Now with this being my first shot at a critical review of one of their albums, I kept asking myself “what is it about their sound that (to sound like a Hallmark card for second) just reaches down deep into my soul in a way that no other metal band has ever done?”  And after pondering that question for a while and going through the album multiple times, I settled on the fact that it’s their guitar tone.  Guitarist Michael Hoggard has managed to hit on a sound that I have found to be totally unique; no small feat in the metal (or any other) world.  It’s got a hauntingly dissonant tone to it that sets them apart from anyone I personally have ever heard.  I’ve always felt that the sign of a truly great band is the fact that if you put someone’s entire music collection on shuffle and asked them to pick when X band’s song comes on, you would be able to pinpoint it.  I could do that with Ulcerate in a millisecond.

Stare Into Death and Be Still picks up right where Vermis and Shrines of Paralysis left off:  long songs (the shortest one is 7 minutes), the aforementioned guitar tone, the haunting death-growl of Paul Kelland that is neither under or over-used (which would be easy in songs of such length), and the absolutely other-worldly drumming of Jamie Saint Merat.  I am a (very average) drummer myself, but trying to dissect what that guy is doing or what time signature he’s in is like trying to decide who Taylor Swift is going to dump and sing about in her next Billboard #1 song.  This has been the same lineup for the past 4 albums (they were a 5 piece for their first one, Of Fracture and Failure), and it’s apparent that that familiarity has bred some astounding albums.

If I had to make one small criticism, it’s the fact that the songs can sometimes seem to run together, partially due to the fact that they do have only one guitarist.  But that’s being nitpicky, and in the case of this particular band it’s also what adds a sense of cohesiveness for an album that clocks in at just under an hour.  The production is organic yet true to the sound and vibe that’s truly put them in the top tier of metal bands in the entire world.  I only hope they don’t take some strange ass Opeth-ian turn into prog weirdness, and produce about 15 more albums like this one.  I’d buy every single one. 

Master Boot Record is the brainchild of Italian solo artist Vittori D’Amore, and here’s the kicker: ALL of the music is synthesized, from the guitars to the drums (there’s no vocals).  I’m not usually a fan of instrumental music, but this one has something about it that just grabs you.  Maybe it’s due to the fact that I got into EDM a bit a few years ago (Alan Walker is amazing) that could be a reason for what grabbed me here, but I’m not totally sure.

The music is a mish-mash of styles, with thrash metal, djent, and old school heavy metal making its presence felt.  Opening track “ANSI.SYS” has almost a video game type feel to it, where “DISPLAY.SYS” has an opening “riff” that sounds like it’s right out of Metallica’s early days.  CHKDSK.EXE starts out with a sound that would be right at home on a Dragonforce album (notice the pattern yet with song names?).  Almost all of the songs are backed with interesting synths and even some orchestral elements to further shake up this genre-bending metal salad.  The songs are each around 5-10 minutes, so there is a lot going on with the whole album clocking in at 68 minutes.

He’s been honing his craft since 2016, and this is his debut on the mighty Metal Blade records so his notoriety should only increase.  If your ears are looking for something different, track this one down.  It surprised the heck out of me. 

Having churned out four full length albums from 2002-09, the band broke up but then reformed and came back better than ever with 2016’s Beast.  Now here they are three years later with the follow up, Purgatory, and while this one might not have quite the impact of the last one, it’s still another very solid entry into their lineup.

With the same members back for LP number six, this one jumps out of the gate after a short instrumental with the second track, “Purgatory”, which starts out with some wicked fast double bass before launching into the dual vocal attack of Alex Erian and Steve Marois, which has become a critical trademark of their sound (since emulated by bands such as Emmure to very good effect).  That cornerstone of their music does sometimes bleed into the “bro-core” realm as the hardcore vocals can get a bit cheesy and overly-macho, but it’s definitely not a deal break by any means.

Things roll right along with the almost death-grindish track “Light Speed”, before dialing the tempo back a bit for the aptly titled “Slow Burning”.  My favorite track was probably track 7, “Moving On”, that will likely be a favorite of their live shows with another nice double bass backed opening and even a tasty little guitar solo at the 3:15 mark to mix things up a bit.

Things end on a high note with “Dead Weight”, and it’s clear that time and a short parting of ways haven’t slowed this sextet down at all.  The songs are varied enough to not all blend together, and if there’s still any of you out there that, like myself, are still huge deathcore fans, then this will no doubt keep you going with a solid production and enough killer breakdowns to make you smile like the Grinch.  Happy holidays indeed.

