Eryn Non Dae.-Abandon Of The Self

Self-Release/Indepepednet
2018

French metal band Eryn Non Dae., formed in 2001 as END and currently comprised of Mathieu Nogues (vocals), Franck Quintin (guitars), Yann Servanin (guitars), Mickaël André (bass), and Julien Rufié (drums), makes their long-awaited return with "Abandon Of The Self". It was back in mid-December of 2013 when I first covered this dark & experimental metal band (link). . It's taken them close to five and a half years to release a follow-up to "Meliora". Released on March 9th, 2018, "Abandon Of The Self" is the group's third full-length album and their most haunting release to date! Once again mixing in elements of post-rock, depressive rock, sludge rock (mostly in regards to the gnarly guitar riffs!), post-metal, modern metal, and extreme metal, Eryn None Dae. (now coming at you with an extra period at the end!) strikes back at a scene that has dared to forget about them! Heavy, harsh, and as abrasive as ever(!), this bleak and extremely-atmospheric album never loses it's focus...even as it comes crashing towards you like a runaway train possessed by the devil himself!! Comprised of seven wicked wasteland songs, with the shortest one ("Eclipse") clocking in at 4:31 and the longest one ("Halo") running past the 10 minute mark!, "Abandon Of The Self" is like every nightmare I have ever had-only 1,000 times as EXTREME!! As someone who doesn't mind the zombie themes, demonic appearances, and slasher filled moments that constitute an avenge night's rest for me*, that apt-description comes with crocked smile and a pair of devil horns throw high up in the air!! Available on compact disc, vinyl, as a digital download, this 7-track recording is the absolute best studio release that this French outfit has ever released! Dark & dreary, angry, and filled to the tilt with apocalyptic-like rage, "Abandon Of The Self" gets a 10 out of 10 grade and comes with my highest recommendations!!


*I take several medications that are known to cause vivid dreams. At this point in time I have grown so accustomed to the extreme nightmares that it more surprising when I don't have one!

Free Metal Monday: Godam-Fear Is Weapon-Demo

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Godam is a (crust-ridden) power violence band from Indonesia. This five track demo looks as if it is the group's debut and it includes a cover of Mayhem's "Pure Fucking Armageddon". There are occasional moments when "Fear Is Weapon" borders on hardcore metal, but overall this free demo is ugly and extreme. Naturally those qualities make it all the more essential! 

Moth's Circle Flight-My Entropy

Logic(Il)logic
2016

Originally formed back in 2003*, Moth's Circle Flight is a heavy & melodic 6-piece metal band that hails from Parma, Italy and has two EPs and two full-length albums to it's name. Just released back on March 1st, "My Entropy" is the band's second full-length album and it combines elements of groove metal, metalcore, modern metal, nu metal and extreme metal. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Luca Cocconi and Simone Sigghinolfi at Audiocore Studios in Fontevivo, Parma and it features a line-up that is composed of four musicians and two lead singers! Rhythm guitarist Francesco "Baldo" Baldi, lead guitarist Luca "Pellach" Alzapiedi, bassist Marco "Satir" Reggiani, and drummer Fabio "Bersa" Bersani make up the musical side of Moth's Circle Flight while lead singers Gabriele "Gabbo" Rosi & Simone "Pancio" Panciroli provide both harsh and clean vocals. Musically, vocally and lyrically tight, Moth’s Circle Flight is damn near solid gold on "My Entropy" and from it's overall production to the actual delivery of the individual songs everything seems to be in order on this HEAVY release. If I was to grade this CD it would get a A- or if you will a 8 out of 10. The only reason it doesn't get a perfect score is because a few songs sound rather similar. It's such a small issue and you can blame that on the metalcore aspect of this Italian band if you want. Even so it is what it is and if this ambitious band is to continuing growing it should be addressed. Has it kept me from listening to this CD a few times through in the past week? Hell no! It's not even close to being a big deal and it hasn't kept me from PUMPING this one up as loud as it fucking goes! Chances are you'll want to do the same thing. Especially if you are a fan of any of the following band's that helped shaped the sound and style of this ambitious metal band. A few of those groups would be Pantera, Parkway Drive, Caliban, Sevendust, Killswitch Engage, Drowning Pool, Mnemic, Trivium, and Diecast. The thing is those are just influences and at the end of the day this Italian metal band marches to the beat of it's own drummer... 





*Moth’s Circle Flight suffered through a few false starts and the obligatory line-up change or two before finally coming into it's own in 2012. If I'm to go by the sounds of their new album here then it would certainly seem as if those trials and tribulations helped shape this band into something special. Even though the group does have some room to grow, "My Entropy" is the product of a strong and confident act that has been polished to near perfection. If this band can get rid of a few bad habits (the monotonous nature of metalcore being a big one!) then they could sure be onto something....

