Album Reviews

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    Frozen Ocean – Trollvinter (2013)

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    Russia’s Frozen Ocean has always kept us guessing when it comes to their very interesting releases and today we have the totally weird and completely instrumental “Trollvinter”. Inspired by “Moominland Midwinter” of Tove Jansson, this release features 10 tracks of ambient movements that will surely bring back the nightmares generated by movies like “Event Horizon” and its weird atmospheric soundtrack.

    The very mysterious “Sömnlöshet” opens this release with a certain cinematic feeling to it from old-school cartoons of something being followed in the woods by an evil creature. This very dark and yet relaxing vibe is prolonged by the dreamy “Att Betrakta Begravde Världen”. Followed by the drone-ish “Snöa Lanterna”, Frozen Winter has managed to create very somber soundscapes that are perfect to be enjoyed while walking in the woods on a dark and rainy day.

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    Frozen Ocean – A Perfect Solitude (2012)

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    Hailing from Russia, today we have one-man band/project Frozen Ocean presenting his 2012 full-length release titled “A Perfect Solitude”. Handling all the instruments and drum programming, Vaarwel manages to craft a very powerful and atmospheric release that showcases his excellent songwriting skills. Featuring seven tracks and nearly 45 minutes of chilling music, this release delivers a hefty amount of bleak soundscapes that will surely keep you on the edge of your seat.

    The bleak intro “Broken Window” sets a very mysterious and moody atmosphere that is very unnerving in nature. As the raining sounds bleed into “Somewhere Clouds Debark”, the mood keeps being very eerie and ethereal. The powerful distorted guitars elevate this track while maintaining the chilling atmosphere created. The vocals are very interesting since they are quite lush and greatly enhance the atmosphere, reminding us a bit of bands like Falkenbach and Thyrfing.

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    Frozen Ocean – Vanviddsanger (2013)

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    Delivering a short but sweep EP of relentless Black Metal, today we have one-man battalion Frozen Ocean all the way from Russia. In the “Vanviddsanger” EP, the band delivers eight crushing hymns of old-school hate-filled Crust Black Metal that is are both furiously paced and monumentally devastating. For all nostalgic fans of the days of raw Black Metal and old Crust Punk, this is one release you don’t want to miss.

    Opening with an atmospheric intro, “Vanviddsang: I” sets a very mysterious tone for a fast-paced Black Metal journey. The release immediately explodes with the crushing tracks “II” and “III”, keeping a very hectic tempo filled with powerful guitars and very demonic screams. While the music in not too original in nature, the pure rawness and brutality of it make this EP quite an enjoyable release for any fan of the genre.

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    The Body – Master, We Perish (2013)

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    One of the weirdest and most sonically abusive bands to hail from the USA, The Body, returns with a three-song EP titled “Master, We Perish” that promises to be as weird as any of their previous releases. With their crushing Sludge Metal, this two-piece band delivers 18 minutes of pure aural filth that will have all fans of the genre going ape-shit about this album.

    Quickly opening with some WWII sirens, “The Ebb And Flow Of Tides In A Sea of Ash” immediately makes the raw sound of The Body felt present. The harsh and very brutal guitar work is perfectly crushing and the droning drums are just there to make things even more confusing. Sounding like something that Merzbow would have produced… while on crack, this track is quite brutal and relentless.

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    Distress of Ruin – Predators Among Us (2013)

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    Making its way from Finland, today we have the debut EP “Predators Among Us” of Melodic Death Metal newcomers Distress of Ruin. Trying to make an impact in this very crowded scene, the band pulls all the stops and delivers six hard-hitting tracks that showcase their excellent abilities. With fierce competition of bands like Omnium Gatherum and Insomnium, the band made a great impression on us with their quality riffing and extra catchy melodies presented in this excellent release.

    Opening with some excellent atmospheric keyboards and acoustic guitars on “The Ocean of Perdition”, the band immediately makes their mark with epic riffs and crushing growls. While sounding a bit like Insomnium, they still get our attention since the band’s songwriting skills are top notch and the track sounds amazing. Things pickup with the tight drumming of “They Play Dead”, a song that is superbly catchy and features super effective riffs. The mixture of clean and harsh vocals works great and provides a nice contrast between the two.

