NO CLEAN SINGING

MENCEA: “PYROPHORIC”

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 »

SEEN AND HEARD: OVID’S WITHERING AND CORMORANT

Nov 132012

This post brings some good news and some sad news. On the positive front, we have a new song from Ovid’s Withering. On the sad front, we’ve just learned that Arthur Von Nagel is leaving Cormorant.

OVID’S WITHERING

We’ve been following this Florida band ever since they released their debut EP, The Cloud Gatherer, last spring (reviewed at NCS here). Ovid’s Withering are now working on their first album and they’ve recently released one of its tracks for streaming and “pay what you want” download on Bandcamp (here).

The song is named “The Reckoning. The Summoning. The Purge”. As described by the band: “This is part of a 5 song concept that will be on our full-length album. The story follows Pan, who is engrossed with the idea of cleansing the world. This is Part II, where he kidnaps Anesidora from her lover, Prometheus.” This part of the story line is reflected in the lyrics and described in detail on Bandcamp.

TheMadIsraeli, who first made me aware of the new song, gives us this introduction to the new music: 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 »

THE METALOCALYPSE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Mosh Pit 7 Responses »

Nov 132012

(The following post was written by guest contributor Happy Metal Guy.)

The unmetal have risen. How protected are you from them?

Only ignorant fools decry the severity—or even the existence—of the unmetal plague. This handy article is your key to surviving the metalocalypse, and hopefully it will enable you to make it through young enough to revitalize the human gene pool. Make haste, for every second you waste in contemplating the validity of this article is a second gained for the cunning horde out there that is always actively seeking out ways to infect you. Everything you need to know to safeguard yourself and your loved ones against the ravenous unmetal can be found here through 10 unproven, fishy-sounding tips. Don’t be an ignorant fool, this article can save your life.

1. Learn to spot the signs!

Prevention is the best cure—this cliché aphorism never made more sense in today’s unmetal epidemic. Argonium may be an untreatable virus at the moment, but Mother Nature is not without her sadistic sense of humor. Thank Lemmy that she’s kind enough to throw in all those obvious symptoms to warn us of infected individuals, which ranges from body graffiti such as tattooed Chinese characters whose bearers usually don’t even know their meanings, to severely gauged earlobes (that seem to serve the purpose of encouraging another form of alternative copulation) and faux hawk or “tsunami” hairstyles, to name just a few off the foremost atoms atop the needle-sharp tip of the Titanic-sized iceberg. In summary, the gist is that the most commonly seen members of the unmetal can have appearances that lean to either end of the following two extremes: resembling either Frankie Palmeri or Andy Biersack. The special infected, however, are a more dangerous and cunning breed and will be discussed last in this article. 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 »

SEEN AND HEARD: MESHUGGAH, ENSLAVED, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, ERIC CUTLER (AUTOPSY), MARK RIDDICK, MITOCHONDRION, AND DEIPHAGO

Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 5 Responses »

Nov 132012

Here’s a collection of items that came my way over the last 24 hours that I thought were worth sharing — in addition to all of the awesome posts that already graced the site yesterday. (I can use the words “awesome” and “graced” without tarnishing my well-known reputation for humility because I’m not directly responsible for any of ysterday’s posts, even though this post will also be awesome.)

TOURISM: MESHUGGAH AND ENSLAVED

I saw via Heavy Blog Is Heavy the rumor that Meshuggah will be touring the U.S. along with Animals As Leaders and Intronaut early next year. The rumor is based on a flyer for a date in Minneapolis that you can see above.Yes please.

That same photo up there also provides evidence of another tour that I read about previously. This one is official: Norway’s Enslaved will be returning to the U.S. and Canada in early 2013 for a headlining, 20-show “Winter Rite” tour joined by U.S. doom metallers Pallbearer and occult rockers Ancient VVisdom (and both of those bands are killers).

The tour begins January 30 in Philadelphia and ends February 22 in New York City. The full schedule can be seen after the jump. And in case you missed our earlier post yesterday, Osmose Productions has just uploaded three older Enslaved albums for streaming and download on Bandcamp for the first time. Continue reading »

FEATURETTES: THY DEVOURER AND LORD DYING

Free Shit, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 7 Responses »

Nov 122012

Here are short features about two bands whose music is definitely worth getting to know. The first of these “featurettes” comes our way via regular NCS writer TheMadIsraeli, who sent in the following introduction:

“I was surfing Facebook and saw that Infant Annihilator had posted a song by the band above. If you can’t read the logo, the band’s name is Thy Devourer. Thy Devourer hail from Alabama of all places, total fucking Hicksville to some; yet they deliver some of the most punishing technical deathcore you’ll ever hear all year. They take a pretty visceral approach that hits me like a combo of Whitechapel, Carnifex, and Fallujah. Definitely cool shit.