Space Monkey-The Blackest Hole

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Originally formed way back in 2012 by ex-King guitarist Marco Quiroz (guitars/vocals) and drummer Luke Brletich (and initially starting out life as a side-project of the pair before making the slow transition over to full-fledged band), Space Monkey is a five-piece metal band that hails from Ohio and also features within it's ranks guitarist Tom "Tommy" Packard of At No End fame. Of course the hardcore-tinged At No End gave us the 2011 album, "Holocaust" and 2013's "From The Rust" so when Tom Packard himself sent me a request to review this (modern metal/death thrash by way of stoner rock) album how could I refuse? The answer is I couldn't, but still had I known the exact nature of "The Blackest Hole" I might have been better prepared for what transpired between point A (Tommy's email request) and point B (sitting down to do a write up on Space Monkey's high-recommend debut album here). Please note that everything that follows is the gospel truth and nothing has been added for theatrical purposes. Naturally we start our journey at the beginning and that would be when I first opened up the package that guitarist Tom Packard sent me. It arrived with a handful of similar-sized padded envelopes* and having opened all of my mail in hast on the dining room table the CD almost ended in my recycling pile! At the last moment I realized my mistake and after grabbing the album I headed out to my car for what would prove to be a afternoon full of errands. Having (unsuccessfully) attempted to play the CD in my car I placed the disc back in it's slip case and put it on the passenger seat. After arriving back home I couldn't find the disc and I had to tear apart my car to locate it (it had somehow managed to slip between the side seat and my car's middle console). Taking the CD inside I almost immediately lost it in my room. This proved to be my first warning that "The Blackest Hole" was playing hard to get! With a new day dawning I went on the hunt for the CD and by this point I couldn't remember if I brought it in from my car or left it in my room (I would like to blame the two or three Angry Orchards I had the night before, but I'm a goofball at the best of times so...). After tearing both apart the CD mysterious appeared right on top of one of my Blu-Ray/DVD towers. The weird thing is I remember scanning the tops of them with my eyes and not seeing anything. By this point I really began to wonder if there was something "otherworldly" about Space Monkey's first full-length album. Whatever the case might be I went about putting the CD into on one of my two stereos. Nothing happened. I couldn't get the disc to play. OK, I tried the other one and the same thing happened. "Alright, this is really odd now" I thought to myself so I ended up having to borrow one from my parents. With their CD boombox in hand the disc finally played! I figured everything was right with the world. Naturally I was wrong as I couldn't get the volume button to turn down any! So, not only did this disc play hard to get, but once I actually manged to capture it and get it to "communicate" with me this album insisted upon being played LOUD and PROUD! Not that there is anything wrong with that!! Naturally you might be thinking that there was something wrong with the disc, but the really strange thing is after playing it on someone else boombox it played perfectly fine on all of my devices! It all sounds so f**ked up, but I couldn't make up a story like this if I tried! So, with all of that said what are we to make of the Cleveland-based Space Monkey? Well, first things first. Lead singer Nicholas Jarrell (ex-Order 66 vocalist) and bass guitarist/vocalist Terry Johnson round things out for the heavier than the almighty heavens Space Monkey and on "The Blackest Hole" not only does he guest as a lead vocalist on the excellent thrash metal attack track that is "Twisted Visions", but Noah Buchanan recorded and co-produced the disc as well! It's all rather fitting that a soon to be legendary Cleveland band hooked up with a legendary Cleveland musician/producer like Noah Buchanan. His fingerprints can be seen all over this album which sees the guys in Space Monkey drawing from influences that range from Mastodon (opener "Dark In Continents") to Queens of the Stone Age (the sweet as f**k "Manic" that mixes desert rock with lethal does of modern metal!). It's not until track number four (the soul-crushing "Infested Water") that we hear some of At No End's hardcore influence creep into the mix, but really once you hit play and "Dark In Continents" kicks in you're going to hear all sorts of crazy stuff** so it's best to just keep your ears wide open for this pulverizing disc! To wrap things up let me just say this. For a first album, "The Blackest Hole" is just about flawless. Even if it took me awhile to get to the heart of the matter (why this disc had to tease me/torment me unmercifully I'll never know!) this new album from Space Monkey offers more proof that when it comes to extreme metal Ohio has some of the best bands out there bar none! All that's left for me to do now is check this act out live and in bloody red color and everything will be just golden delicious!   




*In addition to a few things that I had ordered off of eBay that finally showed up(!) that day alone I received four separate promo CDs! If only I was half as popular with the ladies as I was with record labels and artists...

**Besides modern metal, death thrash, hardcore and stoner rock there were tiny flashes of goth metal, alternative metal and even black metal. No one can say "The Blackest Hole" isn't interesting!

Saturday Singles: Daemona-The Demon Inside

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Old-school death metal fans listen-up! East-Anglian based Daemona will release their new single "The Demon Inside" on March 1st and it is EVERYTHING that there is to love about classic death metal rolled up into a four minute track of chaos, brutality and despair!! Fronted by Nina "The Cuntess" Pain and currently featuring the mad skills of bassist Dan Mailer (Osmium Guillotine (live), ex-Deep Machine, ex-White Thrash, Cyrenic(live), ex-Monument (live), ex-Kaine), Daemona plays hate-fueled death metal that most-certainly helps to confront the hate that we all feel inside! "The Demon Inside" follows in the unholy footsteps of 2015's "II Demone Dentro" and finds the members of Daemona creating new ways to brutalize the eardrums of their faithful fan-base! With Strix Bellmer (guitar) and Logan "El Matador" Dennis (drums) rounding out the current line-up Daemona all things point towards 2016 being the year that this extreme beast finally breaks free!

Free Metal Monday: Devolve-Devolve

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Hailing from Alton, Illinois, Devolve is a blackened death metal/death thrash band with at least one recording to it's name in "Devolve". Available for free by clicking on the link in the last sentence, "Devolve" is sick, primitive and above all ruthless! Granted, "Devolve" is a extremely short EP, but it's still brutal and bound to punch a nice sized hole in your gut on this early post-Super Bowl Monday! Enjoy!

