[ALBUM REVIEW] Drudkh - Eternal Turn of the Wheel

Genre - Atmospheric Black Metal

1. Вічне Коло (Eternal Circle)
2. Подих Холодної Чорної Землі (Березень) (Breath of Cold Black Soil (March))
3. Коли Боги Залишають Свої Смарагдові Чертоги (Серпень) (When Gods Leave Their Emerald Halls (August))
4. Прощання Зі Скорботними Птахами Осені (Жовтень) (Farewell to Autumn's Sorrowful Birds (October))
5. Ніч Зіткана Зі Снігу, Вітрів Та Сивих Зірок (Грудень) (Night Woven of Snow, Winds and Grey-haired Stars (December))


There’s no two ways about it, 2010’s “Handful of Stars” was awful; a blatant attempt to cash in on the current ‘Post’ Black Metal trend that was all the rage then. In what could basically be described as a blatant, utterly asinine and toothless attempt to jump upon the ALCEST bandwagon, DRUDKH hit the lowest ebb in their career. If it didn’t bear the DRUDKH name then it would have been hard to believe that it was the same band who released such atmospheric Black Metal opuses as “The Swan Road” or “Forgotten Legends”. So when I heard news that they were releasing a new album which claimed they were returning to their roots I was relieved yet quietly doubtful at the same time. Why? Because they were at least dropping the whole ‘Shoegaze’ facade, yet the couple of albums directly prior to “Handful of Stars” weren’t the strongest either, and how they’d fare after such obvious back peddling and the hammering that album took critically remained to be seen.

“Eternal Turn of the Wheel” is anything but poor though, and with it they have managed to claw back some pride after the abortion that was their last release and banish it to the dark recesses of the mind. It’s essentially DRUDKH doing what they do best, and that’s harsh and unforgiving Black Metal swathed in atmosphere. They’re masters of that enduring hypnotic swirl which sucks you into a trance and into a journey through the elements. So in accustomed DRUDKH fashion the first track is an acoustic intro, a scene setter of sorts which lays out the foundations for the rest of release, nothing more or nothing less.

The first proper track is ‘Breath of Cold Black Soil’ and is the initial turn of the wheel starting from March. It’s intense pretty much from beginning to end and a well received blast of fury which harks back to previous efforts. The guitar maintains the traditional crunchy chord progressions and mesmeric riffs of old and Thurios’ vocals are back to their vicious, Slavic shaded best. It does tend to drag after a while though and a bit more variation in the guitar wouldn’t have gone amiss as it seems a bit flat overall, but nonetheless it’s a vast improvement at least on the previous material. And so the wheel slowly rolls round to August with Autumn’s dark hand on the back of your neck. ‘When Gods Leave Their Emerald Halls’ follows the same basic pattern as ‘Breath...’ with its crisp, primal guitar work and incessant beating drums perpetually chipping away at you like a bitter wind. About three minutes from the end there is a beautifully calm and serene interlude, a lull before the storm of blasting and ferocious guitar work which moves in at the end of the track. It’s moments like this that I absolutely love about DRUDKH.

So round we go to October and the ‘Farewell to Autumn’s Sorrowful Birds’ and its slightly more restrained face compared to the previous two, an expansive number awash with isolation and yearning reinforced by Roman’s excellent sombre guitar work. Blanketed by Winter’s harsh embrace, the extravagantly titled ‘Night Woven of Snow, Winds and Grey-Haired Stars’ completes the revolution. Amidst a backdrop of lustrous synths and abrasive drumming, enveloped by a hypnotic swell of guitar which is nothing short of majestic, i can easily cite this as one of the best tracks DRUDKH have penned to date. It’s utterly beguiling. And so the year ends and the cycle begins once again.

“Eternal Turn of the Wheel” is thankfully a great return to form by these Ukrainians. Ok, it isn’t flawless; it does have a tendency to drag, most notably in the first two songs, and a certain spark is missing that was present on their classics. Let’s face it, they’re probably never going to produce another release to rival the quality of “Autumn Aurora” or “Forgotten Legends” again, but this does show glimpses of that brilliance and is at least a damn fine effort and a more than befitting return to form for a band who I thought had lost themselves down a one way street. To those new to DRUDKH, there are better albums to begin with, and for those who were disgusted by the previous effort then fear not for their brand earthy, wind shorn Black Metal is back. Now let’s just hope this wheel doesn’t seize up again...

