New Heavy Metal Album Reviews: April 2, 2013
The latest heavy metal album reviews, including releases from Abyssal, Azure Emote, Beyond The Shore, Bleed From Within, Chasma, DGM, For Today, Lost Society, Monsterworks, Morgengrau, Moss, My Endless Wishes, No Consequence, Shadows Past, Wardruna, Years Of Tyrants and Zozobra.
Reviews are on a 5 star scale.
Genre: Black Metal
The United Kingdom’s Abyssal have obviously spent a great deal of time listening to Portal as one could easily mistake the tongue twisting Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius for just about any of Portal’s early releases. The swirling, backwards chaos of weird forms, riffs, deep vocals, off kilter time changes, you name it, Abyssal have the shtick down pat, even right down to a mysterious front put on by the nameless hooded band members.
Abyssal are not quite all things Portal as the music is generally a bit slower and has a doomier vibe, but Portal is the obvious template. Intrigued? You should be. It’s pretty good.
Rating: 4
(Dave Schalek)
Genre: Avant Garde Death Metal
The Gravity of Impermanence, the newest release from avant garde death metal project Azure Emote, is dazzling in its intricacy. This brainchild of Mike Hrubovcak (Abraxas, Vile) features contributions from members of Rumpelstiltskin Grinder, Fear Factory, Death, Monstrosity, Yakuza and more. Even female vocals compliment the anything-goes (well together) approach.
Jaws will drop while trying to take it all in, yet the album never loses focus. Far from a passive listen, knuckle-draggers will find little appeal here, but those with astute minds and an appreciation for its artfulness may lose themselves within the depths of Hrubovcak’s vision. It’s a highly ambitious project well worth your attention.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
Genre: Metalcore
The debut full-length from the Kentucky metalcore band Beyond The Shore has everything you'd expect from the genre. Ghostwatcher delivers pummeling breakdowns and a combination of harsh vocals and melodic singing.
The harsh vocals are good, and the band is at their strongest when the tempo is galloping along and the choruses are gang vocals yelled over top of a catchy melody. Singing vocals are used sparingly, and that's a good thing. Beyond The Shore vary the tempos to avoid monotony, but rely a bit too much on the constant breakdowns.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)More »
Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore
With influences ranging from Dark Tranquillity, Machine Head and Killswitch Engage, the Scottish band Bleed From Within’s new release Uprising features mountains of great musicianship and a state of the art production job. Rather than falling into a certain category, the five piece’s third release encapsulates a host of sub-genres of heavy music, forming a straight up modern metal album.
A triumph in not only chest beating metal, but in fantastic modern metal songwriting. Uprising is one of the finest metal albums that will come out of the UK this year - if not the world.
Rating: 4.5
(Andrew Kapper)More »
Genre: Black Metal
Portland, Oregon’s Chasma are not playing typical Cascadian black metal. Instead of employing the themes of the primeval forest as is usually the case in the subgenre, Chasma explore the dark reaches of outer space with Codex Constellatia, their second album.
However, Chasma do sound similar to their Pacific Northwest brethren with harsh tones, acoustical interludes, a few melodies, and howling vocals. Though rather typical, the result is quite good and I find myself liking this album better than their debut Declarations Of The Grand Artificer, mostly due to better songwriting.
Rating: 4
(Dave Schalek)
Genre: Progressive/Power Metal
DGM’s newest effort Momentum powers through Italian prog. DGM, whose name refers to the initials of its founding members long ago departed, open with “Reason,” the album’s best track, featuring guest vocals by Symphony X’s Russell Allen. It’s a poignant inclusion considering DGM sounds like Russell’s band, minus the heartbeat.
Mix in Dream Theater and Styx keyboards, add production scrubbed with hand-sanitizer, and run them through the blender of songs like “Numb” and “Remembrance,” and DGM‘s Momentum goes down like fine gelato on a summer’s day.
Rating 3
(Todd Lyons)
Genre: Metalcore
After last summer's Immortal full-length, the Iowa Christian metalcore band For Today return with a five song EP. Four of the songs are new, and the other is an acoustic version of "Fearless."