Rhine-An Outsider

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Formed in 2011 and originally going by the moniker of Perfect Harmony, Rhine is a Seattle, Washington-based progressive metal/death metal band with two album's to it's name. The forthcoming "An Outsider" serves as the proper follow-up to the group's 2014 album, "Duality", and just like it's predecessor this recording is more or less a solo project of Gabriel Tachell.  In addition to handling all of the vocals*, guitars & bass parts and this disc's programming duties, "An Outsider" was written, produced and mixed by Gabriel Tachell! Drums were provided by Sean Lang, but otherwise this is all based around the talent of Gabriel Tachell and his skill-level is never in question on Rhine's latest!! With influences that range from Porcupine Tree to Opeth (along with the likes of Devin Townsend, Enslaved, Edge of Sanity, Between the Buried and Me, Hypocrisy, Ulver, Borknagar,  Bloodbath, Gorguts, Gojira, Carcass, Arcturus, Ahab, Mastodon, UneXpect, Satyricon, Meshuggah, Sleepytime, and Gorilla Museum!) this Seattle-based band obviously draws it's sound & style from a wide range of sources! Even so it's hard to pin-point any one act that definitively sounds like Rhine on this well-crafted disc. Best-aimed at those who love extreme metal with progressive tendencies, "An Outsider" is a release that should bring Rhine new fans and label interest. In other words, "An Outsider" is one album that will be on (heavy) rotation in the weeks to come!


*Gabriel Tachell (who actually provided the artwork for this full-length feature!) has a really great set of lungs as evident on "An Outsider". Rhine's founder and main driving force easily moves between (highly-effective) clean singing and death-like grows on this forthcoming album and his voice adds an additional layer to what is already a multi-layered release!!

Solipsist-The Burning Mass

Ferocious Records
2015

Solipsist is a long-running metal band that is based in Cleveland, Ohio and has two EPs, two splits and (thanks to this late March release) two full-length albums to it's name. Since day one this five-piece group has been fronted by lead singer/producer Noah Buchanan (From the Hellmouth, Ron George, Nunslaughter (live), Arecibo) and on their latest release here this extreme front-man is aided by the mad skills of Mark Witherspoon (guitars), Steve Sinko (guitars), Dave Vezdos (bass), and Dave Chojnacki (drums). While the group issued it's first EP, "Medicate the Masses", back in 2007 it was actually Solipsist's 2010 full-length debut, "The Human Equation" that put this (HEAVY as HELL) metal band on everyone's radar. Between that release and the band's (equally-epic) 2012 follow-up (the self-released "Extinction Protocol") it was GAME ON MOTHERFUCKERS for these Cleveland death thrashers and "The Burning Mass" is no exception! Self-produced by Noah Buchanan and his fellow bandmates, "The Burning Mass" is Solipsist's first full-length album on actual label and they celebrate this glorious occasion in grand style. In other words they pull down the heavens and stomp the living fuck out of anything and anyone that dares get in their way!!! By this point in their stellar career the guys in Solipsist have made easy work of the whole slash 'em/bash 'em style of death metal thrash and in many people's minds they are towards the top of the heap as far as that type of extreme music is concerned. Thankfully much of what you'll hear on this album tilts towards that same direction. Heavily in fact! But then it's also no great secret that the guys in Solipsist like to pull in different elements of not only death metal (melodic and technical) and thrash (the same as far as melodic and technical goes, but also raw, hardcore-tinged thrash!), but things like heavy power metal, metalcore and groove. It's not as if any of that has suddenly disappeared with the group's second studio album or anything. With "The Burning Mass" you get all of that metallic taste, but with no artificial colors or flavors! Every once of fat has been trimmed from this huge slab of meat which ends up leaving nothing but a prime-time (grab some cold beers fellas!) meal that you'll want to gobble up in one sitting! Once more this criminally-underrated Ohio band brings pride to our metal scene and with it's pristine production job and absolutely perfect framework they also highlight the glorious state of extreme metal here in the U.S.! Over the past few years Solipsist has all but destroyed the notion that independent/underground metal bands can't compete on the big stage with the name brand artists and I'd dare anyone to go and listen to "The Burning Mass" and then tell me in all honestly that it doesn't belong in the same league as said bands! This Cleveland band has reached it's evolutionary peak and it's a place where all the best characteristics of death metal, thrash, metalcore, groove, and even (modern) hard rock/heavy metal rest comfortably in the knowledge that there is no more that needs to be achieved! Every-bit the real deal and an absolute must-buy for fans of all things BRUTAL and BEASTLY, "The Burning Mass" made me see Solipsist in a whole new light and chances are it will do the same thing to you. I've been a fan of this extreme metal band since I first heard "The Human Equation" back in early 2011 and even so there is no way in heaven or hell that I could have foreseen just how FUCKING amazing this gang would get! Do whatever needs to be done to snag and bag this CD and if you live anywhere near where this band is playing live then drop what you're doing and get out there & get down with this bad ass metal machine!

