Soulless - In Death's Grip (2012)

There comes a certain frustration as a music critic when you run across such a gem as Ohio's Soulless and realize that they've gone on rather criminally unsung through their career. Here we've got a fantastic death thrash act which excels at songwriting, an all too rare commodity in the States, sitting out there in the Midwest, at a time when both genres are booming in a resurgence. I must admit some befuddlement at why their carnal opus Forever Defiant (2007) wasn't the biggest thing in a long time, or at least far more deserving of a first class seat on the hype train than the vast majority of metalcore-based acts who adopted this fusion of genres upon first hearing Slaughter of the Soul, Reign in Blood and your choice of an In Flames or Dark Tranquillity classic in the 90s.

Five years pass, and one might have assumed Soulless stuck the proverbial fork in their dreams, until they started to tease new material in 2012, which inevitably led to their fourth full-length In Death's Grip. Upon first listen, I was surprised at how little had changed in their sound, but that's really the only possible gaff I could hurl at this disc, because otherwise, it's a deliriously energetic, entertaining 11 rounds of abuse (past the intro) that remind me exactly what I loved about its constituent influences in the first place. The obvious comparison point here would be Carcass in the 1992-1994 era, when they were evolving their grind roots into a more dynamic display of thrash-based, palm-mute heavy riff structures; but where a band like Cali's Exhumed mutated that inspiration into a more gorified, hostile excess, Soulless dial it back to incorporate some obvious 80s North American thrash influences (Slayer, Razor, etc), and then temper that hybrid with some Swedish elements like the harmonic tremolo riffs so beloved in At the Gates. The result creates a blustering, biting, forward motion that never ceases in its attempt to engage the listener's neck muscles and nervous system.

Though I've definitely no aversion to a more atmospheric-based extremity, metal for me growing up was always about the architecture of guitar riffs first and foremost. Whether it was "Immigrant Song", "The Ripper", "Symptom of the Universe" or "Maze of Torment", the momentum of the axes provided the central vehicle for my amusement. This is a formula Soulless also prescribe to, and thus it's no shock that Wayne Richards and Jim Corrick take point with a plethora of pummeling, driving rhythms that focus heavily on mid-paced hair whipping tempos, but occasionally break into slower grooves. Melodies are interspersed both through the leads and the muscular rhythm licks. The tone is appropriately meaty; perhaps not so overwhelming as the first time I heard Heartwork, but it definitely captures the imagination when they break out into the clinical muted riff progressions redolent of late 80s Destruction and Pestilence. The leads are a mixed bag here, with some ("Bleed You Dry", "Sinner Without a Soul") striking more memorable scenes than others, but all told there's no death of craftsmanship or intent.

Not to belittle the rest of the band's contributions, here, which are all beyond competent. Jim Lippuci's wretched snarl distinguishes itself from a Jeff Walker or Tomas Lindberg by splicing an added sheen of impish curdling and bleeding fragility; and like a Carcass or Deicide, the rasps are often complemented with a guttural undercurrent to punch through your ear drums as he rifles through tales of murder and civilization's decline. Dave Johnson's bass is great, veering off just often enough from the guitar rhythms to enforce their structure but establish its own personality, not too heavily drowned in distortion as is often the case with such bands, thick and fluid where it stands alone (intro to "In Darkness Consumed"). Chris Dora's battery is also delivered at a fulfilling volume. The kicks aren't too deep, but rather they snap along to the chugging of the guitars, and while this is not a band that often accelerates to a blinding speed or a blast, he keeps the hammering enthusiastic, flexible, and bright to rival the lavish mischief of the band's surgical melodic sensibilities.

As I hinted earlier, complaints here are quite minimal. The hidden radio broadcast clip outro of the guys dicking around doesn't really add much to the proceedings, but it's not as if it will interrupt the flow of the disc unless you've got it on repeat. There's also the fact that the composition level here doesn't move forward or even sideways in a meaningful way from Forever Defiant. It's steadfastly loyal to that sound, and by extension there are a dozen or so riffs which will seem slightly redundant to earlier material. Don't get me wrong: there are at least 9-10 songs here that range from good to killer ("Serpent Reaper" being a good example of the latter), but all in all there were a few from the prior album which I found marginally more memorable. On the other hand, the production here seems more well-rounded and resonant than Forever Defiant, which was a fraction cleaner and more sterile. The cover of Destructor's "Take Command" is a nice addition, helping celebrate another local legend while making the song their own in translation.

