ANDY SYNN PRESENTS: REVIEWS IN HAIKUS (COLDFELLS, PURE WRATH, ROSK)

 Album Reviews, Reviews In Haikus  10 Responses »
Jun 162017
 

 

(We present another edition of Andy Synn’s three-line reviews.)

With Islander and associates currently knee-deep in the complexities and logistics of this weekend’s Northwest Terror Fest, it looks like it’s fallen to me to try and keep the lights on around here.

Honestly, the things I do for this place…

Anyway, to keep things ticking over, here’s a little something to highlight three bands who have, so far, slipped between the cracks of our usually comprehensive coverage (other than a couple of mentions in some round-ups), all of whom lean towards the darker, more atmospheric side of things. Continue reading »

DEATH FORTRESS: “TRIUMPH OF THE UNDYING”

 Album Reviews  7 Responses »
Jun 152017
 

 

(Andy Synn reviews the just-released new album by New Jersey’s Death Fortress.)

Following the release of their debut album, Among the Ranks of the Unconquerable, New Jersey triumvirate Death Fortress quickly became one of my favourite Black Metal acts of the modern era.

Heck, I’d even go so far as to say that they’re one of the very best Black Metal bands ever to come out of the USA at this point.

As a result, my expectations for this, their third full-length album, are practically sky-high, and I’ve been champing at the bit to get my hands on it ever since it was announced.

So, now that the album has finally appeared online (with surprisingly little fanfare), it’s time to see whether the third time is (still) the charm. Continue reading »

ROADBURN FESTIVAL 2017 — A PHOTO ESSAY BY LEVAN TK (DAY 3)

 Concert Reviews  4 Responses »
Jun 142017
 


DISFEAR

 

The latest edition of Roadburn Festival took place at Tilburg, The Netherlands, on April 20-23, 2017, and L.A.-based photographer extraordinaire Levan TK was there to capture the performances on film.

We are fortunate to bring you some of his amazing photos, divided among the days of the festival, with his photos from the third day in this post. To see the photos from Day One, go here, and the photos from Day Two are here. Photos from the final day of fest will be coming soon.

P.S. Levan was quick to get us these photos. The delay in sharing them is entirely the fault of our half-wit editor. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK (PART 3): EREB ALTOR, LVX HÆRESIS, BLYH, FELLWARDEN, WĘDROWCY-TUŁACZE-ZBIEGI

 Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHADES OF BLACK  2 Responses »
Jun 132017
 

 

This is the third and final installment of a SHADES OF BLACK feature that I began two days ago. You’ll be shocked to learn that as long as this post has been, I added music from two more bands on top of what I originally planned for this Part 3 yesterday. If I hadn’t been placed in restraints by orderlies here at the asylum, I would have added more.

EREB ALTOR

The wonderful Swedish band Ereb Altor, who have taken their main cues (but not their only ones) from the mythic Viking metal of Bathory as established in Hammerheart and Twilight of the Gods, have a new album named Ulfven that will arrive on July 21 via Hammerheart Records. Earlier today they revealed a song from the album that’s simply magnificent. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): TIRED MINDS — “LOOM”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  No Responses »
Jun 122017
 

 

Loom is the new album by the post-hardcore band Tired Minds from Newcastle, Australia. It’s scheduled for release on June 16 by Art As Catharsis, and today we bring you a full stream of the album.

“Post-hardcore” can be an amorphous label, encompassing a range of different sounds with greater or lesser degrees of hardcore in the scaffolding of the music and variations in the other construction materials as well. In the case of Tired Minds, attempting to formulate a linguistic synopsis for the music is especially challenging — Art As Catharsis pulls together references that extend from The Dillinger Escape Plan to Converge, from La Dispute to Cursed, and even The Bronx. And indeed, this wrecking crew aren’t moving down any well-manicured, well-mapped, straight-ahead path. And “easy listening” definitely isn’t a term in their vocabulary. Continue reading »

SHADOW OF INTENT: “RECLAIMER”

 Album Reviews  3 Responses »
Jun 122017
 

 

(Guest contributor “Bathy Kates” makes his first appearance at NCS with this review of the new album by Shadow of Intent from the northeastern U.S.)

Deathcore gets a bad rap. Sure, it has plenty of trendy and mediocre bands but it has lots of music worth listening to as well. The genre shares with other great metal institutions, like power metal and thrash metal, a steady flow of bands who ignite a visceral reaction in listeners, and hasn’t that always been a major selling point of metal? Deathcore was created to bring out the primal energy within its listeners. When deathcore fails it’s usually due a serious lack of originality, relying too heavily on gimmicks, and annoying vocals. When it succeeds, it combines the grisly aesthetic of death metal with well-distributed breakdowns and hones in on a particular abdication of sanity that hardcore and death metal share. Deathcore should be about relinquishment. It should go there.

