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