DECAYING: “DEVASTATE”

 Album Reviews  7 Responses »
Sep 062011
 

I’m always looking for new death metal played in the old-school style, because few kinds of music push so many of my buttons. I don’t even look for some kind of new spin or tweak, because the whole point of authentic old-school death metal is to be faithful to the hallowed late-80’s and early-90’s progenitors of the genre. But when I do find a band that’s faithful, authentic in their sound, and doing something (extremely well) that’s not commonplace, I really pay attention. And when the band comes from Finland, which is demonstrably the most metal nation on earth (in terms of metal bands per capita), then I’m doubly excited. I’ve got one of those bands for you today.

The band is called Decaying, and it’s only a three-man operation, which provides a hint that the music is likely to be stripped-down and primal. Their debut album, Devastate, was released in May of this year, and it appears it’s being re-released in September by Hellthrasher Productions. It’s a compilation of two Decaying demo tapes, New Order (2010) and The Annihilator (2011). It includes “only” six songs, but it’s not an EP: The running time is 52 minutes, and three of the songs each range in length from more than 11 minutes to more than 14.

Now, add to that information the fact that those long songs are mainly down-tempo affairs, with the band wading through the soul-sucking tar-pit of death-doom. If you’re a fan of monsters like Bolt Thrower and Asphyx, you’ll recognize the style. But 11 – 14 minutes? How, you may ask, does an old-school band like Decaying maintain interest for that long? That turns out to be no problem at all. In fact, I can’t get enough of them. And if you like your old-school death with a heavier foot on the accelerator, don’t worry: The other three songs on the album swing the sledgehammer at your skull with more speed and they’re just as solid as the long ones. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

RAVEN WOODS: “ENFEEBLING THE THRONE”

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Sep 062011
 

(NCS guest contributor ElvisShotJFK is back, reviewing the latest release by Turkey’s Raven Woods.)

When doing some shopping online recently, something about Raven Woods’ Enfeebling The Throne caught my attention, leading me to their myspace profile to hear the two songs they had uploaded from the album. I liked what I heard, but I still wasn’t quite sold on getting the album. While looking for something else that I might like that I hadn’t encountered before, I kept coming back to this album, each time being answered with a whispered “you know you want to” in the back of my mind that became harder and harder to ignore. I was still a bit hesitant, but when I finally checked out at CM Distro I heard a triumphant roar in the back of my head. No turning back now. Okay, maybe that’s not quite how it happened, but then again… maybe it did.

The Turkish band was formed in 1998 by bassist Ozan Yildirim and guitarist Cihan Engin; Enfeebling The Throne is only their third release (via Italian label Code 666 earlier this year), preceded by In Silent Agony and their first full-length …And Emotions are Spilled. The band has gone through several lineup changes over the years, with only Yildirim and Engin lasting until now. Joining them are vocalist Kaan Koyuncu, guitarist Emre Üren and drummer Semih Örnek, who takes over from Yildirim, who was unable to find a drummer in Turkey skilled enough for Raven Woods’ music previously. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

PLAYING HAVOK WITH THE CIPHER SYSTEM

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Sep 052011
 

Here are a couple of things I saw at the end of last week that I thought were worth sharing: a drum-cam video of Pete Webber, the talented drummer of Denver’s Havok, doing his thing and a new song from Sweden’s Cipher System, doing their thing. What Havok and Cipher System are both doing in these clips is kicking butt, metaphorically speaking (though my butt actually did feel like it had been kicked after these two songs).

PETE WEBBER / HAVOK

Havok is one of the few current-generation thrash bands who I can get into without reservation. They’ve got hell-on-wheels riffage, nasty throat-scraping vocals, and — yes — a drummer who’s worth isolating with your ears as Havok’s songs barrel through your cranium. Havok will be touring parts of the US and Canada in October and November along with Exhumed, Goatwhore, and Cephalic Carnage. I would knock down doors to see that show — if it were only coming to Seattle, but the farthest west this tour is venturing is Flagstaff, Arizona (Flagstaff? Really?). Sigh. (You can find the schedule here.)

In the drum cam video we’ve got for you right after the jump, Pete Webber plays through a Havok song called “Time Is Up”. It was premiered late last week by Sick Drummer Magazine. This isn’t your usual drum-cam video, with a camera fixed down by the kick pedals and another one looking over the drummer’s shoulder. In this pro-quality footage, there are multiple, shifting camera angles of Webber against a black background. Fun to watch, and “Time Is Up” is a badass song. Continue reading »

NCS LABOR DAY MIXTAPE

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Sep 052011
 

Here in the U.S., today is a holiday for most people. It’s called Labor Day, and it’s intended to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers. It was established as a federal holiday in 1894, but 30 States had already established state Labor Day holidays by then. Traditionally in this country, it marks the end of summer, and it’s a time when people congregate, drink bucketloads of beer, and stuff themselves with grilled food while enjoying the sunshine (or baking in the heat, depending on where you are).

I thought it would be appropriate for NCS to provide some brain-coring musical accompaniment for today’s revels. Hell, even people who live in countries that don’t have a holiday today might enjoy a bit of brain-coring.

So, I put together a multi-national 15-song mixtape that you can download for free. Over the course of this summer, we wrote about each of the bands whose music is included, and on the track list after the jump, I’ve included links to those posts in case you want to learn more about the bands and the music.

I impulsively compiled this mixtape on the spur of the moment this morning, so I didn’t take the time to ask any of the bands for permission. Instead, I used “deductive reasoning”: Each of these bands have themselves made this music available for free; therefore, I reasoned, they probably wouldn’t care if I made it available for free, too. (more after the jump, including the download link . . .) Continue reading »

SUBSTRUCTURE: “MONOLITH”

 Album Reviews  9 Responses »
Sep 052011
 

(TheMadIsraeli raves here about a new EP from a St. Louis band called Substructure that he says is “essential.”)

A few weeks ago, I wrote a very short post about a djeathcore band Aristeia, and how you needed to grab their debut EP pronto. In that post I mentioned another djeathcore band of even greater quality by the name of Substructure. So you’re wondering, what makes them stand out? This space-themed djeathcore thing seems to be getting out of hand.

Substructure actually accomplishes the space feel AND EVEN MORE. Using extremely ethereal melodic landscapes, instrumentation that sounds like it could be out of a Final Fantasy game, and lush dreamy sections that are only counter-balanced by violent torrents of atonal brutality, contrast is the greatest strength this band has. They’re able to switch gears immediately, almost seemingly at random, and make it flow without a moment’s notice or hesitation. This band takes you on a journey. A JOURNEY I TELL YOU!

“Cassiopeia” opens the EP with twinkling chimes, pleasant synths, and a tapping guitar line with electronic beats behind it until the heavy comes in, unfolding a behemoth-sized melodic soundscape to your ears and properly introducing the monsters that are Substructure. In one minute and forty two seconds the band introduce all the elements encompassed in their sound. It’s almost as if this track serves to give you a pre-listening summary of the level of fucked-the-fuck-up you’re about to be put through. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

ACID WITCH

 Album Reviews  18 Responses »
Sep 052011
 

(Trollfiend is back with another guest contribution. Smokin’ a bowl before writing is clearly a winning literary formula.)

Let me preface this jibba-jabba by saying that I am not, normally, a fan of stoner or doom metal.  The reason behind this is simple: I have a tiny, walnut-sized bladder.  Now I know what you’re thinking: “did he really just fucking quote Mr. T?” Yes, yes I did, and I have only disdain for the ignoramus who doesn’t think Mr. T is awesome.

You might also be wondering what having a tiny, walnut-sized bladder has to do with stoner/doom metal.  The answer is simple biology: I don’t have the nephrotic fortitude to sit through an 11-minute long song.  I like my metal like I like my women: fast, punishing, and in a 16-year monogamous relationship (hi, honey!).  The thing is, if you’re playing with potheads in mind, you have to take into account the hallucinogenic time dilation that occurs with a good burn… even 90-second ‘core songs feel like they last hours (or maybe that’s just because I don’t like ‘core).  Conversely, you have the ‘elastic distortion effect’, or what is commonly known as ‘I smoked a bowl 15 minutes before work and suddenly I’m six hours late’ syndrome.  Most stoner and many doom bands take this latter approach, which is fine if you like grim, trudging, sludgy darkness but not so great if you have to whiz every five minutes.

One of the few bands that fits my rigorous “short enough to bridge pee breaks” rule is Detroit, Michigan’s Acid Witch. I can’t remember where I first stumbled across this band, probably thanks to the heavy marijuana use I enjoyed throughout my high school years, which has severely damaged my short term memory.  And my long term memory.  And is responsible for the extra forty pounds I’m now lugging around.  But anyway…back to the review. (after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

MELODEATH WEEK: DESTINITY

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Sep 042011
 

(Here’s the last installment of TheMadIsraeli’s almost week-long series on modern melodic death metal. He’s going out with a bang, featuring a killer band from France called Destinity.)

We’re gonna cut this a day short and call it a wrap with this post, since I now officially have other content to review. So, let’s close this baby up, shall we?

Destinity is the product of bringing together EVERYTHING that has been introduced into the melodeath style up to this point and a band who have evolved with the style. You may be surprised when I tell you that these guys have 7 albums. Yes seven. And you’ve probably never heard of them.

