Gorod - A Maze of Recycled Creeds (2015) Review

While missing input on Gorod’s debut full-length album Neurotripsicks (and while the title sounds promising) from 2005, I hold both Leading Vision (2006) and A Process of a New Decline (2009) in quite high regard, as prime examples of top-notch technical death metal fueled by great musicianship and not lacking in heaviness. In 2012, the band released the exquisite A Perfect Absolution, which got them even more traction in the scene, but it still didn’t live up to their previous two works for me, despite its excessive bombast. The first thing that caught my eye with A Maze of Recycled Creeds (2015) was the fantastic cover art, almost to a point that I hoped for the album to become my favorite from them, even before listening to it. While it may not be the case, eventually, it remains a high point in the band’s discography, highlighting all the elements they excel at. And in some of these elements, they excel ridiculously much.

The virtuosity and musicality that overflows A Maze... is immediately noticeable, but it comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with this band. It is not a case of a record that is characterized by clear-cut brutality, as the progressive and jazz intersections throughout the death metal corpus are frequent, expertly executed, and highly effective. Through tempos constantly chopped and re-wired in new frequencies, unfurling fierce riffing in between fretwork aerobatics and thrilling soloing, Gorod communicates their story from their own, particular perspective. A Maze... is a clear tech-death album, yet it separates itself and makes the band’s sound, completely recognizable. Despite the complexity of the compositions, the record succeeds in being accessible and pleasant to go through, as it also isn’t shy of uplifting moments, when things dare to get more fun. 

By flashing a short, hopeful piano introduction in “Air de L'Ordre”, it’s almost as if it’s unsuspected of what’s about to follow. Both “Temple of the Art God” and “Celestial Nature” burst with tense and airtight, prog-driven death metal played on time signatures impossible to count, and the first listen serves purely to sit back and appreciate the mind-bending capabilities of all the members and their instrument worship. Harmonies are used and abused in the entirety of the record, but it’s also the spectacular bass lines and drumming that lives up to the needs of such material. There’s not a lot of space for pure headbanging here, as the brain will constantly be trying to catch up with the number of exciting ideas constantly appearing and dissolving. 

Gorod’s jazz adeptness sometimes takes over (check “The Mystic Triad of Artistry” or “An Order to Reclaim”), and the heavier moments are more distinct when they unfold, than constantly being in the forefront. For example, potent grooving is what opens “From Passion to Holiness”, which transforms into an almost funk metal crescendo later, and the intro of the last track, “Syncretic Delirium”, is possibly the album’s most aggressive instance (nearly reminding me of Spawn of Possession). I must admit, I am not the biggest fan of the shouty vocals sometimes employed in the tracks, like in “Rejoice Your Soul”, which was the weakest for me in the record. Pieces like “Inner Alchemy” (despite the vocal elasticity) are among the strongest points in A Maze..., while e.g. “Dig Into Yourself” were for me, significantly less memorable. 

I still haven’t heard The Orb (2023) properly but remember Æthra (2018) positively, which shows that there’s still homework to go through when it comes to Gorod. In A Maze..., I found the framework in which this band operates quite exciting, despite not enjoying all parts of the album at the same extent. There are so many hooks and twists in the tracks, so much energy out of the band, and so much creativity, that it’s hard not to recognize the musical level of the record, even if such a demanding genre isn’t your cup of tea (as it might not be mine). Naturally, the band has moved on from what they had been trying to do up to that point, but it’s not a matter of abandoning previous approaches, just reinventing them. [3.5 out of 5]

Out of reach of idle hands

Panzerfaust - The Suns of Perdition - Chapter III: The Astral Drain (2022) Review

