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Holiday Break! Be back in January with a new discography review series. - autothrall

Satyricon & Munch (2022)

You could see Satyricon & Munch as the second half of the experiment they started with Live at the Opera, but while the former was a direct interpretation of the band's black metal sound into some choral and grand, this is instead an attempt to translate the works of expressionist Norwegian painter Edvard Munch into a dark musical context. This is far less accessible, granted, though there are some parts with acoustics or other softer moments that make for perfectly acceptable background as you're browsing through the deceased collaborator's artwork. It's a curious mash-up of mediums reminiscent of Metallica's Lulu with Lou Reed, only this isn't so tragic, poetic and vocal, but rather minimalistic and sees Satyr and Frost branching out into new styles themselves.

LOTS of ambiance and noise here, and I can honestly say that they do a decent job getting their feet wet in that genre, and in fact some of those brooding moments are the most immersive of the experience. There are a few drones which grow obnoxious as drones do, and some light industrial-feeling percussion that often breaks out in the distance to cool effect. Orchestrated keys, slight dissonant or distorted guitars and rolling percussion often give the record some martial qualities, and there are also some very minimal, spacious synth parts which are quite absorbing when they arrive deeper into the track. Oh yes, this is just one track, almost an hour long, and I think that presents the biggest hurdle towards appreciation, since you have to take the more somber or soothing moments along with the bizarre and annoying all in a single sitting, but if I'm being completely honest with you, I'd say there are probably 30-40 minutes here which I found to be a pleasant or perturbing escape, and the rest is chaff that does little more than extent out the length of the album.

Of course, I'm not standing at a museum exhibit while hearing this in the background, I can only sift through online images of Munch's works, so the maximum impact might be one you had to witness at a particular time and place, and I can forgive the audio work that much. However, I can't at all find fault with the willingness of these longstanding black metal mavens to involve themselves in these sorts of cultural projects which not only open the minds of others who might have a dim view of black metal, but also can expand Satyricon's own portfolio of sounds they can integrate into their future material, and I hope to an extent they will. This might be the most 'outside' thing Satyr has worked on since he was in the folksy Storm, and though I can understand while few will enjoy it, and I myself even had a negative reaction the first few times I listened, it has a few moments of sublime impact like the art it is providing tribute to and accompaniment for. A very Ulver move, gentlemen, and if anyone was into Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell they might want to give this a try.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

https://www.satyricon.no/

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/

Sordide - Ainsi finit le jour (2024)

I had already run across Sordide's last record a couple years ago, but even with an expectation of their style this one started off so spiky and chaotic that it spun my head around a few times. They've got a similar dissonant approach to some of their better known peers like Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega, but in a different context where it's more like straight-ahead black metal tempered with these odd chord choices, swerving bass lines and vocals that feel pretty turbulent and organic, not only incorporating the rasps typical of the genre but some other raving barks that feel more vicious and sporadic. But what I like about this record more than its predecessor is just how much more they lean into these differential chords consistently across the material as if they're starting to adapt them into their own nasty language.

Perhaps not as much as those other bands I mentioned, or like the mighty Canadian sci-fi thrashers Voivod who pretty much wrote the book on how do to that, but there are some similarities in style, and they piss out enough unusual writing that Ainsi finit le jour compels through much of its 53 minutes. Structurally, it's got your basic variety of blasting and then some slower, grooving chords almost like Darkthrone or Hellhammer, but then they clamp on that strangeness and it becomes just left of center. The slower tunes like "Sous vivre" are murky and offsetting, while the up-beat stuff like "Banlieues Rouges" has these great guitar licks sliding all over with a freakish disposition. The bass seems much more grounded than the roiling rhythm guitars, and that helps anchor the festivities to give them an occasional 'warm' vibe despite how tormenting the chords can feel.

As a result, I think this record (like their last) can have some crossover feel to fans of weirder post hardcore bands or dissonant jazz-fused black metal stuff like Imperial Triumphant, in addition to the groups I mentioned before. But the skeleton of the music itself is much more obvious, and if you'd fused together these riffs a little differently you'd have something approximating more traditional BM. At any rate, while this isn't always that interesting, it's a solid step past Les idées blanches and if they continue to develop this uncanny atmosphere being sloshed around by the guitars they might really be onto something. Cool disc.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

https://sordide.bandcamp.com/

Satyricon - Live at the Opera (2015)

It is the hubris of many a rock or metal band to perform with an opera or orchestra in either a live or studio setting, to record it for posterity (or bragging rights), and lucky are the few who get to do so. Whether it's through financial ability, or knowing the right people, it's hardly a rare occurrence, and when Satyricon got their chance they decided to do it with style, the product of which is a DVD and double audio CD along with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus, as part of a cultural series that I assume other acts got to participate in. I'll be honest, I'm a little envious, not because I want to do something like this for any of my own music, but because I only dream that a lot of North American extreme metal bands would get to try it. Imagine Cryptopsy or Cannibal Corpse playing alongside an orchestra? I'd love to hear it.

But it's an even rarer occurrence that such a mash-up of musical mediums actually manifests into something as interesting as this effort, one that transforms material from across the Norwegian duo's career into something more multi-dimensional without losing all of its original characteristics. The material has been elevated into a dark-lit escape, a "Carmina Burana" dosed with black & roll guitars, Frost-ian thunder drums and Satyr rasping. I think a lot of the band's slower material off the 4-5 studio albums just before this one lend themselves pretty well to the layering in of the choirs, which is where so much of the content is drawn, with the earliest albums pretty much untouched. Something like "Den siste", which already had choir vocals and such on The Age of Nero, isn't terribly different, but it sounds much more epic in this setting, whereas tracks from the middling eponymous album from 2013 actually are quite elevated..."The Infinity of Time and Space", "Phoenix", "Tro og kraft", all take on new life and I wonder if I just would have preferred that album had it been all orchestrated...

