Vomitor - The Escalation (2012)

Australia's long been a haven for raving metal madmen, much as it has been for brutal cult film like Razorback and the Mad Max series. I mention these, because Vomitor has always struck me as a group of barbarians reared on both this 70-80s cinematic extremity just as much as the fundamentals of death, thrash, black and speed metal, all of which they pulp together into a whipcord of frenzied, raw energy and Teutonic inflected riffing circa Sodom, Kreator and Destruction (in addition to Slayer, Hellhammer, 80s Morbid Angel and Possessed) in the early through mid 80s. Denim, vests, helmets, bullet belts, beer, patches, this is the archetypal band of retro maniacs who, rather than just endlessly aping riffs and production, do try something mildly different with the joint petulance of their production values and the sinister intentions exacted by the nasty vocals, frilly leads, etc. It's not hard to reason why their prior efforts like Devils Poison generated the buzz they did, and Vomitor is surely a fine fit for the crowd enamored of Hells Headbangers, Nuclear War Now! and related labels who specialize in this field.

It's also no surprise that these sickos (past and present) almost all have history in other Down Under deviants like Gospel of the Horns, Spear of Longinus, Portal or the seminal Bestial Warlust. The writing is not exemplary, perhaps, but it is incredibly seasoned mischief that never sounds insincere or trying to take the piss out of the genres it celebrates. I realize the band is generally labeled as a death/thrash hybrid, but the bloodied, Mille-like barks and unwashed savagery of the presentation also reek of Mayhem's Deathcrush era or a few of the earlier Bathory records. The guitar tone here is crisp, crunchy, and never obscured in the mix, but at the same time it's light and primitive and just about perfect for both the churning grime of the slow to mix paced chords and palm mutes, to the more harried and intense picking sequences that drive pieces like the opener "Pitch Black" or "Hellburst to Fight". When they pursue a more melodic progression of notes, they always pop out of the mid-toned backdrop like vulture cries, and the leads are generally interesting developments no matter how dissonant, incendiary or frivolous the patterns. Drums have a very live feel cast about them, with the kick set at a tolerable level and lots of crash to the fills, and the bass, while audible, has a thinner tone that allows the guitars and vocals the center stage.

I love the effects placed on the crude, barking vocals which help them feel like echoes across a traumatized, irradiated wasteland. Malevolent desert ghosts, stalking any mutant who survived the fallout. These guys are also capable of building intensity to the point where it becomes like an ungodly offspring of Repulsion and mid-80s Dark Angel, but then they'll simmer down into some less overbearing material for a swell contrast ("Horrors of the Black Earth"). Despite its wilder embellishments, The Escalation is focused and concise, with about 31 minutes and 7 tracks (with an intro), and never grows boring unless you're just not in the mood for such a rough handling. True, the songs don't really stick out in my memory for much longer than when I'm listening to the disc, but they easily stoke the hell-hearths of nostalgia for that crucial time when a lot of bands were branching out, and the borders between the thrash, death and black genres were somewhat blurred, with no one in a rush to define them to the exclusion of all others. A fun, consistent record which easily affirms their place among the better groups in this niche, safely recommended to fans of Pleasure to Kill, In the Sign of Evil, Darkness Descends, Hell Awaits, Altar of Madness, Seven Churches, as well as newer outfits like Cruel Force, Antichrist, Ketzer, Deathhammer, etc. Thunderdome cage metal.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vomitor/170920829616359

Endezzma - Erotik Nekrosis (2012)

After what I believe to be a looping Doctor Faustus quote, Norse heathens Endezzma dowse the listener in about 60-70 seconds of gradually escalating noise and horror, before letting loose the black metal dogs of war. It's a dramatic entrance, and one that they are fortunately able to capitalize with 40 minutes of consistent material that balances off the primalist riffing of early 90s Scandinavian extremity with a fair share of atmospheric content that prevents the record from ever growing stale. This is an important characteristic in a world where so many bands seem to aim for either one or the other half of this equation, and thus end up in a rather narrow confines from which it becomes difficult to escape. This is not some amazingly unique or inventive outfit, mind you, but they get the job done in the songwriting department, and the rhythmic variation here is appreciated.

