ACEPHALIX: “INTERMINABLE NIGHT”

 Album Reviews  3 Responses »
Jun 072011
 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just want to be crushed flat by the metal I listen to, like an ant beneath a boot. But — as the last flow of viscous liquid leaves my mangled body — I do like to have a smile on my face. The new album from San Francisco’s Acephalix, Interminable Night, does this nicely — smashes you flat in a pool of your own goo, but leaves you with a ghoulish grin as the rictus sets in.

Catastrophic death metal really doesn’t need any bells and whistles to achieve its primal effect. Down-tune the guitars and set them spinning and belching out toxic clouds of oily smoke; load up the drums with full belts of high-caliber ammo and pull all the way back on the trigger to spray the landscape with full-auto, d-beat destruction; chain a bear to the ground and then taunt him until he’s in full-throated, pissed-off, roaring mode; then set the whole thing on fire so you get the right level of energy from the performers, and you’re good to go. That’s the winning formula of Acephalix.

But Acephalix doesn’t stop there. They’ve added bells and whistles, too, and that makes them stand out just as much as the brute authenticity of their Dismember-worshipping, old-school attack: brief but well-placed gouts of reverb-effected guitar solos, mortar-blast pounding from the drums that explode amidst the rock rhythms and d-beats, and crawling bits of death-doom to remind you that “hope” is a foreign word in the Acephalix lexicon.  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

IN FLAMES: “SOUNDS OF A PLAYGROUND FADING”

 Album Reviews  14 Responses »
Jun 062011
 

(NCS writer Andy Synn reviews the forthcoming album by In Flames in detail.)

Ladies and gentlemen, I began listening to Sounds Of A Playground Fading with a sense of cautious optimism, tempered by the reluctant pessimism one might expect after the woeful quality of In Flames’ last album. Optimistic I was, as the songs I’d previewed (in full or in part) already had demonstrated clearly that the vocals and guitars at least sounded better, fuller, more nuanced, than on their previous record, but pessimistic I remained, as the last record also demonstrated how easily and quickly the band can squander any promise they may have shown.

I’ve been a huge fan of In Flames for almost as long as I’ve loved metal; although I’m perhaps not elitist enough to claim that their early material is always their best (both Lunar Strain and Subterranean are good records yes, but don’t click with me as much due to their more primitive origins), I do acknowledge the (mostly) undisputed classic status of their pre-millennial works. I love The Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony and Clayman. I love Reroute To Remain due to its great songs and despite (and perhaps because of) its flawed nature.

Soundtrack To Your Escape is a good album, with some good songs, but it’s not necessarily an In Flames album in many ways. Its identity is confused and conflicted. Come Clarity is a brilliant record with particularly great highs but an occasionally frustrating sense of treading water. A Sense Of Purpose is an awful, unfocussed mess that puts the lie to its own title. Lacking any breadth or depth, the songs rarely develop naturally, with little or no room to breathe. So as of yet, it seemed that the new, post-millennial identity of In Flames, their modern sense of purpose, remained nebulous and undefined.

With Sounds Of A Playground Fading, In Flames have arguably (and finally) entered a post-modern phase of existence, something that has been coming for a long time. They are no longer the same entity they once were, that’s for certain, but they have made confident steps to define their new identity with this release. Some key elements remain/have returned, in particular the liquid, soaring solo sections which have regained welcome prominence, but more than anything the band have finally fully committed to making their new sound just as good as their old sound, instead of dwelling on simply being adequate. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

DEVOLVED: “OBLIVION”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Jun 062011
 

(Our man Israel Flanders checks in with a few glowing words about the new album from those Australian/Californian metal marauders in Devolved — plus another convenient way to hear this excellent music for yourselves — and he starts with a song . . . .)

[audio:https://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/06.-Wretched-Eyes-Of-God.mp3|titles=Devolved – Wretched Eyes Of God]

……………….I just got my ass kicked by that song.

So, Devolved is awesome, with their style of spastic, djenty, Fear Factory brand of industrial death metal. I probably don’t need to tell you that, since the other guys here at NCS have been singing their praises for a while (here and here, for example), but I really think you may need to have it beaten into your skulls. This is a brutal band and one really worth the investment of your time.

I’m briefly reviewing the band’s new album Oblivion, and the title just about sums up the music here. This is intense, cold, brutal, scathing, clinical, utterly soulless industrial death metal performed with machine precision. (more after the jump . . . including a download opportunity) Continue reading »

CIRCLES: “THE COMPASS”

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  5 Responses »
Jun 032011
 

(NCS contributor Israel Flanders returns for the third time this week with his review of the most recent EP from Australia’s Circles. This is yet another discovery for us by Israel that we think is well worth your time.)

Let’s just establish something here before I get started… Circles is NOT a djent band, and they shouldn’t be getting lumped in with that genre.  These guys are better than the over-saturated circle jerk which that scene has become, and it’s almost offensive to me that they’re put in that category.  With that said, let’s move on.

So WHAT ARE Circles?  The easiest answer I can give you is an Australian band who generate a Sevendust-style of groove metal, but maybe even better than Sevendust, and that’s saying something.  This band know how to lay down the groove and lay it down thick.  We’re here to review Circles’ second EP (on Basick Records) called The Compass, and it’s truly a powerful package. Though it includes only 6 songs, it trumps a lot of what is out there right now.

The album opens with “The Frontlines”, which introduces itself through some funky, turntable-like synth sounds and immediately goes into a weighty, distorted groove.  The verse riff fades in with some cool orchestral stuff above it and immediately moves into a very bendy groove riff with powerful, soulful vocal lines over it.  This is where Circles’ greatest strength comes into play — their ability to write powerful, memorable melodies ALL OF THE TIME! (more after the jump — including the chance to hear all the tracks on the EP . . .) Continue reading »

UNDYING: “A HAUNT WITHIN THE MIST”

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Jun 022011
 

To be brutally honest — which is the only kind of honest we know how to be at NCS — I’m not qualified to review a black-metal album for trve black-metal fans. Even after about a year and a half of trying to educate myself, I’m not steeped in the history, there are still big gaps in my listening, and I can’t provide a comprehensive context in which to explain the place of albums I hear. But my enthusiasm overwhelms my sense of limits, and so I just forge ahead anyway. Fuckitall.

There might be a silver lining to that cloud. I might be able to serve as a surrogate for some of you who are like me — metal fans who generally listen to other genres but who are intrigued, maybe even beguiled, by what black metal has to offer — and curious about discovering more of what lies within those cold depths.

So, here’s a new discovery: A one-man project from the UK who sunk an unimaginably deep part of himself over a very long period of time into creating one album called A Haunt Within the Mist recorded back in 2006 (and at earlier times); a man who made some disillusioning efforts to find a label to promote what he’d done, and then just shelved the music rather than have it become lost in the great wash of underground black-metal releases and demo’s; a man who finally decided, just weeks ago, that because he was sincerely proud of what he’d done, it would be better to put it out here in the world than consign it to oblivion.

And so, a remarkably humble e-mail arrived at our door from the dude behind Undying, who calls himself Hiraedd, with a link to Undying’s Bandcamp page, where that long hidden album could be retrieved and heard. Not necessarily a unique story, and certainly not one we would tell except for the fact that, for us, finding this music was like discovering a diamond in your sock drawer one morning: It was a surprising and completely wonderful occurrence. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

100 KNIVES INSIDE: “MORAL FABRICATION”

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  7 Responses »
Jun 022011
 

(Last time out, Israel Flanders introduced us to a real winner in Moscow’s Kartikeya. Let’s see what Israel has got for us today . . .)

I hate deathcore.  Like, really hate it.  I think it’s for the most part garbage, useless — anything you could come up with as an insult, I’d apply it to this genre.  However, there are bands out there who’ve proven me wrong, such as Carnifex with their last album Hell Chose Me.  It has been a long time since I’ve heard any worthwhile deathcore — until I ran across this…

WHY IS THIS SO GOOD!? (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: TEMPEST, APOSTATE, AND SUPERSTITION

 Album Reviews, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET  No Responses »
Jun 012011
 

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been using these SHORT BUT SWEET features to catch up on recent EP’s by bands both well-known and just emerging. Today, we’ve got three more in the “just emerging” category. Two of the bands were recommended by my NCS co-founder IntoTheDarkness, and the third came my way via Quigs at The Number of the Blog (who correctly surmised that it would be my kind of thing, though I suspect it’s not his).

If you’ve been slumming here at NCS for very long, then you know IntoTheDarkness has a penchant for deathcore. I still have a reservoir of enthusiasm for that genre, though certainly not as wide and deep as ITD’s. He and I have had a brief, civil debate about whether today’s first two bands really belong under the deathcore banner. I can understand why he thinks of their music that way, but I’m not sure the label strictly fits. More on that later. But labeling isn’t what this post is about — it’s about the music, which should speak for itself.

