Monday, December 29, 2014
from issue 48 of Metal Bulletin Zine: "prog extreme metal" Giant of the Mountain
Just in case you missed it, this is from issue 48 of Metal Bulletin Zine.
Giant of the Mountain (U.S.): Moon Worship
Giant of the Mountain comes from Texas and was formed in 2008, and from 2009 until 2014, the band has two EPs and three full-length albums, the third of which is this 2014 title “Moon Worship,” a six-song work that lasts about 38 minutes. Very surprisingly, Metal Archives categorizes Giant of the Mountain as “technical death metal.” That categorization seems so strange in the case of Giant of the Mountain. It’s very likely that the band members will look at each other with eyebrows raised and exclaim, “What? We had no idea we were ‘technical death metal’!” and bust out laughing.
It also appears that Giant of the Mountain has suffered for being from Plano, Texas. All the band’s recordings are independent, according to Metal Archives. Maybe the metal companies are just not ready for an ambitious and brainiac metal band from Texas. I guess that’s what you get for being from Texas and not being a low-IQ macho-posturing thug with a mouth for war, demanding respect and telling people to walk.
Here’s the deal: Giant of the Mountain is one of “those metal bands” that does it all: from abhorrent blasting death metal to mellow, peaceful pieces with melodic singing. At first it sounds like a big bowl of clutter of metal racket, as in “Is this a compilation album? How many bands are on this compilation?” Yet, no, it is all Giant of the Mountain, but if you listen to this work as an album, something else will happen: everything will come into focus and the landscape will be visible as a complete entity. The first song “Moon Worship” is a fast death-ish track, but the guitar work stands out for being prog guitar played fast, backed by fast drumming. The growling seems to have various shades of “brutality” that are something like growling by monsters, by witches and by gremlins, low and high, so on and so forth. The appearance of melodic vocals later on in this same song, at that high speed is both surprising and pleasant. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the band’s guitarist/vocalist Cody Daniels holds in high regard Opeth’s “My Arms, Your Hearse.” Giant of the Mountain’s music is way too aggressive and fast for the classic Opeth influence to be easily detected, but make no mistake, the guitar tone, the riffs and the soloing have a fundamental debt to the classic period of the Swedes. It’s just that Giant of the Mountain has ratcheted up the intensity, speed, “brutality,” and vibe so that this music turns into a different sound. In contrast, “Cult of the Moon” is a mellow song with audible acoustic or acoustic-like sounds, and now that element of classic Opeth jumps out and says, “How do you like them apples, now? Did you know that Giant of the Mountain writes songs this eclectic?”
At any rate, this review is getting too long. As you can imagine, Giant of the Mountain does not have a big budget with which to work, and just the fact that they have lasted this long on their own is a credit to them. If they had more money, I’m sure they would like to give the recording a better quality, as the drumming appears to be drum programming, even though they do have a real human drummer named Randi Matejowsky. In terms of the songs themselves, however, this album is very satisfying. FYI: The band calls its music "blackened progressive sludge metal." These kids today, they think up of all sorts of genres. "Sludge"? Really? Check out the music and argue with your friends about the genre later. www.facebook.com/giantofthemountain?ref=ts
www.giantofthemountain.bandcamp.com www.reverbnation.com/giantofthemountain
from issue 48 of Metal Bulletin Zine: heavy metal TNT
A new issue of Metal Bulletin Zine is coming up soon, but just in case you missed it, this is TNT, from issue 48.
TNT (Norway): 30th Anniversary 1982-2012 Live In Concert with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra (Indie Recordings)
I figured that this recording was going to be an awesome, grandiose work. It’s not complicated to hear why this is true: TNT is about three fundamental things: magnificent singing, memorable hooks and good songwriting. In this live recording, TNT went all out for its 30-year anniversary, supporters of the band in Trondheim came out for this, and with the symphony behind the band, it is all about quality music. This album was recorded on June 2nd, 2012 in Trondheim, Norway, the city where TNT started out all those years ago with the game plan of conquering the world.
Traditional, melodic heavy metal veterans TNT started in 1982. If you appreciate traditional metal, and you have never given TNT a chance, this would be a wonderful chance to begin. You missed the first 30 years, so here is a musical summary. At the time of the concert, the singer was the very capable and talented Tony Mills, but the band also invited Dag DD Dynamite, the singer from the first album “TNT” from 1982 for tracks like “Harley Davidson” and “USA.” In addition, the band showcases as guest vocalist the band’s iconic voice Tony Harnell on its greatest hits such as “Intuition.” Incidentally, Tony Harnell has now returned to TNT, so we’re on the verge of hearing a new album with the band’s historical singer sometime soon.