Ultimately, though, any and all quips are eclipsed in the face of another great effort from a band which deserves much more than the obscurity they've experienced. This is basically a billiards match between
Heartwork and Slaughter of the Soul, with Violent Restitution tending bar, Malleus Maleficarum off in the corner smoking and Slaughtercult trying to flirt up all their girlfriends before Reign in Blood jabs him in the testicles with a pool cue. What's not to like?

Verdict: Win [8.75/10] (the mighty guide the blind)

http://www.soullessdomain.com/

Pure Evil - As Blood Turns Black, Mankind Shall Drown in Despair (2012)

While this isn't my first encounter with the black works of Finnish multi instrumentalist Kryth, it's my first with his Pure Evil project, a band in which he performs all instruments and vocals. I covered the full-length 2009 debut of Korgonthurus, Marras, upon which he handled the drums and guitars, but that was more of a collaboration and focused on more gratuitously swollen compositions. This, the 3rd Pure Evil album,  As Blood Turns Black, Mankind Shall Drown in Despair, also features some weighty track lengths, but we're talking in the range of 9-11 minutes, and they're broken up by shorter pieces to provide more of a variety to the experience; a crucial distraction, because a lot of the music here is molded from somewhat stock riffing aesthetics of the post Beherit, Darkthrone variety that we've been inundated with countless times.

Let's not take lightly this guy's talents: he drums, he writes and records the bass and guitars, and he then slathers the experience in a hoarse admixture of rasped and growled vocals. The flow of the music here is very often a mid to slow-paced stream of dense, melodic chords which reminded me often of other local heavyweights like Horna, Behexen or the more anthemic tracks of Satanic Warmaster; though Pure Evil carries a more serious, somber attitude within its notation. Occasionally, as in the opening riffs of "Blood Turns Black", Kryth bursts into this barrel-rolling, primal intensity circa Hellhammer or Darkthrone, and then he clobbers you with a mid-blast beat before transitioning into slower, atmospheric moments (this was also my favorite tune of this batch). I also can hear the clear death metal influences here, because his vox will often favor a sheer guttural inflection, and some of the tremolo riffs in places like "Seas of Blood" definitely have more of a pure old school death strain. Some credit must also be given that Kryth doesn't endlessly just recycle the same riffs, there are plenty enough transitions that the longer cuts don't stumble over themselves.

What I found less interesting was just the construction of the riffs, which are merely pretty average in the wake of so many other like-minded acts. This is no frills, traditional blackened metal which doesn't rely on ambiance or synthesizers to provide much atmosphere, but a lot of the licks were ultimately predictable in how they manifest, and despite the project's handle of 'pure evil', I ended up thinking the brighter rushes of melodic progressions were more mournful than sinister. That said, the production here is effectively noisy, thick and punishing. You can make out all instruments including the flooded bass lines, with the vocals strident and tortured atop the fuming, cold-blasts of guitar. Fans of Scandinavian classics like De Mysteriis dom Sathanas and Transilvanian Hunger might find something to like about the disc, not to mention the Finnish acts Sargeist, Horna, Behexen, Vitsaus, and Kryth's other projects. There's certainly a sense of purism here I can appreciate, but in the end this one didn't leave much of an impact crater on my soul.

Verdict: Indifference [6.25/10]

Flotsam & Jetsam - Ugly Noise (2012)

Sometimes it's a bit tricky to discern the trajectory a band has chosen, and with Flotsam & Jetsam those 'sometimes' equate to mires of stylistically outmoded experimentation which was frankly never cool to begin with. The big selling points to Ugly Noise were that the band was self-releasing it, a DIY/Kickstarter sort of operation where no label would muddy the waters between the artist and its fanbase; and that this featured the full Cuatro-era lineup, with 4 out of 5 original members from the classic 80s records alongside bassist Jason Ward (who has remained a member since '91). Now, if you ask me, I haven't a fucking clue why Flotsam & Jetsam would return to that easy accessibility period of watered down thrash/power saturated with banal radio hooks and weak riffing that often brought it out of the metal spectrum entirely. The 90s produced nothing but mediocrity from this outfit, despite their major label presence and any delusions to the contrary. They've never capitalized on No Place for Disgrace or written anything that approached that same benchmark of quality, but at least their 2010 effort Cold showed some signs of life; some pretty intense songwriting that simply wasn't consistent enough.

As soon as I saw the dilapidated piano on the cover, and read the self-deprecatory album title, I knew that this was going to be yet another mid-life crisis ordeal where the band is trying to maturate their material with a more friendly appeal to the masses, sort of a retread of where they were at on Cuatro. You get little traces of generic palm-muted thrash rhythms here or there, but nothing bordering on complexity or originality which they once possessed in spades. Half the time this is sterilized hard rock fare with a few misleading traces of progressive rock influences not unlike those awful Megadeth, Savatage and Queensryche records of the mid-90s, and when the band finally picks up the hammer it becomes a mixture of cheesy electronics and bad groove/bounce metal rhythms as on "Cross the Sky", "Run and Hide", etc. From the perspective of pure verse/chorus sculpting, they're not poorly written, but the punchy polish of the production and the lack of compelling guitars (apart from a few gleaming, atmospheric leads) really moor this album down into a box of tissues. About the only person here who is delivering consistently is Erik A.K., whose voice still carries a fraction of its distinct silk, fire and grit, but even he can't really save the songwriting process, especially not with pathetic lyrics of individualism and rebellion which wouldn't have even seemed deep to a castigated teen in 1988...oh wait, that was me.

Granted, Flotsam & Jetsam have never been poets laureate, but once they charge into a chorus like on "To Be Free" I found myself keeling over in laughter, and not the fun kind. The sad kind. Just take a brief tour of the song titles. "Rage"? "I Believe"? "To Be Free?" "Machine Gun"? "Carry On"? All have been implemented countless times by any number of artists, and despite being a mere aesthetic detail, this lack of creativity still contributes to Ugly Noise's underwhelming nature. I do not at all mind the little bits of experimentation, like the dark, deep pianos used in the opening title track, or the Queen-like choral syncopation striking out through "Rage", in fact I encourage such risks, but overall Flotsam & Jetsam really don't contribute to the thrash, speed or power metal traditions that birthed them, nor can they rival their own formative works. Tunes like "Rabbit's Foot" are simply too safe and disposable to take seriously, and a few catchy vocal lines just can't coalesce the experience into something worth the time. Generally, veteran bands like this will try to trace their steps and return to the eager, hungry sounds of their upward swinging youths, so it's a little strange that the Arizonans are interested in bringing back that sterile and uninteresting sound from the height of their MCA years. At one time this all might have helped push some units, but Ugly Noise is ultimately offensive to both its predecessor and the band's roots...

Not total shit, perhaps, but bad enough that I'd rather listen to My God. This just wasn't my thing, and while I can't ever expect No Place for Disgrace II to manifest, it'd be great if Flotsam & Jetsam could get back to kicking our asses again (which they very nearly did in 2010). I know they're capable. The question is: do they?

Verdict: Fail [4.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/flotsamandjetsam.official

Queiron - Sodomiticvm Per Conclave (2012)

While they've never released an expressly 'bad' album, I've not really been easy on São Paulo's Queiron in the past, strictly because I've just felt that there was a lot of latent ability here which wasn't manifesting into the band's songwriting. The results were a slew of more or less average fast, brutal death metal records which followed closely in the footsteps of their precursors Morbid Angel, Deicide, Krisiun, and maybe the 'death' years of Behemoth. This time out, though, the Brazilians firmly plant a rainforest up my posterior, because the riffs and songs here are very much pronounced, memorable, without abandoning the savagery of its predecessors. From its seductive cover image to the variation of its compositions, Sodomiticvm Per Conclave is a step above its sinister elder siblings and will, in a just world, widen the band's exposure through the underground circuit.

They set this up with an evil, almost martial march of ambiance that transforms into an instrumental called "Ordo Iconoclastic Rebellis", threaded with guitar harmonies. Here you really get the first sense for this more potent, pummeling production. The drums are set just right for the battering ram blasts and fills, though the kick drum does occasionally feel boxy (not a huge problem). The guitars have this robust, crunching richness to the slower, palm muted patterns, and yet they still hold up for the harried assault of chords used to adorn the blasted passages. However, the band has really refined its sense for melody, and the note progressions in tunes like "Perversion in Khaoz" or "Slavghter Ministry" implement a lot of tried and true, classic heavy metal and rock lead techniques into what otherwise prove a less palatable blueprint of brutality. Clinical harmonies are picked through some of the chugging patterns, and the songs on this album distinguish themselves from one another far more than on The Shepherd of Tophet or Impious Domination. Even Marcelo's vocals, which come across like a mixture of classic Sinister and the dual guttural-rasp technique of Deicide, seem more poignant and punishing.

I also really loved the exotic (if overbearing) sense of atmosphere they create through ritual pieces such as the intros or the brief "Templvm Perversvm". Like a lot of death and black metal acts, these guys really use the Latin thing to the point of near-cheesiness. U's become v's, f's become v's. They love that letter: v. But once you blend this all into the extremist undercurrent and the bevy of solid, entertaining riffs that support the album as a whole, it all transforms into something very much fulfilling to the sinister being in each of us. Okay, so Queiron aren't reinventing the wheel, and a myriad of death metal groups like Septic Flesh and Nile have already given us great blends of atmosphere and aggression, but I'll still take this over the garden variety vapidity one finds in the architecture of many also-ran bands and albums. Sodomiticvm Per Conclave is perhaps not a 'great' album, but it kept me interested through almost the entire 50 minutes, and certainly provides a case for one of the more improved acts I've heard this year.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

http://www.myspace.com/queiron

Convulse - Inner Evil EP (2013)

Convulse is another case of an early death metal act which has, in the wake of a long-term absence, developed an enormous following due to the fact that their debut, World Without End hits all the right notes with the latest generations of fans seeking out the crushing, atmospheric, authenticity that used to run rabid in the genre during the earlier half of the 90s. One could certainly not argue that the widespread proliferation of the internet has bolstered the Finns' audience, and the cult tatters of legend status began to circulate around their name. Fast forward 18 years after their more divisive sophomore Reflections (which saw a marginal shift in sound) and we've got the inevitable reunion material, and already I've seen a number of early listeners citing disappointment...

Yes, you guessed it: these new tracks are not EXACTLY World Without End 2.0, but really, what would any sane individual expect? Convulse was a group which had already moved on from that precise aesthetic before embarking on their nearly two-decade hiatus. To their credit, and to the relief of many who will hear this with fresh ears, I think the Finns have done a pretty damn good job of updating their old sound. The fundamental songwriting here is not at all unlike that of those formative years, and the major differences come in terms of production, which feels cleaner and perhaps a fraction less ominous than the debut. Otherwise, the guitars still have a lot of that sodden groove to them, sullen lapses into death/doom sequences, and ruddy streams of mutes which still churn, even without that muddy and swamp-like tone of olde. Coupled with evil, archaic death metal melodies (like those late in "Inner Evil" itself) or the brute, brunt gutturals of Rami Jämsä, the EP absolutely recycles its ancient inspirations, both musically and lyrically. Hell, "God is Delusion" is more or less a spiritual successor to the title track or "Godless Truth" from World Without End, and it remains pretty clear: you won't be meeting with these dudes at Bible Studies on the next Sabbath.

I did feel that there was a small gulf here between the quality of two tracks. "Inner Evil" is the more direct and pummeling of the pair, but I felt the more atmospheric fulfillment of "God Is Delusion" was superior, from the great acoustic intro to the somber, mourning melodies which permeate its slower hooks. The latter simply sticks with me longer. Once in awhile the band will pull off a riff or two which just doesn't seem all that interesting, and overall there is not a whole lot of creativity here, which I would think might actually satisfy a certain portion of the purist audience who want their death delivered with no frills, dressings, or progression. But ultimately, I thought these two tunes were above average, keeping me interested at least past a few spins. The bass is fluid and fragrant with the din of rot-blossoming corpses, the drums keep a great pace with some really organic fills and primitive blasts for the faster sequences, the guitars rich and chunky. The vocals are a bit monotonous but to be truthful I felt this way also of their debut. Fitting to the tunes, but a bit more character and less predictability would enhance the experience.

I feel like I had a reaction to this EP comparable to how I felt about the latest Incantation full-length, if not nearly so positive or pronounced: it's the same band, only tidier and more matured through the seasons, but they're still playing the music true to themselves. If Convulse can create a proper album with at least this level of songwriting, I don't see how that could be a bad thing, and supporters of that old Finnish axis of evil which also includes Demigod and Demilich should not be too turned off. Decent stuff.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

https://www.facebook.com/Convulse

Denouncement Pyre - Almighty Arcanum (2013)

If 2010's World Cremation was the right hook pummeling you to the arena mat, then Almighty Arcanum must be the pinning maneuver, because it more or less takes everything I enjoyed about that album and fleshes it out into a more appreciable set of songs that had me straining my neck in bestial, barbaric deference. Like the last album, the worst I can ever say for Denouncement Pyre is they lack a real sense for creativity or innovation, but when you're having as much fun as you will listening through these tracks, then that shouldn't prove a hindrance in eagerly recommending this to the followers of groups like Deströyer 666, Marduk, (90s) Enthroned, (late 80s) Bathory, Angelcorpse, Bestial Warlust, and other purveyors of comparable, cacophonous, blitzkrieg bombast.

This is a fast record, but not to a fault. Blasting sequences are measured out against slower, warlike segues where the drums are just as intense, like artillery treads about to crush a few hillocks of human bones. As with the prior album, the band accrues more black metal brownie points than death (for a hybrid), but you can feel the presence of the latter medium through the more robust, growled vocals. What separates the Australians from a number of similar, savagery-borne outfits who try to thrive on simple formulas of blasts and tremolo patterns is that Denouncement Pyre fuse a little more atmosphere into even the most standard numbers like "An Extention of the Void" and the eerie keening behind the meaty bridge riff; or the slower, ominous riffing of "The Deceiver". That said, they truly shine when they barrel forward through pieces such as the titular "Almighty Arcanum" or the superb, driving "Circle of Serpents". If you're not throwing your horns at the abyss within about :30 of the early riffs in these, then you're probably late for Communion, clearly in the wrong place. Almighty Arcanum is not filled to the bloody gills with excellent, memorable rhythms, leads, or transitions, but it's entirely well put together, a noteworthy opus of infernal craftsmanship.

Much of this can be attributed to the emboldened, incendiary production, which transforms what might otherwise be the most banal of riffing sequences into a poignant discharge of bright, intimidating anger. The drums and vocals sound great, but the guitars have an exemplary mix whether they're surging along in some black/thrash configuration, twisting into a vile tremolo picking, or a more solemn, crushing abrasion. Bass is not too much of a standout in terms of adding depth and dimension, but you can still hear it plugging along somewhere, and it doesn't detracted from the dominant guitar seated above it. The vocals of Decaylust (aka 'D) aren't exactly novel, but they're abusive enough, and I like the wavering fountain of vomited blood he invokes on the sustained notes. All told, Almighty Arcanum is an impressive, smash-up job, even if the pale quartet on the cover seem like they've turned their ouroboros into some hellish trampoline. Plenty of seething bursts of Satanic celerity here to counteract the occult mortar-shell certainty of the mid-paced fare, and if you ignored them the last time they put out an album (a good one, I might add), it'll be a little harder in 2013, since Denouncement Pyre will piss demon-spunk all over you.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10]

http://www.facebook.com/DENOUNCEMENTPYRE

Deceptor - Chains of Delusion EP (2013)

The short version of what makes Deceptor's Chains of Delusion EP so damn compelling: it takes just about everything you know about the genres of traditional thrash, speed and power metal, traces them by the roots to their source in the ground, hacks 'em up into a juicer, and then proceeds to regurgitate them into one of the most delicious blends you've tasted in a good long time. Shaken or stirred. Room temperature or add ice cubes. Morning, noon, night. England's latest (deserved) sensation earns its master's degree in mixology while tearing out some of the best, science fictional metal tracks I've heard in ages, fronted by a wonderfully rabid, schizoid vocalist who exponentially increases the character of an already unhinged slew of memorable riffage.

The longer version: This rules. Track down a copy or I don't like you anymore.

The beauty of Deceptor's sophomore EP is that it throws out all the rules, and then proceeds to play by them anyway. There's an organic, vibrant feel to the production of these tunes that feels so much more laid back and sincere than most of the oversaturated, brickwalled studio sounds I equate with the mesh of genres they play around in, but the hooks and technicality on parade are superb. Reminds me quite a lot of when I first heard Slough Feg (when they were The Lord Weird Slough Feg); this band isn't nearly so folkish in composition, but the love for classical and slightly complex, nuanced riffing is in the ball park. The drums are tactile, the bass just as dextrous and involved as the rhythm and lead guitars. Apart from the two robotic-voiced interludes, which I could give or take, Chains of Delusion consists of four dynamic and distinct pieces, loaded with tasteful licks which betray a love of all things 80s. There's the sort of harried, classically-inflected picking redolent of acts like Megadeth or Helstar, but the band isn't afraid to erupt into a more focused groove. What's more, the guitar tone isn't excessively driven or distorted, so you get this rich, natural, springy sound in the chords that holds up through the more frenetic note progressions.

Even more diverse, though, are the vocals, which run the range from a Bruce Dickinson or Harry Conklin power metal inflection to all manner of wretched thrash barks aka King Fowley (Deceased), salacious psycho screams that reminded me of the super obscure US act Terrahsphere, and even a few guttural growls. Literally, they'll shift gears from measure to measure. There's just no end to what they'll pile into a cut, and yet rather than coming across as disjointed or scatterbrained, they all somehow manage to fit beautifully into the puzzle; yes, even the weird crooning sequences that appear in some of the verses. As a result, Chains of Delusion becomes a consummate piece of entertainment more than a tired adherence to the blueprints which often bring the boring to the band's constituent parent mediums. No, it's not a pure, biting thrash effort like you'd expect from Exodus or Warbringer, written purely for the mosh-inclined, but it plays with a lot of that genre and twists in some NWOBHM styled guitars, classic US power metal, and ultimately, whatever the trio desires. Listening through this was like experiencing dozens of obscure tapes and vinyls I had from 80s band simultaneously...

I guess the only gripe one could have here is that the music is so good I wanted more than just 18-19 minutes of it, so dazzlingly interesting that you feel as if you're being cut short. But that's largely due to the fact that, upon hearing Deceptor, you'll realize they're mad geniuses with countless ideas boxed up in their minds that you simply can't wait to exploit. Hopefully the clock of sanity won't tick too long before we get to do just that with a full-length; in the meantime, they've got a back log of demos and one prior EP to dive into, or I could just listen to Chains of Delusion for the 40th time. Manic, musical excellence that should delight connoisseurs of both antique and contemporary metallurgy.

Verdict: Epic Win [9.25/10]

http://www.facebook.com/deceptoruk?ref=ts&fref=ts

Sulphur Aeon - Swallowed by the Ocean's Tide (2013)

H.P. Lovecraft and his morbid mythos are hardly a novel theme running in metal these days, and in fact a multitude of songs and entire concept albums have paid tribute through either direct translations of he and his followers' tales, or creative interpretations, across just about all the sub genres, from heavy and doom to black and death metal. So the gorgeous cover artwork and title to Sulphur Aeon's debut Swallowed by the Ocean's Tide are quite overt in their inspiration, as are the solemn chants through the intro piece "Cthulhu Rites", but I really have to hand it to these Germans: this is by far one of the best albums to date to represent the beloved horror author, because it does it so distinctly and differently from almost anyone else...

Sulphur Aeon is at its squamous, withering core a guitar and drum-heavy death metal trio, but the approach they take to the medium is frankly refreshing in the muddy wake of so many chasm-defiling Incantation clones, Swede-a-likes, and so forth. You could consider this old school, fast-paced death with loads of broiling tremolo harmonies and blast beats, threaded with chugging grooves and streaming, fluid picking progressions that hint of melodeath, but pointing out precise influences become more complicated. I sort of thought of it as a hybrid of ominous Morbid Angel growls and grooves with (Devin Townsend's) Ocean Machine in terms of that overwhelming sense of texture to the production which really encapsulates this forsaken, maritime menace. But even this doesn't exactly describe the structure of the guitars, which occasionally reminded me of the thick textures in modern Hypocrisy riffing. Depth charge kick drums, roiling, rich guitar tones and a voluminous, deep bass to the production create a suspense in the listener that he or she is being pressurized on all sides by the brine, Deep Ones pulling at his/her legs as they pull their victim to the ruins on the ocean floor. All the while, waves of ambiance cascade across the background of the riffs like fleeting pods of whales.

Many concept albums of this nature (in extreme metal, at least) have gone for a creepier, abstract vibe, which does play strongly to the atmosphere of the Mythos, but these Germans clout you and squeeze you with a suffocating majesty that works just as well. Think of this more as the 'reckoning' once the Old One has awakened, and not the chain of mysterious psychological events leading up to it. The cultists won, and now a fucking tsunami of tentacles lashes out infectiously through the sheer force of the presentation and balanced, muscular riff set that dominates at least the first half of the record. In fact, the first five full tunes here are utterly perfect. From the melodic swerves of "Incantation" to the black-metal inflected chords of the title track, I was completely floored and flooded by what was happening. It's only a little deeper in the track list, with tunes like "Those Who Dwell in Stellar Void" or "Beneath.Below.Beyond.Above" that it ever starts to feel redundant, that the well of ideas here has dried up ever so slightly. Even then, however, the band is still mightily consistent in sound, and the closing march "Zombi" with its sheen of glimmering wave-like melodies is a nice reprieve from the near 40 minutes of 'the bends' one might suffer from the heavier material's ballistic decompression.

Other than this marginal dive in quality as it progresses, Swallowed by the Ocean's Tide is unquestionable phenomenal. The production might prove too dense and saturated for some who like a lo-fi, stripped sound to their death metal instrumentation, but if you're open to the added weight of studio layering, this proves a wonderful proof of concept that really fits its artwork and theme. The vocals of 'M' Martin Hellion are not exactly novel for the field, a gruff guttural not unlike you'd expect from Nile or Tucker-era Morbid Angel, but I can't think of anything else that would have been able to hold it's own against the glorious oppression of the guitars. Ultimately, this just has everything I desire in a 21st century death metal outing. It draws upon a wealth of both old school and newer inspirations, it really doesn't sound 100% like anything else I've been listening to, and Sulphur Aeon exhibit a seasoned grasp of songwriting aesthetics: concise, heavily loaded with riffs that stick, and never boring. It might front load some of its otherworldly, amphibious thrills, but its truly a work of resonant, heart-stopping ferocity from the fathoms. Highly recommended, and not just to fish people.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]

http://www.facebook.com/SulphurAeon

Paradox - Tales of the Weird (2012)

Though some listeners have expressed reservations at the overwhelming, heavily saturated and dystopian brand of power/thrash that Paradox have evolved into, I admit to being fully in thrall with both Electrify and Riot Squad. The future is staring us in the face, after all, and I found both the production and theme of those albums to create a sonic counterpart to my idealized fantasies of such a tomorrow, borne out of the 80s and an early love of cyberpunk and speculative fiction which I have yet to grow out of. Pummeling metallic approximations of Blade Runner, Syndicate, Neuromancer, and Robocop!? Sign me up! Granted, the proximity of their release might have led to some aesthetic overlap in content, but keep in mind that Electrify was already arriving after an 8-year gap. This time around, the Germans have taken a little more time than with Riot Squad to craft a follow-up, and though as a whole I'm enjoying it (only) a fraction less, I will say without question that Tales of the Weird is a more accessibly produced and audibly balanced effort.

Paradox has long excelled at forging atmospheric intros with acoustics that lead the charge, at least since the excellent Heresy (1989), and so does this technique open the 9-minute title track for this sixth album, which is more or less a microcosm of the entire disc. Pugilistic triplets and muscular mutes anchor the material with the same thrashing tension they've adopted since the debut, structurally mirroring classic Californian classics like Master of Puppets or The Legacy more so than countrymen Destruction or Kreator. The vocals of Charly Steinhauer, however, really reign in the European comparisons to various thrash and speed metal outfits like Midas Touch, Deathrow, Scanner, Risk, and of course Vendetta, whose own Daxx was involved with the lyrics on this very album. Charly's inflection is melodic, accented, yet still dangerous enough to deliver the harder riffs here convincingly, and the minor flaws and imperfections, flats and sharps actually enhance the experience, a common trait I've found in German thrash especially (great examples would be Schmier or Mille Petrozza, two far more vicious frontmen). What helps set Paradox apart and beyond the bullet belted,  denim vested, garden variety pizza thrash act, though, is the momentous majesty of the dual harmonies, leads, and melodic spikes that are sure to engorge their appeal to modern power metal addicts.

Tales of the Weird feels ambitious as a whole, even if you break down individual components of the sound and find what are often pretty standard note progressions, or riffs that really don't stand out so much on their own. There is such a seasoned framework to the songwriting that even the most direct and violent thrashers like "Escalation", "Slashdead" and "Brutalized" are festooned with melodies, hooks, and flawlessly executed leads that, if not always so memorable, capitalize upon the classical shredding influences that dominated the 80s in both hard rock and harder metal spheres. These are contributed by one of the newest members in the fold, Christian Münzner, and just to put his level of proficiency into perspective: he also plays in tech death metal wizards Obscura and Spawn of Possession...making the transition to this style with ease. The other new member is drummer Daniel Buld, and his performance is a polished powerhouse worthy of any modern thrash outing, with plenty of double bass and dextrous fills to really fill out the low end. Olly keller reprises his role on the bass, and as with the last two albums he rambles along faithfully to the riffs, but ninjas enough fills and grooves into his lines to give the tunes even more depth.

No song passes without some exciting verse or bridge riff, but in particular I found "Day of Judgement", "The Downward Spiral" and "Escalation" the most sticky in terms of their transitions and compelling notation. The addition of Rainbow's "A Light in the Black" is a wise one; not as hard hitting as the originals which precede it, but nonetheless it survives its transformation thanks to the meat on the guitar and clinical but impressive performance of Steinhauer, who sounds pretty clear. Tales of the Weird is not the sort of album which will find a home with fans of the dirtier death/thrash, crossover or black/thrash sounds who loathe progression and unfettered melody coursing through their faves, but it brings back that forward thinking sense of evolution which dominated the late 80s efforts of bands like Artillery, Coroner, Deathrow, Mekong Delta and Paradox itself, which was sadly interrupted when thrash (and certain other strains of metal) fell by the wayside for groove, grunge, and 90s 'alternative'. For this reason alone I might laud it, but the Germans honor the onus to actually write some damn good tunes in the process, and there's no reason you shouldn't dig this if you're fond of Heresy, Collision Course, Electrify or Riot Squad.

Perhaps the title's a bit of a throw-off, since this is hardly an unusual or experimental offering. But I'm sure it was more of a send-up to cult science fiction media. Otherwise: great music, beautiful Claudio Bergamin cover art, and warlike, relevant lyrics consistent with the aggression of the prior effort. Sure, I expect nothing less from Paradox, and I'm sure others have comparable expectations, but its always comforting to know that Charly Steinhauer and crew have our backs just the same.

Verdict: Win [8.75/10] (a merciless confession)

https://www.facebook.com/paradoxthrash

Mental Home - Угра (2012)

I have to say, of all the reunions and comeback records I've heard this year, Mental Home's Угра ('Ugra') was perhaps the least expected. Not because the Russians ever called it quits permanently, but because I neglected to notice the single/teaser they dropped last year, and after the diminishing results of their last album Upon the Shores of Inner Seas (their third on and last on the End Records, and first and last to get US distribution through Century Media), I did not think I'd be hearing the band again in a studio capacity. Yet here it stands, the 4th full-length, with most of the members returning from the 90s (save for the bassist, who is replaced here by 'Serpent' from several other Russians acts), after a 12 year hiatus...

This is a self-released album, and it bears the distinction of being their first entirely in Russian (with a German concept, if the cover didn't tip you off). Not only that, but the melodies and riffing structures really seem to conjure idealistic images of their homeland, from its vast history to its architecture; something I've always enjoyed in their music. Right away, the band has returned to the symphonic/melodic doom stylings of Vale and Black Art, their strongest statements, and abandoned a fraction of that fruitless progression from Upon the Shores...which I found to be quite a disappointment from its predecessors. The guitars are bulky, accessible and heavily based in simplistic melodic riffing, and they've not lot any of that huge polish circa Black Art. 'Maiden' Smirnov continues to orchestrate the group beyond the normal parameters of their rock instrumentation, and he often leads off tunes like "В среднем течении.. (In the Middle of a Stream)" or "Берёза, яблоня, рябина (Birch, Apple, Rowan)" with both eloquent and (somewhat) cheesy synthesizer pads that are not likely to win over those who loathe keys in black or doom metal. All told, though, these are pretty catchy tracks that offer up similar motifs to Black Art with perhaps a few breaths of progression that hint of a band not simply interested in retreading old steps.

One difference is that Sergey's vocals here feel a lot grittier and harder hitting than the prior albums, even if the style and tonality are largely the same. Combined with the native lyrics, this might be one element which could turn off fans of the earlier work, though once you settle into its rougher contours it continues to fit the music quite well. Drums, bass, piano and clean guitars are all top notch quality, and Угра is varied and well-paced across 46 minutes. So seasoned and consistent in quality, in fact, that it really does not feel like much time has lapsed since their 2000 effort. Mental Home has always been, and continues to be one of the more distinct bands in this field, implementing a layer of ethnic immersion into their notation which you're too rarely going to find elsewhere. I was also impressed that they capped off the disc with a Lake of Tears cover ("Raven Land"), sped up a little and sung in Russian. Not because it was as cool as the original, but just that they had the good taste to try such a thing and make it their own. Ultimately, Угра isn't quite so infectious as their 1996-1999 works, but nevertheless this is a good listen and a welcome return to what so compelled me towards their music in the first place, with a sound all to themselves that should sate fans of Gothic/doom metal who don't shy away from the language barrier.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://mentalhome.ru/