Heavy Metal Tribune

Impetuous Ritual [Australia]
Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence
2009
Full Length
Profound Lore Records
Death Metal

Impetuous Ritual is perhaps best known for containing 2 members of the insanely chaotic and controversial Australian death metal band Portal. The first time I heard Portal, their material literally made no sense to me, with the chaotic and abrasive sound that the band had crafted. Hearing about Impetuous Ritual's debut release Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence though, I decided to take the risk to check that out, despite the awareness of the band being a project of members of Portal, and the chance of the stuff being equally un-listenable as the latter.

And I have to say, the first few times listening to Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence was indeed unpleasant to say the least, and the music that is present on the album certainly lives up to its title. Relentless the music certainly was, with the first listens hitting me like a brick to the face, leaving me wondering what the hell just happened after about 35 minutes of battering. But after a number of listens, for some reason things started falling into place, and Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence just suddenly sounded completely coherent and made total sense to me.

Unlike the experimental approach that Portal tends to take, Impetuous Ritual chooses instead a more straightforward approach, and it almost feels as if the whole intention of the band is to crush listeners under as heavy a form of death metal as they can write. Elegy opens the album with a slow build up in the atmosphere, as the band playing in the background slowly fades into the foreground, and the guitar tone and the wall of noise is immediately familiar to listeners who already have prior exposure to related bands. The slow pace that the band begins with also leaves listeners with an air of unease, with the foreboding and crushing heavily palm muted riffs on the guitars. A low growl then greets the listener from the middle of the track, providing the ceremonial and ritualistic aspect of the song. And without warning, all hell breaks loose with Convulating Unto Despondent Anachronism, as the band goes into full speed chaos. The hits on the drums are relentless, the guitar tone abrasive as fuck, and the vocals demented enough to fit the overall atmosphere in the music.

On top of the faster segments, the band also makes clever usage of slower segments when appropriate, and when least expected, often to further build up the tension in the atmosphere. Often times, this ends up with a mood so dense that it almost makes it hard to breathe, like on Destitution, where the band simply drones on and on with the same riff over and over again, with the same ritualistic pace that they started out with, almost killing the listener who is waiting in anxiousness for the next onslaught to begin. Once the band does with Inexorable Blasphemies though, it somehow (and ironically) became easier to breathe once more, feeling as if all tension is finally released.

The straightforward approach towards the songwriting though does not discount the band's technical abilities as there are numerous guitar solos that are littered throughout, and despite the seemingly incoherent and chaotic style, these make perfect sense in the setting where they occur. The drumming as well can also get pretty technical at times, and instead of brainless blasting, what one will find here is drumming in odd time signatures and rhythms and ever-changing drumming patterns, yet managing to retain the ferocity at the same time. Songs like Coalescence of Entropy contain numerous memorable drum patterns, and are evidences of the drummer's capabilities.

Sure, complaints about this being just brainless noise and punishment on the instruments are unavoidable but the band not giving a fuck about how loud and how hard they are playing their instruments is precisely what makes this album all the more charming. To put it shortly, if one felt that Portal was too raw and incoherent to listen to, Impetuous Ritual provides a more coherent albeit slightly different experience with the variation in the songwriting styles, though the band has fortunately managed to keep the intensity, energy and atmosphere that has made Portal and its related bands one of a kind.

Impetuous Ritual on the internet:
MySpace
Profound Lore Records

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Embrional [Poland]
Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviours
2012
Full Length
Old Temple
Death Metal

Polish hate-squad Embrional releases the follow up to their previous album Cusp of Evil with Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviours, after four years. With the band promising this release to be a "death metal annihilation and mental insanity", it could either leave one with high hopes or simply dismiss this as yet another boastful gimmick to promote the band's album.

Fortunately, this leans more towards the former than the latter, as Embrional blazes ahead right from the start with Possessed by Evil. Despite Embrional's Polish origins, the technical touch on the intro riffs of Possessed by Evil and the prominent and complex bass riffs immediately remind listeners more of technical death metal bands in the veins of stuff like Japan's Defiled's works on In Crisis. But it does not take long for the Polish side of them to come out, as the onslaught begins proper, with Camillvs' work on the drums particularly reminiscent of Infernal War's Stormblast's and Behemoth's Inferno's relentless torment of the skins. The speed and intensity of the music undoubtedly puts the band alongside such legends as Azarath and Behemoth, along with the slight black metal edge that the band has included such as those riffs in the middle of Possessed by Evil and title track Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviours. The interlude Necropolis would have easily stood as a Behemoth track on its own with the nice combination of black and death metal riffing styles.

Unlike the straightforward blasting that fellow Poles prefer, as already mentioned, Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviours at times leans towards a more technical death metal sound. This is not to say that bands like Infernal War and the likes lack technicality, but rather, the music on the album is often punctuated by quirky, complex segments (such as on Disgraceful Enslavement) and odd time-signatures, such as on title track, Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviours, helping Embrional stand out from the recent flood of Polish death metal-inspired releases. Maniacal Madness even brings in some brief Meshuggah-ish moments with the unpredictable tempo shifts and time signatures, and is sure to please fans of technical metal. All these are topped by the deep guttural growls of vocalist Marcin, sounding like a deeper version of Mikael Akerfeldt;s works on Bloodbath, helping to up the brutality level. Guitarists Marcin and Rychu also display their versatility, with the solo on Necropolis being some of the more tasteful ones unleashed on the album, showing that they are not only about shredding and complexity. Usage of cleans on the interlude Beyond the Abyss puts a haunting and somewhat melancholic mood into the album as well. The production quality on the album is also clear and clean, allowing the individual instruments on the album to pack a punch to the listener, ringing out clearly.

Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviours, as the sophomore effort of Embrional has certainly captured my attention, and if one were looking for a technical death metal band playing in the Polish style, this album is certainly one that is not to be missed.

Embrional on the internet:
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Old Temple

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Eluveitie [Switzerland]
Helvetios
2012
Full Length
Nuclear Blast Records
Melodic Death/Folk Metal

Eluveitie was one of the first bands that got me hooked onto the melodic death metal style of folk metal, with Slania being the first album that I listened to. Unfortunately, over the years as the band's style of music evolved, my interest in the band dipped similarly. While the acoustic folk-rock album Evocation I was still bearable and unique in itself, their return to extreme metal grounds with 2010's Everything Remains as it Never Was was a disappointing album, sounding like an uninspired, watered-down melodic death metal album.

This year marks the release of the band's follow up to Everything Remains as it Never Was with Helvetios, and out of nostalgia's sake I decided to have a listen to the album. The epic and heroic feel that the band has always incorporated in their music is still present, first with the dramatic spoken introductory track, Prologue, sounding like the narrating of the opening chapter of the album and this definitely helps in building the anticipation for the journey that is to come. As title track Helvetios begins, the familiar folk instrumentations and arrangements immediately greet the listener, building the tension in the air. First listens certainly sound good, and there is the potential that the band has returned to their original form or even better, with the smooth progression of the tracks, and the perfect fusion of brutality through the gruff, death vocals and the melodies that the folk instruments provide.

Some of the most charming moments on the album are the heavy usage of folk elements compared to the previous release, and this is certainly a welcome move considering this was what made Eluveitie such an enjoyable band personally in the first place. The usage of the female vocals also add a nice dynamic and contrast to the gruff lead vocals, and the singing style gives a somewhat tribal feel to the music as well, instantly transporting the listener into the middle of a battlefield, and it is these folk elements that help to make the music catchy and keep the listener constantly interested.

