I CHAOS: “THE HUMAN REPELLENT”

 Album Reviews  5 Responses »
Jul 092011
 

(Israel Flanders returns with his second review in as many days . . .)

Here we are again reviewing a death metal album. This is the debut album of Dutch death metallers I Chaos called The Human Repellent, and it is a solid slab of speedy technical mayhem. I’d wager to sugg- wait a fucking second. Why am I talking like some pompous suit-and-tie wearing asshole? This is a metal review.

Alright, so if your face wasn’t already sufficiently raped by the serpentine riffng, the technical, syncopated drum assaults, the abysmal hoarse howls of death, and some kick-ass groove as an underlying foundation, just remember, there are 9 more servings of this on the album. NINE MORE SONGS OF BEING SKULL-FUCKED BY BRUTAL INHUMAN PRECISION!  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

LOCK UP

 Album Reviews  5 Responses »
Jul 082011
 

(NCS writer Israel Flanders goes crazy over the new album from Lock Up . . .)

Today is just a get-devastated-by-death-metal/grindcore-that-destroys-my-soul-and-makes-the-remains-consume-themselves-so-I-turn-into-nothing-but-a-lifeless-meat-puppet-of-abysmal-darkness day. Alright, so . . .

Lock Up. Super group that plays blackened deathgrind with thrash metal tinges, but ultimately it’s overall label would be grindcore. Contains members of Napalm Death, At The Gates, Pentagram, and a drummer who’s done his time in MANY bands. What’s my point? This album, Necropolis Transparent, is the phrase “Get Fucked” in audio form. This is an explosive cacophony of pure anger, rage, hate, misanthropy, I don’t even know if enough words exist in the dictionary to describe the pure, utterly unrestrained vitriol blasting at you on this album. Do not underestimate this band, do not fuck with them, for you shall be destroyed in their wake.

The album opens up with the grinding fury that is “Brethren Of The Pentagram”. The music is fast, makes you want to break shit, induces feelings of homicidal rage even Dahmer and Hitler would be terrified of. What’s that you say? Super groups always suck and are for nazi-loving liberal facist pinko’s who are taking our jobs? I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of how awesome this album is. There is no mercy once the first song starts. (more after the jump, including a bunch of Lock Up tracks . . .) Continue reading »

CHTHONIC: “TAKASAGO ARMY”

 Album Reviews  18 Responses »
Jul 082011
 

(The prolific Andy Synn is back with his third post this week. This time he’s reviewing the new album by Chthonic — Takasago Army.)

I love Chthonic. This is not something I am ashamed to admit. I have everything they have ever released with the exception of Where The Ancestor’s Souls Are Gathered. I did, however, find their last record, Mirror Of Retribution, a somewhat lacklustre affair – at least when compared with the two records that preceded it, 2002’s Relentless Recurrence and 2005’s Seediq Bale. The crisp, somewhat dry production robbed their sound of some of its individuality and subtlety, so that although the band performed with a new level of aggression and revitalised extremity, the songs overall were delivered with arguably less flair than on previous albums. That’s not to say there weren’t some great songs on the record. It’s still one I enjoy listening to, but I felt that the focus on more extreme, typically “metal” sounds was a mis-step (albeit a minor one) in the development of their unique sound.

So what does Takasago Army bring to the Chthonic sound? Does it successfully redress the balance of their culturally diverse, ethnic influences and vibrant extreme metallic fervour? Can it rejuvenate their passion for the embrace of their cultural heritage without limiting the totemic metal power they have spent so long building? Read on for the answer… Continue reading »

SUICIDE SILENCE: “THE BLACK CROWN”

 Album Reviews  25 Responses »
Jul 052011
 

(NCS writer BadWolf has a few thoughts about the new album from Suicide Silence.)

The Black Crown is absolutely Suicide Silence’s most enjoyable record, but it appeals in no way to the group’s traditionalist detractors, which is an asset. The band has absolutely no reason to kowtow: If they make a traditional DM record—which would amount to career suicide from a commercial standpoint—the same cadre of tunnel-vision morons would continue ripping them apart for their past, their taste in Justin Bieber haircuts, their love of neck tattoos.

Haters, acknowledge the progress Mick Lurch and co have made as songwriters in four years: Their debut, The Cleansing, was an overstuffed slop-bucket of random note runs pretending to be riffs; its saving grace is a series of youtube-approved sing-along breakdown-choruses.