On Gidim, the band’s fifth full length album, they have continued what they have dubbed “aliencore”, and that also is an apt description.  I could compare their sound to a more noodley Obscura, with a high-pitch almost beeping sound to the guitars and a style that is truly all over the place.  You have the death growls and the high pitched raspy screams (which is my #1 most hated thing in all of metal, but for some reason I was able to stomach it here and almost began to like it).   The how-the-hell-do-they-play-that guitars that dart up and down the fretboard and sound like a game of Pac-Man that has gone wonky.  The otherworldly drumming that beyond all logic keeps the package nicely tied together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F87MWt-1X1w

But you know what?  Somehow it all just seems to work.  I reviewed their third full length album, Lugal Ki En, and came away unimpressed and wrote these guys off.  But out of curiosity I decided to review this newest one, and I’m glad I did.  And in all honesty, it’s a hard review to tackle.  Each song can stand on its own, but fits together in their distinct and off-the-wall style.  I feel this quote from founding member and guitarist Lucas Mann encapsulate their style pretty well:

“I use a lot of music theory, but am not boxed in by it,” says Mann. “I don’t want to be held down by an outside construct. With music, it’s all pretty much been done before to some degree. But as far as my shredding goes, I create my own artificial scales, I use a lot of diminished phrasing, I use a lot of whole tone arpeggios, and the band uses these shapes that I have crafted – especially with arpeggios – from the beginning. I definitely have my own pattern and stylistic vision with RINGS. The technical ability is more about muscle memory, which is more like playing in the pocket. It’s very hard for new people to play RINGS. They’re usually not used to the shapes I play. Most of the time they’re like, ‘Woah, this is weird.’ But it’s supposed to be that way. It’s not supposed to feel comfortable, but once you play the music for a while it all makes sense. RINGS OF SATURN is new, experimental, and made to inspire people’s own playing without creative limitations.”

And further reading through the press pack, Mann reveals he actually used NINE (!) string guitars to further push their sound (not sure I even knew those existed).  The aforementioned drumming is handled by session drummer extraordinaire Marco Pitruzzella (Lord Marco), who you might remember drummed for the insanely fast and technical band Brain Drill, which is another good comparison to Rings of Saturn.  The other guitarist is long-time member Joel Omans and Ian Bearer handles the vocals.  There is also a good number of guest appearance on the album which also add more spice to the whole scenario.

So I would say check this one out, if nothing more than out of curiosity.  And definitely listen to Track 7 (“Mental Prolapse”) and tell me that is not straight out of an upcoming Zelda video game.

So fast forward to 2019, and they’re back with their 3^rd LP, Sociopathic Constructs, coming off of what was, for me, one of the most disappointing albums of 2016, Mechanisms of Omniscience (whose review you can find on this very site), after 2012’s phenomenal Contaminating the Hive Mind.  I am glad to say that this new one reminds me much more fondly of Mind, and is a nice second album to put out on the mighty Metal Blade records.

There’s no pointless intros to skip, as opener “Monarch Alpha” comes through your speaker like a herd of elephants, with Mallika Sundaramurthy’s phenomenal death growl leading the way.  It’s clear that the band has upped the speed and technicality on this whole album, which helps to make up for the boredom of their last album.  After “Penance”, the third track, “Kakistocracy”, is my favorite of the whole album.  It’s got blast beats galore, and ups the groove knob before finishing out the track with a nice guitar solo backed by more rampaging double-bass work.

The tracks do follow a bit of a similar style, but when they’re played this well and with this much intensity, the only thing left to do is just sit back and enjoy.  Instrumental “Aeturnum” will give you a bit of a breather, followed up by a bit slower track in “Dying Breed”, but ends in a welcoming flourish with the aptly titled closer “Curb Stomp.”

Coming in at just under 33 minutes, this is just all around awesome death metal.  The production is top notch, and there’s a lot to like here (including the sick artwork).  After their last one I was worried, but it’s clear they are back with a vengeance.

After many spins of this album, it never ceases to get better and better.  The most apt comparison right out of the gate is Dio, and lead vocalist Chris Stoz Storozynski is a dead ringer for the late, great rocker; even adopting his same signature operatic vocal style.  But don’t let that be a negative at all dear reader, as this man has one hell of a set of pipes on him, and his vocals are PHENOMENAL.  Bassist Kieron Rochester backs him up on vocals, with drummer Kevin Rochester (not sure if they’re related) rounding out the rhythm section.  The string work is handled by Andy Songhurst and Chris Bone, and these guys can shred.

