Fondlecorpse - Dark Contagion (2017)

Dark Contagion is the sophomore full-length outing from Dutch death metallers Fondlecorpse, who released a record some years before it that was notable for the myriad horror movie references in the artwork. As with Creaturegore, this album is an exhibition in chunky death metal with memorable artwork, however it has some differences from its predecessor in that they're not simply cooking up nostalgia, but trying to take a more structured approach. The song titles still sound like a plethora of horror/sci-fi B-movies: "Terrorvision", "Bugstomper", "The Mutant Chronicles" and "Lunar Cycle Maniac", so it's not like they've abandoned the themes that inspired them, but this is not at all a sillier sounding effort within the genre, it's much more well-rounded.

Perhaps part of that is that the core member, vocalist Silvester 'The Goregnome" has recruited the insanely prolific Rogga Johansson for the guitars this time, a guy who makes the whole genre seem like old hate, as he literally brushes his teeth with death metal, butters his death metal for breakfast. With a focused role as he has on Dark Contagion, he delivers a bevy of churning, hammering riffs which aren't terribly different than what he's performing in Revolting or Ribspreader, but in support of the Goregnome's gruesome, drawn out growls. This record kicks hard with its great Swedish guitar tone, thick and pumpkin bass lines, and Rogga also likes to spit forth these simplistic, almost melancholic leads that work well as a contrast against the meaty charge of the rhythms. I definitely get some vibes of Cannibal Corpse or Severe Torture, only not as complex as those two can occasionally get, with the lower octave chords and the percussive marriage of the brute vocals and riffs.

But those airy, sad little leads, the use of samples, and the overall aesthetic definitely hearken more to that whole Razorback scene of bands, or also that West cost 'fun' death metal stuff from the US. Crypticus, Blood Revolt, Splatterhouse, Frightmare, Ghoul, Cannabis Corpse. Fondlecorpse might not conform to strictly to any one of their sounds, but they belong in the same conversation, a self-awareness and deep love of genre capitalized upon by good performances of quality musicians. Dark Contagion is not an album that stands to win any accolades for its genre, but if you're into death metal without pretention or excess polish, you can take this one off the shelf, pop it into your CD player and have a pretty good time listening through it.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://fondlecorpse.bandcamp.com/music

Sarke - Viige Urh (2017)

If I had any reservations or mixed memories of the third or fourth albums, there could be no such confusion with Viige Urh, a record I fell in love with immediately, frontloading some of the catchiest material of the band's entire career. Straight from the opening title track, it brought me right back to what I enjoyed about the debut Vorunah, only performed here with a little more zest and energy. Simple, memorable black/thrash, obviously derived from that Hellhammer school of through, or Darkthrone, NC's main band, but given added breadth and atmosphere due to the tasteful use of synthesizers to make a more dramatic chorus and also help contrast against NC's gritty vocal style, a beauty to the beast.

"Viige Urh" and "Dagger Entombed" are probably the best opening one-two punch combo for me in their whole catalogue, the former for its vital thrashing pulse, and the latter for that amazing flow of grooves and dour-sounding synth tones that almost catapult you back to some Medieval era. But this record has so much more in store for you, like the charging "Age of Sail" with that sweet opening lead guitar, "Upir" with its lopsided, lumbering groove, or the slow-rolling atmospheric doom of "Punishment to Confessions". While there is variety here, I feel that Viige Urh is one of their most unified records in execution; the songs just sort of flow together the best, not that they don't on the older efforts but here they feel more purposely planned for maximum resonance with the listener. Yes, they're pulling in some light prog rock influences among the styles they already dabbled in, but everything else is straight from the Sarke playbook that you'd recognize from the first four.

Viige Urh absolutely stomps, with a more vibrant production than its predecessor and a selection of songs that never let up in quality through the entire playtime. Where, say I could point out a few on Aruagint that wouldn't make a career playlist, I'd probably have to include this entire album. This is the first I grab when introducing someone new to the band, and it has a high rate of success, taking what's so vital about the first two and improving upon that hybrid style. Nocturno's voice is the icing on the cake, but the music itself here is strong enough that I can occasionally put that to the sideline. Amazing stuff that holds up as strongly today as the first time I listened.

Verdict: Win [9.25/10]

https://sarkeband.bandcamp.com/

Satyricon - Deep Calleth Upon Deep (2017)

Deep Called Upon Deep, the ninth full-length from Satyricon, is one I struggled with a little upon release. It brought back the full on black & roll of Now, Diabolical, and the Age of Nero, but for whatever reason it didn't immediately hook me like those. That said, it's grown on me through the years because of the newly 'progressive' ideas it brings into that style, and the emotional depth and maturity it harbors. This isn't some brazen record loaded with ear candy that will stick to your lobes on the first couple listens, but something with a more laid back, mellow vibe that you can eventually lose yourself into. That's not to say its elements are all that different from earlier releases, but the tunes just don't seem to stick it straight to your face like the evil of "K.I.N.G." or "The Pentagram Burns". There are choices here, like the title track, which almost seem like they have been drafted over from those earlier sessions, but even here you get a little more.

Examples are the use of the proggy melodies and harmonies in "Blood Cracks Open the Ground", which even has a bit of a clinical vibe cutting through the more expected rocking rhythm guitars and the truly nihilistic barks of Satyr, thanks to the mellotron. Or "The Ghost of Rome", with that slight operatic vibe hovering just above the harshness. There are unexpected instruments all through this album, from cello and violin to saxophone and bass clarinet, and while a lot of purists and gatekeepers might cringe from the idea, I rather enjoy it especially when such things don't intrude upon the core sound. Satyr's riffs here aren't individually all that impressive, but they perfectly suit the direct but gloomy atmosphere, and when taken as a whole they keep the record just varied enough to maintain its compelling nature. Frost's drums are intense as they ever need to be, by far the most 'extreme' part of the recording, yet they are likewise serviceable onto to the song structures and don't sound like the guy is about to fly off the handle and escape the less intense style of composition.