The third instalment in Panzerfaust's The Suns of Perdition series is (I think) the last part of what seems to be a conceptual trilogy that marks the return of the band and a much more serious and dominating musical presence in the underground. Chapter III: The Astrail Drain is the continuation of Render Unto Eden from 2020, a record that I found fascinating. Two years later, it seems like nothing has changed content except some compositional decisions the band has taken regarding the structure of their tracks. While listening to The Astral Drain, I am really missing the more intense moments that existed in the previous records and were even more violent in the first album of the trilogy. Most of the material in this new record is almost constantly middle paced, constantly waiting, with a few more distinct riffs appearing here and there, but never really taking off to levels of heaviness that it could reach. The opening track "Death Drive Projections" is basically an ultra long introduction to something, while the third track "B22: The Hive and the Hole" seems to just be afraid to open its wings, sounds too similar to parts of Render Unto Eden and makes such wholesome, fantastic vocals go to waste, because it would be an earthquake if they actually played heavy. There are a couple of short drone-ish / noise interludes that amount to nothing in the album's flow and the only time things get real in "The Far Bank at the River Styx", the main riff sounds too much like Mgła's "With Hearts Toward None VII". The last two tracks in The Astral Drain are almost skippable, making this album a serious miss for me. On the positive side, Panzerfaust somehow maintain a certain atmosphere and the drumming is decent. [2.5/5 - Average]

Origin: Canada

Label: Eisenwald

Release date: July 22nd, 2022

Listen: Bandcamp

Nechochwen - Kanawha Black (2022) Review

Nechochwen definitely take their time creating new material and their discography might be short but very efficient, as they have had a rather splendid series of full length albums since their debut, Algonkian Mythos in 2008, especially their latest work, 2015’s Heart of Akamon. I was also impressed by their side on the split with Panopticon in 2020, which made me re-run the band’s earlier records while waiting for their next chapter. Kanawha Black now arrives seven years after its predecessor, and not only doesn’t disappoint, but has some of the most well-worked Nechochwen have put together in the project’s lifetime.

Once started as a pure neofolk / acoustic band, such elements still resonate very strongly in Nechochwen’s music. The record has plenty of melodic, almost purely acoustic chunks with enjoyable clean vocals, which are sometimes used exclusively (for example, in “The Murky Deep” and “I Can Die But Once”) but also as parts of longer compositions. The production glorifies the band’s earthy sound and emphasizes the variety of melodies Nechochwen employ, in a record that is by no means down lifting but rather epic and of great conceptual concept. Apart from the slightly more surprising short piece “A Cure for the Winter Plagues”, which has the pattern and deep growls of a funeral doom metal track, most tempos in Kanawha Black are middle / fast paced and its flow is impeccable. 

When the tracks get more direct and closer to clear black metal, there is always a set of dominating, blistering guitars that completely lay on folk / atmospheric black directions, yet don’t imagine the use of extra instruments to achieve an atmosphere. Shrieked vocals are awesome and the song structures are especially appealing, as it is demonstrated in “Visions, Dreams and Signs” or the opening, self-titled. The last part of Kanawha Black features another set of two amazing pieces, “Generations of War” and “Across the Divide”, which include all the fine tools of the band’s arsenal combined together in a quite successful way. I would personally prefer more screaming than singing especially in the distorted guitar parts, yet that is only personal, it doesn't really take any merit from the final work away.

It has been proven before that Nechochwen a really powerful band and their newest work is surely compelling at all levels. Not the average folk black project, full of interesting ideas and intense compositions with great riffs and some soloing only when needed, and not as a means of making an impression of skill. Kanawha Black is, as their previous works, strongly connected to nature and would make great company for a short hike out in the woods. 

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Label: Bindrune Recordings

Country: Canada

Release date: May 13th, 2022

Website: Facebook

DAMAGE: 4/5 [Excellent]

Ifernach - The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard (2020) Review

Genre: Black Metal

Location: Quebec, Canada

Release date: 20.06.2020

Label: Tour de Garde

Listen: Bandcamp

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I started listening to this project's works in the reverse order, as The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard was the first release I got my hands on, and there have been several interesting mini-releases as well as three full length albums before since, since their inception in 2015. Ifernach belongs to the cast of black metal artists exploring native American folklore but not just out of interest, as they are usually closely related on the topic even outside the borders of music.

The first thing to quickly notice in the record is the impressive riff work. When it goes deep into melodic / harsher guitar parts, I would say that all the riffs are just wonderful, and all of them memorable. The Green Enchanted Forest... opens with an introduction that honestly reminds too much of Burzum's "Dunkelheit" days, but it's more of a homage than a rip-off, much like Watain's touch on Mayhem on the opening "Devil's Blood" of Casus Luciferi in 2003. Nevertheless, following with "The Passage of Dithreabhach", the most bombastic track of the record and in my opinion, its highlight, shows clearly Ifernach's skill to compose great black metal, combined with an interesting clean guitar part towards the end.

