Heavy Metal Tribune

Gotsu Totsu Kotsu (兀突骨) [Japan]
Moryou (魍魎)
2009
Full Length
Bang the Head
Death Metal

Usually bands that give themselves non-conventional labels or genres tend not to be taken seriously by me, with some of the bands guilty of these being those that call themselves "shadow metal" or "pirate metal" (most turned out surprisingly good though). But Gotsu Totsu Kotsu was a different experience for me, being a band that boasts the excellent bassist Haruhisa, who is also a part of Japanese brutal/technical death metal outfit Defiled. Furthermore, his work on In Crisis was simply stellar, and there was simply no reason why I should miss the debut release of the band, Moryou.

A strong and technical bass riff hits the listener as the album opens with 出陣, and those who have heard Defiled's In Crisis would immediately find the playing style of Haruhisa familiar, utilising not only the finger-style of playing but also at times incorporating playing styles like slapping and popping and this is perhaps the main unique aspect of Gotsu Totsu Kotsu's music.But once that flamboyant section passes, what is presented to the listener are some extremely aggressive death metal with a tinge of thrash metal influences that are littered throughout (like the riffs on 局中法度), at times reminding the listener of fellow excellent Japanese death/thrash metal band GxSxD, though Haruhisa's vocals are of a much deeper register. Guitarist Kentaro also unleashes relentless riff after relentless riff, and the melodic guitar solos that are present also present a slight oriental flavour and a stark contrast to the aggression.

Fans of Haruhisa's bass work also need not worry though. Throughout the album, Haruhisa often gets to show off his talents behind his instrument through moments that are dedicated solely to his bass guitar, such as on 殉教者. One thing that fans can be assured of is also how on Mouryou the bass fortunately does not end up overpowering the guitars of the album, something that In Crisis unfortunately tends to suffer from at certain points. Also, while I definitely enjoy the gruff edge of his growled vocals, I wasn't too keen on the clean vocals that he utilised, like on 兀突骨ノ乱, weakening the overall potential impact of the album, though such moments are fortunately rather few. However, the short chanting-sounding moment on title track 魍魎 gave a unique and somewhat authentic feel though, but other than that, the clean vocals definitely sounded slightly out of place.

Let's also not forget about the samurai theme that the band has based their entire musical and lyrical concept on. These themes are often present not only through the lyrical contents of the songs, but also through the sounds of war and chaos that are hidden at the background.

Can't wait for GxSxD's new album? Then Moryou would definitely promise to more than merely satisfy that craving for some quality death/thrash metal from the land of the rising sun with the pure brutality and intensity contained within.

Gotsu Totsu Kotsu on the internet:
Official website
Facebook
MySpace
Bang the Head

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Just like how He’s Just Not That Into You explored the relationships of singles and marrieds in a major metropolitan area, What to Expect When You’re Expecting also reconnoitered the aforementioned — this time with baby bumps thrown into the mix.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting details the ups and downs of five couples preparing for the latest addition to their family, offering a range of situations, problems, and attitudes towards the impending events. But mostly, the movie's varied storylines cough up the same platitudes: being pregnant sucks, having young children is a misery, but it's all worth it when you're holding that newborn in your arms. Hollywood seems to think that a star-studded cast makes a good movie.

Couple 1: Fitness-show host Jules (Cameron Diaz) and dancer/partner Evan (Matthew Morrison) are surprised to learn that they’re with a child. They had to put their egos aside to get ready to raise the baby.




Couple 2: Author and breastfeeding boutique owner Wendy (Elizabeth Banks), dealing with fertility issues, and dentist husband Gary (Ben Falcone) have tried futilely to conceive for two years and have nearly given up. Suddenly, a miracle took place and viola she is pregnant. Wendy was also invited as a guest speaker for a keynote lecture where it became a hormone-driven meltdown. We all know that a hormonal-meltdown is far worse than a demon possession. 


