SEEN AND HEARD: DEATH, BEYOND CREATION, WELICORUSS, AND BEASTWARS

 Album Reviews, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET  4 Responses »
Nov 152012
 

In this post are four new things I saw and heard today.  I saw and heard other things today, such as the sight of the Sun (which is worth reporting, given that it’s November in Seattle) and the explosive sound of my own voice when I put weight on my fucked-up ankle the wrong way. That was about as close as I’ve ever come to thinking I could do vocals for a black metal band.

Well, as painful as it is for me to say this, “enough about me”. Here are new videos from Beyond Creation (Canada), Welicoruss (Russia), and Beastwars (New Zealand). The Welicoruss and Beastwars songs are also brand new and will appear on forthcoming albums. But first . . . the debut of a remastered song from . . .

DEATH

As you may know, Relapse Records has been re-issuing remastered editions of albums by Death. The latest is the band’s 1990 record, Spiritual Healing. This is a two-disc release, with the first one featuring a complete remaster of the original album and the second one including 16 previously unreleased rehearsal recordings, outtakes, and studio instrumentals. If you spring for the limited edition digipack, you’ll also get a third CD of a never-before-released live set recorded in 1990. And if you download the album from iTunes, you’ll get 5 previously unreleased pre-Human rehearsal tracks that aren’t included on either of the CD versions.

Well, enough with the free advertising. The reason I’m writing about Death today is that today Guitar World premiered one of the remastered tracks from Spiritual Healing: “Altering the Future”. You can hear that after the jump, along with the remastered version of “Living Monstrosity”, which appeared earlier. Continue reading »

COLD NIGHT FOR ALLIGATORS: “SINGULAR PATTERNS”

 Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule, SHORT BUT SWEET  5 Responses »
Nov 152012
 

(Continuing our November series of guest posts, we’re joined today by writer Austin Weber with a review of the new EP from Cold Night For Alligators.)

In the past few years, djent has spread like a tidal wave across the scene, bringing to light many interesting acts. Like the deathcore trend behind it, djent ultimately has over-saturated the scene with bands only interested in playing it as a style, without bringing anything new to the table sonically or from a songwriting perspective.

That being said, releases this year by Periphery, Chimp Spanner, and others have shown it’s not a sinking ship just yet. Another name that should be included among the top tier bands in this sub-genre is Copenhagen, Denmark’s Cold Night For Alligators. They formed in 2008 and released a three song introduction in 2010, Ulterior Motives.

 


Continue reading »

UNDERGANG: “INDHENTET AF DØDEN”

 Album Reviews  12 Responses »
Nov 152012
 

(We’re pleased to deliver this guest post by our Danish friend and fellow metal blogger MaxR of Metal Bandcamp, who shares some gruesome background on the 2010 debut album by Denmark’s Undergang.)

Undergang’s debut full-length Indhentet Af Døden from 2010 is now available as a name your price download on their Bandcamp (so is its successor Til Døden Os Skiller). This is a putrid slab of old-school death metal. You know the death metal cliches: Rotten, filthy, disgusting, nasty; Undergang makes them all come true.

Described as “Obituary twisted by Demilich”, Indhentet Af Døden bludgeons you with brutal riffs performed with with an almost hardcore-like single-mindedness (that would be the Obituary part). But don’t confuse this with simple-mindedness; Undergang keep you on your toes by adding the odd weird riff and time-signature change (and that would be the Demilich twist).

Undergang are a Danish band. And unlike most others bands from non-English-speaking countries, Undergang perform entirely in their native tongue – not that you can really understand a word of the guttural growls of David Torturdød. Their name actually means “downfall”. Indhentet Af Døden is “overtaken by death” (and Til Døden Os Skiller “till death do us part”). And Torturdød is literally “torturedeath”. You can find an interesting reference to a piece of morbid Danish history buried in the lyrics to “Englemagersken”, which roughly translated goes like this: Continue reading »

BRUTALITY REIGNS: SPLATTERED, WORMED, AND VAGINAL BEAR TRAP

 Album Reviews, Free Shit, SHORT BUT SWEET  6 Responses »
Nov 142012
 

In this post I’m collecting reviews of three releases that I recommend to you most highly: Liquefied Embodied Dissonance by Splattered, Quasineutrality by Wormed, and Just the Tip by Vaginal Bear Trap. All three are available on Bandcamp, one of them is free, and all are united by a love of brutality that seeps from every pore and a load of instrumental talent.

