I DECLARE WAR

 Album Reviews  3 Responses »
Nov 182011
 

(It’s been a while since we had a post from The Artist Formerly Known As Dan, but he responded to my appeal for submissions for my vacation with this review of the latest album by Seattle’s own I Declare War.)

Isn’t that album art sick? This will be a bit of a short review (light on the words, heavy on the samples) but, first things first: Before the self-titled album came out last month, I was not an I Declare War fan. I’m somewhat particular about my deathcore (which maybe is strange in and of itself), but this band never really did it for me. Check this video out:

It might be the mixing, but I guess it just sounds underproduced and lacking some punch. Anyway, I tried to like them, but I found myself just enjoying other music more, and why force yourself to listen to stuff you don’t like? Fast-forward to October 2011 and I heard about this release. Continue reading »

WATAIN: “LAWLESS DARKNESS”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Nov 172011
 

Record Label: Season Of Mist | Year: 2010 | Genre: Melodic Black Metal

By Willard Shrapnelspear

WA-TAIN! WA-TAIN! WA-TAIN! WA-TAIN!

That was pathetic little me—who hasn’t gotten the golden opportunity to see Watain live yet—imagining how awesome it will be to be chanting this devilishly good band’s name at one of their concerts. I love band names that are made up of two syllables. They are just so easy to remember and convenient to be used by the crowd to get itself stoked during the sound check. Cue festive and hypnotic chants!

Although the highly melodic and influential, but controversial, Dissection finally succumbed to their ill fate in 2006 following Jon Nödtveidt’s demise, all is apparently still well with the much loved Swedish black metal scene. In fact, seeing as how frontman Erik Danielsson played session bass for Dissection a year before it broke up and how 1/3 of the final Dissection lineup (in the much worshipped form of cult figure, Set Teitan) contributes live guitars at Watain sets, it could even be said that Watain is basically pre-Reinkaos Dissection reincarnated (Erik! Don’t ever kill a man and commit suicide afterwards!!).

The gravelly growls that psyche one up for some bloooodshed, the bassy mid-paced grooves, the frantic alternations between stepwise descending/ascending note sequences, and last but not fucking least, that signature high-pitched tuning for the lead guitar on its eargasmic solos, how old-Dissection can a band get? Stellar tracks that showcase such traits are “Malfeitor”, “Reaping Death”, “Wolves Curse”, “Total Funeral” and “Hymn To Qayin”. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

SEVEN YEAR STORM

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Nov 172011
 

(TheMadIsraeli follows his review of First Reign’s EP with some notes about a band-in-the-making from First Reign’s drummer.)

Seven Year Storm is the upcoming project of First Reign drummer Sean Lang. I don’t have much to say except that it’s dazzling progressive groove metal with some mighty badass orchestration. The songs are in raw form, and the guitars are recorded with synths and the like; so for now, this actually sounds more like… brutal video game music? It’s awesome even in its current form. Also, did I mention Dean Lamb from fucking Archspire will be involved?

Songs and videos are after the jump. Continue reading »

FIRST REIGN: “AS THE DEAD LEAVE THE DEAD”

 Album Reviews  No Responses »
Nov 172011
 

(TheMadIsraeli reviews an EP by a band from the frozen north of Canada who surprised him with their music.)

I did a review a while back for the new release by a Christian progressive tech death band by the name of Deus Invictus (here).  Shortly thereafter, another Christian band contacted Islander, apparently having enjoyed my review of Deus Invictus.  That band was First Reign, a Christian progressive melodeath band that unexpectedly impressed me.

I say “unexpectedly” because I really thought this was going to be generic Christian metalcore or something similarly un-distinctive, an experience I’m pretty familiar with.  When I wrote for my previous gig at now-defunct The Metal Register, it was an all too common experience for Christian bands to hit me up requesting a review after I had expressed the fact that I was a Christian and wished out loud that there were more good Christian metal to go around.  Unfortunately, the music I received always sucked.  ALWAYS SUCKED.

So, when First Reign surfaced, I’ll admit I was making a judgment call before I even gave them a listen.  But I did listen to the band’s debut EP As The Dead Lead The Dead, released in 2007.  It’s all they have out right now until they finish their debut album (which they are currently recording) — which I will definitely be reviewing as well.