Essentially, you've got these dense and compacted grooves ("Against Them All" is a good example) which draw upon the heritage of a Darkthrone, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, or perhaps even a touch of the latest Satyricon black & roll; and sauteed in higher, jangling strings that often bear the brunt of dissonance. Some tracks go out for an even more anguished, atmospheric structure ("Swansong of a Giant", "Hollow") through which the guitars are used more as a malevolent backdrop for the tortured vocal. Elsewhere they lay on the thicker, double bass drums up to a faster pace, but this is not a band who ceaselessly blast across material: they want you to feel every note, every dripping, malignant emotion dispersed through the instruments and vocals, and as a result Erotik Nekrosis has all the airs of a seasoned, maturated recording. The bass is a copious brute, pumping along against the rhythm guitar, and the drums have a lot of crashing rock techniques that help support the grooves. Endezzma doesn't shy away from using cleaner (though still distorted) strings where they're applicable, and the vocalist puts a lot more character and meat into his inflection than the typical, forgettable rasp many black metal bands drone along with.

The late and prolific Trondr Nefas (also of Angst Skvadron, Beastcraft and Urgehal) shines on what is possibly his final recording, and that richness and cautious rendering of the rhythm guitar paired up with M. Sorgar's (aka Morten Shax) bloodied grunts and howls kept me transfixed upon the music throughout. Individually, I wouldn't claim that most of the note progressions are oh so memorable, and the songs aren't so infectious that I wished to immediately cycle back through them, but on the whole this is a album that really gets it right: it's immersive and interesting, and even the lengthier tracks don't tend to force any sense of boredom during the experience. The bold, up front production readily translates the band's oblique, ominous themes through the speakers without ever threatening the sterilization that often comes with overt polish and overdubbing. Erotik Nekrosis is nothing amazing by virtue of having heard its components many times before through Norse and Swedish black metal pioneers, but darkly pleasurable, well above average.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.facebook.com/endezzma

Megascavenger - Descent of Yuggoth (2012)

Megascavenger is yet another of the myriad Roger 'Rogga' Johansson projects, and one of the newest. It's been a busy year for the Swede, with at least a half dozen releases under his belt, from the exceptional (Putrevore's Macabre Kingdom) to the acceptable (latest from The Grotesquery and Revolting) to the downright average (the ghostly death grind of Humanity Delete). Somewhere in the midst of all these recordings he's managed to eke out an additional, monstrous old school death metal act and invite a few of his friends among the underground royalty to help flesh it all out. Where to place Megascavenger in the Rogga pantheon? Where other acts in his retinue might represent overt tributes to his Swedish peers and forebears, I like to think of this as a meatier homage to something like Bolt Thrower or Asphyx.

You can expect the typical traits out of Descent of Yuggoth: solid, effortless production that seethes in its own boiling atmosphere, and a riff-set which is both unashamedly derivative and entertaining. There is a load of grime on the guitar which seems like churning blood and sludge, but he also incorporates some melodies to counterbalance the low end domination, and a slew of guest leads from Patrick Mameli (Pestilence), Jonas Lindblood (Puteraeon, Taetre) and Eric Daniels (Asphyx). The album measures off its slower grooves and faster blitzes in balanced succession, and it ends up feeling like a more a mix of Realm of Chaos/War Master era Bolt Thrower or The Grand Leveler Benediction if it were molded with a more modernized production redolent of Autopsy's first two discs. The guitars are abrasive and intense, the bass like a toxic ooze slinking alongside the drums, and the vocals are Rogga's general low-end gutturals and don't necessarily distinguish themselves from numerous of his other projects. Here, too, he is assisted by a few of the old timers: Paul Speckmann (Master), Marc Grewe (Morgoth), and of course Dan Swanö. My one regret is that they're not all used more often, to create a sort of brutal Hear'n'Aid of barks and growls.