This “greatest hits live” recording works really well as an introduction to the band for a younger audience, and a trip down memory lane for the longtime TNT followers. There’s no way to please every TNT supporter, considering the long history of the band and the changes that have happened over the years, as with any veteran band. Still, this album is a very good representation of the band’s strengths and its songwriting. I’m not going to do a track-by-track review of the album, but just know that the band closes this album with a bang: the three-pronged hit attack of “Everyone’s a Star,” “10, 000 Lovers in One,” and of course, what else?!, “Seven Seas.”
Alright, kids, grandma has to go now because it’s time to dust off TNT’s 1984 vinyl “Knights of the New Thunder.” Now, that’s what this grandma calls singing. You think you have heard great singing? Yeah, right! You have no idea. No idea.
www.facebook.com/TNTtheband
www.tnttheband.com
www.indierecordings.no
www.merchnow.com/catalogs/indie-recordings
from issue 48 of Metal Bulletin Zine: doom death ENCOFFINATION
There is a new issue of Metal Bulletin Zine coming up soon, but before moving on, just in case you missed it.
Encoffination (U.S.): III - Hear Me, O' Death (Sing Thou Wretched Choirs) (Selfmadegod Records)
The musicians behind Encoffination—Justin Blake Stubbs and Wayne Sarantopoulos—have in mind the heaviest, slowest funeral death doom that you could ever imagine, like Incantation’s doom parts slowed down even more, and never sped up for any reason under any circumstances. Encoffination makes Black Sabbath sound like The Beatles or The Ramones. I don’t know how other people get to understand a band like this one, except through spending time with the album and waiting for it to make sense at some point. This demands patience. If a listener wants something fun, something that rocks, that listener would find this music to be a waste of time. Only by giving yourself time for this album would it be possible to hear it in a real sense. It is always very slow, the vocals are but a low murmur-growl and the drummer sounds like he is nodding off. All the songs are slow, all the time. Encoffination is an atmosphere of crawling doom. You can fall asleep to it, you can meditate to it or any such activity. No headbanging, no moshing, no happy. This is not music for jocks or for exercising. If anything, this is music that is highly elitist in nature. The metal masses would run away from this album because it subverts the idea of why people listen to metal. You want to rock? No, Encoffination does not. Encoffination is the end of the line. FYI: Encoffination is not a stoner or drone band. Like already stated, just imagine the slow segments by Incantation turned into full songs, and imagine a whole album of music at that pace. Since 2008, Encoffination has been making EPs and albums, a total of 8 titles. This total misery of sound is the first album by the band that I really have been exploring. It will take a while to unfold.
www.facebook.com/templeofencoffinment
www.selfmadegod.com
www.selfmadegod.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/selfmadegod
Friday, December 26, 2014
upcoming thrash/crossover album by SHREDHEAD
Shredhead is thrash/hardcore originally from Israel. They are currently based in Berlin.
January 12 is the release date, but you can hear a song below.
www.facebook.com/shredheadband
Have you heard the doom of ATRIARCH yet?
Atriarch is from Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Some call it death rock or death doom or other things.
There's no need to argue about it. Just go here and see what you think. They do sound like a Portland band, if that makes sense. Portland has a lot of doom-ish music going on.
www.facebook.com/pages/ATRIARCH/241062512127
www.relapse.com
Thursday, December 25, 2014
NEWS: Euro power metal: Nocturna (U.K.): Lucidity EP
Nocturna (U.K.): Lucidity EP
Nocturna’s debut EP called “Lucidity” will be released on February 17, 2015.
