back in June (which, to my chagrin, I didn’t even get around to listening to until last month), one from the end of last month, and two from this month, one of which was already released, the other coming out next week.
So let’s see what delights this extended edition has to offer, shall we?
ASIDHARA – ASIDHARA
Cardiff-based cross-over crew – are they thrashy Hardcore? Are they ‘core-influenced Thrash? Does it really matter when the riffs hit this hard? – are a band I’d absolutely love to see live (in fact, gents, if you’re reading this and want to come play Nottingham just give me a shout) because if they channel even half the amount of energy and intensity from their self-titled album into their live show (and, chances are, it’s probably even more intense) then I’m sure it’s one hell of an eye-opening experience to witness.
Until that happens, however, I’ll have to content myself with the likes of “On Death’s Pale Horse” – whose red-hot riffs and razor-sharp hooks land somewhere between All Out War, Power Trip and Kreator on the sonic spectrum – and the helter-skelter gallop (and punchy ground ‘n’ pound) of “The Iron Gauntlet”, which introduce the album with a knock-out one-two combo of Thrashy intensity and Hardcore heaviness positively guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
All killer and zero filler, the rest of the album then continues in a similarly savage and streamlined fashion, pulling no punches and giving no quarter without sacrificing any of its cunning catchiness (“March of the Bastard Reich”, for example, is a sub-three-minute barn-burner whose viciously virulent riffage, scorching solo, and climactic chug-a-thon will absolutely embed themselves in your sub-conscious for the long-term as soon as you hear them) in the process.
Similarly the unremitting intensity of “Existence Eternal” (following its doomy, gloomy intro) and the For Those Who Were Crucified-esque “Condemned to Suffer” (whose rapid-fire riffs and gloomy melodic undercurrent make it a major personal highlight for me) feel like the product of a band who know exactly who they are, and exactly who they want to be, and are capable of realising this with clinical efficiency, without an ounce of wasted time or space entering the equation (as does penultimate pounder “Enter the Eldritch God”).
The one exception to this approach – and I don’t mean that in a bad way, by any means – is six minute closer “The Battle Hymn of Il A’tir”, which combines all the aformentioned elements (the unrelenting, anxiety-inducing intensity, the fervent, fire-spitting fury, the explosive, tightly-wound delivery) with a sense of moody, almost proggy, introspection reminiscent of Master of Puppets-era Metallica which hints at perhaps even more epic artistic ambitions in the band’s future!
BEYOND EXTINCTION – WHERE THEY GATHER
The genre colloquially known as “Deathcore” has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years… though it’s understandable why at times, considering the fact that its various permutations (from those which lean more towards Hardcore, to those which consider themselves more Death Metal at heart, to those which favour the low ‘n’ slow, borderline sludgy, approach, and those who prefer a more excessively symphonic style) have almost become sub-genres unto themselves, all with the variance in quality – from crap to killer – that you might expect.
The only real way to tell what’s good, therefore, is to give each band a chance on their own merits… or, as the case may be, the lack thereof… which is a good thing for Beyond Extinction, as their debut album (and their first release since the tragic passing of guitarist Zach Scott) is more than strong enough to stand on its own two feet, genre tags and stylistic trends be damned.
With an emphasis on pure, unadulterated punishment – with the occasional dash of sinister, shadowy atmosphere to help darken the proceedings even further – the majority of Where They Gather (whose lyrics provide a morbid meditation on urban decay and metropolitan disaffection) focuses more on crushing (think To The Grave, Black Tongue, etc) than crowd-pleasing, and is all the better for it in my opinion.
The rolling catastrophe of the title-track, for example – all gargantuan guitars, gut-churning vocals, and grim, hanging chords – sets a very high (and very heavy bar) right up front, with the downtuned stop-start sturm und drang of “Traitor to the Ropes” and the gravity-distorting grooves of “Tyranny” (an obvious early highlight, to my ears) successfully building on this ferocious foundation.
Of course, no-one is arguing that Where They Gather is reinventing the wheel, but it does successfully keep things from ever become stale by varying its approach – from the doomy beatdowns of the aforementioned “Tyranny” to the blistering, almost Brutal Death Metal tinged “Apache” to the oppressive atmospherics of “Throne of Atrophy” (another major stand-out in my opinion) – and refusing to compromise in any way.
And if not every track ascends to the same heights (or sinks to the same unnervingly devastating depths) as, for example, the likes of the constantly mutating “Mansions Burning on Bleak Horizons” or the gruesome, bone-grinding “Earthmurk” (which really should have been the closer, if I’m being brutally honest)? Well, chances are you’re going to be too busy picking up your own teeth and mopping up your blood to care!