Couple 3: At the same time, Gary’s race-car driver Dad Ramsey played by Dennis Quaid, and his wife Skylar, played by “born in 1986” Brooklyn Decker (she could simply pass off as her daughter in the movie in my opinion) have an announcement of their own to make. She’s pregnant too. Yes, not one, but two. TWINS? NO WAY! HOW DID THAT OLD MAN DO THAT? *muses*

Couple 4: Freelance photographer Holly (Jennifer Lopez) and ad agency executive Alex (Rodrigo Santoro) are spouses cossetting in adoption of an Ethiopian orphan with widely erratic levels of anticipation: she can’t wait, he’s not sure he wants to. Let’s just say he’s a little hesitant to have a baby just yet. In preparation of his impending fatherhood, he’s been running to the park to seek advice from experienced dad Vic (Chris Rock) and his friends Gabe (Rob Huebel), Craig (Tom Lennon) and Patel (Amir Talai), who takes their kids to the park and bitch and moan about fatherhood.


Couple 5: Last but not least, food truck owners Rosie (Anna Kendrick) and Marco (Chace Crawford) who were also high school classmates back in the days, learnt that their one-night stand has them expecting. When she suffers a miscarriage, she vows to try again when she's ready.

Directed by Kirk Jones, the film doesn’t do much to clarify — or doesn’t seem to care — how all of these characters are connected. The only thing that got me gushing were the cute little babies. They were so adorable the entire cinema went "Awww…. Look at that cutie pie" I swear. Other than that, I was somewhat fidgety but the humorous dialogue exchanged kept me interested. Bipolar much?

All in all, What To Expect When You're Expecting gets 2 popcorns out of 5 for the superficial pregnancy comedy. It arrives just as expected, but falls short of the proverbial smooth delivery.

I hope you are reading this because someone special for you is dragging you to watch this with them. Well if the person is your spouse, which I suppose is your wife tells you she wishes for you to watch it with her, TAKE THIS, because this is a test. A TEST! If this describes your situation, then you have to do it. I don't think you're gonna learn WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING from this Hollywood film but you do learn eventually that you truly love your woman when you sit through this movie with her. Well the promising thought that it is not as bad as Twilight.

What To Expect When You're Expecting is out in all good cinemas on May 17! Catch it first at the nearest Golden Village cinema today!

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Alfred Tan: alfred@heavymetaltribune.com

Nachtvorst [Netherlands]
Silence
2012
Full Length
Code666 Records
Black Metal



After the highly acclaimed 2009 debut Stills, Dutch black metal duo Nachtvorst this year returns with their follow up, Silence, with the aim to instil even more depression and sadness into followers of the band with their broody brand of black metal.

And this happens right from the beginning of the album. Despite the rather chaotic introductory sound sample of The Serpent's Tongue, Nachtvorst mostly goes at an extremely slow pace compared to the usual high pace that most black metal bands tend to play at, and this definitely works well in the case of Silence as the entire album progresses at such a pace, making the journey at once a painful and enjoyable journey. The challenge of such a doom-paced album is usually to crush the listeners with heaviness as is the case for most doom metal bands, and Nachtvorst manages to utilise the heaviness along with the rather long track lengths to slowly cultivate the emotions on the album, with the album starting off rather aggressively, and slowly getting more and more depressive as the album progresses.

This is helped by the vocals of Erghal, who alternates between deep, throaty growls and high-pitched shrieks, each utilised according to the various moods of the music. The shrieks and howls, especially are desolate and sufficiently brings out that desperation of Nachtvorst's music. Leopold, who handles all the instruments, is also equally capable, changing his playing style accordingly, ranging from heavily palm-muted chugs to the spacey, trem-picked riffs on the guitar. Instruments such as the piano and strings are also used to help to reinforce the atmosphere of the music. Particularly, interludes such as After... and ...Before brought up comparisons with Dream Theater and some of their more emotional works as well. Tracks like Nightwinds and A Way of Silence give a slight surprise to the listener with the sudden and unexpected change in pace, and proves that the band is not only capable of playing slooooow songs, but can also turn up the intensity if need be, and this contrast on A Way of Silence helps to end the album on a high note, ensuring that the ominous feeling continues to loom ahead long after the album ends.

The production quality is stellar, and perhaps that, combined with the playing style of the band, reminds me of albums such as the excellent Opeth album, Watershed, only more gloomy, with the somewhat progressive style of black metal that Nachtvorst plays. One should also listen carefully as not one detail is spared in the production of the album, as the background is always filled with activity, and sounds of a busy crowd present at the background during the transition between The Serpent's Tongue and After... makes it feel almost as if the band were playing in a public setting, only to be ignored by every passer-by.

The length of the album and the songs contained here are definitely not something that everyone will enjoy, but if one manages to last the entirety of the album, Silence is a satisfying experience, with the masterfully crafted songs on the album.