The big one for me, of course, was hearing "Mother North", and this also sounds cool, how the choir voices lift through the faster tremolo riffing. I don't know if it's ultimately necessary to bolster such an already-impressive piece, and the drums feel a bit subdued and mechanical here and elsewhere on the track list, and it does seem a little cluttered as they're trying to weigh down each moment with the added chorus, but when Satyr shouts 'Oslo...' you can tell the audience is into it and this might be the very number the audience was also waiting for. But I think the better uses of this accompaniment come with some of the simpler tracks where it's applied more subtly. As for the video itself, this might be the better way to experience it all, since it's more or less a standard Satyricon live show only with the choir looming behind them, so the obvious passion of the performance makes up for any of its overbearing qualities, especially the more contemplative, evil moments. All together, though, a cool project that isn't wasting anyone's time or money, and one best left to a solitary product like this one.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://www.satyricon.no/

Time Lurker - Emprise (2024)

Much like Time Lurker's eponymous 2017 debut, Emprise is long on transforming atmospherics into something that smacks you straight in the face, not to say it lacks in riffing and intricacy, but these are tools used to contribute bleedingly to the material's dark, streaming vibe. Paired up with the howling, tortured vocals of Mick, which clearly follow in that Burzum vein exclusively, you've got an effort that is best experienced in full when you're seeking out something desperate and transcendent, almost like you were to filter some strain of post rock through a blasting, tremolo picking filter. I think the cover artwork selected for this couldn't be more apt, because it really just feels like your conscience is escaping your pallid corpse to realms dim and hopeless and obscure.

To be clear, there are some fairly catchy licks driving pieces like "Cavalière de feu" and "Poussière mortifère", but they both have their segues of surging spaciousness interwoven with the aggressive, forward momentum. Whether this is just hyper-riffing stretched out into the void while the drums drop out, or a dire acoustic/clean guitar intro, they've got this balance of intensity and calm almost like a yin and yang across the 34 minute runtime. One track, the titular intro, is a pure swell of ambiance with what sounds like subtle vocals and snarls shoved up against some cosmic radiance or engine-humming, and it was appreciably enigmatic and dread-inducing. But despite having a consistent conceptual feel to it, there is actually a decent level of variety to the songwriting. "Disparais, soleil" stands out for being very calm, with slower guitars that ring off into the atmosphere, ethereal female vocals hovering just on the edge of your consciousness, and some nice tribal drumming to bind it all into a trance. They also balance out the faster, cutting stuff with a lot of mid-paced or slogging moments.

The vocals are going to be an acquired taste like other bands that use them, they are very traumatic and might fool an uninitiated listener into thinking they are making some mockery of the style, but they are well implemented here and definitely give you that illusion of being stabbed somewhere out in a wintry waste until the steam rises off your leaking blood. It's not meant to be comfortable, but to convey the pain and emotion of someone lost in the esoteric pocket dimension in which this musician explores. I'm not sure I'd place this quite at the equal of the Time Lurker debut, but it's close, and there are some departments in which this exceeds it...such as emotional impact, melodic grace, and diversity. This continues to be another rich new voice to experience on the French scene with dreadful potential.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://timelurker.bandcamp.com/album/emprise

Rebel Souls - Leviathan EP (2024)

The gap between the Leviathan EP and Dawn of Depravity was a bit smaller than that between their two full-lengths, but I actually think the four tracks here show a little more of a progression for Rebel Souls. The material is not quite as intense as the prior album could often get, with the possible exception of the closer "Cognitive Warfare", but even there you're getting a tune that is more rhythmically interesting and dare I say catchier. The vocals still have that same guttural hammer to them, and the musicians are capable of exploding whenever necessary, but the writing is reined in a little and the result is awesome. I still picked up a lot of vibes from Vader, Deicide, and so forth, but you'll also here an injection of more mechanistic grooving ideas akin to modern Pestilence, not to mention some more escapist, atmospheric riffing like the shell that sparks the lead guitar in the titular opening track.

Each of these pieces felt more distinct from one another, although clearly set in the same stylistic mold. "Leviathan" is a formidable exhibition of how the band can switch between its bedrock death metal fundamentals and the hints of more progressive ideas; where "The Philanthropist" might be my favorite in their whole catalogue, a lurching juggernaut with those Pestilence dynamics I mentioned, only it's packed in with all these explosive, controlled fills and some great swap-ups to old school, evil death metal riffing. The leads likewise kickass and feel slightly more adventurous or experimental than past efforts. Another interesting cut is "Warmonger" with an intro lick that almost sounds more like swaggering heavy/groove metal with little death metal licks breaking out across the bow, but then accelerates to a much more intense level with the leads and rhythms, climaxing with this majestic harmony during the bridge. The closer has some Voivod-like dissonant chops in the verse but otherwise brings the material back around to the speed and ferocity of Dawn of Depravity. Again, some killer leads in this one, and the weird outro riff is also pretty badass.

While hindered a bit by it's shorter length of around 17 minutes, Leviathan definitely succeeds at casting a broader net than its predecessors, or rather exploring in between the gaps of their more intense writing with something inventive, progressive. There are definitely bands that took these rhythmic excursions to a much more technical extremely, say a Soreption, but rather than dizzying the listener, Rebel Souls packs just enough into the material to keep it interesting, replayable, and worth tracking down if you enjoy the very 'craft' of death metal, inspired by numerous substyles over the decades, but nonetheless forward thinking within their own trajectory.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10]

https://www.facebook.com/rebelsouls.deathmetal/

Revocation - Netherheaven (2022)

It seems like such an eternity since I first got to meet and play with local stalwarts Revocation, they've now built up such an international respect though touring and eight studio albums that they're a household name, at least for any fan of contemporary death metal or deathcore. They also really fucking deserve it, because say what you will about any wavering quality from album to album, they maintain an intense level of studio canny, professionalism and musical proficiency that is never in doubt. I though the last two albums before Netherheaven, namely The Outer Ones and Great is Our Sin, were damned solid if not exceptional, and the opening handful of tracks off this new album do not disappoint. I'm not saying these are timelessly memorable tunes, mind you, I think that Revocation's true masterpiece might yet await us, but this is beyond workmanlike and at least the first piece, "Diabolica Majesty" is a scorcher.

And that's because, in addition to the modern death and thrash elements, I almost caught a whiff of melodic 90s death or black metal in this one that integrated very well with the chugging breakdowns of clinical melodies that the band are well known for. It's a fresh approach that really pays off once that mid-paced thrashing erupts and puts you back in familiar territory. Other highlights here were "Strange and Eternal" with some interesting breaks in between the furious barrage, and "Galleries of Morbid Artistry" with its moody escalation and some great melodies woven through the carnage of the chorus. It's almost like you took a few of the cooler Revocation albums prior to this and wound in a bit of Dissection or At the Gates and it feels fresh, whereas some of their earlier efforts could often get formulaic. You've still got plenty of technicality to gawk at, and shouldn't be disappointed if you've followed them up to now, but this album seems like it justifies itself a lot and offers in-roads to further progression or side-gression.