CONJURER – UNSELF
If history has taught us anything (though, looking around at the state of the world, I’m beginning to have my doubts) it’s that success can actually be a band’s undoing.
Case in point, both Ithaca (RIP) and Svalbard (who will be drawing their career to a close next year) ended up reaching a certain level of “success” which, ultimately, proved unsustainable and forced both bands to call it quits.. but, with the upcoming release of Unself, hopefully Conjurer will be able to break this curse.
That being said, I’ll admit that my initial impression’s weren’t entirely positive, as the slightly awkard juxtaposition of elements during the introductory title-track, while intriguing, didn’t necessarily sound like a band putting their best foot forwards, and the subsequent stumble into “All Apart”, which essentially has to re-build and re-start the album’s momentum from scratch all over again, didn’t do much to help matters.
Thankfully, however, the group do eventually find their footing as they embark on this new era, and while they might occasionally wear their influences a little too obviously – “There Is No Warmth” and “Hang Them In Your Head” owe a lot t0 …Flesh-era Gojira (though if you’re going to steal it helps to steal from the best) – the high points of Unself find the band expanding the scope and scale of their sound to meet the challenges before them, most notably on the expansive “Let Us Live”, whose clean-sung grandeur hints at an almost Biffy Clyro-esque grasp of arena-ready emotional dynamics waiting to be fully unleashed next time around.
That’s not to say that Conjurer have gone soft (“The Searing Glow” is as abrasive as anything in their back-catalogue) but there’s definitely a greater sense of vulerability here, with both “Let Us Live” and phenomenal final track “The World Is Not My Home” (whose sombre clean vocals at the song’s start make a triumphant reappearance during the track’s humongous, heart-wrenching finale, suggesting – slightly frustratingly – that the group’s earlier attempts at a more melodic approach have only really reached fruition right as the album ends) being perhaps the best indicators of where the future may take them.
And it’s a future, on the evidence presented here – and I haven’t even mentioned the massive, majestic riffs and immersive ebb and flow of “Foreclosure”, which vies with “The World Is Not My Home” for the honour of being the album’s best track (while also, in hindsight, making it obvious that the album is a little back-loaded) – that the band finally seem ready for, even if (and I say this as someone who has been with them since the beginning) it still feels like they haven’t quite managed to fulfil their full potential… yet.
DIMSCÛA – DUST EATER
Last, but by no means least, I have to issue an apology to Berkshire-based Post-Metal crew Dimscûa for waiting so long to write about their debut album, Dust Eater, which was released back at the start of June.
To our readers, however, I say this… the wait will definitely have been worth it due to the fact that, if you haven’t already heard it, you’re about to learn exactly why I consider this one of the best debut albums of the year.
On paper, of course, the band’s formula seems deceptively simple, combining the shadowy, shape-shifting dynamics of Amenra with the moody melodies and gloomy grooves of Ghost Brigade into four tracks of raw emotiona and riveting introspection which are as bleak as they are beautiful, and as heavy as they are haunting.
But the group have so clearly poured so much of themselves into this record – not just in the form of the visceral, throat-scarring vocals and weighty, oceanic riffs, but also via the keening, crystalline harmonics and simmering, shimmering synths as well (all of which make their presence felt prominently and powerfully during opener “Elder Bairn”) – that it’s anything but formulaic (even if it’s not 100% original).
From brooding calm to bruising catharsis – and “The Dusteater” provides both, artfully condensed into just under seven minutes of melancholy melody and hypnotic hooks – it’s an album that demands, and deserves, your full attention… not the sort of record you’ll want to just dip into for a track or two here and there.
The rewards, however, are substantial, with the sheer power and palpable sonic presence of a track like “Existence/Futility” – arguably the heaviest track on the album, albeit this heaviness stems organically from the sheer density of the band’s multi-layered Post-Metal dynamic rather than from a conscious attempt to just “be” heavy for the sake of it – resonating deep within your chest in a manner which, for some people at least, is likely to take your breath away.
And nowhere is this more self-evident than during “On Being and Nothingness”, the final track of the four presented here, whose patience and poignance during its sombre, slow-burning opening minutes only serves to enhance the outsized impact of its absolutely stunning second half, laying the groundwork for the song’s (and the album’s) titanic finale with a sense of clever foresight and songwriting skill which can only bode well for whatever the band does next.
Which, considering how fantastic their debut album is, will likely be even better (at least, I hope so).