Vantablack Warship - Vantablack Warship

Record Label: Self-release

I remember going circuses as a kid enjoying the animals doing tricks, laughing at the clowns and being enthralled by the gymnastics of the trapeze artists and the tightrope workers. The tightrope walkers especially captured my attention as somebody who absolutely hates looking down from heights. I've always started shaking when I'm on the third floor of a shopping mall if I can see below. The enthrallment is similar for music, when bands straddle the tightrope between genres it's fascinating and attention grabbing. Vantablack Warship straddle the tightrope between hardcore and metal.

You might be asking yourself, which kind of metal do these genre-benders straddle? On "Another Dead Rockstar", it's black metal but there's an undeniable modern hardcore edge. On "Black Tongue Bertha", it's groove metal and I'd guess that a few members of this band own both Pantera T-shirts and albums. The vocals are spat out Phil Anselmo style. "Blood on the Mat" is Pantera wrestling with Converge. Kneel and pray you don't get hurt as a mere spectator. Towards the end of the song when a more standard rock beat is set down, the vocals move in the puking and growling direction of Blaine from The Accused.





Is death metal groove a thing or groove death metal? Because that's the twisted direction that "Kill this Kid" takes. It's slow but there's a metallic edge and a grooving underbelly. There's a little of nineties noise rock twisted in their mixture too. Amphetamine Records fans should be all over this track. There's a clear Slayer influence on the riffing on "Ruderalis" although the vocals lean towards blackened hardcore. "Abrasive Pulmonic Speak" sounds like Helmet jamming with Slayer. The chorus to "Crisis" is oddly reminiscent of "Stay Hungry" period Twisted Sister but the tune is a lot heavier and sludgier than anything Dee Snider's crew did in the eighties.

On surface level, Vantablack Warship come across as a metallic hardcore but scratching below the murky surface, the band are integrating nineties noise rock and black metal. If you wanted to hear any of the bands mentioned in this review take on a more experimental edge then I'd recommend checking this album out. With the eight song on full album clocking in at under thirty minutes, Vantablack Warship, thankfully don't wear out their welcome. In this day and age of over sixty minute albums and even songs, brevity is warmly welcomed.

3.5/5

Release Date: 26 January 2018

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Grimtone - Memento Mori

Label: Extreme Metal Music


Grimtone are a Swedish black metal group founded in 2016 and feature two guys from Swedish metal bands, Stonegriff, Nebulous Aura and Extermination, who you may or may not have heard of. I hadn't heard of any of them myself. Stonegriff is a doom band and one guy wanted to make black metal and Grimtone is the end product of his desire.

"Memento Mori" opens with a quiet and short instrumental piece entitled "Intro". The second track "Souls Reborn into Hate" lets the listener know what they are in for. Grimtone are undoubtedly black metal with the bumblebee guitar tone but what sets this band apart from most black metal that comes my way are the vocals. They are audible and for the most part it's easy to work out what the vocalist is singing as he's up front in the mix. Those who have entered the world of black metal for blast-beats will take pleasure from the opening of "The Blood of The Dead" although they may be thrown when Grimstone slow down.


Ignoring the vocals there's a post-metal feel to this track as the guitar sound is cleaner than a lot of black metal. Those who like the typical shrieked vocals, buzzing guitar tone and blast-beats will enjoy the album's title track. Even when shrieking, the vocals are thankfully clearer than most black metal. Those who come to black metal for speed will find what they're looking for in "Fields of Pale Limbs" even if the tune does slow down a little and near mid-tempo towards the end. For these ears, the effect of contrast of speed works.

The upfront vocals and the dynamics the band use when the tempo changes that separate Grimtone from the black metal hordes. Those who don't normally enjoy black metal may well enjoy this album as more accessible than a lot of the sub-genre.

3.5/5

Release Date: 8 December 2017



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Affliktor

Record Label: Transcending Obscurity


These days it seems that one man black metal bands are a dime a dozen. However the one man band Affliktor is more than a notch above the usual bedroom musician that considers themselves a band as Affliktor not only add a thrash metal element but as the main man behind Affliktor is Toby Knapp, who has been hammering away on guitar since the early nineties and releasing underground metal albums both as a solo artist and as a band.

While Knapp's vocals are of the typically evil black metal goblin variant as you might expect it's the guitar playing that puts this above not only a tonne of one man black metal bands but also many other blackened thrash bands. The thrash metal on "Born to the Breeder" is strong and some mighty fine guitar leads hits the eardrums when the song slows down. "Backwards into Hell" is more black metal oriented although the drumming is more thrash metal oriented than blast-beats and there are wicked guitar leads that push their way out rather than being prominent parts of the song, which helps to strengthen the song. The intro to "Chaos Magick Totaliy"harks back to both 80's Metallica and Megadeth but then heads to much darker area of metal while still incorporating thrash style drumming and guitar solos. "Burn the Earth" convinces the listener that Affliktor really do want to set the world ablaze with the evil vocals, quickly paced drums and blistering guitar work.



It's definitely mainly the technicality of the guitar work that sets Affliktor above other blackened thrash bands out there. That the drumming isn't chock full of blast-beats and favours the more thrash metal approach is also a huge thumbs up. It's worth noting that the PR sheet hits the mark suggesting that is for fans of Slayer, Testament, Inquisition, Desaster, Arrallu, Waxen, Kreator, Sodom and Yngwie Malmsteem.

4/5

Release Date: 20 October 2017


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Dom Zly - Dom Zly

Unquiet Records


Polish band Dom Zly have been together since the Polish autumn of 2016. The band have released a self-titled EP(it's a six song release!). The band's music is described as crust but there is much more at work on this EP than just crust punk.

The first proper song, "Bor" takes in and spits out a black metal influence with a bumblebees from hell guitar tone utilized during the song's faster moments. There's more of a post-metal meets angry crust punk feel when the band slow down mid-song. "Psy" looks towards both Discharge and post-metal.



Somewhere there is a d-beat purist shaking their first at Dom Zly for messing with what was pure. But we'll ignore the unwashed in their heavily studded leather jackets and just accept the fact that "Psy" is a damned good song. There's a sludgy underbelly to "Tramp" , which incorporates post-metal, crust punk and black and even death metal to come up with a glorious noise. The song "Dom Zly" begins as an angry sludgy blast before combining a lighter side with more atmospheric post-metal. The vocalists angry shouts betray the lighter part of the song but eventually he stops for breath and lets the light in for a while, but only to catch his breath to get angry once again. "W Noc" starts off with an ambient style introduction and the departs to a bleaker droning black metal direction where no sun can penetrate.



If you were wondering, Dom Zly roughly translates from Polish to English as “Bad House”. Whether or not they are bad, it's great that this six track release isn't being referred to as an album. Whilst there are only six tracks on this EP, there is definitely a lot to digest in one sitting as the band explore different territories of extreme music.

3.5/5

Release Date: 13 October 2017


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Buried Realm - The Ichor Carcinoma

Record Label: Self-release


Heavy metal has long been full of widdly widdly guitar parts where a musician shows off their proficiency at playing the guitar. Buried Realm is essentially a one man project featuring Josh Dummer, who displays his talents playing nearly all the instruments on "The Ichor Carcinoma". The album features guests like Arch Enemy's, Christopher Amott, Brandon Ellis (from Cannabis Corpse and Black Dahlia Murder and Peter Wichers (from Soilwork) plus many more (the guest appearances do make for interesting reading).

The album lulls the listener in with the melodic "Portal", which is a short instrumental track. The albums title track is a punishing beast in more than one way. The guitar wizardry sounds amazing and it's clear that Dummer didn't get his chops down by merely playing Guitar Hero. The vocals to this song begin as death metal grunts and then turn into Danii Filth style shreiks, which are incongruous with the power/progressive Symphony X style of guitar playing. The guitar sound is great but those vocals are like nails on a chalkboard when they're married to a fantastic guitar sound. "Asphyxiation's Lullaby" is much the same story but features some actual singing which matches the music but those grunts and shrieks are also used. The mix of vocal styles completely messes up a track which had so much potential.




"Through Darkened Halls" starts with an electronic opening and also contains that mixture of shrieks and grunts over the banging guitar playing. There's a classical vibe to the guitar in this track, which is also mixed with occasional blastbeats and great soloing coming in and out. Imagine if a "Lord of the Rings" movie was playing with continual loops of Steve Vai's part in "Crossroads" also playing either on the same screen or very nearby and this is the aural equivalent. The vocals sound like a troll and orc chatting.

"Aperion 1 - The Legacy" actually marries the guitar sounds and both clean and shreiked vocals well as the guitar heroics aren't the forefront of the song. They do appear at the end and this gives the song a laid back vibe rather than in your face. "On Serpent Style" is another instrumental track, which features a guitar style that sounds like Satriani on steroids. This track is great. "Aperion II - Global Dreamer" mixes up the shrieked vocals with a melodic chorus, those Symphony X style guitars and some tight mid-tempo drumming. The drumming on the follw-up track, "Unscrupulous" after a slow intro starts out damned fast then slows down and speeds again and so do the guitars. Instrumentally this track is fantastic but again the vocals bring it down a level and it's not because shrieks and grunts are awful rather because they just sound unnecessary on this track.

The bottom line is "The Ichor Carcinoma" should have either featured mainly clean vocals or been wholly instrumental as the vocals are mostly annoying and detract from the technical musicianship. This album would have had a much higher score if it weren't for the incongruity of the death metal vocals with incredibly well played instruments. The non-instrumental tracks don't have much post-review replay value.


Release Date: 29 September 2017



2/5


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In Twilight's Enbrace - Vanitas

Arachnophobia Records




Here's some ripping blackened death metal from Poland. On their fourth album, In Twilight's Embrace go straight for the throat with the "The Hell of Mediocrity". The vocals of Cyprian Łakomy are raspy and throaty yet clear with buzzsaw guitars and drumming fighting the good fight against mediocrity. "Fan The Flame" has a marching beat that takes the followers to Hades. The song starts at rock tempo and then goes from a marching beat into blast beats and back again. The raspy audible vocals really lift that track from being yet another blackened death song. There's a Celtic Frost influence on "As Future Evaporates" although In Twilight's Embrace add an evil spoken part towards this track. There's a slow build in "Trembling" before the death metal grunts set in and the plodding guitar and drum combo add a funeral dirge effect. This is the sound of corpses rotting before they descend to the underworld. "Flesh Falls, No Ghost Lifts" rips after a beginning that imitates earth tremors of a zombie rising from a graveyard. The spoken parts lend a spooky edge before In Twilight's Embrace attempt to separate your banging head from your not so banging body. The short instrumental track "The Rift" seems misplaced as it finishes quickly. "The Great Leveller" concludes the album with some blackened death featuring evil raspy grunts and blast-beats aplenty.

In Twilight's Embrace mix of black metal and death metal is an evil concoction. The only time it didn't work as well as could have was when they used brevity on "The Rift". The lengthier tracks with their build-ups and slow downs work so much better for the band.


3.5/5





Release Date: 22 September 2017





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Arallu - Six

Record Label: Transcending Obscurity


Most black metal leaves me cold however combine it with death metal or thrash metal in the vein of Goatwhore Behemoth or Blackfast and then you'll get my attention. Hell, combine it with rock 'n' roll like Israeli band Promiscuity did (check out the review of their EP here) and I'll not only listen to it but there's a fair chance I'll love it if it's done right.


Similar to blackened rock and roller's Promiscuity, Arallu also hail from Israel and although they are a new band to us, "Six" is, surprise, surprise, Arallu's sixth album. The band incorporate traditional Middle Eastern instruments like Saz and Darburka into their sound. In fact, the album opens with a song entitled, "Desert Moonlight Spells, which to these unknowing but curious Western ears sounds like a traditional Middle Eastern tune. After the soft tone of the opening the band inform the listener in the song "Only One Truth"and the rotten core of Arallu is black metal with death metal. What really lifts Arallu from the stench of generic metal is the use of their country's traditional instruments. There's such a hypnotic feeling to the sound, it's not difficult to imagine Lucifer hiding as a serpent in a basket lifting his head out in time to the music as these black metal charmers play their music on stage. Lovers of the death doom sound will enjoy "Possessed by the Sleep" which introduces itself with a plod and growling death metal vocals interspersed with background bursts of both the traditional instruments and the traditional black metal bumblebees with blastbeats sound in the foreground. Thankfully the vocals of Butchered don't sound like the stereotypical black metal hobgoblin but hark back to early death metal as Jeff Walker from Carcass and John Tardy from Obituary are the obvious comparisons.








There's a lean towards thrash metal in tracks like "Philosphers" and "Soulless Soldiers" without Arallu completely taking the blackened thrash route. The black metal template is still present in these tunes as are the traditional Middle Eastern instruments and both these elements come across as a natural part of character. In creating a unique sound, Arallu have managed to do what few bands have managed to do and step away from the hordes of generic metal bands.

4/5

Release Date: 22 September 2017


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MRTVI - Negative Atonal Dissonance

My initial thought upon perusing MRTVI's chosen handle was that they would somehow be influenced by Iggy Pop and The Stooges but in their Serbian and UK dwelling places MRTVI have their collective feet within the realm of experimental black metal. The members of MRTVI say this of their "Negative Atonal Dissonance" 3 track release.

"Negative Atonal Dissonance" is not an album. It is a statement, a philosophy, an experiment; a rejection and reaction to the current trends within the mainstream and underground alike. Extreme metal has painted itself into a corner. Production values that serve no other purpose other than to sound recognisable and palatable. Arrangements, rhythms and harmonies that are more concerned with being identifiable and 'viable' than with originality. In an infinite universe, music is endless; a spectrum of emotion, of atmosphere, a vibrational connection running through and joining all frequencies; a spiritual, meditative practice, a dream and a nightmare connecting the creation with the creative force..."

The first track "As Consciousness is Harnessed Pt1" is very much experimental music and will have black metalists pondering whether this is true metal or just as kvlt as it gets. This track is stylistically closer to Einstürzende Neubauten than any black metal band. The second track which shares the same name as the first starts out very much in the black metal camp but then becomes much more chaotic and experimental. The production here could only really be described as raw. At times MRTVI convey a feeling of minimalism, the drums sound like drumsticks banging on a desk and at the other times it sounds like a kettle is being hit. The lengthy tracks combined with the black metal requisite soundscape of bumblebees from hell convey an eternal living nightmare. If sounds like your cup of black metal tea, the second track on MRTVI's bandcamp page linked below.




Release Date: 30 July 2017

3/5


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El Camino - Cursed Congregation

Sometimes it's a real headscratcher when it comes to describing a band and El Camino's press kit describes them as a black/thrash metal band. The only resemblance of thrash here are the vocals, which are reminiscent of Martin Walkyier of Sabbat(UK) who wouldn't sound out of place on many a black metal album. From the outset of "Cursed Congregation"Swedish metal band El Camino combine doom and gothic elements with black metal. Ïnto the Dark"doesn't race into the depths of hell ala thrash metal but plods along with evil intent. "Intent of Man's Heart"speeds up to nearly the walking pace of a live person but these guys do sound like they are living dead due to the dragging pace and the spitting goblin vocals. There's some traditional metal style in the soloing during the album's title track. There are near spoken parts in "Penance Pyre" that add another to the atmosphere deathly doom and once again Sabbat come to mind.

"Cursed Congregation"is close to how My Dying Bride would have sounded on their early albums if they'd added black metal to their doom laden metal tunes rather than death metal. Is this style doomed black metal or blackened doom metal? I'm uncertain but I know I like it much more than straight up black metal.

3.5/5

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Earthbound - Dead Weight EP

Hardcore's conventions have always been fairly narrow. The shouted lyrics over the same power chords with all-in choruses by either burly tough guys, pseudo-tough guys or vegans who expect everyone to follow their way of thinking.

Polish hardcore band Earthbound want to challenge these conventions and "cross the borders between metal and hardcore". The obvious danger taking this approach is that a band with this idea can run with it and wind up sounding like a lot of the hardcore bands did in the late 80's when many of them took a more metal approach or a band that calls themselves hardcore can end up metalcore but sounding like Anselmo period Pantera. Poland's Eathbound have avoided these traps by adding death and black metal to the mixture.

The first song appropriately entitled "Intro" gives no clues other than metallic riffing as to what is about to hit the listener largely due to the track being an instrumental that clocks in at just under 80 seconds. "Nothing is Foverever" is angry hardcore with throaty vocals and all-in gang vocals backed with steady riffing and drumming. Earthbound take an interesting turn in Cursed with vocals taken from the Obituary school of death metal vocalists, speedy drumming and occasionally borrowing the bumble bees from hell black metal guitar riffs. The death metal style vocals are a feature on "Imprisoned" which is paired with buzzsaw guitar. The breakdown mid-song will keep the smile on the dial of modern and more taditional hardcore fan


The crossover direction is always an interesting one. Earthbound have definitely found a good formula of crossing death metal, black metal and hardcore. It's a blend that on paper doesn't really sound like it would work at all but on this "Dead Weight" EP, the marriage between the styles is certainly not dead weight. Whether this can be carried all the way through an album remains to be seen but in the EP format, it gets two thumbs up.

3.5/5


Check out Earthbound's "Dead Weight" EP on bandcamp



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Widower - The Unholy Oath EP

In their press release Texan band Widower are described as a blackened thrash quartet. Taking a look at the legible band logo and the album's cover, thrash metal rather than its corpse-painted counterpart is the major expectation.

Truth is the first few songs beat with a pure black metal heart with only a hint of a crossover into thrash metal territory. The question of style or sub-genre often matters very little if the songs are up to standard and Widower's songs have the punchy drums and the guitar sound from hell accompanied with evil goblin vocals that cause most black metal fans to wipe off more than just their make-up. Elements of thrash kick in on the intro to "Unholy Force" but it quickly gallops away into a darker locality where one has to be aware of getting pricked by the sharp riffing. The blackened thrash description makes sense when "The Council" kicks into session. This is a successful marriage between the two sub-genres of metal. The sharp thrashing riffs recalls the heyday of "The Big Four" although this tune by Widower is closer to the Scandinavian metal that was coming out during that period. "Whore Crusher" thrashes along in "Kill 'Em All" mode without betraying Widower's black metal roots.

This 5 song EP is an unholy noise that will excite most black metal fans although those strictly looking for pure(?) blackened thrash may be slightly disappointed but they'll still find some treasure in "The Unholy Oath". It will be interesting to keep an eye on this Widower.

3.5/5




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N.Tesla - Lux Manifesto

This slab of post-metal comes from a small country that you might have heard of called Russia. As N.Tesla clearly take their moniker from the Serbian American inventor so you either expect the band to be inventive or to be heavily influenced by the American metal band. N.Tesla are much further to the left of than the American band with a similar name and are far more creative.

N.Tesla move from ambient to more avant-garde metal to black metal with barely a whimper and often on a single track. The bands vocalist is definitely a huge talent as the man can do more than just scream as the times where singing is called for he handles the situation with aplomb.

There's a lot of black metal running through the music on "Lux Manifesto" and a little bit of Pink Floyd in the album's title track. Rather than comparing N.Tesla to other post-rock bands Agalloch seem a fairer comparison as the music and creativity both bands have are similar. The blues guitar on the album's closer, "Here Speak Only the Birds" is a nice surprise although it's nearly a little too short and sweet.

N.Tesla have recorded a metal album that clocks in at a little over thirty minutes instead of the usual full hour so that's a huge thumbs up here as we hate time-wasters.

Check out the title track below. Then go and click on the bandcamp link below to hear the full "Lux Manifesto" album.






3.5/5




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Mefisto - The Megalomania Puzzle

 It's tempting to start this review of this Vic Records retrospective release with just two words and they would be, this rules.  Mefisto are a Swedish band who popped up around the time of the Bathory and there are definitely similar influences here.  Mefisto straddle a world between black metal and thrash metal.  Some metal historians out there might even refer to them as proto-blackened thrash.  Serious metal historians should consult their history books today due to the reviewer writing a review that resembles an astrology column.   If these historians take astrology seriously then it should be noted that their lucky colour is black and their lucky number is 666.   

Time to damn the pseudo-science and get to the meat and potatoes of the music.  The vocals of Sandro Cajander are raspy grunts that fall in the cracks between death and black metal.  The dropped tuning and the guitar distortion blasts through the speakers and kicks all who stand in the way.  A classical guitar feel comes through in "Os Liberty".  The drumming isn't exactly face-melting but sometimes it is the simple approach that works best and this is the case with a lot of Mefisto's material.  There's a heavy Kill Em'All/Ride The Lightning influence on "Underground Circus".  A number of the opening riffs seem to have been pulled from "For Whom The Bell Tolls" but the riffs don't distract from the track as a whole especially since they don't last that long.

Some out there might consider this release to be dated but those  who enjoy 80's style thrashing death will have to seek this puppy out.

4.5/5

Unscarred "Fake Democracy"

 Unscarred are a French based thrash metal band who have an Iranian female lead vocalist.   The band appear to be more influenced by European thrash than the American brand of thrash metal.  There's also a mixture of power metal thrown in for good measure.

The band chug out five songs on "Fake Democracy" with the vocals of  Niloofar Melody being the band's strong point.  She doesn't sound like she's after an endorsement from Children's Television Workshop yet sounds like a woman unafraid of brutality.  There are a few moments where she sounds like a female rapper in a metal band but those don't last for long as she bursts into angry battle cries which are clearly backed by the old and new metal Gods.Although Unscarred are thrash metal, the band aren't always putting their feet on the accelerator which helps Niloofar's vocal performance to really shine.

Those who need their quota of blast-beats will find them whipping their necks during "100 Lashes". There are some tasty guitar leads allowed to reign free within "Meet Your Fate".  Tempo-wise, it's clear that Unscarred enjoy a little variation as this song goes from slow groove metal style to all out thrash a number of times.

  Thrash metal fans of old may see the band's tempo changes as a drawback. A huge disadvantage is none of  the tunes  really have hooks that get stuck in the head and have a listener begging for more.    Nevertheless, soundsUnscarred's thrash metal is an interesting take on a genre that some metal-heads complain is stale.  Those that dig power metal and the more symphonic side of metal should also check this band out.

This release was put out by  Contorted Records, which is run by Matt Baggins.  Matt is also the major player in the great metal blog Two Guys Metal Reviews.

3/5

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Visions of the Night - Guerrillas within their Midst

Visions of the Night are a Canadian based military themed metal band who alternate between death and black metal.  It would be easy to consider the brainchild of Peter Wolvesblood as a one-man band but that's not completely true as they play live as a full band and even the camouflage they wear on stage doesn't hide that fact.

The title track is fast death metal that slows down at time with an added heaviness due to slow loud guitar riffs that shine through. "War is Religion" starts with a military beat before dementedly twisting into rapid-fire death metal which opts for blast-beats as enemy attacking cannons.  The black metal comes though strong  in "Lost in the Red Snow", this song moves from blast-beat pummeling to waiting to pounce and back again with a military beat that shows its brutal head from time to time.  Visions of the Night use this dynamic in a number of their songs and it works.  The samples fit the mood of the album and the band's theme.

The fact that Visions of the Night haven't gone for the either/or between death metal and black metal may confuse purists but for the more open-minded, it'll definitely be points in the "band's" favour.  Picking a best song on "Guerrillas in their Midst is tough but "War is Religion", "We Will Conquer" Visions of the Night deserve praise for offering something a little bit different to the run of the mill death and black metal out there.