I have two NCS readers to thank for these discoveries: Vonlughlio tipped me to the first and last of these bands, and Utmu recommended Wormed.

SPLATTERED

The members of Splattered are from Fremont and Pleasanton, California. Last month they self-released a debut EP by the name of Liquefied Embodied Dissonance. It includes only three songs, but they make a powerful impression, like the impression that would be left by a sledgehammer if brought down vigorously on top of your head.

Brutal, slamming, gurgling death metal isn’t known for its subtlety. What you want from it, and what you get from Splattered in spades, is a pulverizing beat down. Splattered splatter their music with jet-fueled riffs, convulsive rhythms, and punishing percussion. And those gut-deep gurgling vocals are exactly what the doctor ordered, that is, if the doctor is an unlicensed butcher. Continue reading »

DEFTONES: “KOI NO YOKAN”

 Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule  6 Responses »
Nov 142012
 

(Andy Synn reviews the new album by Deftones, which was released yesterday on the Reprise label.)

Let’s face it, some bands exist in a genre of one. Despite what imitators they may attract, Deftones are certainly one such band, capably incorporating a countless multitude of influences (there’s a hip-hop, jazzy freedom to much of the material, while the always dramatic vocals have a gothy, new-wave romanticism to their breathless, aching delivery) into a singular ocean of metallic sound.

The Sacramento five-piece find themselves in the enviable, and rare, position of possessing a singular sound – hugely influential, but rarely (successfully) imitated. From the halcyon days of whiny post-hardcore, through to today’s crop of weak-kneed djentiles, the influence of Deftones has been palpable, but rarely well-incorporated. And that’s because these other bands have almost all attempted to use the Deftones influence to soften their sound, to give it a forced romantic edge which blunts their overall impact. And in doing so, they’ve missed the point entirely.

For Deftones those quiet moments, those ethereal melodies, and sparse, shimmering structures, contain just as much power as their down-tuned riffage and tumultuous drumming. There’s heartbreak, there’s angst, there’s even love… but it’s always powerful. Continue reading »

MENCEA: “PYROPHORIC”

 Album Reviews  6 Responses »
Nov 142012
 

(Continuing with our series of November guest posts, we welcome NCS reader Booker, who provides this review of the 2012 album by Mencea, which is available now from Amazon and iTunes, among other places.)

Well it’s fitting that, having planned to sit down and pen a review of this album today, I met up with a mate who coincidentally mentioned how much he’d been thrashing this album lately – to which I could only reply – damn straight, I know what you mean!

Never heard of Mencea? Neither had I until a few months back, but these Greeks just let Pyrophoric, their second album, drop earlier this year. “Spooky, but groovy” is the short version of how I would describe it, and it’s on my heavy rotation list for this year. So if you’ve got ADHD, skip to the Bandcamp link below and stream it for yourself. I think in all honesty the artwork first caught my eye, and after a listen I didn’t regret judging the album by the cover.

Probably the strangest compliment I could give to a band is to say “nothing stands out on this album” – and that’s precisely the compliment I’d use to describe Pyrophoric. By this I mean: there are no blazing guitar solos, no superhuman feats of drumming prowess, no mind-bending time signature changes or complex, long musical movements – there’s just good heavy tunes, typically each coming in around the 4-5 minute mark, with none of the parts screaming ‘me! pay attention to me!’, but the whole band working together to lay down solid tracks that just work. Continue reading »

ANTROPOFAGUS: “ARCHITECTURE OF LUST”

 Album Reviews  3 Responses »
Nov 132012
 

(We’re pleased to present another guest review by veteran guitarist Ted O’Neill of  California’s Oblivion, whose new album we reviewed here.)

When brutal death metal is done to perfection it comes off as a beautifully orchestrated cacophony of violence, mayhem, and musicianship. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there is a certain elegance about it. Enter Italy’s Antropofagus and their 2012 release Architecture of Lust. This is not an album with much crossover appeal to those who aren’t fans of the genre.  This is the REAL stuff, pure, undistilled, untainted, and unrelenting.  Just a titanic slab of absolute bone-crushing, spine-jarring death metal.

Although they have been compared to fellow countrymen Hour of Penance, I’d more aptly compare them to Aeon. No disrespect to either of the aforementioned (I really like both of those bands), but Antropofagus bring a whole different intensity to the table.  This album gets right to the point, and it is pretty clear what you are in for with the opener, which is the title track. No one is going to get in touch with their inner child or sensitive side here . . . you’re in for a big time ass-kicking.  Architecture of Lust is a heavy, heavy offering, clocking in at just under 35 minutes, which may seem a little short but in reality is about perfect considering the density of the material.

