2013

  • Serenity – War Of Ages (2013)

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    After their breakthrough release “Death & Legacy”, Serenity seems to be easing into their own bombastic sound with “War Of Ages”. Incorporating a full-time female vocalist (Clémentine Delauney), the band delivers ten tracks filled with lush orchestrations and very dynamic arrangements. Any fan of Symphonic Metal with some Progressive and Power Metal elements will be eating this one for breakfast… and the rest of the day for countless weeks.

    Starting strong with the super catchy “Wings of Madness”, a track that has a killer chorus section and excellent vocal duets, the band shows that their last release was not a fluke. The combination of Georg Neuhauser and Clémentine’s vocals has great chemistry and they sound great in this track (and release in general). In the very Epica-like “The Art of War” and “Shining Oasis”, the band shows their skills on faster paced and more dynamic songs while keeping their own signature sound.

  • En Nihil – The Approaching Dark (2013)

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    As one of the most annoying releases we have received in the last few months, today we have En Nihil’s idea of ‘music’. In “The Approaching Dark” we have 52 minutes of ambient noises with a few creepy elements and a shit-ton of repetition.

    While trying to be too creepy and apocalyptic, this release just swims in a sea of uninspired atmospheric elements that never really deliver anything. There are some tracks that are plain irritating like “Futile Man - The Weight Of Absolution” and it’s droning frequencies.

  • Lifeless – Godconstruct (2013)

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    Navigating the seas of insipid Death Metal releases is quite difficult if you are trying to find a good one, thanks to Lifeless we have gotten our fix for the month. In “Godconstruct” this German band delivers 12 tracks of no-bullshit DM that will have you moshing in minutes. While the band’s approach is not revolutionary, they do a pretty good job in keeping things brutal and entertaining.

    With a powerful mixture of traditional Death Metal with some Swedish influences we get excellent tracks like “Godconstruct” and “Towards Damnation” that sound like Grave and Suffocation had a mutant child. Some of our favorite tracks have to be the crushing “Blood for the Gods” and “The Truth Concealed” and their very solid drumming and melodic undertones, reminding us of a more aggressive Hypocrisy on their “Fourth Dimension” years.

  • Vreid – Welcome Farewell (2013)

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    The kings of catchy Black ‘n’ Roll have returned with another killer release in “Welcome Farewell”. Continuing to push the boundaries of Black Metal mixed with old-school Metal, Vreid shows that they can only keep improving their very unique and aggressive musical approach. For over 40-minutes the band delivers waves of uber catchy riffs paired with hellish vocals and a knack for ridiculously entertaining song arrangements.

    Immediately pounding away with “The Ramble”, the band shows that they haven’t forgotten their Black Metal roots, but they deliver them on their own terms. There are very typical BM riffs here, but they are given an old-school vibe that makes them as addictive as heroin. Tracks like “Way of The Serpent” and “The Devil’s Hand” are excellent examples of riff-a-thons that are the staple of this band’s excellent song writing skills.

  • Scarecrow – Flesheaters III (2013)

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    All the releases we usually get from Finland deliver high quality Metal music, but there are also the ones by very unique and totally weird bands. Today we have one that falls under this category, “Flesheaters III” by Scarecrow. Initially after observing the album’s art that features people with corpse paint, we expected some Black Metal…. and we were totally wrong. Delivering 12 tracks of ‘Horror Metal’ as the band calls it, this release features a very interesting and intense combination of Thrash/Death and some sprinkles of Black Metal with punk elements.

    Opening with a very creepy atmospheric intro, the band wastes no time delivers a high-intensity Thrash Metal-esque riffing on “Killing Machine”. Things turn into a mixture of Thrash and Punk with “Undead Nazi Bastard” and “Eine Symphonie des grauens”. The band again changes gears and delivers the very Punk-ish “Night of the Butterfly Knives”. Up until this moment, the versatility of the band is quite impressive and makes things very hard for us to really fit them in any particular genre.