Unfortunately, the band falls in terms of the metal instrumentations. The downtuned guitar, the beefy tone of the guitars and the chugging style that the band constantly utilises throughout the album may sound refreshing and suitably aggressive at first, but as the album drags on it almost starts to sound somewhat nu-metallish, and this particular so if one imagines the songs on the album without the folk instruments, especially on tracks like Helvetios. In fact, removing the folk instrumentations on the album, Helvetios would probably come across as yet another of those uninspired melodic death metal records, with the flat-sounding guitars and the boring riffs that are filled almost solely with power chords and little innovation attempted.

As already mentioned, the saving grace of Helvetios are the brilliant folk and acoustic arrangements that are present on the album. While I am all for bands attempting progress in their musical styles, in such an instance it would have been nice to see the band revert back to the style they had created on albums like Slania and Spirit instead. That said though, this album is still an improvement over the band's previous output, Everything Remains as it Never Was and is perhaps a step in the right direction for Eluveitie once more.

Eluveitie on the internet:
Official website
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MySpace
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Nuclear Blast Records

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

On Top [USA]
Top Heavy
2011
Full Length
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions
Heavy Metal/Hard Rock

On Top's debut full length album, Top Heavy features a cleavage-baring woman in the foreground, leaving me with an almost negative first impression, and the band name and album title didn't do much to help either. While bands like Edguy tend to feature over-the-top sex-related jokes, they do so in a more subtle way (in terms of artwork), and hence this leaves me slightly hesitant in checking the music out.

Top Heavy surprises me then as the album opens with the title track, and instantly displays the flamboyant guitar works of guitarist Alex Kulick, before breaking into a  hard rock/heavy metal riff, that while cheesy, is admittedly extremely catchy, dispelling all prior bad impressions. Jaron Gulino's vocals have a somewhat thrash metal feel to them, sounding somewhat like Municipal Waste's Tony Foresta. The thrash metal/crossover feel in the music shines more with the usage of background shouting vocals as well, though for the most part the music here has a more old-school heavy metal attitude, with the mid-pace that the band tends to travel at. Alex gets lots of air time on the album with the large amounts of time dedicated for him to display his prowess on the guitar, perfectly balancing speed, precision and melody, making the guitar solos some of the personal highlights on the album.

Unfortunately, the band at times falter in the songwriting department, with the main gripe being the speed that the band goes at on some of the songs. For example, Into the Night travels way to slowly, and for the five-and-a-half minute track, it tends to get slightly monotonous with the repetitive riffs as the song progresses, with the saving grace being Alex's guitar solo. Shorter and faster songs like Sleepless on the other hand shine, with the old-school thrashy and straightforward attitude simply reeking and overflowing out of the band, and are perfect tracks to headbang to along with a couple of beers. The rock 'n' roll influence in the band's music is further shown on the lead guitar lines on tracks like Sick and Tired.

The band's fun-loving attitude is evident through the themes that the band sticks to, ranging from the ranting of everyday life (Sick and Tired) to simply having fun (Another Night of Sleaze). While the songs that are written are not particularly memorable, Top Heavy is certainly a fun record to dance to once in awhile, and is definitely not a suitable one for those who are looking for some serious, heavy metal.

On Top on the internet:
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ReverbNation
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Thrown to the Sun's brand of progressive death metal instantly caught my attention, with the band's debut full length album Of Oceans and Raindrops displaying infusion of nice melodies without compromising the technicality. Being one of the first bands out of Turkey that I encounter also piqued my interest in the band. We talk to guitarist Ahmet to find out more about the history of the band, and the creative process behind the writing of the album.

Bruce Dickinson [UK]
The Chemical Wedding
1998
Full Length
Air Raid Records
Heavy Metal

Ever since the discovery of Iron Maiden, they have been my personal favourite band of all time. However, 1994-1998 marked some of my least favourite years of the band, not only with the departure of guitarist Adrian Smith (which resulted in the delayed listening to No Prayer for the Dying and Fear of the Dark), but also of the iconic voice of the band, Bruce Dickinson. The years without Bruce Dickinson saw the band release the disappointing The X Factor and Virtual XI. Fortunately, the same period of time saw Bruce Dickinson releasing some of his strongest solo materials, in particular The Chemical Wedding.

Unlike the increasing progressive and overtly dark direction that Maiden had been taking over the years, The Chemical Wedding sees Bruce Dickinson presenting some good old heavy metal without all that desperate efforts in sounding different. The album starts off strongly with King in Crimson, and Bruce Dickinson's vocals are immediately recognisable, and unlike the raspy style that he attempts on No Prayer for the Dying and Fear of the Dark, his vocal quality here is markedly smoother and more fluid, certainly sounding better than the strained attempt at sounding aggressive. Songs like Gates of Urizen are perfect for displaying the vocal prowess of Bruce Dickinson, and the reason why he remains one of my favourite vocalists becomes self-explanatory. The presence of fellow Maiden member, guitarist Adrian Smith is also significant, with the guitar solos that are unleashed extremely familiar, giving fans of these dark years of Maiden something that they can finally identify with. Add to that the often duelling guitar solos between Adrian and Roy Z, with each displaying their unique playing styles, makes for one hell of a fun and dynamic listen.

Bruce Dickinson also proves his abilities as a songwriter on the album, with the music sufficiently bringing out the dark feelings with an equally dark album concept that lies beneath the album, and penning music that suits the various emotions of the various songs. For example, the title track Chemical Wedding has a somewhat sad and melancholic melody to it, fitting to the lyrics on the song, while Killing Floor has a respective aggressive sound to it, and it is on this track where Bruce Dickinson attempts a pseudo-growl, adding to the fierceness to the song. There are also epic tracks such as Book of Thel and closing track, The Alchemist, with each running for more than 8 minutes long, and Book of Thel being the personal favourite track, especially with the drum fills in the middle of the track, and the epic feel of the song through the numerous transitions present throughout. The usage of keyboards on the track also helps in building and maintaining that tension in the air. The Alchemist sees a short reprise of the title track Chemical Wedding towards the end, and is the perfect close to this epic journey.

Lyrics-buffs who have found the epic lyrical concepts that Maiden albums often have nothing to worry about here as well, with The Chemical Wedding containing perhaps some of the darkest lyrics that Bruce Dickinson has ever penned, making the reading of the lyrics an outstanding journey in itself. The only minor complaint here are the slight nu-metal moments on Machine Men, that kinda spoil the mood a little. Overall, The Chemical Wedding is an album that more than makes up for the Maiden years and albums without Bruce Dickinson, and is perhaps even superior to most material that Maiden has put out to date.

Bruce Dickinson on the internet:
Official website
MySpace
Facebook

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Hordak [Spain]
Under the Sign of the Wilderness
2011
Full Length
Independent
Black/Folk Metal

While the Spanish metal scene has seen a rise in extreme metal in terms of black and death metal, there are also bands like Hordak, playing their music in the veins of Scandinavian black/folk metal bands, dubbing their style as "Celtiberian pagan metal". Five years since the band's previous, critically acclaimed album, the band releases their brand new effort in the form of Under the Sign of the Wilderness. The heroic-themed album artwork instantly caught my attention, being one who particularly loves epic album artworks, and this has also placed high expectations on the music as well, and whether it is able to match the standards of the album artwork is left to be heard.

The folk element in the band's music is immediately heard right from the start, with the opening acoustic guitar riffs and the subsequent sounds of flutes giving a calming and charming soundscape, and while this could come across as slightly cheesy for the jaded folk metal listener, Hordak manages to do this well and sets the mood and foundation for the rest of the album to build upon. And with the sound of horses in the background, the album begins proper with 722 and one is immediately reminded of such Scandinavian bands as Finsterforst and Equilibrium, with that foggy atmosphere that the fuzzy guitar tone evokes in the music.

However, unlike the aforementioned bands, Hordak has a more black metal edge to their music, especially in the vocal delivery of Autumn, a black metal shriek sounding like a more tortured version of Shagrath at his prime and this helps to increase the enjoyment of the music for a black metal fan like me. Aside from that, there are also numerous other influences that were spotted that make Under the Sign of the Wilderness such an enjoyable one. For example, there are moments when it almost sounds like a black metal version of Amon Amarth with the heroic themes and viking metal-styled songwriting and playing of the band, like the alternating between palm-muted, chugging and trem-picked riffs on Towards the Cold Eternity. Also, songs like Spreading the Firewings have an almost folk/power metal feel to the riffing and the energy that is seeping out. Despite that, it is not all flowery as the band also includes darker moments as well, such as the sudden drop in the mood towards the end of Monoliths.

Throughout the album the songs are masterfully crafted, with each of the songs containing huge melodic hooks that grab the listener's attention, getting him to headbang along to the music. Guitarists Winter and Autumn not only does this through the melodic riffs that are unleashed but also in their lead guitar works, though for the most part it seems that the focus of the band are on the rhythmic work of the musicians. The lead work, while nothing stellar, are also extremely melodic, and it is the feel that the guitarists have put into their lead work that is particularly noteworthy. The bass of Mansilla is also extremely audible throughout the album and this certainly contributes to creating a full sound for the music on the album.

It has been a long while since a folk-influence extreme metal album has managed to capture my attention this well, and Hordak, with Under the Sign of the Wilderness is certainly an album that succeeds in this aspect, at the same time reigniting my interest in black/folk metal once more. Of course, the usual things that make a folk metal album such as the usage of acoustic guitars along with electric guitars are present, but what Hordak has done here is the display of their ability to fuse all the different aspects together to bring about a coherent album, yet managing to avoid sounding overly cheesy.

Hordak on the internet:
Official website
MySpace


©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Exmortis [USA]
Resurrection... Book of the Dead
2011
EP
Xtreem Music
Death Metal

Exmortis as an entity is certainly not new to extreme metal, being originally formed way back in 1987 playing death metal in some of its earliest forms. After a break of more than 10 years, the band reformed with sole original member Brian Werking joining forces with new bassist and drummer Paul and Josh, releasing their first new material in 17 years in the form of their brand new EP, Resurrection... Book of the Dead.

The album starts off hauntingly with Creation, with sounds of children singing and giggling at the background while shrouded in a dark atmosphere and drumming at the background, setting up the mood for the EP. With the title track, Book of the Dead, the EP begins proper and it is immediately obvious that the band has not lost their touch in playing old school death metal. Brian's vocals are still on top form, and sound almost like Martin Van Drunen's works on Asphyx. His touch on the guitars is also not lost, as evident on the numerous lead guitar spots that are littered throughout the EP, mostly chaotic sounding with the shred work yet managing to maintain a sense of melody, such as on Deep Red. Also, on top of the usual death metal-styled riffs, the band has also included some thrash-inspired riffs, and even the songs are at times structured in such a way that it would sound right with a band like Slayer playing them, like on The Slaughter Begins.

That said though, as the EP drags on, it gets slightly boring with the little variation and the few actual memorable moments on the EP, with most of the songs sounding almost similar to each other not only in terms of playing and riffing style, but also the song structures, such as the chugging sections on most of the tracks, in particular on Book of the Dead and And There was Pain, making it sound almost as if the band had run out of ideas, and it leaves me feeling as if it were the same song playing over and over again. No doubt, each of the musicians here are extremely proficient on their instruments, but the quality of the songs on Resurrection... Book of the Dead does not do justice to Exmortis' 24-year legacy.

Exmortis on the internet:
Official website
Facebook
MySpace
ReverbNation
Xtreem Music


©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Shroud of Despondency [USA]
Pine
2012
Full Length
Independent
Black Metal

After a long period of inactivity, Shroud of Despondency returned last year with not one, but two albums worth of new material, with Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion and Objective:Isolation, displaying 2 vastly different styles of black metal on each of the albums, and both leaving a lasting impression, making the receiving of the new effort of the band, Pine, an extremely pleasant surprise.

As Objective:Isolation was more of a compilation of the band's earlier works and style of black metal, one would then expect Pine to be some sort of a continuation of where Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion left off. Wanderlust (Winged Seed in the Breeze) immediately presents a dark atmosphere in the music, with the ominous roll of the thunder in the background as synths slowly fades in, eventually giving way to a melancholic clean guitar melody. Unlike the somewhat hopeful sound that the band's previous release contained, Pine fails to give listeners any such hope, with the brooding mood in the music blocking out all sense of optimism, leaving listeners with only a sense of impending doom. And the band does that painfully slow as well, as the intro drags on and on, taking their time to build the climax, though this is definitely not a complaint, seeing how the band has managed to do so skilfully.

Overshadow brings listeners back to familiar ground, with that muffled guitar tone and the heavy atmosphere that shrouds the music. Vocalist Ron on Pine replaces ex-member, Michael, and he manages to do his job well too and is almost indistinguishable from Michael's works on Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion, though his shrieks are definitely more powerful and desolate, helping in bringing out that desperation that is so crucial in the music of Shroud of Despondency. He also alternates between these black metal shrieks and throaty death growls, making the songs on the album sound more dynamic. The layering of the growls and the shrieks is also a nice touch, giving a fuller sound. However, there is a marked reduction in the usage of clean vocals on the album which gave Dark Meditations... it's charm, though this is more than made up for through the excellent execution of the music on Pine. The lead guitars of mastermind Rory and Jon are at times melodic, providing some sense of hope among all the despair, though for the most part they provide face-ripping solos like those on New Trees.

Compared to Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion, Pine presents a more aggressive and darker side of the band to listeners and fans of the band, and this is evident through the increased usage of death metal sections on most songs. There are also heavier moments on the album, such as the doom-paced The Great Sadness Descends that manages to live up to its title. The usage of that same nihilistic-sounding spoken word that was present on Dark Meditations... on the the interludes that all serve to reinforce that somewhat suicidal mood on the album, with an ironically soothing ambient backdrop in particular on Wanderlust (Moist Soil). Half Open Gates even brings in some folk metal feel, further expanding the sound that Shroud of Despondency has created. The awkward instrumentation on songs like Light Words, Dark Graves also has the effects of causing uneasiness in the listener, and could very well have been the entire intention of the band.

As the band themselves has mentioned, Pine is the follow up to Dark Meditations... and is intended to be a darker effort than its predecessor, and the band has certainly managed to do so without losing the vision that they had started off with, and marks the growth and maturation of the band as songwriters and musicians.

Related articles:
Interview with Shroud of Despondency
Album Review: Shroud of Despondency - Objective:Isolation
Album Review: Shroud of Despondency - Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion

Shroud of Despondency on the internet:
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Bandcamp

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Marduk [Sweden]
Iron Dawn
2011
EP
Regain Records
Black Metal

Despite having many fans welcoming Mortuus' entry into Marduk in 2004, the influences that he has brought with him into the songwriting of the band has been rather a bit of a bittersweet experience personally. While I like the increased intensity that he has brought in, with his powerful vocals, the band also seemed to take a slightly altered route, with albums like Rom 5:12 and Wormwood containing some of the band's slowest songs to date, which could have been intended to display the band's growth, only ended up boring me. So when the band announced the release of a new EP in 2011, I didn't have much high expectations, fearing the inclusion of yet another 3 boring tracks, but looking at the short track lengths gave me some sense of hope, with any fears of a boring song being limited to at most a short 5 minute.

Fortunately though, Iron Dawn does not disappoint. Warschau 2: Headhunter Halfmoon opens with sounds of a war siren, in line with the band's constant themes of death and war throughout their discography, and marks a step in the right direction. And it does not take long for the song to begin proper, and the listener is thrown into a myriad of chaos and destruction, as Marduk batters the listener relentlessly, showing the listener what classic Marduk should sound like, with the large sounding guitar tone of Evil and the hard-hitting blast beats of drummer Lars. Mortuus' vocals here is more tortured than ever, and unlike previous releases, Mortuus' vocals register a slightly higher pitch over here, and this helps in making the music all the more impactful as it hits the listeners hard in the guts. The constantly wailing siren at the background also helps to keep up the destructive atmosphere and mood that the band has conjured, and further brings out and emphasises the violence in Marduk's music. Second track Wacht Am Rhein: Drumbeats of Death certainly lives up to its name, with Lars hitting the skins relentlessly, at an almost inhuman speed.

The first 2 tracks on this 3-track EP are no-nonsense, straightforward blasting black metal tracks that gives listeners little time to breathe, while the third and final track, Prochorovka: Blood and Sunflowers sees the band taking a slowdown (just like the slower material on the previous 2 albums), Don't be fooled by the somewhat slightly optimistic songtitle though, as the song presents an even darker side of Marduk, with the band opting to crush the listeners under the ominous and heavy atmosphere on this track. And while I would have loved to complain about how this track bored me out, it is hard to deny the impact and damage that the first 2 tracks have caused, making this third, slow track a somewhat welcome one, driven by slow and heavy riffing. The slight disappointment after the album ends then, would come in the form of the band releasing a statement mentioning how the upcoming full length will be of a different concept from the material on Iron Dawn. Until then, one can only hope that this does not mean further disappointment.

Marduk on the internet:
Official website
MySpace
Facebook
YouTube
Regain Records

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Black Hate [Mexico]
Los Tres Mundos
2012
Full Length
Dusktone
Black Metal

In 2 years, Mexican black metal band Black Hate has released 2 full length albums after a long list of split releases. Los Tres Mundos is the band's latest full length album, with an album artwork that bears a strong resemblance to Blut Aus Nord's recent album 777 - The Desanctification, leaving one to wonder if Black Hate's music would bear any similarities to the aforementioned's experimental form of black metal.

There is a certain futuristic and post-apocalyptic touch as the album opens with introductory track I, what with the sound of TV news reporting in the background, giving the album an ominous and foreboding mood. Lians-Per-Ti opens the album proper after the introductory track, and instantly the coldness and bleakness in the music is emanated with guitar riffs that help to create tension in the air. At the same time, there is some sort of a depressive feel in the music as B.G. shrieks and growls his lyrics out in desperation, almost sounding like a helpless and hopeless plea for help. B.G. also at times make use of chanting vocals, giving songs like Ika-nun-na a ritualistic mood, especially with all the instruments being silent aside from the drums.

Despite the relatively hostile atmosphere on the music, Black Hate often makes use of large hooks to capture the attention of the listener, and this can be seen through the riffs that are unleashed on the guitars, and also the often melodic lead guitar lines that are present throughout most of the album, such as the intro guitar solo of Subconsciente and those on Glorious Moments. The lead guitars are also utilised cleverly, with moments such as on Ika-nun-na where there is the play on the whammy bar at the background, bringing about some well-thought out chaos to the music. There is also a large variety of influences that have also been included in the songwriting of the album, such as the melodic death metal-inspired intro riffs on Ika-nun-na, helping to ensure that things do not get too monotonous. The atmosphere and emotions of the songs also seem to be the main focus of the music on the album, with songs like the pure black-metal track Subconsciente reeking of desolation and desperation and an atmosphere that instantly brings to mind such Finnish bands as Satanic Warmaster and Sargeist.

That said though, the weakness of Los Tres Mundos is at the songwriting aspect of the band. There are some moments on the album where songs could have been considerably shortened, with the last few moments of songs like Lians-Per-Ti sounding rather repetitive and overly draggy. There are also times when the drums sound slightly out of pace, resulting in awkward-sounding moments, but seeing how Black Hate is ultimately a one-man project, these could perhaps be understood and forgiven. Also, interludes like II also end up being redundant, since it contained nothing but purely sound samples of war and could have been done away with without compromising the mood and flow of the album. However, overall Los Tres Mundos is a nice atmospheric, emotional journey and these moments of awkwardness can be easily overlooked.

Black Hate on the internet:
Official website
Facebook
MySpace
Dusktone

©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Opeth [Sweden]
Watershed
2008
Full Length
Roadrunner Records
Progressive/Death Metal

When Opeth in 2008 announced the upcoming release of their new album, Watershed, the emotions that it evoked were mixed, especially with two of my favourite members of the band, Martin Lopez leaving the band in 2005 and a year before the release of the album, Peter Lindgren left the band as well, being replaced by Bloodbath's Martin Axenrot and ex-Arch Enemy live guitarist Fredrik Åkesson respectively. Furthermore, 2005's Ghost Reveries marked the transition of the band's songwriting from a heavier edge to more progressive territories, leaving one to wonder what Watershed was going to sound like.

Album opener Coil brings listeners back to the band's Damnation album, with the acoustic guitars and Mikael Åkerfeldt's trademark clean vocals. The guest female vocals present on the song also helps in making this track an extremely soothing and beautiful one, and just from this intro track, one can almost be sure that there will be a markedly increased presence of such moments on the album. Imagine the surprise then, as Heir Apparent assaults the listener with a heavy, crushing riff, and one is brought back to the darker moments that were present on the band's previous effort, Ghost Reveries, and as sudden as these heavy riffs come in, they fade out and instead, the keys of Per Wiberg takes over, giving the music a chilling and haunting atmosphere before going back into their heavier mode. Mikhael's growls are stellar here, with a somewhat spacey sound to them, compared to the more aggressive and sharp style that he utilises on Bloodbath. Fans of Deliverance and Blackwater Park era Opeth, be prepared to be slightly disappointed as Heir Apparent could possibly be the heaviest song that is present on this ninth release of the band.

