Embrace Of Thorns - Praying For Absolution

There is death metal that is brutal, death metal that has rawness to it.. and then there is death metal that sounds like that if hell existed, that it came right from the depths of it. It makes brutality and extreme seem tame. Embrace Of Thorn's latest offering 'Praying For Absolution' (PFA) has been unearthed.. and it is one dark, punishing and evil beast.

If every holy place was to suddenly crumble to a million pieces tomorrow, it is because the riffs on this beast has rumbled the structure from the bottom to the top. The riffs are so deep, so dark, so evil sounding, and when the occasional trailblazing tremolo riff takes command, it will strip the structure brick by brick. Their is a hint of smoke in the air as these pitch black riffs crush along.

The drumming is intense. It quickly crushes the crumbled bricks to dust. Sometimes it will lift and triumphantly march away like in the songs 'The Origin Of Scourge' and 'Debris Crowns His Earthly Worms', but the quick shades of destruction returns through out in a whirlwind of chaos. 

The vocals cross between a deep bellow and harsh blackened style. Almost like the commander of the deep dark depths is working in union with demons. The vocals are not on fire but they soon could be as you can sense the burning in Archfiend DevilPig's throat. It's like at the beginning, you can hear him yelling under the ground and then when he rises up, he is a raging beast.

Normally an album like this may get boring and come across as one dimensional. Not PFA. This has plenty of varying tempos. At times you get blistering speed. Slower moments that feel like the haze from the crumbling debris has begun to raise up to the black sky (eg: 'A Mass Of Fiends Forlorn'). And then at times it will just make you nod along, only you're not taking control of your nod, the demons are holding your head and swinging it back and forth trying to snap it off ('Ruins Of Man Scattered Like Ash').

This was quite unexpected. I wasn't expecting something as crushing and destructive as this. Except the dark and evil feel add to the enjoyment. Now, stand in a room that is pitch black and don't be surprised if the walls you can't see standing over you suddenly collapse and crush you.

Ikil 

Anguish - Through The Archdemon's Head

Dark Descent Records keep churning out awesome album after awesome album. And whilst I will write about the goodness of the likes of Horrendous and Anhedonist from this year later. I will write about Anguish's debut album 'Through The Archdemon's Head', which is one killer album of filthy doom. But wait! The way it is presented isn't what you usually expect for a doom album.

Okay, I said 'filthy'. Musically it could come across as Candlemass or even early Katatonia.. but much darker, much rawer, rustier and of course, much filthier. I don't even know why I am comparing this to either band, maybe it is because Anguish are also Swedish, but anyway. Even the lead work reminds me a little of early Katatonia. But again, this is no carbon copy as the lead work has a more raw and evil edge to it. The former may have walked the path of sorrow, Anguish walks a similar path, but this one is evil and they are pissed off and will not dwell in sadness like the other two.

Just look at the album cover. Picture that house sitting on its own on a cliff side full of trash. Those evil twin leads and thick, raw riffs plod, catch on at times, and send the clouds to creep over the field and send all the trash away. Sweeping it up into a mini tornado and spilling the trash over the cliffs, leaving that fox head to stand on its own, swaying on the cliff side. Nothing remains here, or if there is, it has turned to ash and been scattered. 

But then, the vocals of J. Dee. They are really interesting, different for this type of sound. They are raw, harsh. Kind of sounds like a cross between Tom Angelripper and Quorthon (Even a bit of Attila comes to mind) but filled with more agony. It almost sounds strained. Even listen to the clean vocals in 'Morbid Castle'. Perhaps the person who lived in that home alone on the cliff side is in fact still alive, but his heart has turned black. He got pissed off with living here, so he decided to pack up his things and drift off somewhere else. Let the hate of your past inspire you to carry on. Maybe he wants to take on the world after the 'Illusive Damnation' and become ruler in his 'Morbid Castle'.

You see, for a doom album, this doesn't crush. It grinds and it slowly squeezes you with a giant rusty clamp. You cannot escape this. It oozes of deep emotion and it will strangle you with passion. This is growing on me at an incredible rate. You know that album you hear every now and then that isn't necessarily anything new in terms of genre, but there is enough in there to make it different to everything else in that genre? This is one of those. This sits right on its own just like the fox head on that wooden pole on the album cover.