More ominous playing is found in "In the Hollow of the Togharmach " and "Teimn Laid II", making me think that Ifernach must be really into Norwegian black metal and more specifically, the aforementioned legends. There's traces of punk in these tracks too, and above all I really enjoyed the thick and dusty production the record has. With an album cover painted by Megan Walsh, the record conceptually clicks with all its different aspects apart from the music itself and definitely offers a journey worth taking.

On the other hand, I found the interludes of The Green Enchanted Forest... just too long. While still above average, "A Cursed Spear" feels unnecessarily long, and I had the same impression of "Teimn Laid I". Building on that, "Hidden Palaces Under the Green Hills" is a nice ritual / dark ambient track, and all of these grant the record with another, more meditative side, which helps with its originality and the story that is told here, but just didn't keep me personally attached in the end. However, as a whole, The Green Enchanted Forest... has some seriously powerful black metal in it, and that's not only what you will find here.

As a whole, Ifernach have achieved something special. The album is really interesting once it sets in, and you could find yourself returning to it more than you expect, with awesome guitar lines and a great and unique atmosphere. I enjoyed most of it, and I have been listening a lot on repeat since the time I found it (which was even later than when it was released), but its beauty was revealed to me after a few listens and not right away. It is also a project that deserves listening time for their EPs, demos, and especially split albums, but still i consider  The Green Enchanted Forest... as a fairly high point at their discography.

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Tracklist:

1. The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard

2. The Passage of Dithreabhach

3. A Cursed Spear

4. In the Hollow of the Togharmach

5. Teinm Laida I

6. Teinm Laida II

7. A Winter Tree Clad in Black Frost

8. Hidden Palaces Under the Green Hills

Damage: 4/5 [Excellent]

Tomb Mold - Primordial Malignity (2017) Review

Release date: February 2017

Genre: Death Metal

Origin: Canada

Label: Blood Harvest

Listen: Bandcamp

As a first taste of Tomb Mold's capabilities, the debut Primordial Malignity set the stage well for the band even though I wouldn't have foreseen the evolution that followed with their two later releases. There's a lot of potential in this first offering, as well as a rawness characterizing their first steps, in a sense that it makes it quite more specific in its goals and just plain enjoyable. As a, by now popular act of the modernized, with cleaner aesthetics but studio-ensured heaviness, likeable brand of old school death metal, Tomb Mold are in the eye of the cyclone and not by chance.

Primordial Malignity is half an hour long. It has direct, fury-fueled, futuristic lyrics and songs that span from 3 to 4 minutes, if you exclude the outro from the last piece. Its down-tuned, thick production grants a pleasing amount of heaviness, and the growling is on point. It's not a chatty album, as Tomb Mold just go for direct clobbering instead of more complex death metal pathways. There's nuance of sludgy passages, yet the grooves are dominant throughout the record, along with faster, more technical playing that has been thriving in the genre for 30 years now. The tempo changes are frequent, as Primordial Malignity freely offers plenty of headbanging moments in its solid tracks. Apart from the few ticks that you can check out of your how-to-death-metal list when listening to a new artist, Tomb Mold don't throw in anything new but already aim well with the material of this album, to be considered worthy of your time.

A few of the faster, more maniacal playing in some tracks of Primordial Malignity stand out for me, as the main plus here is the ample, brutal riffs. As the record goes on, it proves to be a bit flat and difficult to distinguish one track from another, as Tomb Mold stay too focused on one line of playing, yet by picking out specific tracks and listening to them alone, the listening becomes easier. Despite being in Blood Harvest, the band is well-rooted in the modern US scene rather than going even close to the Swedish chainsaw sound, yet hints of attempting to put together their own sound are already evident. Primordial Malignity does not have anything groundbreaking to show to the listener, however it's undeniably heavy in its approach without overstating things. While they definitely had all that was needed at the time, the material wasn't yet perfected to higher efficiency.

Correctly, we're dealing with some capable death metal. Not always fast, a bit more groovy, with nice guitar lines and solos, deep growls (that could really go places with a bit more variety), nice texts, but yet not the explicit motives of the band, as it is not sure what direction they're going to take, or if they plan to at all. Later on, significantly more interesting content would be unleashed from Tomb Mold, just a year later.

