THE BURNING

 Album Reviews  11 Responses »
Aug 032011
 

(NCS writer Israel Flanders shines our spotlight on the discography of The Burning.)

Since plans have not gone as smoothly as expected (still don’t have Vader and Aliases for review yet), I had a special article in the bag that seemed good to do now.  I’m going to introduce you to a band called The Burning from Denmark.  I will do mini-reviews of all three of their albums and, with the band’s permission, provide you with a download of their discography.  THIS WILL ONLY BE UP FOR A WEEK, SO GRAB THIS WHILE IT’S HOT!  I really want to thank and give a shout out to the guys in the band for allowing me to do this — it’s a huge honor.

The Burning started their foray into the metal world with this debut, titled Storm The Walls.  Let’s establish what sets The Burning apart here, or what’s noteworthy:  This is a heavily groove-oriented band, this is a band who have prided themselves on their consistency in having only one guitarist, and this is a band who honors the craft of straight-forward, pummeling songwriting. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

KHOMA: “A FINAL STORM”

 Album Reviews  13 Responses »
Aug 012011
 

(Andy Synn persists in stretching the limits of NO CLEAN SINGING with his review of the latest album by Sweden’s Khoma. Actually, to be brutally honest, he’s ignoring our limits.)

In the words of my forefathers… and now for something completely different!

Melding the post-metal sensibilities of Cult Of Luna (with whom they share several members) with a Radiohead-like panache for gloomy introversion, Khoma are a very different entity from those you may be accustomed to encountering here at NoCleanSinging. Their shining, progressive post-rock has etched out 3 albums and one EP to date, each one a taut, compressed explosion of scintillating atmosphere and shimmering melody that echoes the sweeping sonic vistas of Sigur Ros whilst dancing on the edge of oblivion, seemingly always just one step away from collapsing into its own subdued despair.

Over three years passed between the release of Khoma’s impressive sophomore album The Second Wave and the recording of their latest release, 2010’s  A Final Storm — long enough that many believed Khoma had quietly disbanded, a hazy dissolution into obscurity and oblivion, leaving behind perhaps only the vaguest of musical legacies. Thankfully, the rumours of their demise were greatly exaggerated, the band having instead simply turned their backs on the world for a time in order to cultivate the fruits of their labours into full and vibrant bloom. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

SYMPHONY X: “ICONOCLAST”

 Album Reviews  31 Responses »
Jul 292011
 

(Israel Flanders is back again with something like his 100th review this week. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but he has really been cranking them out. Today, he’s singing the praises of the new album from Symphony X — Iconoclast!

I’m bringing the game up to that next-level shit, son.

Symphony. Fucking. X.

The kings of the power thrash universe (though really why wouldn’t they be? They’ve virtually pioneered their own sound), the undisputed lords and masters of melting your face with ballsy riffs, soaring vocals, and face melting shred. All in an inhumanly precise, well organized package with top-notch song writing to boot.

I was ABSOLUTELY PSYCHED for this album, and I’m glad it turned out as good as I thought it would. But there Is one small thing I wish to address here… if you can manage it, BUY THE SPECIAL TWO DISC EDITION. It is, according to the band, the “true” album, the way it was meant to be heard, and I am affirming this. The standard 9-song version just closes poorly and doesn’t feel right when it ends. Not only is the special edition 12 songs long, but the track list is completely re-arranged, further cementing that this is how they intended the album to be heard. So yeah, I’m reviewing the special edition instead of the standard today.

The opening and title track are over 10 minutes long. Yeah. A 10-minute-plus opener. What do you got for that? That’s what I wondered, and what I thought at first was, Nothing, as a cascade of odd-sounding, static-sounding ambience rushed in, and under it a piano started playing a sinister melody. You really don’t know where the song is going, but everything will be alright my child.

EPIC FUCKING, LIKE, TAPPING ACTION BRO! (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

HEDONISM NEVER FELT SO GOOD

 Album Reviews, Phro's Posts  No Responses »
Jul 282011
 

(NCS guest contributor Phro returns to us for the second time this week, with another review.)

Okay, so my last review was all a big lie.  What, like you never played with imaginary friends before???  Anyway, this one isn’t.  So, pay attention and then go click the download link towards the middle.

Today, we’re looking at a Ukrainian band called Hedonistic Exility. Both their name and the fact that they’re from a Soviet bloc country are extremely cool to me.  And the fact that Encyclopaedia Metallum states that their lyrical content is “Hedonism, Nihilism, Misanthropy, Abstract themes” makes me just WANT to love this band.  The cover of their 2010 EP Deevolutional Stasis and their 2011 single PsychoTransNymphomania (both pictured below) are as fucking cool as they are…weird.