These guys play at insane tempos, spearheaded by the precise attack of Davide “Brutal Dave” Davilla, with Jacopo on bass and “Meatgrinder” handling the incredible guitar riffing.  Vocalist Tya is the perfect fit for the chaos with his incredibly heavy mid- to low-range vocals.  The playing on this album is incredibly tight yet still organic sounding, unlike the trend to overproduce the crap out of most modern metal albums.  My only complaint with the production would be to prefer maybe a little more attention to the bass, but all in all these guys are captured in their frenetic glory. Continue reading »

HACKTIVIST: A SECOND OPINION

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  33 Responses »
Nov 132012
 

(In this post, long-time reader and previous guest contributor VyceVictus provides his take on the debut EP by Hacktivist, which is now up on Bandcamp.)

After much anticipation and consternation, Hacktivist have finally dropped their debut EP. I had a rough outline for my guest review of the new record in the works, but after seeing TheMadIsraeli’s wonderfully astute and concise evaluation of the matter, I concluded there really isnt much more to deliberate. You either like the sound or you don’t. Even so, Hacktivist hit me hard and left me with a couple lingering ideas that I think are worth addressing.

I indicated once before how I am a lifelong supporter of “Real” Rap Metal, so I was pleased to see a modern band approach the idea with sincerety and fresh elements. The lyrics aren’t necessarily gonna set the streets on fire or anything, but the ideas seem thought out and the dual vocal attack delivery is tight and flows well.

The grooves are indeed immense and immediate, the licks are quick, and the djently djenting djent of the guitar attack djentrify the songs codjently and concisely. Djent. I am not a musician or professional critic. That word means nothing to me, but it sure does seem to grind peoples’ anuses the wrong way (is there a right way to grind anuses?). All I know for sure is that the guitar structures are pretty sick and make me bang my head. Continue reading »

RatM RatM

 Album Reviews, Metal News  33 Responses »
Nov 112012
 

(In this post, Phro commemorates the 20th anniversary of Rage Against the Machine’s debut album as only Phro can.)

So, all this talk about Hacktivist has mostly been like water off a horny duck’s back to me, but it has had one interesting effect: reminding me of how great Rage Against the Machine is. Well, apparently, November 3rd was the 20th anniversary of Rage Against the Machine’s debut, self-titled album. As I read this article on Stereogum (I ended up there from a link on The Atlantic because otherwise I would have no fucking clue something called “Stereogum” existed), I realized: holy fuck balls, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album. Obviously, like many people, I’ve heard “Killing in the Name” and “Wake Up,” but that’s probably the extent of my knowledge of the album.

“Well, that’s weirder than seeing Willy Wonka fucking a dentist to death with a strap-on made of candy corn,” I thought to myself. Especially considering how damn much I loved Evil Empire, The Battle of Los Angeles, and even their covers albums Renegades. So, I figured, why not review the album with almost completely fresh ears? And that’s what I’ve done. I’m writing this stream of conscious as I’m listening to each track only once.

Enjoy! And be sure to tell me why I’m a total fucking distended asshole in the comments. Continue reading »

MEEK IS MURDER: “INTO THE SUN WHERE IT FALLS OFF THE SKY”

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  1 Response »
Nov 102012
 

(Tyler Lowery has been burning up his keyboard.  Here’s yet another guest piece from him, this time a review of the new EP by Brooklyn-based Meek Is Murder.)

 As I started to listen to the new Meek is Murder EP, I decided to make a cup of tea. It’s miserably cold out, and I thought I could listen to the EP in the background while waiting for water to boil. What I didn’t realize was the EP was under 7 minutes in its 5-track entirety. Before the water was even warm, the album was already over.

Ok, time to try again. I sat down and listened to the 59-second opening track. The EP starts at a slow rumble. A dingy guitar run repeats itself as the vocals scream over the almost limping drums. Just as quickly as the first track rolls to a stop, the second jumps straight into fourth gear. Cacophony cuts quickly with a thrashy riff as the drums ride heavy on the crashes. About halfway through the song, gears shift back down to a surly bubble as it fades away.

Probably the most diverse track of the album, “Marty Mcfly” starts with shouted lines over a fuzzy bass groove before the guitars come back to play briefly with a punky riff and closes out with the deepest growls of the set. Done as quickly as it came, it’s on to the final track. Continue reading »

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