Elusory-Wide Asleep

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Formed in 2012 by musicians David Morgan (Guitars, Bass and Drums) and Anthony "Ant" Casaletto (Guitars and Bass ), Elusory is a up-and-coming HEAVY metal band that began life as a side-project before evolving into the gnarly creature that stands before us now. Lead vocalist Mike Wells rounds things out for this MI / NC-based band which for some reason has been misdiagnosed as a Progressive Rock/Metal project (more of that in a second). The forthcoming "Wide Asleep" is Elusory's full-length debut and this 45 minute album is schedule to drop on July 7th. With a total of 11 tracks in all, "Wide Asleep" opens fiercely by way of the hard-hitting "Haunted" and right from the start I found myself confused by this trio's email address of Elusory Rocks and the whole Progressive Rock/Metal tag. Now, don't get me wrong here. Elusory is a progressive-minded band and to that end you're quite likely to pick up on similarly-themed influences. Or if you will bands that end up raging from Dream Theater to Watchtower. But to call this band a "rock/metal" outfit is a great disservice to the extreme nature of this music. And by extreme I mean EXTREME! These guys simply DESTROY everything in sight and it all starts with Elusory's maniacal front-man!! Harsh and clean vocals set the stage aflame before the pair of Morgan &; Casaletto come along to blow the whole building down! Who am I kidding? They blow the whole BLOCK down!!!! Reference-wise I would throw  out other names like Meshuggah, Cynic and even Killswitch Engage and CD Baby isn't exactly far off with the Machine Head recommendation. Even so Elusory does their own thing and Dammit Janet(!) they sure do make it sound easy! Armed with complex riffs and drop-dead righteous grooves this three-piece band is fully-capable of doing the old stop-start thing as well as anyone, but these guys make metalcore sound relevant and even hip. Along with the metalcore, progressive elements and extreme metal you'll hear pieces/parts of melodic metal, speed, thrash, and death metal, but the most impressive additions here would be jazz and fusion! Like Atheist and Cynic did before them, Elusory adds interesting flavors to sound in order to creatively push themselves as far as possible. While nowhere near as prominent as it is the aforementioned bands these jazz elements are there nonetheless and that ends up making "Wide Asleep" an even more enjoyable venture (if that was actual possible!). With intelligent and memorable lyrics that match the complex and expertly-executed music within, "Wide Asleep" is a hell of a debut album for this new band and one that I enthusiastically recommend! For more information about Elusory be sure to head here and make sure to keep an eye out for "Wide Asleep" as this CD is not to be missed!

Embryo-Embryo

Logic(Il)Logic Records/Andromeda Dischi
2015

The first of two promo CDs to recently come my way from the fine folks at Atomic Stuff Promotion and Logic(Il)Logic Records (Badmotorfinger, Twintera, Steel City, Hex, Nightglow....), "Embryo" is the latest release from this long-standing melodic death metal band from Cremona, Italy. Formed in 2000, with vocalist Roberto Pasolini and guitarist Eugenio "Uge" Sambasile the sole original members and influences listed as Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad*, Embryo first hit the scene with the demo "The Source of Hate" in 2001. Following the release of "Promo 2002" the band issued their full-length debut album, "Chaotic Age" in 2006. Another demo ("Promo 2009") appeared before the band would release the highly-rated "No God Slave" in 2010. It was "No God Slave" that truly brought the group into the limelight with stellar reviews pushing the band upward and onward. Here it is 2015 and the band is finally rolling out album number three, the self-titled "Embryo". Currently rounded out by keyboardist Simone Solla, bassist Nicola Iazzi and drummer Enea Passarella** this five-piece band falls somewhere between melodic death metal and standard death metal with the harsh voice of lead singer Roberto Pasonlini often times moving this metal band into deathcore and/or extreme territory!  With a grand total of eleven-tracks and a run-time of over forty minutes the recently-released "Embryo" (recently-released as in the 10th of this month!) is all at once intimidating and intriguing. Lyrically-speaking the album "Embryo" is "a descent into the Maelström of human soul 'til the door to the abyss that is the denial of being part of mankind" even if you'd have a hard time catching on to that given the otherworldly/demonic delivery of Roberto Pasonlini. As stated it's his unapologetic approach to "singing" that gives this Italian band that extra edge making this self-titled studio recording excessively brutal! By balancing out his beastly voice with complex arrangements that are deep and soul-steering an album like this becomes much more than merely a LOUD death metal release. That isn't to say that "Embryo" isn't LOUD as it is! It's also extremely HEAVY as touched upon. But, thanks in no small part to the fact that "Embryo" was recorded, mixed and mastered by the skilled hands of producer Simone Mularoni (DGM, Empyrios, The Modern Age Slavery, Vision Divine...), it is all that (LOUD and HEAVY) and so much more! This Italian band plays with purpose and the various musicians involved with this recording did more than just unleash unholy amounts of hostility and vulgarity dressed up as "music". These numbers offer interesting riffs and imaginative keyboards. The bass parts are progressive and the drumming (while certainly pummeling!) shows passion and personal pride. When brought together the music gives the listener a reason to pause and reflect what Embryo is really about. "Embryo" is worth tracking down as there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to this particular death metal band.     

*Given the band's complex arrangements and the compelling ingredients that found their way into this mix those three influences don't even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to everything that "Embryo" has to offer. Whether you are into melodic death metal or extreme metal this album has something worthwhile to say to you if you should choose to listen!

** Drums on "Embryo", which by the way are freakin' smashing(!), were performed by the talented Francesco Paoli (Fleshgod Apocalypse).

