First Impressions
(Going Forth)
Very little of an introdunction with this one folks, I’ll spare you my inane BS, let’s just get down to discovering fresh audio of the extreme variety.
Necroracle MMXIII (EP)
Spain
Release – April/28/2018
Caligari Records
Artwork – 8.5
Classic. A vivid black and white image brimming with diabolical menace
First Track – 7
Dense, suffocating black/death with an emphasis on Black metal with nuanced melody.
Initial Listen – 7.5
Sporting a vibe that oozes with cavernous darkness this is a well crafted collection of tracks boasting a vocal presence that fits perfectly.
Keep an ear out for Necroracle with a debut like this they’re slated to make waves in the scene in the future.
Defiatory – Hades Rising
Sweden
Release – May/11/2018
Black Lion Records
Artwork – 6
A tad generic in my opinion, let’s hope the music is better.
First Track – 9
*Mouth agape.
Now this is thrash. Just try to keep still as this makes its way into your ears.
Initial Listen – 9
Add energetic thrash to the important exports Sweden has to offer (alongside hot blondes and spas). Brimming with a mid era Annihilator vibe and a smattering of other influences, including Havok and Overkill these guys know how to create flowing energetic audio. Warning – This’ll make you twitch uncontrollably like one possessed!
A must purchase, and a definite addition to the best of thrash year end list.
The Chapter – Angels and Demons
Portugal
Release – October/2017
Independent
Artwork – 7.5
Hints at tunage with a Gothic vibe, perhaps a delicate balance of light and darkness.
FirstTrack – 8.5
Fantastic mixture of atmosphere, shifting melody passages and vocal styles. A diverse, fluid concoction which nods to Paradise Lost, Katatonia with sprinklings of darkness ala Rotting Christ. A great start!
Initial Listen – 7.5
Doom with emotion and an often diverse approach that’s refreshing, always exciting which tells of many an influence.
Fluid, emotional and melodic with emotion to spare. A well crafted album highly recommended for fans of Paradise Lost, Moonspell and later Katatonia.
The Nomad – From the Dead…to the Living
Russia
Release – May/22/2018
Independent
Artwork -9.5
Loving the image. A sacrificial lamb to the slaughter, to appease the hordes. I would love to carry it emblazoned across my meager chest.
First Track – 8
A fantastic introduction leads into driving riffage that leaps immediately for the listeners jugular. An unmistakable Deathcore element makes itself known but it isn’t overpowering enough to draw away from the enjoyment (…yet).
Initial Listen – 7
An adrenaline fueled collection of neck snappin’ tracks. Riffs by way of Anthrax and Annihilator and a slew of other influence, at times heavy doses of metalcore all of which are utterly pallettable thanks to the melody contained within.
A great mixture of thrash, melodic death and chilling instrumentals (introductions mostly) coupled with vocals which are decidedly metalcore in tone. I’ll def. give this another listen!
ALKOLOID – Liquid Anatomy
Germany
Release – May/18/2018
Season of Mist
Artwork – 8
Like the fleshy hide of an alien beast, an aberation of nature perhaps, this hints at something totally different, a myriad form?
First Track – 8.5
Progressivery elements collide with technical death passages. This is unpredictable and intricate to say the least. I’m detecting hints of Rush, Cynic, Blotted Science and Necrophagist but it strangely works in a captivating manner.
Initial Listen – 9
Mind-blowingly technical, intricate, precise and unpredictable showcasing the ultra diverse talents of all involved and creative genius especially in composing an epic twenty minute opus on the Celphelapod culture. Captivating throughout, this an album that demands multiple listens and the listeners full attention. Highly recommended for those that yearn for something off ‘the beaten path’.
NimphaioN – Quoth the Raven
Russia
Release – April/13/2018
More Hate Productions
Artwork – 7.5
The image leaves little surprise as to what to expect, Darkness laced with Gothic elements, perhaps more?
First Track – 8.5
Atmospheric and symphonic with an effective introduction. I’m getting a delicious Cradle of Filth vibe (angelic choruses, speeding riffs and varied paced vocals with differing cadence and tone) tainted by early Moonspell (Wolfheart era) Gothic elements. A fantastic start that has me eager for more with my eyes wide and mouth agape.
Initial Listen – 8.5
If one get past the fact that this sounds eerily like Cradle of Filth they will find lots of enjoyment. The solos are here, the melodic passages, applaudable orchestral elements, an unmistakable Edgar Allen Poe influence, as well an erotic nature and excellently placed angelic choruses and the Gothic atmosphere and darkness that comes with. Naturally this is not quite as polished as heard before but that may also be part of its overall charm. The lyrics and vocals are in the same vein as CoF also but let not that put you off as you will find here no disco or dance remixes only solid symphonic blackened Gothic tunage to caress the senses. (Have I mentioned the words Gothic and blackened enough yet?)
An album that may well surprise you with its familiarity, a band to keep tabs on and music you can instantly become enchanted by and appreciate.
Highly recommended!
At The Gates – To Drink From the Night Itself
Sweden
Release – May/18/2018
Century Media Records
Artwork – 8
Vivid, Gothic and slightly diabolical in tone this classic image intrigues me.
First Track – 8
Distinctly (melodic death) At the Gates in tone with a delicious classic haunting yet menacing introduction.
Initial Listen – 7.5
A great album showing additional diverse elements in the At the Gates arsenal. Vicious riffing and a fantastic production keep long-time fans happy and the fanbase expanding. Personally I believe the vocal style gets a little tiresome after a while and some of the riffs just seem to blend together, overall though a great effort showing At the Gates haven’t deviated from the quality that’s expected from them as the originators of the genre and ‘leaders of the pack’.
Malokarpatan – Nordkarpatenland
Slovakia
Release – Octobee/31/2017
Invictus Productions
Artwork -8.5
Intricate, so many details. The more you submerge your eyes the mire you discover.
First Track – 9.5
Holy shit! I was not prepared for this. Traditional black metal this most certainly is not. It has a vibe that screams early Venom with hints of Bathory and so much morr. And yet there’s a folkey vibe too. Color me intrigued!
Initial Listen – 9
Delicously different yet familiar. Wholly unique yet utterly recognizable. Seriously some ‘reviews’ write themselves!
Malokarpatan somehow manage to weave speed metal from its earliest origins, Blitzkrieg, and black metal from around the same time (Bathory, Venom) as well folk atmosphere, Um detecting a little humor from the translation of the track titles, and the occasional progressive elements that bring to mind Hawkwind, albeit briefly. But that’s not all… let us not forget the sound bites, the classic introductions and a slew of instruments one might not expect in a release of this type (there’s even in one instance a fanfare of sorts) which all, surprisingly enough, don’t seem out of place in the slightest.
This is a very hard to catagorize album. Fuck it, let’s not bother. Just enjoy it for what’s it’s worth raw blackened speed with additional ‘touches’ which all make for an album that incites foot tapping and uncontrollable movement. I just can’t spin this enough it is simply refresHong and amazing. Can I adjust last year’s end of year list to include this?
Nocturnal Graves -Titan
Australia
Release – May/18/2018
Season of Mist
Artwork – 8
Medieval imagery. I find the more I look the more I can actually see. Intricate and detailed awesomeness.
First Track – 8.5
A robust production gives this track considerable Oomph. Early Morbid Angel influence atop technical riffage and passages that will leave the mouth agape. An Awesome start!
Initial Listen – 8.5
An awesome collection of tracks with unmistakable influence coming by way of Deeds of Flesh and Morbid Angel.
Infernal and diabolical riffage with technical elementd.
If Kingdoms of Disdain let you down allow your senses to be blanketed by this. Nocturnal Graves’ newest does not dissapoint!
A huge installment for this week folks, and for that I give no apology, for the varied nature of metal doth carry me away to realms most pleasureable and my digits to arenas of a most twitching nature.
Your slave to audio extreme, enchanting and powerful enough to distract one from an everyday existence which at best is tedious in its repetitive nature.
Cult
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