Idolist - Lord of the Heavenly Dwelling (2014)

Artist: Idolist

Origin: Iowa, US

Genre: Black Metal / Ambient

Album: Lord of the Heavenly Dwelling

Year: 2014

Label: Transpiritus Records

1. Lord of The Heavenly Dwelling
2. Spiritus Sancti
3. Warmth
4. Neglection

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Really cool album that comes in a really neat tape package, get your hands on this.

Innsmouth - Consumed by Elder Sign (2014)

Album | Consumed by Elder Sign
Country | Australia
Genre | Death Metal
Label | Abysmal Sounds

This is an obscure band I found about by listening to their excellent demo The Departure of Shub-Niggurath in 2010, but I didn't know about this album until I saw the label flyer the day it was released. Innsmouth keep a low profile and seem to avoid excessive promotion, since they don't have a personal webpage at all. All the fans can learn about them is through the news of their label, unless they choose to create a digital headquarters some day. Consumed by Elder Sign is the debut full length release by them, containing six tracks and a sum of thirty eight minutes of music and it is a very good starting point, after six years of activity and three solid mini releases.

Their whole musical approach is based on the old-fashioned and cherished sound of the past decade, staying away from a crystal clear and often too loud result. The production of the album constitutes an atmosphere of a time thought to be long dead, it offers a dynamic and sincere sound for the fans of vintage instead of triggered, studio metal. I'm not very strict when it comes to this subject and I'm not crossing out records or approving other just solely from the fidelity, but i surely appreciate one more when I see a high score, especially in new albums. Consumed by Elder Sign has a legit sound and I totally enjoyed it, it's very close to what underground black and death metal bands had during the early nineties.

Despite it's label as death metal, there are sparse elements of black metal in their music, without missing an ounce of doom here and there, all coming from the depths of the nineties of course. Apart from a couple of times, they do not tend to play very fast and they stick on a middle paced rhythm, similar to groove or doom / death metal, like in the opening song "Dead In the Water" or "Thrice Blessed Shub-Niggurath", which is the only track they re-recorded from their first demo. The last one, "Borne By The Winds" contains groovy riffs that fit to the early U.S death metal, even though it has great shrieks and weird reciting vocals. The track "Five Branches Against Doom" is very similar to the Satyricon of Dark Medieval Times - Shadowthrone, and the vocals used there, which are pure black metal typed, are used frequently in the whole album.

For some reason, I kept thinking of Marduk's Dark Endless era, which was close to death metal in terms of the instrumentation, but had high screams instead of growls. Innsmouth go further and add some doom / death lines, along with some child yells and introduction samples, making a remarkable album. In the veins of classic bands, their first effort is delicate and full of entertaining moments, shrouded in a cloak of mysticism that all the metal nerds enjoy the most. It is an unknown band that you might have found first and probably all the people of tradition in metal will enjoy it, go and suggest it to them. DR14 is a rare thing too, one can't really go more decent than that!

DAMAGE: 8.75/10

I Shalt Become - Louisiana Voodoo (2013)

Country | USA
Genre | Black Metal, Ambient
Date | October 29th, 2013
Label | Inspired Hate Records

| As the bodies drift away |

Coming from Illinois, he has been active since the mid / late ninenies and he counts six full lengths so far, including this latest offer Louisiana Voodoo. The project moves towards the desperate, razor sharp void of Xasthur-like DSBM but is subjected to experimentation, or just his own perverted visions for his art. I surely don't what's all the big talk about this project and I don't think it's as good as everyone says, because of the mediocrity and repetitiveness of the content, but this album was a little different.

There are a lot more synths this time and the emphasis is given to them, leaving the rest of the instrumentation behind. In fact, the guitars are used mostly to create a dim atmosphere while the drums are extremely typical and maybe not needed at all. I feel like he tried to accommodate a sick feeling as Pensees Nocturnes do, but instead leaned towards more theatrical lines similar to Bishop of Hexen and  most of the songs have pretty nice melodies in them.