The band can still play the shit out of everything, with Ash & Brett forming a flawless rhythm section into which David Davidson can inject all of his ideas, which are considerable. The leads might not be the most immortal you've heard, but they're consistently catchy and atmospheric, and never show off to the detriment of the rest of their aggression. Vocally I've often thought there was something lacking, or rather the delivery was a bit stock for death metal or metalcore, but I actually found hid vocals on Netherheaven to be some of the strongest or heaviest he's done, not that there's a lot of variety in the intonation or meter of the lines, but it pretty well suits the intensity of the instruments. Recording is courtesy of Jens Bogren who has worked with a lot of European greats, like the recent At the Gates post-reunion records, and it's as slick and clear as you'd wish without becoming too poppy. Artwork is great, the prolific Paolo Girardi and frankly one of his more cohesive offerings of late, encapsulating the tightness and effectiveness of Revocation's style. I think this one sits right alongside The Outer Ones, even it it doesn't set a new standard, it's a fun enough listen.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://revocationband.com/

Rebel Souls - Dawn of Depravity (2022)

The sophomore Rebel Souls outing sees the German/Spanish act digging deeper into that aggressive balance they struck on their 2017 debut The Forces of Darkness, falling somewhere between the brutal and technical edges of the death metal spectrum, capable of both extremes but never diving too far off either cliff. Instead, we get that same songwriting emphasis we hear from many of the acts in the Polish scene, a comparison I've drawn before in this particular case, that holds even truer here than the previous disc. This is a band that shows a love and knowledge of their genre and executes that with an expertly wrought amalgamation of evil riffing, intense drumming, over-the-top leads and enough variation that you'll never get bored listening through this, even if there's nothing about it that stands out as strikingly original.

The production here is mint, perfectly clear but allowing for an ample impact of the crunching mid paced riffs as they vault back and forth with the outbursts of blasting and tremolo-picked madness. I liken them a lot to Vader, one of my favorite bands, but a lot of the riffing structures throughout tunes like "Poisoner of the Harvest" and "Sea of Crises" definitely recall American bands like Deicide, Malevolent Creation and Morbid Angel. The bass lines are fat and agile enough to stand out from the rhythm guitar brickwork while never intruding upon the endless barrage of riffs, and the drumming of Arnau Martí is as patently absurd as it is professional; the footwork and blasts are worthy of almost any of his peers, but he's always got some nice beats and fills to help support the breakdowns and grooves so they're never mired down in tedious repetition. Stefan Hielscher's vocals definitely have a bit of the guttural Glen Benton/David Vincent style to them, but they layer them up with some solid backups or multi-tracking to once again hover above the din of monotony or predictability.

There isn't a large dynamic in song quality, most of them flow around the same level: exciting, with all-around admirable musicianship and breakout leads that bore them a little deeper into your memory. I wouldn't say it's always the catchiest material riff-for-riff, but just an overall sort of package which you can depend on for the full 42 minutes of its existence. I'm actually going to nudge Dawn of Depravity slightly past The Forces of Darkness, it's a little more 'veteran', polished and extreme and confident, but at the same time I wouldn't say it's that much of a songwriting leap beyond its predecessor. Easily recommendable to fans of Polish acts like Vader or Behemoth, or the Floridian forebears that I mentioned earlier. No bullshit, no gimmicks, non-trendy death metal which earns its marks in all the important departments for this style, timeless blunt force ear-to-brain flossing with enough musicality to endure.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10]

https://www.facebook.com/rebelsouls.deathmetal/

Sodom - 1982 EP (2023)

Sodom pays tribute to its own year of formation with a moderately paced new track, lyrics that are self-referential but not cheesy as you'd expect, more about the band's personal perseverance across decades when so many others had faltered or given up. This one has all the trappings you'd expect, from fast and nasty explosions to mid paced riffs, the latter of which are honestly kind of dull here, but it's all drowned in the whipping leads and energetic frenzy that they've put into a lot of their recent full-length studio efforts, and Tom's vocals still sounds admittedly awesome. The mix is also quite good, capturing a lot of the raw fury of the youth the band is giving homage to, but at the standards you'd expect 40 years later.

As for the rest of the 1982 EP, it's re-recordings of old tracks and not terribly exciting. That's not to say it isn't any good, because "Witching Metal" and "Victims of Death" are given a treatment similar to what the Cavaleras did recently with Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation, just the power of today's studio abilities plastered onto a couple tunes from the band's earliest demos, and sounding more propulsive and aggressive for the effort. As someone who wasn't always thrilled with the sound quality on Sodom's earliest recordings, and a huge fan of their 40 Years at War compilation from a couple years ago, it's good to get more, but with the limited environment of 18 minute EP it's not exciting for very long, since you know there've been a good number of tunes left out and this could have been folded up into a 'Part II' of that excellent collection, and there's just no novelty whatosever. It blazes right past you, and sounds good, especially the vocals and leads, the intense drumming, which most importantly  proves this band has no intention of halting with age...it's full forward, combat boots, Teutonic thrash terror forevermore, just there isn't a lot of dynamic range here to keep me interested, and the new tune is just okay.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

https://sodomized.info/

Toxik - Dis Morta (2022)

 Finally, after 33 years, the third Toxik full-length had arrived, and yes, while I realize there had been enough material across the various works that comprised the III Works compilation, which I have separated out to review individually, this was a brand new joint entirely. When I first spun this Dis Morta, I wasn't sure what to think...I couldn't comprehend that the band could still sound this fresh and relevant. I thought it was quite an impressive line drawn in the sand, but I shelved it for months, probably just because I was flooded with so much else and my mind was not ready to process an album like this. Yes, Dis Morta is the screaming, blazing, technical maelstrom of controlled chaos you knew Toxik was capable of producing, and 44 minutes of it, no slim picking like the last crop of reunion releases.

The production here deserves mention, because while it had been impactful and clear on the recordings leading up to this, it has so much more dimension for what's going on. The album sounds vast, without losing any of the myriad of frenetic components in all that expanse of sound. Ron Iglesias totally steps it up here, while Kinetic Composure was his attempt to fit the shoes of his predecessors, here he BECOMES a sparkling brand new pair of that footwear in the same line. His mid-range here is just fucking awesome, and I love when he layers it together with Halford-like screams for something really wild. At the same time, his shrill, pure high delivery is the perfect complement to what Sabin and Sanders had screamed out in the past, and he solidifies himself as the perfect successor. The combo of James DeMaria and Shane Boulos hasn't had to evolved much from the EP/demo material, and they can handle whatever the freak Josh Christian throws their way, a bedrock for all the psychotic picking, melodies, and flurries of schizo leads that are flying all over the material. They've also added another rhythm guitar for some punch, and that might be why this just sounds like it has more layers to peel back than the EPs.