As it stands, though, Descent of Yuggoth is a crude, crunchy album which succeeds thanks to how it front loads a lot of the best tunes: the tank-like treading opener "Nihilisticon" or the bouncing bombardment of "Catapulted Through Aeons" to name a few. Not quite a 'cavernous' style album like so many that seem all the rage in recent years, but 100% committed to satisfying the nostalgic death metal crowd who largely disregard aesthetics post-1995, with the possible exception of the production values that are tremendous here. My one caveat is that everything this album does, I felt Rogga and Dave Rotten did better with the Putrevore sophomore. The sounds of the two albums are not entirely the same, but the riffs and the overall mix there was just so staggeringly, motherfucking unbelievable that I've been spoiled on some of his other works. Riff for riff, this isn't quite that consistent, and a few times I felt myself nodding off on the later half of its content. But it certainly stands out more than a few of Roger's other recent works like Bloodgut, Bone Gnawer or Humanity Delete, and you could do a lot worse than this crushing collection of Lovecraftian caveman hymns.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

Unburied - Murder 101 (2012)

As open minded of a guy as I am, with a vested interest in many genres of music and especially sub-genres of metal, every now and then there's a release which comes along and gets under my skin: and not in a good way. Unfortunately, for Virginia's Unburied and their sophomore outing Murder 101, this was indeed the case, and I found it torturous to sit through this the acceptable number of times that I usually take to fashion my observations into a written opinion. Now, let me clarify first: this was a band from another age, formed in the 90s, and some of their primitive approach to brutality carries through from this simpler time period. I have no real issues with music of such a neanderthal nature, nor can I persecute Unburied for its heavily misogynist lyrics and themes (let's just say the cover is indicative of a lot of the album's inspiration). Cruelty of this nature is a common trope among many brutal death & grind acts, and if you're not used to it by now...there's always brostep? Granted, the band themselves might not hate women, but this album most definitely fucking does. Murder 101 does not pull any punches, and some will appreciate such defiance.

The album is being branded as death metal, and certainly that's a large part of what's going on, with some faster based riffing segments, old school chugging, and a production on the guitars that definitely reminds me somewhat of that old Morrisound tone so popular among Floridian bands of olde. That said, I also heard a lot of hardcore influences in the leaden, unflinching simplicity of the groove riffs, and especially in the gruff lead vocals, which have a sort of  thuggish inflection I equate with East Coast bands like Sheer Terror or Blood for Blood from the 90s. This isn't necrophiliac gore & guts, but more of a wifebeater brand of death metal which attempts to deliver maximum punishment through minimum riffing. And this is where my major issue with the album comes in: the note progressions almost 100% suck. Seriously, such dreadfully mediocre patterns in the breakdown riffs that they're often just two chords bouncing back and forth ("Trapped in a Delusion" and the title track "Murder 101" are two offenders), preschool punishment that I wouldn't find funny or interesting if I were to assume even the most ironic stance. In the band's defense, the aforementioned tracks are some of the worst here; others pummel along with a lot more intensity...

...and yet those, too, are incredibly underwhelming in construction, even in the most clinical thunder-chug thrashings of "Heartless Corpse Defilement" or the uppity punkish chord configurations embedded into the song "Witchburner". Not a single damn riff sequence on this entire 30 minute album was remotely compelling, and there's really no compensation anywhere. Not in the banal, predictable NYHC meets NYDM grooves, nor the spurious use of samples. The drumming is decent enough, with a nice slappy snare sound that functions adequately against the broiling guitar, and the bass guitar has a nice pop to it which reminds me of NY thrash bands like Anthrax, but neither is performing anything interesting enough to ignore just how vapid a reaction I had to the riff set. It's not the worst album I've heard by a long shot, and the band at least keeps the tracks concise enough that they don't drag on forever. They showed up, and they played. I guess in the end, I get what Unburied were trying to pull off here, a totally stripped down return to their roots and a total 'I Don't Give a Fuck' attitude.  An approach that might warrant some consideration elsewhere, but I really think it would leave a bigger impact with better plotted songwriting. Wasn't my thing.

Verdict: Fail [3/10] 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unburied/191878257527420

Naer Mataron - ΖΗΤΩ Ο ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ (2012)

Long subsisting on savagery, Naer Mataron have unquestionably proven themselves to be one of the most sinister extremists among the cult of Hellenic black metal. One of the closest in that scene to adhere to the concept that this genre's roots are raucous, fast, unhealthy, unholy and uncomfortable music to damage the psyche and soul. Their records have traditionally not been the stuff of glorious gallivanting and singalong melodies, but more interested in skinning the audience and cannibalizing their organs, and their latest, sixth full-length ΖΗΤΩ Ο ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ (i.e. 'Long Live Death') is a further affirmation of their scathing Satanic blood ablutions and the organ harvesting of an angelic chorus. Now just a three piece (they were five on 2008's Praetorians), one would think that they might pursue a more stripped-down approach to violence, but that's not really the case with this...