The album starts out with the thrashy “Seek No Evil”, and this is where we get our first intro to Stoz’s catch-as-hell vocal style before a nice tempo change about halfway through.  That is followed up by the best track on the album, “One in the Chamber”, which bounces between chunky riffs and another rousing chorus, to a nice solo and a breakdown outro.  Other standout tracks are “Shadowcasters”, the try-to-get-the-chorus-out-of-your-head “One Last Sign”, and closer “When Hell is Done”, which would have been right at home on any Dio album.

I could seriously write a novel about this album, as each song is simply awesome and stands apart from the others with zero hint of sameness or boredom on an album that clocks in a hair over 48 minutes.  You get fast songs, thrashy songs, doom-tinged songs, shredding solos, chug riffs, vocals that make you want to jump on your couch and start singing until the neighbors call the cops.  It’s all here, and it’s THAT GOOD.  The production is organic yet crystal clear, with all instruments dialed in perfectly.

This is the flat out essence of heavy metal, and is no doubt one of the best albums I have heard in a few years, and it will take a monumental effort to knock this one from my vote as Album of the Year (and we’re not even 2 months into 2019).  This one floored me, and is just what the doctor ordered.  So feel free to join me at the next DMAA meeting.  You won’t have to guess what the first album will be that we explore. 

It also means that for I, and many, many others, the bar to reach and the expectations for the top-tier bands (and our personal favorites) to fulfill can be almost unattainably high, and if they’re not perceived to have been met, a once-powerful band can find itself flirting with indifference at best, or irrelevancy at worst (just ask Cryptopsy and Morbid Angel and their legions of fans what kind of a roller coaster it’s been for their last few releases).  As recent listeners may or may not be aware, when Behemoth started waaaaaaayyyyyy back in 1992 they were much more of a raw, traditional black metal band.  But with 1998’s Pandemonic Incantations, they started to shift into their trademarked blackened death metal sound that we know today, with 1999’s Satanica rounding that sound much more into form and one that would continue on their next 6 LPs.

So here we are in 2018 with I Loved You at Your Darkest, the follow up to 2014’s phenomenal album The Satanist.  During that time front man Nergal has bounced back completely from his 2010 leukemia diagnosis, one that damn near sent him to meet his best bro Satan.  He has the usual suspects he’s had with him since 2004’s Demigod: Inferno on drums and Orion on bass and backing vocals, so long time fans have a good idea what to expect.

But from the start it was clear this one wasn’t going to be a carbon copy of the previous ones.  The first run through this album, I came away feeling this one is just missing that “it” factor, that face-melting, brain-searing intensity that Behemoth brings as good as anyone in the business.  However, after a few listens this one started to show its layers.

It starts out with “Solve”, an oddly unsettling chant performed by children chanting about Jesus Christ, and “I will not forgive”, before we get an instrumental that kicks in about halfway through.  It’s the next track, “Wolves ov Siberia”, which gave the immediate disappointing feeling of “meh”.  Or even more so that this might just be a paint by numbers, mailed-in release.  “God = Dog” starts out with a slower melodic riff, with Nergal’s trademark yell seeming to have a bit more punch to it than “Wolves”.  This track also utilizes more of the aforementioned children’s choir.

But the track that REALLY stood out as the best one on the album was number five’s “Bartzabel”.  This one also begins with a slower melodic riff, before a thunderous drum beat makes its presence felt and adds to the ambience.  The vocals don’t start until about 1.5 minutes in, with Nergal’s vocals backed by an almost hypnotic chanting of “Come to me Bartzabeeeeelllllll” (though not done by the children this time).  It’s a moving, haunting artistic choice that really stuck with me and shows the band branching out a bit to great effect.  (Quick side note: if you don’t know what/who Bartzabel is (and are forgiven for thinking it was the 82^nd random name for Satan you might not have heard of, as I did) it’s actually the spirit of the planet Mars).

“If Crucifixion Was Not Enough” is another mid-paced track, followed by “Angelvs XIII” which is more of the Behemoth blasting you’re used to, closing out with a nice guitar solo.  “Sabbath Mater” and “Havohej Pantocrator” dial back the intensity a bit, before the nice catchy groove found on the next best track on the album, “Rom 5:8”.  “We are the Next 1000 Years” is a pleasant little tempo-change heavy track, before the whole show is brought to a close with the two minute instrumental “Coagvla”.