Tracklist:

1. Intro - They Grow Inside

2. Coincidence of Opposites

3. Bereavement of Flesh

4. Primordial Malignity

5. Merciless Watcher

6. Clockwise Metamorphosis

7. Twisted Trail

8. Vernal Grace - Outro

Damage: 3/5 [Good]

Ushangvagush - Mntu (2021) Review

Release: August 1st, 2021

Genre: Black Metal

Origin: Massachusetts, US

Label: Self-released

Listen: Bandcamp

Having relished the band's first demo Inanition in 2019, I got around to listen to Ushangvagush's debut a bit later than the rest of the world and after the fair amount of praise it got from the internet. Since the last listening session, I didn't remember what to expect from this but the wonderful cover served well as a hinting reminder of what might possibly be a great release for this year, or at least that's what I hoped. And it is partially the case, as the project's highly emotive playing style with just the right melodic tactics is here to be appreciated by many non-regular black metal listeners: prepare for comments like "I don't usually... (...) ... but this ...

First things first, points given for Mntu not being a one more faceless record in the crowd. It's powerful at several moments, written in the band's own way and it has a fairly raw production, that's quite listenable (not cavernous raw BM from the depths) but still not polished. The vocals sound beautifully distressed, while it's unclear what the lyrics are about and in general, before you think that Ushangvagush have invented their own language, the strange words of band name / album title / track titles comes from Miꞌkmaq, which traces back to the indigenous tribes of Northeastern Canada. Mntu opens with a banger, and possibly a highlight track "I", which features some of the heavier moments of the record and a great introduction, it's as intense as it gets and will have the listened hooked on the spot. 

As it is sometimes dangerous with albums like these, more often than we would like, it's a dominant track opening up a record and then things blow out later on. I personally was on the verge of getting into this mindset with Mntu, even though the quality of all of the album's content is evident. Ushangvagush's prominence lies in the expression of emotion and talks more on that particular side of black metal musically, so it's not aggressive in the sense of traditional hatred or misanthropy that is met otherwise. It is not one of the failing cases of such execution, on the contrary the band rocks. For me personally though, some tracks in Mntu just didn't click, specifically parts in "Amasia's Letter" and "VII", or the whole of "Npuaqan Ms't Wen Sama'i'j", I found repetitive and at times, mundane. 

On the other hand, the first two tracks are favorable and the outro instrumental offers adequate guitar lines (even if it seems simplistic at first), and the overall impression Ushangvagush leaves to me leans on the positive end of the spectrum. Mntu will move a lot of people and it has what it takes to be considered a fine, legit black metal album in the underground. Even if I didn't absolutely fancy all of its tracks, the first recognizable step of this project is making its own mark. 

Damage: 3/5 [Good]

Sorcier des Glaces - Un Monde de Glace et de Sang (2020) Review

If one doesn't count the rework of Snowland in 2012 as a separate full length, Sorcier des Glaces now count seven albums since 1998, with the last decade being by far the most productive period for the band. The Canadian project hasn't really fallen short all these years, as a large part of their solid work has granted them a respected spot in the underground scene and their debut is hailed as an atmospheric black metal masterpiece by now. I haven't talked about them a lot in this blog even though I haven't missed a record since 2011 and The Puressence of Primitive Forests. 

Un Monde de Glace at de Sang (=A World of Ice and Blood) is surprisingly, the first album of the band to go over an hour in length, even though they have flirted with this kind of duration in the past (last 2-3 records were about 50 minutes). Such a size is only necessary, giving Sorcier des Glaces the space they need to unfold their ideas and construct the wonderful, frosty atmosphere that they are craftsmen of. While this is true, don't imagine the sound of more modern atmospheric black metal bands with a lot of ambient elements in them, SDG are well set in their own approach and wear their 90's black metal influences and roots on their sleeves.

The first three tracks showcase parts in all different speeds, several epic guitar lines and well worked sections right up in SDG's game, being some of their most memorable material the last few years. The album has tracks both in English and French, the vocals are clear enough to follow, and as Un Monde de Glace at de Sang unfolds, it proves to be an absolutely captivating album. Acoustics are first introduced in the beginning self-titled track, which is also the longest and includes additions of samples of sword fighting, along the already established wintry feeling the album exerts. 