As a dial back to Think This, the tracks are often set up with topical social/political/religious samples, newscasts and such, and so you still get the impression you're in that screen-filled control chamber, witnessing the utter calamity of early 21st century civilization. This works best in "Hyper Reality", with the cool of the verses and choruses, wavering back and forth to actually place you best inside the subject, and choppy as fuck with the erupting technical thrash. After spending over a year with the album, I don't really think there are many weak points, even where the band hurls in a djentish rhythm ("Creating the Abyss") or a ethereal ballad intro ("Devil in the Mirror") it all ties in perfectly to the greater structure of the album, and let's the members play around with ideas that Toxik hasn't been able to delve too far into in its past. This is not necessarily the gold standard that Think This was in 1989, but it's a superb modernization and has confidently grown into my second favorite of their catalogue, even though all three of them are well worth possessing. The cover art's a little on-the-nose, but they all were, and its symmetry is a fit symbol for how tight this damn band is.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

https://toxikmetal.net/

Toxik - In Humanity EP (2020)

While we still might not have arrived at the songwriting level of the Toxik classics World Circus and Think This, the In Humanity EP was the material that really made me think we'd get there if the band were able to once again get a proper full-length out on the market. The new tracks on Kinetic Closure and the Breaking Clas$ EP were worthwhile, no doubt, but In Humanity is really the next step forward, the most experimental stuff Josh had come up with, a mind-snapping morass of clinical and evil sounding melodies, scales and harmonies rooted in groovier rhythm sections, bass popping out all over the place, and then the conversion into these more intense, roiling double-bass sections. But another treat here is that Mike Sanders, the vocalist of World Circus, has returned for this material...

That's pretty neat, it's like a hat trick. You get Charles on the 2017 EP, Mike on another, and a sampling of the able new front-man Ron on the compilation that came out around the same time this did. And Mike might just sound the most pure of the three, giving a crazed performance that rivals the high-pitched siren-calls he meted out on the debut. Some of these songs are structured so interestingly, like "Crooked Crosses" which almost has a Voivod vibe, and it's all pretty stunning during an era when most of the thrash bands were built of sheer nostalgia for the Bay Area or Teutonic sounds, or hellbent on crossover pizza-thrash for partying and dressing the part. Nope, this at least comes off as if its trying to break some new ground in the band's canon, and there wasn't much to compare it to. Perhaps Vektor to an extent, sans the vocal style, but this really hearkens backed to the band's past if it were mixed together with some Realm, Mekong Delta or Deathrow on the brilliant Deception Ignored. It's got those cautionary and immediate vibes to it that present your mind with a social puzzle that you are desperate to unravel.

To be fair, I'm mostly talking about the three core studio tracks ("Too Late, Program Insertion" and "Crooked Crosses") which were available on the demo for this some years earlier. There are also some additional demo tunes here which add some more value, despite having a more repressed, boxy tone to their production, and then an instrumental, "Lunacy's Fringe", which is quite a mess beyond the piano parts, and is by far the least compelling thing on the release. However, these are add-ons and not to be confused with the promise shown by the EP proper, some truly exciting shit that had me absolutely jazzed for whatever might happen next...and something DID happen.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://toxikmetal.net/

Toxik - Kinetic Closure (2020)

Kinetic Closure is the sort of obligatory re-recording of classic tracks that you might expect with a 'comeback band' once they've got some new members in the fold and want to modernize their material, whether it's because they genuinely think it needs to be brought in line with whatever else is going on, or because they have some issues with the original recordings. There's a new singer here in Ron Iglesias, who honestly does his best to channel his predecessors, often succeeding in the higher pitched delivery, and the production of the instruments is not a far cry from the originals. Louder, more aggressive with the newer drumming, new cover art that ports Think This into the Trump era. To be fair, this was a pretty limited release, so nobody was touting this as some important milestone for the band, and it's usually going to be picked up alongside Breaking Clas$ and In Humanity on the III Works collection, where it's a better valey; but this ultimately falls short to me.

There are just some glaring differences in the production and vocal delivery that don't vibe with me as well as either of the original albums, even though the whole band puts in an earnest attempt. Josh is obviously still a ludicrous player that can match himself, the plunkier bass lines and more intense drums were sure to attract younger thrashers who had grown up on more extreme metal than even the frenetic thrash of that late 80s period. Ron is a good singer and I certainly wanted to hear him on newer material, but at best he plays it safe with the screaming of the earlier front-men, and at other times he sounds a little off. For me, the most attractive part of this is hearing the material from the Kinetic Closure single, a pair of tracks that goes off into the more bizarre, experimental thrash tangent that the In Humanity stuff did. These tunes are both nuts and I think I like them even more than the Breaking Clas$ EP, they certainly got me juiced up for modern Toxik more-so than hearing the other tunes I already knew from my teenage years.

Crazy rhythmic spiraling thrash that helps maintain that surgical feel while dropping a lot of the band's more traditional speed/power metal roots in favor of some occasional mid-paced thrash before the following fatal flurries of Christian's highly technical approach. "No Rest for the Wicked" might be the slightly more catchy of the pair, with more ties to the older material, but "Kinetic Closure" itself is a little further into the asylum and a sign of where the band would head with its next, proper third full-length. At any rate, like their other EPs, this felt like the natural direction the band would have taken if not for the decades between formations, and that's a good thing, we didn't have Toxik coming back with some shitty nu-metal or metalcore and a completely ability to read the room. They knew where they left off, they knew what we wanted, and they began delivery with syringes of shrieking, bludgeoning technique. But as relatively, polished as the re-recordings were, I don't find them necessary.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

https://toxikmetal.net/

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/

Vendetta - Black as Coal (2023)

Vendetta's earlier 80s material had a lot of personality to it, and Brain Damage stands as one of my favorites in that second or third tier of German thrash metal, a record with some tongue-in-cheek elements that felt like a more tightly controlled, dynamic alternative to Tankard. But since the group's 2002 reunion, I haven't been able to connect with much of what they put out. The first of those albums, Hate, was the best of the three before this one, but it's been dodderingly average thrash metal which lags way behind the renewed efforts and energy of juggernauts like Kreator, Sodom and Destruction. Black and Coal makes an honest attempt to bridge the band back to its glory days, and it certainly does sound like a seasoned, confident group which knows its business, but this one just never quite goes the distance that it needs.