After multiple listens, I still feel that overall this is a hard one to pin down, and personally I’m still torn.  On one hand there are some refreshing stylistic choices on display, while on the other hand it also comes across as a band trying to decide where it wants to go; sometimes it seems to work, other times it just doesn’t click.  Another big criticism is I feel that as one of the best drummers on the planet, Inferno was criminally under-utilized here, which was quite disappointing.  He’s solid as usual and maybe this was due to the overall slower pace or more melodic leanings of the whole album, but it also sounds like 20 other drummers could have stood in for him and nobody would have known the difference (and I can’t say that about any other Behemoth album).

Will this be the first Behemoth album in nearly 20 years that I don’t buy, or will this one be a grower that continues to bloom with multiple listens?  Is this a band at the proverbial crossroads in their long and celebrated career?  I’m not really sure, and I’d honestly be curious to see what other fans have to say about this one and how it’s received. 

Following a short intro, no eardrum is safe when the title track kicks in, with a nice bellow from Sven and some heart thumping blast beats.  This track also has a nice guitar solo in it, which really helps to keep their sound fresh and is a welcome motif that shows up very often throughout the album; yes they can blast you into oblivion, but they also know that’s not what sets them apart.  It’s pretty much all out punishment from here, with things not really slowing down until the 8^th track, “Deep Red”.  The 9^th track, “Altro Inferno”, actually has a very catchy chorus, and for me was the most memorable track on the album.

The only original member of the band is front man Sven Caluwe, one of the absolute best in the business and the glue that has kept this beast rolling along for so long.  His unique vocal style is back in all its glory, and he has the same quartet back from the last bruising album, Retrogore.  If it’s even possible, they have definitely upped the technicality here, even reaching a bit into some Hour of Penance level of speed.  After two decades, this train isn’t going off the tracks any time soon.

Honestly it’s easy to run out of superlatives with this band, just suffice to say if you’re a fan, this will definitely be one you’ll want to add to your collection.  This is just top-notch death metal from top to bottom, and the metal world is all the better off for it.

With obvious Nasum and mid-discography Napalm Death influences coming through loud and clear, and this collection of veteran talent, Contempt for Man pulls no punches.  This is straight up blast beat driven, 1-2 minute long grind in all its stripped down glory.  The aforementioned Jakobson is joined by vocalist Joel Fornbrant, who has a fitting hollow yell that has a bit of Napalm’s Barney Greenway in it.  Oskar Pålsson is back on bass, with guitarist Kristofer Jankarls coming over from Infanticide (which is another band grind fans should seek out).

The whole album clocks in at just over 32 minutes, with the large number of tracks that is a grindcore genre staple (20 total on this one).  You do get some groove parts, namely in the almost 3 minute (WTF!) 9^th track “Crush the Empire”, and closer “Flytande Död”, but luckily no instrumentals or any other fluff.   The production is a bit thin in the low end, which was likely a conscious choice to avoid an over-produced sound. This is grind at its most basic, and it’s a wonderful thing.

Press play on the first track, “Guillotine”, and when that first stabbing riff and blast beats come ripping through your speakers, let that smile creep across your face… the Kataklysm you know and love is back.  Maurizio Iacono seems to have that fire back in his voice, which is saying something for a man who has seen this band through what is now their 13^th full length album.  Jean-Francois Dagenais is still here masterfully manning the strings, as one of the two OG members (along with Iacono).  Oli Beaudoin (Ex Deo, ex-Neuraxis) has really stepped up his drumming from Ghosts, and the rhythm section is rounded out by long-time bassist Stephane Barbe.

The wreckage continues with the catchy and mad-as-hell “Outsider”, with a nice tempo change coming with “The Last Breath I’ll Take is Yours”.  This leads to what is my favorite track on the album, “Narcissist”, which just has that vintage Kataklysm “punch” and would have been right at home on In Shadows and Dust.  The tempo is brought down a bit again for more melodic closer “Achilles Heel” which is a perfect ending to this album.  All the songs are very well written, and have choruses and lyrics you can’t help but yell along with (or bob your head to if you’re in a place that yelling might be frowned upon).

This is just a phenomenal return to form for one of the absolute best in the business.  To keep your sound relevant and fresh after this length of time is incredibly promising, and bodes very well for the future.  The production is top notch, and you might just find yourself listening to this album two or three times and surprised that nearly 40 minutes have gone by each time.  If you were less than impressed with their last one give this one a go.  You’ll be glad you did. 