A wonderful cover of the song "The Warlock" by Necromantia, originally in their classic debut Crossing the Fiery Path from 1993, gives extra hints of SDG's early black metal influences (they have covered Tormentor too in the past). After all, they are a band that belongs in that era anyway. Proper justice is given to this majestic composition, a great choice for a cover that is also great to see, how Sorcier des Glaces would approach and replay it. 

One of my favorites from Un Monde de Glace at de Sang is "l'Éternelle Majesté des Montagnes (partie II)", which seems to be a musical continuation of the first part of the song with the same name "l'Éternelle Majesté des Montagnes", that can be found in Snowland, the band's first album. The two pieces both start with a kind of chanting vocals, and in the case of this record, the spirit of the older times is a little bit stronger also. "(Return to) the Primitive Grandeur" is another track where Sorcier des Glaces use more repetitive, faster tempos along with their potent melodies.

I'm quite satisfied by the production as well, which has cleaned up throughout the years but has not gone full crystal clear. The cold and slightly dusty sound that has been given to the guitars serves the music perfectly, and Sorcier des Glaces have an excellent grip on compositional structure to an extent that they have to specify the lack of keys in the album. The different layers are created by the guitars, which feature brilliant riff work and variations. Un Monde de Glace at de Sang does not get along completely with the music of its time, and this is a definite plus in this case. 

There's nothing to skip and nothing to complain on this album. Sorcier des Glaces are unique, and perfect in what they are doing, with Un Monde de Glace at de Sang they created a black metal album in which melody and intensity co-exist perfectly, it is primitive enough and flows like a river. Unlike more modern albums, it represents the authentic and unfiltered process of creation that only the best bands in the 90's employed, it glorifies the SDG sound as a whole. Fans of the band or Quebec metal (Forteresse came to mind a bit when listening to this) will surely love this record. 

I don't know, maybe I like it that much because it's now raining a lot here.

Panzerfaust - The Suns of Perdition - Chapter II: Render Unto Eden (2020) Review

Last year, I had almost skipped Panzerfaust's Chapter I: War, Horrid War. When I finally listened to it, it didn't take me that much time to place it among the albums to return to for the rest of the year, and until now. A band completely unknown to me with a long history starting from the early 00's, which lived through a very obvious change in their path by releasing War, Horrid War in 2019, which lifted them from the average underground corridors of extreme metal to the high peaks of artists to constantly keep an eye out. Momentum has now been growing even more, with the second chapter in this concept tetralogy, Render Unto Eden, attracting the attention of an even bigger portion of the scene. And it's by no mistake.

From all the war-themed metal albums in the world, how many would you tell manage to convey the message and provoke the feeling adequately enough to avoid being crushed by their own pretension? The atmosphere Panzerfaust construct is unique, and with subtle compositional fixes show how well they know how to play and what they're doing. By nature, Render Unto Eden has space for interpretation (compared to a more direct War, Horrid War in my point of view) and has been improved in terms of musicianship, production and mainly, flow. The band masterfully builds the album's intense moments, maintains a dim, menacing character throughout the listen, having placed together five tracks that go along in absolute brilliance. 

While the sound is very characteristic of them by now, slight traces of other famous bands of our time can be found in sparse riffing and the more general approach of their aesthetics. Mgła influences can be found in some potent guitar melodies of "The Faustian Pact" (and the stunning structure of this song), but more clearly in "The Snare of the Fowler", just by listening to the drumming session in the middle of the track and on. In Render Unto Eden, the guitar lines have grown, the bass work is impressive and should not be overlooked, drumming is on point, and the depth of the compositions certainly surpasses its predecessor. 

Apart from Arkona's Maria Arkhipova, who is featured and contributes to a breathtaking part of the introduction track "Promethean Fire", I also adore the chosen cover for Render Unto Eden, which could be taken from the works of Käthe Kollwitz and specifically The March of the Weavers in Berlin, one of her more popular pieces. Other than the fine aesthetics, "Areopagitica" is the total banger of the record, deserving to get higher exposure, as it is addictive from the first seconds and quite memorable. I think all five tunes are of high quality, but only once the listener invests into the band's world. The closing of Render Unto Eden with "Pascal's Wager" is plain melancholic, offers a smooth transition back to reality and makes up for this hell of a listening experience.