  • Enforcer – Death By Fire (2013)

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    Bringing forth a relentless guitar driver aural assault, today we have Enforcer’s “Death By Fire”. Lead by Olof Wikstrand, this Swedish band packs a lot of punch in their nine-track 36-minute NWOBHM infused Metal. Combining a crystal clear production and that intensity of the hay day of the genre, this release is one hell of a nostalgic trip.

    Immediately after the typical intro, “Death Rides This Night” blasts away with super catchy guitar riffs and very the very sharp vocals of Olof. The whole vibe of this song is very 80’s with memories of Saxon and Motörhead immediately coming to mind. The party keeps going with the hyper fast “Run For Your Life” and epic “Take Me Out Of This Nightmare”. This last track is probably our favorite one of this release thanks to its very traditional structure filled with catchy passages and awesome guitar leads.

  • Destruction – Spiritual Genocide (2013)

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    With the current Thrash Metal revival, it is quite sad to hear bands going on their last hurrah with very mediocre releases. This is 100% the case for Schmier and company with a very uninspired “Spiritual Genocide”. Bands like Accept, Kreator, and Death Angel have managed to evolve over time and incorporate some more ‘modern’ elements into their sound, Destruction on the other hand has managed to stay exactly the same for the last 10 years.

    Opening with the insipid “Exordium” this album instantly feels like the last few of the band. Tracks like “Cyanide” and “Spiritual Genocide” are typical Thrash Metal songs that sound like they arrived 10 years too late. The riffing is predictable and the vocals are so-so, there is a lack of viciousness and aggression here, and bands like Kreator and Death Angel are now clearly superior to this band that peaked years ago.

  • Suffocation – Pinnacle of Bedlam (2013)

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    Aging perfectly with time, today we have Death Metal legends Suffocation and their latest opus “Pinnacle of Bedlam”. As one of the first bands to mix technical elements into Brutal Death Metal, the band continues refining their skills and delivers ten killer tracks that put all the copycat kiddies to shame. For over 38 minutes, this release is guaranteed to rock you off your seat and induce a headbanging trance immediately.

    Wasting no time, “Cycles of Suffering” explodes with crunchy riffs and crazy guitar leads all packed around hyper fast drumming and powerful deep growls. With Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais leading the riffing attack, “Purgatorial Punishment” is the quintessential Suffocation track that will immediately make your head start spinning with its raw power and unparalleled catchiness.

  • The Psycho Season – Unwilling (2013)

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    Delivering a small dose of catchy Hard Rock with some Metal elements, today we have Finland’s The Psycho Season and their EP titled “Unwilling”. In this superbly catchy four song EP, the band captures the listener attention by playing straight forward music that instigates some heavy duty headbanging.

    The album opens with a wave of powerful guitar riffs and catchy vocals in “Unwilling”. This track has a vibe very similar to bands like Chrome Division and similar acts that have that Hard Rock edge with some Southern Rock/Metal influences. The band’s vocalist does an excellent job in providing a staple sound to The Psycho Season. “Preposterous War” delivers more catchy riffs and tight drumming that shows the band’s musical maturity and excellent skills in writing simple yet effective music.

  • Jess and the Ancient Ones – Astral Sabbat (2013)

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    After blowing us away with their self-titled debut album last year, today we have Jess and the Ancient Ones and their follow-up EP titled “Astral Sabbat”. In this release the band further refines their amazing Psychedelic Occult Rock/Metal music and presents three very engaging tracks that will satisfy any fan of the band and of the genre. With so many bands playing this genre nowadays, it is refreshing to hear this band excel at it.

    The band immediately jumps into things with the highly intoxicating and playful “Astral Sabbat” song. We got immediately transported into psychedelic times with the crazy keyboards and super catchy song structure. Jess’s vocals are as amazing as ever and carry this song with a dramatic performance. Immediately following we have the band’s cover of Shocking Blue’s “Long and Lonesome Road”. While imprinting the band’s unique sound to this song, they also managed to say very true to this highly addictive song. Look it up on YouTube so you can judge for yourself.

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