7.5/10

Sounds like - Burzum, Kroda, Walknut

Originally written for The Metal Observer

[ALBUM REVIEW] Angel Witch - As Above, So Below

Genre - NWOBHM, Heavy Metal

1. Dead Sea Scrolls
2. Into the Dark
3. Gebura
4. The Horla
5. Witching Hour
6. Upon This Cord
7. Guillotine
8. Brainwashed


ANGEL WITCH are one of those bands who, while influencing more bands than one cares to imagine, never got the mainstream appreciation they fully deserved. Their debut is widely regarded as a classic of NWOBHM by metal aficionados, and not without reason. Their brand of occult themed Heavy Metal is certainly deserving of being mentioned in the same breath as “Number of the Beast”, “Wheels of Steel” and “Borrowed Time”, but they never really got the media attention their material so merited due to the ever revolving line-up and a lot of bad luck. They’re a band I’ve always hugely respected and loved, so to say I was ecstatic when I heard news of a new album was a bit of an understatement.

So with “As Above, So Below” Kevin Heybourne is back for a fourth attempt, a release of which I’m pretty sure no-one saw coming. It certainly struck right out of the blue for me anyway, and again the only recognisable member being the band’s nucleus, Kevin. I will admit I was a touch sceptical that it could have ended up sounding like some horribly modern shit or a desperate dated attempt at recapturing something long gone, but thankfully my fears were allayed. They’ve managed to avoid these two traps and have produced a highly capable release that stays true to their ethos of old and still manages to sound fresh enough preventing it from ever coming across as a rehashed cash in.

It isn’t an instantly striking release; I found it more of a slow burner and one that took a fair amount of time to establish any sort of impression. It isn’t perfect by any means though, the two tracks ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ and ‘Brainwashed’ which bookend the album are by a long shot the strongest tracks present here. ‘Brainwashed’ with the potential to be a classic with its old school vibe, imposing vocal performance and mazy guitar work. It definitely has a good deal more focus than some of the other material present. ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ has that signature NWOBHM gallop that harks back to the glory days so much that you could easily be forgiven for forgetting that over thirty years has passed since the debut.

Sandwiched in between is a mixture of some great material and some undoubtedly obvious filler. Apart from the aforementioned two songs, other highlights include the re-recorded ‘Into the Dark ‘ with its impressive vocals lines and ending full of all manner of layered guitar shredding pomp and the rather more sombre and subdued ‘The Horla’ with its fantastic instrumental section. The problem with songs like ‘Gebura’ and ‘Upon this Cord’ though is that they just don’t cut it at this level. They’re very pedestrian and flat out devoid of any memorable or distinguishing traits and those all important infectious guitar hooks and choruses just aren’t present and just come across as a band who are badly struggling for inspiration ideas.

As stated though, if you ignore the extra baggage on “As Above, So below” you’ll find it is a strong release full of first class vintage riffing and smouldering lead work bolstered by Kevin’s characteristic vocal performance. Fair enough his vocals may lack a bit of oomph from time to time but on the whole they’re more than suitable. There’s positive vigour and flare present here that alludes to an age when bad mullets and tight jeans were socially acceptable (It still should be!) and ANGEL WITCH were top of their game. Just don’t come into this expecting something as outstanding as the debut and you won’t be disappointed; but approach it with a degree of patience and you’ll certainly enjoy what is potentially their second strongest release to date.

7/10

Sounds like - Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, Satan

Originally written for The Metal Observer

[ALBUM REVIEW] Furia - Marzannie, Królowej Polski

Genre - Avant-garde Black Metal

1. Wyjcie psy
2. -
3. Wodzenie
4. Skądś do nikąd
5. Kosi ta śmierć
6. Pójdź w dół
7. Są to koła


Poland has always been a hotbed for harsh and unforgiving black metal, whether it’s the bitter winters or the past economic climate, there’s certainly something there which breeds hateful and misanthropic black metal by the bucket load. Furia are one of those bands; active since 2003 they have some impressive material under their belts. Marzannie, Królowej Polski is their third full length and while not quite their best or as good as their compatriots Mgla’s latest release, it’s an involved album with a lot of merit if you have a bit of patience with it.