There is backstory to the tracks and the complexity of the album is not so much in terms of technicality but more in the level these musicians understand what they want to write in their music. In my opinion, it's really hard to achieve this and shows endless compositional potential. I know for a fact that the band can be mistaken for nothing special as I almost was in that loop once, yet Render Unto Eden can make a lot of extreme metal records obsolete, and it just makes me wonder how will the next two albums look like in this story. Until then, listen to Panzerfaust and listen to this, but as a whole. 

Cursed Altar - Midnight Reprisal (2020) Review

Origin: Canada

Label: Extinctionist Records

Release: January 11th, 2020

Type: Full Length

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Extinctionist Records is a small underground label featuring a handful of raw black metal bands in the whereabouts of the US and Canada, as well as the unknown Swedish act Abzyrglak, that I know because I happened to listen to their promising 2019 demo, A Graveyard for Humanity..., last year and enjoyed myself. Looking into Cursed Altar's one and only member, Extinctionist, it seems like many of his personal projects are in his label too, which makes him rather busy and also responsible for a small corner in the underground scene with several solid mini-releases.

Having released two demos prior to that, he moved fast into the debut full length album, titled Midnight Reprisal, which clocks at almost half an hour and is only released in tape format (at least for now), a typical and well embraced tactic in the more obscure areas of black metal. I hadn't heard any of Cursed Altar's previous material, or almost any of Extinctionist's other projects, so Midnight Reprisal was basically the introduction to this person musical mindset and after listening to it for several times, the one name glowing all over my face is this: Ildjarn.

Despite the record's relatively short length (even though I was always fond of thirty minute albums), it features twelve tracks, which should make you think that most of them do not last very long, and that's the truth. There's several 1-2 minute tracks in Midnight Reprisal, while the longest are up to around 3, something that the aforementioned apparently big influence to this project, has also done in the past. From some track titles, Cursed Altar also hold an anti-human thematic concept, even though I found the boar in the artwork and some similar references in the album, very appealing for such a raw black metal release.

If you have ever listened to the black metal side of Ildjarn, you will immediately recognize the patterns in Midnight Reprisal too. Monotonous, scourging guitar riffs, in a simplistic and straightforward manner, based on only a couple of different ideas per song, which justifies their length as well as paves a very edgy road during the listen. Most of them are mostly middle paced, and the production is indeed fairly noisy, but not the extent the Norwegian mastermind used to record in the 90's.

The opening track "Ancient Cruelty" is one of the highlight moments for its interchange between the torturing guitar playing, and a few other that I liked more are "Lone Boar", "As the Final Breaths" and "Bewildered In Midnight Blackness". Midnight Reprisal is empowered a lot by its raspy, scourging vocals, a powerful tool painfully used in all of the tracks of the album. Assuming that his voice didn't have this power, the album would probably be unlistenable for me. At a couple of moments, Cursed Altar throw some extra elements in the songs, like the snail paced ending of "Last Night of Human" even though this doesn't really change the fact that this is very close to Ildjarn's music.

For its kind, Midnight Reprisal is a special record that needs an aware listener before being discarded as repetitive and dull. The musical ideas of Cursed Altar in this release do not make it unique but hold some personality and I was hooked to the album more than several, well-produced and recently released records. Raw black metal made hateful and aggressive, it doesn't rely on just a dusty production but offers minimalistic tracks, most likely inspired by an artistic outsider in the scene, without being a copycat of it (thumbs down Ødelegger). Extinctionist's other bands might not be like this but one day I should check some more.

Track listing:

1. Ancient Cruelty
2. Last Night for Human
3. My Revenge
4. As the Final Breaths
5. Tormented Rays
6. Bewildered in Midnight Blackness
7. Song of Rain
8. Darkness Consumes...
9. Shrouded Hate II: Reprisal
10. Screaming Wind
11. Lone Boar
12. Morning

Anthagonist - Perpetual Beginning (Demo, 1992) Review

Album | Perpetual Beginning [Demo]
Country | Canada
Genre | Death Metal
Label | Independent

| Stretched out in their blood |

Perpetual Beginning is the second and final demo of the short-lived band Anthagonist, which formed in the late 80s in Quebec, Canada. The band played straightforward death metal with a few thrash metal elements, giving away their era and influences. It is not the crappiest demo ever and will mostly appeal to tape collectors and die hard archive fans.