Nachtvorst on the internet:
Official website
Facebook
ReverbNation
YouTube
Code666 Records

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Antropofagus [Italy]
Architecture of Lust
2012
Full Length
Comatose Music
Brutal Death Metal



Since the release of the band's debut full length album in 1999, Italy's Antropofagus has gone rather quiet, and this year sees them breaking the silence with a brand new album in more than 12 years, entitled Architecture of Lust, featuring an almost completely new lineup, other than original guitarist and founder, Meatgrinder.

There are usually two main possibilities when a band comes back from such a long hiatus, with an album that far exceeds expectations or one that usually ends up disappointing older fans of the band, denting the band's legacy. Fortunately then, Architecture of Lust is my first contact with the band and there are no comparisons that can be done with the band's 13-year old album. The band, Architecture of Lust presents a more technical side of the band's songwriting all the while retaining the old school brutal touch in the music, and this is evident right from the relentless blasting that hits the listener from the start of the title track Architecture of Lust.

Musically, the band is somewhat reminiscent to bands like their New York counterparts Suffocation, especially so with the riffing patterns of guitarist Meatgrinder and the throaty growls of Tya, though songs like Sadistic Illusive Puritanism reminds the listener somewhat of later Bloodbath material. The element of brutality is further upped by the ruthless drumming of Davide, who punishes the drums relentlessly. His stamina is also impressive, going at full speed throughout the album and making them blast beats sound like child's play to him. Meatgrinder also proves that the years of Antropofagus' dormancy hasn't caused his skills to rust, with the complex riffs that he come up with, often punctuated by equally technical wankery in the middle of these riffs such as on Sanguinis Bestiae Solium, constantly throwing listeners nice surprises. The "real" lead guitar parts or solos though are often contrary to the complex and chaotic style and provides some sense of melody, and this gives a nice contrast to the overall feel of the album. Unfortunately though, the bass of Jacopo tended to be buried in the mix, and though it provides the low end growl that sometimes are audible, it would have been nice to hear his presence more as well.

The production quality of the album as well, is rather clean and nicely done, and allowing the guitars and drums to really have a strong presence was definitely enjoyable for the most part, giving Architecture of Lust an extremely powerful sound. The fact that most of the songs do not drag on for too long also helps to ensure that songs do not lose their impact, hitting the guts of the listener quickly and effectively.

Antropofagus on the internet:
Facebook
MySpace
YouTube
Comatose Music

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

It has been a rather long while since I last heard a release as intense as Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire's recent EP release, Visceral. Blending elements ranging from the most blasphemous war metal to classic grindcore, CTTTOAFF has created a sound that is at once crushing and intense. We talk to the band to find out more.

AK-11 [Australia]
Legendary, Demonic & Invincible
2011
Demo
Independent
Black Metal



Apart from the band name of AK-11, the fact that the band calls themselves "triumphant black war metal" left me almost expecting black/death metal in the veins of bands such as Goatpenis, who pride themselves on war and weapons-themed songs as well. Aside from that, the band also has the album sung in a mixture of Russian and English, and this certainly helps in further stoking my interest in the debut demo, Legendary, Demonic & Invincible.

However, what is present on Legendary, Demonic & Invincible defies what one would almost expect with the "war metal" tag that one usually associates with, and AK-11 instead plays a cold, bleak black metal style more reminiscent to Finnish black metal bands like Satanic Warmaster and Horna, with that somewhat atmospheric element in the music, though AK-11 presents a heavier war theme and a more aggressive edge in the songwriting. Throughout the release, the influence from the aforementioned bands in the songwriting style is evident, such as the melodies that are present and the desolate mood that at times are present. Valak's vocals further bring out the bleakness of the music, allowing the horrors and destruction of war to overwhelm the listener. The band also includes suitable sound samples towards the end of Slava Rossii, giving an even more creepy feel to the song.

The raw production quality also helps in enhancing the overall mood of the album, giving the guitars a nice fuzzy yet cutting tone, though at times this could come across as ironically overly synthetic, particularly on Vechnyi Ogon', where the rhythm guitar tone sounded almost like a midi track at the background. The drums, while sounding powerful for the most part, tended to end up sounding rather mechanical, affecting the enjoyment of the album slightly and this comes across more clearly on faster moments (especially the snares) such as on Slava Rossii.

Despite the different perceptions of war metal (that came about for the war themes that the band writes about), AK-11's Legendary, Demonic & Invincible is still undoubtedly a nice black metal release, and is sure to please those who prefer the cold and bleak style of black metal.

The band has uploaded this release on their website for free release, and is available at THIS LOCATION.

AK-11 on the internet:
Official website
Facebook

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Ne Obliviscaris [Australia]
Portal of I
2012
Full Length
Code666 Records
Progressive/Black Metal



Australia's Ne Obliviscaris has managed to cause a storm in the international metal underground, with just a single demo, 2007's The Aurora Veil under their belt. Despite the release being a demo release, the quality of the demo was extremely high, both musically and in terms of production, easily being of a full length quality. Five years (and some visa-related drama) later, the band finally releases their highly anticipated debut full length album, Portal of I, containing updated versions of the three tracks that were initially presented on The Aurora Veil. Fret not though, as the material on Portal of I span more than 1 hour, allowing for fans of the band to slowly soak in new material as well.

And like The Aurora Veil, Portal of I opens with Tapestry of the Starless Abstract, and the polished production quality is immediately noticeable, and this would throughout the album give the songs of Ne Obliviscaris a rather different feel compared to the demo, providing a more dynamic sound and allowing the various instruments to really shine, though the band remaining mostly the same in terms of songwriting and musicality. Sticking true to the originals, the band does not leave out details, keeping the unique elements in their music, such as weird tinkling at the background of Tapestry of the Starless Abstract. Another notable improvement is in the clean vocals department of Tim, who also handles the violins on the album, much less whiney that those on The Aurora Veil, and this definitely removes some of the less desirable elements (personally) that were on the excellent demo. Apart from that, Xenoyr's vocals have also matured, with his growls hitting a deeper register, providing the depth in the music, and removing that somewhat core-ish feel that was appeared at times on The Aurora Veil, particularly towards the end of Tapestry of the Starless Abstract where the clean vocals of Tim and the growls of Xenoyr are layered together.

What made this band stand out personally on my first few encounters was the prominence of the violins of Tim in the band. While bands that featured unconventional instruments often underutilised them, having them serve as an ambient instrument, Ne Obliviscaris' songs typically allow for the violins to really shine, with the numerous lead segments given to Tim helping to create that emotional tension in the music, often interplaying with the lead guitars to create a unique listening experience. Songs like Xenoflux also saw the violins creating that chilling feel in the music, sounding like an inhuman scream at the background. Other than the violins, the bass guitars of Brendan also constantly stood out, and songs like Of the Leper Butterflies had the bass guitar drive the music, taking over as the lead instrument in the introductory section.

Also, needless to say, the band's progressive influences are strongly displayed throughout the album, with the shortest track on the album being the 6-minute Of the Leper Butterflies. Heck, a single track could contain so many different segments and elements that each song could easily count as an EP in itself. Other than the three tracks, the band displays the maturity in their songwriting, with new tracks like Xenoflux containing even more aggressive moments without losing that sense of melody and emotional rollercoaster in the transitions between different moods that made the band such a unique entity.

There is just so much going on in the music of Ne Obliviscaris that it is hard to really pen down in words. Most bands that create such a hype with the first demo release often fail to deliver on their debut full length album, partially caused by the high expectations that fans have had for them. But Ne Obliviscaris, with Portal of I has more than met the mark, and is sure to please most of the fans.

Ne Obliviscaris on the internet:
Facebook
MySpace
Code666 Records

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Hayagriva [Malaysia]
Descendant XII
2012
Full Length
Symphonic Black Metal
Khakan Productions



My first encounter with Malaysian extreme metal outfit Hayagriva was their 2011 EP, Emperor Awaits, featuring different mixes of the title track, Emperor Awaits, along with 3 other heavily electronic-influenced tracks. The production quality of the album certainly left me rather impressed, and with the release of Descendant XII, the band promises an expansion of the sound that was presented on Emperor Awaits.

Opening track Descendant XII immediately displays Hayagriva's atmospheric side, with the heavy synths and the spoken samples that greet the listener providing a nice, wide soundscape. With Is it Time for Me to Die? the band starts displaying their extreme metal side, as the drums of Nhajasakthee (who has also played with folk/black metal outfit As Sahar previously) and the vocals of Aavimarga coalesce together with the symphonic aspects to create an almost futuristic sounding piece of work. The synths of Venkhateswehra in particular helps in providing a nice ambient that lasts throughout the album, alternating between the role of drenching the music with an atmosphere that decides the mood of the music and that of providing unique sound effects such as those on the intro of Heavenly of Red Heaven. The ability for the synths to direct the emotion of the album is evident on tracks like Poem of My Return, providing an odd sense of beauty after the chaotic intro of the track.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to the clean and high quality production work that is on Descendant XII, there are times when the sound of the music sounds too artificial, in particular the drums of Nhajasakthee, sounding somewhat triggered, losing the authentic sound that one would seek to hear in albums such as this. The synths also at times become overpowering, causing the guitars on the album to sound rather weak when placed in comparison, which is quite a shame considering the quality of the riffs that are unleashed by Mantheravathee. Fortunately though, for the most part Mantheravathee's lead guitar works are placed high in the mix, and his unique lead playing style helps to make Descendant XII a rather interesting listen.

The band pays tribute to Malaysian rockers Sofea with a cover of the track Syurga Di Hujung Jarum, which was also presented on their Emperor Awaits EP, though this version sees Aavimarga utilising his gruff vocals instead of the clean version that was on Emperor Awaits. While attempting to fit this bonus track stylistically into the rest of the album, it is hard to deny the charm of the clean version that was on Emperor Awaits, and having Aavimarga growling the lines out sounded kinda off, causing the track to lose some of its power.

While not particularly a fan of symphonic metal, Descendant XII has been a rather enjoyable album. When stripped of all its extreme metal elements, Descendant XII could very well work as a well-crafted symphonic metal album without sounding overly cheesy and would certainly appeal to fans of symphonic metal. To top off the professionalism of the product, the album sleeve is as even more well-designed compared to the fantastic work on Emperor Awaits, showing how serious Hayagriva are with their works.

Related articles:
Interview with Hayagriva

Hayagriva on the internet:
Official website
MySpace
Facebook

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

It has always surprised me how bands that play some of the most brutal music on stage and on albums often turn out to be some of the nicest, most sincere people that I meet. Hate Eternal recently played a number of dates on their Asia and Middle East tour, in support of their latest opus, Phoenix Amongst the Ashes, and on their brief stopover in Singapore, we had the opportunity to have a short chat with the band members, Erik, Jade and JJ.

Abusiveness [Poland]
Trioditis
2010
Full Length
Old Temple
Black Metal



Poland's Abusiveness has had a rather long history, forming all the way back in 1991 despite Trioditis being only their third full length album in their long career. The band's first 2 albums garnered pretty raving reviews despite rather long gaps between them, and so Trioditis left me with a rather high level of expectations as well, with my first exposure to the band being the excellent split release with fellow Poles, Saltus.

From the opening riffs of Odmrocze/Trioditis, one is already reminded of bands like Thunderbolt but it doesn't take long before the technical edge of the band comes about, what with the sweep-picking of guitarists Gonthy and Mścisław, and the non-stop violent blasting of drummer Wizun, at times reminding listeners of Infernal War's Stormblast with the high speed and his drumming style. As the album progresses, Gonthy and Mścisław up the technicality of the music as well, what with the insane guitar solo on songs like W wichrze wzniesione pochodnie. The high energy of the music is kept up almost constantly throughout the album and leaves one wondering how the band manages to attain such stamina. Vocalist Xaos tops up this violent onslaught with his semi-howling growling vocals, and on songs like Chwała pozostanie see the layering of haunting clean vocals with the growls.

But among all the chaos there is a strange sense of order, at times with the band moving into a slightly more emotional mood, with the melody on songs like Chwała pozostanie providing a stark contrast to the destruction that the opening track brought with it initially. This melancholic aspect of the band is further displayed on the short acoustic instrumental interlude Południca as well, a raxther soothing and calming piece. There is even a short symphonic moment on Na zgliszczach, and Wieczornica has a folk metal feel to it, showing the band's ability to weave such contrasting moments together, proving their songwriting capability.

Those who know my preferences would know that I am a sucker for Polish bands, with the intense releases by bands like Infernal War being some of my favourites. Fortunately, Abusiveness on Trioditis does not disappoint and has managed to embody all features that make bands from Poland stand out from their international counterparts. If one is looking for a more technical or death metal-inspired version of bands like Blaze of Perdition, Abusiveness is the band that to look for.

Abusiveness on the internet:
Old Temple

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui