Album Reviews

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    Gökböri – Balbal (2013)

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    With a very interesting sound mixing old-school Thrash with Black’n’roll. Punk/crust, and even some Doom elements, today we have Gökböri and their debut full-length “Balbal”. Featuring members of Daylight Dies, Pagan, and Sun Descends, this is one of those albums that is quite good, but very hard to peg down since every track offers a wide palette of sounds and influences.

    As the album begins, the opener “Sarp Geçitler İçinde/Balbal” is a very cool retro-sounding track that reminds us of the riffing power of Vreid and the old-school Black’n’Roll bands like Midnight. The same continues with the catchy “Ulu Dağlar, Atalar”, which really engages the listener with very effective riffs. The vocals are quite fitting for the music and also have that retro-vibe. However, there are some questionable clean vocals on this last song, luckily some solid growling remedies the situation.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Chthonic - Bú-Tik (2013)

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    After gaining quite a boost on outside of Taiwan popularity with “Takasago Army”, Chthonic returns with another very intense and equally interesting release. With “Bú-Tik” the band continues with their very thematic lyrical context and their majestic music that mixes Melodic/Symphonic Black/Death Metal elements with lush arrangements and authentic instrumentation. Proving that their last album was not a fluke, “Bú-Tik” continues with their musical intensity, and delivers ten tracks of top-notch quality.

    The album opens with the very dramatic “Arising Armament”, a lush instrumental intro with a very tense vibe. The band’s musical magic continues with the powerful “Supreme Pain for the Tyrant”, a very aggressive yet atmospheric and catchy track. The vocals of Freddy Lim are impressive, and add that extra level of intensity to the music. “Sail into the Sunset’s Fire” keeps things rolling with blistering drumming and excellent riffing, a highly underrated skill from the band if you ask us. Featuring some excellent solos, this track is one of the best of the album.

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    Levitator – The Abuse of Amplification (2013)

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    Staying very true to their debut EP title: “The Abuse of Amplification”, today we have Levitator and their very crunchy and totally Sludgy music arriving all the way from Australia. In this four song EP, the band delivers 40 minutes of pounding guitars and catchy melodies. Take a page from bands like Black Cobra, Icabod, etc., this band pummels through this release with ease and elegance.

    Opening with the 10-minute behemoth “The Ballad of the Long Distance Drug Mule”, we immediately feel the power of the band’s commanding distortion. The riffing is quite engaging and hooks you from the first few minutes we get to hear it. The vocals are a mixed a bit low, but you can hear your typical hardcore-esque screams. “Haystacker (16 Tons)” opens with some potent feedback and a very cool bass-guitar line courtesy of their female bass player Jess. This song got a bit on our nerves since the riffs are quite basic and very repetitive, however, any huge fan of Sludge Metal will found value in this catchy little song (only 6 minutes long).

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Astarium – Wyrm of Melancholy (2012)

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    Rounding up Astarium’s promo package, today we have “Wyrm of Melancholy”, the band’s 2012 full-length release originally self-released and then released by Metallic Media, which is the version we are reviewing. In this 55-minute epic, we get to hear SiN fully develop a full-length release that is quite cohesive and very effective. Having only reviewed short EP’s from the band, it is quite clear now that Astarium has more than enough depth to keep somebody engaged for almost an hour with this release.

    Instead of taking the traditional instrumental intro, “Unrelieved Solitude” opens up with some very creepy whispers and screams accompanied by distorted guitars. The atmospheric synths are again overpowering and very nicely set a creepy vibe. Having more ‘time limit’ freedom, the songs in this release are slower to develop, but always having very interesting and melancholic passages, like on “Kingdom of White Madness” and the minimalistic instrumental “Voices from the Night Sky”.

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    Astarium – Ostracism of Anachoret (2011)

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    The highly atmospheric Astarium strikes again with their 2011 EP titled “Ostracism of Anachoret”. In this bone chilling release this one-man band continues with their highly creepy and theatrical music and delivers 4 very solid tracks filled with eerie atmospheres and sorrowful shrieks. Having been released and re-released multiple times since 2011, we are writing this review based on the Hexenreich Records highly limited edition that we got in the mail.

    Opening with the lush “Birth of the Flame”, the band sets a very creepy Dracula-esque mood with excellent orchestrations and a tense development. The guitars finally appear on “Recantation by Death”, a track that keeps the same atmosphere but delivers some very solid riffs and shrieks. The drums are clearly programmed, but they don’t sound as fake as many one-man releases, and they nicely set the pace for the track.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Sadgiqacea - False Prism (2013)

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    With everybody and their mothers playing Doom/Sludge Metal it is getting quite annoying to weed out the bad releases from the good ones without investing too much time in it. Luckily for us, Sadgiqacea made it very easy since the first song of their debut release “False Prism” is pretty epic and quite unique from your average band in the genre. Hailing from the USA, this two-piece delivers four crushing tracks of powerful Doom/Sludge that will greatly appeal to fans of bands like Black Cobra all the way to Neurosis.

    Opening with “False Segments”, the band pummels away with some very cool (and heavy) guitars that are above your average repetitive Doom/Sludge guitar work. The band’s knack for creative rhythms and excellent musical skills allows them to sound different while retaining the griminess of the genre. As the track nears its end, there are some very cool details that made us enjoy it even more.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Gmork / Astarium / In Tenebriz - Mysterious Winds of Ancient Past (2012)

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    Arriving from Russia, today we have a very solid split release between Gmork, Astarium and In Tenebriz. All of the bands here are Russian, and they play different variations of Atmospheric Black Metal. With almost four songs each on this release, we get a very good glimpse about each band’s style and their unique features. If you are a person looking for new bands to like, this is the perfect release to get an impression of three talented groups.

    Gmork opens up the release with four Russian titled tracks so we avoid the embarrassment of writing their names here, and will just refer to the by number. The first song opens with some cool spoken (in Russian) section and it slowly moves into atmospheric territory with some cool synths and very simple and effective guitars. Howling winds open the second track as it starts revealing its very regal and medieval-esque atmospheric elements. The harsh vocals make their appearance and provide a decent combination of growls and more BM-esque screams. Our favorite track from this band is their last song on the split, allowing them to show a very unified and diverse style. Combining melancholic guitars with tight drums and very enjoyable atmospheric elements, the band left a very good impression on us.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods (2013)

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    Everybody’s favorite Metal Vikings return with yet another epic release with “Deceiver of the Gods”. Doing what they do best, catchy melodic tunes, the band delivers 10 tracks of signature Amon Amarth music that are prefect for a good dosage of beer drinking and headbanging. Mixing in some traditional Heavy Metal elements with their already well defined style, the band manages to release a very powerful and refined album that just adds to their amazing legacy.

    Without wasting any time, the album title track delivers excellent melodic riffing that only Amon Amarth can produce. Johan Hegg’s powerful vocals lead the way and they are as brutal as ever. The melodic passages are top notch, an early indicator of how epic this release will be. “As Loke Falls” has all the ingredients for a typical anthem: catchy chorus section, pummeling riffs, violent vocals, and an overall melodic vibe that is quite amazing.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Nemesis Irae – Eradikate Kampaign (2013)

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    Hailing from Belgium, today we have Nemesis Irae and their latest crushing release “Eradikate Kampaign”. Featuring eight tracks of devastating Black/Death Metal, this release is very raw and powerful, perfect for fans of old-school music from the genre. Delivering pummeling riffs and massive drumming, this Belgian band pummels through this release in a very stylish and aggressive way.

    Opening with the hectic “Karnage”, the band instantly makes an impact with their powerful guitars and demonic vocals. The combination of screams and semi-growls is quite effective and gives an extra boost to the band’s already powerful sound. The releases provides a healthy mixture of powerful and to the point short songs with other tracks going over four and a half minutes being a bit more complex and elaborate.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Agathodaimon – In Darkness (2013)

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    Arriving today from Massacre records we have Agathodaimon and the follow up to their controversial 2009 release “Phoenix”. Going from Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal to Blacked Gothic Metal left a lot of people puzzled by their odd transformation. With “In Darkness” the band starts solidifying their very unique style, making it a bit more cohesive but still quite unexpected. In our opinion, their brave evolution is quite engaging and made us really enjoy this new release.

    The album blasts open with “In Darkness (We Shall Be Reborn)”, a 6-minte epic that reminds us a lot of Graveworm and their very bombastic Symphonic/Gothic Black Metal. The band delivers powerful riffs and killer atmospheric keyboards in a very punishing manner. The vocals change between growls, shrieks, and clean singing very convincingly giving the music enough depth. “I’ve Risen” and “Favourite Sin” for the most part sound like Dimmu Borgir, and this is a great thing in our opinion. The clean vocals really add to the music and make it more interesting and less linear.

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