The production is a bit weird, as if the sound has been volumed down or torn out, like the soundtracks of old movies that have glitches and noises. No instrument seems to be completely clear and it's like the listener has to overcome a layer of dust in order to dig into a melody or pay close attention to something, making it a bit less enjoyable and more tiring as a whole. Behind the buzz of the sound, there is hidden talent on the keyboards, composing haunting atmosphere close to the grandiose, avant-garde feeling, as if Arcturus spent all their money to drugs and reduced their artistic power to the one tenth, only to release a noisy, low budget dirty album. The last song "The Rats in the Walls" is by far the longest in the record, lasting eighteen minutes while the rest of the tracks vary from three to seven, and it's more into dark ambient than ambient black metal, using the known pattern of a couple of parts repeated for more than one time.

I have mixed feelings for the album and while I like "Strangers", "Drowning" and "Braquemard" a lot, I don't think the album is consistent at all. There is a general randomness of various synths mixed together (the Eastern voices in "Brief Glimpses of Death" describe my point, not fitting at all), vocals popping out of nowhere and sparse, weak atmosphere.  It's different from what I have heard from him so far but it's not any better or any worse either, just a little bit more interesting.

DAMAGE: 6.0/10

Bandcamp

I Shalt Become - Wanderings (1998)

1998, Self-released

This is the first full length by the american act I Shalt Become and it  stands alone as their only full album from their early period, in the late nineties. It was originally released as a demo tape in 1998, and it has been re-released and re-issued with bonus Burzum/Judas Iscariot covers, as well as unreleased tracks, in 2003 and 2006. There are relations to Burzum when it comes to this release, especially Varg's "Filosofem" (maybe because of the similarity in Burzum covers and this), but to me it's more of a Xasthur-like album, because it reminds a lot of Malefic's sick music, or the other way around.

The album contains eleven tracks and lasts 38 minutes, with an average of 3-4 minutes per song. There is a murky atmosphere throughout the whole album and it dwindles around snail-paced rhythms and simple musicianship. Hopefully, Holliman avoids long compositions, but still the album is somehow repetitive as a whole. The production is sharp and spiteful, leaving an odorless path behind it as it walks, sharing similarities with the sound Xasthur later adopted. Several songs revolve around one or two notes and the drumming is fairly conventional, dilute and in several moments, it just goes unnoticed. It seems like the emphasis has been given on the guitar work, which is still nothing over the top, excluding a pair of cool lines.

Credits need to be given for the vocals, which are predictable but legit, with some obscure screams/howls like in "The Funeral Rain" and "Insects", expressing the ongoing misery and pain on their own. The only moment when the album dares to increase speed is in the song "Labyrinthe", which is faster than the rest, but equally poor in content, focusing on a couple of melodies.

"Wanderings" is rather uninspired, like a failed attempt to copy it's glorious forefathers of the second wave, even though it has a whole kvlt aura around it fifteen years later. I did enjoy it's dim vibe and darkness, coming from a desolate, mourning individual, but with a closer look, it is wounded by imperfections and barely reaches mediocrity. You might find one riff you'll like here, or another that you have heard before, an interesting intro/outro maybe, but the main body is weak.

Track listing:
1. Intro
2. Fragments
3. The Funeral Rain
4. Winter Lights
5. Paintings in a Gallery
6. Labyrinthine
7. Thorns
8. Insects
9. Her Demons
10. A Once Great Man
11. Outro

DAMAGE: 5.0/10

Door to Door Promotion: Infectonator & Dungeon Beast & Ghost Tower

These releases were sent to me via email and they are posted by request.

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We have three releases by three newcomer bands worshipping the old school heavy/thrash metal sound. There are links provided with the permission of the guys so no problem. Check out:

Infectonator - Brainfuckers [EP]

Debut recording of Lansing, Michigan blackened thrash metal band with frontman of Sauron.

Bandcamp | Facebook

Download

Dungeon Beast - Demo 2012

Underground thrash/heavy metal with Wastelander frontman.

