Monday, February 27, 2017

Nula - Kenoma (EP)

With riffs that are a mix of Crowbar's massiveness and melodious Swallow the Sun parts, with breaks often brings to life beautiful Isis-like clean guitar parts, with the deep clean vocals often increasing in intensity as the song progresses, Nula is a solid sludge band from Belgrade that have released their EP for Black Bow Records on 24th of February. Deep riffs are tastefully combined with vocals gently swifting from clean to a kind of shrieking grunge-like yelling, moving from harsh Neurosis like singing to HC rapping (yet singing) diction like Biohazard.  


'' Trosenje Tela'' '' is my favourite track, incredibly greasy sludge, beginning with monolithic riffs combined with whirling doomy solo tunes. ' ''Silazak u Prah'' '' is more melodic, beginning with shifting drum rhythms entwined with clean guitar passages (it has reminded me of some great Isis moments) and with break bringing doom riff, and '' Usnuo savršen san '' has all of previously mentioned features, ending with mesmerising clean guitar parts, a faint singer's whisper and song ending in fade out.



Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Jenner - ''To Live Is To Suffer'' (2016)




I haven't heard any band breaking the widely spread dogma of the women inability to cope with something that is mostly considered as male dominated music for a long time. But some girls can even dominate the spheres of '' male '' metal, and even elevate above the majority of their male counterparts. Jenner is the living proof, and their LP '' To Live Is To Suffer '' is available through the French record label Inferno Records.


The mixing production of this album is in accordance with world standards, a modern approach offers refreshment to Thrash Speed ​​genre that is mainly based on the replication of the eighties. The vocals are great, especially due to the fact that, personally, I'm not the greatest fan of Heavy Metal and high pitched vocals in general, but when I hear the these girls' performance, I literally shudder. Not to mention the banal fact that no member of the male sex can not remain indifferent to the sexy appeal and the striking contrast of the pleasantly moaning and soft vocals' tone against the fast, technically perfect harsh metal background. The first time I've heard vocals in ''Factory Of Death'' I had a feeling that I'm listening to women version of Heathen. Especially beautiful and delicate are the occasional minor accessories of terzas on vocals, which are simply playing with the intensity of stanzas. Furious, yet melodic singing just spills like a spring of youthful energy upon strong thrash riffs scorching everything in their path, building a strong and concrete-solid  arrangement of material.



Songs are abundant with the occasional breaks which I simply adore. They give birth to crushing and thrashing aggressive riffs, as well as to groovy rhythmic ones, shifting the rhythms and not allowing even a speck of monotony. In the epic  and heavy riffed chorus of ''Hear The Thunder Roar'', we can also see women gang vocals as a presentation of crude female energy. Backing aggressive vocals that ask '' How deep is your greed? '' like a mantra in self titled song serve as ingenious wall of additional musical and rhythmic background. The mere beginning of the song somehow exudes atmosphere of Testament. The choruses like the one in '' The Heat Is Coming Again ''  are beautiful and memorable, with a solo melody that mimics the melody of chorus itself. '' Demons Call '' has an extremely seductive and ethereal chorus and the song is ending with vocals that slowly fade and mystically disappear into fade-out. in the song entitled '' On The Judgement Day '' solo is alternating with vocals, excellent and refreshing motive that ends this song. '' Silent Killer '' has a strong Pantera-vibe riff with guitar squeals mid of the song, and in ''Opened (On The Table)'' In the middle of the song we can hear some Destruction vibes. All of that is fused in unique and quite elegant feminine way. The beautiful and surreal dark '' squealing'' part ending the song is an hidden ace up the sleeve. The vocals slowly ascend, ending the album with their culmination.




Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Hell's Coronation - '' Antichristian Devotion '' (EP)



Hell's Coronation is a Polish ''Necro Ritual Black Doom Metal'', consisted of Zepar (guitars, vocals) and Coffincrusher (bass, drums, backing vocals). Their EP '' Antichristian Devotion '' shall be released on 20th of March 2017 in MC/Digital format through Godz Ov War Productions.


Spooky intro, with haunting female vocal, choir/uttered mantra, female screams, with sudden shocking beats and effects are truly horryfic. Massive riffs slowly begin their accursed dance in the mid-tempo, as a ghost and a sharp scream echoes, chanting the nihilistic and misanthropic lyrics in background of obscure crushing grooves, and one can feel like galloping through the frost-bitten wastelands of lifeless forests. There are no major rhythm changes in songs, riffs are plain and simple yet effective, just like the cover art itself. In one segment of the second song '' Worm Circulates In Me '', one can hear bells ghostly echoing in the backround of a riff, really giving the unique atmosphere. Afterwards, we're witnessing the birth of a beautiful solo melody, a motive which is to be found no more in other songs. '' Tormentor of cross worship '' begins with sound of waves, with something like an echo of a horn in a background, announcing entrance to the song. Excellent rhythm carries the listener, and most the of riffs reminds me of lava that is slowly oozing down the slope, burning everything in its path. the album is finishing. There's an interesting break with howling of wolves in the background. The last song is finished  with cawing ravens, as they slowly disappear.

Those who are favoured to slow and powerful black metal riffs like those of Khold, Drudkh and Judas Iscariot shall certainly enjoy this cold and obscure EP. 



Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Acheronte - Ancient Furies

Acheronte is war black metal band from Italy. Their LP has been released by Satanath Records last year.

All of the seven songs are true battle hymns, lyrically based on furious warlords.  First song depicts Assyrian warrior spirit, guiding us through the sphynx guarded triumph gate to uncompromising and truly energetic black metal. Songs are victorious odes to Alexander the Great, Diocletian. Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan. Vlad Tepesh, and the last one is inspired by the ancient Aztec ruler.



Scream vocals that mostly reminded me of Inquisition  are constantly intersected with growl vocals, thus giving the songs an extra dynamics. Striking sharpness of distortion is also fundamentally noticeable, acting  like a conquering sword through the flesh of enemies. Uncompromising and pure savage war power riffs reminded me to those of Marduk and Infernal War, with their raw energy and aggressive and striking effect. Release has generally retained much of its original distortion rawness in their final mix.

Demonic Obedience - ''Nocturnal Hymns To The Fallen''

Demonic Obedience is the solo project of George Ntavelas, risen from the ashes of Deceptive Incarnation from Greece.


Sinister chord decomposition on clean guitar is emerging from the void, introducing us to an aggressive start One  can almost instantly notice a deep growl, occasionally accompanied by discreet and hushed demonic scream vocals (I am really amazed with their strength range in mixing, it has created chilling effects). The songs are like amorphous monster that constantly changes shape. The rhythms are constantly changing, not allowing the monotony. Occational schizoid solos are crawling like asps through the leaden core of songs,



'' Impermisible Irreverence Pt 1 '' stands out from the others characterized by melodic beginning, which spontaneously grows into death metal slaughter, and also I would point out the slow part before the solo on '' Nocturnal Imagery '', where in one segment of a cycle something like a flute in oriental scale is heard. However, the favorite song on the album is '' Gehenna '', especially schizoid bass lines with discordant clean decomposition, isolated and followed by aggressive drums as a contrast to dark smoothnes of background melody. However, what impressed me the most is the way that the song ends, and with it the way the whole album ends. The most beautiful and overwhelming solo melody which got stuck in my mind, burning in the background of slow doom riff and ghostly echoing to the nothingness of fade-out.

Extremely massive storm of death metal riffs, with very horrific, cold and gravely atmosphere.