Deluge - Æther (2015)

Deluge are somewhat of an anomaly in how they arrive at a similar space to a lot of sludgier black metal bands but do so through an entirely different roster of influences, the most prominent of which are those in the post-hardcore field. There are a few similarities to New York's Castevet, Flourishing or fellow Frenchmen Celeste, who put out a number of killer records, but these gentlemen are far more direct in execution, and the shining series of chords they implement is used to a largely brutal effect. Most of the tracks here are front-ended or book-ended by rain samples, and it creates much to the band name's credit this utter downpour of emotion that can actually grow quite exhausting through its blasted portions which are dressed up with simple but surging rhythm guitars that channel a slightly airy presence over the tightly knit bass and drums.

It's not always a tug of war between the stillness and storms, they do perform some slower paced material which is just as basic in construction. This is another case where the music itself doesn't require a lot of variety or proficiency, the production is just so enormous and crushing that it can transform even the most minimal of notations into something more emotionally effective. I did get a little tired of the shouted, harsh vocals, which just grew a little monotonous, and I craved a little more intricacy in the guitar riffs, which are just standard flumes of tremolo picked chords with a slightly brighter feel than your average European black metal. The blast beat sections feel just overly straightforward, so once you've latched on to the patterns they never go anywhere unexpected, and a few bizarre or unique melodies popping up through the verses and choruses could have worked wonders against the more stable backdrop. The cleaner guitar progressions are also a little mediocre, they function only to create contrast but never seem so memorable by themselves.

In terms of engineering, Æther is just enormous; the drums alone will beat you into submission before you can even reach the volume control. But when the whole band is pouring on all the rhythmic concrete, you feel like this is just a pure wall of force. Bass lines don't deviate much from the rhythm guitars, but at least they're thick in the mix and thus ground the assault. Cover art by fellow French artist Metastazis for the digipack is just about perfect, a hypnotic image that does actually reflect how the band sounds. Ultimately, though, while I can't fault the sound Deluge are going for, this particular selection of songs all too rarely thrills with memorable licks, it's all too direct as it flattens the listener. Subtle touches like the distant, clean vocals in "Avalanche" are quite nice, but I just wish there were more of them, and that the band would invest in more jerky and unusual guitar riffs like a lot of the groovier post-hardcore bands from earlier eras. A curious, solid foundation has been laid out here, but I'd just like the architecture that springs from it to captivate my senses a little more than just merely beating me with a hammer.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

https://www.facebook.com/wearedeluge

Amia Venera Landscape - The Long Procession (2010)

On paper, we've heard it all before: Scream/Clean dual vocal tandem, post hardcore, mathcore, metalcore, grind elements, and even post metal. In execution, The Long Procession is anything but an exercise in commonality, and not only draws the best out of its influences but displays an understanding of songwriting that is wholly uncommon for such a young band to debut with.

Dense and epic, Amia Venera Landscape have crafted such a dynamic (hinging on schizophrenic, but it never totally loses its bearings) record it can be a bit overwhelming. Piano gives way to jagged, angular guitar riffs that favor the atonal and thick. Switch-hit song structure fades easily into post-metal drone and then on to lightspeed picking. Vicious roars and screams ebb into triumphant, epic crooning over guitar crunch. Chiming, crystalline leads intertwine in the background of minor-key chugga chug antics. It's a complex, layered record that works on almost every level, even if a few elements tend to overstay their welcome.

Front and center here is the epic ten minute "Nicholas", a song that goes from Between the Buried and Me antics and halfway through switches into a interlude that wouldn't be out of place on a Sigur Ros album. Someone hits a switch, and everything comes back in: Heavy, slow, and evil, segue into another interlude, and the clean vocals bring us back into the thick with a crescendo that may have been ripped straight off an effort from Isis, all with a thread of commonality in their post-hardcore lead lines that gently guide this rabid monster through its inevitable life cycle. It's extended running time and the deftly arranged songwriting allow this monstrosity to breathe and grow on its own, and it all feels completely natural.

This is not a disjointed effort, it all flows remarkably well: For a debut album, the transitions here are admirably well done, and something the previously mentioned BTBAM seriously needs to take a look at.

"Empire" is as nasty as an album opener as someone could hope for, followed closely by two other corkers in "A New Aurora" and "My Hands Will Burn First", both of which showing heavy influence from Underoath, Alexisonfire, Starkweather, and any number of post-metal acts. The two "Glances" songs are probably the most initially pleasing tracks, especially the second since it contains more than ambience, but will be the first that wear a bit thin. It doesn't make them necessarily bad, but in comparison to the power of the rest of the album, they are the weak point.

The fourteen minute instrumental "Marasm" tends to drag in a few of the slower parts as well, but it's tendency to kick copious amounts of ass once it's hitting all its RPM's is a spectacle to behold.

Overall, this was a nice year-end surprise from this small band out of Italy. Powerful, dense, heavy as hell, creative, and executed with the deftness of a veteran band, Amia Venera Landscape deserves your eyes and ears to be on this monster of an album. Highly recommended.