First Reign are a band for which you can’t really make valid comparisons without running the risk of giving people the totally wrong impression.  This is indeed melodeath, channeling vibes of The Gallery-era Dark Tranquility, but beyond that lies a Protest The Hero sense of composition, full of jarring tempo changes and odd “hiccups” in the time signatures, as well as an absolutely profound and undeniable Into Eternity influence also contained within both the constantly transitioning song structures and also the vocal department. Continue reading »

THE SYNN REPORT, PART 19: WAR OF AGES

 THE SYNN REPORT  No Responses »
Nov 162011
 

(Andy Synn returns with another SYNN REPORT, comprehensively reviewing the discography of Pennsylvania’s War of Ages.)

Recommended For Fans Of: Unearth, Nightrage, Protest The Hero

Metalcore really has become a dirty word in these uncertain times. Although we’ve seen a whole host of new pseudo-sub-genres appear out of the woodwork to take the (often well deserved) hatred of the metal people, there are those who continue to use the word “metalcore” as an insult. So what exactly is it that War Of Ages, undeniably a metalcore band in style if not always in substance, have to offer that makes it worth giving them a shot?

Well, primarily the sheer love of excessive fret-board twisting guitar work is the primary argument for their continued relevance and for my own continued enjoyment of their well-refined formula. Indeed, the group seem keen on raising the art of the impromptu and improbably epic solo to new heights of excess and emotion.

However, the self-belief and honest expression of this band also shines out like a beacon of integrity in a sea of populist, lowest-common-denominator swill, striking a chord with their direct and passionate approach. It does help, though, that the group can also all play their instruments to an impressive level, particularly the band’s two guitarists, who peel off an array of stunning riffs and shining solos with recognisable passion and fury. In addition, for all their metalcore fire and fury, the group remain pleasingly trend-free, continuing to play a stripped-down and aggressive form of the style in which the focus is clearly on the guitarists and their fleet-fingered playing, rather than attention-grabbing gimmicks or pseudo-brutality. Continue reading »

THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT – ADDICTED! LIVE AT ULU – 11/11/11

 Concert Reviews  2 Responses »
Nov 162011
 

(Andy Synn was on hand when Devin Townsend played ULU in London on November 11, and he provides this report of the show. This was one of four DT shows in London last week, each one devoted to the performance of a single Devin Townsend Project album from start to finish.)

Surprisingly, the venue for tonight’s epic extravaganza (epstravaganza?) was smaller than I would have anticipated, however still a decent size, with a large stage, high ceiling and spacious standing room for the sold-out capacity crowd. With more than a few Ziltoid puppets (mine remained behind to guard my car against interlopers) already waving in the air, it fell to Manchester prog-rock quartet Amplifier to warm up the already very receptive crowd with their brand of Brit-rock Tool-esque musical expressionism. Indeed, the band clearly had a reasonable fan-base of their own in attendance, judging by the impressively loud and clear response they received from those gathered in the front rows.

However, tonight was really about one man, or one band, depending on where one draws the already blurred lines between the two entities. As the crowd finally swelled to its full, massive throng, we were treated to an array of comical images and video stills superimposing Devin’s distorted face onto a series of film posters and movie montages, which kept everyone entertained during the inevitable lull in musical activity as the stage was torn down and set back up again for the night’s headline act. As things began to take shape we were “treated” (inverted commas to imply sarcasm there folks) to the joys of Ziltoid Radio, playing all the most terrifying and chipmunk-esque pop trash that could be mustered to prime the already expectant crowd. Continue reading »

HIT AND RUN

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Nov 152011
 

My blogging time still being restricted, I’m just gonna hit you quickly with the following three items and then run away back to cloudland. What I have are new songs from Coldworker (Sweden), Mordbrand (Sweden again), and Zillah (Scotland).

COLDWORKER

I’ve been a fan of Coldworker since their early days. Both albums they’ve released to date — The Contaminated Void (2006) and Rotting Paradise (2008) — are worth your time if you like extreme trauma in your music. Featuring former members of Nasum, Relentless, Ruin, and Phobos, they play a violent amalgamation of grind and death metal.

