Ouija - black metal from Spain

Ouija

Fathomless Hysteros

December 26th, 2022

Negra Nit Distro

The third album Fathomless Hysteros by Ouija (Spain; 1994 [as Levia]), 1995-1997, 2009-present) embodies the act’s tradition of headbanging black metal. Their 1997 debut full-length album Riding into the Funeral Paths established a foundation of raging, classic-style black metal. Times change and technology changes, and the music nowadays reflects the knowledge and experience acquired over the years. For example, that first album was prototypical, from the guitar work to the shrieking to the high-speed drumming, as close to ideal in this particular genre in those days. What is different nowadays? The vocals have become a lower, more brutal scowl (within a black metal context) and the guitar sound is thicker, fuller. Whereas the early material sounds more necro, melodic and not as heavy as today, the current sound is a more muscular speeding trucking sound, with some important midtempo contrasts; less atmosphere, more upfront energy. Regardless of the differences in production, Ouija represents with the same intentions seeking to start an immediate reaction in the audience. Is it possible to sit there and hear Ouija’s music and remain motionless? They are betting that the fans of the genre will not be able to avoid banging their heads in approval. Interestingly, on this recording, of the seven songs (40 minutes total), one song is from the 2013 sophomore album Ave Voluptatis Carnis and one from 1997’s Riding into the Funeral Paths. Decades later, headbanging black metal is still the number one priority.

FATHOMLESS HYSTEROS by OUIJA

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063462515530

Antitheus - death metal in Washington State, U.S.

Washington state extreme band Antitheus began 2023 with their debut album called The Faults of Our Kind. This death metal act has a recording from 2014 and a single from 2016, so it looks like it's been a while since they last released music. I only came across this new recording very recently. I am still listening to it. It is contemporary, energetic death, with lower, brutal vocals and blasting speeds, although there is a bit of melody here and there. Overall, big energy is the general vibe of the 41-minute album. Listen to it and let's give it some time for the mind to put the pieces together and see how it sounds some months from now. It does sound like an unrelenting wave of energy and harsh vocals. Death metal fanatics will be the target audience for this Seattle area entity.

The Faults of Our Kind by Antitheus

https://www.facebook.com/AntitheusBand/

Celestial Wizard - - Ice Realm (official video)

"Ice Realm" comes from the second album Winds of the Cosmos by U.S. band Celestial Wizard, a group that combines elements of melodic and extreme genres for a sound that is something like heavy metal melodeath. They are based in the state of Colorado, in the Denver area, and are signed to Scarlet Records (Italy). Their debut album is from 2018, but their origins seem to go back to 2011 when they were called Solarfall. If you like the sound of the video, consider checking out the album. Below is the link from Bandcamp, and the album should be available on the other platforms by now because it was released on the 20th of January, 2023. Fans of melodic and growling voices in the same songs with melodic guitar work may find that Celestial Wizard is doing the combination that they have been looking for. It is not a super crazy salad mix of genres, it's mostly two genres working together and providing something a bit new to audiences that have not heard this band before.

CELESTIAL WIZARD - Ice Realm (Official Video)

Winds Of The Cosmos by Celestial Wizard

https://www.facebook.com/CelestialWizardOfficial/

Tone Glass - Florida Man Delivers Instrumental Album; No Alligators Found

When the Sky Falls is the 2023 debut full-length album by instrumental guitarist Tone Glass (Florida, U.S.). This is a solo album done with the help of technology, as it says on Bandcamp, "My First Completely solo record. Drums, bass, and orchestra instruments are computer generated, but all guitars are me!!!" Bandcamp also says that the album was released on January 18, 2023. The music is instrumental melodic death metal and U.S. metalcore. Given that the album is rather new, I am still listening to all 54 minutes of it, but so far the guitar playing is certainly a good listen. The riffs are good and the soloing is fun. The compositions focus on songs, overall, and the shredding is there, but it is not music for musicians and even a no-skills, no-talent, average person like myself can easily understand the music as songs, not showoff meandering tracks. I am entertained, gladiator.

*No alligators were harmed in the making of this album.