The production of the demo is legit and provides an audible sound, with a fair dose of dust of course. There are not much to miss, as the guitars, drums and vocals, all reach the same volume and level. Anthagonist play a nice version of traditional death metal, as the bigger bands did back then and still do. There is solid guitar work and riff variety, as well as a couple of extra solos and melodies, as well as a very nice bass sound.

There are five songs in the demo with a total length of sixteen minutes, ideal for it's kind. I think the band would have the strength to record a great record, judging from the few interesting moments this has and it's a pity they didn't manage to do anything more as a band. Still, this release on it's own isn't much of a deal, being above average but relatively forgettable, at least now. After all these years, there is tons of death metal better than it.

DAMAGE: 6/10

Quo Vadis - Forever... (1996) Review

Country | Canada
Genre | Melodic Death Metal

| Find your own reality | 
 

I have connected melodic death metal with state of the art bands of today even though it has somehow been around from the mid nineties, mainly in Sweden but in other places as well. Even though it was not complete formed, it was already seperated from pure death metal because of the significantly less agressiveness and more melody, Quo Vadis being such a band. Listening to them, you probably won't say you were blown away by their raw brutality and I hardly think it will move you at all.

It's not that something is missing. On the contrary, the album has all the elements of melodeath, from acoustic / violin parts, to shreddy riffs and changes between high and low growls, at the appropriate level of complexity and variety and the musicianship is remarkable. The talent of these guys was not missing back then and the musicianship on the record is remarkable, but it is overshadowed by milestones of it's time like Slaughter of the Soul or Heartwork. That shit was memorable, while Forever isn't. What is more, the production really keeps everything back here. It's not clean enough and a bit fuzzy in the main parts of the album and while it might be considered solid for then, it would be much better if a better arrangement was done.

The pace is constantly changing and the tracks don't lack musicality, each musician in the band is a beast. There is an excellent guitar work with lot's of fast riffs, the bass is clear and ultra heavy, the drums are magnificent and the vocals include more than one style in their calibre. The album seems to be constantly expanding with new elements and sounds, even though they are missing a purpose. I didn't discover an overwhelming moment in the album, even though it doesn't fail in terms of technicality. The potential of the band can be heard on each note, but in a young and immature stage. Several experiments went on, like the female vocals on "Nocturnal Reflections" that didn't work out at all, while the use of the violin was average.

This is a legit album as a whole. While all the components are here and with plenty of possibilities to rise succesful, Quo Vadis throw a stone in the water and nothing happens. There are some narrating moments of atmosphere with clean vocals and all that mellow song writing that reminded me of gothic metal and I really didn't like it. I would say this is a viable album for melodeath fans, since the band is somehow popular and this was their first attempt. But for me, I don't think I'm coming back to this release anytime soon.

DAMAGE: 3.5/10

Mitochondrion - Antinumerology (EP, 2013) Review

Country | Canada

Genre | Black / Death Metal

Date | September 3rd, 2013

Label | Dark Descent Records

| Void in the Flesh |

I have come to the conclusion that this is a serious band after all, but when I first listened to their music with Archaeaeon I thought the name was hysterical and some kind of joke. However, the sound itself is as punishing and stomping as I want it to be, so their goofy name does not prevent me from spinning their albums regurarly. The latest offering is this EP titled Antinumerology, containing three tracks and lasting no more than twelve minutes of thick and diseased noise, covered in a simple colored and wondrous cover art by Richard Friend. In fact, the album is split into Side A "Insummation" and Side B "137 (Mors Formulae) / Antinumerology" from the vinyl release so there are two compositions, the latter split into two parts in various internet versions of the album (and in Metal Archives).

Mitochondrion belongs to the family of Grave Miasma, Father Befouled and similar bands, which means they master the skill of an anti-human black / death / doom mixture, relentless and always with an enlightening and mysterious concept behind it. Just the title of this EP triggers some wondering for what this new riddle might be. The vocals on the record are high class deep growls, with no alterations or variety, as monotonous and disgusting as they can sound, with several points of twisted breathing and howling. They follow the traditional death metal pattern but not as distinguishable, since the singer(s) here focus more on the occult atmosphere than just brutality. Again, this should be well known to fans of this style.