In fact, the kick drum and fills sound pretty awesome and organic along with the sparser dissonant riffs in tracks like "Black Wings and Withering Gloom". The rhythms in general seem more experimental than The Age of Nero, with choppier timing and no interest in strictly repeating themselves beyond that obvious black & roll stylistic disposition. The lyrics are pretty good, some recalling the earlier epic natural majesty of albums like Nemesis Divina, and others the more recent personal diabolism on the handful of records running up to this. Production is again straightforward, with all the atmosphere being cultivated through the guitar tones and additional instruments, clean but not entirely polished, and adding an air of mysticism and ritual to the flow of the 44 minutes. Deep Calleth Upon Deep might be a 'grower' more than an initial 'shower', but in the end it definitely inspires me more than the previous s/t and just as much as the last few I had enjoyed...and does so in a way that shows an appreciable level of evolution that doesn't alienate the direction they had been headed in past their purer black metal years.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://www.satyricon.no/

Toxik - Breaking Clas$ EP (2017)

Toxik was another of those 80s thrash hopefuls that I'm pretty sure most of us old heads never thought we'd hear from again, so when they had a proper reformation in the 2010s I was quite elated to hear more of that hybrid of thrash, speed and power metal that they initiated with their shrieking debut World Circus, and then refined in the more memorable, progressive Think This. The Breaking Class$ EP more or less gets them back on the horse, and frankly sounds like a natural continuation on their sophomore sound, if leaning a bit more towards the clinical, scalpel-riffing thrash (which they'd delve even further into later). The material reunites reunites axe-lord Josh Christian with Charles Sabin's vocals, and a new rhythm section in Shane Boulos and James deMaria that moves in lockstep to the janky rhythmic explorations found herein.

Yes, this was the most technical wizardry and arguable 'experimentation' you'd have heard from Toxik yet, building upon the potential of the second full-length, nudging just past it, but not necessarily in a flashy way. A lot of the strong moments here on these three tracks are slower to mid-paced grooves in which Josh splays out all these surgical, melodic riffing patterns that give this one a real eerie, cautionary vibe about it. Lots of double bass driving the rhythms to help modernize them from the 80s material, but as they swerve into the chorus hooks, it will definitely come across as material that could have fit right in with Think This. Intelligent thrash metal which delivers the listener of this niche an adventure that they simply hadn't been on through the leagues of pizza-thrash nostalgia, Bay Area or Teutonic cloning that so many of the re-thrash bands pursued. All the players are on point here, whether they're speeding along at a rapid clip or breaking into grooves or even a few riffs that sound tongue-in-cheek, like in the blazing title track.

Sabin might not be quite so effortlessly shrill here as he was decades before, but he still sounds rather good and I've always enjoyed the shifts between his mid-ranged raving and the creepier high pitch that he alternates in to give this that more psychotic, thrilling feel. The guitars are obviously top notch as this man is just one of our East Coast scene's unsung heroes in the field, making it all sound easy but still prioritizing riffs or leads that will catch your ear rather than jerk himself off. As a sampler EP of a potential future Toxik, this was quite encouraging to hear after so many years, and though I know this wasn't technically their first material since getting back on the train (the In Humanity demo came out before, but I hadn't really listened through it), they really feel as if no time has passed at all, other than maybe the drumming. The songs here aren't quite Think This-level quality, but certainly solid.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

https://toxikmetal.net/

Septicflesh - Codex Omega (2017)

Septicflesh have become such solid composers, and so synonymous within the symphonic death metal medium that it's hard to believe they could ever truly cock it up, and Codex Omega is another success in that category. It does falter in the same way that a lot of records of this style tend to, but in terms of capturing the Greeks' mythos and esoteric occult lyricism and themes, lending them a larger-than-life, exoticism, this is one of their better rounded efforts since Sumerian Daemons really kicked off this modern stint of their career. They do keep going back to that well, and it has become very heavily produced and for some a little too clean if you miss the hazier atmosphere of their early works, but it's hard not to put one of these 21st century 'flesh records on in your card and hear the rumbling orchestral apocalypse and not nod in admiration.

And that rhythmic battery and volume is so important to an album like Codex Omega, because it's the ticket to its grandiosity, just that modern, sweltering arrangement that washes over you like a cyclops or titan's boot on the way to its personal hot spring. Spiros continues with that bold if monotonous guttural that works so well in unison with the intense drumming, and the bass and orchestration are also highlights of its straight-to-the-dome mix. Back that all up with numerous guest vocals in tenor, alto, bass, and soprano and the fucking City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and you've got something lush and weirdly oriental, kind of like a throwback to Celtic Frost's To Mega Therion or Into the Pandemonium but built more in line with the needs of the modern brickwalled audience. Plenty of catchy, well-arranged tunes here that balance the orchestra with the death metal groove, "Martyr" and the dreamy "Faceless Queen" come to mind, tracks that remind me of what I loved so much about an album like The Great Mass. The clean vocals cut through quite nicely where they appear, reminding me of Therion's later 90s and early 00s output before they got a little too limp.

Codex Omega is great, and there's a lot of that, but if there's one area in which it lacks, it's that like so many of these heavily symphonic-infused efforts, the guitars are often reduced to just percussive chug offs that are meant to support the orchestration and choirs rather than strike out much on their own. To be fair, there are some mournful melodies in places, a little dissonance where needed, some solid acoustics, and there are far worse offenders out there, but I just wish the rhythm guitar wouldn't always be the sacrificial lamb in these cases. It's not that it feels terribly 'missed' here, because you've got all that loud chugging, and I don't think they ever had them in mind to begin with, but I'd like it more if they could use more melodies to blend with the other non-metal elements, or at least more complex rhythm patterns for the heavier parts. Maybe a few more tremolo-picked breaks, etc. They do exist here but it does bring the album a bit short of a masterpiece. That said, I don't think much of the audience for an album like this has quite the same concern, and there are some decent evil harmonic riffs and such to sort of fill in that space. Overall, a very good effort here, not their first and probably not their last.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10]

https://www.septicflesh.com/

Lucifer's Chalice - The Pact (2017)

On the surface, The Pact comes across pretty cool, with a simplistic and iconic sort of cover that aesthetically transports me back to the years of the NWOBHM movement, groups like Witchfynde or Angel Witch or Pagan Altar. Noting that this is a four-track album with occult themes would seem to deepen my interest, and once you're listening through you'll note they even pick up some classic samples from 60s and 70s horror flicks like Twins of Evil or City of the Dead. Unfortunately, I felt a little let down by the musical content of this debut, not because it's awful by any means, but because it seems so plain compared to what I might have expected from the title and lyrics, or the fact that it relies on tunes that are between 7-11 minute but doesn't tell a good enough story by way of the musical choices and structures.