Shadow of Intent succeeds in going there. From the onset of the refreshingly not-pointless introduction track, this band makes their unique brand of sophisticated depravity clear for all to see. With snarling, diverse vocals, crystal-clear guitars that speed by like lightning, and a rhythm section that can do more than just keep up, Reclaimer lives up to its name. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK (PART 2): ELFSGEDROCH, IMPERCEPTUM, WHITEWURM, TRUE LOVE, CWEALM

 Album Reviews, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHADES OF BLACK  7 Responses »
Jun 122017
 

 

This is the second part of a collection of new black metal recommendations that I began yesterday. There were eight bands whose music I included in Part 1, and originally there were eight more here. Yes, I know, I’ve gone overboard. But since that’s never ever happened before, I know you’ll be in a forgiving mood — especially when I tell you that I’ve siphoned off three of the second group of eight and have put them into a Part 3, coming later today or tomorrow.

ELFSGEDROCH

The debut album of Elfsgedroch (which is apparently Dutch for “mischief of elves”) was released on tape during the spring of 2016, but was released as a digital download and on vinyl in the spring of this year. The album’s name is Op de beenderen van onze voorvaderen (“on the bones of our ancestors”, if Google Translate is to be believed).

I’ve written twice before about individual tracks from the album as they appeared, and intended to write a proper review of the entire album. But now I’m afraid I may never get around to doing that — which makes me feel guilty because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this record. Not only is the music exceptional, so is the care with which it has been packaged. Take a look: Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK (PART 1): GRAVEIR, MAR MORTUUM, SINMARA, GLACIAL TOMB, SOLBRUD, WHOREDOM RIFE, CRYPTIC WANDERINGS, AZAXUL

 Album Reviews, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHADES OF BLACK  3 Responses »
Jun 112017
 

 

It’s been three weeks since the last time I compiled music for a Shades of Black post, mainly because I was away from home the last three weekends. To somewhat make up for lost time, I’ve picked recommended new music in a blackened vein from more than a dozen bands and have divided the collection into two parts. Not sure if I’ll get Part 2 posted today or Monday, but most likely the latter.

GRAVEIR / MAR MORTUUM

I decided to start this post with a new split release by the Australian bands Graveir (Brisbane) and Mar Mortuum (Melbourne) so I would have another excuse to prominently feature Jef Whitehead’s artwork for it (I already posted it on our Facebook page yesterday). The music is also very good. Continue reading »

THE BEST OF BRITISH, 2017 (PART 5): CHAOS TRIGGER / FROM EDEN TO EXILE / A TRUST UNCLEAN

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Jun 092017
 

 

(In this edition of Andy Synn’s ongoing series focused on British bands, he reviews the heavy new albums by Chaos Trigger, From Eden To Exile, and A Trust Unclean.)

Originality is overrated.

There, I said it.

Of course, I don’t actually think that (well, not 100% anyway), but it got your attention, didn’t it?

But the truth is that “true” originality – while perhaps always something to aim for – is actually quite rare, and isn’t necessarily the be-all-and-end-all of music.

Granted, being a second-rate knock-off of another band isn’t exactly something to be proud of, but it’s entirely possible to make great music without breaking the mould or realigning the paradigm (or whatever your metaphor of choice might be).

Sometimes it’s enough just to write a bunch of great songs, great hooks, and great riffs, and stamp them with a sense of your own identity.

So here we have three bands from the UK, none of whom I would necessarily call “original”, in the strictest sense of the word, but who each still kick out the jams with an impressive amount of energy and integrity all the same. Continue reading »

DEATH OF KINGS: “KNEEL BEFORE NONE”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Jun 082017
 

 

(Wil Cifer reviews the new album by Atlanta’s Death of Kings.)

In the past I never felt the other recorded efforts by this Atlanta band were accurate representations of what they really do on stage. The vocals on previous releases often had a lower, more throaty husk to them, like old Mastodon. In other releases the guitar tone was recorded to give a false death metal density. I think anything that doesn’t properly paint these guys as a thrash band is misleading.

But with their new album we are getting what I have heard come from the monitors. The screechy vocals that sound like a more feral version of Overkill. The more razor-sharp guitar tone, one that feels more natural when it comes to the mid-paced gallop on “Sojurn”, which appeared on their 2015 demo.  The double-bass gets heavier on the chorus and muddies the mix a bit, but I think the biggest takeaway is how they have matured as songwriters, and it’s not just about finding cool riffs. Even with the tempestuous drumming, all the moving parts just seem to lock in better to tell the story. Continue reading »

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