Jovian Litany-Heroes Leave

Self-Release/Independent
2015

E-mail submissions are the best as you never know exactly what you are in for. Site-founder/main man Metal Mark received this particular submission and promptly sent it my way. I have to admit that the e-mail's title alone peaked my interest. "A Doctor with a Metal Album.... Whaaaat?" found me filled with curiosity so I quickly sprung into action! And as that title goes it is a doozy! Or rather it's background information. For you see Jovian Litany is a one man recording project founded in 2008 by Charlotte, NC's Jeffrey Py and Mr. Py is of all things a Doctor of Audiology! Crazy weirdness all around with that one! But anyway, Jeffrey, who was raised on a strict diet of fried scrapple (Hell yeah! Yum!) and disappointment (Sadly I know the feeling all too well...), has produced a total of four albums under the Jovian Litany name with this particular nine- track album serving as the "band's" latest & great work! Devoted to the concept of loss, "Heroes Leave" is not so much a concept album as it is a themed one. Or so says the main man himself so who are we to argue? And if you are going to tackle the subject of loss then you just know that the music at hand has to help convey the heartache and absolute sorrow associated with a concept right? For Jeffrey Py and Jovian Litany that translates into something quite different (Or flat odd weird if you will!!!) but nonetheless completely satisfying! And that would be extreme metal mixed up with New Age with some Techno tossed in for good measure! Jeffrey Py's e-mail to Heavy Metal Time Machine suggested a release that was a "mish mosh of musical styles, alternating songwriting between a heavy album and an ambient album" and damn right if he didn't make good on that promise! The latest release from one-man band/solo project Jovian Litany offers listeners extreme material that borders on full-fledged death metal, ambient New Age passages and music that combines the two star-crossed lovers into one glorious slab of electronic metal mayhem! And all the while the mood is as dark and depressing as death rock making "Heroes Leave" one of those perfect releases for when all you want to do in life is turn the lights down low, tune out to the world and just get lost in the loneliness that is this bizarre ride we call existence! By moving back and forth between artificial studio creations and harsh/sick guitar work that at times recalls the best of the Floridian death metal scene(!) an album like "Heroes Leave" allows you the opportunity to slip out of this world for awhile. In other words,  "Heroes Leave" should be enjoyed with your headphones on so that there are no distractions other than the sound of your own beating heart and your personal thoughts so that when you slip out of time and space it's a clean and pure trip! As the music of Jovian Litany is as effective clean and focused as it is dirty and chaotic it is a smooth and seamless journey listening experience when it boils right down to it. And with each new spin of this album you're very likely find something new to appreciate. All told this nine-track album is very cool indeed and for the guitarist/vocalist responsible for "Heroes Leave" I say good on you my friend! Take pride in the creation of "Heroes Leave" Jeffrey as this mad cap metallic adventure is nothing short of fantastic! It's a shame that the music of Jovian Litany isn't more well-known, but hopefully this review and of course word of mouth can help change that. Let's hope so as this album is just too good to be kept under wraps! You can pick up a digital copy of "Heroes Leave"over here at CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jovianlitany3 Meanwhile you can find out more about the man, the myth and the legend either here: http://www.jovianlitany.com/ or here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jovian-Litany/144316111801

Lelahell-Al Insane​.​.​.The (Re​)​Birth Of Abderrahmane

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions
2014

Active since 2010, Lelahell is a three-piece band from Algiers, Algeria. With a 2012 EP entitled "Al Ihtiquar" already to their name (featuring a cover of Mayhem's "Freezing Moon" nonetheless!) this death metal/extreme metal outfit now offers up the debut album "Al Insane... The (Re)Birth Of Abderrahmane". Featuring 10 tracks in total and falling just shy of the 41 minute mark "Al Insane... The (Re)Birth Of Abderrahmane" was mixed and mastered by Ivan of Anthropocide Studio (Abominable Putridity, Aborted Fetus) and features some cool cover artwork courtesy of Kaamos Illustration (Hypocrisy, Pain).While the 2012 EP* was a one-man project of Leahel (Carnavage, ex-Neanderthalia, ex-Litham, ex-Devast) this new album finds Lelahel (vocals, guitar) joined by bass player Nihil (Barbaros) and drummer Slaveblaster (Barbaros, ex-Devast, ex-Orcus (live) and ex-The Kult ov Satanåchiîa). Between the three musicians there is a experience and it most assuredly shows on the group's initial Horror Pain Gore Death Productions offering! To the music's advantage Leahel's vocals lean closer to the black metal side of things while the actual music in question is nothing short of brutal, technically-savvy Cannibal Corpse/Suffocation-style death metal! The guitar playing of Leahel is rugged and riff heavy. Dare I say it's almost thuggish? It hits the sense like a boxer hitting his target and when you add to that some sick & sinister bass playing and a billion-miles per hour drumming it turns into a hail-storm of extreme metal! The only downside is that some of the cuts here do tend to blend together, but that's such a minor complaint that it's hardly worth mentioning. All told this is some bad ass death metal for fans of aggressive, over-the-top and speed-enhanced extreme metal! If that sounds like you then drop what you're doing and snag a copy of  "Al Insane​.​.​.The (Re​)​Birth Of Abderrahmane" for your personal collection!

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/al-insane-the-re-birth-of-abderrahmane

*Per the Metal Archives.