The Pact is essentially blue-collar Iron Maiden worship, and while there is nothing at all with following in the footsteps of one of the (justifiably) most popular heavy metal bands of all time, they just don't do anything to further that or expand upon it. Now Eddie's crew have certainly explored a lot of dark and gloomy themes in its time, usually on the earlier albums, but the idea that one could transform that into something more sinister, occult, atmospheric is an appealing one. But when you listen to such basic, repetitive and unappealing riff progressions as you hear around the 3 and a half minute mark of the title track on this album, it's just immediately too bland to leave an impression. The basics are here, with a solid melodic production to the rhythm guitars, and some decent grooves in the bass playing which are reminiscent of Steve Harris, and a couple of the tracks like "Full Moon Nights" border on taking this where it needs to be, but I was constantly wishing the whole mood were darker, that there were some more dissonant and surprising choices in the notes, maybe breaking the mid-paced melodic anthems up to take some more chances.

Vocalist Charlie Wesley doesn't have a bad voice, he's clearly no Bruce Dickinson or earlier Mercyful Fate-era King Diamond, which he also slightly resembles...but who the hell really is? The issue is that a lot of his delivery is monotonous...where some lower or mid-range sneering lines would give this more of the evil vibe I'd have hoped for, he doesn't seem quite confident to spread out the delivery to the point where you get a more dynamic and cinematic personality that would itself help flavor the guitars a lot more. With titles like "Priestess of Death" or "Hung at the Crossroads", you'd expect something a lot more sinister beyond the samples, and The Pact comes up short. They lack the timeless earworm melodicism of the Angel Witch s/t, the doomy overtures of Pagan Altar, and even the more fun naughty hard rock and heavy metal of Witchfinder General and Demon, sticking with the safer bet of the world's most beloved metal band, but not in the same compelling way that they did throughout their classics in the 80s. Going by the fact that several of the members also play in darker bands of the doom or death variety, I would think they'd possess a little darker vibe.

I found much of this would just blend together and lack distinction. I'm not going to shit on this as entirely incompetent or inauthentic, it's not offensive to my ears. They clearly wanna give some love to their influence, and they're not exactly a 1:1 copy, the vocals are a little different as are the moods on a few of the riffs, but even among the ranks of whatever-generation modern throwback heavy metal this doesn't have much going for it. Think darker, more ambitious, if you're going to create such sprawling tracks as the opener here, take us on a journey. Go out on a limb. Make it look like it sounds, and yes I'm aware that history has given us hundreds of records that look a lot more evil than the musical content, but it's the 21st century and we know better. Old Sabbath, old Maiden, or old Hammer Horror films just hit the spot much more than this album can; huge shoes to fill, granted, but this doesn't even get its laces off.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

https://luciferschalice.bandcamp.com/album/the-pact

Annihilator - For the Demented (2017)

For the Demented is easily the better of the 2017 Annihilator releases, a studio album that, like Suicide Society before it, tries to modernize and expand the bands sound while holding on to a lot of the thrash roots. Granted, I don't think you'll find anything terrible new across its 48 minutes and 10 tracks, but Jeff Waters continues to push his mixing and production capabilities, and is also joined by some of his collaborators like Rich Hinks and Aaron Homma who contribute quite a bit to the overall sound. It's not exactly in the top tier of the Canadians' now extensive catalogue, nor is it anywhere near scraping the bottom, an effort that at least holds up through a few listens if not something I'm grabbing immediately when I want my fix of the band.

There's a mature vibe coursing through this one, whether it's the nastier melodic thrashers like the opener "Twisted Lobotomy" or Waters continuing to push his sensitive time with the dreary ballad "Pieces of You", which thankfully is nowhere near as mainstream or cheesy as some like "The One" that he's put out in the past. Where in the past, modern Annihilator would go the Metallica route for a lot of the vocals and even some of the riffs (sometimes annoyingly so), the vocals on For the Demented have more of nasally vibe to them that reminds me of Dave and Megadeth. There's a little filtering on them in tunes like "Phantom Asylum" which almost seem like something that might have appeared on a record like Endgame or Countdown to Extinction, though the riffing doesn't often align with Mustaine's riffing, and there are a lot more risks like the clean guitars and more dramatic, atmospheric rock moments throughout.

Where on past efforts I actually complained that such diversions took away from the more appropriate thrashing force of the songs, I think here they actually work in its favor, and offer up most of the more interesting moments, because the faster pieces here are competent but not terribly catchy. For instance, "The Way" has more of a Megadeth-meets-hard-rock vibe to it, but it's a fun tune. Or the atmosphere of the instrumental "Dark", which took me by surprise as a little intro piece. I like how the vocals are produced in general, and though I believe they are using a drum machine, it's set just right in the mix to emulate a genuine kit. Just enough hear to keep the band seeming relevant and fresh to itself, if it is carrying some rather obvious influences. Speaking of which, I know I've read that there were numerous opportunities for Jeff to play with Dave Mustaine and I wish that had happened. Is it too late?

Verdict: Win [7/10]

https://www.annihilatormetal.com/

Annihilator - Triple Threat (2017)

There's a point at which a long-surviving band's live products just sort of blend together, and unfortunately with Annihilator that point arrived for me after the first two, because while Triple Threat's first disc does in fact represent the new Waters/Homma phase of the band, it's got some tunes that have already been staples of the past live albums. The production is passable, although I think the vocals are a bit too loud and they are the worst to appear to any of these live offerings to date. Also, tracks like "Set the World On Fire" that were never all that great to begin with just come across as sterile on the stage here, and the band often sounds a lot simpler than they really are, especially the disparity between the clean guitars and then the ragers when the distortion kicks on. As a live experience, I guess you had to be there, because this falls flat, it sounds too clear and clean and the punch doesn't have any viciousness to it. I think the only part that comes off unfiltered from the studio recordings might be a few of the leads, but they feel squirrely compared to the chunk and bulk of the rhythm guitars, bass and drums.

The track selection does have a few new cuts to it but overall seems inconsistent and not that exciting. On the other side, as much as an acoustic album would never be something I'd ever want Annihilator to produce, they have indeed done so with the second disc of this collection. Tracks are grabbed from all over their collection, and many of them are choices that were quite mediocre to begin with, and sadly in these cases the acoustic representations don't offer much of an improvement. Whether they're getting folksy, ballady or bluesy ("Bad Child") it just seems like such a pet project that Jeff might have been curious about, but I doubt the audience really asked for. Take something like "Stonewall" which was a decent thrash album when it released on Never, Neverland, the riffs do translate over to the acoustics, but the lyrics clearly seem a little out of place. Ironically, the vocals are decent through this, and he's not afraid to flex his pipes a little which he doesn't exactly do on the thrash albums he fronts.

All told, Triple Threat has very little Threat to it other than draining your wallet. Jeff Waters has always seemed like a pretty straight-up guy, tremendous thrash guitar player and I can't blame fans if they wanna hurl some money his way for this, but I think both sides could have been improved, with a better choice of live sets/mix, and then maybe a stronger suite of songs converted into acoustics. This shit is pretty risky and rarely works out, and although there is some novelty for Annihilator not having done something like the second disc before, his acoustic parts always work best as preludes to really epic, heavier thrash tracks...a whole disc of them watered down for the campfire is a failure to launch.

Verdict: Fail [4/10]

https://www.annihilatormetal.com/

Minneriket - From the Veins of a Nearly Dead Boy (2017)

Minneriket's third album swerves away from original material to pay tribute to one of his favorite artists, and I'm willing to bet that you can guess it in three. You got it in one, Burzum. While Varg's material doesn't entirely inform the first few albums of this project, it's unquestionable that its leaning towards atmospherics and even pure ambience is partly inspired by an album like Filosofem, and why shouldn't it be? The rawness, the hostility, but also the melancholy and wantonness you would feel from that album translate quite well into so many of the potential successors, and Stein is able to capture that here while putting a slight spin on the original material.

That of course comes in the form of the more mechanical sounds that Minneriket is prone to. You will certainly recognize the lyrics and riffs of the tracks that are being covered, but they are almost all surrounded in an added level of ambient/industrial black noise, and occasionally feature a riff or two that he will deconstruct for further make it his own. It works best in tracks like "Lost Wisdom" or "Glemselens Elv", whereas others play it a little closer to the belt. They're still not exact duplicates, because there is always some difference, in the beats or the level of saturated noise, but I'm the sort that really doesn't need close approximations when a band is paying tribute though covers, I'd like to see the material adapted further, and this only fulfills that goal in particular places.

Granted, the originals sound fairly chilling and hostile even in these contexts, and as one who enjoyed most of them when they came out, I found this familiar and listenable, or at least as familiar and listenable as something like this Norse project could ever be. The melodies work just as well beneath the added level of mechanical grime, and clearly he's got taste in his  choices, even dipping into some of the later, understated material for an instrumental. Not an altogether unworthy tribute, but I'm more curious to see where Minneriket would head with his own material next.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

https://www.minneriket.com/

Akatharta - Spiritus Immundus (2017)

The formidable Kam Lee is one of death metal's most prolific vocalists, and while not all of the projects he involves himself in are top shelf, his own contributions are chock-full of some of the broadest, beefiest and most sustained guttural growls you're ever going to hear, and they almost instantly catapult their surroundings into something more fearsome than they probably even deserve. Akatharta, on the other hand, proves more than worthy to handle that frightening load, because his staggering and horrific delivery throughout Spiritus Immundus is equaled by its crush of mesmerizing, eerie death/doom, creepy acoustics and the novel use of actual Electronic Voice Phenomena samples to grant it an entirely new level of supernatural atmosphere, and all of this combines into a truly harrowing experience which is, for me at least, the finest hour of one Kam Lee and a project that I hope continues even to the detriment of his many others!

Though Spiritus Immundus falls squarely into the funeral doom category, it's a lot busier than one might expect from that niche, perhaps like a Shape of Despair with a slightly wider dynamic range. The huge, chugging, monolithic rhythm guitars are glazed with diabolic harmonies and Kam's growls seem to wax and wane across the beefy cuts, peaks and valleys of guttural abuse that resemble a congregation of angry spirits trying to out-monstrify one another. There's a little repetition to some of the patterns, but it's never painfully so which I've experienced from other, drier acts in this style. The yawning intros and segues are often the most 'funeral' parts of this, and the effect is achieved more with the vocals and sample effects than just the droning guitars. Drums are cautious and steady as with other groups in this style, and the bass is exceedingly simple, roiling with just enough buzz to help the rhythm guitars crush-fuck your soul. I particularly love the little ululating guitar melodies which feed into and out of the other instruments like streams of bleeding agony, and some of the pure, basic chug riffs here like in "Possessione Diabolica" hit you like a concentrated dose of Hooded Menace.

Though they do their best to mesh in the cover of Celtic Frost's "Dethroned Emperor" with the originals, I will say I found that unnecessary and kind of breaks up the novelty of the album preceding it. His voice sounds great growling that one out, and they get into some noisy clamor, but it just doesn't strike with the same impact as the longer tunes. Lyrics are fairly simple, but cover a wide range of supernatural horror from the Eastern to the Western, and nothing too complex is needed there, since the growling itself becomes an instrument that transcends its own prose. The production on this thing is vast, you'll want to turn it up and attempt to make out the detail of the samples and reverbed vocals which are the looser elements of the compositions, anchored by the guitars and drums. This album is ridiculous and I'm ashamed I didn't pay more attention to it sooner, but any fan of the style who wants it as long on atmosphere as heaviness should mandate it to their collection pronto. Cyclopean, soul-crushing death doom.

Verdict: Win [8.75/10]

https://akatharta.bandcamp.com/

Droid - Terrestrial Mutations (2017)

Take just about everything from Droid's Disconnected EP the year before, and then make it louder, better produced, more intricately designed and detailed, and you've got one of the best full-length Canadian thrash metal debuts in quite some time. Sure, there is still some semblance of standing in the shadow of those better-known countrymen performing in the same style, but this Ontario trio is wise to cultivate just a fraction of that Voivod influence and continue to shift it into something that becomes their own. The brighter, more powerful songwriting and mix of this album also highlights the contrast between the busy guitars and blunter, harsh vocals quite well, and both work better in unison than they did on the EP where it was a little rough.

It takes only the first moment of "Amorphous Forms (Shapeless Shadows)" to transport the listener off-world, with great melodic riffing, just the right level of effects, fluid bass lines and drumming that sounds a fuck ton better than the mix on the EP. Terrestrial Mutations is a phenomenal record because you simply don't know what's lying around each shift in its cosmic landscape; Jacob Montgomery's guitar playing is just that good, and he really brings to mind a lot of the more creative thrash axe-men of the later 80s and early 90s who populated records like Deathrow's Deception Ignored or Artillery's By Inheritance. Not so dauntingly brilliant as that stuff, perhaps, but constantly exciting, balancing out melody and aggression perfectly, and just alien and spacey enough to take me to that place on the cover art, and to many beyond. His vocals, while still a bit one-dimensional, have the right swell and mix of effects to feel like they are echoing angrily out through the empty hull of some drifting space-ship, and he's matched by a rhythm section of Michael Gabor and Sebastian Alcamo who are fantastic and both upped their game from the previous year's release.

This record just slays, from the Megadeth-meets-Voivod hooks of "Suspended Animation" to the more melancholic and mood-shifting title track, nothing ever sounds quite the same twice, thought it all seems to occupy the same envelope of style. They can pull off a ten minute composition with a lot more adventure in it as they can a shorter, more direct thrash piece, and when listening to this I feel like they could take on such an even wider scope, the stars are the limit!? In fact the one downside to listening through Terrestrial Mutations again is that I'm sad they haven't put out another offering in the 4-5 years since this one dropped. I know some of them are also involved in the retro metal/hard rock group Freeways (also a good band), but I can cross my fingers that they'll be called back out to the greater cosmos soon enough. Killer disc, familiar but fresh, and if you're looking for more stuff like Voivod's masterful 1987-1991 period or DBC's Universe then I'd advise you to give this one a go!

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]

https://www.facebook.com/DroidDroidDroid

Vampire - With Primeval Force (2017)

You only need a few minutes into "Knights of the Burning Crypt" to realize that With Primeval Force is truth in advertising, a more furious entry into the Vampire canon than the band's eponymous debut, and a purist continuation of the Swedish savagery of their 90s black metal scene, both the more brutal based style like Marduk, Sacramentum or Lord Belial, and the more thrashing side of things. That's not to say that this is a band to ever blast away monotonously, it's more that they carry forward the carnal riffing patterns, often somewhat predictable but still impressive just by the sheer force and consistency. But what places this band beyond that is their excellent use of atmosphere and melody to create such a well-rounded set of tunes that really bring honor to the album format.

There's also a nice influence from Germanic thrash here which becomes more obvious in a cut like "He Who Speaks" reminiscent of Kreator, and a lot of speed metal too inherent in the "Metamorfosis" riffing. Vampire is such a total package that they don't let a track pass without a few essential melodies and really ripping, excellent leads that bring to mind any number of heavy metal or thrash influences ranging from Mercyful Fate to Destruction. All of these wide array of inspirations are unified beneath the carnal and incredible rasping of Hand of Doom, and those little segues and moments of horror atmosphere that they first introduced on their debut, but are inserted expertly into the tunes like at the end of "Metamorfosis" with its acoustics and ghostly keys, or the synth and reverb that inaugurates the "Initiation Rite". The drumming is likewise excellent, just as strong as most of the rest of the mighty Swedish legacy acts, with strong double-kick, good fills and a nice natural mix that balances out against the more raw, vile power of the guitars.

With Primeval Force is certainly more of a beastly attack than the debut, yet it doesn't lose much by way of songwriting or intricacy, it's just excellently written music that services its black, thrash, and heavy metal components somewhat equally. If Dissection were more into horror movies, this might have been what they sounded like, and if that's not enough to tempt you into trying these albums I don't know what will. Metal music is such an embarrassment of riches these days that a band like this, which should be on the lips and in the ears of a vast swath of fandom, is just not one I hear spoken of much at all beyond those who are really into the mighty swell black/thrash emergent in the last decade. Vampire is on point, two points that will sink smoothly into your fucking neck. Invite them in.

Verdict: Win [8.75/10] 

https://vampiretheband.bandcamp.com/music

Chronus - Chronus (2017)

Whether you love them or hate them, one of the boons of the popularity of Sweden's Ghost is how they kind of helped open up the integration of classic pop and rock aesthetics into a largely metal-backed sound, and Chronus is a newer band, also Swedish, that is very often compared to them. I agree with this to an extent, because they perform in a very clean, accessible style of guitar-driven rock and metal that manages to inspired a similar sort of mystique. Granted, of the two albums they have released so far, the similarity is really towards Opus Eponymous, since this younger band has yet to incorporate as many synthesizers or other instruments that assist in the theatrics. They're not quite as 'pop' as their countrymen, and even their own costumes and such are toned down, coming across more like a group of Goth-tinged concierges or flight attendants or something...

Also, while there is clearly a SIMILARITY to Ghost, I don't want it to seem like this band is in anyway a ripoff, they just exist in a similar aesthetic spheres. They really do have their own sound, with vocals that are as smooth and soaring but also pretty unique on their own, and the excellent guitars, while focusing in on a cleaner distortion, explore a slightly different riff-set. Driving heavy rock anthems like "Baron" and "Setting Sun" are spiced up with layers of melodic metal riffing and quality leads that clearly escape the parameters of poppy metal. They feel like a blend of hard rock, blues, alternative and maybe even a little doom, but this in no way limits them, because they excel in spacey atmospheric passages, acoustics, and they are more often than not as catchy as fuck, with this eponymous debut already killing it. Sebastian's vocals have a memorable clarity to them, not terribly unlike Tobias/Papa Emeritus but also casting out inflections of 80s new wave singers like Simon le Bon, especially when he's sustaining his note. So if you wanted to hear that British pop stud singing over harder rock material, Chronus is a pretty good proxy that you might enjoy, it creates that same sort of clean-cut, dreamy vibe.

But as the guy is on the vocal, it's really the instruments that dominate this with an excellent riff set that feels like you've dived into some wistful fantasy. The bass playing is quite good, the guitars spacious and involved, and the drumming has the pure rock power to drive it all forward. There are no songs here weak enough that I'd want to skip them, but a couple do stand out a little further, like "Setting Sun", or "City of Light" with its desperate melody and almost Amorphis-like verse guitars. But there's plenty of variation throughout the debut that it's best absorbed as a whole, and at a brisk 32 minutes, you won't really have any chance to get bored, assuming you're open to the style. Great stuff that is, I fear, quite overlooked in the last couple years.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/chronusband/

Powerwolf - Preaching at the Breeze (2017)

Preachers at the Breeze seems like an act of pure redundancy after The Metal Mass - Live from the year before, with the caveat that this one I believe was technically recorded BEFORE the other, at the Summer Breeze Open Air in Germany the same year (2015). I don't know if there's a huge market for Powerwolf live albums with a following similar to Dave Matthews Band, Grateful Dead or Primus where you've got rabid fans that want recordings of every show the band performs, but that's doubtful since these Germans aren't really known to improv or structure their sets drastically different than one another. As such, this feels like a total waste, especially on the heels of that great live package the year before, and several others they had put out through magazines or limited editions or whatnot.

I also think this one sounds a little rougher than The Metal Mass - Live. Perhaps that was due to the festival atmosphere, the far bigger and louder crowd, but while you can pick out the 'highs' on this album like the pipe organs and Attila's voice quite well, the guitars seem a little murkier. Overall, I would be satisfied if there wasn't a better option. The set list is also practically identical for both albums, with only 1-2 exceptions, like this one has a slightly different intro and is lacking two of the tracks from that later set. Makes sense, since the list is from the same stretch of months in the band's history and it wasn't likely to change much, but it just makes you wonder why this needed to really exist in any capacity. If you're actually on the prowl for one of the Germans' live packages, this one certainly isn't bad, but spend the money on The Metal Mass - Live if you're seeking after an audio live album you can play in your car. I think this also might come with a limited edition of Blessed & Possessed, so if you're getting this, that album, AND the covers album, it's more worth your while. There's something to be said for consistency, and at the very least they show it here in terms of production qualities and packaging.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

https://www.powerwolf.net/

Beast in Black - Berserker (2017)

While his previous band Battle Beast continues to drift into an almost pure popular arena metal outlet, playing generic, unchallenging riffs with a few more intricate dressings, relying heavily on the charismatic vocalist's stage presence and delivery, it seemed like Anton Kabanen wanted to head back into more ambitious territory. No surprise then that Beast in Black comes out firing with a more decidedly heavier Euro power metal vibe that lines up a little more with where his alma mater was once headed. Don't get me wrong, this is still a band that plays it safe with a sound that primes them for the stage with other popular groups like Sabaton, Epica, Nightwish and Hammerfall, but you cannot really question the drive and effort that's gone into album, no matter the level of cheese it ever strives for. Well crafted, anthemic tunes will catch you every time, and nobody can accuse Berserker of lacking such.

Anton was sharp enough to once again hook up with a monstrous vocalist in Yannis Papadopoulos from Greece, who has that loud, frilly, powerful range but can also dish out a little angst and anger when he's staying in his mids or lower. He seems like someone complete aware of the emotion and spectacle that these 21st century power metal albums require as they attempt to almost out-accessible one another, but thankfully these guys aren't as cringeworthy as something like Gloryhammer. Sure, the cover model for this album looks like the planeswalker Ajani from Magic the Gathering, and some of the lyrics and titles can feel a bit generic, but I don't get the impression from listening through this that the band is trying too intentionally to come off as ironic or silly. They write massive material that draws equally from their Euro power peers and then a whole host of old 80s AOR and dad rock. You can hear the traces of stuff like Survivor, Europe and so forth, with those big old keyboard tones driving or emphasizing a lot of the action, but they get a little more meaty and musical when they go full-bore metal, and they also manage to pull off those softer, more sensitive moments like the verses of "Born Again" without getting too awkward.

The band does its best when firing on as hard as they can, with tracks like "Zodd the Immortal" and "The Fifth Angel", Yannis adding a lot of character there and every beat, riff and even keyboard feeling mighty. I don't imagine the festival crowds overseas finding it hard to fist pump their beers, because everything is well in place. Great leads that are both flashy and catchy, obviously holding just back from the precipice of over-indulgent excess. The only real drawback to this album for me was the fact that I feel like it should be so much more memorable than it is...while I'm actually listening to it I get the impression these are songs I'll have fun with for quite some time, and yet between exposures I seem to forget much about it. But if you pick me up and we're listening to this in the car, I'll let my hair down...the phantom hair...because all of mine is now hanging from the front of my face, and I'll sing along and smile. There are definitely a few things that hit you from out of left field, like how "Crazy, Mad, Insane" has those throbbing synth parts that sound like an 80s synth pop tune by Dead or Alive, and while this is the sort of overtly polished and pop-market-friendly I sometimes wish to scoff at, I think this absolutely crushes the entire Battle Beast catalog and it's a big step up for its architect.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

https://beastinblack.com/

Cradle of Filth - Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay (2017)

Hammer of the Witches in 2015 was a pivotal album for Cradle of Filth in that it garnered them a lot of the respect they had been missing since the 90s...for some of the prospective audience, maybe the respect they had always been missing. I enjoyed that one myself, not that it sounded much different than what they had already being steering towards since they 'righted the ship' in 2008 with Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder, but because I've always been a fan of the immense amount of detail and effort they put into the entire 'package' of their albums, and Hammer was no exception. Its successor, Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay furthered all that goodwill, even if it didn't generate quite the same level of buzz, and I'm going to admit that I like this one every bit as much as its predecessor, and appreciate that it's a sliver more atmospheric.

Insanely well-produced, Gothic black metal which is never shy on ambition, the album surges open with the thrilling, operatic "Exquisite Torments Await" and then never lets you free from its talons as you traverse its depths of vampiric myth and horror. In terms of orchestration and melody, I think this one does surpass the 4-5 albums prior to it. They very tastefully implement the choirs here seamlessly alongside blast beats and other bombastic swells of strings, horns, and other aural artifacts that populate their ceaseless Transylvanian/Victorian horror mindset. The guitars blaze along with plenty of riffing and technicality, sometimes bold enough to stand above the rest of the considerable arsenal, but just as often blending into the overall arrangement and structure...the point is, even if you're paying more attention to the eerie, angelic voices off in the distance, there's still a tasty little lick or lead that can impress you if you'll just isolate it, and as with previous albums the riffs themselves blend in a lot of heavy metal which you could trace directly back to NWOBHM gods like Iron Maiden, only sped up and amplified and thrust into the context of the darkness and narrative that this band alone seems to spawn.

It's big budget...lascivious Hammer Horror vibes translated into the cinematography of Dracula Untold or the Underworld series. Only with a little more substance than mere special effects and Gothic posturing by the attractive leads. Dani Filth plays his role as Snarling Laureate with aplomb, spitting out lines like 'She was the game, sublime' or 'The planchette is promissory' with a sanguine vigor between impish black metal rasps and his more death-metal-Martin-Walkyier guttural whispers and barks. There is no weakest link here. Marthus has become insane in his time with the band, just as adept as his formerly predecessors on the kit, and the fact that he's also so much involved in the synthesizers and general orchestration of the disc is critical. Guitarists Ashok and Shaw, who when you think about it sound like a pair of diabolic London occult detectives, work in perfect tandem, even where their tones are slightly thinned against the operatic backdrop. Lindsay might sound a little too committedly corny on a few of her vocal lines, which has long been a slight fault in the band, but she's certainly a little easier to take seriously than some of her own forebears.

It's not always the catchiest affair, and does suffer from a lazier or uninspired section in a couple of the tracks, but the amount of work Cradle put into this is unquestionable, and I'll always admire bands like this, proverbial shock rockers or visual artists who aim for a more imaginative package than your average four guys in black t-shirts at the bar. Not that there's anything wrong with them, mind you, but I've long enjoyed a good spectacle and these Brits rarely squander the opportunity to deliver us one.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://www.cradleoffilth.com/

Autopsy vs. Bloodbath EP (2017)

Beyond the fact that the Autopsy vs. Bloodbath split automatically warrants attention for featuring a pair of the genre's hottest commodities, gruesome US legends Autopsy and Swedish all-star retro-death masters Bloodbath, there's a bit more of a gimmick to this 7" in than might first appear. The Californians are covering one of their own member's old bands, also called Bloodbath, and the Swedes are covering the opening track "Blood Bath" off the debut album To the Gory End by the UK veteran death metallers Cancer. It's quick, it's silly, and it's more than likely to be soaked in viscera and rack up the cost of more than a few body bags in the process, and to be frank I rather like this kind of 'creative' vision for a collectors' item, rather than just a band pressing a couple tunes off an album onto 7" for shits and giggles...a practice that has thankfully become scarcer now that sales of vinyl are back in full swing.

Danny Coralles had been with Autopsy for pretty much all its full-length albums and the the vast majority of the band's history, so it's cool to them throwing up a cover for one of his early demo bands, and this one is taken from that Bloodbath's initial 1986 demo Fuck Society. As you might guess it's gnarly, fast-paced crossover thrash but now being given that additional splatter effect from Chris's vocals which probably give it a little more personality than it deserves, because the music for "Fuck You!!!" itself is bog standard and predictable in the rhythm department, with a nice, wild lead attached that is its only saving grace. It's also not quite living up to the horror/slasher elements hinted at by the cover, but this is balanced out by the far cooler Cancer cover by the Swedes and 'Old Nick' Holmes, which is meatier, morbid and ominous in a way that the original only brushed upon. In fact I enjoyed the "Blood Bath" cover more than anything off the band's most recent album of originals, The Arrow of Satan is Drawn. It's dumb, bludgeoning, evil with the little synthesizers, and Nick's voice sounds good and ugly and really drives it through the cemetery ditch.

But that's all there is to it...under six minutes of material, pressed by Peaceville and sent out to the rabid legions of fans, who will probably leave it in the sleeves and plastic as a curiosity to rummage through, and rarely will anyone listen to it. What I personally got out of this is that I'd love to hear Bloodbath record an entire album of old death metal covers, especially if they keep them from the lesser tier acts out of Europe and the US. This one sounds great and I'd urge every fan of the band to at least check it out streaming online somewhere. The cover image is pretty cool too, with that retro slasher vibe but I just don't know that Autopsy's choice even tunes into much thematically, and that gives a slight imbalance to the whole product for me, although I understand how it works into the 'joke' of the release.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

http://www.bloodbath.biz/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050176223094

Helloween - Pumpkins United (2017)

First off, even putting aside the idea that I'm a long-term devotee of Helloween, I have to praise the band for putting together this entire idea for their fans, not only as just some one-off, but as a full commitment that involves live performances AND studio recordings. For a group of guys with repertoires like this to stow any egos and past differences away and come together to celebrate all these eras of this mighty band, and then not to even rest merely on their laurels...but to push it all into the future with new material, is stunning and rare. Do I wish it could have gone even further, and a serious talk could have been had with the 'missing', surviving ex-members like Roland and Uli? Of course I do, but not every bridge can be mended, and even if the lineup isn't 100% complete they've got all the most important chefs in the kitchen.

"Pumpkins United" itself is a superb realization of this vision, with the three singers contributing their strengths, never really stepping on one another's toes, and actually working in unison to the point that you can hardly tell it wasn't meant to be this way. It helps that they've got a thundering, loaded track beneath them that is worthy of the better crop of material on any of the band's albums since Master of the Rings, with a couple killer riffs, although you might certainly argue that this one plays it safe with the sort of flowery European power anthem that the band itself pretty much pioneered in the 80s. But it's a pretty damn good one, and although the silkiness of Deris' voice, and the Dickinson/Tate hybrid that was always Kiske's forte don't always gel perfectly in direct succession, they're still giving it their all and the track was a resounding success. The musicianship and added orchestration for the B-side is all top notch, and if the music on the forthcoming eponymous album is anywhere near this good, we'll be in for a smash success, I only hope that it's got even more variation between the tracks.