I will not call this a future favourite album of all time for me just yet, but in time, it just might well be. What an album!

Ikil

Azaghal - Nemesis

Azaghal has usually been a bit of a hit and miss for me. Each album has its moments but on a whole, nothing totally gripping. The new album, 'Nemesis' though is a different story and somewhat of a surprise. A very nice surprise and what may be one of the best black metal releases I have heard this year. 

One thing that I really enjoy from a black metal band is a good variation between tremolo picked riffs, catchy filthy rocking riffs and those blistering riffs that feel like they could gallop in time with any gale force wind. The album is filled from start to finish with a good variety of this and, for good measure, even slowing the tempo a bit and becoming more melodic as if the dark clouds sitting above you are starting to strike lightening in time with each note picked in the melody.

If the tremolo riffs are not ripping at your soul, then the fast raw riffs, with the help of the blistering drums, will drag you up into the dark clouds and carry you over a muddy field so bleak and cold and then drop you at great speed and if the thick mud softens the fall, unlucky.. cause the piercing solos will just turn your soul to mince meat. And if that is not enough, the horned beast on the cover of the album will slowly rise up in time with 'Ex Nihilo' and raise what is left of you in sacrifice to demon spirits.

Okay, perhaps a little too descriptive. But anyway, I may be going too far with this, but I am reminded a little bit at times of Mayhem's early stuff. 'Black Legions Of Satan' for instance.. a little 'Deathcrush' like? And even the way some of those riffs tear through, very 'De Mysteriis..' like in the way they can just appear unexpectedly after a slow opening for example. And the way some of those tremolo riffs come off, feels a bit like Dissection except Dissection's riffs were backed by icy cold production. Here, the riffs are backed by darkness with mist and cold winds.

I really like the vocals on 'Nemesis'. So cold and harsh and with much force. They descend from the dark clouds above and echo through these bleak fields. And the odd clean vocal  is added but not over done which is cool. I also like how the synths are subtle. When used, never so evident but being there adds to the dark and cold atmosphere.

One thing an awesome album like this one does for me is it makes me go back to re-discover their previous works. See if I 'missed' anything, so to speak. On the positive, I have. Glad I picked this up because I nearly didn't. Great album!

Ikil

Aura Noir - Out To Die

In 2008, Aura Noir exceeded my expectations with the superb 'Hades Rise'. An album full of catchy old school blackened thrash songs and so many memorable moments right through from riffs, to lyrics to vocals and so on. For me, it felt like a modern day 'Morbid Tales'. With their new album, 'Out To Die', I was hoping for another fantastic effort.

Sadly, I don't find this album anywhere near 'Hades Rise'. It's not that I don't like it. There is much to like. A lot of the riffs are good and are catchy. They are dirty, raw thrashing riffs that have a strike to them. Also a sense of technicality and some of those solos shriek. Apollyon and Aggressor's vocals again have that dirty feel as they both shout their lyrics with attitude. I like how they always sound so cocky.

And that is about where it stops. There is not much here that is memorable like on 'Hades Rise'. On 'Hades Rise', you remember the songs. Why? Because riffs like the ones on 'Unleash The Demon', 'Shadows Of Death' and the title track for example stood out. And the song titles were etched in your mind forever because they were shouting the song titles in your face in the chorus of their songs. I mean who can forget the endless repeated shouting 'The Stalker, the stalker...' on 'The Stalker' for example?

The only time I find anything totally memorable on 'Out To Die' is on the songs 'The Grin From The Gallows' with its catchy rocking opening and Aggressor's shouting and the way he opens most of the lines with 'I am...' which has that cocky attitude behind it I spoke of before. The only other memorable song I pick up on is the galloping 'Priests Hellish Fiend' where the song title is called out in the chorus.

I wanted more and I guess that is why I am not enjoying this so much. Yes, the album does rock but that is it really. On its own, it is a good album, but next to 'Hades Rise', 'Black Thrash Attack' and even 'The Merciless', it falls short. Maybe in time, it will grow on me more. We'll see.