Fast forward. Suicide Silence is now a full-blown pop metal band. This is an improvement—pop demands the cleanliness and simplicity they lacked. The redeeming quality SS had at the start was precisely what people hate them for; of course they capitalized on their strengths and reforged the aforementioned breakdowns into choruses and easy riffs.

In other words, Suicide Silence have come out of the closet as careerists. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

KRODA: “SCHWARZPFAD”

 Album Reviews  19 Responses »
Jul 042011
 

About two months ago, thanks to a laudatory Facebook post by Agalloch, I found out about a Ukrainian black-metal band called Kroda. They had just begun streaming a not-completely-final version of their fourth album, Schwarzpfad (“the black path”), for a limited time. I was completely enthralled by the music and had that stream on a nearly continuous loop for as long as it lasted.

Eventually, the stream ended, I began experiencing withdrawal symptoms, was admitted to a hospital for observation, was ultimately released, and was a broken man for weeks afterward until Schwarzpfad became available for unauthorized download at the end of May.

I’ve listened to a shitload of other music since then, but I continue returning to Schwarzpfad. It’s more than 50 minutes of music, but I’ve lost count of how many times it has kept me company. It’s way past time for me to repay Kroda for all that pleasure, and for much more to come, with a few words of heart-felt praise:

Schwarzpfad is without doubt one of the best albums I’ve heard this year and one of the most memorable black-metal albums I’ve ever heard — an immaculate marriage of beautiful, folk-influenced melodies, black ‘n’ roll strut, and bestial voraciousness. It’s a brilliantly conceived, complex work that yields something new with every listen. Highly recommended.

Okay, I wasn’t being completely honest when I said “few words”; there are more words after the jump, plus music, of course. Continue reading »

DECAPITATED: “CARNIVAL IS FOREVER”

 Album Reviews  3 Responses »
Jun 292011
 

(This seems to be album-review day at NCS. Following our Byfrost review, NCS writer TheMadIsraeli now assesses the new album from Poland’s Decapitated.)

Yeah. It’s that time. You’ve been looking forward to this, I have, we all have, so now you’re wondering what do I, the most boss of all metal-loving Jews, have to say about it? For all you know, I could just be wanting to rub it in the faces of all of you that I have this album (which I do) and you don’t, but well… how do I put this…

This kicks ass. This destroys universes. This is the purest, blackest, weightiest form of sonic nihilism laid to audio I’ve heard all year. And you know what the sad part is? People are gonna hate this because it isn’t “true”, or “kvlt”, or what-the-fucking-ever, whose-it’s, what’s-it’s the elitists like to spout nowadays. Why is this though? That’s simple.  Carnival Is Forever rules because it isn’t old Decapitated. This is a rejuvenated band, with a new sound, new look, new attitude, and new sense of purpose who’ve abandoned their tech death past to go into a much more modern sound. I can just see the elitists complaining because what is it that this album has which makes it so, like, good? Well, we have groove, lots of groove, we got djent, we got progressive song structures, we got clean sections, we have Divine Heresy-machine-precision-like chugging, we have blast-beat frenzies, we have shredding solos — this album has everything.

So where do I start in actually reviewing this and stopping the proverbial salivation over it? Three bands immediately come to mind in describing this album: Divine Heresy, Meshuggah, and Nevermore. If you’re complaining already, I highly suggest you order your whamburgers and french cries pronto. This album has no time for your tom-foolery. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

BYFROST: “OF DEATH”

 Album Reviews  4 Responses »
Jun 292011
 

Black Earth, the 2010 debut album from Bergen, Norway’s Byfrost, was one of my favorite albums of last year (reviewed here). The song “Desire” from that album was the first song we named to our list of 2010’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs. One year has passed since the release of Black Earth, and Byfrost is back with their second album, Of Death. No sophomore jinx here — Byfrost have stretched their wings (giant, scaly, and clawed, no doubt) to produce an album that’s at least the equal of their killer debut.

Two albums into their discography, Byfrost have already established a signature sound — the kind of distinctive musical identity that makes the music of bands like Amon Amarth and Behemoth so immediately recognizable. Like those bands, Byfrost has created music that’s “accessible” without losing the qualities that also make it heavy, dark, and menacing. Of course, Byfrost hasn’t yet taken the world by storm, as those bands have, but with time, persistence, and a bit of luck, their audience will surely continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

Byfrost is a three-man band, and their songwriting, for the most part, is designed to be played by only three instruments. As you might expect, the music has a primal, stripped-down quality, but the relative simplicity of the songs is deceptive. All three musicians are superb at what they do, and their execution is super-tight. Weaving through the truly massive riffs and skull-crushing drums are a variety of grim melodies that sink their hooks deeply into your memory. On top of that, the musical variety of the eight songs on the album makes it worth hearing from start to finish and a fucking blast to come back to for repeat listening.