When The Sky Falls by Tone Glass

https://www.facebook.com/people/Tone-Glass/100086555400612

Black 7 - Driven (official video)

The instrumental melodic project Black 7 (Germany) is ready to follow up 2021's 14-track album Look Inside with 2nd Chapter. The new song is called "Driven" and it is a song that is good for listening to music, and especially good, melodic guitar playing, without having any distractions like vocals and other things that take away from the listener's concentration away from guitar. In short, fans of guitar melodies and instrumental guitar albums should consider looking into what Black 7 has to offer. It's the type of music that allows you pretty much to do anything, from working out at the gym, doing homework, studying for exams, meditation or prayer, yoga, washing dishing, jogging, walking the dog, driving, riding the bus or practicing your dyn-o-mite lethal nunchuck skills for the upcoming tournament in Snohomish County.

I have not heard the new album, but the previous album is available below.

Black 7 - Driven (official video)

Look Inside by Black 7

https://www.facebook.com/Blacksevengermany/

Dreams of Gray - melodic death metal from Chicago, U.S.

Dreams of Gray

The World After

January 2nd, 2023

Chicago’s newest export is a three-song recording by vocalist/guitarist Luis Rivera, from the long-running band Abolisher. Some fans in the Chicagoland area may be acquainted with Abolisher from their gigs and their 2001 recording Lament the Season, which I enjoy coming back to from time to time. Word has it that Abolisher has been rehearsing again. We’ll have to wait and see what happens on that front. On the other hand, Dreams of Gray is already up and running. The vocals are growled for the most part, tending to go for a lower, brutal-tone style while retaining some intelligibility. It’s necessary to say “for the most part,” because there are melodic vocals in some spots, generally done in a supporting role to the growling, but sometimes the melodic vocals come up to the front alone or it might be a line/verse of melodic vocals. Musically, one can detect the thrash foundation of the guitar, tuned down a bit, for that headbanging style of melodic death metal. There are some cool moments of melodic riffing and hooks, and some nifty guitar soloing. Furthermore, some signs point to a desire to expand, like on the slower moments in the third song “The World After,” a track that follows its own path, going towards melancholy, a different side of the project’s sound. Besides Rivera on guitars and vocals, this recording features Phil DiCiccio on drums and Marcin Palider (Poland) on bass, while Maria Kosma (U.K.) took care of the bass on the song “Life in Gray.” Lastly, the lyrics are of a personal nature and open to interpretation, done in an intelligent way. Listeners will tell that grief and loss, as well as deception, play an important part in the perspectives on here. Overall, fans of classic-style melodic death metal might be pleasantly surprised by the quality of this entity’s contemporary interpretation of the genre.

The World After by Dreams of Gray

https://www.instagram.com/dreamsofgray/

https://www.youtube.com/@Dreamsofgray

Twilight Zone - heavy metal from Italy

Traditional hard-rocking heavy metal band Twilight Zone (Italy) began as far back as 1990, under a different name (Stigma), but by 1993 they adopted their current name. They did demos in the 1990s and 2000s and recorded a split in 2010. It was not until 2014 that their debut full-length album came out. In 2022 their second album called Visions of Freedom was released. This most recent album is the one with which I am familiar. Wearing proudly a Thin Lizzy t-shirt in their band photo, they are a band that looks for inspiration in the 1970s and 1980s. It's not really a Judas Priest/Iron Maiden/Scorpions type of heavy metal, but rather a somewhat more classic rock approach to their heavy rock while still sounding like a heavy metal band. Of course, they have rockers on the album, but they also work with other moods not just faster rocking tracks. For example, sometimes they slow things down for some more melodic moments and some bluesier segments. There is not a sense of band working with a strict formula; they are taking their influences and giving them their own interpretation. One thing is clear: they sound experienced in their blue-collar rocker heavy metal approach and they prefer to a more old-school sound, and not a super computerized style of sound. In fact, some of the members are or have been in thrash and speed metal bands, so they definitely can play other genres. For this band, they make speed less of a priority and let their older classic rock and heavy metal songwriting skills out in the open.

Recommend if you are curious to hear an Italian band go for a more traditional, less poppy, less robotized sound in their heavy rock.

Visions Of Freedom by TWILIGHT ZONE

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063679291697