The reduction of heaviness on the album though, is fortunately made up for by the brilliant songwriting on Watershed, and this is evident throughout the album, with tracks that run for as long as 11 and a half minutes (Hessian Peel), yet containing not a single boring moment. The progression of the tracks are also typically Opeth, with the constant switching between heavy and soothing moments, though compared to prior releases, the death metal moments are notably fewer throughout the album. The Lotus Eater also progresses like a more updated and progressive version of The Baying of the Hounds, with the melodic and catchy yet heavy riffs on the guitar, and the usage of clean vocals on top of the heavy riffs. Burden would have easily fit on the Damnation album as well, with the song being filled with mostly instruments played in cleans, yet this manages to stand as one of my favourite tracks on the album with the calming yet somewhat desolate mood that it rouses in the listener.

Throughout the album, Fredrik also proves his abilities as a guitarist, and his ability to fit in the band, with the numerous face-ripping solos that he unleashes effortlessly, yet staying within the style that Opeth has crafted over the years through the capable playing of the acoustic guitars as well. Mikael's characteristic soaring guitar solos are also present alongside those of Fredrik, like on Burden. One of the main highlights on the album as well is the duel between Fredrik and Mikael on Burden, giving listeners a glimpse to the prowess of each of the musicians. The detuning of the guitar at the end of the track also provides a quirky moment, ending with a sinister laugh by Mikael. The Lotus Eater also shows Per Wiberg's ability on his instruments with the extremely complex solo slightly after the halfway mark. On top of that, Axenrot also shows that he is not only the blast-beats machine (like in Bloodbath), but is also capable of providing some jazzy moments like his predecessor, Martin Lopez, helping to address any displeasures from long time die-hard fans of the band. Martin Mendex also uses his bass like a third lead instrument, providing a constant soothing background melody underneath all the other instruments.

Watershed also stands as one of the shortest albums of the band's career, with all tracks having a combined runtime of under 1 hour, and this, combined with the large change of musical style could make this album the band's first divisive albums before their final transition into a full-on prog band with 2011's Heritage. While fans of what was on Deliverance and Blackwater Part could probably hate this, Watershed has over time become one of my favourite albums of Opeth, with the perfect balance between and fusion of heaviness and melody.

Related articles:
Views from the Pit: Opeth live in Singapore
The Opeth Experience: A HMT Exclusive

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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Borknagar has come a long way since their inception in 1995, having dealt with their fair share of lineup and stylistic shifts. This year sees the band releasing their 9th full length album, and sees the return of ICS Vortex into the band. We catch up with Jens to learn more.

Lou Reed & Metallica [USA]
Lulu
2011
Full Length
Warner Brothers
Heavy Metal

Ever since their last proper thrash/heavy metal album in the form of 1991's eponymous album, Metallica has been going downhill, first with their attempts at hard rock with the Load/Reload albums before finally going "back to their original form" with 2008's Death Magnetic. While Death Magnetic wasn't exactly what a die hard fan of Metallica's earlier works would consider a return to form per se when compared to masterpieces like Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning, this was certainly an indication of a move towards the right direction.

Things started looking up until the band's announcement of a collaboration project with famed rock singer/songwriter Lou Reed, which left followers scratching their head, wondering what this collaboration would result in. Right from the start, this smelled almost like a quick cash-grab strategy, what with the high profile announcements and the numerous dramatic narrations of behind-the-scenes incidents that displayed the apparently weak and human side of Metallica guitarist James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, with each of them being "brought to tears" during the recording of Junior Dad. The eventual release of the album brought about sharp criticisms, especially in the metal scene. Nevertheless, the optimistic side of me decided to take the risk and find out what the big hoo-ha was all about.

Lulu opens with a somewhat bluesy feel with Brandenburg Gate, and this is certainly uncharacteristic of Metallica, and with the opening moments one almost feels threatened with the possibility of this being an entirely acoustic album with no rock instrumentals. Fortunately soon the electric guitars and drums come in, but this silver lining lasts for only a slight moment as Lou Reed begins his rants about whatever, going on and on like a bitter old man, while James Hetfield does nothing but shouts "small-town girl" at the background, sounding like a broken record. Even when Lou Reed attempts to sing, there are moments when he sounds almost as if he were struggling to keep a pitch, and for the most part sound out of tune. And this goes on for almost the entirety of the album. Thanks Lou Reed, for offering to tell me your life story and your random rants, but no thanks. At least do this in a more interesting format if you really have to let me know what you've been through in the past 60 odd years of your life. The extent of annoyance from his vocals is such that even the unimpressive vocals of James Hetfield suddenly sounds extremely welcome.

Sure, there are heavy metal moments such as those on The View and the few chugging riffs on Pumping Blood, but for the most part of the album the riffs presented are repetitive and lack any sense of creativity, and it sounds as if the band had run out of songwriting ideas. Even the few lead lines on the album are extremely emotional, sounding more like what pop-punk bands would write instead. The attempts to include other stringed classical instruments like those on Pumping Blood instantly remind me of the abomination that is S&M, only that this is infinitely worse (and it doesn't help that Lou Reed sounds as if he were struggling to keep up with the rhythm). Pumping Blood also sees the band attempting a more metal style, but this fails badly, with the entire band just sounding totally incoherent towards the end of the song, with Lars going trigger-happy behind his kit. Mistress Dread also contains some thrash metal moments at the beginning of the song, and as usual, Lou Reed has to come in and further spoil the entire thing (though there's nothing particularly special about the instrumentals as well) and ends up making the song sound like a bad karaoke session. The only decent track is perhaps Iced Honey, and the song is hardly even "heavy", so to speak, and could have worked as a pop-rock track instead, and Frustration contains quite a number of decent riffs as well, but that is about all that is good that is offered on Lulu.

As if the 4 minute Brandenburg Gate weren't bad enough, the album is plagued by tracks that start getting longer from the middle of the album onwards, prolonging the suffering that the listener has to go through. In particular, Cheat on Me have an unnecessary and extremely long intro, leaving the listener to become bored easily and Little Dog ends up sounding pretty pointless and gets nowhere. Dragon takes too long to build up for only a short moment of slight Death Magnetic-styled satisfaction and Junior Dad, while being one of the more bearable tracks initially, end up dragging on for far too long.. I know, I know, it's not nice to laugh at such a "sincere" record, but Lulu certainly sounds like an overdone April Fools' prank to longtime fans of Metallica. Many bands progress over the years, but this? This is regression, not progression. Much as the band talks about how this is the "best damn thing ever written", they can live in their own little cocoon. It still leaves me wondering how I managed to sit through the entire whole 1 and a half hour.

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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Hail Spirit Noir [Greece]
Pneuma
2012
Full Length
Code666 Records
Avant-Garde/Black Metal

Experimental efforts within black metal seems to be on the rise, not only with veteran bands such as Sigh releasing yet another brand new album this year, but also in the form of new bands attempting to push the boundaries of extreme metal. Greek band Hail Spirit Noir releases their debut full length album, Pneuma this year under Code666 Records, home to numerous other experimental bands as well.

All the weirdness begins as the album opens with Mountain of Horror, first being introduced to sounds of wilderness before a somewhat pleasant yet weird and (almost deliberately) awkward riffs come in, with the feel of a psychedelic record. And things get even more interesting as synths join in as well, and the entire atmosphere instantly reminds listeners of bands such as Sigh, though there is a considerably more doomish feel, at least for the first part of the track. But as the track progresses, there are some old-school progressive metal elements that are spotted as well, such as the sudden speed up of the tempo in the music, and the entire cacophony is somewhat reminiscent of Opeth's latest offering, Heritage, but with a more powerful edge to it. The resemblance to bands like Opeth is especially evident through the synths of Haris and also the way these are utilised throughout the album to create a somewhat haunting yet oddly calming atmosphere at the same time.