Honestly, I loved cyborg stuff a bit more than I should probably admit in public, so the Deevolutional Stasis album cover alone is enough to draw my attention.  But what about the music?  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

SUN CAGED: “THE LOTUS EFFECT”

 Album Reviews  4 Responses »
Jul 282011
 

(NCS writer Israel Flanders is a reviewing machine these days. Here’s his latest, which concerns the new release by Sun Caged — The Lotus Effect.)

This album is as eccentric and beautiful as the cover.

Sun Caged is one of my favorite prog metal bands, stemming from the Dream Theater school of thought and doing it much MUCH (much) better. Hailing from the Netherlands, the band is a collection of really talented musicians, especially vocalist Paul Adrian Villarreal, guitarist/godlike shredder Marcel Coenen, and drummer Roel Van Helden. To repeat, this is one of my fav prog metal bands of all time and one that I feel is criminally overlooked. With that said, let’s get started…

Approaching a description of this album will be difficult, considering it’s such a journey. I mean, let’s look at the opener, “Seamripper (And The Blanket Statement)”. It opens with furious tremolo-oriented 8-string riffing and blast beats that would be found in a more extreme band, only to slip into a really catchy groove that sinks you into head-bobbing complacency. Almost immediately, it becomes apparent that Paul Adrian Villarreal has the most insane ear for superb vocal melodies. It’s easy to become absorbed in the passion of his voice and the seemless flow of his choice of notes over the instruments’ hypnotic groove, weaving in and out like a threaded needle through cloth. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: BOOKAKEE

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  4 Responses »
Jul 272011
 

(NCS writer Israel Flanders reviews Invasion of the Depraved, the debut EP from Montreal’s Bookakee, and for a limited time, has arranged to give you a free download of the EP.)

Bookakee is a Canadian progressive tech-death band who’ve got quite an eccentric direction in their sound.  Throwing combinations of ideas into songs that just should not work, it amazes me that they pull it off.

The beginning song “A.A” opens up with a clean intro that sounds straight out of — dare I say — a Mastodon album. After it ushers you in, you’re hit by a blistering onslaught of technical melodic riffing. The production on this EP, as you’ll pick up right away, is INSANELY clean, with a superb degree of clarity.  This is so very much needed, as Bookakee’s music, especially their guitar work, is off the wall.  The song progresses into a VERY Death-like section before continuing on with its melodic onslaught.  There is a bit of a hit of Necrophagist in this song, but not so much that it feels at all like a ripoff.  I also love the clean section that emerges later in the song, adding a Spanish flavor.

“Bookakee Blast” opens up with an insanely fast sweep, moving into a bit more intense and less melodic onslaught compared to the previous song.  This one is full speed ahead and musically just all over the place. “Carcass Coffin” has a VERY nice, eerie clean opening that reminds me quite a bit of Whoracle-era In Flames; same goes for the distorted version that follows soon thereafter.  UNLEASH BRUTAL PLODDING RIFFAGE FOLLOWED BY TECH RAPE.  This song pretty much hits you like a sledge-hammer until the clean section, which gradually picks up speed and delivers a big climax. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

TALANAS: “THE WASPKEEPER”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Jul 272011
 

(Andy Synn reviews a very impressive new album from the UK’s Talanas.)

Progressive is as progressive does. Arguably many of the more “progressive” bands, those who would consider themselves “prog” first and foremost, stopped actually progressing a long time ago, substituting length and embellishment for actual growth. Yet the true ideals of progressive music have long since bled into other genres, allowing them much more room to expand.

This leads us to the progressive form of death metal performed by the UK’s Talanas. Their immutable fusion of raging death-metal ferocity and moody, gothic melancholy – sprinkled with moments of blackened despair – echoes the eclectic, experimental sounds of Septic Flesh, the unerring power and passion of Novembers Doom and the gothic grandeur of My Dying Bride, yet breaks free of these restrictive comparisons with practiced ease. Their sound covers a wide spectrum of themes and emotions, confident and self-assured enough to explore deep layers of nuance and subtlety without ever losing sight of its ultimate goal or a sense of its own individual identity.

After a teasing intro, opener “Ananta (The Portrait)” leads with a scathing series of up-tempo guitars and aggressive growls, matching discordant splendour with haunting ambience. The vocals of Hal Sinden provide a variety of tones and styles, mid-range, broken-glass screams transforming effortlessly into smooth, mellifluous cleans, before delving into the depths of rumbling, guttural fury. Prominent keyboards and enigmatic clean guitars divert the song down unexpected paths, relying on the propulsive drums to maintain momentum as the song proceeds in a tormented, convoluted manner. (more after the jump, including some music . . .) Continue reading »

BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT!