Interesting also, at least on this EP, is their preference for more grindcore length songs. I believe only one of the four songs on here is even up to three minutes.

Bandcamp player streaming below, AND it’s free. Enjoy the carnage.” Continue reading »

GOJIRA / TREPALIUM / KLONE: LIVE AT RESCUE ROOMS, NOTTINGHAM – NOV 10, 2012

Concert Reviews No Responses »

Nov 122012

(UK-based NCS scribe Andy Synn was present for the November 10 performance of Gojira, Trepalium, and Klone in Nottingham, UK, and delivers the following review. Video clips from the show that Andy filmed appear at the end of the review.)

Here’s a tip: however heavy you think Gojira are on record, multiply that by a factor of 5 for their live show. My god, even the melody lines have a brooding heaviness that steps up significantly from their recorded output. They are just a stunning, devastating live act.

That being said, all that power would be for nothing if the venue weren’t able to handle it. Nottingham’s own Rescue Rooms has, over the past couple of years, transformed itself into a prime location for metal gigdom – despite the more indiefied aura and clientele of the venue (and accompanying lounge/bar). The stage is big, but intimate; the layout of the venue is (barring one unavoidable supporting pillar) really good for both the taller and shorter members of the crowd (particularly with the balcony above); the PA is powerful and can be incredibly clear in the right hands. Plus there’s a bar at the back, one in the balcony area, and access to the lounge/bar in the other half of the venue. Three possible sources of alcohol is always a good thing. Continue reading »

EARACHE AND OSMOSE ON BANDCAMP

Metal News 17 Responses »

Nov 122012

We’ve been singing the praises of Bandcamp since the early days of that platform. In a relatively short time, it has become a vital source for the streaming and distribution of metal, recently expanding its service to become a vehicle for the distribution of merch as well as digital music in a variety of high-quality formats. One sign of Bandcamp’s success is the increasing use of the site by metal labels to stream and distribute albums in their catalogues.

Thanks to MaxR at Metal Bandcamp — which remains THE best way to keep up with the appearance of new metal releases on Bandcamp — we’ve learned that two more labels have recently established Bandcamp beachheads: Earache Records and Osmose Productions.

EARACHE

As far as we’re concerned, this is really big news. Earache Records was founded in the late 80s and was one of the true pioneers in releasing extreme music. Of course, they’re still going strong today, but their back catalogue is like a museum for the history of hardcore and metal.

So far, Earache has added five albums from their catalogue to Bandcamp: Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates (1995); Five Serpent’s Teeth by Evile (2011); Pressure and Time (Redux) by Rival Sons (2012); Scum (1987) [Full Dynamic Range 2012 Edition] by Napalm Death; and From Enslavement To Obliteration (1988) [Full Dynamic Range 2012 Edition], also by Napalm Death. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: ANGIST

Interviews 6 Responses »

Nov 122012

Angist: Halli (bass), Edda (vocals/guitar), Gyða (guitar), Tumi (drums); photo by Jose Carlos Santos

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sometimes great things happen to you when you least expect or deserve it. Case in point: We have become acquainted over the ether with a Seattle-based writer and NCS reader named Gemma Alexander, who happens to be a fan and student of all things Icelandic. After months of planning, Gemma journeyed to Iceland in late October to see the country, and she timed her visit to coincide with the Iceland Airwaves festival, which includes over 420 bands playing all over Reykjavík for five days, plus 400 more unofficial, off-venue performances.

Though Airwaves may be best known as an indie pop fest, it also includes performances by an impressive array of Icelandic metal bands. Knowing of NCS’ own appreciation for Icelandic metal and the attention we’ve paid to Icelandic bands this year, Gemma offered to arrange interviews with several of them, and today we’re privileged to give you the first of those — Gemma’s interview of three of the four members of Angist, a very talented band we’ve featured previously at this site.

Gemma has also been blogging about her entire Icelandic vacation — which is still in progress. I’ve been reading her travelogue on a daily basis since it began, and it’s immensely entertaining. Not only is the subject matter fascinating, but Gemma is a superb writer. Do yourself a favor and check it out HERE. And now, here’s Gemma’s interview with Angist — with music at the end.

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NCS has talked about Angist before, when we were impressed by their EP, Circle of Suffering. Theirs is an impure take on death metal, featuring precision drumming from Ophidian I’s Tumi Snær Gíslason, and vocals that alternate between brutal growls and a banshee black metal shriek. Gyða Hrund Þorvaldsdóttir, and siblings Edda Tegeder Óskarsdóttir and Haraldur (Halli) Ingi Shoshan met me before the rúntur on the Friday before the Iceland Airwaves festival at Reykjavík’s Irish pub, Celtic Cross, to talk about the band and heavy metal in Iceland. Continue reading »

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