Silent

The fields here have been silent in the past couple of weeks but that doesn't mean that the fields have been silent elsewhere. I will post more thoughts soon but for now, these albums are currently getting a few extra plays...

Destruction - Spiritual Genocide
Atriarch - Ritual Of Passing
God Seed - I Begin
Ragnarok - Malediction
The Sword - Apocryphon
Forgotten Tomb - ...and Don't Deliver Us From Evil

And many more..

I will make noise again soon..


Ikil

Seremonia - Seremonia

As much as I keep being impressed by what seems to be a never ending supply of old school rock bands from Sweden, Finland is beginning to do similar. The difference is that the bands from Finland are being cast in a more occult state. With the likes of Vinum Sabbatum and Jess And The Ancient Ones doing pretty cool things, spare a thought for Seremonia as well with their self titled debut.

Like Vinum Sabbatum, Seremonia sounds like they came right out of the late 60s/early 70s. Where their atmosphere might not be as dark, they make up for that in how eerie they sound. What makes this sound so eerie? The real echoing buzz in those psychedelic and grooving riffs and bass lines. They have such a buzz that you can just picture the walls vibrating in the small garage they may have rehearsed in while playing a song like 'Aamuruskon Kaupunki' (The spacey synths help too). On a side note, 'Rock'n'rollin Maailma' reminds me of a dark and haunting 'Sunshine Of Your Love' hehe.

Perhaps the most eerie instrument coming out of Seremonia is from the vocals. Mainly monotone but again, they carry that echo effect behind them which just further adds to that eerie dimension. It is like clones of Noora Federley have come together to lead a cold and hypnotic dark sermon. (eg: 'Lusiferin Kaarmeet' or 'Antikristus 666').

I do like how the drums sound for this style. The groove and rattle out but they feel and sound so old and flat. Cob webs must be sitting between the toms and cymbals. There is probably rust too. And you can just picture the drum set moving off place as the beats run along in a song like 'Kosminen Ruumisvaunu'.

The only gripe I have against this album is the production makes everything sound a little too smothered and there for I am not capturing the real energy or drive this could have potentially had. Vinum Sabbatum's album has the same problem. Even if you crank this as loud as you can, it still feels like a large blanket is still doing enough to try and suffocate the sound. I get what is being done, but oh well. That is just my opinion.

At the end of the day, it may take a little to sink in but compared to the above mentioned bands, this album has a more mesmerizing effect. I guess more of these bands are going to pop up from Finland in the next few years and if Seremonia is any indication, they are going to get even more strange.

Ikil

Deathspell Omega - Drought

Deathspell Omega is one of those bands that continues to evolve into something amazing. If you take the early days and listen to what they have become, they simply are one of the most unique, and also one of the most twisted and darkest bands to come out of black metal. The only disappointing thing about their latest EP 'Drought' is that I wish it were a full length, because the chaos that takes place on this thing just ends too quickly.

As 'Salowe Vision' opens this tale with its post like entrance, a more calmer DO then we are use to, I picture a farming town that has been left without water for months. Their crops are dying, the people are thinning. All the green has disappeared. Suddenly, the dark clouds gather and the people come running outside with their arms outstretched to embrace the rain that is about to fall from the clouds and help grow their crops again.

Just as they are about to rejoice, 'Fiery Serpents' proves that the clouds have been deceptive as they hail balls of fire onto the fields, destroying all the crops that have been trying to grow, burning down houses, setting people on fire. The chaos that ensures from this moment is ridiculous. Absolute disjointed chaos from off timing riffs and drum patterns that stop and start like a flurry of bullets being fired at odd moments. Moments of melody sometimes come in but are quickly dispersed when the disjointedness tears through and dominates. Has DO become the Dillinger Escape Plan of black metal?

For all the sheer destruction that breaks out here, I like how Mikko just keeps his harsh vocals low and monotone throughout the entire thing through all that disjointedness extreme riffing and drum patterns. It is almost like a voice from the clouds that cannot be overpowered by anything, telling the town 'We have come for your souls and you have absolutely no hope of defeating us, so without effort from us, watch your town be destroyed and vanish.'

The way this EP comes and goes so quickly thanks to its quick chaotic burst just seems to show that everything you live for can be destroyed and become nothing and forgotten in a matter of moments. A chaotic event can be drawn out and really painful. But also, it can be so quick to the point that it almost felt like you never existed.

Ikil

Bosse-De-Nage - III

I have to say, America has been delivering a lot of really good black metal this year. From the likes of Mutilation Rites, Ash Borer, Krallice, Nachmystium and the list goes on. Bosse-De-Nage can also find themselves on that list with their third album 'III'.

This album breathes some post hardcore air compared to the above mentioned which at least helps distinguish them from the rest. It doesn't come off with a dark atmosphere either. More like a clear ocean on a hot day that is about to be embarked by grey clouds and a furious wind. Just listen to the way 'Perceive Their a Silence' builds up with soft distorted notes and the fluttering drums before the riffs gust forth with fury and those painfully strained vocals scream through the winds.

I enjoy the way the riffs blaze away and like that distant feel they have as if you are witnessing the storm in the distance vastly approaching. The little gripe is that 'The Arborist' and 'Desuetude' maybe go on with it a little too much and the times they calm down end too quick and don't really do anything. Thankfully it gets much more interesting around 'Perceive...' and especially 'Cells' and 'The God Ennui' when calmer melodies and chords become the more prominent element. It then builds suspense because you just know the chaos is going to enter at any given moment. Like as you watch that storm approaching, you are hanging for it to unleash upon you.

The spoken word passages that tend to walk with the calmer moments add to the post feel more and like the way the riffs can emerge into chaos, I listen with anticipation for the moment the vocals become strained with the heavier riffs. It really adds a greater element of pain and despair.

What grabs my attention most is the role the drums play in this. You can't help but put all your focus into them when they are twirling around through the furious riffing. The snare especially gets a good work out. Almost every song showcases the twists and turns in moments that transform into a wave of kicks and it feels and sounds so organic which only makes it sweeter to listen to. It is like the rain briefly spitting from the clouds before it pours. They know when to keep it simple and when to make things interesting.

I miss the old dark, evil and raw atmosphere of older black metal. A lot of todays bands miss the boat by overproducing and sounding way over the top. Bosse-De-Nage might not be what I miss about black metal, but they rather have a bleak, painful and organic side to them which can make them just as intriguing. In the modern day, maybe that is how it should be.

Ikil

Graveyard - Lights Out

Dare I say it, but I'd go as far as saying Graveyard is the best rock band in the world. Best has different meaning to most popular. Most popular doesn't mean you are the best, these days it just means partly that you have been given more exposure to the world. If Graveyard was American or British, they would be taking the world by storm, plain and simple. The first two Graveyard albums are two of the best rock albums of recent times (well for me). The new album 'Lights Out' comes with perhaps the highest of expectations. All to live up to..

Again that dark mood surrounds the album and again the rough edge is present both through the riffs and Joakim's voice. 'Seven Seven' is probably the roughest sounding song I have heard from Graveyard. The catchy moments are still present at times too and shine mostly in songs like 'The Suits, The Law & The Uniforms' and 'Goliath'. The bluesy solos and rocking melodies still appear from time to time as well and as always, really bleed that old school feel.

'Hard Times Lovin' ' and 'Slow Motion Countdown' are some really deep numbers too. A moody bass line and Joakim's vocals taking a more low end approach takes hold of 'Hard Times Lovin'. It sounds like one of the darkest songs they have done. Joakim simply carries 'Slow Motion Countdown' the way he builds up his voice. His best moment on the whole album. It really is a great example of the passion and feel he has in his voice. I still remember back to the Afterburner gig at Roadburn in 2010 and being blown away by how powerful his vocals were and the way he would hit his notes. The best vocal performance I saw on the whole trip.

If you sit this along 'Graveyard' and 'Hisingen Blues', the sad thing is that 'Lights Out' has nothing on these two albums. I guess that shows how good the first two albums were. They are simply brilliant. 'Lights Out' is good but because of high expectation (extremely high at that), this falls very short. The first two albums did not have a bad song or moment on them at all. Every riff virtually caught on and had enormous feel and energy. Lyrically, they were far more powerful and deep and were certainly helped by vocals that knew when to vary between a level tone and letting out all emotions. 'Lights Out' lacks all of this.

Favourite songs on 'Lights Out' like 'The Suits..', 'Goliath' and 'Hard Times Lovin' ' simply don't stack up to the likes of 'Thin Line', 'Uncomfortably Numb', 'The Siren', 'Lost In Confusion' and many many others. But then, they don't stack up to anything on the first two albums. On 'Lights Out', I am not really letting out a 'WOW' to anything. Overall, it feels rushed and short of ideas. There was a three year gap between 'Graveyard' and Hisingen Blues' and only a year and a half between 'Hisingen Blues' and 'Lights Out'. At least for me, when hearing this, it lacks the fresh ideas and creativity that 'Hisingen Blues' had.

Yeah, the first few paragraphs might say otherwise and that is because I still like this. I am just not blown away. Sure, some of their roughest and darkest moments are found here, but that doesn't mean it is better. 'Lights Out' has fallen victim to expecting 'Amazing' but only got 'Good'. Maybe it has to grow, and it is, slowly. But it wont go much further. Oh well, sometimes one can be hard to please...

Ikil

Enslaved - RIITIIR

Enslaved. If ever there was a band that has continuously pushed the envelope and evolved to greater heights and shown consistency time and time again, it is these guys. Their latest album 'RIITIIR' was going to be interesting given their slightly different approach to 'Axioma Ethica Odini'. AEO, like 'Mardraum', was a transitional album to the next step in the evolution of their sound, impressive but still needed to be tweaked. With 'RIITIIR', Enslaved has nailed it.

The one negative I found with AEO was how they changed their direction with their signature repetition. Instead of building one epic passage, AEO was full of songs that had two main passages that they kept going back and forth to and this ended up becoming predictable. With 'RIITIIR', songs tend to focus around one or two main passages but between them they are throwing a number of variations between cutting back to those passages. Also, the main passages are being built up more so in a sense, it is unpredictable this time around. Take a song like 'Death In The Eyes Of Dawn' which builds up like classic Enslaved before it breaks out into flutters of chaos so unexpectedly and then returning to the main passage.

Things get a bit more technical at times too. A song like 'Veilburner' twists a bit at the beginning but then breaks out into a moderate tempo with the signature ice cold and sharp sound from the riffs before it rushes like some big wind. Even the way they transition in songs too. A typical blasting black metal moment like 'Roots Of The Mountain' which grows out of nowhere to a lifting wall of noise and Grutle's clean vocals carrying the big sound. It then becomes filled with melodies and Arve's lead work and then out of nowhere comes this beautiful clean moment that screams post rock.

It is with this unpredictability in the songs that make them so much more enjoyable. You don't expect a song like 'Materal' to progress the way it does without a blackened tremolo riff coming out of nowhere. You don't expect Cato to be blasting his beats or snapping that snare so hard in 'RIITIIR' or 'Roots Of The Mountain'. You don't expect the galloping melodies in 'Storm Of Memories' to become sizzling tremolos. For how much the band has evolved through progression, that chaos still lingers.

Grutle's vocals just get better and better as well. His growls are ever so harsh and that death roar is the biggest yet. His clean vocals is where he has really come of age. Such a commanding and epic tone. Like the voice of a powerful king. His voice makes a song like 'RIITIIR' feel overpowering, the way he lifts his voice in 'Roots Of The Mountain' without overdoing it feels so impressive. Even the way his harsh vocals echo over the tremolo riff in 'Materal', so dark, almost necro!

'RIITIIR' is the album that has made Enslaved the best band in extreme metal for me. They are now my favourite band. It is like watching a group of rebels with this cold attitude grow in time and eventually take over and build the most powerful empire ever. Even though they have become so powerful and epic, you can still feel that they have not forgotten their roots and that sense of coldness and darkness is still etched in their minds right back to the days of 'Frost' and 'Vikingligr Veldi'.

With 'RIITIIR', Enslaved still is the most consistent band in metal. They have again proven that they can master the change in their style and sound so quickly and most importantly, they haven't forgotten where they have come from. This is what heritage actually is. Certain to be my album of the year.

Ikil

Goat - World Music

A few weeks ago, I read an article about Gangnam Style in which the writer called it 'bizarre but brilliant'. Of course, to these eyes, they were met with both confusion and amusement, but also not too surprised given that is expected to come from such mainstream media who would have absolutely no idea what quality music is (especially bizarre kind). It made me then wonder what is the most bizarre but brilliant thing I have heard this year. That title may go to Goat's 'World Music'. What a bizarre album it is.

This is one ritual full of tribal drumming, psychedelic keys and riffs with plenty of buzz and disjointedness, lead by the vocals that appear like a wicked lady leading in chant and a circle of tripped out people in a ceremonial dance around a camp fire in the middle of the woods at night. Might say too that it sounds like it came from somewhere 40 to 50 years ago, not the present day.

If in some way, you become compelled by this, you might shake around around to hypnotic riffs and sounds of 'Golden Dawn', beat your hands in rhythm to 'Goathead', bounce about to clean riffs of 'Let It Bleed' or dream of yourself slowly running on the spot in pitch black to the repetitive, quick plucking and commanding voice of 'Run To Your Mama'. If that is not enough, then 'Goatlord' comes off as some dreamy and glorious hymn.

I like how the bass lines and drums play the repetitive part and the guitars and keys go all whacky and all over the place on the top. It is like your mind may be stuck, but your eyes are looking to all different directions. A trip out for sure. I also like how the vocals have this hint of rawness to them and when words/notes are held, it almost feels like the words are being screamed out, that along with the little moments of laughter come off a little menacing. There is some real passion behind these vocals. Heck, a ritualistic fire sizzles with these guys. Great stuff.

Have a look at their live and promo photos. You know you would be in for one hell of an experience if you saw them live. 'World Music' is an experience in itself and the more I experience this, the more it is becoming one of my favourite albums this year. Their tricks worked. Sweden has again produced another gem and a real example of what bizarre and brilliant is...

Ikil

Xibalba - Hasta La Muetre

Can someone please explain to me why I am not seeing endless praise for Xibalba? Considering the wrap other bands of similar style are getting, mind you many also signed to the same label (Southern Lord), this band should be at the top of the rocky mountain. After the crushingly heavy 'Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias' that came out last year, Xibalba returns quickly with the equally as heavy 'Hasta La Muetre'. FAARRKK!

Dare I say it, Xibalba is the heaviest thing in the crust/core scene right now. HLA is full of riffs that have this compressed and droning tone that is incredibly brutal. Compared to 'Madre Mia...' which was more slow and grinding, HLA brings some pace to the table as well and this doesn't make anything seem weaker. In fact, it just feels more devastating. The other cool thing is how they can vary the speed in songs and really get your head nodding. The way 'No Serenity' cuts back to this slow head slamming riff towards the end is sick, or the galloping disjointed feel of 'Laid To Rest' that ends into a ringing lead before the rumbling finish comes in, sure to put cracks through any land.

And with this, you need crushing drums and do they sure deliver here. It sounds like these fills are leading the earthquake taking place. The kicks rumble with fury, the toms and snares feel as though they are being belted with sledgehammers instead of drumsticks. Only a dark room with the thickest cement walls could handle this beat down. Even when you here the cymbals tap like at the beginning of 'Sentenced', you just hang in there waiting impatiently for the thunderous thuds to begin and eventually march and jog away. Gotta like the tribal like patterns in 'The Flood' as well, the way it draws out with those leads is monstrous! The ridiculous twirling beats in 'Mala Mujer' too.

Even vocally, you can feel that deep and compressed bellow shouting from the dark cracks in the floor. Like a beast. It isn't anything out of the ordinary, but it has the right force and fire to stand with the crushing that is occurring.

Overall, this album doesn't sound like it was overdone in the production. It genuinely feels that this would crush absolutely anything in its path. Scary to think what this would be like if I saw Xibalba live. Would I still have my hearing afterwards? In fact, I'd probably be crushed to death..

When I put this up with the other 'core' stuff I have heard this year, this clearly is at the top. The complete package. The brutality, the crush, the devastation that might be lacking in those other bands is all found right here along with the energy, the force and the intensity. 'Madre Mia...' was good, but 'Hasta La Muetre' destroys it. One chaotic effort!

Ikil

Blut Aus Nord - 777: Cosmosophy

Blut Aus Nord has always delivered hit and miss albums for me. Some albums are something, others truly lacking (or maybe misunderstood). There is always a sense of hesitation when checking out their works. Fair to say though that the last few years, the albums have been much better. The 777 trilogy has come to an end with 'Cosmosophy' and this certainly sits along with their albums that are something.

As if a new world is slowly emerging from the darkest tunnels of the underground, melodies on here carry an atmospheric drift that creeps its way up. And who was expecting clean vocals to help with the eerie introduction? 'Epitome XIV' is a great example of this. What 'Epitome XV' does is takes these clean vocals to a more theatrical level and helps carry the dark side, but an epic vibe makes its way in. In fact, this album is dominated more by clean vocals this time around and the harsher vocals only come in from time to time.

The interesting thing I find with the softer sides of this album is they make you hang on for the climax. You know an industrial tinged explosion is imminent throughout each of these songs. Take 'Epitome XVI' where the beginning is repetitious melodies weaving with the atmospheres of the synth when this wall of distortion just breaks out of no where and in time builds up with the synth and distant lead work to almost distorted like sounds at the end.

This could be the first Blut Aus Nord album where I can actually fully embrace the industrial element in their sound. The walls of distortion, the atmospheric leads, the programmed drums with their mechanical pant, they all work as one and find the right balance with the melodies that at times stand on their own and the repetitions in songs like 'Epitome XVIII' don't get boring because of this.

One thing I always found with Blut Aus Nord is that even with their better albums, there was still something that didn't seem quite right. Maybe some of the sound didn't fit the scene or mood they were describing. You know, a lot of great ideas, but a thing or two just doesn't quite click. The 777 trilogy has felt like Blut Aus Nord finally found that eerie and dark futuristic world that they have been trying to unveil to us for years now. 'Sect(s)' was onto something, 'The Desanctification' wasn't quite there. With 'Cosmosophy', they have found it and the unveiling has been met with a nod of great approval. It is very intriguing.

Now, if their world continues to evolve to greater things from here, then I will not hesitate to step into their light...

Ikil

Ensiferum - Unsung Heroes

I have never really gotten into this Finnish folk/speed stuff. I have found most of it quite cheesy and any of the bands I found to be really good ended up going awful after a few albums. The only band I have made any exception for is Ensiferum. I have never found them to be as cheesy, much more atmosphere and enjoyable melodies than the rest of the clan. The new album, 'Unsung Heroes' is a bit of a change and I think their best album yet.

What I like first and foremost is how they have dropped the pace a lot. The melodies have more space to breathe and be really felt. Riffs in general catch on more and the synths appear more evident which means the atmosphere is felt. The speed from the first albums was just getting too much and I really couldn't take it all in at once. Things feel more controlled here, more mature. The lead work on songs like 'Burning Leaves' and 'Unsung Heroes' for example can be grasped rather than missed. Overall, it feels more powerful and emotive.

The chanted lyrics, choirs, the singing, even the harsh vocals all have more feel and stand out because of this slower pace. The way they transition too is so much more effective because of this. Would a song like 'Unsung Heroes' or 'Burning Leaves' really feel as epic if it was in the speed vein? I don't think so. The acoustic passages (or songs like 'Celestial Bond', 'Last Breath') and solos now have a chance to be embraced and admired with the way they break out or blend into the songs.

Speed still exists in 'Retribution Shall Be Mine' but I have heard this all before from them. I still feel the cheese too in a bit of the chants but it is not as in your face this time around. The harsh vocals sound a bit weak as well, perhaps the only weak element I am picking up here. These are very minor gripes though.

Perhaps after the victorious and epic battles of the first four albums and the celebrations with wild partying, beer sculling and dancing, 'Unsung Heroes' is the moment when by dusk you have become tired, you put down your shield and sword and sit on the front porch of your home that sits on top of a hill that overlooks the city. You sit there with great pride as you look over the city that now stands safe and tall after you helped fought to defend it and its country in a great battle. The progressive 'Passion, Proof, Power' may best represent that feeling.

In the end, a change in direction but for the better. Had this been like the previous albums, it would have gone in one ear and out the other. Surprised and very impressed. Instead of similar bands who changed direction for worse, Ensiferum has dropped the twiddle and fiddle and come of age. Triumphant and epic. A glorious effort.

Ikil

Witchcraft - Legend

A lot can happen in five years.. well.. at least that is something you can say for Witchcraft. Three line up changes, other bands of similar style and from the same country come along and appear to be grabbing big attention while Witchcraft has remained quiet since 'The Alchemist'. Now they return with 'Legend' and have even changed their sound.

After what seemed like being locked in a 60s and 70s time capsule, Witchcraft now sounds like they have been introduced to the modern world. Clearer production, more verse/chorus structured songs, much catchier as well. It has probably left many a fan scratching their heads. It did for me at first, but the more I listen, the more this is growing on me. Magnus and co have crafted a very good rock album here and have still done enough to distance it from becoming completely mainstream.

Witchcraft seemed to be getting more psychedelic with 'The Alchemist'. On 'Legend', I am feeling a bit more of a 'progressive' touch the way some of these songs build up or change considering majority of the songs average around the four to five minute mark. Maybe it is the way variation plays a consistent part in these songs, changing from melodies to hard hitting stoner rock riffs that catch you off guard. Also the shifts in tempos, the changing drum patterns, soft to heavy sides and even a solo or seething lead for extra measure. I can provide examples but in all seriousness, every song showcases some or all of these elements and also has those 'moments'. It is perhaps more a case of which songs you enjoy most. At least for me? I am enjoying them all. But take note of the epic feel of 'Dead End', the hypnotic side of 'Dystopia', the pacing 'Deconstruction' for just some mentions.

Magnus does an awesome job with his vocals here too. I really like that rich sound in his voice, and he can really belt out and hold some notes at times too (eg: 'Democracy', 'Ghosts House'. 'Dystopia'). His words definitely stand out and are very memorable. He reminds me of Maynard James Keenan sometimes, his sound and the way he changes from a soft tone to lifting it with great energy.

Given the success of Graveyard in the last year, it is interesting how much Witchcraft have changed on this album. Perhaps having a crack at the market as well? Who can blame them? After all, they had a few albums under their belt and were garnering quite a bit of praise before the likes of Graveyard, Horisont, Noctum and more came along. Why not appeal to a new found audience? Musically it is still fantastic.

To go deeper in this analysis, I always talk about how Swedish bands always master a particular style, whether it be old school rock, death metal, doom, traditional metal, etc. Seriously, they do it better than any other country. After crafting three perfect old school stoner rock albums, Witchcraft has just gone and crafted a rock album perfectly. Never fear though, this is still too much for any Kings Of Leon fan boy..

Ikil

Noise Restrictions...

The field will be a bit quiet for the next few weeks, but if you frequent here, you might hear a few noises throughout that period.

Back soon...



Ikil

Worm Ouroboros - Come The Thaw

The first Worm Ouroboros album felt like a journey through lifeless and still seas. You don't quite know what happened, but something tragic really took place. This time around, 'Come The Thaw' feels like I have now been taken to the woods after it has just experienced its cruelest winter yet. Woods that are deserted of all life. A new tragedy.

Imagine the crawling bass is the final steps of the deer who is dying of hunger as the winter killed everything and left nothing to eat. Slowly giving up and taking its final breath. The splash of the cymbals being the final panting before curling over. The slow beats acting as the final thud to signal the tragic end. The repetitive bass line in 'Release Your Days' just showing the dead one laying alone in the woods but the repetition makes you stay and watch, hoping for some signs of life. The soft echoing guitar melodies that hover in only give way to lost hope.

These vocals are eerie, at least to me. Cold in a sense. As if they linger with this chilling mist that is sweeping through the woods slowly. The way they interact with the melodies is as if the mist has helped the last of the snow melt and calmly drip from the tree branches, it helps welcome the heavy change in 'When We Are Gold' which feels like the sun is peaking through the clouds and giving hope for life again in these woods, until the light fades away again to further prove that the bleak days are far from over, given the return of the chilling voice and dripping melodies.

Perhaps one may still have hope, but the way 'Withered' gets heavy says otherwise. It gets smothered by these emotionally sad and ringing leads and a throbbing bass. 'Penumbra' signifies that these are the woods of lost hope when a voice becomes more soothing but eventually distant. Each note silently drops and rings out with much space between them. As harmonies come in, the notes begin to form patterns with the crawling bass and deep toms, the dead deer slowly fades and disappears into the after life.

It is all very cruel. At least that is how Worm Ouroboros has painted it and this is a fine example of how you don't need to be heavy to represent despair. Perhaps a reminder that nature can also release its sense of wrath. Now that spring is here, put 'Come The Thaw' on and spare a thought for those that didn't make it through the winter.

Ikil

Grave - Endless Procession Of Souls

First it was Unleashed who surprised me with their latest impressive effort, and the same can be said for Grave. With their new album, 'Endless Procession Of Souls', Grave has also put out what I think is one of their best albums in years. A fine example of the classics still leading the way.

First thing is how heavy this monster is. This deep, raw brutality, the power of those riffs, vocals and drums. Some of the most crushing death metal I have heard this year. The drumming comes off like an avalanche, rushing with the greatest speeds as it tears through paddocks. The devastating hits on the snare and cymbals to the twisting fills that come out of nowhere. As if the avalanche taking place is the beginnings of a volcano exploding, shooting lava and rock every where. Such fury!

For how heavy those riffs are, damn they are catchy! If the speeding brutality isn't crushing enough. Wait till they dirge and slow right down like in 'Winds Of Change' before snapping out to blistering pace with raw tremolo riffing being guided by the dark brutality. Bludgeoning in every way. Like being pelted by the rocks. Throw in some crushing gallops into the fray (eg 'Encountering The Divine'), some killer raw leads (eg 'Perimortem') and you end up with a very chaotic mix that keeps my interest, but the way they balance these elements is what makes the album enjoyable throughout.

As for Ola's throat.. well he can be just as brutal and devastating. Deep, coming from the pit of his stomach, probably ripping his stomach apart when he is forcing those words out. When he stretches out his deep yells, you can really feel the power in them (eg 'Epos'). The gigantic roar of the furious volcano as it explodes.

In the end, every instrument plays an even role in producing one of the most brutally crushing, dark and catchy death metal albums of the year. With the resurgence of death metal in Sweden in recent years, Grave has just shown the rest that they are the rightful claimers to the throne that Dismember vacated last year. Now my head hurts..

Ikil

Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine

The experimentation side of Nachtmystium  on albums such as 'Assassins...' and 'Addicts...' was really interesting to me and I must say, I preferred it to their earlier albums. 'Assassins...' was even one of my favourite albums of 2008. With 'Silencing Machine', Nachtmystium appears to have dropped a bit of that experimentation side, but picked up a few little pieces out of there and taken them back with them on the path to the black metal side. With great result.

First take the more noisier production. This static sound that helps add to the bleakness that surrounds this album. Take the title song where it is most evident. Things come off much harsher, the vocals, the riffs. Those tremolos especially have a bit more tear to them. The effects on here too is where the experimentation still thrives and helps convey different vibes. For example, the fluttering noise in the punk like 'Decimation, Annihilation', the subtle haze in 'The Lepers Of Destitution', and the tip toeing chimes on 'These Rooms In Which We Weep'.

I like the variation in the riffs too. Tremolo riffing that is like sitting on a cliff side on a bleak day and watching lightning bolts scatter and scramble quickly across the ocean far in the distance. The echoing lead work like the way it comes in on 'These Rooms In Which We Weep'. Then you will have those moments of walls of distortion like in 'The Lepers Of Destitution' where with the subtle keyboard and effects gives it so much more atmosphere. The catchy rocking riffs are still around too like in the title song and songs like 'Borrowed Hope And Broken Dreams' and 'Give Me The Grave' come off like blackened rock anthems. After you have sat on the cliff side, you go to an old, dark and filthy pub in the middle of nowhere and drink back to Nachtmystium rocking out on the small stage.

Blake's vocals are harsher in effect this time around. They appear colder too. Sometimes you will hear hints of strain like in 'I Wait In Hell' and 'Reduced To Ashes', perhaps the most evil sounding songs on the album. In other moments, the way he forces he words out, like he is gritting his teeth as he delivers them with precision (eg: 'Borrowed Hope And Broken Dreams). The effect makes his vocals distinctive, that's for sure.

And with the variation in structures means the drumming also stands out more. Hearing it transcend from the hard hitting fills in 'And I Control You', to the punk beats of 'Decimation, Annihilation' to the rushing speeds in songs like 'Silencing Machine' or 'I Wait In Hell', like some powerful wind. With this, the key thing I pick up more is how much each song stands out.

Overall, the sound on 'Silencing Machine' may take them back to a more black metal side, but the vibe of 'Assassins...' and 'Addicts...' still lingers around here. This could be the album where after trying different things recently, they may have finally found that place where they want to be. If it is, then I am even more interested to see where Nachtmystium go from here then I was previously. Again, they will be in my end of year favourites list.

Ikil

Vinum Sabbatum - Bacchanale Premiere

You wake up somewhere in the 1970s. A dark room, the only light being a flickering candle that sits in each corner of the room. The sorcerer appears and throws a mesmerizing mist over you which will put you in a daze and leave you sitting back on your throne as you take in the psychedelic drift that is bouncing around you. This is Vinum Sabbatum with their debut full length 'Bacchanale Premiere'.

Yes, a time warp is the first thing you get as a vault must have been opened to reveal an old demo tape from a mystery band of the past. Not the case. The production has made this appear to feel very old school. Maybe a bit too organic. I would have liked it to be a bit cleaner as it sounds a little reserved or smothered. But anyways, a very minor gripe, but what this does is only help describe the above introduction and old feel.

I find the organ and keyboards dark and haunting. Sure it oozes the psychedelic edge, but it feels unpleasant, in a good way. The way it rides along in 'Tombstone Rider' for example is eerie as fuck. When it isn't bouncing around like it does in 'Gospel Of Mary', it is hovering in a subtle way in a song like 'In And Out Of Faith'. How about the way it tip toes around so creepy like in 'The Devil's Cradle'? That is cool.

The riffs are really catchy. A bass like and distorted tone that will send a vibration through the entire dark room. A very old Sabbath like feel to them and when they are not meandering around like they do in 'Earthrise', they trip and boogie out like in 'The Devil's Cradle' and 'In And Out Of Faith'. I like how when the leads flip out, it isn't in your face and more sits in the background and when it plays a more rhythmic role, the bass lines and keyboard/organ have their chance to take the lead. The droning finale comes at 'Vinum Sabbatum'. A moment where all the instruments come together in one huge dark orchestration and each instrument breaks out on its own at different points but maintaining that streaming daze before boogieing out again.

A rich tone in the vocals and the subtle wails that hit out with the echo effect backing provide this eerie edge to them. It almost feels as though the sorcerer is pleading with you to come join them in an occult ritual. He seems mysterious as his notes hold and swivel out or begin deep and branch out high. Again, very old school. Are we sure this is from the 21st century?

With this growth in 'occult' bands in recent years, 'Bacchanale Premiere' is an album that sounds like it sits firmly with the likes of Black Widow and Coven instead of being placed with the modern ones. That is how old school this album feels. More of a trip, much darker, more ritual like. And it grows too which means it will only get better in time.

When I attended Roadburn for the first time in 2010, my friends and I would always come across the same small group of people each day when waiting for the shuttle bus at the safari park to take us to the festival. We never spoke to the group other than maybe a 'hello', then again, my friends and I spent more time stirring one another than anything else (it's what Australians do.. more than others haha) which I am sure kept some of these people amused and confused at our sense of humour (we Australians tend to do that too hehe). Anyhow, a few months later, while conversing in emails with the owner of Northern Silence/Eyes Like Snow, he told me to check out Vinum Sabbatum as he was about to release their mini album. Of course, I liked it and when I came across the bands photos, I recognized some of the band members as being part of this group we would catch the shuttle bus to Roadburn with each day. Small world.

Point from that story is.. I am sure in time, eventually they wont be attending Roadburn again to just be part of the audience. I'm sure the Bat Cave will have a spot waiting for them soon...

Ikil

Evoken - Atra Mors

I am enjoying Evoken more and more with each album they put out. I have always liked how they can find a perfect balance between being crushingly heavy and being eerily melodic whilst adding more atmosphere through their synths. 'Atra Mors' continues the trend, but I am more won over this time around.

As you make your slow walk to the fields of the dead, let those eerie melodic riffs guide you along the way. The synths become the thick fog that blankets over the fields and shields your eyes as you scamper along. The crash of the cymbals is your feet stomping into the thick muddy ground. As the riffs begin to crush and feel deep, it is the black clouds that have gathered and brings on the storm. A storm so strong that it will make the mud even thicker and heavier and your walk will become painful and tiring as your feet begin to get stuck.

There are some rumbling moments on this album. This storm you encounter on your journey may be your last. Moments in songs like 'Atra Mors' or 'Grim Eloquence', the drumming runs along and you feel every kick. Even the snare and toms feel massive. A huge thud. The thunder from the black clouds that storm over these muddy fields. But when they are not playing the part of the thunder, they feel ritualistic like when they play along with those eerie melodies.

The storm only becomes more fierce thanks to the dark, deep bellowing vocals that sit in those dark clouds. They become more harsh as the rain gets heavier and rips through the fog. The spoken words that appear may be the voices in your head as you wonder if you can pick yourself up as you can't withstand the storm floods you and it is too difficult and tiring to walk through the mud. You may not get to say your final goodbyes.

From all the chaos you have encountered, the album finds its transition into sorrowful paths. The moments where the lead work draws out plays that part well. The synths add to the feeling also. The subtle chimes that stretch out introduce the hunched hooded figures that grace the album cover. The evil that has lurked throughout the album may have just arrived with these guys. But as the heavy riffs collide with the eerie melodies and subtle chime in a song like 'Into Aphotic Devastation', it now becomes clear...

The hooded figures are not here to cast death on you, they are here to pick you up from the muddy ground, and slowly carry you to the fields of the dead so you can mourn and say your final goodbyes to those lost like you intended. And that is the overall impression I get from listening 'Atra Mors'. It feels dark, it leans towards chaos and there is evil lurking but once fully emerged, it is really cold and senses deep pain. As the instruments can find balance in the way they are played, so to are the feelings presented here.  

Ikil

Eternity - Pestiferous Hymns - Rev. I-I-XXXIII

There are some bands out there in their respective genres that you just know eventually is going to release THAT killer album. The album that should do big things for them. Germany's Eternity is one of those black metal bands that has shown potential with their first two albums. Now, after five years, their latest, 'Pestiferous Hymns - Rev. I-I-XXXIII' is here and could this be the one that rises them to new heights?

Well it has all the elements to remind you of the greats. Just listen to the opening track 'Down To The Southern Abyss'. That just screams Dissection at me. That cold raw melodic opening to the furious fast riffs  and blistering beats that would be in perfect sync with any cold wind that is whisking its way through the forests. It will leave chills throughout and by morning, the forest will be frozen and lifeless.

The thing that really grabs me is the way they can maintain that cold atmosphere and instead of cloning a particular band, they mix the best of the best to come up with something of their own. A song like 'Temple Of Flesh' maintains that Dissection like raw and cold feel, but the slower tempo and subtle tremolo riffs that lurk around remind me of early Burzum. What comes next is a song like '...Like 1000 Suns' which swings around ridiculously at the start but marches its way out with such triumph. It is so catchy as well. A Darkthrone 'Panzerfaust' moment, only difference here is this song carries progression.

And to go further to show that this isn't all about blistering speed, take the hovering motion of 'Waiting In The Abyss' that breaks out into a punchy riffs and beats in the middle. Then comes the epic like finish with 'Black Clouds On A Psychic Horizon' which continues the hovering nod only the bass creeps along with the chilling tremolo riff tearing into the wind before A Krieg's final blood curdling shriek from the mountain tops.

A Krieg's vocals add this dirty and sick side to the album as well. Reminds me of Nocturno Culto a lot. I like this though because this isn't the usual icy harsh black metal tone you get for something so cold. This adds a trashy element and there are moments where you wonder if at any moment, will he start coughing up blood from the way he is forcing his words out.

I liked 'Funeral Mass' but it came across quite one dimensional and reminded me too much of Darkthrone, only it was better than most trying to emulate that sound. It was a little too noisy and too trashy and almost every song was about that fierce speed. 'Pestiferous...' shows how Eternity has found that balance between knowing when to be furious and when to be more controlled. Now that they have consumed that cold atmosphere and found rhythm and variation in their riffs and tempos, Eternity's potential has finally paid off.

Ikil

Acephalix - Deathless Master

A friend and I had a discussion recently on record labels who don't disappoint. They keep putting out quality album after quality album. The two labels we came down to are Profound Lore Records and Southern Lord Recordings. So SLR has been putting out all this quality crust and death stuff as of late. Acephalix second album 'Deathless Master' is another one of those albums that caps off a stellar year for the SLR label.

Acephalix appears to have shed their crust skin and replaced it with a death metal one. This approach though is dark and evil. Murky even, thanks to its production. Shades of brutality with those raw leads mixing through to remind me of Swedish death metal. All done with variations of catchy tempos and crushing stomps that makes for a pretty good listen, and a repeat given its 30 minute length..

Just picture yourself being dragged through that long dark hallway by hooded ghouls. The pounding drums and vicious kicks following you as you unwillingly are led through. You feel the rumbling in the ground as your feet are being dragged along the concrete floor. The hit of the snare is the giant fist of the hooded ghoul beating into your gut as you try to break free from their hold.

Those riffs just tear away. The deep and brutal sound has enough force to cause holes to emerge in the ground that even if you can escape from the hooded ghouls hold, you will just fall through one of the holes anyway. And those solos shred. They are piercing as fuck too. It just adds to the fear in you as you await the torture you are about to face. Even the raw melodies that appear from time to time are piercing. They can rip into the walls and ceilings and cut into your flesh. Your last moments are going to be one full of extreme noise that will just add more fear to you.

As you are about to be tossed into the pool of blood. The voice of the master hooded ghoul who sits at their throne to watch you trying to plead for your life, is one that is deep, and their enormous bellow can become a sick and torturous growl. Sadistic in every sense. He is not enjoying your torture, he just wants to prove a point with fury. Don't fuck with them. He will just bark at his members to continue to force your head into the blood. After your end, heh, they may feed on you.

This doesn't seem to be getting much hype about it and I am unsure why. But maybe the change in style has caused that. 'Deathless Master' maybe nothing new in the sense that it sounds like pure old school death metal, but when I think about it, this album carries that true element of evil and darkness that I haven't heard in death metal in a long time. Horror almost seems tame when you hear this.

Ikil 

Ides Of Gemini - Constantinople

Another album finding its way in the 'Repeat' section for me is the Ides Of Gemini debut full length 'Constantinople'. Another album that has caught me by surprise like so many others this year. An almost ritualistic like journey through lands so bleak and tragic and smothered in icy mist.

The big key for me that makes this album so good is the riffs first and foremost. It isn't anything complicated, I'm sure that is not what they are trying to do. They are simple but gosh, they couldn't be anymore effective. That guitar's distorted tone is so bleak as well and the way they slowly creep along. Oddly enough, it can feel calming but the tone presents an eerie unpleasantness. It even feels heavier than it is trying to be. Melodies in songs like 'Resurrectionists', 'One To Oneness' and 'Reaping Golden' are like quick stints of repetition that adds a hypnotic side. If those walls of bleak distortion on songs like 'The Vessel & The Stake' and 'Starless Midnight' are not mesmerizing enough. Even the cleaner moments (Eg: 'Austrian Windows') show the eerie side.

Sera Timms vocals do the same. Where as they take that calm side I am familiar with on Black Math Horseman, she has some moments where she has complete power and force. Here, it is not about hitting a note, but the passion and the emotion when she lifts her voice. Like the riffs, the effectiveness in her deep tone. A soothing voice that lifts to the highest peak and can simply leap and carry over and through the icy mist smothering the bleak lands. Just listen to the chorus in 'Starless Midnight'. Her voice soars and commands. There is even this chilling effect to them and when she is backed up, it only drives the feeling more.

Even the drumming doesn't do anything out of the ordinary but again is effectively done. The way they plod along in 'The Vessel & The Stake' for example. It feels ritualistic to me. A march to remember a tragic event. Perhaps the icy mist smothering the land is slowly fading away to reveal the torn remains of a war that should never of happened. The entrancing snaps of the snare in 'Slain In Spirit' or the crashing in 'One To Oneness' may describe the vision more.

With all the simple effectiveness going on, the thing that is difficult to depict in all this is where do you put this in terms of style? Well, thanks to everything I have described in the above, I really couldn't place this anywhere. It is not that I really care cause it is if I like the music or not. But interested ones do care. I guess it is suited more to the doom or stoner ear, but that is only taking the easy way out. It is a rock album more than anything else but too bleak to be truly grasped by a mainstream audience. An awesome one at that.

It is easy to realize the talent in some ridiculously complicated music. But sometimes the feel and the atmosphere is lacking to truly absorb it and go back to it. The same can be said for a lot of the simpler music too. It is a big thing I look for at least in the music I like. With Ides Of Gemini, they have backed it up with the atmosphere, with the passion and with the soul. The way I have taken this album in.. One of the finest albums I have heard this year.

Ikil

Horn Of The Rhino - Grengus

Impact! Sometimes you when you hear an album for the first time, the way it opens can give you an immediate indication of what you are in for. The moment Horn Of The Rhino's new album 'Grengus' blasts through your speakers, you are in for one hard hitting effort.. with a few different moments along the way..

This has that sound where the music is literally in your face. The moment 'Under The Hoof' opens, you are hitting a brick wall out of no where. The quick pace of songs like 'Under The Hoof' and 'Pile of Severed Heads' is intense and whilst it may remind me of High On Fire, the harsh droning tone of the riffs and Javier's vocals bring more of a death metal flavour to the table. A perfect balance between crushing and brutal.

And with this sheer pace, the drumming is stampeding the way it is done. Just stand on a hill and watch the bulls run through the paddock and wonder what would happen to you if you were in the middle of their rampage. Anything in their way would be done pretty quick. Bruises, broken bones, cracked skulls.. and much more.

But this isn't all one long stampede. Songs like 'Grengus' and 'Brought Back' show a more interesting side where things are even more crushing and drawn out and the riffs are catchier. The drumming is like big thuds and Javier's vocals take a clean edge that comes across quite grunge like thanks to that raw tinge to them. He can really hit the notes too. It certainly adds an emotional side to the album. Heck, these slower moments really shows how heavy this band can get. How fucking good are those riffs!?

I don't like to play the compare game, but I would have expected to be revisiting High On Fire's new one more this year. Instead 'Grengus' is the album I am going back to more. This is far more intense, more catchy, heavier and memorable. Another one of those low expectations at the start that snaps you in half. This beast has horns and they are more than ready to strike.

Ikil

Father Befouled - Revulsion Of Seraphic Grace

Listening to Father Befouled's latest album 'Revulsion Of Seraphic Grace' might not be the best thing to try and fix a headache, but no doubt it will put my mind into overdrive as I describe how their latest effort is quite possibly the best thing they have done so far. Sheer brutality just the way I like it.

Enough force and brutality in this music that it will knock every thick brick off a tall wall, send it crashing into pieces before slowly twisting and moldering deep into the rocky ground. Those riffs are so dark and heavy. So deep and crushing, especially when they slow down. It compresses you. The raw tremolo riffing that comes into play is like a rusty chainsaw cutting abnormally into flesh and spraying the remains all over the underground cave that they were hanging from.

What the pounding drums are doing.. Everything caves in and so brutally, that everything will be squashed in a matter of moments. Totally neck snapping. The ground shakes incredibly and the roof collapses. Everything is destroyed, sometimes in quick succession but most of the time to a slow and grinding halt.

Then the vocals are just as brutal, dark and sick. Drawn out bellows that slowly choke souls as they try to reach out from the rubble that has crushed their bodies. Strains from a demonic beast. A voice you can hear out of the darkness from afar but you are too scared to check it out, fearing you might face death.

In 36 minutes, this album will crush you on the inside, leaving your body left laying in pitch black darkness where you will rot and decay. Everything will disintegrate around you and the last thing you will hear is a chaotic collapse. The only thing left to rise is the dust from the rubble that has entombed you.

Another killer death metal album to cap off a big year for Dark Descent Records. I nearly overlooked this but glad I didn't. Now my brain feels as though it has been twisted, pressed on by a large rock and drowned in a sink full of tar. Brutality at its finest.

Ikil

Necrovation - Necrovation

Like every year, Sweden offers up some awesome death metal. This year, albums from Paganizer, Malfeitor, Intestinal and even Unleashed to name a few have been solid or great, but the latest effort from Necrovation is one of those death metal albums that takes it beyond what you might be use to hearing from the Swedish death metal scene.

You wont find the slamming gallops here. You wont find the chunky raw drench in the guitar tone and you wont find the deep bellows one may be use to hearing from my favourite death metal scene. Instead you will find a more 'blackened' feel, a vary in the tempos, in the riffs, a more blackened edge to the vocals and an atmosphere so dark, evil and sick that it will turn the wildest of tides to black from the ash that has come floating over from an ash cloud of a roaring volcano. If I hear any of what I am use to from Sweden, it is very subtle.

This is one of those death metal albums where you don't quite know what to expect. Just as the riffs, in their raw and dark tone tread along and catch on so well, they will pick up in blistering speeds or disjointed plummeting, screaming in hooks and tear away. With subtle moments of eerie leads and raw twisted solos, it just adds extra edge to the songs. Take a song like 'Dark Lead Dead' or 'New Depths' which takes all these elements and creates a whirlwind of chaos, sending your attention all over the place. Every song will do this. You can't sail in these conditions because as the ash starts to smother you from above, a wave crashes into your boat from the right.

A dirty and rusty throat from Seb adds this sense of filth to the album. This is where the evil lurks here. An effect to his voice that gives a sense as though his voice hovers above this thick plume of ash as it is being carried across the ocean. It is not like he has any stand out moments, it is more that his vocals fit perfect to this sound.

Of course, the drumming adds that sense of chaos as it can transform from plodding into rumbling destruction in a matter of moments. Hammering toms and kicks, hard splashes from the cymbals and a pounding snare. A moment in 'III Mouth Madness (The Many)' where everything simply rolls along before the blistering twists flurry away. When the transitions take place as frequent as they do in these songs, you know who is leading the way.

If these twists and turns are not enough, then a song like 'The Transition' could be that epic moment in the album that you might be waiting for. An acoustic opening that progresses to eerie and dark lifting leads that take command. The sermon that awakens the sea serpent who rises up from the tides and, as his lungs are being filled with ash, begins to spin out in fury and attack the boat that is being thrown around, before going back under water and swimming off to calmer territories.

With a resurgence of death metal in Sweden in recent years, Necrovation is the band that has gone off on their own here and have set their own path. Reminds me of what Dissection and Marduk did in the early 90s. Because of this different approach, this has my attention more. It will be the same feeling for others too, no doubt. Clever work.

Ikil

Botanist - III: Doom In Bloom

A few months back, a friend asked me if I had heard of Botanist to which I had not. He then went on to describe it as this interesting black metal project where the main instrument in use was the hammered dulcimer. He then went on to say it was interesting, but not really anything special. Challenging at best. I would check out songs from the first album 'I: The Suicide Tree/ II: A Rose From The Dead', to which, although interesting, didn't really win me over either. Quick noisy songs with the gargling vocals I didn't really like. And I pretty much left it at that. A couple of weeks later, I came across 'III: Doom In Bloom'. Well...

This is much more interesting and so much better. I showed this to the same friend who told me about Botanist and he has been won over too. Thanks to much longer songs, slower tempos and even a change in 'style', now I have become captivated. This time, Botanist has presented songs that take the hammered dulcimer beyond black metal and into more post like territories. The soundtrack to the end of the world brought forth by a floral apocalypse. And here we are worrying about nuclear weapons..

The sorrow, the bleakness, the sense of evilness spreads across these songs like vines growing from the soil and slowly wrapping themselves around homes, along roads, even the people wandering around. Nothing here is really heavy here though. It is more 'calming' in a way. Except those nodding melodies have a weird spook to them. The way the notes from the hammered dulcimer can vary in feel, sorrowfully weaving along in 'Quoth Azalea, the Demon (Rhododendoom II)', to eerily plodding off in 'Ganoderma Lucidum', and chiming in and out with the marching pace of the drums in 'Vriesea', it all comes off quite unique and feels organic.

The vocals can be a little uneasy at times. But in a good way. Between the cold whispers and the harsh screams, but also that weird gargle like sound, but I am taking a different mindset to them this time around. It is as if the voice represents those that are forced to scream in agony or gargle their own blood as they are being strangled by the vines that are wrapping themselves around those wandering the bleak fields, slowly crushing their bones.

Endless sounds of the crashing cymbals are like spores shooting into the sky and releasing a poisonous mist with a scent so strong that when it reaches each person and is inhaled, it gets inside their bodies and slowly eats away at their internal organs. The thudding beats in 'Panax' is each body falling to the ground one by one and each warped note is the final dazing moment in each ones mind as they hit the ground. A dark and haunting finale.

I wont go into too much detail with 'Allies', the bonus disc with this album but that is also very interesting. The disc features songs by other artists (friends of Botanist) using the drum recordings of previous Botanist songs and made into their own unique works. The themes also have to be based around plants. A good mix of sludge, doom, and black metal like presentations. Really awesome stuff.

Overall, from the seeds of black metal, another interesting and unique artist has been unearthed. Botanist has taken some time to grow on me and it will continue to do so. Thanks to 'III: Doom In Bloom', this is the moment where Botanist has bloomed for me and I am sure in time, many more interesting works will be planted by him.

Ikil

Mutilation Rites - Empyrean

There have been quite a few interesting black metal albums come out this year. Sure, the main ones like Burzum and Marduk have been in amongst it, but when a fresh one like Mutilation Rites comes along, it offers you something you don't quite know what you are in for. Their first album 'Empyrean' is quite an impressive one.

This is one of those black metal albums that commands the night. Pitch black, blistering speeds that can compete in any race with the winds, enough force in those riffs to make the stars burning in the night sky believe that the old school feel of black metal sits firmly with these guys. The thing is though, for all the old school feel Mutilation Rites show, they still throw enough variation in their riffs and tempos to place them in the modern feel of black metal also. Just listen to the way the songs transcend between pace and the way the riffs do different things unexpectedly. Walls of black noise that can twist. 

The way the riffs and tempos can gallop like a dark horse through a cold and lifeless forest. The way the tremolo riffs come in and blend in with the rhythmic ones. I haven't heard tremolo riffs feel this empowering in black metal in a long time. The way they come in out of no where in a song like 'Realms Of Dementia' or the subtle way they come into a song like 'Ancient Bloodoath' makes the songs twice as good as they already are. And the way 'Fogwarning' opens, the fog would be torn down the middle, or the way it becomes all disjointed and chaotic towards the end. A storm has just wiped out the entire forest.

The vocals of George Paul are so harsh, so torturous, evil. So crazy and psychotic. He makes the storm clouds turn black and cold as they smother and freeze the night sky. The blistering drumming is the rain and hail pelting down on the fields, forming puddles and mud so thick that eventually the dark horse will become stuck and will have no where to go, only to feel the rain and hail striking him and as it gives up on trying to escape as it is now bloody and bruised. The rain slows down as the drumming begins to hold back but still making as much chaotic noise as it can with the black riffs that ring out and trudge through the night. 'Broken Axis' signals the point where there is no chance of escaping. You are left to just wither away.

For all the USBM going around these days, as much as I enjoy them, Mutilation Rites feel like the only ones that truly embody the old black metal spirit. That's a big call, maybe a ridiculous one. But, for me, I don't think of the originals when I listen to other USBM bands. That can be a good thing though as it provides something different. But with 'Empyrean', Mutilation Rites has reminded me a lot of the originals here.

The difference between the stranded dark horse here and Mutilation Rites is that they will continue to gallop, possibly to bigger and greater heights. If they keep unleashing pitch black chaotic works such as this, they will. The cold night just added another soundtrack to its already impressive playlist.

Ikil

Monarch - Omens

Monarch has always been a band that for me, pulls it off better live than on record. The experience of seeing them crush a small room is so much more enjoyable where as their albums tend to be more dark droning soundtracks that give off a dazed out mindset when going to sleep. 'Omens' however takes a slightly different approach, and I am quite liking this.

The main difference is the tempo has increased. Not much of course but remember those breaks between the crushing riffs on previous albums? Well that is not evident here as on 'Blood Seeress', which comes across more as a series of nodding implosions that form deep gigantic dark holes leading into the core of the earth. Emilie's vocals still sound as tortured as always and comes off as if the core of the earth has a voice and it is screaming in great agony.

After the interlude 'Transylvanian Incantations' which gives off an impression that the destruction has stopped, 'Black Becomes The Sun' comes in with more crushing riffs, but less imploding like 'Blood Seeress' felt. This is like the hard surface around the giant hole is beginning to slowly crack and crumble away leaving big clumps to fall into the giant hole.

This time a clean voice chimes as if a choir of black angels have arrived to watch the chaos unfold. As the song begins to swing into disjointed fills and held up crushing riffs, the voices and whispers become more torturous and painful. Strong winds are pulling into the black core and the skin on the faces of the black angels are being ripped off, revealing black rotting skulls beneath them.

As the tempo begins to pick up pace, the imploding returns and the black angels are stripped down to their rotting bones. They stand still for a brief moment as only the faint whispers remain, and then the core screams as the bones begin their everlasting fall into the gigantic black hole. The clean chimes return as the earth now lays quiet and still. Lucky this album only goes for almost 36 minutes because it feels like it goes for an hour.

Another solid effort from these guys who always manage to paint the seas, the land, the days and the night in a bleak and disturbed way. A world so dark.

Ikil

Sigh - In Somniphobia

I would have to rate Sigh as being the most bizarre band in the world. With their latest album, 'In Somniphobia', the band has yet again shown how they can mix a whole lot of musical elements and execute it perfectly. Dare I say it, their best album yet..

One thing that has always been a hit and miss with Sigh has been their production. This is the first time I have found a Sigh album to have the perfect mix. The balance between the guitar riffs and the other instruments couldn't be better. The electronics, the synth work, even the bass lines all work as one to drive this rich wave of psychedelic metal brilliance, both technically and catchy. None of this comes across as too much or jumbled up one the ears. If anything, each time I listen to this, the focus can change from the guitars to the synths, the saxophone, even the vocals. So much is going on and you want to try and catch as much of it all as you can. It's like walking through a carnival and trying to catch a glimpse at all the different bizarre acts you walk by. Only thing is they are all so interesting that you can't decide which one you want to stay at and watch.

I like the sound of the guitar riffs too. A crisp edge to them and their is a good balance between being technical with the lead work or just breaking out catchy riffs that cross between doom and traditional metal. That solo in 'Somniphobia' is jaw dropping. A bluesy moment that oozes a feel that this carnival you have gone to is one on a hot and humid summers evening.

When the electronic side dominates, particularly in the slower songs. It almost feels mesmerizing. A song like 'Amnesia' almost feels like you have been soothed out at times and each instrument has its moment in the sun as it drifts along. 'Far Beneath the In-Between' can be that moment at the carnival where you come across a group of people putting on a creepy dance. Perhaps the carnival has led you to a masquerade ball full of eerie people.

Then comes a twist in this story when the evil 'Amongst The Phantoms Of Abandoned Tumbrils' introduces the group of masked youths who raid the masquerade ball to vandalize the place. As the piano and guitar leads whisk along, the tables are flipped over, plates and glasses are smashed and the eerie people begin to run away. Oh wait! The thrashing avenger ('Fall To The Thrall') has come to save the night as he blazes the room and takes out the masked youths one by one, only you find it odd that each masked youth is being knocked down by a sharp gust of wind from the fake punches the thrashing avenger is swinging at them.

Suddenly, the crowd begins to erupt in applause and the masked youths and the thrashing avenger stand and take a bow, thus revealing that it was all just an act. The entertainment part of the evening at the ball within the carnivals perimeters. Thus you walk out of the place as the weird 'Equale' plays along like the ending credits theme. You think to yourself 'What the fuck was all this?'

Told you this was bizarre.

Yes, I broke off into a tangent there, but this is just to prove how weird Sigh is. Albums like 'Scorn Defeat', 'Hail Horror Hail' and 'Scenes From Hell' for example are like horror stories that don't come across as horrifying because of quirky elements they add to their sounds. 'In Somniphobia' comes off more as a strange mystery that psyches you out. Even after it's all over, you still can't understand the story at all, but all the twists and turns you found in the story still make it intriguing and you keep watching it over and over trying to work it all out. All I know right now is, Sigh is Japan's best metal band.

Ikil

Elysian Blaze - Blood Geometry

Another double album and one I have been anticipating for years. Elysian Blaze's new album 'Blood Geometry' is one of those albums that has been about six years in the making. Maybe it was due to their label closing down and that's why it has taken till now to finally come out, but I was beginning to think this album would never see the light of day. Thankfully Osmose Productions picked this album which probably turned out to be a win for Mutatiis in the end.

What you get here is an album that envisions chaos, destruction, but with a sound that feels a bit condensed to make you think that you are in a temple so dark that you can't see the stone walls and ceilings caving in slowly before rushing in. You can only feel yourself being crushed. The sound of these riffs is just that, noisy thuds slowly belting into walls before they can cause everything to rumble, fall and crash quickly to a hill of rubble. Sometimes tremolo riffs will simmer in the background and come off like dirt and dust spilling down the hill of rubble. But the riffs can even become sorrowful (midway in 'Sigils That Beckon Death' for example), which reflects the sad side to all the devastation taking place.

The interesting thing though is that the cold and chilling piano and synth work on this opus feel as though they are orchestrating this disaster. When the chaos comes in, it is the piano and synths that stand out the most and when the quiet moments arrive, they provide the soundtrack for the view from above that slowly pans over the landscape of destruction. It sounds so dark and haunting and a touch of evil sprinkles from the notes being played.

Just when you think the night will finally become quiet, the chaos returns and all the other temples standing around this area begin to crumble to a million pieces as well, one by one. And again, it is the sprinkling notes of the piano that command this chaos. Sometimes a haunting choir will join in and provide that extra bit of power to force everything to crash down. So eerie.

Mutatiis voice works well in the way that it can feel as though he is playing different roles in this horror. The soft harsh whispers that hang in the background at times remind me of the injured crying for help under the rubble. The harsh yells are the hooded rebellious men who stand on the hills in the distance, cheering proudly and with strong emotion as they watch these temples collapse. Now they can finally build the perfect kingdom where they can worship their dark lords and perform their dark rituals without being bothered by those who believe in fake gods.

'Levitating The Carnal' was like steam slowly rising from heated blood that was oozing down an altar. The blood was then doused on the walls and left there till the stench was strong enough that it had to be taken down. 'Blood Geometry' is the moment when this structure is brought down, but not peacefully. And this wasn't orchestrated by people either, this is a mystery. Perhaps demons, or ghosts, or reapers were involved.

History shows that when new kingdoms form and worship changes hands, it is rarely done peacefully. The two hour long journey of 'Blood Geometry' may be that album to show us the day that true darkness finally takes over the world, only we wont be sleeping under newspaper blankets and eating scraps. We might be wandering the sands and fields, building new kingdoms after the bloodshed from the take over and worshiping the stars and the moon by lighting an enormous bonfire hoping the flames may reach them. Turn your lights out, lay down and let this black ritual haunt you throughout the night. One of the most darkest and haunting black metal albums in years.

Ikil

Baroness - Yellow & Green

Double albums are always going to be a challenging task, especially when you only have a couple of albums done prior and especially when you are going to 'change' your style. Baroness has taken what I see is a big 'risk' with the new album 'Yellow & Green'. Does the change in style and the double album pay off? I will talk about that at the end.

I always felt as though Baroness was living in the shadows of Mastodon. They always tend to get comparisons to them but I for one have never found them to be complete clones. It is interesting though and probably coincidence that they would take a more 'mainstream' approach to their sound right of the back of Mastodon's 'The Hunter' last year which took a more mainstream direction as well. Again, I will revisit this topic at the end.

'Yellow & Green' is much softer than what 'Red Album' and 'Blue Record' are. Even the heavy moments on this album don't have that edge they had before, but it isn't meant to. Instead the songs are laced more with catchy and memorable melodies, reminding me of post rock and a more hard rock side. 'Yellow' reminds me of a soundtrack to autumn, driving through a road along the woods where the yellow leaves, that have fallen from the now leafless trees, have formed mounds and they have all lined up along the road.

What the softer side does is it gives these melodies a chance to settle in my mind more thanks to the effects and just being so enjoyable. The soft side lets the bass play a more prominent role and at times it feels like it is the lead point on songs like 'Little Things' and 'Cocainium' for example, which I pay a lot of attention too considering how much I like the melodies. The heavier side even lets you take in the fuzz more and the buzz of solos doesn't feel as awkward as they did on 'Blue Record'.

I don't find a bad song here either and I must say, They are all memorable and all have their 'moments' and I am enjoying these songs more than their on previous works. Sure, it might seem that way because of this change in style but that is not the case. These aren't pop songs.

'Green' brings to mind when spring has arrived. Yes, we skipped winter but it isn't needed here. 'Green Theme' has probably the heaviest moment on the album and just feels like the grass has become green again on the hills and the trees have sprouted and become glorious and full of green leaves again. The main difference I pick up between 'Yellow' and 'Green' is 'Green' tends to play around with the electronics and effects more and it is done well. I dig that slight echo effect of 'Mtns. (The Crown & Anchor)', feels old. The songs are also slower in tempo and I'd even go as saying they are softer than 'Yellow'. I even get a more lifting feel on 'Green' than 'Yellow'. The energy in 'Green Theme' and 'Board Up The House' help that.

Again, I like all the songs. Everything from the riffs, lyrics, it is all catchy and memorable. The bass again plays a great role in leading your interest to it given how cool the guitar melodies are. Overall, 'Yellow' sticks in my mind more and probably the easier to take in. 'Green' takes time and does need to grow on you because of the experimentation with the electronic elements. Now that it has, it is excellent.

A softer side might make one think that the distinct passion and feel in Baroness might have changed or be lost here. That passion and feel is still here. Just hear the energy in John's voice when he throws it forward in a song like 'Psalms Alive', 'The Line Between' or 'Eula' for example. At times calm and mellow and other times lifting the energy in the voice with great emotion. The times when the dual vocals come in only drives that passion further. And with plenty of catchy lyrics, you might want to join in on the chorus too.

So does all this pay off? Oh yeah! This will surely take Baroness to new heights. Their fan base will grow (and deservedly so) and that will definitely go beyond the metal scene where the core of their fan base is. Don't be surprised if a major label picks them up too. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they become more popular than Mastodon. Is this a bad thing? I don't think so. Many of us complain about what dominates the mainstream music area and how our favourite heavy musicians don't get the full acknowledgment they deserve. Baroness can be one of those bands that show how heavy bands can write more 'accessible' music just as well without the pressure of big record execs. Remember, Baroness is still on Relapse so there is no 'selling out' going on here as one may suggest. No doubt this album will bring out the fans who like Baroness for their music and not for their heaviness.

In the end, how I feel about this album is definitely summed up here. This is the best thing they have done so far and this will be one of my albums of the year. Not much more can be said.

Ikil

Ihsahn - Eremita

I'd say the biggest highlight of my first trip overseas two years ago was getting to see Ihsahn play the Inferno Festival in Norway. My favourite musician would put on the best musical performance of the festival (most entertaining went to Mayhem hehe) and even more cement his place, for me, as being the most accomplished musician to come out of the black metal scene. 'Eremita' is the new album from Ihsahn and yet again another outstanding showcase of Ihsahn's talents.

Again, like the other Ihsahn albums, the guitar playing is that distinct technical style I have always enjoyed about the music Ihsahn has been involved in. Whether it be a shredding tremolo riff hovering in the background of a song or those sweeping technical ones twisting and turning before the subtle harmonic comes out of no where. The acoustic melodies that twinkle and sprinkle like dust from the ceiling in a dark room. Ihsahn knows exactly how to execute the perfect balance between technical riffing or just pulling off a really good catchy riff that is really effective. Look at a song like 'Introspection' for example. Nothing ever seems out of place.

Even the different atmospheres he can convey. A melancholy acoustic melody that can emerge into an evil lead break or tip toe like melody. A soothing harmony in his clean voice that breaks out into his necro Starscream like shriek. He hasn't lost his touch anywhere. The almost nine minute long epic 'The Eagle And The Snake' which encompasses all those atmospheres as well as the demented buzz of Jorgen Munkeby's saxophone, which again returns to the fray throughout the album. The bass work even comes off as disjointed from time to time. Think of 'Catharsis' where the bass line plods around like a confused soul scampering around a dark room.

The synth work doesn't appear to stand out as much this time around but it really takes full course in the song 'Something Out There' where it battles out with the disjointed soaring riffs. Reminds me of Emperor a lot in these moments with how chaotic it can be at times. 'Grief' is also some chilling work.

I have to make mention of 'The Grave' with its doom like opening and where Ihsahn's voice is the most torturous yet. The saxophone is just mental. The snares, toms and cymbals all shiver. The gigantic steps of the bass like a giant black boot marking its prints on the mud covered concrete. Also the twisted 'Departure' that opens sombre like and then snapping  and having a mental breakdown before calming down.

Perhaps, overall, I see this album as a journey into the many different feelings we experience in our life time. Sure, the positive ones might be missing a lot here somewhat, but Ihsahn has again represented the others wonderfully here. He again is a step above the rest. For all the jabs you read about black metal, is there any other genre that has evolved so incredibly like it has thanks to amazing musicians like this man?

Ikil

Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction

Pallbearer's first full length 'Sorrow And Extinction' is perhaps the most sorrowful album I have come across this year. One that breeds pure sadness, breathes one final breath after being drained of everything they once had and wanders alone on an exhausting journey through a black tunnel to the afterlife.

A concluding paragraph to open these thoughts on the album. But a conclusion signifies The End and that is what this album could be based on. Coming to that End, of life, of everything. I am reminded a lot of Katatonia's 'Dance Of December Souls' in the way that it was practically the soundtrack to the darkest of lifes end. The main difference for starters here is that you don't have a tortured and painful voice leading the way. Instead you have the voice of Brett Campbell who simply lets out all his emotional pain and sorrow into every clean word that is sung. The way the notes in his voice shift and carry, thinking of those little lifts or yells in songs like 'Foreigner' and 'Devoid Of Redemption' almost come across like a dying man leading one to think that there might still be some life left in this one even if death is the likely outcome.

Nothing beats music when you can tell the feeling in it and feel with it. The lead work for example, thinking of a song like 'The Legend', building from one lead to twins at the start. How heartbreaking. The crushing bleak riffs slowly prodding along, like that lonely old man who moved from town to town trying to find a sense of belonging, only to find nothing and gave up. Not realizing though that he wasn't alone as the dark clouds were following him from town to town waiting for that breaking point so they could lift him into their grasp. It slowly drains and takes its toll. Even the dark tone in the riffs is gut wrenching, and the rumbling bass doesn't sit well inside either.

At times the riffs may dive deep into a black ocean and you just wonder if this could get any heavier and the tones could be any deeper. The leads mostly feel like a haze in the background of these crushing dives and soars which is great because you can really feel how heavy this is then. When the lead work does become the main focus, it is practically perfect as you just hang on for that moment when the crushing will start again. Just think of 'Given To The Grave'.

And sometimes for other albums as crushing as this can get, the drumming is usually like an implosion and just as heavy. But they don't need to be here on SAE, the riffs do all of that. The drums tend to sit back more and crash steadily. Like the old man is being clouded by second thoughts of if he should just take that plunge into the deep black ocean.

'Dance Of December Souls' is in my top three albums of all time. For me to be thinking of that album when I listen to 'Sorrow And Extinction' is a true indication of where this album sits for me. Extinction means something is gone, but at least you still remember it, and that is sometimes the worst thing. When we remember something that is gone, usually we feel the sadness in remembering when it left us and we didn't want that. Pallbearer has nailed this moment perfectly. Bleakness, sorrow and emotional pain all wrapped into one..

Ikil

Goatwhore - Blood For The Master

I'll admit that I am a little puzzled to what seems to be an ever growing fan base for Goatwhore. Don't get me wrong, it is good to see them finally getting more recognition, and being on Metal Blade, of course they would. Their latest album 'Blood For The Master' should certainly drive their popularity further.

Goatwhore has been pigeon holed amongst death/black metal bands for a few years now, but I have always found them to be more than that. Their first few albums especially always had a subtle crust vibe and even some of the riffs always had subtle doom trudges. As they have become more 'accessible' over the years, those elements seemed to have fallen away. On 'BFTM', I am hearing those elements again. The production still helps it sound 'accessible' to the ears, but who cares. It fucking rocks!

The first few songs rock out and tease with crusty black metal jabs and as the album progresses, things seem to get faster and the riffs become more scathing but can gallop or march out at times and pure black metal enters the fray. Perhaps the nail hammered into that arm has been dragged further up and now the blood is spilling and spitting out profusely. Even for the 'clean' sound, you can still feel the dark sickness, filth and grittiness oozing out of this record.

The dual vocal assault of Sammy and Ben continues to drive an interesting mix in the Goatwhore feel too. Blackened death growls that have a subtle hardcore edge to them which only further adds that, for a band that has a straight forward approach, delivers it to perfection considering all the different elements that linger around. Even the drumming does a good job to mix up the blasting and twirling fills with more rocking out beats.

No song really 'stands out' but that is because I like all the songs and there is plenty of mixture between those styles mentioned above that makes all the songs have an interesting appeal. Something that is firmly placed in black metal but the other styles lightly added in just gives the songs a bit more spice.

Like 'Carving Out The Eyes Of God', this isn't groundbreaking. Just another really solid, good album for a band that whilst being placed in the death/black metal picture, can still throw in their other influences in a subtle way and not sound all over the place. Hopefully Goatwhore can be the catalyst that exposes other bands doing similar (and in some cases better) and soon these other bands might get some more attention also.

Ikil

Nile - At The Gate Of Sethu

I will always hold a special spot for Nile as they were the first band that really opened the world of death metal to me with their album 'In Their Darkened Shrines' 10 years ago. To this day, that album is a sentimental favourite of mine due to its dark atmosphere, brutality and technical musicianship and it still remains the ultimate Nile album for me. 'Those Whom The Gods Detest' did relive some of that past glory for me so I was really keen to get my hands on the new album, 'At The Gate Of Sethu'.

If you know the drill with Nile, it is your usual showcase of heavy and brutal technical musicianship. The hints of tribal flavour still appear ('Slaves Of Xul' and 'Ethno- Musicological Cannibalisms') in the album but overall, it is what you expect. I can't help but always be blown away by those technical spinning riffs that transcend, slow down to dirge and crush. A lot of catchy riffs too, sometimes more memorable than previous albums. There is even the odd moment where the technicality transcends to lift, like a lifeless body being raised to ancient gods in sacrifice. The middle of 'The Gods Who Light Up The Sky At The Gate Of Sethu' is just... 'Wow!'. 

Vocally, I have found them to be more brazen here. The deep brutality still arrives from time to time but I am liking the more barbaric yell. Even some singing/chanting manages to find its way onto this album in the song 'The Fiends Who Come to Steal The Magick of the Deceased'. 'Sing along' moment much? Hehe. It is cool though.

Like the swift changes in the riffing, the drumming also changes gear many times, from the blistering kicks that switch to the blistering fills that sweep through the songs like twisters sweeping through the open deserts and ripping the pyramids apart with them. As usual, Nile make Ancient Egypt seem like the most devastating period of Earth's existence. Were things ever peaceful back then?

Production wise, I am a little unsure. I have always been use to that dark, condensed sound from this band. Dark and condense but so powerful and heavy that you understand why things seemed condensed in the first place. Well on ATGOS, things seem a little flat. Well, I don't think flat is the right word, but it doesn't feel as dark. It is not as condensed either and there for I am not feeling that powerfully brutal atmosphere I found on previous albums.

It is like you sat outside that pyramid for years waiting for that beast to escape from the dark tombs inside that had been on a brutal rampage only for when it does escape outside, you realize it wasn't a rampaging beast, but a crazy mummy. Doesn't seem as evil after all, right? I am not saying this is a bad thing though. Perhaps this 'lighter' atmosphere I find here is Nile trying to show that the violence is now taking to the desert rather than inside the tombs. Perhaps the pyramids have crumbled to the ground meaning the mummys and beasts can only run wild in the open now..

In the end, this is not a bad album at all. It is very good and it is growing on me a lot. It wont be one of my favourite Nile albums, but it is another worthy addition to their ever impressive catalogue. Just how far it may go to being one of my favourite albums this year? Who knows, time may tell. 

Ikil

Lord Mantis - Pervertor

Over the last few years, a few filthy blackened sludge bands have come along that have been very interesting to these ears. Just good albums you can go to every now and thrash out too. Coffinworm and Wolvhammer were filling that spot nicely and now Lord Mantis has entered that list with their latest album 'Pervertor'.

Normally something that sounds clean in production value can't come across so filthy. Well I am glad for this because it has given the instruments more space to move around. The variations in style therefor are much clearer and easier to take in, but still maintain that dirty, filthy edge. Take the more melodic side of 'Levia' or the pounding build up of 'Ritual Killer'.

I like how the riffs and drumming mix it up a little bit too. This isn't the typical rock the fuck out album you might think it is. Sometimes the songs will turn a bit and become a little disjointed (EG: 'At The Mouth'). I like this as it gives the album a twisted and demented side. Add the psychotic blackened vocals and deep throttling bass and that just makes things even more mentally unstable.

The faster paced, more jabbing songs like 'Pervertor Of The Will' and 'Septichrist' come across like someone having a bit of a psychotic break out and then frantically pacing around in all different directions when a song like 'Vile Divinity' kicks in and their head is spinning. Finally, they mellow down and become sedated whilst still being in deep dark thoughts when a song like 'Levia' comes in. Then the psychotic flip out has caused your brain to turn to mush. Yes, the soundtrack to an unstable soul that is ready to rot away.

And with that, you have just enough differences on this twisted effort to do justice for its seven songs at a little over 45 minutes. By the time you're done with this, the maggots may have reached your rotted body that that lays across the old and cold wooden floor.

Ikil