While the core lineup of Hail Spirit Noir comprises only two members (Theo and Haris), the session and guest musicians on the album are each extremely versatile. First, Theo displays his vocal ranges through not only the usage of savage growls, but also with the clean and emotion-laden singing on tracks like Let Your Devil Come Inside. The clean vocals on When All is Black in particular brings about a theatrical element, with the stellar and dramatic vocal performance on the track. His guitar playing also draws wide influences, and this can be heard through the unexpected bluesy solo on Against the Curse, We Dream. Aside from the core members, bassist Dim also litters the album with quirky bass licks, spicing things up on top of everything else that is going on around, and drummer Ioannis shifts between different styles with ease, and this is clearest on tracks where there is a sudden shift from an almost psychedelic rock style to a pure, full-on black metal blasting segment like on Let Your Devil Come Inside.

As one would already expect, this album is filled with weird-fuckery going on throughout and the band often throws curveballs towards the listeners with unexpected twists, with tracks like Against the Curse, We Dream being one of the more "normal" tracks with a more predictable pattern. Aside from the sudden and seemingly random shifts in tempo on certain tracks, the incorporation and fusion of elements from a wide range of genres could get those who are used to more traditional forms of extreme metal to get used to, though fans of bands like Sigh could get into Pneuma without much trouble. What is also captivating about the album is the emphasis on the atmosphere on the album, and the feelings that the band has incorporated and also managed to invoke through the songwriting.

As the album progresses, comparisons with releases such as Opeth's Heritage will inevitably come about with the band's style of progressive metal, but Pneuma manages to stand out with the amount of activity that is going on at any point in time, allowing Hail Spirit Noir to stand as a beast in its own rights. Sure, first listen was definitely difficult to sit through, but the album really grows on the listener, and the listener discovers more as well, giving new found satisfaction with each additional listen, especially on the epic Into the Gates of Time.

Hail Spirit Noir on the internet:
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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Nachzehrer [USA]
Pestilence Hungers in the Shadows
2011
EP
Independent
Black/Thrash Metal

After one of my first exposures to black/thrash metal in the form of bands like Bestial Mockery, I have to say that it has fast become one of the staples in my musical diet, with the coldness and grimness in black metal fused with the speed and intensity of thrash metal. Pestilence Hungers in the Shadows is American black/thrash metal horde Nachzehrer's debut EP, and having a name like that certainly adds bonus points even before listening to the album, with one of my personal favourite albums in 2010 also named after this Germanic vampire, hence the deep impression.

Fortunately, Nachzehrer does not disappoint on their EP, and what they have presented on Pestilence Hungers in the Shadows is fundamentally inspired by Finnish black metal bands such as Horna, Sargeist and Behexen. The trebly and cold riffs right from the beginning on The Awakening makes this fact immediately apparent, and the tortured shrieks of vocalist Hrasvelg further displays the band's aforementioned influences. Underlying all the chaos above though, there is a certain melody that runs beneath that also display their Norwegian black metal influences. Guitarists Amorok and Draak are also given time to display their guitar prowess with the numerous lead guitar solo spots that are dedicated to them, such as on The Awakening and Black Order of the Goat. Drummer Diablo's work on the album is also stellar, easily changing pace and style accordingly.

While the music on the EP remains mostly consistently similar throughout, the band also provides some slight variations, with tracks like Black Order of the Goat providing some of the slower moments on the EP, and even contains what sounds like a short Amon Amarth inspired riffing section, giving the track a slightly fresher sound compared to the rest, though the band goes back to their thrashing speed again later. While the thrash metal influences remaining pretty subtle throughout, there are also moments when these become slightly more obvious, with tracks like Barsarkar-gang beginning with a thrash metal-inspired section before seeing the band go back to their usual black metal style.

One other thing that I liked on the releases is how bassist Czarnobog constantly remains audible throughout the album, providing an ominous rumbling low end to the melody, unlike the many bands that tend to bury their bassists in the mix, and this certainly helps in making the music more balanced-sounding. The production suitably polished such that each instrument rings out clearly in the mix, yet remaining sufficiently trebly and raw that helps Pestilence Hungers in the Shadows maintain its old school black/thrash metal charm. Also, though tracks might end up sounding repetitive to listeners, the band makes up for it with the high energy that is present throughout, making the album a headbanger.

Forget all the corpse-painted faces and pretentious new "black metal" bands. Nachzehrer needs none of those gimmicks, and everything that they want to relate to the listeners are contained within the music of the band, and here, my friends, is certainly one band that I will be looking out for in the near future.

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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Fester [Norway]
A Celebration of Death
2012
Full Length
Abyss Records
Black Metal

Norway's Fester has had an interesting history, splitting up first after the release of their second full length album in 1994, then again in the early 2000s before reforming to finally release their third full length album, the first one in 16 years, entitled A Celebration of Death. Ironic indeed, considering the circumstances that caused the band's most recent hiatus.

While the band's debut in 1992, Winter of Sin, saw the band presenting a more straightforward style of black/death metal, 1994's Silence had fans experience the first incorporation of progressive elements in the band's music, and while it could have been deemed as a progression on the part of the band, it did not sit well with me with the numerous awkward fusions that were included on the album. A Celebration of Death sees the band once again promoting their unique style of metal, claiming to present a whole mix of musical genres on one album ranging from black metal to jazz, the extreme opposite ends of the musical spectrum on a single album. This certainly leaves one to wonder what this would sound like, and seeing how I already enjoy bands that incorporate jazzy elements into their music such as Japan's Sigh, this is going to be an interesting album to listen to.

As the album opens with Rites of Ceres, one instantly knows that this is not going to be as expected. While Sigh pushes the boundary with their bombastic, flamboyant style of avant-garde black metal, Fester takes their time, with the track filled with doom-paced riffs, and honestly this was slightly disappointing initially but things start picking up soon enough with the weird-fuckery that goes on throughout the album. Thomas' vocals are gruff and tortured, and this is certainly welcome-sounding, compared to the weak whisper-styled vocals that were present on the band's previous output, Silence. Throughout the album the riffs of guitarists Tiger and Raymond are crushing, and all these backed by the slow and heavy thumping of drummer Audun. The first fast moment comes in only on I'll Hunt You Down and even then these moments are short, and so speed-maniacs should probably avoid this album.

The band promises a whole range of influences that will be on the album, and they certainly deliver. For example, there is the almost electronic-sounding tone of the drums on tracks like Rites of Ceres and Metalized that certainly threw listeners off, with the almost industrial feel to the tracks. The included bonus track, Rites of Mortiis displays the band's industrial influence as well, being an electronic remix to opening track Rites of Ceres. Also, unlike on Silence, there is a marked improvement in the band's attempts to fuse the various genres together, with the absence of those awkward moments that plagued the aforementioned, and this definitely has got to do with the band's songwriting, with their ability to make use of the various instruments and the atmosphere to build the climax, preparing listeners for the transition to the subsequent segments. Sound effects are also effectively utilised, such as the sounds of rain at the intro of The Black Tower setting the almost depressive mood of the song.

