SHOW REVIEW: MOTSTRØMS

 Concert Reviews  No Responses »
Oct 182018
 

 

(One of our Norway-based contributors, Karina Noctum, prepared this evocative review of the Motstrøms concert on September 29 at the Myrens Dam in the heart of Norway’s Telemark region. All of the accompanying photos were taken by Andrea Chirulescu.)

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Motstrøms, which translated from Norwegian means “against the current”. Motstrøms was a celebration of a long and many-faceted musical career. It was about Emperor, Ihasahn’s solo project, the projects he has developed together with his wife Heidi Tveit, as well as the musical contributions of significance from other important musicians such as Leprous and Raphael Weinroth-Browne, among others.

Motstrøms is a fitting name indeed, taking into account Ihsahn’s musical character. I was excited when I first heard about it, and felt right from the beginning that it was going to be a special evening. I started getting “the I can’t believe I’m here” feeling just before arriving, the kind of feeling I do not get in Oslo anymore. Besides, Emperor were going to play some songs, and I had to be there. I have been following pretty much every Emperor concert I could attend, and I’m grateful for any new concerts because I know it will stop abruptly some day, and that will be it. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: INDESIDERIUM — “THE CONQUEROR’S RETURN”

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Oct 172018
 

 

“The Conqueror’s Return” is the name of the song by the California black metal duo Indesiderium that we bring you today. The music’s mid-paced momentum and the almost stately cruelty of the riffs is consistent with the august occasion suggested by the song’s title, but you also powerfully sense in the music that there is blood on this conqueror’s hands that won’t wash off, and a smell of death in his nostrils that won’t go away.

“The Conqueror’s Return” comes from Indesiderium’s new album Of Twilight And Evenfall​.​.​., which will be released by Satanath Records on October 30th. On this album, the core duo of vocalist/guitarist/bassist Atrum Lorde and drummer/keyboardist Mattias are joined by guest lead guitarist Hell Messiah from the US death metal band Gravehill. Continue reading »

WITCH RIPPER: “HOMESTEAD”

 Album Reviews  4 Responses »
Oct 172018
 

 

(We present Andy Synn‘s review of the fantastic debut album by Seattle-based Witch Ripper, which was released on September 13th.)

For the most part, the use of comparisons – “so-and-so frequently reminds me of whatsisname” – is one of the most practical and important tools in a reviewer’s repertoire, allowing them to immediately put readers in the right area or mindset when encountering a brand new band/album.

Like any tool, of course, it can be misused in the wrong hands, which often provokes a rather furious backlash from fans/readers who’ve taken umbrage to a writer’s choice of references, to the point where I’ve seen commenters driven into a full-on fit of apoplectic, caps-lock-inducing rage at the mere suggestion that a certain band might possibly, maybe, ever so slightly, sound like another group (or two).

It’s a ridiculous overreaction of course. My saying, for instance, that Seattle-based riff-warriors Witch Ripper frequently remind me of both a more lithe and limber version of High on Fire or a less-scatterbrained variant on Mastodon’s more proggy musings, isn’t meant as a criticism or an accusation of plagiarism… far from it… it’s meant very much as a compliment and as a way of pre-emptively getting potential readers/listeners into the right headspace where they can properly appreciate the album in the right context. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: MASTER — “ENGULFED IN PARANOIA”

 Premieres  4 Responses »
Oct 172018
 

 

After a career that has spanned three-and-a-half decades (and counting) and more than a dozen albums, Master should need no introduction to die-hard fans of death-thrashing metal. What might be worth mentioning to any newcomers among you is that despite such a long and storied lifespan, Master show no signs of slowing down. As their new album Vindictive Miscreant shows in spades, this is a wolfpack on the hunt that sounds as feral and as blood-thirsty as ever. But the years of experience and craftsmanship show as well. You’ll get a solid taste of both the band’s unflagging, vicious energy and their songwriting and performance chops in the song from the new album we’re bringing you today. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: CRYPTOPSY PLAY THROUGH “FEAR HIS DISPLEASURE”

 Premieres  2 Responses »
Oct 172018
 

 

Cryptopsy tell you to “Fear His Displeasure“, but if you want to know what real fear is, take a turn in a Cryptopsy mosh pit. Those of us who’ve seen Cryptopsy live over the last few years have witnessed the spectacle of the band (metaphorically speaking) regularly injecting their audience into a cyclotron, quickly spinning it up to extravagant speeds, and then smashing it apart so that all the occupants go careening into a roiling mass of human wreckage.

It turns out, however, that it’s almost as much fun to watch the band (or in this case, two of the members) without an audience, standing against a black backdrop, displaying the mechanics of what they do to create such bruising, bone-breaking, blood-spraying mayhem in a live setting. What we’re talking about is a new play-through video that we’re happily premiering today, which features Cryptopsy guitarist Chris Donaldson and bassist Olivier Pinard performing their parts of “Fear His Displeasure” off the band’s new record The Book of Suffering – Tome II. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: AGRYPNIE, DEAD SOUL COMMUNION, GREAT FALLS, VOID, DEADLY CARNAGE

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Oct 172018
 

 

I can guarantee you this won’t last, but for the fourth day in a row I’ve had enough time to compile a round-up of new songs, two of which are presented through extremely cool videos.

I can also guarantee you that you won’t see where this collection is going. No two songs sound remotely alike. Sometimes there’s a flow or a connection between the songs I pick for these posts that just feels right as I hear the music, even if I’m not always able to explain it. This time I just fuckin’ liked all the songs and videos, and the only other thing that feels right is imagining how the movement from one to the next will throw you off balance.

AGRYPNIE

Way back in January of this year my comrade Andy Synn identified Agrypnie’s fifth album as one of his “most anticipated” releases for 2018, relishing the prospect of “some seriously intense blastery, brilliantly moody melody, and artfully applied aggression… along with a heaping helping of brooding atmosphere… and a bevy of unpredictable twists and turns designed to expand the band’s already expansive ‘Post’ Black Metal sound”. At last, that album is upon us. Actually, two of them are upon us. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: MYOPIC — “PILLARS OF TIME”

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Oct 162018
 

 

The new self-titled album by the D.C.-based trio Myopic “tells the experience of a man wandering in a deserted earth, and near the end he finds the massive remains of an ancient civilization still standing, a monument of the past”. As the band go on to tell us, the track we’re about to premiere — “Pillars of Time” — captures that moment, which is also the inspiration for the record’s cover art, created by Casey Drogin.

The band’s description of the protagonist’s discovery, coupled with the visual imagery, creates a frightening vision of desolation and hopelessness. Entering the story at this moment, we don’t know what has left the planet a barren and lonely place, or what catastrophe has reduced a once prideful civilization to nothing more than those cold, hulking derelicts. But through the music we can feel the combination of raw, devastating emotions that such a terrible discovery might ignite. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: MALLEPHYR — “W.Y.I.D.”

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Oct 162018
 

 

Womb of Worms is the new second album by the Czech black/death band Mallephyr, whose Russian and Czech labels (Satanath Records and Murderous Production, respectively) recommend for fans of Svart Crown, Behemoth, Dissection, and Outre. The album will be released on October 29th, and the track we’re revealing today is “W.Y.I.D.”

For those new to Mallephyr, the song provides a great introduction to their talents, presenting an electrifying display of well-crafted dynamism and full-bore zealotry, combining the bone-fracturing weight of death metal and the speed and ferocity of black metal in a full-throttle attack (with a well-timed digression) that’s intricate, chaotic, groove-some, and a guaranteed fire-starter for your nervous system. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: WHOREDOM RIFE, DISCIPLES OF THE VOID, THE CRAWLING, NEKROMANT

 Exceptions to the Rule, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  2 Responses »
Oct 162018
 

 

Happy Tuesday to one and all. This makes the third day in a row when I’ve found time to round up new songs, and the third day in a row when I’ve focused on underground bands as opposed to bigger names. It’s not that I have any kind of reflexive distaste for the music of economically successful bands whose names are a known quantity world-wide (which, like the music of bands who toil in relative obscurity, is simply a familiar mix of excellence and mediocrity). It’s more that they really don’t need one more metal blog giving them a boost. And sometimes (but not always), that feeling steers me toward bands such as those discussed below.

WHOREDOM RIFE

This Norwegian duo from Trondheim (multi-instrumentalist V. Einride and vocalist K.R.) have made a big and favorable impression on discerning consumers of metal extremity in a relatively short time, through their self-titled debut EP in 2016 and their first album last year, the fantastic Dommedagskvad, both of which were released by Terratur Possessions. Now they return with a new album, NID – Hymner Av Hat. Continue reading »

ABORTED: “TERRORVISION”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Oct 162018
 

 

(This is TheMadIsraeli’s review of the new album by Aborted, which Century Media released on September 21st.)

Aborted have evolved in quite a fascinating way over the years.  They are, in my mind, one of death metal’s most essential bands, especially in the brand of more chaotic, panicky, fast-as-fuck brutality, and they have developed a pretty diverse discography as they’ve moved from album to album.  The MOST interesting thing about Aborted, though, was how a band whose only original member is the vocalist and almost couldn’t seem to keep a steady song-writer or writers for more than a single album, finally succeeded in cementing not only a definitive sound but also one that’s paid off in dividends ever since Global Flatline.

They did that by locking in a song-writer and guitar virtuoso in the person of Mendel bij de Leij, who was dedicated to preserving a previous sonic direction for Aborted, a first for the band.  Believe it or not, until Global Flatline, Aborted  underwent a change in both guitar players every other album, with one always getting changed out in every album. And that’s not counting the rotating gallery of drummers and bassists the band has had.

Mendel wasn’t in Aborted when Global Flatline came out, but I think it’s pretty cool that he’s helped steer the band toward preserving a sound, rather than writing an entirely different type of album again, especially since what Aborted are doing now is pretty multi-faceted.  I’m sure, though, that vocalist and only remaining founding member Sven de Caluwé has also steered the direction toward this more focused sound as well. Continue reading »

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