Following a 2 minute intro, the first track “The Silent Life” starts out with an awesome chug riff backed by some tight double bass work (one of my absolute favorite elements of extreme metal), but then out of nowhere around the 3:30 mark, takes a prog turn with a very interestingly placed saxophone solo.  It’s one of the many pleasant surprises on this album.  It’s end on a blast beat-driven tear and a bit more of the saxophone (I must say I don’t think I’ve ever heard a blast beat over the top of a sax, but it’s a pretty damn cool idea).  “At Home” features a number of tempo changes to start off, before some clean singing around the 2:40 mark mixes things up yet again.  “Old Nothing” is a straight forward bruiser, with the drumming really shining on this one.

Honestly, I could write a novel going into the depths of each track, with the different elements and the phenomenal musicianship, but suffice to say they’re all just awesome in their execution.  The vocals fit perfectly, the drumming slays, and the guitar work could not be any better.  You get the prog elements, jazz fusion, straight up brutal death metal, clean singing and melodic elements.  It’s all here.  The one question I did have was what exactly drew them to decide on the name of the album, as it’s definitely a strange choice.  But that’s merely a curiosity and not a negative in the least bit.

The album as a whole comes in a just under an hour, and truly demands multiple listens to really dig into what’s going on here, as there’s a hell of a lot.  An absolute must listen, and my mid-year frontrunner for Album of the Year. 

Finding a home on none other than the behemoth known as Unique Leader records, this one had all the makings of a killer album, and it doesn’t disappoint in the least.  Their slamming, groove heavy sound still sounds fresh in a genre that has been dying for an injection of some new life.  Vocalist Jay Evans bounces all over the vocal scale, growling when need be and going for a higher pitch when called for.  Drummer Lynn Jeffs (who some might recognize from Annotations of an Autopsy), absolutely slays behind the kit with some (thankfully more organic but still triggered) light-speed double bass work.

Sean Hynes and Sam Yates, who handle the guitar work as well as backing vocals, bounce between slick grooves and slams, while also mixing it up to avoid monotony.  One of the things that has no doubt helped this band is that it’s all the original members since their beginning in 2007, with that continuity really helping the cohesiveness of their sound.

This is just an absolute crushing album, and a welcome return for one of the best in the genre.  It clocks in at just under 45 minutes, which is definitely on the longer end but highly enjoyable when it’s done this well.  If you’re a fan this is an absolute must listen, and anybody with an open mind just might find themselves liking this one as well.

The band comparison that kept coming to mind while going through this album was Aborted, and it’s an apt comparison, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is pure mimicry.  Vocalist Jamie Kay brings the Sven Caluwe-styled death growl, with a dual guitar attack from Jarrod Curley and Lynton Cessford, with the rhythm section rounded out by bassist Ainsley Watkins and drummer Louis Rando (who seriously has like 10 ex-bands after his name on metal-archives.com).

It’s just pure fucking destruction from the beginning, with opening track “Manic Onslaught” doing exactly that to your eardrums.  Things only let off the gas for a bit with halfway track “The Great Divide” starting out a bit slower, but then gets this tank rolling back on its path of destruction until closer “Vile Defloration” ends with a mid-paced denouement.

On top of all that you get some well-placed tempo changes and guitar solos throughout the entire 40 minute run time, along with a nicely heavy yet not overly-produced mixing job.  There’s really not much to NOT like here.  In a year that has been somewhat hit-or-miss so far in the death metal realm, this one is an absolute must-listen. 

Krosis fancies themselves as technical/progressive deathcore, and that seems to be a pretty fitting label.  They have the djenty, stabbing riffs that are all the rage these days (and the past 4-5 years no less), and some solid riffing, but this one is just an overall miss.

First off the production is way too flat for this style of music, which is supposed to have heaviness and a thick production as an almost dead-on requirement to have any effect.  Secondly there are WAY too many overly pseudo-philosophical-trying-to-have-some-deep-meaning samples in the final few tracks that kill a lot of the vibe of the album and tend to be more boring and energy-killing than anything.  The dual vocal attack is ok, with the death growl much better than the screams.  And finally, clocking in at over 56 minutes this one isn’t nearly filled with enough substance to take up an hour of your time (neither is most deathcore at that length, and that’s coming from a huge fan of the genre).

There’s not a whole lot to go into here, so this one is going to be short.  Fans of the genre should at least give it a spin, while all the deathcore haters out there probably stopped reading after the first paragraph.

The most enjoyable aspect of the album, and one that is present right off the bat with lead track “Gastorture” is a nasty, chainsaw guitar sound that just reeks of death metal at its most basic and awesome.  This track, and most of the others, have an awesome headbang-worthy chug to them while also mixing in some quicker parts.

The vocals of Dirk Willems has a nice deep bellow to it, which accents the aforementioned guitar tone.  His vocals are at times decipherable, and you find him (GASP!) actually saying the names of the tracks in the lyrics themselves and the listener able to pick up on them (seriously, does like ANY genre on earth still do that?!?).  Anyways, it’s something that stuck out if for no other reason than being so rare.

The production overall has a pleasing organic feel to it, which was a great stylistic chose as an over-glossed production would take away from the sound these guys are going for.  This was put out on Black Lion Records, which is a label I have never heard of but after doing some searching it seems like they have some pretty decent bands in their lineup.  Give this EP a listen, as there’s something for most every metal fan to like here.

My first thought after hearing the album for the first time was that vocalist James Pligge was missing that raw edge to his voice that really gave Harm’s Way its sound.  Well it turns out that first impression was wrong, and this album very much stands alongside the other two in what is an overall fantastic hardcore discography.

It opens with luckily no bullshit pointless intro, jumping right into the pit frenzy with the chugtastic “Human Carrying Capacity” that is vintage Harm’s Way.  The next track “Last Man” sees them mix it up a bit with an almost industrial metal intro before dropping the hammer about 30 seconds in.  The 4^th track “Temptation” opens with a slower-paced intro and an echoey vocal style, with the hardcore elements dropping in and out to great effect throughout the song.  At these and various points throughout the album you get these stylistic and tempo changes that keep things fresh and point towards a strong emphasis on songwriting.  They can bulldoze your house any time they want, but sometimes it’s nice to just roll up on the lawn and chat for a bit instead.  “Unreality” comes through with a punk d-beat vibe, while “The Gift” drifts back into industrial territory before laying waste to whatever is left of your ear canals with closer (and longest track) “Dead Space”.  Just try not to flip your kitchen table after hearing the shouts of “Save Us NOW!” with an awesome djenty-ish backing riff.  It just doesn’t get much better than this for the genre (save for one of my other hardcore favorites Left Behind).

Overall this album shows a band maturing, and demonstrating they haven’t lost what got them to where they are, but that that formula can be mixed up a bit to great effect.  The production is thick and organic, and the guitar tone is nice and beefy with solid drumming and a good bass line.  If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s an absolute must listen, and if you like this look up their other 2 LPs I mentioned as well as the phenomenal EP Blinded.  Top notch stuff indeed. 

Well fast-forward to 2017, and an album I was really looking forward to have jumped to contender for “Most Disappointing Album of the Year”.  The main reason?  The vocal change.  Gone is Taylor Wientjes (Inanimate Existence) whose powerful vocal style fit Trinity perfectly, and in stepped Monte Barnard, and holy hell is he BAD.  TKV have now went from a tech-death band to a pretty bad wanna-be tech-death/semi-deathcore band (anyone still reading?).  And Barnard makes judicial use of the raspy scream, which is probably my least liked vocal style in all of metal, so I will get that disclaimer out there now.  His death growl is quite good, but the other style just ruins any enjoyment.

As for the rest of the music, it’s definitely slowed down a bit, and based on your tastes that’s a good or bad thing (but for me personally this was a huge step back).  The band does mix in some symphonic elements in the first few tracks, which I have often felt add a nice layer of depth to most death metal, and they do so as well here. The drumming is still phenomenal, as original member Gabe Seeber (Decrepit Birth, Alterbeast, Abysmal Dawn) still kills it behind the kit.  KC Childers is back on guitar, but he’s WAY underutilized compared to how good he was on Trinity.  The production is awesome, with Zack Ohren (Animosity, Suffocation, All Shall Perish) once again proving to be one of the best in the business.

If you need a tech-death fix check out the new Decrepit Birth from a few months ago.  You’ll be much happier. 

After a short intro, “Goddess of Machines” is an awesome ground-pounder to get the album off on the right foot.  Vocalist Philipp Bischoff has a nice semi-decipherable death bark to him that is a perfect fit for their style.  About halfway through this track you also get some of the synths that add another well-placed element into their sound and are mixed in at various points throughout the album to give it much more depth.  “Mark of Cain” has an incredibly catchy chorus line, with “The Key to Your Voice” almost sounding like it could be turned into a hardcore song (and that’s not a bad thing).

The dual guitar attack of Lutz Gudehus and Lutz Neeman is very well done, with the perfect mix of driving power chords and slick solos that show off a keen attention to songwriting.  Drummer Lucas Katzmann isn’t gonna blow you away with his speed, but that’s not the goal on this album.  A solid pocket and the ability to drive the sounds is what he’s shooting for here, and it’s just what he delivers.

Having been mixed and mastered by none other than the legendary Dan Swano, you know you can expect a nice, organic sound with each instrument well represented.  Definitely give this one a listen or two, and with this being their third LP, check out the other two.  I didn’t have a chance to do so, but this one has piqued my interest enough that I would be curious to see how their sound has evolved up to this point. 

Aborted Fetus play a very Devourment/Cranial Engorgement/98% of Comatose Music bands style of brutal death (anyone want to foster a guess what label they’re on???).  It’s the gurgly, brutal death vocal style and the slammy down-tuned guitars that fans of the style know and love.  There’s not a lot of variation here, but a nice touch to a number of the songs is a well-placed guitar solo that keeps the monotony down and shows this bunch actually have some talent to bring to the table; check out the one at the 1:10 mark of the second track “Buried Alive”.  The next track, “Hanged on the Hook by the Rib”, starts out with a nice loping chug riff, which pleasantly adds to the headbangability of this album; and those moments thankfully come quite often on this one.

All in all this is a very solid addition to the Comatose lineup.  Another welcome surprise on this one is an album that actually has a solid production, as unfortunately a good number of the bands on what is one of my favorite labels often suffers from annoyingly thin production that takes away from the musical enjoyment.  The whole album is a great way to burn a half hour, and should bring a smile to many of you slam-heads out there. 

Being unfamiliar with their previous 3 full-length albums I was only vaguely sure what to expect here, but this one comes across as basically a bad deathcore album.  Now there are those out there who clearly think EVERY deathcore album is a bad one (anyone who’s read my reviews knows me and Erik are about the only fans of the genre left), but this one is a big disappointment.  Certain songs at times almost drift into rap-metal territory, and a bit too much hardcore posturing and tough guy lyrics; with a track titled “Show Your Fucking Face”, it’s all a bit obvious.

Sure, you get some nice breakdowns and some frantic blasts as things drift into the more brutal end of the spectrum, but this one is just not that good.  The production is solid, which is one of the few positives on this one, and the artwork is pretty damn cool.  Check it out if you’re curious, but there’s no point spending too much time on this one as you can safely move on.  Not a lot to see here.

Well fast forward to now, and Cast the First Stone has for me been one of the first really good death metal albums of the year. This one has the feeling of a band that has all systems dialed in, and comes across as a very “mature” album. During the middle part of their catalog HOP were known as one of the land-speed record-setting death metal bands, and they were easily one of the best at it. But at this point they’ve got fuck all to prove to anybody in that realm, with this album demonstrating much more of an emphasis on groove, a little orchestration and incredibly strong songwriting while still showing they’ve got the chops to hang with anybody in the business.

The first track “XXI Century Imperial Crusade” actually had me quite worried on first listen, as it’s an average track and didn’t inspire a ton of confidence right out of the gate. But then the title track comes next, and the aforementioned groove is on full display here, and it’s a glorious thing. The interplay between the dual guitars is handled beautifully on this one, and continues with track standouts “Iron Fist” and phenomenal closer “Damnatio Memoriae”. Again you do get the speed mixed in throughout, handled awesomely by drummer Davide “BrutalDave” Billia (whose past bands read like a who’s who in the brutal death metal realm: Putridity, Antropofagus, Beheaded, Septcycal Gorge). Paolo Pieri is back on vocals for the fourth album in a row, and while they aren’t the highlight here, they more than get the job done.

Overall this is just a really great album. I had to pump the bass just a bit on this one, but the production on the whole is very solid with each instrument able to make its presence known. Hour of Penance has been honing their craft for over 15 years, and it shows here. Definitely an album to check out, and the first album of the year to add to my ‘must buy’ list.