To my surprise, Naer Mataron have actually ramped up the death metal elements in their music to the point that this latest album is basically a death/black hybrid. Granted, the last album had a bit of this felt through the construction of the muted picking and several of the riffs, but the vocals there were more of an abrupt and uncouth snarl placing it largely in the latter niche. Here, we get denser death grunts, which combined with the hyper-accelerated riffing bring to mind veterans like Morbid Angel, or Polish acts like Behemoth or Hate. Rhythmically they continue to implement a lot of dissonant, cutting chord patterns which reflect their Norse black metal influence and the heritage of their earlier records, but this is a blasted, brutal assault which will potentially sate followers of both camps (or each, individually). Frenetic, tireless drumming lays out the groundwork, and above the clamorous configurations of chords you get zipping, unhinged leads that feel as oblique and evil as the Floridian forefathers, if perhaps not as complex or interesting as something Trey might have written in his prime. But fear not, because this isn't some monotonous blast-fest lacking in variation: they use a lot of great rhythmic tricks, stop/start patterns festooned in spikes of morbid melody (as heard in "Sleepless Beings"), and even some rabid, turbo-thrashing riffage as in "Faceless Wrath of Oblivion".

The mix of ΖΗΤΩ Ο ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ is murky without being muddled, and you can hear each course being carved out by the frenzied guitars in a strong balance with the kick, bass, and grunts. Perhaps the least compelling components of this new focus are the guttural vocals, which simply don't offer much of a distinction among hundreds of like-minded death or death/black outfits; and the bass-lines which maintain the presence of a rumbling hell-train beneath the abyss, but primarily get lost behind the guitar flurries. But to be honest, I can forgive cases, since Kaiadas does not do a poor job with either, and never has (cut the guy some slack, he's an actual elected member of parliament in Greece for the Golden Dawn). Ultimately, Naer Mataron prove that they 100% have the chops to succeed in this field, and if songs like "Whispers of Begotten Premonition" or "Sleepless Beings" are any indicator, they've gut the raw intensity to sate fans of death/grind or brutal death without alienating their core black metal audience, and hell, the title gave us plenty of warning, right? It's not amazingly memorable, but we've got a pretty fucking explosive album here; despite its mutation away from the sound of their first few discs, it's just as good as efforts like Up from the Ashes or Discipline Manifesto.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naer-Mataron-official/122029807867493

Kawir - ΙΣΟΘΕΟΣ (2012)

Where many metal bands initially pursue a traditional and derivative aesthetic in their writing, and later abandon it through progression due to outside influence, Greece's Kawir might be considered an opposite. This was initially a flawed but curious band whose use of instrumentation did wonders to enact idealized visions of their homeland's ancient folklore and history. This was the stuff of glades and ruins, gods lamenting their mortal lovers, mortals lamenting their mortality. Pure myth-stuff, and it was indeed a compelling prospect. After all, the world round, we are inundated with Greek myths and legends as a part of our education (or at least we were), so it's great to hear a band finally delve into that, especially one on native soil with a more immediate and interesting perspective on the rituals and lore involved. Sure, many other bands like Virgin Steele have explored the territory in depth, but perhaps not enough among the Hellenic extreme metal scene.

Kawir continue to journey through this collective cultural atavism in terms of their lyrical inspiration and themes, even with the title, Isotheos which translates to 'godlike'. Sadly, though, the music itself has continued to transform into a more standardized form of European black metal that has few differences from the wealth of Scandinavian, German and Italian bands clinging to the compositional qualities of the masters in the 90s. To be blunt: this should not really be happening, not for a band with 20 years behind it which has had ample time to develop its roots into distinct and unforgettable schema. Alas, ΙΣΟΘΕΟΣ becomes a victim of this affliction. Despite a few moments of genuine melodic bliss which recount the charms of their earlier work, this 5th full-length is too often reliant on the basis, exhausted blueprints of the genre without advancing or exacerbating them. The faster-paced tremolo guitar progressions (chords and single note picking) are more or less what you'd hear from a thousand other bands, the harsher vocals are not highly unique unto themselves, and the drums, while competent, aren't noteworthy. It's for this reason that the album's more atmospheric passages, like the chants in "Hymn to Winds" which accompany the more glorious, Triarchy of the Lost Lovers-era Rotting Christ-like rhythm guitar, stand out instantly.