Bandcamp | Facebook

Download

Ghost Tower - Head of Night

Female-fronted heavy traditional/doom metal with some thrash elements also in the mix.  Soon to be released in cassette format on Germany's MetalPunxRex label.

Bandcamp | Facebook

Download

Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness (2002)

Album: Sons of Northern Darkness

Genre: Black Metal

Label: Nuclear Blast

Website: Facebook

With a delay, i finally managed to bring up another post here, and its a band that no one is unfamiliar with. An admirable band, for the solid and unchanging attitude over the years, for the great music, for the video clips and the photo shoots (you gotta admit), for the unique views on the norwegian crimes -and this might be another phrase i'll be using from now on- and for all the memes that float around these days.

"Sons of Northern Darkness" is one of my favourite Immortal albums along with "In the Heart of Winter" and thats something that does not happen very often to me, i usually like the first albums of bands since most of them start to experiment and end up drowning in pig manure musically. This album has some really good songs and its a pleasure from the beginning to the end, it does not get repetitive, it has a clear production, it has the band members in funny positions on the cover and on the CD, it has Tyrants, it has everything.

Intronaut - Void (2006)

Intronaut "Void"

2006, Goodfellow Records

Facebook / Myspace

One band from the good side of progressive metal. I thank Mother Mary and all the gods ever made up by the human mind that this genre still has artists, not only mindless, pointless, lifeless guitarists that reign the intrument's technicality but fail to create a song with soul whatsoever. To quote J.Black: "You've been focused so hard on making it, you forgot about one thing. It's called the music."

Artistic enough compositions and harsh vocals make the release easy-listening and enjoyable. Some songs here still make me move, even after donkey repeat times, its still not my favourite album because ok, nothing like Valley of Smoke, but that doesnt mean its worth it. Intronaut are a group of talented dudes. And there's a single coming in a few days.

Impending Doom - The Serpent Servant (2009)

Country: USA
Genre: Deathcore
Label: Facedown Records
Website: Facebook / Myspace

They're a top band in the deathcore industry and they've released some really good albums, i think this is my favourite one along with "There Will Be Violence". They have the talent to make heavy songs whatsoever, despite the facts that can make one easily hate them, like the scene they're in, or the lyrical theme. Its a bit annoying to make music this heavy and praise christianity, it bothers me but not to a level that i couldn't listen to them. Its a change from their first release, a more complete and well worked one.

Ingested - Surpassing The Boundaries Of Human Suffering (2009)

Ingested "Surpassing The Boundaries Of Human Suffering"

2011, Siege Of Amida Records

Facebook / Myspace

I think the cover art for this album is elegant enough for this blog. And im glad. I love this fact with brutal death metal bands, they usually have extra detailed gore cover albums done with extreme talent and precision, and when you start listening you feel like they recorded it with broken tape players.

Thats not what happens here though, the music is as extreme as the cover, awesome band that has released awesome albums, i don't care if they label it under the deathcore genre or anything, they have some good ideas for brutal death metal and when they make songs out of them, im happy. This debut release is a clear death metal album, the second one has more deathcore influences, but its still pleasant to listen to. Its one of the bands that im never bored to listen, the heaviness just feels good inside.

Don't expect the noisy squeals or the shitty drums of average BDM albums, they have a solid production (Abominable Putridity & Pathology) and the album lasts over 20-25 minutes, again unlike other albums of the genre.

In Battle - Kingdom Of Fear (2007)

Country: Sweden
Genre: Viking Death Metal
Label: Nocturnal Art Productions
Website: Myspace

The term "viking death metal" is not that stable, since it is dumb to name a genre after the lyrical theme and not the music itself, there are lots of bands under this particular (Amon Amarth, Unleashed come to mind) so here it is.

I read really bad reviews on Metal Archives and i was surprised because this album is not that bad. I dont think the fact that they talk about Norse Mythology is bad, the music sector is just fine too. I have a couple of songs that i really jam to also, so i like it in general.