The closest comparisons I could draw would be a less intricate and obscure Deathspell Omega. It’s not quite as multi-layered and doesn’t have as much going on but the disjointed and left field guitar melodies together with the overall avant-garde atmosphere definitely appear influenced by DSO at times. The album actually has quite a number of upbeat passages strewn throughout, something which is obviously unusual for a lot of black metal, take the opening riff in “Wodzenie” for example or the repetitive almost psychedelic overtones threaded throughout “Sa to Kola” which remind me Nachtmystium of all people. For all its obtuse rhythms and fractured, dissonant atmosphere Furia’s core is still firmly rooted in the old school. The experimentation fuses well with the vicious flurries of blasting and Nihil’s deep, reverbed vocals.

While there isn’t really any standout aspects of the release, Marzannie, Królowej Polski is an engaging listen all the same, it does take some time to get its claws in. It’s experimental and unconventional black metal which while different, most importantly retains the foundations of traditional black metal while injecting something a bit different. If unique, ugly Eastern European black metal is your thing then you’ll certainly find something here, just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

6/10

Sounds like - Deathspell Omega, Nachtmystium, Massemord

Originally written for Metalcrypt

[ALBUM REVIEW] Mgla - With Hearts Towards None

Genre - Black Metal

1. With Hearts Toward None I
2. With Hearts Toward None II
3. With Hearts Toward None III
4. With Hearts Toward None IV
5. With Hearts Toward None V
6. With Hearts Toward None VI
7. With Hearts Toward None VII

It’s been four long years since their first full length, but now Polish Black Metal duo Mgla have and have finally got round to releasing their follow up to Groza. And if Groza was a decent effort, a glimpse at what the band may have been capable of, then that potential has been fulfilled with a superiority and self assurance that puts many of their peers to shame. Fair enough their various splits and EPs before the debut were all high quality material indeed, but With Hearts Towards None is a greater manifestation altogether.

As far as sheer ruthless Black Metal assaults go this has got to be one of the most formidable efforts I’ve heard in a long time. No keyboards, no obscure folk instruments and no melody, With Hearts Towards None is comparable to being trapped by a raging whirlwind of knives, hacking away constantly at your every bit of your being. Firmly set in the ‘orthodox’ Black Metal mould, with lyrical themes mainly revolving around theistic Satanism and various other esoteric subjects bands like Funeral Mist, Ofermod and Ondskapt would be the nearest comparisons.

The scything and oppressive riffing together with M’s deep abrasive roar and the scorching drumming all ties in together perfectly and the clear yet devastating production enhances this perfectly. Variety is one of the album’s great successes, no song ever sounds the same and the tempo is constantly switching from a restrained pounding dissonance to an all out aural onslaught thrashing down on your skull. It also must be noted that when a straight up Black Metal band can produce a ten minute monolith without any threat of monotony making it appear half the length it really is, then you know you’re on to a winner.

It’s primitive and obnoxious yet still manages to come across very refined it in its delivery. There is an air and authority about Mgla present here which is missing from so many Black Metal bands these days. For those who appreciate their Black Metal punishing, engulfed in a hazy bleakness and burning with spirit then With Hearts Towards None has got to be one of your first stops this year. This has cemented these blackened hearts as one of the best Polish Black Metal acts around at the minute and it’s not hard to see why. Pure unholy Black Metal that bows to no-one. More of the same please.

9/10

Originally written for The Metal Crypt

[ALBUM REVIEW] Nargaroth - Spectral Visions of a Mental Warfare

Genre - Black Metal/Ambient Electronic

1. Odin's Weeping for Jördh
2. An Indifferent Cold in the Womb of Eve
3. Diving Among the Daughters of the Sea
4. Odin's Weeping for Jördh - Part II
5. Journey Through my Cosmic Cells (The Negation of God)
6. A Whisper Underneath the Bark of Old Trees
7. Spectral Visions of Mental Warfare
8. March of the Tyrants


Anyone even remotely into Black Metal will have come across NARGAROTH at some point on their travels. Kanwulf’s stories and antics in the past are so infamous these days it’s easy to see why they’re a hugely polarizing band. For a guy whose head is lodged permanently up his own arse, surprisingly he still has a canny knack for creating some fantastic music. “Jahrezeiten” was a somewhat return to form after the rather mundane previous two efforts. But let’s face it, he’ll never make another “Herbstleyd”, that was an almost genre defining release, and Kanwulf has said as much himself.

