Album Reviews

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    Fear Factory – Genexus (2015)

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    Keeping the groove train going, today we have Fear Factory and their latest opus “Genexus”. Having perfected their style over the years, in this release the band further refines their superbly catchy music with some more Modern Metal / Groove / Djent elements. Delivering over 50 minutes of signature Fear Factory music, this album will please any fan of albums like “Fear of a New Machine” to their later works “Mechanize”.

    Setting a futuristic atmosphere with “Autonomous Combat System”, the band’s precise drumming/riffing onslaughts instantly come to light. With Dino Cazares handling all the riffing duties, the band sounds as good as ever. Pummeling through tracks like “Dielectric” and “Soul Hacker”, we notice that Burton’s vocals have a certain edge in terms of being a bit more aggressive than in some of their previous release, giving that extra level of brutality to this album.

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    Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction (2015)

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    Delivering the most brutal release of 2015, today we have Cattle Decapitation and their seventh opus “The Anthropocene Extinction”. Nearly putting Anaal Nathrakh to shame in terms of sheer brutality, this release features twelve tracks of in your face riffs, crushing vocals and inhuman drums. With over 45 minutes of devastating music, this album will leave you sore just by listening to it.

    Slowly warming up with the melodic opening of “Manufactured Extinct”, the band suddenly busts out the Death Metal riffs and before you even know it, Grindcore and Brutal Death Metal elements have arrived. This level of intensity is perfectly continued by the neck snapping “The Prophets of Loss”, which features Phil Anselmo as guest vocalist. Using Author and Punisher’s intro in “Plagueborne”, the band has managed to deliver a huge opening trio of tracks that only scratch the surface in terms of brutality.

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    Rosy Finch – Witchboro (2015)

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    With a crushing and hypnotic mixture of Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal/Rock influences, today we have Spain’s Rosy Finch and their debut full-length release “Witchboro”. Divided into two ‘movements’, this debut release features a merciless first side and then it mellows out into a more experimental and melodic nature, showcasing the wide musical range from this very promising young trio. Filled with heavy riffs from start to end, this is one unconventional release that you should definitely check out.

    Opening with the droning “Úrsula”, we get a very hearty dose of fuzzy distortion and intoxicating female lead vocals. With both Mireia Porto and Elena García contributing to the vocals, we get a richer and more diverse aural experience in this album. Focusing on delivering riffing riffs, “Hyde Formula” is one hell of a track that will make your speakers rattle thanks to its pulsating bass guitar line and solid percussions.

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    Howls of Ebb – The Marrow Veil (2015)

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    Hailing from San Francisco, CA, today we have the miscreants of Howls of Ebb and their crushing “The Marrow Veil” EP. Being on the longer side of what people call EP’s (over 34 minutes); this is one dense release that wills truly challenge your musical preconceptions. Crafting a sickening mixture of Death/Black Metal with a thick atmospheric component this music is superbly raw and punishing.

    Opening with the 19-minute dissonant piece “Standing on Bedlam, Burning in Bliss”, this trio projects a very dense and raw sound that is quite hard to find. While some times they sound like old Sepultura and even Deiphago, the band also reminds us a bit of early The Ruins Of Beverast. There basic structure behind this track is quite catchy and enjoyable, making it a very unique and disturbing experience at the same time.

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    Hands of Despair – Hereafter (2015)

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    Hailing from Canada, today we have Hands of Despair 2011 debut release “Hereafter” finally pressed on CD by Deathbound Records. Featuring a very unique mixture of Death/Doom/Black Metal, this release is truly a gem as it has tons of replay value just to discover all little elements thrown into the mix by the band. Featuring Egan O'Rourke of Daylight Days handling clean vocals in two of the six songs, this album has something for everybody and will appeal a wide variety of listeners.

    Opening in a doomy and atmospheric manner, “The Departure” nicely sets a very melancholic mood that is quickly unsettled by the harsh growls of David-Alexandre Brousseau but perfectly offset by Egan’s clean vocals. Clocking in around 10 minutes, this is one hell of an opener. Nearly with a 180 degree twist, “Shattered Memories” blasts off with some furious Black Metal-esque riffs and very dramatic atmospheric elements. While having plenty of atmospheric passages, this track is also quite heavy and rooted with Death/Black Metal elements.