Destinity is also proof that despite its rising prominence, the French metal scene is still unfairly overlooked, because this is some of the best melodeath I’ve ever heard. The band’s most recent album,  XI Reasons To See (2010), is a slab of furious, fast, thrashing and blasting melodeath with dark symphonic elements and even some small electronic moments, with harsh, old-school death metal vocals that call back to the greats like Martin Van Drunen of Hail Of Bullets or Patrick Mamelli of Pestilence. If you want your list of influences for reference, it’s quite obvious this band listened to lots of old Arch Enemy, At The Gates, and Hypocrisy. LOTS, OF HYPOCRISY.

This album is made by the sense of drama it channels within its brutal mission statement. Moments such as the opening instrumental “Just Before…” transitioning into “A Dead Silence” show definite veteran status on the compositional front. This album makes a grand, profound entrance most bands have trouble invoking.  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

MISCELLANY NO. 35: MANEGARM, EXORBITANCE, AND STROM

 MISCELLANY  10 Responses »
Sep 042011
 

Here we go again — another episode of MISCELLANY, in which I expose myself (figuratively speaking) to music from bands I’ve never heard before and dutifully report the results to you, along with the songs themselves. The rules of the game that I’ve set for myself are to listen to only one or two songs from each selected band and let that be the basis for some judgments about the music.

Recently, I’ve been violating the rules with increasing frequency because I’ve had good luck with the MISCELLANY picks and gotten caught up in the music. For this listening session, I decided I’d really try to stick more closely to the rules because I’m so far behind on other NCS projects. (Here’s a hint: It didn’t work.)

The bands I picked from our MISCELLANY list for this session are Manegarm (Sweden), Exorbitance (US), and Strom (Germany).

MANEGARM

In the last few MISCELLANY sessions, I’ve been intentionally including one pagan/folk metal band on the listening list. It’s a genre about which I’m not terribly well-versed, and I’ve had fun subjecting my eardrums to something different from their usual diet. As usual around here, the comments we’ve gotten on these posts have pointed me to some interesting looking outfits. So, I decided to continue the recent run of pagan/folk music by picking a band called Månegarm, who were recommended by multiple commenters. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

MORE 2011 SICKNESS (PART 9)

 Forthcoming Albums  20 Responses »
Sep 032011
 


It’s Labor Day Weekend, August is a thing of the past, and as some people count it, summer is over. School is on the verge of resuming for people still attempting to educate themselves, and a ton of new metal tours are looming on the horizon for the fall. And of course, the fall will be filled with new album releases, too. Which brings us to the latest monthly edition of METAL IN THE FORGE.

You know the drill:  In these posts, we collect news blurbs and press releases we’ve seen over the last month about forthcoming new albums from bands we know and like (including occasional updates about releases we’ve included in previous installments of this series), or from bands that look interesting, even though we don’t know their music yet. In this series, we cut and paste those announcements and compile them in alphabetical order.

Remember — this isn’t a cumulative list. If we found out about a new album before August, we wrote about it in previous installments of this series. So, be sure to check the Category link called “Forthcoming Albums” on the right side of this page to see forecasted releases we reported earlier. This month’s list begins right after the jump. Look for your favorite bands, or get intrigued about some new ones. And feel free to tell us about how we fucked up by omitting releases that you’re stoked about. Continue reading »

CSR COMP

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Sep 032011
 

Clean State Records is a label based in Australia that focuses on independent artists. To help promote new artists and their music and to help fund CSR’s own activities, the label periodically releases compilation albums, and the latest (G Force: Stick It To the Man) became available yesterday. What attracted me to this comp was the presence of a track from Reclusive Forest Council, which is one of the many music projects of Ray Heberer, a talented young musician from Taiwan who’s a friend of this site and who we’ve featured here before.

I suppose like most comps, this one is a mixed bag, at least for my tastes. It includes some melodic metalcore, some latter-day nu-metal, and some deathcore that didn’t do much for me, but the majority of the tracks were interesting and showed an impressive array of budding talent.

At the top of the list of songs worth having is the one from Reclusive Forest Council, “Romanticized Reality”. It’s an instrumental track that’s full-to-bursting with stylistic variety — pneumatic power chords, epic keyboard ambience, guitar solos that move from soulful to shred in the blink of an eye, a jazzy Mellotron-ish outro, and more. It’s almost like a medley of the different kinds of music that Ray has been exploring, and it showcases some of what he’s capable of doing. Good stuff that stands up to repeat listening.

Running down the list of other songs on the comp that I like, the next one is from another band we’ve featured here — Kakuna Vs Metapod. The song is “Slurry Dogs”, which happens to be the one we included in our original post about the band. To crib from what I wrote about it then: “It’s got mean-as-fuck drumming, automatic-weapon-style riffing, electronica, little bursts of catchy melody, about four different vocal styles, blasts of sonic mayhem — and bass drops.” There was a big novelty factor at work when I first heard it, but the song is still tons of fun to hear. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

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