While the band's focus on the album seems to be on the feel of the atmosphere on the album rather than the technical prowess of the individual musicians in the band with the mid-pace that the band goes at for the most part, this is also where the band falters, with most track going for way longer than necessary. Songs like The Black Tower end up getting repetitive after the halfway point of the track, and there are moments when one almost feels as though this were never going to end. Don't get me wrong, the ominous atmosphere is certainly one of the personal highlights of the album, and the band succeeds in creating that sense of unease in the listener, but more often than not, these tend to overstay their welcome as well especially on longer tracks of the album.

16 years fans of Fester have waited, and finally the band unleashes this album. While the claims of having influences all the way till jazz present in the album were mostly unfulfilled, the band has included a number of other surprises on the album and displayed their mastery in songwriting. A Celebration of Death may not sound anything like what the band started off with, but it definitely marks a progress and growth of the band.

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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Bestial Raids [Poland]
Prime Evil Damnation
2011
Full Length
Nuclear War Now! Productions
Black/Death Metal

Ever since my first encounter with raw black/death metal in the veins of bands such as Archgoat, I have been fascinated in seeking out bands that play in similar styles. Bestial Raids and Embrace of Thorns come close, but the former's 2007 release Reversed Black Trinity somehow failed to have the charm to really captivate me despite being an awesome release in itself. 2011 sees the release of the band's sophomore full length album, Prime Evil Damnation, and now under the banner of Nuclear War Now! Productions, this promises to be an album well worth the 4 year wait.

The ominous sound on the intro of Virginborn of Depravation sets the mood right, placing the listener straight into a haunting atmosphere, and without warning a whole cacophony of instruments hit the listener relentlessly. The atmosphere is further held up by the echoey vocals of Sadist, sounding like a cross between Archgoat's Lord Angelslayer and Black Witchery's Impurath, making this the most perfect vocal styling personally. This is backed by the chainsaw-buzz tone of the guitars of Niecron. Desolator punishes the drums relentlessly and hints of influences from drummers of other such bestial bands like Revenge's J. Read and Black Witchery's Vaz surface from time to time.

This dark atmosphere, shrouded in darkness and heaviness is what I have been looking for ever since the first encounters with Archgoat. The inclusion of sound samples such as the tolling of the bells further bring about this resemblance, making this record all the more enjoyable. The samples of troops marching on Ceremonial Bloodshed further emphasises the destructive mood in the music, giving the song a martial feel. Bestial Raids, though, pushes the limits even further with the incorporation of different ideas throughout the album instead of simply providing a continuous blast-fest, with slower moments like on the intro of Debauchery Enthroned (Elixir Rubeus) seeing the band attempt to create and maintain the atmosphere further, and leaving the listener with a feeling of dread about the impeding doom that is about to descend. Throughout the album as well, there is an uncanny resemblance between this album and Antediluvian's latest, Through the Cervix of Hawaah, especially in terms of the bass heavy mix of the album.

If you thought that 2007's Reversed Black Trinity was a good effort, then Prime Evil Damnation will not be a disappointment, with this release seeing the band further grow as musicians and as a unit, unleashing even more blasphemous hate than before.

Bestial Raids on the internet:
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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Albatross/Vestal Claret [India/USA]
The Kissing Flies/Black Priest
2012
Split
Roadcrew Records
Heavy Metal



Indian band Albatross was one of the first bands out of India that I encountered, along with more popular acts such as Demonic Resurrection and Kryptos. Unlike their extreme metal counterparts, Albatross plays what they call "horror metal", with heavy horror themes being one of those that are present in their songs. 2010's Dinner is You took me numerous listens to get into, but once past that stage it's nothing but enjoyment after that. Last year's announcement of new materials being released this year in the form of a split with American occult rock/heavy metal band Vestal Claret certainly got me eagerly anticipating for it, and the sneak preview in the form of the track Uncle Sunny at the Tavern certainly got me excited.

Sticking to the morbid and rotten theme of flies for the material on this split, Albatross opens their side with the introductory track Wither, complete with sounds of flies buzzing around. The laughter in the background tests limits of the listener's sanity, and instantly sends chills down the listener's back, and this also shows the band's sticking to their horror theme. And without much delay, the band begins their onslaught proper with the already familiar Uncle Sunny at the Tavern. If one has heard the band's material on Dinner is You, then it is immediately apparent how much the band has grown since those days, with the expansion of sounds on the album. Right from the start of Uncle Sunny at the Tavern, it is a busy listening experience, with an explosion of sounds and energy bursting forth from the band. The unique vocal quality of Biprorshee Das while possibly needing a couple of listens to get used to certainly adds to that haunting and dark quality of the album. The screams on Kissing Flies add to that spine-tingling effect as well. Guitarists Vigneshkumar and Nishith's skills are evident throughout their side of the split, with the tasteful solos that they unleash. Dr. Hex's bassllines are also remarkable, and in particular, Kissing Flies sees him showing off his skills with that short bass solo section.

As already mentioned before, Albatross further explores and expands the sound that they have crafted on Dinner is You, and this is most obvious in the form of the inclusion of shrieks and growls that are littered throughout their side of the split, giving the songs a more extreme sound compared to their previous outputs. Title track Kissing Flies even provides some quirky moments, with an almost psychedelic feel to the repetitive riffs that are played in the beginning, and without warning the band once again goes into heavy mode, complete with the aggressive double bass attack of drummer Jay Thacker. The band also proves their songwriting ability with the versatility that is shown on on their contributions, with each track having a vastly different sound from each other. For example, while Uncle Sunny at the Tavern is a pretty straightforward heavy/power metal track, Kissing Flies takes a much darker approach and it just gets darker and heavier as Albatross ends their side with From Ashes Comes Life. There is also the guest appearance of Wolf vocalist Niklas Stalvind on Uncle Sunny at the Tavern.

The production quality on The Kissing Flies is also another thing that has made this listening experience extremely enjoyable, giving the guitars a full and ballsy tone, allowing for the full power and heaviness of the guitar to crush the listener. Dr. Hex's bass is also audible throughout, and provides that lower-end growl on the songs, reinforcing that dark edge.

American heavy metal band Vestal Claret then provides a single track for their side, entitled Black Priest, that is broken down into three main sections. This is my first encounter with Vestal Claret and I have to say I am definitely impressed with the depressive style of doom metal that the band plays, managing to incorporate that dark atmosphere with heaviness, yet managing to maintain that sense of melody throughout. Philip Swanson's (also of Hour of 13) vocals are stellar as usual, and there are even moments where there is a slight Ozzy Osbourne resemblance. Unlike that energy filled songs of Albatross, Black Priest is markedly slower and much more melancholic, reminding me of the slower songs of Dio-era Black Sabbath, with that strong presence of the bass and the lead guitar style that at times remind listeners of Tony Iommi. The three parts of the song are also extremely prominent, marked by a drastic shift in playing style. For example, as the band moves into the second segment of the song there is a sudden increase in the heaviness and aggressiveness in the riffs and the drumming of Christopher (Nightbitch).

The Kissing Flies/Black Priest has definitely been an extremely enjoyable journey, and it has certainly been satisfying to see the growth of Albatross as a band. The discovery of Vestal Claret through this split is a pleasant bonus, and makes this split all the more a must-listen for fans of all things heavy and doom.