Negatives aside, though, I must give Kawir some credit on the production here. This was a band with some pretty primitive sounding recordings in their past (not necessarily to their benefit), and from the sound of ΙΣΟΘΕΟΣ, you wouldn't know it. All instruments are represented in crystal clarity, from the nice crunch on the central rhythm guitars to the slightly fuzzed backing melodies. The deeper male backing choirs truly resonate through pieces like "Hades", and Greek bands (this one and Rotting Christ, at least) excel at incorporating this into the music more than perhaps anyone else in the genre. The rhythm section is fluid, though they rarely stand out. Wind instruments still maintain a solid presence here, especially in the short instrumental "Panspermia" where they flutter through the sylvan emptiness like naiads splashing through lakes; or the grandiose, 10 minute "Hymn to Apollo", which was hands down the most impressive track for me on this record, really digging out the Kawir that I wanted to hear. I only wish that these moments were more the 'rule' than the exception.

There is also quite a lot of variety throughout this, the band carefully measuring off the faster black metal surges against acoustics, or slower chord progressions. My issue just stems from the fact that about 50% of the riffs here are too familiar and uninteresting to justify themselves among Kawir's better use of atmospheric segues. If the riffs were more memorable during the stock black metal moments, then I'd be a lot more forgiving, but I just couldn't get into much of this. I wouldn't call it boring, though, nor a 'bad' album by any means. It's on par with the last full-length (2008's Ophiolatreia), and probably worth checking out if you've an interest in Greek bands who are actually invested in their cultural roots rather than the typical Satanism you'd expect in the field. A decent effort, and smooth enough on the ears, but I'm still waiting for this group to really arm itself with the past and deliver a truly evocative Elysium that I cannot experience elsewhere.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

http://www.facebook.com/kawirblackmetal?v=wall

Thy Darkened Shade - Eternvs Mos, Nex Ritvs (2012)

Guitarist Semjaza is quite a busy man of late, writing and performing with a number of Greek black metal acts including Acrimonious, who have just released a strong sophomore album, and the leather bound wildmen Nadiwrath, whose debut dropped last year. More impressive than either of these, though, is Thy Darkened Shade, a project formed in the later 90s which has long since been silent, until word was dropped that their debut album would be arriving through World Terror Committee. And quite an exciting record this is, kicking its tired niche in the ass with a vicious precision, ample turmoil and riffs flying by a thousand miles per second like a razorblade tornado above which the rasps beckon like maddened carrion birds awaiting the human carnage in the storm.

Definitely getting that late 90s Scandinavian black metal vibe once again, which a good number of Greek groups have adopted over the past decade rather than follow in the footfalls of their more distinguished, renowned countrymen like Necromantia or Rotting Christ. This isn't a bad thing, of course, since most of the world has similar influences; and it's also not really a surprise if you've heard Acrimonious, Acherontas, or Ravencult. To their credit, Thy Darkened Shade really get it right. The lashing maelstroms of tremolo guitars are adorned with a lot of higher string dissonance redolent of groups like Emperor, 1349 and other Nordic varieties, and they also like to burst into these excellent black/speed or black/thrash progressions which are like a ramped up Aura Noir (in "Reconstruction of Soul and Matter", etc). Blast beats are meted out effortlessly and there's definitely a lot of forward thrust through most of the songwriting, though a few pieces like "To Suffer the Perpetual Curses" slow things down and incorporate atmospherics like keys to break the rabid pace. Songs are all pretty average length, around 4-6 minutes, but within these margins you are generally due for at least a handful of exciting guitar riffs and a reasonable level of internal variety.

The mix here is cutting and uncomfortable, without a lot of natural low-end, and I wasn't too impressed with the bass overall. Then again, this is generally par for the course on an album of this sort, once again in league with the ferocity of the Swedish and Norse influences. One area I feel the group could improve is in the vox, which are competent enough as they appear, but lack much variation against the far more exciting music. I believe some shrieks or just a sharper delivery would work wonders to compensate, but certainly I've heard a lot less inspired and enthusiastic rasping elsewhere than what 'The A' and Semjaza are retching out here. Otherwise, Thy Darkened Shade is intense, entertaining and admittedly quite pissed off, and I've come away from this debut numerous times feeling that same scathed sensation which bands like Marduk and Impaled Nazarene were delivering about 15 years ago (though this is a bit more technically inclined in terms of its structure). Eternvs Mos, Nex Ritvs is frankly one of the more promising Hellenic assaults I've come across lately, alongside Spectral Lore's Sentinel and Acrimonious' Sunyata.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thy-Darkened-Shade/391172430930927

Acrimonious - Sunyata (2012)

The previous Acrimonious full-length, Purulence (2009) was not one I derived much enjoyment from, a fairly typical Scandinavian styled black metal disc which never really distinguished itself with strong composition or even just damn good riffs. Having said that, the Greeks have rallied, regrouped, and produced a far more poignant and compelling offering in Sunyata, perhaps not something as riveting as Hellenic masterworks like Triarchy of the Lost Lovers, Scarlet Evil Witching Black or the latest from countrymen Spectral Lore, but nonetheless a proficient, multi hued opus which should garner them some attention through the underground. It's not exactly a paradigm shift away from its predecessor, and it's not composed of wholly novel aesthetics, but there is an unshakable sense of mystical fulfillment here which stands up to numerous listens with little hint of decay.

For one, the ambient and black metal components really gelled through this release, the Greeks employing a clear dark classical influence, through both the standalone pieces like the intro "Nexus Aosoth" with its grim string swells, and the subtle and complementary synths and effects used to heighten the riffing surges. Even though the guitars aren't anything we haven't heard before among Norse and Swedish black metal royalty, the tone of the chords is so level and dense that they really stand out against the echoing, clamorous vocals and the polished if intense drumming. Bales of melodies and harmonies are constantly writhing above the flood of the rhythm guitar, and in truth there's a lot of intricate, acrobatic groundwork here which draws the ears far more than on the debut. The general quality of the riffs might not be the highest or most memorable you'll apt to encounter in this field, but there are at least a dozen standouts spaced out among the hour of music that create anticipatory highlights. Acrimonious is not yet a band one would turn to for astounding leads, but the contrast of rich dissonance, brighter melodies and loads of variation is intriguing enough.

Bass lines have that hint of progression and groove to them which lends itself well to the exotic ritual and introspective grandeur felt through worldly black metal, once again creating a subtext of progression and exploration rather than merely aping the rhythm guitars. The drums are tight and fill-heavy across all tempos, with a nice sheen of reverb that helps them cut through the glinting, harried guitar work; and the vocals are possessed of a solemn, soaring angst which breeds a lot more character than the standard rasp would have been able to achieve over these tunes. It's full-bodied, rapturous and works well with the choirs and other distractions the band uses to balance off the aggression of the core instruments. In short, there's a good deal happening throughout Sunyata, and thanks to the production values, you'll be able to discern it all. Much of the music is accessible, yet there's more to greet you with each successive spin, not to mention the strength of its passionate occult lyrics. Tracks like "The Hollow Wedjat" will prove a thrill for fans of mid to late-90s Emperor, and I'd very much recommend the album to those who enjoy the other, more ambitious Greek outfits like Spectral Lore or Acherontas, the latter of which several of the members were once involved in.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (and so Moves the Voice that no Thought can Bind!)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ACRIMONIOUS/114756638618913

Legion of Doom - The Summoning of Shadows (2012)

The hurdles faced by Athens' Legion of Doom are not those of musical competence or authenticity, but those of redundancy and the dearth of ingenuity which plagues a lot of those mid-tier European black metal outfits, even those with a 20+ year history. These Greeks have a solid backlog of records like For Those of the Blood and The Horned Made Flesh, and have never truly disappointed, yet they're still complacent in arm wrestling against the law of averages. Certainly, they've powered through most of their matches to emerge victorious, but not without a struggle. One that persists through this latest offering The Summoning of Shadows out through Zyklon-B productions. For all intensive purposes, this is a solid, proficient black metal album with a mild atmospheric flair, but that's unfortunately where it begins and ends.

To put it bluntly: a band which has been around as long as this one has no choice but to provoke higher expectations from the black metal audience, expectations which are simply not met with this fifth full-length. The strange torment of the vocals, and the atmospheric embellishments are about the only things keeping this from an utter state of banality due to the bland riffing sequences. Legion of Doom, once kicking their death and grind roots to the curb and transforming into the black metal entity most would recognize, have never shared that sense for novelty as their peers like Varathron or Rotting Christ. Apart from the infusion of classical and orchestral elements that have occasionally appeared through their records, this is more of an 'assembly-line' style of black metal with its roots in groups like Mayhem, Emperor, Marduk, Enthroned, and the like. Tremolo picked notes and rapid ridges of chords and dissonance that never really deviate from predictable outcomes. Double bass and blast beats which feel more obligatory than passionate. Symphonic intro and outro which in this case are sadly thwarted by the muddled, masculine goofiness of their narration. The bass never feels important whatsoever.

This would all be fine if the tunes at the core of The Summoning of Shadows were any good, but I found it incredibly difficult to generate any interest with the vapid progressions in "An Infra Calling" or "The Garden of Flesh", which are little more than retreads of Northern forebears. Don't get me wrong: Legion of Doom play in key, they play in syncopation, and they can muscle their way through material as if the dynamics on offer were second nature. Fits of cold hostility are balanced with more soothing segues (like the cleaner melodic guitars in "The Garden of Flesh"), but when one steps back a few paces and absorbs the work as a whole, it feels all too comfortably structured. Those with a massive amount of nostalgia for the Norse and Swedish studio efforts of the later 90s might appreciate this sense of familiarity which clearly left and imprint on these Greeks' creative process, but even in that particular niche there is no feeling that this music excels or pays lavish tribute to its inspirations. Coupled with the cheesy bookends, and the lack of much content, this is easily the least impressive Legion of Doom record I've heard yet.

Verdict: Indifference [5.75/10]

https://www.facebook.com/legeones

Nocternity - Nocternity EP (2012)

Few would accuse Nocternity of being one of the more prolific or 'busy' bands in their scene, but the empty aural landscape since their 2003 sophomore Onyx has at least been littered with some EP and split releases, not the least of which was the last, Harps of the Ancient Temples (2007), which was in my estimation the pinnacle of the band's subtly atmospheric sledgehammer approach to their genre. Five years hence, we are at last treated to a pair of newer tracks, but while they stay firmly on guard in the Greeks' aesthetic camp, they do absolutely nothing to further their position on the battlefield...

Nocternity have always been about creating this dark, distant and incredibly bleak envelope through which they pummel along at a barbaric pace, and here is no exception. The EP was recorded on an 8-track recorder, and it's certainly got a very oblique, murky feel, with the bass lines just as loud as the guitars and only the vocals and tinny tremolo melodies coming out on top. The drums offer little more than a mechanistic charge in the background, leaving the vocals and guitars to captivate the audience. Daemon of Limbonic Art replaces Whyrhd on the vocals this time, and he's got a sufficient enough, ghastly rasp to match the subdued din of the music, joined by some deeper growls that hover on the edge of perception. There are a few bright synthesizers implemented (in particular the late moments of the first tune "Titans"), and the bass is juicier than you'll normally hear on a stock black metal recording, but all of this is useless with songs so devoid of compelling riffs...

Each of the two tunes is a 'universe' until itself, with "Titans" being the faster paced, at the cost of seemingly unbroken cycles of monotony that had me checking my watch only about 2-3 minutes in. "River of Woe" is more spacious and experimental, with sparse percussion and a lot of guitars being used in a funereal sense or as sheer ambiance. Unfortunately, despite the variation of the pair, there is naught here but a pretty mundane 14 minutes of blackened emptiness that evokes only a sense of numbness and ennui. I did not exactly hold up high expectations, but Harps of the Ancient Temples at least had one kick ass tune and a fascinating Vangelis cover. The content this time around is incredibly dry and uninspired, so one has to wonder what else they've got going on these past five years? I'm sure Nocternity is more of a project than a full time thing, but even then...this draws blanks. The decision to record with older equipment is admirable and speaks of an impulse to really gnaw at the roots of black metal, but these guys are surely better than this.

Verdict: Fail [4/10]

http://www.myspace.com/nocternityofficial