Let me be clear, the musicianship is totally adequate, with some thundering drum-work, a reasonable bevy of rhythm guitars with a nice chunky modern tone that can also convey the melody or leads, and vocals that fit the Vendetta style, though this is the same front-man they'd had since reuniting, and not quite as charismatic as the earlier albums when the English was probably a little more challenging. But to be fair, you could convince me this was the other guys just a bit older if I wasn't paying attention to my notes. So Black as Coal has almost the whole package going for it, except for good songs...it has all the finish and features of your contemporary thrashing, produced to current standards of its peers, and understands how to implement some degree of dynamic range, but very, very few of the guitar riffs here or chorus parts remain in the memory even momentarily after you hear them. You'll hear some nods to their classic material, only a bit more iron-clad due to the modern tone, but they never surpass or even come close to the quirkiness of Brain Damage.

Plenty of effort, and it doesn't quite become generic to the level of something like an AI-generated band (they're starting to pop up out there), but it's hard to think you could throw this many riffs at a wall and not have at least a few more of them stick. "For Dear Life" with its choppy verse rhythms and cleaner vocals is probably the most unique feeling, but still zigs when it should have zagged and doesn't end up delivering more than a moment's curiosity. It's strange, because if you'd never heard this genre before, and queued up Black as Coal, it would seem an exemplar of thrash aesthetics, but it simply lacks the nuance of quality songwriting or standout leads, it's not nasty or aggressive enough to skirt by on extremity alone, and even the cover is bland as fuck. File this one along albums like The 5th or Feed the Extermination as middling-if-proficient German thrash that doesn't do its band's legacy much justice.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

http://www.vendetta-band.de/ 

Xentrix - Seven Words (2022)

Xentrix was another of what I'd dub the 'two and done' metal acts of the 80s to early 90s. You know, a solid debut thrash effort, a more promising sophomore (sometimes it goes in reverse), and then either they spend the majority of that latter decade in oblivion or diminishing returns. It's sad enough that the British band got a lot of its attention from a cheesy cover of Ray Parker Jr.'s theme to Ghostbusters, but they also put out some really weak records later on that all declined to resonate with me nearly as much as their first two. When they released Bury the Pain after their 2010s reunion, that was admittedly a decent offering, their best since 1990, and now Seven Words hopes to capitalize on the newfound energy and buzz, a new era 'sophomore' that could hopefully further reestablish some good will against the burgeoning scene of oldies and newbies.

It's a bunch of stuff we've heard before, of course. Initially the band had a lot of comparisons to Metallica, they were one that sort of broke out in the wake of your Master of Puppets or ...And Justice for All, but I think here "Behind the Walls of Treachery" or throughout the title track, I'm reminded a lot more of Testament, only a blander Testament which can't quite cultivate the excitement of that band on some of their more recent albums. Don't get me wrong, I don't cite this similarity as some major flaw of the band, I'm into the style, and Xentrix perform it with some maturity and dynamic ideas, but the lion's share of this record is just modern, meaty everyman's thrash which doesn't sound like it took a terribly long time to devise. They add just enough mood through the leads, and there is certainly a core Xentrix sound here which is carried forward from the early years, but if not for that scant melodic flavor, most of this would go in one ear and out the other because it's been done so much before...

This style of thrash doesn't quite have that immortal, hellish youth of the more blackened speed thrash niche, so it's really gotta go long on the songwriting, and there is just not much here to remember. Jay Walsh, who also did vocals/guitars on the previous album, does his best to sound like the earlier years, with a bit of added Chuck Billy heft, and the leads and more surgical riffs and melodies spice it up. The bass has a nice fat tone, the drums play it a little too safe, although that's in keeping with the older material I suppose. In the end, I simply would not be able to pick most of this stuff out of a lineup. They don't fuck around with the classic Xentrix formula, and so that's a plus for people who really want more of that, and I certainly banged my head to a few tunes like "My War" and closer "Anything but the Truth", but ultimately so little stands out in the crowd. If you're looking for an English response to Titans of Creation, slam it, but otherwise it had little impact on me.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

https://www.xentrix.co.uk/

Witchery - Nightside (2022)

Restless & Dead was one of my favorite metal albums of the later 90s, an absolute blitz of memorable songs performed in a legit hybrid of thrash, speed and black metal that I was completely in love with. They held it down to an extent with Dead, Hot and Ready, and have had a few reasonable full-lengths in the ensuing decades, but like their sister act The Haunted, I feel like a lot of the songwriting, particularly the riffs seem like they're just drawn from a grab bag of average fare, tucked into songs, slathered with whatever vocalist they can find at the time who sounds louder than Toxine but doesn't have the benefit of good tunes to back him up. The fire and energy have often just felt absent from the band, like it's an obligation that they just occasionally revisit when they remember there's still a fan base out there.

I'd love to report that Nightside is some return to form, but for most of its running length it's bog standard black & roll with a series of riffs that sound utterly uninspired and effortless, drawn from the good old legacy of Venom and the 'head, sometimes flowing more in a pure black/thrash direction like the "Storm of the Unborn" intro. Most of the momentum can only be provided by the drums or background choir ambiance even there, or the appreciably fat bass tone of Victor Brandt, because the rhythm guitars just don't do much for me. A squirrely, atmospheric lead, maybe, but otherwise it can become fairly vapid material. When the band is cranking out as much force as it can, in one of the singles, "Popecrusher", or the similar "Churchburner", it nearly reaches the levels of yesteryear, but then again you just keep waiting for some great breakdown or melody or something to rise above the din, and it only 'nearly' gets there every time. The vocalist, Anders Norder, who is on his third Witchery record, has the style they've always been using, a growlier spin on the black/thrash rasp, but he often comes off a little overbearing than the riffs, making them fade a bit into the undercurrent.