Verdict: Epic Win [9.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/amiaveneralandscape

Into Another - Seemless (1995)

Into Another were never quite a 'metal' band, but there are more than enough elements in common to appeal to those seeking heavier, melodic and original material. It's arguably the heaviest album (and last released full-length) from the band, even moreso than the doomy s/t debut and the folkish, acoustic laden Ignaurus. Many would argue that Ignaurus was their best, but I happen to enjoy Seemless for its space rocking attitude and graceful melodic hooks, not to mention the addition of layered vocal production for Richie Birkinhead (formerly of hardcore heroes Youth of Today and Underdog). And unlike the Poison Fingers Ep, this major label debut thankfully drops the annoying vegetarian angst for a set of songs dealing in personal relationships.

Birkinhead's vocals are quite sensual on this album, and by sensual I mean girls fucking love him. However, despite many of the bands' original fanbase, I would not qualify Into Another as an 'emo' band (in the original sense of the term, not the cheapened cultural internet 'meme'). Seductive and melodic, but never do they sound like some shitty indie rock band over-indulgently obsessing over their high school crushes. Seemless is a pretty, shiny sound, but it speaks to the soul, not the cosmetics compact.

"Mutate Me" opens with bouncing, throbbing bass guitar courtesy of Tony Bono (formerly of thrashers Whiplash and now, sadly deceased). Peter Moses is like a Tom Morello of space rock, alternating between chords and all manner of wah-wah, scratching and whatever basically works in the song. Drummer Drew Thomas (also of a classic hardcore band, Bold) keeps the pace with some killer beats, far better than what you'd hear on the average heavy radio rock record. "Locksmiths & Lawyers" dives right back in, a driving rock track with ethereal, beautiful chorus vocal melody. "T.A.I.L." crawls along with a pumping rhythm as Birkinhead weaves the tale of a disaffected relationship. "Getting Nowhere" starts gently with some catchy lyrics before busting into a heavy rock chorus with, once again, killer vocals.

Monarchs and heads of state, rarely stay up late, that's why their healthy, wealthy and wise

The title track "Seemless" is one of my favorites here, a heavier track akin to something you'd find on Voivod's Angel Rat, aside from the obvious vocals. Chords jangle to create a somber, descending melancholy. "Actual Size" is possibly the worst track here, namely because of the repetition of Ego Ego during the chorus. The verses are light and plucky and not so bad. "For a Wounded Wren" is a beautiful little ballad, good to make the girlys squeal and the bois effeminate. After this we get back to some power. "After Birth" plods and grooves over its flowing bass and pensive lyrics until exploding into another chorus just as catchy as "Seemless" and "Getting Nowhere". "Regarding Earthlings" is another great melodic rock song loaded with hooks, and some of the best lyrics on the album, especially some of your children are vampires. I love that part. "May I" is really dreamy and sappy like Elvis, another of the tracks I tend to skip. Ditto for "The Way Down", though I do like where it picks up.

This was a major label debut for Into Another and it definitely sounds like it. All the instruments are accessible and in particular the vocals shine, Birkinhead sounds wonderful when he's doubling his tracks or singing off himself in multiple registers. Though much of the album has held up over the years, there are a few songs which simply do not live up to the rest. The two tracks "All the Way Rider" and "Anne Dreud's Last Entry" on the T.A.I.L. single were quite good and would have been better choices for the album than the drippy "May I" or "Actual Size". But for the other 6-7 excellent songs, this is worth hunting down, if you're in the mood for something catchy and accessible without turning on the shit on your FM radio.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10] (minds at rest tend to stay that way, so stay wide awake)

http://www.myspace.com/therealintoanother

Tombs - Winter Hours (2009)

It may only be my first exposure to this New York outfit's elegant brutality, but it will not be my last. I have been converted within the confines of a single album, and this is my favorite yet of the new wave of bands whose name = simple noun + plural 's' (Battles, Reigns, Planks, Tides, Wolves, ad infinitum), a disturbing trend if forgettable in its best cases.

Winter Hours is a beautiful album which combines the angst vocals of the post-hardcore/metal surge with droning, shining walls of guitar chords to create simple but heartfelt and resonant power. "Gossamer" reeled me in immediately just like a fish gorged and content on a fat worm, it's thundering percussion laden heavily in the thick and ringing chords. "Golden Eyes" is like a juicy black metal anthem busting out into a sick old school Neurosis groove. "Beneath the Toxic Jungle" is as if Sonic Youth took up church burning. "The Great Silence" weaves its mystique through alternating sheens of wailing chords and driving black punk moored in distorted bass syrup. "Story of a Room" is a relaxing echo of chords which chimes in just at the right place in the album, giving you a brief respite from the band's heavier palate. "The Divide" resounds again like thunder in its drummer, and "Merrimack" is one of the best songs here with its flowing bass lines and spatial atmosphere. "Filled With Secrets" is again like a post-rock, sludge, black metal fusion, Mike Hill's vocals becoming a black/death snarl. The album ends with the crushing "Seven Stars the Angel of Death" and the tranquil "Old Dominion".

Though the delivery here is excellent, the album wouldn't hit its full stride without the wealth of tone created in its mix. The guitars and bass are simply exposive, you will find yourself immersed in numerous edges and layers. They manage to blend a lot of popular modern mediums of the extreme rock genre (sludge, post rock, etc) and fashion them into something clear in its influence yet flavorful and unique for its future. The album will hit stores soon, so pick one up. It's well worth the ride.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]

http://www.myspace.com/tombsbklyn