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    The Ocean – Pelagial (2013)

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    Robin Staps and company return with another impressive and monumental 53-minute concept album that is intended to be played as one whole piece. In “Pelagial”, the bands ambitions are high than ever with an album that nicely builds up in momentum, just as the layers of the ocean are entered in a voyage to the sea floor. The Ocean are famous for their highly complex and multi-layered releases and this one is not an exception, keeping things very intricate and beautifully arranged for all fans to be blown away since the opening song.

    “Pelagial” was also originally intended to be mainly an instrumental release, and it is provided as both in the regular version of the album, so we will go back and forth in how the tracks feel different and transmit different feelings both with lyrics and without them. Opening with the very relaxed and dreamy “Epipelagic”, one even feels a certain sense of relief with this lush and simple track. Things start getting a bit more ‘heavier’ as the voyage continues going deeper and with “Mesopelagic – The Uncanny” we get the first taste of heavy guitars and the combination of clean and harsh vocals. We do think this track works a lot better on the instrumental version since it sounds cleaner and sets the mood a bit better.

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    Lifeforms – Multidimensional (2013)

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    Hailing from the USA, today we have the debut full-length release Lifeforms, an up-and-coming Progressive Extreme Metal band that mixes influences from band like Meshuggah to Deathcore bands like The Black Dahlia Murder. With an emphasis of excellent technical skills and brutality, this band has constructed 10 excellent tracks that while a bit repetitive, are actually quite enjoyable.

    Opening with the expectation builder “Descent into Madness”, the band starts warming up the riffing machine in this short intro. “Multidimensional” fully explodes with excellent Meshuggah styled guitar work and potent drumming. We love the technical aspect of things but they still sound a lot like Gojira and similar bands with that Progressive/Groove sound. The band’s extra similarities to bands like BDM and such Deathcore acts makes them sound more brutal than your average bands, gaining them extra points in our opinion.

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    Sagntid – The Undisciplined Heart of Sagntid (2012)

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    Delivering another dosage of creepy atmospheric brilliance, today we have Sagntid and their latest release “The Undisciplined Heart of Sagntid”. Keeping the very eerie vibe always present, this one man band delivers the goods once more in a 10-track release that will keep you at the edge of your seat when played at night and in the dark.

    Warming up with “Fierce Pride” the mood is very martial and with the addition of sporadic vocals the listener will be immediately immerse into Sagntid’s world. The longest track in this release is the complex “All Contact Ceased”, a very emotional and quite relaxing track that is very hypnotic in nature.

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    Mother Susurrus – Maahaavaa (2013)

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    Fully recorded using analog gear, today we have Finland’s Mother Susurrus and their debut full-length release “Maahaavaa”. Combining elements from bands like Neurosis, High of Fire, and more traditional Hard and Acid Rock influences, they masterfully crafted a sound that is quite hard to pin down, but is very interesting and unique sounding. This 48 minute release contains five solid tracks that command maximum aural attention.

    True audiophiles greatly appreciate when things are recorded via analog gear, and this is very evident when you get those nice grainy effects and elements in the music that really make things pop and sound natural. The first example of said things is the crushing opener “Superposition”. Clocking in at around 10 minutes, this mammoth track shows the band’s Sludge/Doom power with some more direct Hard rock influences.

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    Sagntid – Where the Black Dogs Cease To Bark (2009)

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    One-man Danish Dark Ambient project Sagntid brings forth their 2-song demo/promo from back in 2009. In this highly haunting and minimalist release, Sagntid delivers excellent Ambient music that will send chills through your spine the moment the album starts warming up. With a very minimalistic approach, this is the kind of stuff you want to play on a long winter night.

    The first track in this release is a nearly 19 minute exploration into darkness. Filled with great atmospheric passages, Sagntid paints lush landscapes with very few elements creating a bleak and desolate feeling. We particularly love how musicians from Scandinavia can perfectly express their vast and desolate landscapes of their northern territories through music and this song is the perfect example of this.

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