Production is fine, and the album is overall packed with enough heat not to feel completely phoned in, but the songs just don't stand out to memory as much as I'd want. "Crucifix and Candle" with its more moderate rocking swagger, is a slight departure, but even that doesn't throw me any surprises that would elevate the experience, and the closer, "Nightside", which alternates between slower, doomy grooves and sparse atmospheric parts with whispered guest vocals, is my favorite track here. "A Forest of Burning Coffins" has a great title but goes too over the top to provide a brutal thrasher with only a slight melodic payoff. In the end, this one just ranks between its two predecessors for me, still a crooked mile away from the inspiring works of the band's formation, but never quite sucking either, it's just there are literally dozens of black & roll, black/thrash/speed or whatever groups in this subgenre that do it all so much better nowadays. Compare this to the latest from Hellripper, or Knife, or Cruel Force, or Antichrist...Nightside keeps the Swedes on the tracks, but the engine continues to sputter along with only brief surges of quality mileage. The cover art...I get it, but kind of an eyesore.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

https://www.facebook.com/officialwitchery

Thou Art Lord - Daemoniorum EP (2022)

The Magus has really been on a tear in the last couple years, offering up fiery revivals of some of his popular bands, and even forming a new solo project which has plenty to offer the Hellenic black metal advocate. In 2022 he laid Necromantia to rest with a brilliant tribute album to the late Baron Blood which was one of my favorites of that year, even if it eschewed that project's bass-driven roots for something more overtly symphonic and accessible. There was also a new EP release for Thou Art Lord, and like the aforementioned, it takes on a slightly more polished and contemporary sound without betraying a 30 year legacy. Having Necromayhem (Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ) and drummer J. Maelstrom back on board doesn't hurt, and the three blaze what must be the fastest trail this Greek act has ever cleared.

Three tracks, all around 2-3 minutes, totally less than 10 minutes, and just blowing the listener the fuck away with memorable melodic guitar lines, perfectly rasped vocals, and snappy drums. Sakis must have wanted to get this stuff out of his system for a long time, it's absolutely written with the Hellenic style in mind, but really faster than you'd expect from most of his stuff, almost like it was a later Rotting Christ record which someone set at the wrong speed on a turntable (especially the opener "Hades"). There's a slight atmosphere of choir on the excellent "The Black Halo", and "Fire, Chaos and Doom" has a bit of a speed metal/punk propulsion to it which is quite a cool balance against the more epic feel of the other two tracks. Production is likewise awesome, just airy and clear without sounding digital or poppy, it conducts this EP like a trio of winds howling at you from high on an ancient temple, Gods and mischief, sacrifices and fornication splayed out below your gaze and grasp. If they do follow this one up with another full length, I hope it's got a bit more dynamic variation, for that is the one flaw here, but as it stands I think you can pick these tunes up on a reissue of DV8 if you don't want the download or the 7". Exciting stuff.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://www.facebook.com/thouartlordofficial/

Septicflesh - Reconstruction EP (2023)

Reconstruction is essentially the leftovers for those of who don't have a particular version of the Modern Primitive full-length to chew on, and I happen to be one of those poor schlubs, hearing these for the first time when I had access to the digital files. As it turns out, these are purely symphonic, cinematic pieces that don't incorporate the death metal elements the band have been built upon. However, they do possess the same glance back at the great times of antiquity, perhaps more so than the heavier tracks, and the Philharmonic really gets to excel over these pieces with the freedom from accompanying the dark grooves and the extreme metal drumming. Both "Salvation" and "The 14th Part" are pretty good, especially the choirs and vocals of the former, which set up a sort of audio play, sometimes creepy, in which to lose yourself.

The final track is the pure symphonic rendition of "Coming Storm" without the aggressive instruments, and this too is quite cool to experience, like a rousing scene in a film where battle is joined or there is some great escape from disaster. The depth here is wonderful, equivalent to what you'd hear in a film or video game score, and proves again the multi-faceted talents of Septicflesh composers, and what having those broader interests can bring into their metal music. Ultimately it's not the most memorable stuff, but if you're into dark opera then it's worth hearing even if you don't like death metal. I'd definitely at least recommend that, if you haven't picked up Modern Primitive, you get the version that includes this for additional value if the price difference isn't too great. It's a fine addition and bumps up the album just a fraction in my estimation. But on its own, a well-executed if passing curiosity.

Verdict: Indifference [6.25/10]

https://www.septicflesh.com/

Septicflesh - Modern Primitive (2022)

Modern Primitive is now the sixth album in this heavily symphonic, modern phase of Septicflesh's career, which has never produced a single stinker, and yet for all the quality, I can't help but feel a little tired of the whole affair. Granted, when I want a giant orchestrated blast to the face, I will happily mend my ways and turn back to the Greek juggernaut's unparalleled commitment to this style, but I do from time to time miss the 'innocence', or maybe that's not the right word, but the more subtle mysticism of their older recordings, and wish they might find a bridge between the two. What I can say for this album is that it has a mildly more organic feel to its production values...it doesn't feel quite so large and stunning, as if you're standing in some modern museum, but this one almost has a live vibe going on that I appreciate, even though they are still collaborating with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

Otherwise, it does feel a lot like a Codex Omega II. Loping grooves that occasionally shift into the harmonic melodies or dissonant chords, enormous percussion between the actual drummer, Krimh, and the orchestra timpani and other drums that crash along. The songwriting actually feels a margin more intricate than the prior album or two, but it's somewhat interchangeable do to the constant, rolling chugs. Spiros' vocals are your usual massive guttural but often affixed with some snarls to create an additional depth, and I think this more natural production also makes him sound a little more ominous. The songs often have a more sporadic and progressive feel to them, like the crazy and chaotic "Coming Storm", but that's not to say they're always interesting, just swinging more for the fences where Codex Omega might have come off a little more conservative to the strengths of the albums before it. The chemistry between tracks is still just as potent, but I have a few hear that I could escape into more than others, such as "A Desert Throne" and "Self-Eater" with their eerie or glorious atmospheric sequences. "Psychohistory" is another one that benefits a lot from the symphonics, erupting blast beats and dreamy, carried-away vibe.