While “Spectral Visions of a Mental Warfare” is an exceptionally good release, their best in many years in fact, it’s sure to divide fans right across the spectrum. Why? Because this is very, very different to anything Nargaroth have done before. Basically anyone that’s looking for a straight up Black Metal album will be coming away very disappointed, for “Spectral...” is essentially a bizarre experiment comprised of one small part classic NARGAROTH consumed by a wave dreamy ambience fuelled by what almost appears to be the electronic waves of TANGERINE DREAM and VANGELIS of all people. Not your everyday Black Metal album then eh? Of course this will just further stoke the fires of Kanwulf’s critics, but if you take this not as a Black Metal album, but as an Ambient piece in general, you’ll maybe begin to fully appreciate its majesty.

The three ‘Metal’ tracks present here would be loosely tied into the ‘depressive-suicidal’ vein of Black Metal for want of a comparison but the guitar plays a distinctly reserved role anyway. Take ‘An Indifferent Cold in the Womb of Eve’, it appears to drift around dejectedly beneath the sea of synths and electronics, playing an effective role in creating an atmosphere of suspended desolation. Whether it’s the sub-oceanic minimal electronic journey of ‘Diving Among the Daughters of the Sea’ or the terrifying “A Whisper Underneath the Bark of Old trees” it’s hard to escape that feeling that we are but a an insignificant fleck of corrupt light in something altogether vast and complex beyond our own comprehension.

These astral, ambient passages are just so fucking effective, and none more remarkable than in the duo of ‘Journey Through My Cosmic Cells – The Negation of God’ and the aforementioned ‘A Whisper...’, the former a pure electronic track that is so utterly chilled out, relaxing and arcane; a trip into an abyssal celestial void, drugged by repeating electronic pulses of the synthesizer. It could easily have walked right out of the eighties, probably just why I love it so much. ‘A Whisper...’ is arguably one of the greatest tracks Kanwulf has ever penned, and it’s a pity the rest of the album isn’t quite up to this standard, as some of it does have the tendency to drag a touch. It’s the most ‘Black Metal’ track on the album and it sounds suspiciously like he might just have been listening to NYCHTS and MORTUALIA’S latest collaboration before writing this one. The marriage between the melancholic guitar work, Kanwulf’s sparse vocals and the empyreal soundscapes created is mesmerizing. Take the guitar line that comes in around 4:40, it’s just soul destroying. I cannot stress enough how beautiful and crushing this track is, transporting the listener to another consciousness where all dreams and aspirations are destroyed.

Comparing it to the other notable ‘spacey’ Black Metal acts, it’s less suffocating and foreboding than DARKSPACE and not as harrowing as NYCHTS, it’s comparable to a star cloaked out of body trip through the endless forest of space, an attritional battle between sanity and insanity. Aesthetically it isn't Black Metal at all, the focal point isn’t centred on riffing and blasting drum work, it’s all about the atmosphere. It may be their least metal release yet, but it’s Kanwulf’s best composition in years. NARGAROTH have never given two shits about what path they’re expected to take, we’re never going to get another “Herbstleyd”, but if he decides to stick to this route I’m more than happy.

8.5/10

Origianlly written for The Metal Observer

[ALBUM REVIEW] Pergale - Horizontalios Maldos Palaima

Genre - Black n Roll

1. Aš Tave Subadysiu (I Will Stab You)
2. The Addiction Song
3. Sado Mazo Vokietija (Sado Mazo Germany)
4. Viešnamio Harmonija (The Whorehouse Harmony)
5. Viskis (Whiskey)
6. Horizontalios Maldos Palaima (The Felicity of Horizontal Praying)
7. Sado Mazo Vokietija (McKaras Remix)

What’s this then? Another one of these eighties throwback black metal bands dipping their toes into post-punk territory? With that opening bass line I initially thought so, sadly no. Lithuanian’s Pergale refer to themselves as “Victorious Psycho Black Rock”. Any such act who have the gall to affix such an outlandish label onto themselves are going to be either very very good, or extremely fucking bad. I really hoped for the former, especially after the opening, but my head was telling me the opposite. It was right, this really isn’t very good at all, in fact at time’s it’s hard not to burst out in fits of laughter or cringe at how contrived, awkward and downright fucking stupid it sounds.

Now I’m no metal prude, I have a lot of time for any band who brings in outside influences of any sort against the metal grain, but truth be told more often than not it just doesn’t work. Horizontalios Maldos Palaima could be categorized as some sort of bastardization of Lifelover and Finntroll, only astoundingly somehow manage to set aside everything that’s good about those bands, intentionally ignore them and focus on the absolute worst aspects of both bands, add in a plethora of jazz and commercial rock influences and the result is this. Whether it’s the eye wateringly harsh vocals which at times are fucking atrocious or the sickly sweet guitar rhythms which keep raising their ugly head from time to time, Horizontalios is just too obscenely ludicrous to take seriously.