The reason the EP does not get eventually boring is that it's short for it's own good and it has lot's of different parts to unravel as it progresses, from fast melodies to middle-paced tormenting moments, painted with interesting riffing all along. All three tracks and especially the second one "137 (Mors Formulae)", which is short and crushing, reminded me a lot of Dead Congregation and their masterpiece Graves of the Archangels. I can't say I noticed any significant bass lines in the album, probably because it was mixed on the down low, but one can feel it's effect during the dissonant lines of the EP.

The opening track "Insummation" is by far the longest composition (six minutes) and begins with amazing fast riffing, before descending into more doomier, grubbier harmonies, switching from hasty to slow parts until the end. The self-titled song is instrumental and maintains the same level of prosperity, lacking any new ideas but still tight. Mitochondrion deliver the same type of power with Antinumerology but I prefer their two albums, which contain significantly more music and a wider approach to death metal. Still, the EP had it's moments and I will be listening to the first two songs for some time, until a full album is constructed. The signs are scant but good.

DAMAGE: 7.0/10

Monarque & Mortualia - Hymnes Funéraires des Rois (Split, 2008) Review

Monarque & Mortualia "Hymnes Funéraires des Rois"

Autumn 2008, Obscure Abhorrence Productions

Monarque

These two bands are known for their bloodchilling black metal and when the subject arrives, they should never be left out. Shatraug's project Mortualia is a torturing machine of unattractive sounds, whereas Monarque is a canadian project with a very delicate approach to the genre, as an art. This split between them was released back in 2008 and i can say it is very good. There are two songs in here and the album was only released in 7" vinyls.

Monarque's song starts with the standard tuning of DSBM, which helps the guitars sound thick and cold. It is the main characteristic of the song, since the rest of the instruments just kind of follow the slow-paced riffs. His vocals are amazing as always and the beginning of the song is a less-depressing and more atmospheric version of Xasthur or Veil. Monarque also added a clean part in between the song, making it a solid listen.

If you are familiar with Mortualia, you will expect something more painful than what you have just heard, and that's what you'll be getting. Shatraug grabs his evil thoughts and squizzes them so much that music comes out of them. The song moves on the same pace as the first two albums he has released, which means sad riffs with simple drumming, following bass and a hurtful voice. Seriously, these vocals can rip your heart out. It's not something new, its exactly what he knows best and he is a talented composer.

DAMAGE: 6.75/10

Monarque - Lys Noir (2013) Review

Monarque "Lys Noir"
Spring 2013, Sepulchral Productions

Listening Needs

I was looking forward to this new release by the Canadian Monarque, since i first listened to them from the split with Mortualia. It started off as a one-man project by Monarque himself, then in 2008 there was a drummer hired, and now there is a third person as well.

The music of Monarque would be described as deep atmospheric black metal. Please don't imagine soft and sad post-black bands that tend to have an atmosphere in their music, it is not the case here. The fast paced drums with harsh vocals and riffs, enhanced by disctinctive synths placed meticulously all over the tracks, gives you the feeling this band expresses. A cold snow-white mountain peak exposed to the wrath of nature. The cover artwork intrigued me so i searched for the artist to find more information about it. The title of the work is "Novissimis Temporibus" created by Maxime Taccardi, who also used his own blood to paint it. The art symbolises the end of the world. It is a a painting of great artistic merit and it is a fine choice for a great music synthesis.

The album starts off with a narration in french (i have no idea what it is about). Then begins the music, which is a relentless black metal piece, powerful and agressive. It brings out sorrow and despair not only with intense black metal, but also with the ambient or acoustic parts in the songs. There is also a bit more narratting in the album and solos. You heard me, and solos. One would not expect this in that particular music style, but Monarque has done it before and it gives a certain taste to every album they have released. Lys Noir is third album of them in 10 years and the preparations had begun since 2011 with a demo called La Mort, which contains the first recordings of the songs included in here. There is a serious amount of effort put in every Monarque album to achieve the best result possible, and that is clearer than ever in this album. To me, its the finest and most complete album they have released so far. There is also an instrumental composition entitled "Solitude", along with a cover of a Frozen Shadows track.

This band has been offering outstanding music to us since they first started and this new album is yet another step ahead, an improvement. A sophisticated, beautiful and influential record that should be not overlooked. Might make a list for me this new year's eve, who knows.

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DAMAGE: 9.0/10