Forgot - Burning Down (PROPAGANDA, 2006)

 

 

This is in fact a re-issue of an album originally released five years ago in tape format from Ancient Nation Productions. I have to say, Wizard (the sole member behind the band) has a knack for catchy riffs that are well enmeshed in black metal melodicism particularly in post-Burzum outfits. There are few Scandinavian influences with regards to music style here, with a lot of the riffage bringing to mind bands across the Atlantic such as Xasthur, Velvet Cacoon etc. The drumming exhibits little to no variation but the monotony here befits the bleak soundscapes of the music quite well. The keyboards which are sparsely dispersed within songs also enhance the atmospheric effect. On the negative side, the technique is sub-par: the album is riddled with disjoint passages and there is an irregular, almost hectic alternation between themes. The weak sound doesn't ease things either; the guitars fluidity flails and whines in the midst of it all becoming almost incoherent in some songs. An improvement in this department would definitely raise the music's quality quite a few notches. There are attention-grabbing ideas here but alas they are in desperate need of clarity and direction. If in lieu of this debut, they had taken the few highlights from this effort and released it as a demo, it would have probably been one of the top demos in its field. However, taken in the scale of a proper album release there is still a number of things to be desired from this strident slab of black metal in terms of organization and prudence.

(originally written for Tartarean Desire - 3/1/2007)

Spearhead - Deathless Steel Command (Invictus Productions, 2006)

Take one part early Sepultura with a tinge of Possessed and two parts of acerbic, war-lusting black metal (Sadistik Exekution, Deströyer 666, Marduk circa _Panzer Division Marduk_), add a pinch of cannon-fodder, stir well and allow this smoldering concoction to settle. What you'll get is the metal warmongery that is Spearhead. Mind you though, although at an explicit level Spearhead have no regard for your hearing health whatsoever, there is standout quality here. Compositions are not tiring and swiftly pass one after the other, due to catchy ideas that hit the spot and the tight percussion that follows both mid-tempo deluges and relentless blasting with ease. Adhering to old-school paradigms, proper solos (and I mean -proper- guitar soloing, not flaunting six-string wankery) and slower doom-esque parts are artfully placed within songs to ensure the smooth flow of the album's dynamics. Production is raw and rough around the edges, and at times the snare sounds like the drummer's banging a cooking pot, but overall it fits the bill quite well.
 
And so, after a long array of self-styled monikers which dub themselves as "war metal", Spearhead pound forth with conviction, rudely taking their place among the genre's higher ranks. To people of a specifically acquired taste, this death-inspired cocktail of tempo changes and clattering riffage that Spearhead manage to churn will definitely find a suitable acceptance. 

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 24/8/2006)

Lucifugum - Involtation (PROPAGANDA, 2006)

Lucifugum have acquired a notorious fame for producing abrasive, raw and autistically monotonous black metal as well as being one of the most productive bands in recent years, averaging almost an album a year. That particular formula of theirs has been retained in this album as well, sans the distinct quality of previous albums that managed to exude a more cohesive outcome. The production here, as always, is quite simply horrendous, and not horrendous in an Ildjarn-cum-atmospheric kind of way but horrendous, in that it significantly hinders the effectiveness of the album's compositions. Songs can sometimes sound structure-less and aberrantly erratic with the musical direction left afloat and helpless in a sea of white noise. The emergent hostile sound arising from this hodgepodge of perniciously harsh guitar riffs and monotonous drumming might be too alien for some but ideal for others. Although being a fan of their early catalogue, I can't put myself in wholeheartedly enjoying this album, which I find to be quite bland and sterile at times. Employing this kind of ultra-minimalistic musicianship can work wonders when applied properly and within the proper thematic context (e.g. Vlad Tepes, Mutiilation, Von etc), this album however falls short for the most part in attaining a certain quiddity that would allow it to escape the mediocrity of its own niche. For fanatics only, the rest need not bother. 

(originally written for Tartarean Desire  -2/1/2007)

Fleshmould - The Lazarus Breed (Shiver Records, 2006)

 

 

This is quite an ambiguous record: on the one hand it attains all the elements that'd otherwise constitute a truly quality death metal album, and on the other there are times where the album becomes dull, uninspired and bland. The band is trying to be original here and the technical capabilities definitely would allow them so, but what is lacking here unfortunately is emotive inspiration. As a matter of fact, the music per se is not monolithic or simplistic, but when taken as a whole the album loses the game in being both complex and yet captivating. The music can be primarily described as technical death metal deriving influences from a multitude of bands of both American and Scandinavian origin. Compositions swerve from rippling mid-tempo chugging and groovy-cum-core passages at times even reminiscent of Meshuggah's contorted rhythms (especially the stop-start riffage towards the end of the second track). All clearly delivered through an almost impeccable production. On the vocal department, the growler behind the mic faithfully delivers low-end, low-volume pig-grunts, quite reminiscent of Demilich's Antti Boman at times and Suffocation's Frank Mullen. Nevertheless, apart from some eyebrow-raising moments, there isn't much here that'd lift the album from the rest of the pile of death metal releases. 

Contact: http://www.fleshmould.com

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 3/9/2006)

Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (Norma Evangelium Diaboli, 2007)

 

Deathspell Omega's latest offering has finally hit the shelves. At first, the almost mandatory eerie intro finds me with a smile of welcome familiarity; but after that, things get serious. It's not that DsO produce the most convoluted of musical pieces -- although the complexity here is of quite a high caliber -- but rather that the deep and erudite nature of their ideology demands our undivided attention in order to be appreciated at its fullest. Since Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice, DsO have gone on an intellectual endeavor that black metal has rarely ever seen before, which might explain that ineluctable religious fervor that enwraps each effort of theirs ever since. Yet DsO's theodicy is a bleak and twisted one; to come closer to such a God is a Fall rather than an ascent. This makes the inherent frustration of the album more lucid, more understandable in a sense; since God, much like Bataille's "L'Impossible", is "what can't be grasped in any way, what we can't reach without dissolving ourselves". Likewise, with the transgressional qualities of their work post-_SMR,C_ in mind, DsO can be seen as a modern musical rendering of the decadent fin-de-siècle literary movement: harsh, rueful musicianship fashioned by a lyrical monologue of a mind trying to transcend its intrinsic boundaries.

Regardless, Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum is one amazing piece of black metal. The intense qualities of erstwhile offerings are once again present; chaotically fast passages of blistering guitar work seemingly only one measure away from breaking into complete disarray before they segue abruptly into those characteristic eldritch arrangements of slow yet nervously calm instrumentation.

Each part is well orchestrated: the mystifying choirs, the slow-paced disharmonic passages and that ever-present feeling of unease at each twist and turn of the album's multi-layered musicianship. Contorted riffs once again, in their dissonant complexity, leave no room for trite repetition. It carries well on the tradition taken since their _SMR,C_ album, yet the alarming, surreal guitar parts at times seemingly borrow more from the song present on their split with Stabat Mater.

DsO do not settle with formulaic self-imposed templates; their sound has progressed in various ways, especially with regards to the multi-faceted aspect of the compositions. With that said however, I believe it is important to note that in view of DsO's approach in producing a collective trilogy of their spiritual quest, it would seem redundant to compare any album of theirs with each other. Each is a well thought piece of a puzzle that has its own unique place, and as comparisons between the latest offering and its predecessor will undoubtedly arise, it would be best to appreciate both as supplements to something greater than its mere sum of its parts.

So, do DsO really deserve the veneration they're enjoying these days? The answer lies in their latest album, and it would certainly be a surprise if it were anything but a loud and clear "Yes!". Like any other album of its caliber, there are multiple levels of appreciation: for some it will be dismissed as nothing more than elaborate musical wankery, and they'll return to their much-esteemed, more familiar records; for others it will justify their adolescent excitement for the ever-so "dark" world of black metal, and a few glasses might even clink in DsO's name; and for a certain few, it could be nothing less than a musical catharsis.

Contact: http://www.noevdia.com/

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 4/8/2007)

Panzerchrist - Battalion Beast (Neurotic Records, 2006)

I was acquainted to these Danes through their third album, _Soul Collector_, which was a prime cut of groove-laden, bulky US American death metal. Unfamiliar with any subsequent releases, I was taken aback with the stylistic shift the band has taken from its prominent American death metal backbone present in the aforementioned effort to bona fide European forms which sublimely mold the sound of their latest album.On _Battalion Beast_, black metal and European death metal have inevitably taken control of the album's musical direction, making it relatively more straightforward while still remaining brutally imposing and aggressive. Of course death metal technicality is still present in driving the high tempo dynamics of the compositions, but this time it is imbued with a more conspicuous black metal aura which pervades the album's pulsating guitar work.
 
There is also the addition of a keyboardist who makes her appearance sporadically throughout the album, adding a further dimension to its cinematic interludes / climaxes. Reno Kiilerich's top-notch drumming delivers the goods throughout the album, but this is only something to be expected from someone who has pounded the skins for acts such as Dimmu Borgir and Hate Eternal.
 
From any perspective, apart from being a respectable offering to their dedicated fans, Battalion Beasts may actually make new ones with their latest bullet-riddled slab of death metal. 

Contact: http://www.panzerchrist.com

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 5/10/2006)

Hellspawn / Hateful / Impureza - Tworzenia, Resurrezione, Démence (Nihilistic Holocaust, 2006)

Three demos, each coming from a different country, is what is on offer on this appetizing slice of European subterranean death metal, presenting three fledgling yet interesting bands released by the ever-underground label Nihilistic Holocaust.The Polish Hellspawn first hit it off with their abrasive slab of brutality with a strong tinge of early Vital Remains. Technical riffage, "messy" production and most importantly, convincingly aggressive. A better, cleaner production could definitely benefit the band, since a number of parts sound buried.
 
At arm's length from their split counterparts in terms of musical influences and with only three songs on display, Hateful from Italy move within a more varied rhythmical context, incorporating groovy parts in their sound. Both promising bands indeed.
 
The French Impureza are the most interesting band of the three. Death metal has not been a stranger to foreign elements, from incorporating oriental scales to the usage of unorthodox instruments such as the Turkish saz and even the Greek bouzouki, but this has not always been met with considerable success. Impureza play a sort of Andalusian death metal with a subtle Nile slant where they introduce interesting Latin rhythms into their song structures -- and what's more, they sing in Spanish(!) although they are of French origin. Self-admittedly, the band are big fans of the flamenco musical form, and even more surprisingly it fits their sound quite well.
 
The underground has always been the cradle of new, innovative music and it's always reinvigorating to watch fresh units, each with their personal sound motif, rising up. 

Contact: http://site.voila.fr/NIHILISTIC/

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 14/7/2006)