Related articles:
Album Review: Albatross - Dinner Is You

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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Formloff [Norway]
Spyhorelandet
2012
Full Length
Eisenwald
Avant-Garde/Black Metal

Norway stands as the land that spawned black metal as we know it today, with the cold and bleak atmosphere being one of trademark sounds that Norwegian black metal bands have crafted. However, over the years many bands have deviated from the original sound that they have crafted, with Darkthrone going towards a more crusty sound while other notable members like Ihsahn going towards a more avant-garde direction. Formloff joins bands like Ihsahn's solo project on the avant-garde/experimental route, and Spyhorelandet is their second album, 6 years in the making since their debut full length album, Adjø Silo.

Unfortunately, Spyhorelandet opens weakly, with what sounds like a random jam session slowly breaking into the main body of opening track Det dritet som renner ut i Ua. The band takes their time in building up the climax and atmosphere of the song, but this instead leads to quite an anti-climax as the ensuing impact is weaker than expected, instead of a strong and aggressive section as one would expect. And when least expected, the band then assaults the listener with blast beats, and on first few listens this could really disorient the listener. The reason behind the progressive/avant-garde tag that is attached to the band's music is immediately obvious right from the start, with the songs that are written that do not adhere to any conventional style or structure, and this certainly takes a couple of listens to get used to before discovering the genius that is behind the music.

The atmosphere that the band invokes on the album is often depressive, often pushing the limits of sanity of the listener, with the seemingly random, inhuman shrieks that are littered throughout songs like Det dritet som renner ut i Ua sending chills down one's spine and almost feels as though one were forcibly thrown into an asylum. The random bouts of aggression certainly doesn't help making the listening of this album any easier, with songs like Harde ord på kammerset containing some perfect examples for this, though it is the unpredictability that keeps the listener in constant suspense, wondering and bracing for what comes next. The melodic lead guitar line on title track Spyhorelandet further gives the track a quirky effect, with chaotic riffs at the background providing a stark contrast. The clever usage of various instruments are also vital to the sound of Formloff, as evident from the organs on littered throughout the album their ominous presence, and the usage of saxophones on Drokkne i ei flo ta åske that helps in providing an uncanny resemblance to such avant-garde bands as Ihsahn and Japan's Sigh.

That said though, there is a whole variety of discoveries to be made with each listen of the album, so Spyhorelandet is definitely one album that requires a lot of patience on the part of the listener. While first listens have been pretty disappointing, with subsequent listens the experience gets more enjoyable, making for Spyhorelandet a charming masterpiece.

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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

With a stable lineup for almost 4 years now, Gorgoroth last year made the controversial move of re-recording and re-releasing the 1997 classic album, Under the Sign of Hell. We talk to Infernus to find out more about this and more.

Dominus Xul [Chile]
To the Glory of the Ancient Ones
2011
Full Length
Xtreem Music
Death Metal

Chile's Dominus Xul is no newcomer in the old school death metal scene, having formed back in 1992 under the name Dominus before changing names in 1998, and splitting after just one full length album. To the Glory of the Ancient Ones marks their comeback, after more than 12 years of silence, and sees the band once more going back to their roots in old school death metal.

The generically titled Intro helps in setting an ominous mood for the listener, with the heavy atmosphere and a spoken vocals at the background, marking the impending doom of mankind. The band does not give any warning at all as the album begins proper with Burying the Holy Lies (Manifesto of Apostasy), with the urgent riffing and drumming. Without long, the Incantation references and influences are immediately available, not only in vocalist Claudio's deep, throaty growls, but also in the structures of the songs. The focus on the heaviness, instead of the speed in the music, the alternating between trem-picked riff sections and heavy chunky riffs, and the dark atmosphere that is so characteristic of Incantation and bands that take references from them are all present, though Dominus Xul attempts to introduce some different touch with the inclusion of spoken vocals at the background at times.

This is not to say that the album is a bad thing though. The relatively clean production quality on the album definitely helps in making each of the instruments ring out clearly, compared to the many other Incantation-worship bands that attempt a muddy production and end up sounding like ass. The individual members are also capable on their instruments, with guitarists Alejandro and Fernando often trading face-ripping lead guitar solos before suddenly going into a doom-paced segment again, like on The Secret of Liquid Arcane.

Longer tracks like the aforementioned The Secret of Liquid Arcane, however, tend to end up getting slightly repetitive, with the repetition of the riffs that ring on for at least 2 minutes after the solo, towards the end of the track and while it could be used to build up a certain climax, having the riff go on and on for such a long period of time could have caused a reverse-effect instead, and this is worsened when it is realised that the track is just droning on without much real purpose. Fortunately, I Raise Lucifer picks up the pace slightly instead of continuing the drone that has been set with the previous track, managing to still keep the listener's attention instead of letting him drift off.

Lyrically, the band has obviously invested quite a lot of time and effort in researching, as what is present on To the Glory of the Ancient Ones are not brainless blasphemous and anti-Christian lyrics, and this would certainly be an advantage for lyrical buffs that need lyrics with real knowledge invested to enhance the listening experience. Lyrics on tracks like A Tribute to the Real Knowledge displays the band's thirst for knowledge, and this definitely shines through the lyrics throughout the album, with lyrical themes ranging from Eastern (Hindu) to Babylonian mythology.

Dominus Xul on the internet:
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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Abazagorath [USA]
Abazagorath
2012
EP
NoVisible Scars
Black Metal

Abazagorath can be considered veterans of black metal in their own rights, having formed all the way back in 1995 despite the scattered releases that they have released over the year. This year marks the band's break of silence 4 years after the release of their last material on their split with Blood Storm with their self-titled EP.

Album opener Conjuring is a calming track, with an almost depressive-sounding acoustic guitars before Norwegian black metal-inspired riffs come in without any warning, and one instantly knows roughly what to expect in the upcoming 22 minutes of this self-titled EP as the intro track closes with melodic lead guitar lines. As the EP begins proper with The Antigod, one is instantly reminded of Polish bands such as Thunderbolt with the riffing patterns, though Abazagorath tends to have a more melodic and somewhat desolate touch to the music through the melodies that are unleashed by Maelstrom, further reinforced as vocalist Nihilist comes in with his desperate, tortured shrieks. The Norwegian black metal sound of the band shines through even more evidently on tracks like Lapse, and is sure to please fans of black metal that leans more towards the cold and depressive end of the black metal spectrum. Storms of Destruction also sees the band utilise some subtle keyboards to bring about a haunting atmosphere.

However, there is still the element of aggression in the way that the band has executed the songs, with jarring guitar playing style at times by Maelstrom, that is backed by that ominous rumbling growl of bassist Nyarlathotep, which remains constantly audible throughout and certainly helps in making the listening experience an enjoyable one. The importance of the bass in the music is further shown in the short segment given to him on Lapse. Maelstrom also shows off his versatility, with his guitar solos ranging from full-on shred fests to more emotion-infused ones on Lapse, fitting to the entire mood of the album. Closing track Storms of Destruction even brings in an almost neo-classical influence with the intro lead guitars, not only through its melody but also through the playing style of Maelstrom, and further expands the sound of the band with the monstrous growls of Nihilist, aside from his usual shrieking style. The aggressive side of the band is best summarised on Immortals, with the track containing some of the most punishing sections unleashed by drummer Warhead, and also some of the fastest moments on the album.

Despite the release's short length (clocking just short of 23 minutes), this EP has sufficiently showed what 17 years of history has done for the band. The large range of playing styles and atmospheres on this EP also ensures that there is something for anyone who is a fan of black metal in general.

Abazagorath on the internet:
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©2012 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui