Ashen Reign- An Angels Burden ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: July 1st, 2011
Type: Full-length
Label: Self-released/Independent
Country: United States
Genre: Power/Heavy Metal

-written by ConorFynes of metal-archives.com

Although most 'true' music fans will say that the music industry has fallen apart, and the end is nigh for any real art, we live in an age now where, with enough dedication, an artist can put together music without any support from a record label. Such is the case of Brent McDaniel, and his Ashen Reign project. Although it was mastered by engineer Jens Bogren (best known for his work with Opeth), Ashen Reign is virtually the sole work of Brent; his vision, his passion. Playing a very melodic style of metal with a tinge of Gothic atmosphere, 'An Angel's Burden' makes for a fairly interesting album with a surprisingly original sound.

Like most who will hear 'An Angel's Burden', I have never heard anything that Brent has done in the past, but considering that this is an indie effort, the execution of this music is surprisingly professional. First and foremost, McDaniel is a guitarist. This is where his greatest talent lies, and the songwriting reflects this.A tlhgouh many of the most memorable melodies are allocated to his distinctive vocal style, the guitars are where Brent leaves the greatest impression. Brent's approach to composition tends to favour tight song structures, but there are moments where Brent's flair for axework is able to shine. The title track of 'An Angel's Burden' opens with a beautiful minute-long intro in which soulful soloing and melodic licks are fused into a passage that effectively showcases his work with the guitar. Of course, there are plenty of guitar solos along the course of the album to make 'An Angel's Burden' a haven for those seeking great guitar work.

Although guitars are obviously Brent's forte, the rest of the sound is fairly professional, although there is never any question as to where the man's greatest skills lie. Brent's vocals are perhaps the most memorable aspect of Ashen Reign's sound. Although the guitar work is the most skilled element at play here, Brent McDaniel's vocals are quite peculiar for the metal style. While a 'melodic' brand of metal would usually entail a singer who appreciates typical vocal acrobatics, Brent sticks to a fairly narrow vocal range, somewhere in between singing bass, and an average mid-register. Brent's voice is nothing spectacular, and while his limited range can make the delivery sound monotonous, his strength lies in the melodies themselves. The only song that particularly stood out to me as a whole was 'The Feast', but Ashen Reign can always be counted upon to conjure powerful melodies.

Ashen Reign's music is certainly not my style, but Brent McDaniel gets my approval and acknowledgement as a talented and passionate artist. It's more than possible that the sound would have felt more balanced had a full band was there to realize Brent's vision, but as it is, 'An Angel's Burden' is a fairly impressive effort.


60/100

Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BY8SIG?ie=UTF8&tag=encymetatheme-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005BY8SIG

Entrails- Tales from the Morgue ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: May 2010
Type: Full-length
Label: F.D.A Rekotz
Country: Sweden
Genre: Death Metal

-written by dismember_marcin of metal-archives.com

TALES FROM THE MORGUE

It cannot be a mistake. If I see an album with statement in the booklet such as "in the shape of Entrails, this pure old school Swedish death metal will tear your soul apart", then it means I have to check it out, because more likely it's going to crush also my skull. And "Tales From the Morgue" fuckin did it perfectly. Whether you like such playing or not, one thing is certain - here's another quality death metal band from Sweden and the fans of this scene will definitely have to check this LP out. Besides, just take a look at that cheesy front cover - an autopsy made by a zombie? It's almost as tasteless as the cover of Centinex's "Subconscious Lobotomy", but the maniacs of horror gore splatter movies will definitely love it hehe! Anyway, Entrails is not so newcoming band, as some of you might think. OK, their name is pretty much new to the scene, but they've been existing already back in the glorious days of the early 90's and supposedly almost entire material from "Tales from the Morgue" has been written back then, only now it has been exhumed and refreshed (read: rearranged, reworked and re-recorded). So, that's yet another reason why I was sure that Entrails will really tear my soul apart.

The albums starts with an intro, which might have easily been taken from some old gore horror movies, like "Helloween" or "Friday the 13", it's got absolutely similar, creepy atmosphere. And then the first riffs start and from the opening second I've been possessed by Entrails. This is yet another fantastic piece of traditional Swedish death metal. I know that some of you may vomit already when hearing this, but I don't give a flying fuck about it. I've been a fan for 20 years and still haven't got enough of that kind of playing and definitely Entrails belongs to the best bands, which resurrect that death metal slaughter. Just listen to their sound; it's simply classic, and with that buzzy guitars and roaring growlings it brings only the legendary albums to my mind and I want to scream in joy. I may not like the drums sound in 100%, but that’s just a detail, which definitely doesn’t disturb me massacring the Entrails! Honestly, there’s not even a second on “Tales From the Morgue”, which I wouldn’t enjoy. This is excellent, very constant LP, but of course I’ve got some favourite songs. They’re: "Blood Red" with that great Dismember-esque riffing, "Voices", which reminds me Evocation a lot, then "Entrails"… And "Euthanasia", which is an epic in my opinion, with fantastic opening theme. "The Curse of Death" also starts with amazing, epic melody and then it smoothly switches into real headbanger, similar to some of the Bloodbath riffing... And I love also that slow part in the middle of that song, with the sample from "The Exorcist" movie. That sounds just fuckin amazing. And finally there's "The Morgue", which probably is the fastest and most aggressive song from the entire album. But as I already said, there's no single part of "Tales From the Morgue", which I wouldn't enjoy. The whole album is perfectly written and arranged, equally catchy and brutal, melodic and furious, just as I like it.

Any complains? No, I don’t think so. I’m not going to say that Entrails rips off the old riffs – I would never accuse them for doing that – but "Tales From the Morgue" sounds like someone have picked up all the best parts from my favourite Swedish albums and glued them together. But as I said, they do so without any plagiarism, I guess it’s just more of a tribute – which I remind you also, was mostly written 20 years ago, so can there any more original death metal than this one?! To conclude then, "Tales From the Morgue" is just excellent LP (how many times do I have to repeat that?) and if you haven’t checked it yet, do so immediately, otherwise you will end up on that autopsy table from the front cover, cut and eaten by some gruesome living dead.

Standout tracks: "Blood Red", Voices", "Entrails", "Euthanasia", "The Curse of Death", “The Morgue”


90/100

Anvil- Plugged in Permanent ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: November 21st, 1996
Type: Full-length
Label: Massacre Records
Country: Canada
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal

-written by autothrall of metal-archives.com

LOOK ALIVE, FELLAS, LOOK ALIVE

As much as I've enjoyed Anvil in the past, and as much as I always want to sympathize with their plight after seeing their documentary, I don't think it should surprise anyone why they had to endure such a sagging relevance for so long a time. The Canadians just weren't writing the flagship, crowd pleasing cuts that they were once known for, and throughout the 90s they failed to produce a single album that I could compare favourably to a Metal on Metal, Forged in Fire or Pound for Pound. 1992's Worth the Weight was a real lull, with an almost emotionless emphasis on technicality (drums and guitar) over quality. An interesting shift in priority, but thankfully for its follow up they'd return to a more entertaining aesthetic.

Plugged in Permanent does not mend all the fences, and it's not a major improvement in terms of enduring anthems or strong composition, but it's at least far more lively and vibrant than its predecessor. Sebastian Marino had flown south to join Overkill, so they brought on a newer 'permanent' replacement in Ivan Hurd. Worth the Weight was also the swan song for long term four-stringer Ian Dickson, so they acquired Glenn Five, who has since proven an icon for the band, not only for his shaved head and braid flinging around at live sets, but also his more ample use of his instrument, plunking along adventurously below the bludgeoning dual current of the guitars with far more of a natural, quirky curiosity than his forebear in the position.

In a sense, Plugged in Permanent was the birth of the 'second classic lineup' for Anvil, one that many who experienced them on the various small tours and festival dates they performed in the later 90s on into the 21st century would recognize, before their recent resurgence. There's still quite a lot of musical intensity here, though instead of the intricacy of the guitar-chitecture it's delivered here more through sheer speed. Unlike a lot of their 80s output, you don't hear much slow material. "Guilty" is a dull bone cruncher bringing up the rear, and "Destined for Doom" lives up to its namesake, but otherwise the songs here are played fast and frenzied, which keeps Plugged in Permanent far more exciting than it is interesting. Cuts like "Racial Hostility", "Face Pull", "Truth or Consequence" and "Five Knuckle Shuffle" hurry along with something to prove, but none of these really deliver the money shot riffs or chorus you'd hope for. Okay, "Five Knuckle Shuffle" might deliver a 'money shot', but of a different sort...

A few of these tracks were minor hits for the band, or at least made it into the circulation of their live set: "Doctor Kevorkian", which they filmed a video for, and "Smokin' Green". The former is not all that great of a song despite its choppy attitude, but the latter, despite being a pedestrian marijuana hymn lyrically, is actually one of the strongest of their 90s tunes. Killer leads abound, and it's effectually the apex of the vibrant waves of energy that thread through the 46 minutes of material. I feel like, next to this, most of the others are lacking that something 'extra', but I'd still take them selection over almost anything on Worth the Weight.

The lyrics here are not a strong point, with a lot of nap inductive PC ranting in "Destined for Doom" and "Racial Hostility", but I admit that I really like how Lips uses a lower, more gravelly vocal tone throughout a lot of tunes like "Face Pull", "I'm Trying to Sleep", as if he's channeling a bit of his pal Lemmy Kilminster. If only the songs had been a little more memorable overall, I might cite this as a true return to form, but despite the appreciable enthusiasm of the writing, it has never left much of an impact crater on my mind. A step back in the right direction, sure, but I think Anvil needed a leap.

68/100

Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/Plugged-Permanent-Anvil/dp/B000001C9M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325918407&sr=8-1

Wolfnacht- Project Ordensburg ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: November 9th, 2011
Type: Full-length
Label: Evil Rising
Country: Greece
Genre: NS Black Metal

-written by autothrall of metal-archives.com

THE GRECO-GERMANIC ONSLAUGHT IS REJOINED

Perhaps the most enduring of Greece's NSBM acts, Wolfnacht has enjoyed a steady stream of underground interest and has never quite rested on any particular laurels throughout 13 years of output. Some of Athalwolf's earlier works incorporated a heavy/punk race rock influence, and some were almost pure traditional black metal, while others bounced back and forth. In general, I've found that I've preferred the more focused efforts like Heidentum and Zeit der Cherusker, or the more symphonic strains of side project Zofos, so I was rather satisfied that he incorporated elements of all three into his latest full-length Project Ordensburg, an album that makes no secret of its bones to pick or its pride to bear.

One of the dominating characteristics here is the use of a groaning, croaking lead vocal which gives off that same decrepit vibe you might feel from Inquisition. But this is more forceful and prominent, less garbled. Athalwolf supports it with the more familiar blackened rasp and in combination it creates a chilling effect to the march of the chords and melodies. However, I will say that I found it more effective on the songs with German lyrics like "Wotans Wildes Heer" rather than the English of "Aryanismos". The keyboards here are well implemented, swells of string and choir that mesh fluidly in with the potency of the guitars. In particular I LOVED the pomp of the intro to "Aryanismos", before the tremolo melodies streamed into the fray. Another very strong component to this music is the bass playing. He creates an almost progressive feel to the lines, loads of fast picking that creates a harried curvature which often diverges from just copying the guitar pattern. Athalwolf is no 'less is more' black metaller, he's quite competent on each instrument and delivers a lot more than the bare minimum the genre often manifests.

I don't have a lot of gripes, as Project Ordensburg keeps the listener engaged for the most part. Certain tracks like the brooding "Durch Nacht Zum Licht" provide a nice counterbalance to the peppier melodic assertions, and very few were not worth hearing. I do feel that the vocals, while cool, were mixed a fraction loudly on the album. They're distinct enough that they would have still functioned against a more powerful balance of guitars and synths. The writing is a little less coherent than a Heidentum, with a broader dynamic range that segregates, say, the lunar waltz of "Wehrwolfheid" from the fell, glorious chills of "Hordaland" or the power-black cavalry charge of the title track, but most of its was enjoyable, and the production consistent. Wolfnacht is without a doubt one of the more talented one man black metal forces in this particular political niche, whether one subscribes to his beliefs or not, and Project Ordensburg, while not his best writing to date, is a clear victor over that middling EP he released in 2010.

73/100

Astrofaes- Dying Emotions Domain ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: 1998
Type: Full-length
Label: Ancient Nation Productions
Country: Ukraine
Genre: Black Metal

-written by todesengel89 of metal-archives.com

Ukraine has certainly been a surprising country for extreme metal recently, with excellent acts like Raventale releasing albums, helping to put their country on the international extreme metal map. Negative Existence recently reissued Astrofaes' Dying Emotions Domain, featuring a remastered version of the Ukrainian black metal band's debut full length album.

A heavy atmosphere, courtesy of the keyboards of Saturious greets the listener as the album opens with The Black Woods Theory, complete with the presence of instruments like flutes, and this easily causes the listener to mistake the album to be a folk or ambient album, with the amount of focus the band has put in to shroud the music with a sense of the unknown, but all these impressions are immediately broken as the band breaks into their first proper track, Fiery Mysticism. What replaces the opening somewhat soothing intro track is cold and aggressive, Norwegian-inspired black metal, with the music being heavily driven by the relentless punishing of the drum kit by Khaoth, and the keyboards, though still present, now take a back seat. The lead guitar lines on the track that alternate from one side of the speaker to the other, while could be a good idea, sounded slightly awkward and this probably put me off during the first few listens to the album, but getting past that, the big sound of the guitars are definitely a nice touch to this reissue. Furthermore, towards the middle of the song, the lead guitar lines also help in creating a sense of unease in the listener, helping to define the experience of the listener.

Songs like At Nightfall also manage to encapsulate the element of the bleak emotions that the band is trying to bring out, with the subtle keyboards present at the background driving the melodies, that is topped by the desperate shrieks of vocalist Dalver. There are also influences from other sub-genres, such as on Path to Burning Space, where folk metal elements could be spotted in the opening riffs, before what sounds like a saxophone appears on the album, bringing a somewhat unconventional sound to what one is already used to in black metal, perhaps making this album one of a kind, and even more so when it was first released in 1998. Furthermore, tracks like Ad Infinitum (Dark II) see the usage of clean vocals, giving the track an epic/viking metal feel.

While I haven't heard the original version of Dying Emotions Domain, it would be great to have just listened to the remastered version as it sufficiently brings across the point that Astrofaes is trying to make with their music. The production, though loud, does not become too saturated (unlike other loud albums like Metallica's Death Magnetic), and remains sufficiently raw and authentic, ensuring that the album remains an enjoyable one to listen to throughout.

72/100

Patria- Liturgia Haeresis ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: 2011
Type: Full-length
Label: Drakkar Productions
Country: Brazil
Genre: Black Metal

-written by todesengel89 of metal-archives.com


Since their formation, Brazil's Patria has had a constant flow of releases, with at least a full-length release per year. Liturgia Haeresis is the band's third full length album in 3 years, and the extremely raw and almost nature-themed album artwork left me with an expectation of raw, cold and atmospheric black metal, though the grim-reaper at the foreground certainly bodes ill.

The raw and gritty production quality instantly hits the listener in the face as the album opens with Death's Empire Conqueror, but beyond that it is unadulterated Norwegian-styled black metal with the riffing patterns and the vocal styles. The band alternates between aggressive guitar lines and more melodic lines, striking a nice balance between the non-emotional and the emotional. Vocalist Triumphsword's style alternates between desperate shrieks and growls, and fits the required emotion at any point in time, at times helping to bring out the bleakness and desolation in the music, yet at times pleading in desperation.

Instrumentalist Mantus, on top of the usual black metal trem-picked riffs, play with various effects as well such as the artificial harmonics on Death's Empire Conqueror, having a jarring effect on the listener. On top of guitars, Mantus also handles the rest of the instruments (i.e. bass and drum duties), and it is nice to see how they are handled without compromise as well, as evident from the powerful drumming throughout the album. While nothing flashy or particularly technical, he manages to keep the fast and energetic pace of the music.

In terms of songwriting, the band does not fill up the entire album with one particular style, providing some variety in the music for the listener. Besides the melodic lines that are present on tracks like Sons of Destiny, the band also brings in some slower moments such as on Nevoeiro, taking a break from the fast tempo and pace that they have been going at for the past few tracks. The instrumental track Legio Mortis Nostrae also displays the band's viking/folk metal influences, with the sound of epic war drums in the distance, and the spoken vocals present. Darkland Worship also brings in some quiet moments with a clean section, before the world comes crashing down. The cover track, Amorphis' Black Winter Day, brings in some clean vocals and executed in such a way that it reminds listeners of Bathory's viking-influenced material. Overall, Liturgia Haeresis is an enjoyable album with little surprises along the way, and is sufficient to capture the attention of the conservative black metal fan.

60/100

Bombs of Hades- Into the Eternal Pit of Fire ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: August 8th, 2011
Type: EP
Label: Detest Records
Country: Sweden
Genre: Death Metal

-written by dismember_marcin of metal-archives.com

INTO THE OLD SCHOOL DEATH METAL TOMB

Crawling into the airless, filthy and musty crypts of Swedish Bombs of Hades becomes more and more my personal perversion. Let's put it simply, the week without listening to some of their songs is wasted he, he he. I've already described my enthusiasm for the band's debut album "Chambers of Annihilation", as well as the crushing 10"split MLP with Tormented, but the 2011 has brought upon us also another two rotten pieces, both in form of 7" EPs. The one that especially caught my attention was EP released by Detest Records, titled "Into the Eternal Pit of Fire". As soon as I saw it on the label's website I knew I need to get it in my hands and luckily Polish Hellthrasher was kind enough to get few copies and sell one to me.

And man, what a killer EP that is. It’s just exactly as I wished it to be and what’s more, it totally reminds me the old singles from the early 90’s, speaking of the layout and the music, but also the whole atmosphere surrounding it. The opening track, which is “Prologue (The Ecstasy of Blood)” brings such a thrilling horror atmosphere, that you really feel like watching some of the old zombie movies. It’s not hard to imagine the dead hordes walking out of their graves, slowly towards you in their hunger for human meat. And that Autopsy influenced riff is excellent. The title track only underlines that atmosphere and I must say this is one of the best songs those Swedes have recorded so far. It’s got fantastic riffs, great vocal parts and a memorable chorus, so there’s absolutely nothing I would not like about this track. It’s just killer. Meanwhile side B starts with a big surprise – it offers a cover of Carnage and their old demo song “The Day Man Lost”. It’s not the best song from that legendary band and to be honest, I’ve always preferred their album material than the demos, but these are some massacring 2 minutes. This very short cover hides also another surprise, which is a guest appearance of old death metal dude, Per Boder on vocals. Some of you may remember him from the God Macabre, one of the best Swedish bands of the early 90’s. It’s really cool to hear that he still remembers how to growl and to have him in one song together with Jonas Stalhammar (they both have been God Macabre members on “The Winterlong” album). Anyway, it makes me think that I just must check Boder’s new band, Mordbrant. I’m sure it’s going to be a killer also. Finally the EP is closed by the song titled “Confessor”, which is again very typical Bombs of Hades track, full of rotten old school death metal riffs, mixed with the crust rhythms and horror atmosphere.

And that’s all about it. Only 11 minutes of music and I know that the short running time is the reason why some of you hate singles… Because they finish too quickly, but I just love them. There’s always an exclusive stuff on them and besides I just like the whole feeling of playing EPs. It’s like a quick dose of adrenaline. I used to collect the old EPs from the 90’s, I had many US or Swedish bands’ singles and I can truly say that “Into the Eternal Pit of Fire” reminds me those times and EPs totally. Maybe the front artwork is not the best one and there are no lyrics anywhere to find, but the music is just splendid and I can admit this is one of my personal favourites, speaking of that 7” format. Buy it or die!


95/100