Thou Art Lord - Orgia Daemonicum (2005)

Orgia Daemonicum is a somewhat different beast than the previous Thou Art Lord albums, in not necessarily for a change in genre, then for the slightly more organic production aesthetics. They use this punchy, springy guitar tone here that gives the album more of a black/thrash aesthetic than the more blustering, symphonic theatrics of Eosforos or Apollyon. Strangely enough, this is also the album that reminds me of Sakis Tolis' other, more prominent band, Rotting Christ. If you took Rotting Christ and condensed them into a more thuggish, thrashing beast, it might turn out quite like what I'm hearing on this.

Not that the little eccentricities of this duo's past have entirely abandoned their modus operandi, but they all feel more subdued, like subtle guitars layered in for ambiance in straight, chugging black thrashers like "An Apparition of Vengeance". There are a number of the tracks that use a lot of the familiar Rotting Christ counter-melodies off the straight, hammering rhythm guitar, such as "Hecate Unveiled", "Necromantic", "The Gnostic Code". But the Greeks also branch out a bit, with a slower, ritual chuggernaut in "The Royal Invocation of Apophis" or some straight shots of eerie melodic death in the title track. At best, though, the band will break into this great, ripping thrash riff reminiscent of Slayer ("He, the Great Worm") and really bind together the wider dynamic range into a fit of sheer headbanging rage.

Almost as if to mirror their stylistic deviation here, they include a cover of Onslaught's "Power from Hell", off the album of the same name. Actually sounds quite good with Magus Wampyr's charismastic gutturals, and once more I have to point out that I love the guitar tone, not to mention the inflections of atmosphere they hurl under the riffs with some synthesizer/choirs. This all helps top off what I might consider the most 'fun' of Thou Art Lord's efforts, even if I enjoy the music from all its predecessors more. It's clear that the band did not wish to merely repeat itself, and so the change is welcome, but there's just not much food for thought here. Tense, coiled fists to the face without catchy enough notation to resonate for long.

Verdict: Win [7/10] (exploding, decompressed)

http://www.thouartlord.tk/

ICS Vortex - Storm Seeker (2011)

So, it just happens that I'm a massive fan of Borknagar's 1998 LP The Archaic Course, which was quite divisive for its time, driving away a number of the fans who had likely hoped for a more vicious and streamlined evolution in the vein of their s/t debut. I mention this, because it just might be my favorite album ever to feature the soaring, avian howls of bassist/singer ICS Vortex. A beautiful mesh of streaming, oft jarring folkish melodies and progressively textured compositions, it's one of those rarities that grew considerably in my estimation throughout years of listening, despite an initial, lukewarm reaction. Since then, Simen Hestnæs has been through the Arcturus years, all of the later Dimmu Borgir drama, worked within a number of smaller projects, and for certain cemented his inclusion in the rogues' gallery of Norwegian musicians to watch.

I mentioned The Archaic Course, because this new solo effort, Storm Seeker is about the closest he has come to that sound. Hestnæs vocals are the central focus here, and he really strains the pipes, with one of his wildest and higher pitched performances. He's joined here by a number of well regarded musicians, including drummer Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect, Scariot and more) and lead guitarist Cyrus (Susperia), and has since turned this into a full band. The riffs here range from slightly less involved barrages circa The Archaic Course ("The Blackmobile" or "Odin's Tree") to a lot of slower, measured fare. In truth, Storm Seeker casts its nets more in the progressive rock field than metal, and while it might not possess the same variable nature as his fellows in Arcturus, there seems to be a lot of exploration here, or 'feeling out' where he might take the project in the future.

So this is pretty damned diverse. You've got a pure synthesizer prog piece in "The Sub Mariner", for example, or a number of post-hardcore inflected emotional rock pieces like "Oil in Water" which make use of an undercurrent of gleaming dissonance, but in a friendlier context than some of his Borknagar stuff. You've got straight, heavy handed prog rockers like "Windward" or "When Shuffled Off" that reek of Rush and Yes influence, and a few super flowing pieces with only tinges of metallurgy, like "Flaskeskipper" and "Dogsmacked" (I take it the latter is a play on words that mocks a certain American band...but I cannot be sure). The vocals and guitars do feel a mite overprocessed, but not so much as the sample I heard months ago, and since Vortex does a lot of the writing and recording himself, it's not such a big deal.

He's got some catchy as hell chorus bits strewn about this debut, often redolent of Solefald, or Kristoffer Rygg's work in the band Headcontrolsystem, and yet at other times he seems to wail out of control. Overall, I liked the production and the style he was taking, the range, and the layering of organs, rock guitars and Mickelson's dynamic percussion. No two songs here totally feel the same. But then, at the same time, there's a margin of disjunction that falls somewhat short of breathtaking. Storm Seeker is an interesting listen, sure to prove to fans of The Archaic Course or Sideshow Symphonies that the guy has landed on his feet, but it's not the striking sort of album that I felt I needed to repeatedly experience.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.icsvortex.com/

I.N.C. - Heaven Sent...Hellbound (2011)

Last year's Bleed the Line comeback EP was the product of a notably different and disappointing I.N.C. than their 80s incarnation. For some reason, the band had 'grown up' in the worst way, forsaking the frivolous and riffy style of their youths, with slightly ridiculous lyrics, for a straight to the bargain bin amalgamation of 90s groove/thrash metal circa Pantera, Pissing Razors, Machine Head, Exhorder, and perhaps a bit of the more modern Exodus sound (the Rob Dukes fronted albums). The tragedy wasn't so much that the band had mutated upon reformation, but that they chose to more closely mimic an era which in itself was somewhat out of phase. The new material was not necessarily the laziest I've heard, and they anchored it with the solid production values one would expect of its 90s influences, but ultimately the songwriting was an indistinct bummer.

It was highly unlikely that this new direction of old was going to be a random one-off, so at long last the band's third full-length has arrived in Heaven Sent...Hellbound, and it's not a 180 back to the band's finer, formative works, but a direct continuation of the EP's sound. In fact, the whole bloody Bleed the Line track list is regurgitated into the album, so already we are not off to a running start. Of the newer, unheard material, you've got a pretty standard, swaggering tough guy groove/thrash song in "Fist of Fascista", in which the vocals sound almost entirely like a doppelganger of Phil Anselmo, Kyle Thomas or Sacred Reich's Phil Rind, and the bland chugging guitars never develop even a modicum of unique personality. "Swallowed" is total groove metal in the riffing vein of Down or Corrosion of Conformity, while "The Good Bones Stay Down" opens with a slower alternation on one of the "Master of Puppets" guitars; and both "Audio Erotic Asphyxiation" and "It's Coming" feel as if they should be wedged in between Cowboys from Hell and Far Beyond Driven, sans Dimebag's oft admirable ear for riffs.

As for the musicianship, this approach almost never brings out the best of a band. The rhythm guitar patterns sound like the equivalent of random bar or Ozzfest bands throughout the 90s, some nearly sinking to Godsmack levels of disinterest. Once in awhile, they'll attempt a bridge or lead with some personality ("It's Coming" has a good example of this nearing the 4 minute mark), but their guitars just don't seem as inventive as Razorback or The Visitor, which took the blocky power of classics Master of Puppets or Taking Over into a spunky, light hearted territory with some real character. The vocals really piss me off, because Gergely used to have this quirky nasal tone to him that set them apart, where here, he sounds too much like the aforementioned bruisers. Heaven Sent...Hellbound really has only one thing in its favor, and that would be the professional mix of the material: you can hear everything clearly, and the guitars have a nice punch, even when the note selection is not all that exciting.

If the songs were more memorable, then I.N.C. might be forgiven, but unfortunately this just isn't written at the same level as something like Cowboys from Hell, with the crushing muscle and catchy chorus sequences. Today's interest in the thrash genre seems to lie exclusively with 80s authenticity (or 80s clones), or those few technical wizards (Vektor, etc) that continue to develop it along the axis of progression set by prototype acts like Voivod, Mekong Delta, etc, so who knows what will come of this? It's not that this Connecticut troupe were ever really a first class thrash act to begin with, but there was something charming and unique about those first two albums, and it's distressing that they weren't able to wrest out any of that original magic after the 20+ year hiatus. Heaven Sent...Hellbound is a more substantial product than the EP, despite the obvious redundancies, but I definitely wasn't feeling it.

Verdict: Fail [4/10]

http://incband.com/

Cult of Luna - The Beyond (2003)

The Beyond is a definite step in a new direction for Cult of Luna, and shows many of the features of their music that will become relative constants throughout their later releases. This is the first time that the overtly political side of Cult of Luna is on display, and this album shows a refinement we didn’t get on Cult of Luna.