Ikil

Steelwing - Zone Of Alienation

Is there any sound that the Swedes cannot master? Seriously, you only have to look at what has come out in the last five years or more to see that they can master any old school style. Look at the likes of Witchcraft, Graveyard, Burning Saviours, Horisont and more who have been able to master that old school (stoner) rock sound, like they were locked away 40 years and released when that sound was looking done. All the old school death metal bands forming (Morbus Chron, Mordant, Bastard Priest, etc) or reforming (Entrails, Interment, etc) and bringing back that classic swedish death metal sound.

Now in the last few years, we have seen the likes of Portrait, In Solitude, Enforcer and others come along who sound like they were locked away for 30 years, only to be brought back when it seemed like old school metal is dead. Add Steelwing to that list as their new album 'Zone Of Alienation' is one really cool old school metal album.

This is choc full of catchy galloping riffs, twin leading to make it feel a little Maiden-esque (even the following bass lines feels Maiden) and wicked solos. I like how the guitars are given their time to lead the way in songs (Eg: title track 'Zone Of Alienation'). A bit like how Bruce Dickinson would take a step back and let the guitars do the talking for a moment in the songs. Great times to sit back and admire the playing and transitioning between the lead work and solos. Both guitarists have their moments of glory.

I like the vocals of Riley. The the sound of the guitars, he has a bit of a scratch to his singing which for me, adds a little bit of a raw edge which helps take away a lot of the 'cheese' factor it could have had if it say had the production of a lot of todays power metal bands. A lot of good variation and at times helps capture that 'moment' in a song when I can nod with great approval, like the chorus in 'Solar Wind Riders' or 'Full Speed Ahead' for example. And the way he finishes on the epic 'Lunacy Rising'.. Fuck yeah! Towards then end you think he is gonna scream his vocal chords out.

The awesome album cover would help what I am picturing when listening to this album. Like being stuck in the middle of some cheesy sci-fi/action film with this sound track playing from the skies. Or this should be the album blaring through the room during a laser skirmish war.. not the shit house pop music that is usually playing.

I don't like to try a compare to the classics but I like how Steelwing has that different feel to the likes of Portrait, In Solitude, Enforcer and co. Steelwing comes off as more Priest/Maiden like where as Portrait and In Solitude are more darker, reminding me of Mercyful Fate and then Enforcer comes across as more older Scorpions. 'Zone Of Alienation' has certainly received more spins from me than 'The Final Frontier' and 'Nostradamus' (like that isn't hard to believe anyway hehe) has together if that gives any indication how much I like this album. Wicked!

Ikil

Unleashed - Odalheim

Wow! I can't say that I was expecting too much from Unleashed with their new album 'Odalheim'. I found their previous album 'As Yggdrasil Trembles' to be lackluster so I was expecting just another 'okay' death metal album from them. But 'Odalheim' is the best thing they have done in years.

Okay, so it is quite different to what is normally put out by Unleashed. For starters, their is a real lack of brutality on 'Odalheim'. However, this is replaced with viciousness. It is fierce! It is dark. And it is Epic! Instead of bludgeoning the opponent with hammers, they have sliced them all with shining new swords and set the village ablaze. And this fire burns at great pace.

The riffs have great variation. Fast, death riffing and soaring tremolo picked melodies that sometimes make this album feel like it is given a black metal touch. Sometimes it slows down and nods along to help make it a little more accessible to that Amon Amarth fanboy who thinks the whole viking gimmick stops at them, but Unleashed adds that technical and disjointed twist to prove that they are, and always have been the the true kings of Viking. Even the solos feel like you are being wrapped in netting as you are about to be dipped upside down into a torturous fire.

Even Johnny Hedlund's vocals have changed up a lot. Along with his usual death metal growls also comes a harsh black metal voice. But this also feels commanding (hear the chorus line of 'Odalheim' and 'Rise of The Maya Warriors'). The leader of this battalion is fuming and wants to tear down the entire village. Just listen to the lyrics in 'By Celtic and British Shores'. Enough said.

Then the drumming is blistering. Aggressive. This is the fire that is blazing through the village. Explosions going off in the village as the battalion heads off back through the sea. The trees are burning and crashing down on the crumbling homes. There is simply no hope for any survivors from this raid.

Unleashed has become a group of Berserkers here. What an album! It will be interesting to see where 'Odalheim' will take them. With the popularity of the more accessible Amon Amarth, maybe one will get hold of this, look into the rest of Unleashed's history, and discover who really has Odin on their side.

Ikil