Album Reviews

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    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.

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    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.

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    King Bong – Space Shanties (2012)

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    With a name like King Bong, one can immediately tell what kind of music this band plays. This Italian trio delivers a hefty dosage of Instrumental Stoner/Sludge Metal that was recorded live and without the usage of any studio magic, adding to the overall brilliance of the songs presented here. Featuring over 60 minutes of jazzy and funky music, this is one album that all fans of the genre should pay attention to.

    Starting with the interestingly named track “Even 50 Feet Hamsters Have Feelings”, we all know what the band was on when they came up with such a name. With a very slow and hypnotic pace, this track features a hefty amount of psychedelicness that will make you start thinking you are hallucinating. The bass, guitar, and drums approach to the music gives it a very minimalist take, while being far from being dull and repetitive.

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    Picture Ann - Cinema Screen Sadism (2010)

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    As we are used to reviewing Metal albums, whenever we get something that is a bit out of our comfort zone we always embrace the challenge and try to do justice to the music. Today we have a one-man project titled Picture Ann and ‘their’ 2010 release “Cinema Screen Sadism”. In this two-track EP we have combination of hypnotic atmospheric elements with some distorted guitars and very somber vocals.

    Opening with “Film Window”, we are treated to a very minimalistic song that is quite entertaining and equally eerie. The atmospheric elements are quite intoxicating and the clean vocals greatly enhance the overall creepy experience. The distorted guitars are quite distance but equally gratifying providing depth to the track.

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    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.

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    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.

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    Tales of the Old - The Passageway from Hell to Earth (2012)

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    Presenting three very bombastic Symphonic Metal tracks, today we have Tales of the Old and their EP “The Passageway from Hell to Earth”. With a style combining elements of bands like Therion and older Nightwish, this band excels in creating very dark atmospheres around lush vocals and powerful guitars. For around 12 minutes this band gives you the perfect introduction to their dark and somber world.

    Opening with a very somber piano intro, “Dark Witch” immediately explodes into a full-fledged Symphonic Metal anthem with excellent keyboards and punishing guitars. The clean-male vocals reminded us a bit of Snowy Shawn from Therion, but what pushes this song over the edge for us is the super creepy children’s choir arrangements. The female vocals of Androniki Skoula are very powerful and nicely complement the atmosphere of this track.

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    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.

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    Vitriol – Into The Silence I Sink (2012)

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    Deliver 60 minutes of super catchy and melancholic Progressive Metal/Rock, today we have Vitriol’s debut full-length release “Into The Silence I Sink”. Combining elements of bands like Pain of Salvation and other Progressive Metal/Rock outfits, this band delivers ten carefully crafted tracks that will move any fan of the genre.

    Opening with the very melancholic duo of songs “Behind the Electric Veil” and “Slowly Dies”, the band quickly warms up with very melodic and emotional compositions greatly led by their charismatic vocalist Gianluca Pappalardo. These first songs have a Gothic Rock edge blended into Progressive influences for a very unique and refined sound. Another fine example of this mixture of melancholy and traditional progressive elements is one of our favorite tracks: “Arabesque”.

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    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.

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