Nocturna is melodic Euro upbeat, sing-along symphonic power metal. Things are looking positive for the band and they hope that the melodic power metal audience gives them a chance. People into a band like Stratovarius would be the logical target audience. They have a video for the song “Revelations” on YouTube.
www.facebook.com/nocturnametal
www.soundcloud.com/nocturnametal
Nocturna - Revelations (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO 2014)
new issue Metal Bulletin Zine: number 48
new Metal Bulletin Zine
number 48
read PDF online
free download
www.issuu.com/metalbulletinzine/docs/metalbulletin48
metal music zine: Decibel, Vanguard!, Valhalla, TNT, Encoffination, Giant of the Mountain, Nivlhel, Murderline, Scourge, In Aevum Agere, Malpractice, Skinflint,Johnny Touch, Convent Guilt, Osmium Guillotine, Mausoleum Gate, Brimstone Coven, Void Ritual, Decay Crawler, Negativvm, Faeton, Bolzer, Chainbreaker, Predatory Light, Castle Freak, Yellow Eyes
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
the death metal of Valhalla (Brazil)
Valhalla (Brazil): Evil Fills Me
Valhalla is blasting, guttural death metal from Brazil whose origins date back to 1988. Currently the band is made up three sisters and their most recent work is the 2014 EP “Evil Fills Me.” Valhalla believes in playing direct death metal, the same way that a band like Cannibal Corpse is not trying to fool anyone by pretending to be anything other than death metal. You can tell Valhalla takes pride in their music. They sound like professionals. When can we get this band to play in the U.S.? People like death metal in the U.S., right? I think Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Suffocation and Malevolent Creation aficionados would love to get injured in a mosh pit during songs by Valhalla.
www.facebook.com/pages/Valhalla-Female-Death-Metal/194092070603675
Valhalla-Evil Fills Me
the death metal of Murderline (Mexico)
Murderline (Mexico)
Murderline has three songs of straightforward, no-nonsense death metal on its Facebook page. They appear to have only a demo so far, but it’s promising, serious death metal. The current members of the band are Alejandra, Pishi and Skwisgaar. Look this band up if you like upfront, proud death metal.
www.facebook.com/pages/MURDERLINE/504059236389372
prog death metal from Argentina: DEVIUS
If you are looking for a bit of prog and death metal combination, here is Devius from Argentina.
www.devius.bandcamp.com/album/devius-the-absents-presence
www.facebook.com/DeviusDeathMetal
high quality power metal from Argentina: DEUS X MACHINA
If you are looking for professional, skilled, talented and serious power metal, then do not pass this band up.
Get ready for some high singing, power metal style!
www.facebook.com/DXMetal/app_2405167945
free grind from Argentina: Destroy The Humans
It's blasting fast and it's against the human race.
Grind with hatred from Argentina.
www.destroythehumans.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/pages/DestroyTheHumans/336860296398979
mutant metal punks from Washington state: Vanguard!
Vanguard!
Metal Bulletin Zine is late to the party of these barbarian heavy metal punks who stalk the gutters, backstreets and sewers of the post-apocalyptic desert mountain forests of the city of Olympia, Washington. Vanguard! sounds like it was recorded with a tape deck in a garage no later than 1987, although it is actually from 2012, it seems. This band hates the modern robot metal music and wants to return to the ages of the mutant motorcycle gang rock n’ roll metal punk of the future epoch.
www.realvanguard.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Vanguard-Olympia/145002718938658
stoner doom from Washington state: Decibel
Decibel
Metal Archives says that Decibel is a one-person project from the state of Washington, but there is not much information yet. Trevor Brown apparently has three albums in 2014 and this music is available for free/name your price. The album “Plague,” for instance, sounds like really heavy stoner doom with growled vocals. If you like the heavy, plodding sounds of one-person projects, look into this Castle Rock, Washington band.
www.trevorbrown.bandcamp.com
Email: decibelsludge@gmail.com
Monday, December 22, 2014
heavy metal: SKINFLINT (Botswana): Nyemba (Pure Steel Records)
Skinflint (Botswana): Nyemba (Pure Steel Records)
Skinflint is a traditional heavy metal band from Botswana, a band that records its music in such a way that, as much as possible, what the listener hears, is what the band recorded. The band’s philosophy, more or less, is to play the music so that the listener can hear the drums, the bass, the guitar and vocals clearly. It is a type of rebellion against the perfectionist/clicky sounds of so much metal music. Skinflint is critical of drummers that do not actually play the parts heard on the recording, critical of programmed/modified/repaired drums with sampled drums; critical of bands with highly processed vocals, vocal effects, vocal corrections, so on and so forth. Skinflint does not want to be like those bands that sound perfect on the recording, then you see them live and you feel disappointed because it sounds like a different band altogether due to “the studio magic.”