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    Killing Gandhi – Cinematic Parallels (2015)

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    Keeping the Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal sound alive, today we have Denmark’s Killing Gandhi debut release “Cinematic Parallels”. Filled with over 40 minutes of superbly catchy music, this band keeps things quite melodic and entertaining through the duration of this release. Formed by Martin Arendal and Kasper Gram of Manticora, Wuthering Heights and others, this band delivers a timeless sound with their own modern elements incorporated to the mix, appealing to any fan of Melodic Death Metal.

    The album is structured around 11 films that Martin Arendal greatly enjoys, but delivering his interpretation of them through the songs of this release. After a short intro, the band gets down to business with the explosive “The Cannibal Corpse”, a track that sounds like a mixture of Soilwork and Tracedawn with some electronic elements thrown into the mix. This super melodic and catchy vibe nicely continues through “What Lies Beneath” and “Drugs for a Mindfuck”, delivering memorable riffs and super tight drumming along the way.

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    Year of the Goat – The Unspeakable (2015)

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    Hailing from Sweden, today we have Psychedelic/Occult Rockers Year of the Goat peddling their craft with “The Unspeakable”. Having loved their 2011 MCD “Lucem Ferre”, we were looking forward to this one for quite a while. Creating a special aura filled with an authentic retro vibe and a high emphasis on melody, the nine tracks presented in this release are magical and intoxicating.

    Slowly building up a very mysterious ambiance with “All He Has Read”, the band sets a magical shroud of mystery around their album early in the game. Combining elements of bands like Witchcraft, Purson, Jess and the Ancient ones, tracks like “Pillars of the South” and “The Emma” are haunting and very authentic sounding. Thomas Sabbathi is one hell of singer and his vocals greatly elevate all the songs in this album while giving them a very eerie vibe.

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    Kataklysm – Of Ghosts and Gods (2015)

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    Continuing with their crafty melodic but brutal brand of Death Metal, today we have Kataklysm and their twelfth studio release “Of Ghosts and Gods”. In this ten-song album, the band dwells between mesmerizing melodic passages and punishing onslaughts keeping this release very fresh and well balanced. Releasing one music video per track, this is Kataklysm’s most ambitious album to date.

    Opening with the album with the pummeling drumming of “Breaching the Asylum” sets a very high note for the rest of this release. As “The Black Sheep” and “Marching through Graveyards” roll in we notice a certain melodic tempo that reins the first three songs, which greatly enhances the band’s unique and punishing sound. This last track sounds like a very interesting mixture of Cannibal Corpse with some Swedish Death Metal.

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    O Graceful Musing’s Burden - im draußen bricht sich das drinnen (2015)

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    Arriving in a beautifully hand-crafted package, today we have “im draußen bricht sich das drinnen” from the German band O Graceful Musing’s Burden (OGMB). In this very atmospheric release, we are treated to around 50 minutes of very emotional and magical music. Perfectly blending Post-Rock soundscapes with some Folk and Post-Metal/Post-Black Metal outburst, the band continues to refine their very unique sound with the powerful release.

    Opening with the expansive “Nuboeiro Acrarante”, the band slowly builds tension with very sparse drums and playful guitar licks. With some parts in this track having Post-Black Metal levels of viciousness, the band manages to perfectly carve a unique listening experience through all their musical influences in under 16 minutes.

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    Locrian – Infinite Dissolution (2015)

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    Slowly establishing themselves as one of the most innovative experimental Metal bands in the USA, today we have Locrian and their latest opus “Infinite Dissolution”. Nicely evolving over the years, this Chicago-based outfit perfectly blends elements from Post-Metal, Black Metal, Drone, and Noise, creating a super think and powerful atmosphere unlike anything else we have ever heard.

    Opening with the oppressive wall of sound of “Arc of Extinction”, the band creates the perfect introduction to their music. Crushing riffing, bi-polar drums, and very harsh vocals to open the track craft a truly unique opening experience. The band’s music weaves back and forth between styles and on this opener they give us a great sampler of what is to come. Mellowing out with “Dark Shales”, we find the Post-Rock-ish guitar leads quite engaging and well fitting. If you appreciate the band’s ‘noise’ side of their sound, “KXL I” is sort of an interlude that will satisfy your cravings.

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