3.5/5

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Promiscuity - Basic Instinct

 

  You might ask yourself how good can an Israeli black metal band be?  Promiscuity answer this question by ignoring it, sticking up their middle finger and simply playing a dirty blackened rock and roll.  There's the straight no-nonsense loud and heavy Motorhead approach blended with a more throwback-style of black metal in "The Beauty and the Bitch". As far as I can tell the band don't sound dated but then  And yes, the EP title, "The Beauty and the Bitch"  and album cover are all referencing the movie that cast Sharon Stone into fame.  The vocals are the gruff and gravelly which suits this style of music.  The drums are pummeled at rapid speed and the guitar and bass do more than just manage to keep up.  "Pedophile" opens with an intro which sounds like it was taken from a talk show.  The song contains some furious metallic leads that threaten to pull your ears off and sew them back on your backside.  The song absolutely rips.  Promiscuity's cover of Celtic Frost's "Into The Crypts of Ray" not only let the listener know where the band is coming from but the band manage to inject a little of their own rotten style into the tune.  "Maniac's Blues" is a change of pace with its slower tempo and doesn't aim straight for the throat but goes the serial killer route with a planned out attack.  The song even provides a short interlude of  AC-DC bluesy style swagger.

This is a great EP and one of the best examples of blackened rock and roll out there.  Beware the ice pick killer!



4.5/5




Click the bandcamp link below to hear the whole EP.



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Scythe "Subterranean Steel"

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover" is a well-worn saying and it often also applies to albums.  There are covers out there with artwork that looks like the artist has only just graduated beyond drawing stick figures and some of these albums are regarded as classics due to the music.  The cover of Chicago band Scythe lends the trio the appearance of a black metal Manowar due to the over the top poses.  Strictly labeling Scythe as black metal is doing the band a slight disservice as the music contains elements of traditional, thrash and death metal.


The Chicago trio put the dirtier side of metal through a blender in"Leather Aggressor" but a filthy black metal heart pumps strongly.  The tempo is high-paced and with clear audible growled vocals, then the pace completely halts and the muddy sound black metal bands are renowned for disappears for what seems like a few seconds and a clear crunchy guitar assaults the listener only to vanish into a murky pit where an absolute pummeling is a necessity.    A strong backbone is provided in "Monarch" due to a simple drumbeat which lets the guitars take over and cast a hellish atmosphere.  If you've ever wondered what a slow moving bulldozer to the cranium feels like then get a dose of the title track although it will move quickly at some unknown point and the blast-beats will replace heavy machinery as you fall heavier into the muddy bog.  Scythe have  a perfect song title in "The Grunting Dead" and the song can only be described as blackened thrash.  The thrash sneaks up on you sometimes like on "The Bray Beast", which has a few riffs that are reminiscent of Exodus but probably at the pace those guys should be playing these days since they're nearing retirement age.  


It's difficult not to wonder if the title "Beyond the Northwoods" was suggested by someone with a lisp as the song takes in black metal and the guitars and drums edge of the sort of thrash metal that the Bay Area was renowned for in the eighties although a group of angry bumblebees make sure black metal gets the last word.  Oddly "Nights of Terror" reminds me of Wall of Silents but I highly doubt that the trio who recorded this song are aware of that band.  Rock, punk, thrash, death and black metal are all put into a concrete mixer  and the concoction is  similar cross-genres sound with crunching guitar leads.


There are a few times on the album that it is difficult to tell if a song has finished and another one has started.  Without any clean singing or breakdowns and gang choruses Subterranean Steel convincingly combine  the black, thrash and black metal sub-genres and keep it dirty and raw.  Clicking on the reverb nation link below is highly recommended as a taster.

4/5

Scythe on reverbnation

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One God or an Other "Towers of Silence"

Seattle black metal band, A God or an Other describe their music as A God or an Other describe their music as using a vast array of influences and creating a range of sounds from lush ethereal soundscapes to crushing walls of sounds.  

    The band sound reminiscent of Ludicra and Agalloch at times due to the black metal vocals.  The post-metal element is that the band are largely instrumental and favour lengthy songs and titles.  One song is entitled, "Not an Eye Was Left Open to Weep for the Dead"  The songs themselves suffer the same fate as a few of the titles as they all tend to be overlong.  There's something here for those that like long quasi-instrumental songs but anyone with a punk rock attention span should avoid at all costs.

3/5

Don't take our word for it! Check out their bandcamp site.