Skinflint’s approach has not been understood well in some quarters. Some people have said some condescending things about Skinflint, that this African band needs to be educated in a so-called proper studio in Europe or the U.S.; some people have also made racist comments about the band, so the level of ignorance can go rather high in some cases. Yet, Skinflint is not some young or insecure or confused band. Skinflint was formed about 2006. Including this 2014 album called “Nyemba,” the band now has at least four full-length albums, plus a couple of EPs, and some singles, and possibly other recordings that have not yet been published. I have not heard all of Skinflint’s recorded output, but I do have the 2010 album “Iklwa,” the 2011 EP “Gauna,” the 2012 album “Dipoko,” and this new one. The band has consistently followed its principles about recording metal music. Each album sounds fresh, genuine, transparent, and clear in sound, with certain values that at times recall the direct, less-tricks production of “No Prayer for the Dying”-era Iron Maiden (but, for instance, not the more glossy “Somewhere in Time”/“Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”); at other times, you might think of late 70s/early 80s heavy metal recordings; still, at some moments, you might detect early Led Zeppelin/Deep Purple/Black Sabbath aesthetic values of not overcrowding the song with outside distractions, a bit more upfront, and that don’t-overdo-it-in-the-studio sound.
Unfortunately for Skinflint, some people have strongly disliked the band’s traditional recording values for heavy metal and have gone out of their way to insult the band, but the band makes highly interesting music. Every time a new album is published I am reminded of what a gem the band is. It seems to me that the band’s songwriting has expanded a bit, like the band is letting the songs breathe even more now. They sound further along into the Skinflint style of metal, of recording and of writing songs. The vocalist/guitarist Giuseppe “Juice” has semi-growled vocals but in an intelligible way, while the guitars explore melody, upbeat riffs, a bit of doom, even tiny bits of the Zep/Purple/Sabbath blues in selected spots. The bassist Kebonye “Raskebo” always finds creative ways to make himself heard, working in unison with Sandra “Fire” and her steady, heartbeat-of-the-band sound and her feel for keeping a song in vibe. In short, Skinflint has done it again. Remember that the first time listening to the band might require you to adjust your mind to a band playing metal that sounds more honest. Who knows, you might start to hear metal in a new way, too, maybe.
www.puresteel-records.com
www.facebook.com/SKINFLINTMETAL
www.skinflintmetal.com
Skinflint - Veya
FREE black metal albums: NEGATIVVM (Germany)
Negativvm (Germany)
Negativvm is a red-leaning, anti-consumer society, anti-sexism/racism German-language black metal band from Germany that has its music available for free. They have three albums at the link below. The first album is from 2011, the second one is a live album from 2012 and the third one is called “Hvngerkvnst” from 2013, an album that’s about 50 minutes of rather serious black metal that’s looking for listeners of an intellectual mind.
www.negativvm.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/Negativvm
FREE black metal album: DECAY CRAWLER (Missouri, U.S.)
Decay Crawler (U.S): Black Dream
This album is actually from 2013, but it is worthwhile looking into, if you like black metal because this band has strong opinions about modern metal. The band says that they play “rock n’ roll for the dark ear. Features real drums, real amps, vocals without effects. What we played is what you’re hearing. No gimmicks or robot instruments.” If you hate dishonesty in metal music, you probably will find Decay Crawler to be your kind of black metal, raw black metal. Decay Crawler is from Missouri, U.S., and has been active since 2011.