I'll still give the nod to Codex Omega over this, and this one doesn't have me howling in ecstasy quite like The Great Mass, which was a simpler affair but for me the one that best exemplified this style with the catchiest tracks of the era. If you're not exhausted yet with this phase in their career, then I can't imagine this one is going to turn you off...it brings the goods, and tries to submerge them in a fresher audio space, but there might not be quite enough to expand them into new horizons. I feel like this is probably the point where the band would take a hiatus, Spiros and Sotiros and company plotting out a more nuanced and compulsory evolution forward, but for all I know we'll get another half dozen of these records with their deformed, statuesque cover beings and the same sort of grandiloquent, symphonic aesthetics that their material has transformed into exclusively. And of course I'll be there if I still draw breath, but the shine is starting to wane a bit.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://www.septicflesh.com/  

Septicflesh - Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX (2020)

It's somewhat disgusting to me that a band like Septicflesh can bring so many elements to the table and still sound so fucking professional in the live setting. If you told me this was just clips of their recent studio LPs with a little bit of live audience/ambiance sound thrown in, a few knobs tweaked to make it sound like a smidgeon messier, then I might believe you. But, no, the Greeks can travel to Mexico City, have another orchestra join them (Toluca Philharmonic) and then sound as perfect as this, just fuck off already! I kid, and in fact I'm happy to have listened through this, because as brickwalled and flawless as some of these tunes sound on their studio incarnations, the live performance of the Orchestra brings out an acoustic depth that is often missing in those more sterile enclosures... 

The crowd banter is good, Spiros sounds like he's barking out lots of rock & roll theatrics throughout the whole songs, the track selection is also quite good, visiting a lot of their recent efforts and especially some of my personal favorites off The Great Mass like "Pyramid God" and "The Vampire from Nazareth", which sound truly epic. If you're a big fan of the band's earlier catalog, they don't really bring that forward into this style, which could be interesting, as I think a lot of the elements in those tunes would lend themselves well to orchestrated modernization, but if you're into the entire Sumerian Daemons and beyond era of Septicflesh, you will be in paradise across the two discs. It's one of the better studio translations I've experienced on this kind of release, and maybe even too good if you're hoping to hear a lot of improvisations or minor changes in how they perform the material outside the safety of a studio. To even think that bands like this which used to be, for me, underground death metal bands that I could rarely even find anyone to talk about with, are now on such a level as to perform internationally with such a massive production is the most jaw-dropping thing about it...

There's also a DVD to go along with the audio, and I think this is becoming the new standard for this sort of packaging, which is a good value for the fans. Video quality is quite good here, and of course it feels just that much more magnificent when you can see the large orchestra playing as the band dances around in their strange Clive Barker-world leather costumes and the audience pumping their hands in the air, despite the serious mysticism and intensity of the bands' themes, everyone is having fun and it just goes to show that this is a band which has your back. Septicflesh doesn't fuck around, if they're going to put this together, they're going to do it right, and they did, and kudos to them for doing so. One of the best live album sets on my shelf.

Verdict: Win [8.75/10]

https://www.septicflesh.com/

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/

Varathron - The Crimson Temple (2023)

I haven't been enamored with everything Varathron has ever put out (Crowsreign, I'm looking at you), but they've always struck me as the Greek black metal band which took what it was doing most seriously, and the result is usually a work of depth that keeps me coming back for years, whether we're discussing the earlier albums or the underrated modern epics like Untrodden Corridors of Hades and their last one Patriarchs of Evil. So I know immediately without even hearing a note of The Crimson Temple that I can trust what Stefan and company will manifest into the world, and this time it might be an album that many could consider a consummate Hellenic black metal work, one that can withstand almost all scrutiny and hopefully match the timelessness of its lofty forebears.

Note, I'm not saying it's the best, or my favorite for that scene, but if you had someone who wasn't in the know inquiring about the distinction of this niche, The Crimson Temple does it all and then some. Not a 'starter kit', mind you, but an album which is probably accessible to those new to the sound. You have the incorporation of glorious metal melodies into the hammering black substrate, with rhythmic patterns that wouldn't be foreign to their fellows like Rotting Christ. Necroabyssious has just one of those iconic rasped vocals, one of the best in the medium, capable of some sneer and sustain but usually just barking along to the beats and guitars with the utmost occult class. The drumming is great, tribal and ritualistic and definitely helps enhance the more folksy moments of this album, whether they be nestled into the harder tracks like "Crypts in the Mist" or the amazingly festive intro "Ascension". Choirs and other native style instruments are non-intrusive and tastefully implemented only to the elevation of the material.

Most importantly, this is super consistent material, and while it all feels coherent in style, they can throw you for a few loops like the slightly doomier, awesomeness "To the Gods of Yore", the charging force of "Immortalis Regnum Diaboli", or the aforementioned tribal bits which take you back to the ancient times which weigh heavy on Varathron's imagination. All this with a glorious, bombastic production which does justice to all of the instrumentation without being overwrought. Are these always the catchiest guitar riffs in their catalog? Not necessarily, and I'd also add that this is hardly the darkest of their works, I feel like Untrodden Corridors of Hades takes that crown, but this is just so brazen, exotic, and magnificent busting out of my speakers that I couldn't care less. Hellenic black metal royalty retained.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

https://varathron.com/

Vektor/Cryptosis - Transmissions of Chaos (2021)

 Transmissions of Chaos is the first Vektor release since the band's troubles and dissolution in 2016, and they've chosen to share it with the comparable Dutch act Cryptosis, who were poised to release a pretty good debut in Bionic Swarm that same year. The pairing is a good one, both bands having a fusion of technical thrash and death elements, without sounding quite the same, but complementary to the other, which is more than I can say for a lot of bands that decide to share wax (or tape) like this. The futurist/sci-fi/cyborg thematic elements also jive pretty well in unison, and if there were any hope for a New Wave of Science Fiction Death/Thrash, these would certainly be two of the flag carriers launching their vessels out in the cosmos.

The Arizonans had been doing it for years, after all, and their contribution here pretty much picks up from where they left off on the great Terminal Redux. Kinetic riffing passages powered by David's nasty vocals, flurries of clinical melodies that give it that cosmic or otherworldly feel, hearkening back to Voivod although Vektor doesn't quite play with the same guitar language that Piggy created for the Canadians; instead it's more of a cutting edge progressive metal style with a bit more consonance to it, lots of lines reminiscent of Florida's Cynic and other bands of that ilk. The tunes here are not their catchiest, and a little chaotic in how there is the flux between the cleaner guitars and the space-shark-like frenzy in "Activate", or the cleaner vocal sections of "Dead by Dawn", a more elaborate track on which they're trying something new. Interesting material, and the bass playing of Stephen Coon is a standout, along with the estimable duo of DiSanto and Nelson, but probably better to have been committed to this limited release rather than a proper new full album.