The first track is an ambient intro that features the quote “If we surrender our liberty in the name of security we shall have neither." It sets the tone for the album well and also sets up a preoccupation with politics and social control that is expounded upon through this album and their later releases. Those not interested in their trademark politics can also find something to like here as the music is pretty damn good.

The following track, “Receiver,” shows a new side of their songwriting. This track, and the rest of the album while I’m at it, is much more firmly rooted in metal than hardcore, though there are still lingering elements of hardcore. One thing I never got from Cult of Luna is evolution, and we get that in spades here. The songs aren’t long just because they chug on interminably but because the songs go places.

“Genesis” is an excellent example of the style Cult of Luna perfects throughout their career: it starts a bit jazzy and evolves in to a post-metal juggernaut. This track is ponderous in the best possible way. It is at times rather difficult to listen to, as it’s hard to get a feel on what’s going on. They never allow their melodies to stagnate here, and the repetition lulls listeners in to a sense of familiarity before changing it up and destroying any sense of rhythm we may have become accustomed to.

“Circle” is another song that shows the band evolving. While Cult of Luna featured softer sections with strings, “Circle” takes a similar approach with synths. The track starts slow, with only a synth melody, minimal guitar, and barely noticeable drumming. It’s peaceful and almost soothing despite being melancholy. This ambient intro builds to eventually add a little bit more power and adds the bass. However, the first four minutes stand in contrast to the middle portion of the song, which unleashes their full force. I also appreciate their attempt at creating more involved riffs in the heavier portions of their songs. While they still chug along, there’s a bit more to it here.

This isn’t to say that Cult of Luna has shed all of the hardcore trappings that all but defined Cult of Luna. “Leash,” in particular, calls back to that first album. And, although it’s over seven minutes long, it is fairly relentless throughout. In fact, this song seems to take a lot of cues from Snapcase, particularly on End Transmission. “Deliverance” also feels like a more metal oriented harcore track in places.

Unlike an album that is structurally complex but accessible, like In the Absence of Truth, The Beyond is exhausting. While it is certainly a great album, it asks a lot of its listeners. This is not to condemn it but to praise it. Cult of Luna is attempting to decry political processes that feel outside of the control of individuals, and it seems only fair that their album does the same. Though this is not the best example of this aspect of Cult of Luna’s sound, this is certainly the beginning of this approach to structure, and this is probably the first album in which the band displays a signature sound. This is not Cult of Luna’s masterpiece, but already at this stage in their career they were miles ahead of Pelican, The Red Sparowes, and most of the other disciples of Neurosis.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://cultofluna.com

Cult of Luna - Cult of Luna EP (2001)

Before I decided to undertake the Cult of Luna discography, I was unaware that they had released any EPs. While I was familiar with all of their full length releases, I couldn’t quite picture how their style would translate to a shorter EP, and it may be telling that the only other EP in their catalog contains two cover songs. This EP also contains two songs, though they are originals.

The first track, “Unfold the Inside,” begins with a slow guitar melody but, you guessed it, gives way to some heavy chugging. It’s pretty by the numbers for this point in Cult of Luna’s career, and it sounds like it could easily be an outtake from Cult of Luna. This track is pretty relentless, even by Cult of Luna’s standards. There’s a minor break from the heavy chugging towards the end, but it picks back up in short order. The track does not evolve and stays fairly similar throughout with the exception of their attempts at breakdowns during the last minute. The breakdowns, however, lack the heart of talented hardcore bands and lack the power of a good thrash breakdown. They’re just kind of there.

The second track, “The Art of Self-Extermination,” builds in a similar fashion to the first, though it starts heavier. Once it gets started, we’re in for another track of pounding repetition. The track ends heavy and doesn’t overstay its welcome, but I’m not sure I could pick out a riff from this song even if I tried really, really hard. And, no, the two notes they repeat for the last fifteen seconds do not constitute a riff.

With a running time of only thirteen minutes, it’s perplexing that Cult of Luna didn’t just throw these tracks in to their first full length as they match the general tone and feel of the first record well. Anyone who was enamored with Cult of Luna will likely want to grab a copy of this EP, but there isn’t enough meat here to be worthwhile to anyone else.

Verdict: Fail [4.5/10]

http://cultofluna.com