www.decaycrawler.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/decaycrawler
Saturday, December 20, 2014
the "horror metal" of CADAVERIA
Cadaveria (Italy): Silence (Scarlet Records)Cadaveria the band started in 2001, after Cadaveria the vocalist and Flegias the drummer departed the gothic/melodic black metal band Opera IX (Flegias is also since 1998 the vocalist for veteran thrashers Necrodeath). “Silence” is Cadaveria’s fifth album, and this 2014 album follows 2012’s “Horror Metal,” which is also the self-assigned term that Cadaveria uses to describe its music. As to this album, the band has taken a major step towards a sound that seems more identifiable as its own. Part groove metal, part uptempo gothic metal, and part melodic metal, “Silence” coherently holds together a bit of variety of songs. The band shows a sensitivity to writing memorable songs, and a song like “Carnival of Doom” is a probably a song that this band could close concerts with. I would think that this track would be a favorite amongst followers of the band, given the catchy nature of the tune. However, it’s not just one song that is that way; the complete album flows well and it looks like the band has found its way towards establishing an atmosphere for the album and for the band’s own sound of groove-focused “horror metal.” Cadaveria the vocalist has become very capable, going from dark metal screaming snarls to melancholic/melodic gothic metal vocals, which takes the band’s sounds into various areas rather smoothly, not to mention that the musicianship itself transitions easily from one segment to the next. Overall, “Silence” is one savvy album that seems primed for success in the European market for modern, catchy “extreme metal” from Dimmu Borgir to Arch Enemy to gothic metal. www.scarletrecords.it www.facebook.com/cadaveria Cadaveria: Carnival of Doom
Friday, December 19, 2014
the excellence of: Einherjer (Norway): Av oss, for oss (Indie Recordings)
Einherjer (Norway): Av oss, for oss (Indie Recordings)
Einherjer’s excellent melodic, midtempo “pagan”/“viking”/folk metal causes diametrically opposed reactions in some circles. Now, the negative views on this album, as well as past albums, focus on some recurring themes. Perhaps the biggest one is that some listeners do not like that Einherjer does no blasting; the music stays midtempo/uptempo throughout, and at no time does the band launch into fast music. Related to this issue, Einherjer is seen as not “extreme” enough because the band insists on sticking with the midtempo/uptempo style.
In some ways, it is necessary to call this Einherjer MKII, the Einherjer of 2008-present. The 1993-2004 version of the band was known for changing styles from album to album, which also caused frustration for some listeners. Nowadays the band has settled into a midtempo/uptempo style with growled vocals that emphasizes big riffs and melodies.
To the point: this is one of the best albums that I have heard in 2014 for its creativity and its difference. It is refreshing to hear Einherjer stay the course of their style and hear them grow as songwriters through the art of making memorable music that is rather devoid of formulaic expectations, like speed to please some short-attention-span public. Einherjer is digging deeper, cultivating the post-2008 musical direction of somber-yet-memorable “viking metal,” which is folk metal with prog elements.
It is plain to see that some people cannot get it out of their heads that Einherjer is its own sound, its own band, and that to compare Einherjer to Enslaved, Bathory, Moonsorrow or some other band is asinine. It is as if some people are upset that Einherjer has not called up Moonsorrow or Enslaved on the phone and consulted with those bands. “I don’t like Einherjer because it is different from Moonsorrow” is not an observant way to assess this album, yet it is an “accusation” thrown at the band. Supposedly, there is much better “viking metal” out there. It does not enter some people’s heads that the members of Einherjer know what they want. This is what they do, and they happen to be very good at it.
Einherjer has become more confident in its style and more consistent in the projection of the desired atmosphere. Nowadays the band sounds very experienced, skilled and knowledgeable about how the music should be. The band does not lean on any crutches, like playing fast, and it appears that any sense of trying to be more successful-popular through being more aware of the times-trends is gone for good, and what remains is grown, adult men with realistic expectations about the eventual popularity of their somber/prog/folk Norwegian-language music for intelligent listeners that know that some metal takes time to understand, and takes even longer for the band to make.
www.facebook.com/einherjermusic
www.einherjer.com
www.indierecordings.no
EINHERJER - NIDSTONG (Official music video)
FREE EP of heavy metal in Russian: FAETON (Russia): На небе и на земле
Faeton (Russia): На небе и на земле (2014)
This is upbeat, rocking heavy metal EP in Russian, played in an old school way.
1. Фаэтон 04:13
2. Ты была солнцем 04:01
3. Сто дорог 05:16
4. Царица льдов 04:20
5. Легенда о Фаэтоне 04:48
6. Ангел 04:01
TOTAL TIME 26:39
www.faeton.bandcamp.com/releases
FREE EP of doom rock heavy metal: VIOLENZIA (Austria): Krampusspiel
VIOLENZIA wants you to hear their do-it-yourself take of doom rock metal in German. This is the info about the EP and you can stream and download it for free/name your price.
VIOLENZIA: Krampusspiel
1. Einzug 02:57
2. Der Schmied 03:57
3. Der Tod 02:25
4. Lügenteufel 03:35
5. Eheteufel 03:37
6. Habgierteufel 02:58
7. Luzifer 02:36
8. Freilauf
TOTAL TIME 22:05
www.violenzia.bandcamp.com/releases
www.facebook.com/Violenzia512
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