The new songs are not throwaways. They have the catchiness and aggression you'd expect from For Today, and there's more than just the music. Prevailer also includes a DVD with a 90 minute documentary about the band with live footage from last summer's Warped Tour and their headlining tour. Other extras such as official music videos are also on the DVD.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Genre: Thrash Metal
Finland’s latest fashionable newcomers are the thrash upstarts Lost Society. The most shocking aspect about their debut release Fast Loud Death is that the average age of the band is 18 years old. None of the band members were even born when the original thrash movement began. It is astonishing to see them stay so true to the initial concept.
Lost Society draw a lot of inspiration from early Megadeth. The frantic riffing of a young Dave Mustaine is heard all over the guitar riffs, especially on the title track, “Bitch, Out’ My Way” and “N.W.L.” The band could add more solos as the players are shredders. With time their song structures will be a little stronger, but this is still a solid debut.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Drago)More »
Genre: Heavy Metal
For Album Of Man, UK metallers Monsterworks brought together their 2012 digital releases Man::Instincts and Man::Intrinsic as a single album. What results is a rough 40 minutes of accessible yet challenging metal. Not ones to conform to a single genre, Monsterworks pull together a mix of elements from classic rock, NWOBHM, death metal, grunge and hair metal.
The music moves effortlessly between its heavier movements and those more radio friendly. Same goes for the vocals, which are at times clean, at times a death metal growl and others a high-pitched howl. The tracks are well put together and most offer a decent hook. At its heart, Album Of Man sounds like a band just playing the kind of metal they want to hear.
Rating: 3
(Matt Hinch)
Genre: Death Metal
Morgengrau takes it back to the '90s on their debut album. Extrinsic Pathway is influenced by bands like Immolation and Pestilence. The music is standard death metal fare with vocals that have the reverb cranked way up.
There are some very melodic and catchy parts as well as oppressive heaviness and pummeling blast beats. Tracks like "The White Death" feature extended instrumental sections and solos, showing their musicianship. Though not original, it is very well done, and Extrinsic Pathway will appeal to fans of the old school.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Reviews are on a 5 star scale.
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Abyssal - 'Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius' (Profound Lore)
Genre: Black Metal
The United Kingdom’s Abyssal have obviously spent a great deal of time listening to Portal as one could easily mistake the tongue twisting Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius for just about any of Portal’s early releases. The swirling, backwards chaos of weird forms, riffs, deep vocals, off kilter time changes, you name it, Abyssal have the shtick down pat, even right down to a mysterious front put on by the nameless hooded band members.
Abyssal are not quite all things Portal as the music is generally a bit slower and has a doomier vibe, but Portal is the obvious template. Intrigued? You should be. It’s pretty good.
Rating: 4
(Dave Schalek)
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Azure Emote – 'The Gravity of Impermanence' (Selfmadegod)
Genre: Avant Garde Death Metal
The Gravity of Impermanence, the newest release from avant garde death metal project Azure Emote, is dazzling in its intricacy. This brainchild of Mike Hrubovcak (Abraxas, Vile) features contributions from members of Rumpelstiltskin Grinder, Fear Factory, Death, Monstrosity, Yakuza and more. Even female vocals compliment the anything-goes (well together) approach.
Jaws will drop while trying to take it all in, yet the album never loses focus. Far from a passive listen, knuckle-draggers will find little appeal here, but those with astute minds and an appreciation for its artfulness may lose themselves within the depths of Hrubovcak’s vision. It’s a highly ambitious project well worth your attention.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
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Beyond The Shore - 'Ghostwatcher' (Metal Blade)
Genre: Metalcore
The debut full-length from the Kentucky metalcore band Beyond The Shore has everything you'd expect from the genre. Ghostwatcher delivers pummeling breakdowns and a combination of harsh vocals and melodic singing.
The harsh vocals are good, and the band is at their strongest when the tempo is galloping along and the choruses are gang vocals yelled over top of a catchy melody. Singing vocals are used sparingly, and that's a good thing. Beyond The Shore vary the tempos to avoid monotony, but rely a bit too much on the constant breakdowns.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)More »
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Bleed From Within - 'Uprising' (Century Media)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore
With influences ranging from Dark Tranquillity, Machine Head and Killswitch Engage, the Scottish band Bleed From Within’s new release Uprising features mountains of great musicianship and a state of the art production job. Rather than falling into a certain category, the five piece’s third release encapsulates a host of sub-genres of heavy music, forming a straight up modern metal album.
A triumph in not only chest beating metal, but in fantastic modern metal songwriting. Uprising is one of the finest metal albums that will come out of the UK this year - if not the world.
Rating: 4.5
(Andrew Kapper)More »
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Chasma - 'Codex Constellatia’ (Moribund)
Genre: Black Metal
Portland, Oregon’s Chasma are not playing typical Cascadian black metal. Instead of employing the themes of the primeval forest as is usually the case in the subgenre, Chasma explore the dark reaches of outer space with Codex Constellatia, their second album.
However, Chasma do sound similar to their Pacific Northwest brethren with harsh tones, acoustical interludes, a few melodies, and howling vocals. Though rather typical, the result is quite good and I find myself liking this album better than their debut Declarations Of The Grand Artificer, mostly due to better songwriting.
Rating: 4
(Dave Schalek)
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DGM – 'Momentum' (Scarlet)
Genre: Progressive/Power Metal
DGM’s newest effort Momentum powers through Italian prog. DGM, whose name refers to the initials of its founding members long ago departed, open with “Reason,” the album’s best track, featuring guest vocals by Symphony X’s Russell Allen. It’s a poignant inclusion considering DGM sounds like Russell’s band, minus the heartbeat.
Mix in Dream Theater and Styx keyboards, add production scrubbed with hand-sanitizer, and run them through the blender of songs like “Numb” and “Remembrance,” and DGM‘s Momentum goes down like fine gelato on a summer’s day.
Rating 3
(Todd Lyons)
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For Today - 'Prevailer' EP (Razor & Tie)
Genre: Metalcore
After last summer's Immortal full-length, the Iowa Christian metalcore band For Today return with a five song EP. Four of the songs are new, and the other is an acoustic version of "Fearless."
The new songs are not throwaways. They have the catchiness and aggression you'd expect from For Today, and there's more than just the music. Prevailer also includes a DVD with a 90 minute documentary about the band with live footage from last summer's Warped Tour and their headlining tour. Other extras such as official music videos are also on the DVD.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
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Lost Society – 'Fast Loud Death' (Nuclear Blast)
Genre: Thrash Metal
Finland’s latest fashionable newcomers are the thrash upstarts Lost Society. The most shocking aspect about their debut release Fast Loud Death is that the average age of the band is 18 years old. None of the band members were even born when the original thrash movement began. It is astonishing to see them stay so true to the initial concept.
Lost Society draw a lot of inspiration from early Megadeth. The frantic riffing of a young Dave Mustaine is heard all over the guitar riffs, especially on the title track, “Bitch, Out’ My Way” and “N.W.L.” The band could add more solos as the players are shredders. With time their song structures will be a little stronger, but this is still a solid debut.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Drago)More »
){kind=link}
Monsterworks – 'Album of Man' (Mortal)
Genre: Heavy Metal
For Album Of Man, UK metallers Monsterworks brought together their 2012 digital releases Man::Instincts and Man::Intrinsic as a single album. What results is a rough 40 minutes of accessible yet challenging metal. Not ones to conform to a single genre, Monsterworks pull together a mix of elements from classic rock, NWOBHM, death metal, grunge and hair metal.
The music moves effortlessly between its heavier movements and those more radio friendly. Same goes for the vocals, which are at times clean, at times a death metal growl and others a high-pitched howl. The tracks are well put together and most offer a decent hook. At its heart, Album Of Man sounds like a band just playing the kind of metal they want to hear.
Rating: 3
(Matt Hinch)
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Morgangrau - 'Extrinsic Pathway' (Blind God)
Genre: Death Metal
Morgengrau takes it back to the '90s on their debut album. Extrinsic Pathway is influenced by bands like Immolation and Pestilence. The music is standard death metal fare with vocals that have the reverb cranked way up.
There are some very melodic and catchy parts as well as oppressive heaviness and pummeling blast beats. Tracks like "The White Death" feature extended instrumental sections and solos, showing their musicianship. Though not original, it is very well done, and Extrinsic Pathway will appeal to fans of the old school.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
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