Castle Freak-Still Rotting (Cassette Release)

Tridroid Records
2014

Leave it to our friends at Tridroid Records to offer up yet another great release on cassette tape! This time around the label is tackling Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Castle Freak who, besides (likely) being named after the old horror classic of the same name* (Can you say Jeffrey Combs baby? Awesome!) self-describe themselves as "grinding death punks"!

*I have a fond memory of renting this 1995 horror film on VHS.

Influenced by bands such as Repulsion, (early) Death, "Scum"-era Napalm Death, Autopsy, Carnivore, Discharge, (early) The Misfits/Samhain and even old-school Megadeth (as well as Beer/Weed, Gore flicks, Troma & Horror of all kinds.) the band (Gigan-lead vox/guitar, Zak-guitar, DZ-bass and P-drums) cuts a clear enough path between punk/hardcore and grind/noise while making "merry" music that will have you thinking it's 1980 something all over again! Having shared the stage with Full of Hell and Noisem (two bands who, alongside Castle Freak, are featured on A389's 2014 Digital Mixtape) this Philadelphia four-piece strikes a real underground cord thanks to their punk attitude and raw, D.I.Y. vibe. For Castle Freak (who also have a 2012 demo to their name) this upcoming cassette release should help the band achieve further acclaim while simultaneously showing how Tridroid Records is slowly turning into a dependable source for underground/up-and-coming acts of all shapes and colors!

The member's of Castle Freak just saying hi to all the haters!

https://www.facebook.com/TridroidRecords

https://www.facebook.com/CastleFreakPhilly

Miseo-Lunatic Confessions

Blacksmith Records
2014

Unless you've spent the better part of the past twenty or so years away from society and all of it's technological advantages or you have been living under a rock (in which case I really do feel for you and you just might want to consider getting some psychological support!) chances are fairy good that (as a metalhead mind you) you are aware that Germany has a long history of producing some of the best extreme bands out there. In theory one could spend the better part of a year just listening to what this country has to offer in the way of super aggressive music and still not even get close to covering it all. Germany is simply that solid when it comes to pumping out excellent extreme bands. And now you can add another brand new name to that claim. Miseo, who were formed in 2013, are a powerhouse of a death metal trio whose sound & style draws it's strength not only from it's fellow countrymen, but also from the old-school American scene! These three German musicians made their studio debut in late August of 2013 with the EP "The Dead Will Predominate" (a release which is mostly described as being a "hasty side project") and now (with a new focus and a tighter overall feel) Miseo are back for the attack with this "take no prisoners & leave no survivors!!!" extreme full-length release! One shouldn't let the acoustic guitar piece that opens this album on "Trapped In Veil" lull you into thinking that this will be anything but a brute of an album. Not that you'd be likely to guess otherwise given the above album art and all (!), but once "Greed Kills" kicks in the door and pins you to the ground all bets are off! As a listener it would be wise to batten down the hatches and strap yourself in tight before you decide to play this one all the way through as Miseo are death metal rage and fury at it's fieriest! Even the slight elements of groove that are tossed about on "Lunatic Confessions" are not enough to disguise this band's true face. Like a violent caged animal that has been beaten and deprived of food this band comes out charging and slaughters everything in it's path! Even thrash gets it's fair share of performance time, but at their core this trio always seems to be dead-set on ripping out the ugliest DEATH out there! Of course it is one thing to simply play loud and fast. The real key is to do it in such a way that it actually sounds like music and not just random noise. I don't know about everyone else out there, but I love death metal that is HEAVIER then HELL and technically proficient. The cool thing about this trio then is even with death metal that sometimes borders on crustcore and grind (a lovely thing indeed!) the members of Miseo still keep everything in check. There's simply no denying the talent of these three as musicians seeing as the band does extreme like the best of them, but they do it in a way where everything comes across as well thought out and carefully constructed. And speaking of which, the band features Milking the Goatmachine member Fernando Thielmann on vocals and guitars and I love how his rage-filled growling voice gives this long-player an unholy presence! Thielmann, who (per the Metal Archives) also supports Carnal Ghoul on the live stage, has a lot of experience to his name as he is has played in Bloodsky, Reincarnated and Sarx. He brings that experience to the fore-front of this project and as front-man he sets the pace for this wild pack of hungry dogs! Along with Lay Down Rotten drummer Timo Claas (ex-Act Of Creation, ex-E 605) and bassist André Rink (ex-Amazing Grave, ex-Painspirit) guitarist/vocalist Fernando Thielmann constructs an album that should easily appeal to old-school death metal maniacs as well as younger fans who are out looking for another extreme metal band to embrace! This German collective shows plenty of promise for the future if they can keep the pace and build on the strengths of this LP. For a first release (or at least full-length one) "Lunatic Confessions" hits all the right notes while also showing the true potential of this trio making Miseo one band that I will be keeping an eye on! 

For band information be sure to check out any of the following links:  
ferli@gmx.de
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMiseo
https://www.youtube.com/OfficialMiseo

For label information click on either of the following links:
http://www.blacksmithrecords.eu/
https://www.facebook.com/BlacksmithRecords

Gautama-All Is Silence

Bigsound-NC
2014

Independently released at the tale end of October of last year (which sure makes it look as if the band has since been picked up by Bigsound-NC), "All Is Silence" is the full-length debut album from New Caledonia-based Gautama. Influenced by the likes of Sepultura, Lamb Of God and Pantera (and, thank the devil down below himself(!), really sounding for all the world like a rage-filled, underground/garage metal version of those three previously-mentioned influences mashed together into a gooey paste!) this female-fronted heavy thrash/death metal act was formed in 2008 with this (cool as shit) Christophe Planche-produced LP serving as their proper introduction to the ever-expanding metal universe. With a grand total of 7 tracks (of which we're talking about raw primal metal of the headbanging to hell variety!!) this is as good a first recording as they come and it definitely leaves you with an overall favorable impression of this young act. Besides playing guitar alongside equally capable bandmate Alexandre Verdier, with Bruno Fontebasso (bass) and Colin Soriano (drums) rounding out the lethal rhythm section quite nicely, Cloé Soriano takes care of the vocal duties in Gautama and she does it in a very unapologetic, in-your-face with my spike-laden fists of fury, no-holds barred kind of way! This fierce front-woman/warrior also leaves a favorable impression when it's all said and done and for Gautama it's a good selling point. From the way in which these four death thrashers come together here on "All Is Silence" there is little doubt as to what this young band is all about! "All Is Silence" was an important first-step out into the world of metal and, being that it is the band's first piece of recorded history and what not, it's a real nice "How do you do? Would you care to bang your head like a fucking madman?" kind of platter. The downside of all of this? It's only 7-tracks of  worthwhile chaos and by the time this band starts to fall into a dirty groove it's all done. More would have been nice. That should come though sooner or later as this lot offers so much promise that their take on heavy thrash/death metal just screams out to be expanded and further explored! It would be hard NOT to cheer the fuck out for a group like this and recommended them to fellow lovers of all things extreme! Gautama is worth taking a chance on if early Sepultura is your thing or if you get giddy over the though of a deadlier Lamb Of God! Digitally at least, "All Is Silence" can be found on both iTunes and Amazon and for more information on these four metal maniacs be sure to head on over to their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/GAUTAMA.NC

Bjarm-Imminence

Fono Ltd.
2014

Strangely it has been more than a bit of a struggle getting this review transferred from my thoughts and onto the written page. That's by no means a fault of this Russian band or their music. No, it actually has more to do with trying to get all of the proper notes about this band typed out in a somewhat reasonably fashion. As we're talking about a band that are named after a territory mentioned in Norse sagas up to the Viking Age and one that has the tempting selling point of "The perfect combination between Beauty and Violence" it is a tad hard building up the right kind of introduction for this band that was formed in 2009 and is based in the city of Severodvinsk, in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Regardless, Bjarm first hit the scene in 2010 thanks to the a ten-track demo entitled "Defect". Lead by vocalist/lyricist Andrey (Garmskrik, ex-Fenrir, Splendor Solis, Vedun) and rounded out by Mikhail Shatnyi (Bass), Alexey (Guitars), Egor (Guitars) Vitaliy (Drums) and Anastasia (Keyboards and Vocals) the basic "structure" of this band is something like this-male (harsh) vocals and female (smooth) vocals are effectively employed over-top of strong (METALLIC) twin-guitar parts, symphonic (occasional black mostly death) metal orchestration and (in general) extreme metal in order to provide as physically an intimidating presence as humanly possible. Oh, and let's not forget that ambient nature of Bjarm's debut album either! Besides being well-constructed in it's execution and well-rounded musically "Imminence" is (no pun intended!) an immense emotional journey! One listen and I was hooked! I wanted to hear more and to feel more of what this Russian act had to offer and for someone who usually doesn't care for such a term as symphonic metal  this album pulled me in directly and made me open my eyes to new discoveries. Bjarm is another one of those (newish) acts trying their hands at something a bit different and off the beaten track. The thing is they are doing that while still holding firm to some of the industry's already establish hallmarks and by the Norse gods it's working for them!  Need some links? Well, here you go!

 http://vk.com/bjarm
 https://itunes.apple.com/ru/album/imminence/id889323814
 https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Bjarm_Imminence?id=Bwddmmiuarhnt7p4nz3b6v4z5va
 http://www.facebook.com/bjarmofficial

Psychotic Gardening-Hymnosis

Self-Release/Independent Recording
2014

Due to be released tomorrow (May 13th, 2014), "Hymnosis" makes it four full-length albums for Winnipeg, Manitoba's Psychotic Gardening. Having first been assembled in the mid-nineties by vocalist/guitarist Chuck Labossiere (at the time a member of Immortal Possession) this one-time solo project has slowly grown into it's own. A unrelenting side-effect of heavy metal that has run amok, unrestricted by the barriers that are meant to keep everything in check (whether, as in the case of Psychotic Gardening, it's doom or death, groove or goth) this metallic freak of nature is pure, unfiltered fury and we, the heavy metal community at large, are all the better for it! Currently featuring a superb line-up of Labossiere (guitars, vocals and keyboards), (second) vocalist Chris "Gillshammer" Gillis (Mnemonic Void, Reign of Terror), guitarist Andrew Wiens (Aberration, ex-Children of Tragedy), bassist Mike "Junior" Jannsen (Eyam, Kaluza, ex-Damascus) and drummer Matt Penner this uncompromising (Canadian) monster of metal fury is as extreme as they come! And no, we're not even talking about the lyrical content* of "Hymnosis" here!  Joined by a couple of guests like Will "Willishammer" Janssen (additional keyboards on "Journey to the Sun"), Into Eternity's Tim Roth and Broken Hope's Chuck Wepfer (two guitarists, both of whom play on the band's choice Death cover, "Open Casket"), Manitoba's Psychotic Gardening manhandles their instruments, striking the listener with deadly blows to the head via the eardrums! With roots that seemingly point to not only old-school death metal, post-Pentagram doom metal and hardened thrash, but traditional heavy metal and the previously mentioned groove and goth (yes, truly all of that morphs together here on "Hymnosis" in a killer way!) Psychotic Gardening have a real raging vibe about them and any attempt to downplay the utter brute-force of this 41 minute platter would be ill-advised! This could prove to be one of 2014's most dangerous releases as it has mean look at it and it's bark is as dangerous as it's trap-jaw bite! It would be disastrous if this album was overlooked by the metal community at large as Psychotic Gardening's "Hymnosis" is METAL
and it strikes all the right cords! For Chuck Labossiere a release like this one has to be rewarding as it's build upon a solid foundation of THICK metal riffs and SICK solos that will stand tall against the inevitable wave of piss-poor imitators! Get on board with this lot while you still can folks as this (fully-armed battle) ship is going to be causing some major waves soon enough as they bring the hammer down on the competition !