I think it is Cryptosis who have penned the more cohesive material for this, and I was really feeling the hyper-riffing and ravenous barks of "Decypher" that break out into some catchy, Middle Eastern sounding melodies. The drumming is sick here, the production explosive and it just feels more impressive as a song than anything on 'Side A'. "Prospect of Immortality" is another strong piece, slower but longer and more involved (the second side is set up quite like Vektor's). I also loved the leads, the bass tone, honestly these are two of the band's better tracks...but that's also where Transmissions loses a bit of value. Both of these would appear on Bionic Swarm, and though they do match well enough with Vektor, they match a lot better with themselves, and are thus better experienced on that full-length. Assuming DiSanto and company might remix or re-record or include them with a future release, either as part of the core track list or bonus content, this split might become completely irrelevant. So bear that in mind, but if you're a big fan of the Arizonans, and this is the only place it's ever available, it might just be worth it.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/VektorOfficial

https://cryptosis.net/

Vektor - Terminal Redux (2016)

By the time Terminal Redux dropped, Vektor was already on a trajectory towards the stars, and I don't just mean the ones out in space that they so love to sing about, but the popularity contest that is American brutal or technical death metal, deathcore, and such. Though they already had two fantastic records under their belts, it seemed like it was this one where suddenly everyone started chattering about them everywhere, placing them on their year's end lists and starting to take it all very seriously. It's not hard to understand why, because the musicianship was formidable, there's a lot of weaponry DiSanto and company could attack with, and they were just plain ambitious when the idea of a technical death/thrash band seemed like an idea that was restrained to Florida and certain parts of Europe in the later 80s and early 90s.

There just weren't a lot of bands channeling Voivod, Cynic, Atheist, Deathrow, old Pestilence, and the like, and these are all components you might hear in Vektor's sound, though to their great credit, they are a copy of none of these. These cats have their own ideas, and Terminal Redux is quite a progressive offering, from the constantly shifting tone and riffing styles, to the ideas like the ethereal backing vocals on a couple of the tracks. This record is an adventure, one in which you don't know where all the turns are coming until you've experienced the entirely a few times over, and that's one of its strengths. Although Dave DiSanto's raspy vocals unify the whole, there's a huge plethora of rhythmic dynamics here, riffing sequences that feel like they took quite some effort to put together with all the instruments, and a penchant for longer tunes that don't ever really grow too tiresome or boring. Is there a bit of self-indulgence and excess? Perhaps, but nothing that terribly surpasses or even rivals many other technical death metal acts or shredders of the past, and it all comes together into a varied assault that largely sticks the landing.

The lyrics are nerdy, excellent excursions into science and science fictional concepts, which can transport the listener to the extra-terrestrial realms the band wants to inhabit, I wasn't paying attention enough to tell if this was a coherent story, but each of the tracks has so much going for it that it wouldn't be necessary. It must be pretty hard to memorize this stuff, so to pull it off in the studio without sounding too artificial is a feat unto itself, and the production is a great complement, crystal clear but honest and never too drowned out in effects or atmosphere that you can't get to the meat of the instrumentation. Terminal Redux does live up to its heights, but it lacked the surprise for me that Black Future achieved, and to a fractionally lesser extent its follow-up Outer Isolation. So this one remains in third place with me, but it certainly feels the most complex and progressive and I can totally understand why others might feel otherwise. Of course, Vektor would hit a wall after this one with the sketchy personal behavior, ensuing breakup and social media shitstorm, so it's a wonder if the band would ever be able to get even crazier than this...certainly the two tracks on the split with Cryptosis do not compare to this material, so we'll have to see if the writing is on the starship walls, or if they can outdo themselves once again with even more labyrinthine song structures.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10]

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Ribspreader - Crypt World (2022)

When it comes to Rogga and his thousand death metal projects, I've long since lost the pulse. And who could blame me, because while I was fully on board and interested back when there were just a dozen, I don't think I ever expected the 'central' bands like Paganizer and Ribspreader to remain so prolific through all these years, while so many others were spawned. Yet here we are, with the 9th full-length offering from the latter, and I'm not sure I can properly distinguish it from others by Revolting or whatever else is still kicking around, it's just such an onslaught of middling-to-decent material that I feel like certain chunks could be intermingled, interchanged and none would be the wiser. The rub is that the guy knows his aesthetics damn well, and on almost any album across his career, you can find yourself nodding along or outright headbanging to the finer riffs and leads, and isn't that what matters?

Crypt World has the cool cover artwork that brings you back to the 90s classics, an image that transports you into some cosmic horror/Lovecraftian otherverse where the brutality is the twisted architecture, and sky is grim and you are hopeless flesh to be twisted into the annals of death metal history. The mix is fully competent, with the crunch and burn of the guitars out front, not entirely embracing a typical Swedish HM-2 pedal style tone, but certainly amenable to those seeking that. The riffs range between your fun, flexing d-beat style and then more structured thrashing or Floridian evil. His vocals are gruesome and ugly gutturals, but not too low-pitched, and frankly they feel a little repetitive and underproduced although he does hit some sustain on certain lines and tries not to grow terribly monotonous. I think it's a weakness of this and numerous other efforts, and a bit more time mixing them against the snarls or the thicker riffs would do wonders to make this more memorable. Drums are workmanlike, bass almost never matters through the nine tracks, used only as some concrete reinforcement to the sum battery of the style. The slight industrial metal feel to first verse of "Good Hatchet Fun" is a cute surprise, but not that elaborate.

Quality of riffing itself is solid, nothing too unique or progressive, but there's variation between more open, doomy chords (in "The Bone Church" chorus) and writhing tremolo-picked bits, and some of them sound appropriately menacing and evil despite the factory-churned feel of the production. The leads are a highlight here, whipping and frenzied and often brief, but ramping up the atmosphere that the meat & potatoes death metal lacks elsewhere. Lyrics and song titles are pretty sweet, though they seem like they're pulled from some Rogga AI-generation because of the similarity to so many others, but as I hinted above, the guy just has such a handle on this style that inspired him that he's one of its most ardent emulators and participants. Any time I think I might fall asleep, he knows how to slightly perk my attention with some cutting riff, but as I have thought so many times in the past, what if he merged some of these projects together, took more time refining the best of his ideas, forging the best goddamn throwback death metal the world over? I think he might just do that if he wasn't Rib-spreading himself so thin, and though Crypt World is an effective enough disc, fun for a couple spins, it just can't be more because it feels so slated into a schedule.

Verdict: Win [7/10]
 
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