IMHO, the music of these two bands happens to be worth hearing. Why else would I be writing about it? And as for the third band, I’m just a complete sucker for the style — I have been for a long time, and always will be. So, without further ado, here are a few words about Tempest (California), Apostate (The Czech Republic), and Superstition (Croatia) — plus a selection of songs for you to test drive (after the jump). Continue reading »

KARTIKEYA: “MAHAYUGA”

 Album Reviews  21 Responses »
May 302011
 

(NCS writer Israel Flanders provides not only his review of a fascinating new death-metal album from a Russian band called Kartikeya, but also — with the band’s permission — a special surprise at the end of the review.)

It’s very rare that I find death metal that’s TRULY note worthy and stands out to me much anymore.  The genre, especially in the so called “brutal” death metal tag, has gotten really stale to me, but I am always looking for new bands to capture my interest.  I went surfing for new music as per usual and happened to come across a gem of a band — Moscow’s Kartikeya, and we’re here to check out their second album Mahayuga.

Kartikeya is a rather strange beast in this era of excessive blast beats and musically fraudulent technical wank. Imagine the speed, symphonics, and intensity of The Monolith Deathcult and the progressive nature and melodic sense of Ihsahn, and throw in fully inclusive Indian folk elements, and you have Kartikeya. There is a lot of fun to be had on this album, what with its catchy riffing, its full-frontal brutality assault on the senses, the Indian atmosphere and vibe, and the superb melodic moments when they spring up.

The album opens with the instrumental “Sarga Manvalem”, beginning with some nice eastern ambiance before breaking into a riff and a melody that will remind you of former Israeli black metallers Melechesh and an imperial war march of double bass and low-tuned brutal droning. I like how this introduces the album, as the intensity of it continues building until we hit an Indian chant section that comes out of nowhere and throws you off balance. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

JOB FOR A COWBOY: “GLOOM”

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  4 Responses »
May 272011
 

(We’re pretty close to just turning the whole site over to Andy Synn. Today we have Andy’s third post since Monday. Here’s his review of the new EP by Job For A Cowboy, which be available digitally and physically via mail-order (only from Indiemerchstore.com) on June 7.)

Doom & Gloom. A perfect pairing in so many ways. Showcasing as they do the growth and evolution of JFAC’s ungodly chimeric creation, two sides of the same coin, still redolent with untapped potential, which has lost none of its lustre or value over the years.

If it is impossible to discuss JFAC without mentioning the dreadful pejorative “deathcore”, then let me address the issue in this manner; the band have, for me, always epitomised the strengths and possibilities of what the sub-genre could, and should be. Taking death metal’s powerful engine and building a sleeker, more modern vehicle around it, fuelled by youthful energy and ambition, the band have joined other such groups of the modern death metal pantheon, such as The Black Dahlia Murder and Aborted, who have (at times) been tagged with the “deathcore” identity, yet (thankfully) have little in common with what the sub-genre has unfortunately become. The one thing the aforementioned groups do have in common however is the admirable growth and maturation they have achieved over the years.

From youthful fire-starters, attempting simultaneously to both ape the achievements of their predecessors yet also define themselves by opposition to what came before, these acts have found that one CAN build an identity on the genetic blueprints of their forebears without becoming clones of them, and as such have become more comfortable within the death metal mould, yet not limited by it exclusively. They are no longer afraid of learning from, or being associated with their parents, having reached the understanding of adulthood themselves. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

THE GATES OF SLUMBER’S “THE WRETCH”: A CRITIQUE

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
May 252011
 

(NCS writer BadWolf provides a critique of the new album by The Gates of Slumber, released in North America on May 10 by Rise Above Records and Metal Blade.)

New-Doom pack leaders The Gates of Slumber strike a fine line between advancing their sound and returning to the very roots of doom with their newest LP, The Wretch. The result is their most distilled piece of work, and their most relatable.

The Gates of Slumber play the oldest and least-altered style of metal modeled after Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus. Like a shark or crocodile, this style of metal has no need for evolution: it does only a few things, like excellent riffs and narrative lyrics, but does them perfectly. The Wretch embodies this style. For evidence, look no further than opening track “Bastard Born,” which follows the riff-narrative template of the Delta blues guitar tradition.

The Wretch’s greatest strength is a renewed sense of true doom, the self-loathing paranoia that made Black Sabbath amazing. The Gates of Slumber’s previous two records, Conqueror and Hymns of Blood and Thunder, were flawed-but-great albums with escapist fantasy lyrics. That escapism sapped their records of any palpable doom and gloom. Fortunately for us, the evil is back.  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

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