 Album Reviews, Phro's Posts  23 Responses »
Jul 262011
 

(Phro claims he lives in Japan, but I’m beginning to suspect that he’s beaming these posts in from another planet. I don’t even know why I bother with an introduction any more. If you don’t recognize this prose by now, you need to be beaten with a tentacle flail.)

Let me start this with a confession.  It’s difficult to say or even admit to myself, but like a cocaine mule with a colon full of ruptured condom coke I must admit it or I’ll never get the help I clearly need.

My name is Phro, and I like Blink 182.

Alright, alright, quiet down and put that fucking garrote away.  I know you sick fuckers have your problems, too.  (Like snorting dried octopus mucus out of a crackwhore`s bloody anus.)  Granted, that’s not nearly as serious of an offense, but come on, cut a guy some slack.

Now, you’re probably wondering why in the name of swollen donkey dick I’m telling you this.  Well, in addition to wanting to get the weight off my chest, I have gotten the most ultimate of scoops.  This was something that I couldn’t tell anyone I was doing until it was done–not even I.S. Lander, the super secret spy deep in the confines of enemy territory. (He does Brittany Spears impersonations to maintain his cover.)  BUT!  Against all odds, I managed to break into the Blink 182 top secret compound and steal the master tracks for their new album.  Not only that, but I was able to kidnap one of them and use truth serum and a completely inappropriate amount of sexual blackmail to get some answers from him.  Therefore what follows is a completely accurate review of their newest album, as well as some choice commentary on the recording process.

I realize you`re probably about to click the back button and go read something with more tits (like pig porn…sows have like 12 nipples!!  fucking awesome!) or at least more metal (like watching the T1000 manually masturbate a tank).  BUT DON`T DO IT!!! Continue reading »

BLOODSOAKED: “THE DEATH OF HOPE”

 Album Reviews  7 Responses »
Jul 262011
 

(NCS writer Israel Flanders delivers a review of the latest release from Bloodsoaked, beginning with this…)

Yeah.  Bow down.  It’s time for the new Bloodsoaked album The Death Of Hope.

Bloodsoaked is a one-man death metal project who’s put out two albums before this one.  If you are at all familiar with Peter Hassalbrack, then you know what to expect: Crushing, old school, grimy death metal that maintains a FINE balance of trudge and speed.  The first thing you will notice right away, however, is that the man has changed his vocal style from his forceful gutturals of the past to a more old-school rasp that really suits what’s going on here.

The album opens with the imperial trudging might of “Lies”, with a slam that’s got the heft of a mammoth.  Peter here works THE EXACT SAME MELODY for two minutes, spinning variations of the riff and managing to keep it interesting the entire time.  Really badass stuff.

Next is “Forever Damned”, which is an under-2-minute onslaught of blast beats and sharp tremolo riffing that hits with flesh-ripping ferocity.  “Infestation” strikes with a furious blasting assault until it transitions into an ABSOLUTLEY DEVASTATING groove that should make you bust your head on the nearest hard surface.  The verse of this song reminds me a lot of Human-era Death.  A welcome influence to be heard.  I like how the song switches between the mid-paced verse riff and the behemoth-sized slamming groove established at the beginning.  Gives it a nice jarring feel, and LOTS of that technical blast-beat action cuts through your skull like a buzz-saw from hell itself. (more after the jump, including a full album stream . . .) Continue reading »

BLASTANUS: “COLLAPSE”

 Album Reviews  10 Responses »
Jul 252011
 

In an album that throws a surprising number of curveballs and knee-buckling change-ups into a normally steady stream of death-grind heaters, Finland’s Blastanus saves the biggest surprise of all to the final track. I’m still looking for my jaw, which dropped off at about the 2:20 mark of that last song, which happens to be the title track from the band’s just-released second album, Collapse. And when I say just-released, I really mean just released — because we’re premiering it as a free download right here at the end of this post.

You’d be forgiven if you jumped to some incorrect conclusions from this band’s name. But the music is no iwrestledabearonce kind of goof-fest. It’s definitely a fest, or a feast, but what’s doing the eating is a mixed horde of banshees and staggering, zombified ghouls, and what’s on the menu is your brain. When the consumption is finished at the end of that 11th track, the inside of your skull will be nice and pristine, scoured clean, waiting for something dark and fanged to take up residence. It’s up to you whether you’ll feel like re-attaching your jawbone.

This is our second visit with Blastanus, the first coming in March 2010 after the band ushered forth their debut album, Odd. The band allowed us to make that album available for free download, too, and the download link accompanying our review is still active. Comparisons are unavoidable. The first album held much promise, and I wondered to what degree the band would realize on it in this second offering. Happily, I’m here to report that with Collapse, Blastanus have taken big strides forward from their debut, revealing not only an upgrade in production quality but also leaps ahead in songwriting assurance and instrumental command. Continue reading »

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