Still less than six months into 2011, and I’ve already heard what will no doubt be on my short list of personal favorites when the year closes.  (more after the jump, including a song . . .) Continue reading »

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER: “RITUAL”

 Album Reviews  4 Responses »
Jun 272011
 

(Andy Synn reviews the new album from The Black Dahlia Murder.)

Well here it is, the latest and much-hyped release by Michigan melodic death metal heavyweights The Black Dahlia Murder. And let me tell you now, it seems the hype may well be fully justified. This is indeed a stunning album, all its parts fitting seamlessly, all its cogs and gears working in perfect synchronicity. Ignore those who claim that this is a sequel to Unhallowed – it isn’t. That’s a woefully limited view of things. Though those people may wish to believe that statement, having never got past the simple pleasures offered by the group’s debut, in truth this record serves to drastically further the progress that the band have shown ever since their inception.

With Ritual the group deliver an ambitious expansion of the sound of Deflorate, whose more overtly melodic twists and turns were themselves an expansion of the renewed focus and extremity of Nocturnal (still their best for me), which in turn expanded on the mix of hooks and crushing brutality found on Miasma, itself a clear step forward from the (relatively) primitive song-writing and tenebrous melodies of their debut. The lines of progression and growth are clear, and while the record remains tied to the sound that began with Unhallowed, it is far more than a rehash of old ideas, far more than a return to older times. It is a new vision that retains the identity of the old while looking boldly toward the new.  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

NOCTEM: “OBLIVION”

 Album Reviews  6 Responses »
Jun 242011
 

(Andy Synn returns to NCS after a short hiatus with his review of the Oblivion, the new album by a Spanish band called Noctem. Given my own tastes, this review left me slobbering with hunger for this album. Positively slobbering. Just sayin’.)

There is a difference between an easy comparison and a lazy comparison. Just because a comparison is easy to make does not mean it is necessarily a lazy one, nor indeed a negative one. Listening to Oblivion, the second album from these sun-scorched, blackened death metallers (or deathly black metallers – take your pick) immediately brings to mind the monstrous, imperial grandeur of Behemoth, all potent death-metal pummeling and scathing, blackened speed. Perhaps just as strongly, there are elements here of the lumbering, goliath grooves of Kataklysm and the frenzied, melodic assault of The Black Dahlia Murder.

Yet these comparisons should not be seen as an accusation that Noctem are in any way derivative of these acts; rather, the similarities come from the band pursuing a congruent path to their metallic peers, where elements and themes are recognisable yet never plagiarised, not following the path of another but exploring similar territory on their own terms and in their own particular way. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

DETRIMENTUM: “INHUMAN disgRACE”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Jun 232011
 

NO CLEAN SINGING is still a young tyke as metal sites go, at least in human years. We’ve only been alive since Nov. 21, 2009. In human years, we’re still pissing and shitting whenever we feel like it, smiling for no good reason, and crying when we’re hungry, which is almost all the time. In metal blog years, I guess we’re closer to a teenager. Most metal blogs seem to age quickly and then die from neglect. But it will take a fucking hydrogen bomb to kill us off, so we’re still here, in the stage of life where we’re learning how to fuck.

Where was I? Oh yeah, how long we’ve been around. Well, in the 19 months we’ve been in action, we’ve written about Detrimentum from the UK no fewer than five times, going back to January 2010. Go ahead, type “Detrimentum” in the search box on this page and see what you get. The first time we wrote about them, we were raving about their 2008 debut album, Embracing This Deformity. And then we found out there had been some line-up changes and that the new Detrimentum consisted of original members Jon Butlin (guitar and bass) and Paul Wilkinson (guitar and vox) plus drummer Steve Powell, who performs with NCS favorite Anaal Nathrakh.

Time passed, as it will. Slowly, surely, the re-cast Detrimentum worked on a new album. The day came, just weeks ago, when it was finished and ready to be unveiled to half-wit reviewers like me — like a nasty, newborn brought out to see the relatives. Except this is a newborn with fangs the size of your fingers who would try to eat all the relatives, or maybe hypnotize them and then eat them, and probably succeed. And good riddance to all of the relatives, because INHUMAN disgRACE is a triumph and Detrimentum should be allowed to eat whatever the fuck they want. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

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