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Psychotic-Gardening/8376017862

*This band's fierily attack on religion, or more specifically Christianity, is boldly spelled out make no mistake of that!

Ferium-Reflections

Transcend Music
2014 

"Reflections" is the full-length debut release from Ferium. Having formed in 2006, Ferium has an additional EP and demo to their name and the band, which incidentally hails from Israel, features a rhythm section made of former members of the melodic death metal band Kna'an (bassist Yoni Biton  and drummer Ron Amar) and has a beast of a front-man/growler on the mic by way of Tiran Ezra, offers a streamlined (if not more then a little lethal) take on extreme (modern) metal. With (thrash) guitars dutifully handled by the pair of Guy Goldenberg & Elram Boxer and that previously mentioned rhythm section anchoring Ferium's back end in death metal territory the band works their mojo on these twelve tracks all while offering the listener a 52 minutes sampling of all things extreme. A but more variety on their end might help Ferium take the next logical step needed if they are to make it to the next stage (more moments like "The Black Keys" would have been nice), but it is hard to argue the fact that "Reflections" is anything but explosive! By combining hardcore, metalcore, death metal and thrash into one new element this Israel five-piece does do what the album art of "Reflections" merely teases. These five do slay the beast and they do it with more reflective lyrics then one might expect by looking at the cover. For tackling more personally issues Farium get's an extra nod of approval from my end and even if I cannot say how inventive or completely original "Reflections" is it's still a damn fine collection of drop-dead serious extreme metal and one that I would most certainly recommend to fans of said genre!

Shroud of Despondency-Tied to a Dying Animal

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Shroud of Despondency have always been a hard act to wrap your head around. On one hand they are a black metal collective hell-bent on offering up some of the most extreme metal that you can find while on the other hand they have been known to flex their creatively into the realms of acoustic/melodic rock. The thing is that sometimes within the boundaries of just one simple number! So, when this apologetically unique act takes on a double album like this when, well, anything and everything can and does happen! Active since the later part of the nineties, with the two-hour "Tied to a Dying Animal" serving as their fifth full-length endeavor (with demos, splits and two live albums now filling out the rest of their back-catalog!), Shroud of Despondency tries their hand at (pretty much) two separate emotional releases. As such it might be better to look at these two albums as entirely different albums and split-up the time you listen to both (as let's admit it here folks, but two hours of music, black metal or not, can be a bit much to listen to in one setting!). For moments when you just want to witness angry, disconnected and jarring material be sure to plug yourself into the the first half of "Tied to a Dying Animal". For moments that pass by a bit more "calmer" then try the more acoustic side of this double-album. While it would seem to be an odd pairing (bleak and desperate, extreme black metal angst and then calm and collected acoustic material!) it does work...although perhaps better if taken one at a time at different moments of the same day. Otherwise a release like "Tied to a Dying Animal" might just leave you feeling lightheaded and faint! So, be warned....

 http://shroudofdespondency.bandcamp.com/album/tied-to-a-dying-animal-3

Tyrants Blood-Coven

Tridroid Records
2014

Back in September of 2013 I covered Tyrant Blood's excellent "Into the Kingdom of Graves", an album that, besides (eventually) being released on LP (a very cool looking piece of vinyl at that!), was also issued under Tridroid Records. "Coven", while it will unfortunately not see a physical release (this one is digital only boys and girls), is nonetheless as impressive of a release if only because it collects previously released material by Vancouver-based extreme metal act (or at least material that has seen physical release before, but never digital release!) and crafts a sort-of, kind-of, "Best Of" scenario! For the uninitiated amongst you Tyrants Blood play a fairly BRUTAL form of extreme metal that highlights all the good pieces/parts of said genre (death metal, thrash and black metal) and, after compressing them under a pile of hellfire and damnation, spits it all back out at the listener with enough piss and vinegar to make one smile all day long! Not much more needs to be said as this act needs to be experienced to be appreciated so stop whatever it is you're doing (besides reading this wonderful review!) and head to the link below to download this beauty of a beast!

http://tyrantsbloodtridoid.bandcamp.com/


Review of previously released "Into the Kingdom of Graves" album:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Tyrants+Blood-Into+the+Kingdom+of+Graves+