Featuring former members of bands such as Closed Casket Funeral, Dismata, and Corprophemia, their style is a mix of hardcore, death metal, and even a bit of grind. Fans of aforementioned bands as well as The Red Chord, Harm’s Way, and even Ion Dissonance will really like what’s on display here. It’s all driven forward by vocalist Darren Marchand, who after doing some research on the band found out that he suffers from what is known as Neurogenic Stammering, which means he’s unable to carry on a normal conversation, but is able to (very forcefully) deliver all the lyrics for the band’s songs; one of those really interesting things about us humans that’s hard to understand, but phenomenal in that it still allows someone to express themselves as an artist.

The production here is killer, with a tasty little buzz to the guitar tones, and the whole thing coming in at just over 11 minutes. The band does have a previous full length that I would encourage you to seek out if you like this. Definitely a group to keep tabs on in 2017 as hopefully this is just a teaser for an upcoming LP.

The first three tracks feature a djenty, thrash-tinged Killswitch Engage style, showcasing some nice down-tuned guitar heaviness mixed in with some harsh and clean vocals.  Track five, “Time Lapse”, takes a total right turn into nu-metal (or what I call radio metal) style.  It’s entirely clean vocals, and sounds like something All That Remains would do before they decided to completely turn into the wussiest band in metal history.

The remaining 8 tracks pull mainly from the above templates, and I must say it’s an enjoyable listen all around.  The clean vocal parts, courtesy of Peter Tuthill, are a welcome change of pace.  He never really dips into full on death growls, but the music on the whole doesn’t really call for it, preferring to go with the thrashy snarl vocal style most of the time.  The band notes point out that they feature THREE eight-string guitarists, so that can definitely take credit for a lot of the heaviness that is present throughout most of the whole album.  Janne Jaloman handles the drum duties, and pulls off some phenomenal stop-start action, a la the one and only Fear Factory, and some wicked fills and tempo changes; which come to think of it this album even has a touch of some industrial metal to it as well.

This is actually the band’s third LP, with an EP before this one which seems to have caused quite a buzz.  After an output as strong as this one, they are definitely a band to keep an eye out for if you’re looking for something a bit different or you find your current metal choices getting a bit stale.

With that being said there’s not much new here, with lyrics that tend to focus on the normal themes of rising above the travails of life and continuing to fight, and improving your situation while ignoring the haters.  Luckily this one doesn’t bleed too much into the “bro-core” genre, though they definitely flirt with it at times.  Production is solid overall, with a nice low end pop that really is needed if an album like this is to pack much of a punch.  The best track on the whole album, “The Lost”, is also unfortunately one of the shortest.  It’s got a killer groove riff and a deeper bellow from Rosado that would be an absolute pit-churner during live shows.  Other ones to check out are “Temple of Lies” and the penultimate track “Pure and Free”.

The album as  a whole clocks in at around 39 minutes, which is definitely on the longer end of the spectrum, but there is plenty of variation so it doesn’t feel overly long.  The album also starts out with one of the coolest samples I have heard in a while.  I even did a search to try and find where it came from, but I wasn’t able to do so.  If you’re into this style it’s one that would be worth your time to check out.

Unique Leader has been one of my favorite labels for a long time, and any of their outputs are one that I know I must listen to regardless of the band, as most everything they put out generally ranges from good to great.  Italian tech-death outfit Deceptionist have their debut album on such a prestigious label, so along the line they must have impressed someone as such an achievement tends to be much more the exception than the rule.  Unfortunately in this case, Deceptionist fall below the good mark, much more so into the very average category.

The lyrical theme for the album is one of a time in the future where robots turn on their human makers, and what that type of sceniario would entail.  It’s an interesting idea, and follows along the sci-fi path that a good number of tech-deathers have chosen to focus on over the past few years.  Unfortunately, it’s a neat idea, but the music is quite boring.  Vocalist Andrea Di Traglia is an absolute dead ringer for Cannibal Corpse’s lead singer George Fisher, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely nothing unique.  You get the pre-requisite frenetic drum work and riffs that aren’t crazy technical or over-noodly by any means, but much more than your average death metal output.  The production is solid, befitting an output on such a quality label.

The album overall has a very Decrepit Birth-light feel to it, however this quartet will need a lot more work if they want to be mentioned in the same category with them.  Most of the songs hover around the 3-4 minute mark, with the whole album just above 35 minutes.  Easily the most annoying part of the whole album was track 8, “Industrivolutionaction”, which features a warning siren in the background of the song, and instead of fading out goes on through the WHOLE DAMN SONG.  Once was enough for that track and I couldn’t wait to hit skip on subsequent listens.  Give this LP a try as something to get you by before the next big Unique Leader release, but don’t expect too much when you do so.