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