Eternium - Repelling A Solar Giant album review

Eternium - Repelling A Solar Giant
Blast Head Records - 2013

It seems much less common nowadays to see a piece of striking artwork from an unknown band and just need to know more about them immediately.  This was not the case here, as Repelling a Solar Giant has one of the most visually eye-grabbing covers I have seen in quite some time (created by Sarafin Concepts).  I caught a glimpse of the cover back in May, then jumped over to their Facebook page and heard "Aura Infernum: The Flight Over Massless Soul".  Needless to say, I was completely sold and this became one of my most hotly anticipated albums of the fall.  Upon hearing it as a whole, I can thankfully say that it was worth the wait.

Just to give some background, Eternium is a symphonic black/death band hailing from St. Louis though you'd never guess this is a US-based band by listening to them.  This is completely clear of any core/modern elements and comes across as a mix between Dissection, Sacramentum, Emperor, and early Dark Tranquillity.  It is the brainchild of Markov Soroka, who wrote this album at the age of 17!  He is a name to keep track of within the metal community, because once you have heard this album, you can practically see the potential oozing out of the speakers each time you play it.

Repelling a Solar Giant is an ambitious, flowing concept album filled with betrayal, anger, love, and sorrow.  With only 6 tracks clocking in around 45 minutes, each of the 5-10 minute songs are densely packed and run through a gauntlet of full throttle black metal, atmospheric melodies, and driving melodic death riffs. Lyrically, I really enjoyed the way Soroka used characters to create the story and it comes across as rather interesting and unique compared to most metal lyrics.  He also backs it up with a range vocals from powerful roars, high pitched shrieks, and agonized screams to whispers and even maniacal cackles (though the placement of a few of the cackles can feel a bit goofy).

As with the nature of a concept album, there really isn't a standout song per say but I'm compelled to listen to the whole thing again and again with some cool moments that sprinkle their way through the disc.  From the cold, haunting feeling I get from the opening to finale "Aura Noir: Repelling a Solar Giant" to the dizzying blasts of "Aura Amethyst: Her Gaze Cast Obsidian Death" to the sorrow-filled riffs of "Aura Sentium: Concord of Ember and Zephyr", the songwriting has kept my interest piqued throughout repeated listens this week.

Eternium has delivered a debut of mammoth proportions with Repelling A Solar Giant.  If you enjoy any extreme metal, this should be at the top of your next to-buy list.  An album that should rightfully adorn many a top 10 list for this year and solidify Eternium as one metal's hottest bands to watch.  Highest recommendations!


Blasthead Records Bandcamp - You can stream the album and purchase it here!

Listen to Aura Noir - Repelling A Solar Giant

Tyr - Valkyrja album review

Tyr - Valkyrja
Metal Blade - 2013

Folk/power metallers Tyr have released their seventh album, Valkyrja, to their broadest audience yet.  Their first release for Metal Blade Records, it seems the band has finally the audience they deserve at precisely the right moment.  Valkyrja is easily their best work to date.

Valkyrja sees the band going further in the direction of the previous few albums, with an uplifting mix of folk influences and guitar-driven power metal with Heri Joensen's charismatic vocals.  If anything, the band has continued to hone their craft, making the riffs more memorable and the choruses even more sing-along friendly.  Valkyrja is also a concept album that tells the tale of a Viking warrior who leaves his home in order to impress the Valkyrie on the battlefield so he may be brought to Valhalla.

Honestly, it's hard to think of an album that is as catchy as this in 2013.  The first three tracks ("Blood of Heroes", "Mare of My Night", and "Hel Hath No Fury") set the tone for the catchy choruses and uptempo riffs that are almost as catchy as the lyrics.  "The Lay of Our Love" slows things down and features a duet with Leaves Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine with thankfully avoids the cheesiness that could have been and works surprisingly well.  "Grindavisan" has an almost religious/church-like quality to the chorus that stands out as one of the more unique moments of the album.  Of course, the two covers of Iron Maiden's "Where Eagles Dare" and Pantera's "Cemetery Gates" deserve a mention in their ability to stay true to the source material while giving enough of a Tyr vibe that they don't feel out of place.  Probably my favorite of the bunch is "Lady of the Slain", with it's crunchy opening guitar melody and epic chorus.  I feel it should become a live staple for the band.

There's really not much to find fault with here.  Tyr continues to improve with age and if you for some reason have yet to check them out, this is the perfect opportunity!  Any fan of folk metal or power metal won't find much better this year.

Ulcerate - Vermis album review

Ulcerate - Vermis
Relapse Records - 2013

Ulcerate is a band that requires tremendous amounts of patience to truly grasp.  Over the course of their career, they have become an incredibly complex band, though not in the usual uber-technical way most metal bands tend to go.  Instead of piling in surgically precise fretboard destruction, they have opted for a more "atmospheric" route that is ominous and foreboding.  Their mix of Immolation, Gorguts, Neurosis, and Deathspell Omega oozes of a darkness and uncomfortable feeling that most bands could only dream of achieving.  The music for Vermis is perfectly realized by the artwork, in it's stark and bleak and overall grimy feeling.  This is an album that wants you to writhe in the dirt a bit.

Vermis is a challenge upfront due to it's lack of conventional hooks.  There are truly no "catchy" riffs or groove to hold onto, relying mostly on dissonance and atmosphere.  The one advantage of this album over it's predecessor is that there are a few more dynamic shifts.  The Destroyers of All spent a good deal of time in slower, murkier waters and restraint whereas Vermis does see the band inputting more death metal back into the mix, especially with some of the faster tracks like "Clutching Revulsion" and "Confronting Entropy".  It's the tracks like "Weight of Emptiness" and the sprawling "Cessation" that the dynamics within the song start to bloom, offering frenetic bursts of intensity alongside almost post-death ambiance.

Once you breach the learning curve though, the rewards begin to appear.  The subtle moments of grimy beauty begin to rear their heads.  That one monster guitar riff you didn't notice the first few times through, or how the intensity begins to culminate only to switch over effortlessly to a slower, atmospheric drive only to ramp itself back up again ("Await Recission").

Vermis takes the listener through a realm of foreboding darkness that is ultimately their strongest work to date.  While there will be just as many people that just will not "get it", those of us who seek the nuances below the surface of this album will reap the benefits for a long time to come.  A tough album to sell but one that will captivate you with it's textures.

Ashes of Ares - Ashes of Ares album review

Ashes of Ares - Ashes of Ares
Nuclear Blast - 2013

The latest band to claim "supergroup" status is that of Ashes of Ares.  Consisting of 2 ex-members of Iced Earth (Matt Barlow, Freddie Vidales) and Nevermore's Van Williams, it's easy to get excited by the prospects of the talent involved.  Consider that Matt Barlow, despite his long presence in the scene, has always been more of a side-player and this is the first time he's really been given full creative control and that just hypes things even further.

Obviously, there will be comparisons to Iced Earth made with this release.  Barlow was always a defining characteristic of the band, even when he wasn't in the band, so it can occasionally be hard to separate this notion.  However, it's also inevitable to say that older fans of Iced Earth will find plenty to enjoy about this release.  It must be said that Ashes of Ares is without question, one of Barlow's finest vocal performances to date.  He has one of the most identifiable voices in metal and he delivers the goods and then some on this release.  His highs, gruff bellows, mournful harmonies, and everything in between is finely represented in top form.

Unfortunately, the music behind Barlow occasionally suffers from repetition and playing it safe.  On the one hand, the heavier tracks like "Punishment", "Chalice of Man", "Move the Chains", and album highlight "What I Am" contain memorable riffing and thunderous drumming that gives an intense backbone to Barlow's varied vocal delivery.  Album ballad "The Answer" sees Barlow at his most genuine (and much less sappy than some of IE's ballads) and provides another highlight.  The remaining tracks linger around the mid-tempo speed for far too long and suffer from a lack of memorable riffs.  Opener "The Messenger" just doesn't capture the ear as well as "Move the Chains" and closer "The One-Eyed King" just can't compete with the crushing tempo and fantastic chorus of "What I Am" before it.

While I am a bit critical of this release, know that I have enjoyed listening to it quite a bit.  I just feel that an entire album at the strength of the songs that I mentioned would have really knocked it out of the park.  Though hearing Matt Barlow's pipes is always a welcome treat, I am more eager to hear how the band will step things up with the next release.

Thunder and Lightning - In Charge of the Scythe album review

Thunder and Lightning - In Charge of the Scythe
Hammersound Records - 2013

I freely admit to not listening to much power metal.  There are a few bands here and there I enjoy but ultimately it's bogged down by two factors for me: the ultra-high vocal registers of many of the frontmen (and women) and the lack of aggressive riffs.  Enter Thunder and Lightning, whom I found on Twitter of all places!  I was drawn in by the cover art, as there aren't a number of comic book-ish covers that I've seen lately so I went to their bandcamp page and gave it a shot.

Low and behold, In Charge of the Scythe suffers from neither of the subgenre's two pitfalls I described earlier.  First, the vocals of Norman Dittmar never reach those high falsettos that grate my nerves, instead providing some bellowing power and charisma.  He can belt out a great heavy chorus like in the title track or "Soldier's Tired Eyes" yet keeps the ballad-y beginning of "Two Sons in My Sky" from from reaching cheesiness and providing some genuine emotion.  The guitar section of Dammrich and Wustenhagen provide some punishing crunch to a barrage of power and classic metal riffs.  Some songs like "The Unborn Truth" and "Booster Shot" have some real neck-breaking riffs in them and will certainly appeal to some of the fans of thrashier power metal such as Rage.  I also like that the drums are more thunderous (pun intended) than on many similar bands and makes the overall assault more intense.

All in all, this is a great songwriting package.  There isn't a chorus here that fails to hit it's mark, a lead or solo that fails to grab your attention, or riff that fails to get the neck muscles moving.  This is unfortunate, because this is the 4th album they have released and it seems they should really have a larger fan base at this point.  As far as I'm concerned, you won't find a better power metal album this year!  If it's strong enough to convince a non-power metal regular, that has to say something about the overall quality of the material right?  Strongly recommended!

Thunder and Lightning Bandcamp page

The Unborn Truth

Fit For An Autopsy - Hellbound album review

Fit For An Autopsy - Hellbound
eOne Music - 2013

Honestly, there isn't much deathcore out there at this point that I tend to enjoy.  Most really entirely too much on breakdowns or try to blend in djent elements to keep current and sound dime-a-dozen.  This is not the case with Fit For An Autopsy.  Their debut, 2011's The Process of Human Extinction was pure violence in audio format.  They tended to stick much more towards the death end of the spectrum rather than the core, and the only thing that seemed to hold that album back was a less than stellar production.  I also caught the band live back in 2012 on the Slaughter Survivors tour and their live presence was equally punishing.

This brings us to their newest offering, Hellbound.  If you enjoyed The Process of Human Extinction, you will love this.  Armed with a much more suitable production and much tighter and cohesive songwriting, Hellbound stands leaps and bounds above it's predecessor.  The songs, while they aren't covering any new ground within the genre, provide a visceral feast that never becomes too tech-laden or rely too heavily on providing breakdown after breakdown.  FFAA aren't afraid to pick up the pace on a regular basis (see "Dead In the Dirt" and "The Travelers") before slowing things down to a crawl and really giving a breakdown the breathing room it needs to be effective.  The ending of "Children of the Corn Syrup" has to have the most punishing breakdowns I've heard in recent memory and is truly as viscous as corn syrup itself.  Like their previous effort, the riffs tend to sit more at the death metal end of the spectrum, but there seems to be more character to them now, even occasionally dabbling into some dissonant and *gasp* melodic riffing.  Don't worry, it's still very angry and abrasive, but the variety keeps it from becoming one-note and monotonous.

It's hard not to make note of Nate Johnson's guttural vocal approach as well.  He has to have one of the most intense vocals within the genre at this point.  Incredibly in-your-face and abrasive, there are a number of guest performances from members of The Acacia Strain and Thy Art is Murder (among others) but nothing seems to take the spotlight away from him. The lyrics can be anthemic (see "Still We Destroy"), yet occasionally they tackle more socio/political issues with more impact than you may expect (see "Thank You Budd Dwyer", "Children of the Corn Syrup").

While there really isn't much new brought to the table here, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better sounding album in the genre this year than Hellbound.  FFAA has dotted all their I's and crossed all their T's with incredible conviction to the point that even non-genre listeners will stand up and hopefully take notice.

Katatonia - Dethroned & Uncrowned album review

Katatonia - Dethroned & Uncrowned
Kscope - 2013

Last year's Dead End Kings was not only one of my favorite releases of 2012, but one of my favorite releases from Katatonia period.  While some accused the band of being stuck in a rut, I viewed it as the coming together of everything the band had been trying to reach with their sound over the past few albums.  It was a real culmination from Last Fair Deal to the present.

As someone who has 'collected' all of Katatonia's EPs and singles over the years, I can't say that I have ever truly enjoyed these remixes so I was a bit hesitant when the band announced their concept to essentially strip all of the tracks from Dead End Kings and release them in a new form. My fears were calmed when they released the stripped down version of "The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here." and it seemed that the integrity of the original song was truly kept intact.

I can't help but be impressed at how well this turned out after repeated listening to the entire album.  Not quite an acoustic album due to it's use of brooding atmospheres and synths to replace the distortion, you will find this significantly more mellow than the album from which it came.  The way that they shifted the riffs or put some sort of a variation of them and brought them to a different instrument is occasionally breathtaking.  Undoubtedly the strongest 're-imagining' to me is that of "Leech".  While I thoroughly enjoyed all of the songs on Dead End Kings, "Leech" was never my favorite but that has changed here.  The addition of piano and strings as well as pulling Jonas' vocals to the forefront creates one of the most poignant and emotionally charged choruses from the band to date.  Keeping in mind that the vocal lines were kept the same (though occasionally some additional effects were added in), this is quite a feat.  It truly speaks volumes to how much Jonas' vocals have improved since the Discouraged Ones days and the entire album finally pulls them out of the background.  Some of the other songs that seem to benefit the most are "The Racing Heart" and "First Prayer" (though it does feel more like acoustic versions).  Truth be told, the only song that doesn't really seem to mesh is "Buildings".  Every time I hear it, I just keep yearning to hear the rather identifiable distorted guitar riff before the chorus but it never comes.  I do like the dark ambient vibe in it's place but it just can't replace the original that has burnt it's way into my brain.

All in all, this is a very creative offering from Katatonia that any fan of Dead End Kings should immediately check out.  It's a great experiment and they really nailed what they were going for here.  If they can figure out the best way to blend what they have accomplished here with returning a bit of the distortion back with the next album, it could be simply incredible.

Necrogoblikon - Power EP review

Necrogoblikon - Power
Independent release - 2013

I was first introduced to Necrogoblikon with their 2011 album, Stench.  Like fellow folk-metallers Trollfest, Finntroll, and others, Necrogoblikon tread the fine line between crushing metal and absurdity quite well.  Their musical chops are there to back up the goofy humor and quirky infusion of some traditionally nonmetal instruments.  The guitar crunch on tracks like "Bells & Whistles" and "Nothing but Crickets", the bass lead on "Powercore", or the frantic soloing of "Friends (in Space)" will surely knock the notion that Necrogoblikon is a gimmick band right out of your mind.

The two big changes from Stench are the increased presence of clean vocals and the goofy factor seems to be turned up to 11.  I think the clean vocals actually work quite well, particularly on "Nothing but Crickets" and "Powercore".  They do seem to add some uniqueness and add to the overall upbeat nature of the songs.  The lyrics are undeniably goofy but it does add to their charm.  Really the only thing I can find to fault the album concerns the lyrics of the opener "Friends (in Space)" where they frequently namedrop themselves in the chorus but it's not a deal breaker by far.

If you are looking for some catchy, upbeat metal that is as fun as it is heavy, pick up Power immediately.  Unfortunately it only lasts about 19 minutes so hopefully that means a new full length isn't too far down the road!

Purchase Power at Bandcamp

Shadecrown - Shadecrown demo review

Shadecrown - Shadecrown
Independent release - 2013

Shadecrown is a melodic death/doom metal band from Finland.  I recently discovered them on bandcamp, where this demo is available for free (though it's always nice to throw the band a few bucks if you can).  If the opening sentence wasn't clear enough, Shadecrown does sound quite a bit like their other Finnish peers (Insomnium, Rapture, etc) but it's done quite well, especially for what appears to be their first demo.  If there is one thing that could separate them, their songs do have a bit more of a 'kick' to them and when they go all out (see the end of "Ghostlike Existence" for a prime example) it's a bit more aggressive and upfront. I enjoyed how "Silent Hours" opens with a nice acoustic guitar before gracefully moving into that signature melancholic crunch predominantly found in the style.  Of the three songs here, "The Sun Shines Cold" strikes me the most with it's rich atmosphere and gloomy riffing at the start and a short keyboard break towards the end of the song.  This is certainly a band I look forward to hearing more from in the future.  Go check it out!

Shadecrown at Bandcamp

Shadecrown facebook

Ghostlike Existence

Albums You Should be Listening to: I Legion - Beyond Darkness

I Legion - Beyond Darkness
Independent release - 2012

I Legion is the mastermind of Canadian Frederic Riverin, who got some help from Chris Clancy (Mutiny Within) to produce this foray into melodic death alongside Bjorn Strid (Soilwork) and Jon Howard (Threat Signal).  Additionally, some songs feature some additional guitar work from Andy James, Peter Wichers, Angel Vivaldi, and Brandon Jacobs.  If that doesn't give you a slight caliber of the music presented on this album, I'm not sure what will.  This is melodic death metal of the highest quality.

The 13 tracks provided, there is one instrumental opener ("Hexagram") and the remaining tracks are broken up between Chris Clancy (5 songs), Bjorn Strid (4 songs), and Jon Howard (3 songs).  One of the strongest features is how easily the songs mesh with each other despite jumping from vocalist to vocalist, and I believe this is a real credit to the songwriting strength of Riverin.  The songs themselves aren't really anything out of the ordinary for the genre in theory, ranging from the mid-tempo to the occasionally quicker bursts, but again, the execution is basically flawless.  All three vocalists are on top of their game, giving the growls and sung vocals they are known for.

I find it hard to come up with favorite tracks, but I thought I'd comment on a few tracks.  "Night Calls" (Clancy) has to be the album's catchiest number and features some of Clancy's best vocals on the disc.  I cannot get enough of their cover of "Love is a Battlefield" (Strid).  The song has been metalized and Bjorn's vocals are a perfect fit.  "Despite Your Grace" has some major toe-tapping groove going for it along with possibly Speed's best chorus.  One of the faster numbers has to be "Escape as Deliverance" (Howard) and shows the riffs are just as gorgeous at top speed as they are with the more mid-tempo melodies.

Perhaps the best testament I can give to the album is that it has been out now for almost a year and I am still listening to it fairly consistently, despite the banner year that we have been having in 2013.  While I am not sure whether there will be another I Legion release, I can certainly cross my fingers and hope, though Frederic is currently involved with another project with Bjorn Strid by the name of Bear River.  One of 2012's greatest hidden gems, this is not to be missed!

I Legion Bandcamp page (you can listen to the entire album here for yourself)

Signs from Above (Bjorn Strid)

Snippet of Night Calls (Chris Clancy)