As for this single as a product, there's not really much to it...I don't know that the two versions of the songs feel that differently that it adds much value, but then again I'm not sure this is going to be included on the album or if it's a one-time release. I might have to reassess my rating later, but for now I'm going on the assumption that this will retain its uniqueness and is worth a couple bucks to experience. If you do love Helloween then it's certainly worthwhile, but it's two versions of a six and a half minute track, and that's the IMPORT single...otherwise I believe it's the one track on vinyl or you just listen online.

Verdict: Win(difference?) [6.99/10]

https://www.helloween.org/

Rage - Seasons of the Black (2017)

Seasons of the Black arrives about one year after The Devil Strikes Again, and it arrives blazing with some of Marco's most technical, impressive riffing that almost seems like a turn back towards some of the records on which Smolski had something to prove. The level of axemanship across the entirety of this album is indeed a little more flashy than its predecessor, but thankfully that doesn't hinder the quality or ever make it seem like he's running off with the songs, because the other members match it up with some tight skin-bashing and Peavy's maintaining of the more aggressive stance his vocals have had to take since his range has narrowed over the decades. The album has plenty of range, from whiplash-inducing power/speed metal tracks to more moderately paced, swagger metal anthems like "Blackened Karma".

They definitely go for some moody chorus structures, where Peavy does stretch his voice up a little and applies some decent backing tracks to give it the more choir-like effect you'll often hear from bands like Blind Guardian, only on the more subdued level. The mix throughout the record is fantastic, all of the little clinical details of Marco's playing are prominent without ever drowning out the more steadfast and workmanlike rhythm section, and I honestly think Wagner's vocals sound really pretty good in their more grimy and splatter-sounding pitch. Sometimes this comes at the cost of a few lyric lines sounding silly, like in the amusing "Septic Bite", but am I really going to complain about a band writing a tune about a fucking T-Rex? I think one other complaint I can lodge here is that the acoustic guitar parts sound really wimpy and not at all catchy, for instance the "Gaia" intro to 'The Tragedy of Man' suite which occupies tracks 8-11 here, it's just underwhelming; fortunately they compensate with a great melody to kick off "Justify" directly after that, one of the better tunes on the whole affair, which wouldn't have felt out of place on Reflections of a Shadow if Peavy had included a few higher screams.

Normally I don't glom onto bonus tracks all that much, but they've recorded five tracks here from Avenger's Prayer of Steel and I have to admit they sound quite good and offered a significant increase to the value of the album for me. Yes, Wagner can't sing quite like he did back then, but he gives it a go to make them sound like laudable modern adaptations, and musically they kick a lot of ass being sucked through the time-streams into a contemporary context. In fact, riff for riff I prefer these tunes to the new originals on Seasons of the Black, even if I might still reach for the original 1985 album if I was given a choice between the two. Some people won't care much about this, and be more interested in just the newer stuff, and that's certainly fair, but I just though their inclusion fleshed out the experience and made it more worth my time, rather than just doing a full re-recording album like a lot of bands try. Don't get me wrong, there's already a good 50 minutes of new material, they didn't HAVE to tack these on, but I'm happy they did.

All told, it's a solid nowadays Rage album on its own, especially when you consider they put it together in just about a year after the last; but that added 25 minutes kicks it just a little bit more squarely into the goal. The Peavy/Marco/Lucky lineup holds its own against the band's formidable three-piece rosters of the past, and if you've been a fan of their 90s era or beyond I think there are at least a few cuts you'll enjoy, and maybe also the celebratory introduction to their earlier era if that's new to you.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.rage-official.com/

Prong - Zero Days (2017)

Zero Days frontloads what I believe to be its least compelling track, "However It May Ends", one of the heavier here to be sure, with a big brute Biohazard groove and some stock thrashing passages, but even there you can tell they're trying to round it out really well with a cool, melodic chord pattern behind the pre-chorus. That's not to forgive a lot of the vapid, boring chugging that fuels it, but I doubt too many people would hear this opener and feel like the band is in any way lacking an energy far beyond its years, even if you cannot stand the somewhat lackluster creativity of the riffs. While this is a symptom of a few tracks on the disc, I'm happy to say that overall this is the best of the albums since Carved Into Stone, and the effort that went both the production and variation is more than apparent.

Like X - No Absolutes before it, Zero Days plays like a sort of career retrospective packed into a singular experience that is streamlined through the loud, punchy production. You've got a lot of material here that is pretty much pure thrash, weighted by walls of dense palm muted riffs that are likely trying to keep it heavier and relevant with a lot of the popular styles of the 21st century. A lot of attention to detail is given to the lead guitars, and there are even obscure little tributes I noticed in a few of the songs. For instance, in the title track, there's a point where you're getting these hyper picked, dingy little guitar rhythms behind the bridge which remind me a whole lot of the tone and style on Force Fed. Some of the note progressions and structure of "Rulers of the Collective" feels a LOT like "Rude Awakening", almost as if they took that track and just remade parts of it, tucked it away on the latter half of this album to see if any of us were paying attention. These are probably too subtle details for many to pick out, but I just wanted to reiterate how cognizant this record is of the stuff Prong had written before it.

That said, they do try new patterns, catchy chorus parts we've not heard before like in "The Whispers", a cut that partly feels like it would have been a natural on Cleansing. "Interbeing" is one of my favorites, opening with a very Testament style thrash riff and delivering on some of Tommy's most interesting and almost robotic sounding vocals, with a pre-chorus and chorus that really paid off. "Divide and Conquer" is another fresh-feeling track with some nice bass effects, and a bit of a Helmet feel only through that more mechanical Prong lens...again, another very strong chorus which wouldn't be out of place on the alt rock radio. New bassist Mike Longworth fit in smoothly with a huge tone and plenty of moody lines that enhanced the tracks, primarily in the verses, although he would soon be replaced by Jason Christopher's return the following year. The lyrics are solid, Victor turning in the consummate professional performance all around, as he should with the massive level of experience he's got writing and touring in some pretty huge bands. Arturo Cruz, who ironically would be leaving himself after this, also has a flawless contribution, drumming that can flex with whatever style Prong is cycling through at any given instant, and emphasizing the groove and heaviness, even where it feels the most generic. And that's about my only real complaint, some of the heavier riffs here are just too bland, been there, done that, even predictably djenty in "Compulsive Future Projection"...and everything else just deserved better. But it's still a good album if you're willing to embrace its broad appeal.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

https://prongmusic.com/