In August, they signed with Listenable Records, which will be releasing their third album, The Doomsayer’s Call, on February 13, 2012. The cover art, which you can see above, is by the masterful Pär Olofsson (not his usual style, but still quite cool). Yesterday, they released the first song from the album. It’s called “Violent Society”. It will tear you a new one but leave you smiling as you bleed out. Give it a listen after the jump. Continue reading »

POWERWOLF: “BLOOD OF THE SAINTS”

 Album Reviews  7 Responses »
Nov 152011
 

Record Label: Metal Blade | Year: 2011 | Genre: Power Metal

By Willard Shrapnelspear

Germany. Romania.

Werewolves. Religious satire.

Electric guitars. Pipe organ.

Power Metal. Corpse Paint.

There you go. This 29-word review is all you need to know about this must-buy record.

Just kidding. Jokes aside, that was real helpful in highlighting the contrasting aspects of this disc, eh? The epic, non-LOTR-worshipping (Wow!) quartet behind this masterpiece have been very consistent in putting out quality, unconventional power metal every 2 years, and this fourth record sees them not mellowing down one bit in the uplifting prowess of the power metal sound while maintaining their idiosyncratic image and lyrical theme. I pretty much think they are geniuses, seriously. If you want to sing power metal without sounding clichéd, you gotta avoid fantasizing about damn dragons, elves, dwarves and everything else that appears in Dragon Age or Legend of Zelda. So what do you do? You sing about WEREWOLVES of course! Continue reading »

UNDERGROUND METAL FOR THE TRVE CURMUDGEON

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  8 Responses »
Nov 152011
 

(Our brutish friend SurgicalBrute, a source of many musical recommendations that unfailingly please the reptile part of my brain, contributes this guest post featuring Hot Graves (U.S.), Sacriphyx (Australia), Purtenance (Finland), and Venenum (Germany).)

We’ve arrived, once again, at that time of year where Islander slacks off and expects us to entertain ourselves. So, I’ve offered to try my hand at this article thing again. Besides…how many chances am I going to get to act like an elitist snob and get thanked for it?

My goal with this article is to turn people onto some young bands that are up and coming and some forgotten gems that deserve notice. These aren’t the most obscure bands in the underground, but it may take some effort to track down their music. I’ll try and provide links to various distros or labels whenever possible.

Anyway, if you like what I’m doing, leave me some feedback. If enough people enjoy this, maybe Islander will let me make it a semi-regular thing …enjoy the music \m/ \m/

HOT GRAVES

Coming out of Gainsville, Florida, Hot Graves is a side project of Myk Colby from the melodic death metal band By the Horns. Their most recent release (August 2011) is Knights In White Phosphorus. Playing music that would best be described as crusty blackened thrash, they would fit perfectly well into any metal collection from the 80’s. For fans of Possessed, Hell Hammer, and Sodom. (Hot Graves music after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

TODAY’S WTF? MOMENT: LINGERIE ADS + DEATH METAL

 Uncategorized  9 Responses »
Nov 152011
 

Are you like me? When you watch lingerie ads, do you wish there were a death metal sound track? I thought so. I mean, doesn’t everyone wish for that? Well, Agent Provocateur has made your fondest dreams come true.

Agent Provocateur is a UK-based maker of high-end lingerie. And by high-end, I don’t mean the kind of butts that defy gravity. I mean the kind of lingerie made for people with more money than sense. Agent Provocateur’s latest line of undergarments, with an S&M flair, is called Soiree. To promote these look-good, feel-good undergarments, the company made a promotional video that’s kind of a horror-movie take-off, that is, if you find supermodels feasting on each other scary.

The video was directed by a guy named Justin Anderson, working with Agent Provocateur’s Creative Director, Sarah Shotton. According to Justin, “Putting Agent Provocateur and horror together seemed the natural direction for the collection, but we needed a music track that would add a layer of humour.  Sarah came up with the idea of using a Death Metal track which would be perfect for the brief, and I promised her I would make a film that would be like listening to Slayer whilst reading Italian Vogue.”

Wow. It’s like Justin has been stalking and surveilling me. How did he know that I like nothing better than listening to Slayer while reading Italian Vogue? I mean, it’s like having bacon with your cheeseburger. In this case, Justin went with a Parisian-based band called Omaha Bitch. Watch the ad after the jump (for those watching this in a public place, there’s bare boobage in the vid . . .). Continue reading »

 Older Entries  Newer Entries