Redeeming qualities are few and far between; the bass work is the best thing about this release but sticks out like a sore thumb. The black metal passages are competent enough when present, no more, certainly nowhere close to Lifelover’s level anyway. “The Addiction Song”, a wispy piano number and the acoustic “Viskis” are the only two decent tracks on here. The rest are just completely forgettable. It sounds like the sort of thing you’d get after placing four musicians from random backgrounds into a bar and kept pouring alcohol down their throats until they were inebriated enough to come up with something. And the result? Forty minutes of shallow rambling nonsense which is completely devoid of any substance whatsoever.

It’s the type of album where the only thing you can extract from the end of it is a state of bewilderment and a thumping headache. There’s many more bands out there doing this ‘Black n Roll’ thing much better, and not many better than Vried. Some may even call this ‘Depressive Black ‘n’ Roll’. To me it’s just fucking depressive.

1.5/10

Originally written for Metalcrypt

[ALBUM REVIEW] Necrodeath - Idiosyncrasy

Genre - Death/Thrash metal

1. Part I
2. Part II
3. Part III
4. Part IV
5. Part V
6. Part VI
7. Part VII


NECRODEATH have been around now since 1985, and are one of those bands who in their day were hugely influential, and in their initial incarnation release two of the most important and criminally overlooked albums the Italian metal scene has ever seen. “Into the Macabre” and “Fragments of Insanity” were, and still are both essential first wave Black/Death Metal albums that stand easily toe to toe with the rest of the genre’s forerunners at the time. Yet to this day, asking 90% of extreme metal fans have they heard of them you’ll be met by a majority of blank faces. And then after a number of line-up and label problems, they just appeared to vanish.

So fast forward ten years and they’re back together, this time with OPERA IX drummer Flegias at the helm. I have to admit, other than their seminal first two albums, I had no idea they still existed until recently, but being the huge OPERA IX fan it was only obligatory I checked them out again. First impressions are that while notably different from their ‘classic’ material, that this contains some exceptionally good stuff.

Of course it was going to sound different, name me any one of the vintage Thrash bands who sounds the exact same now as they did twenty to thirty years ago? Almost none, it is to an extent almost to be expected, but where the likes of KREATOR, SLAYER and EXODUS are releasing lethargic, sterile trend hopping crap which screams ‘mid-life crisis’, NECRODEATH have managed to come up with something altogether fresh and modern and refuse to get caught in that trap of a band sounding as though they’re desperately trying to claw back the years.

“Idiosyncrasy” as their latest release is titled is now their tenth album comprised of one song without break split up into seven parts. Initially the alarm bells started ringing, this is something many bands have tried but rarely ever succeed at, but appears to be working here. There are a lot of different elements and influences at work here; the guitar tone is crisp, modern and almost Death Metallish, varying from dense crunching riffs to sharp lead work. Flegias’ vocals appear to be some sort of hybrid between a high pitched Black Metal shriek and Mille Petrozza from back when he could actually sing.

The frequent transitions between the slow, brooding bassy passages and the faster blast and flail sections knit together fairly well and are more than slightly reminiscent of SLAYER on “Seasons in the Abyss”. The frequent tempo fluctuations and overall dynamic approach to their song writing leave “Idiosyncrasy” an unpredictable listen, so much so at times it was more jarring to listen to than anything else, there’s not enough continuity of cohesion for it to stick. It also does tend to get caught up a little too heavy in the ‘groove’ end of the spectrum at times, something I’m not too favourable about, but it’s infrequent enough not to be a big problem.

In short “Idiosyncrasy” is a more than respectable release, ok so it doesn’t hold a candle to the early stuff but that’s almost a different era now. If glossy and modern Thrash is your thing then you might well find something here. Traditionalists may not be quite as enamoured with it, but I certainly found their brand of Prog tinged Thrash more listenable than some of the more famous names still toiling away.

6.5/10

Orignally written for http://www.metal-observer.com

February's Round Up

So I’ve decided that as well as posting up my reviews for The Metal Observer and Metalcrypt here I might as well start something semi-regularly encompassing all manners of new music that I’ve been listening to the past month or so I haven’t got the time to review, because let’s face it there’s just too much stuff to give everything an in depth analysis. Not necessarily new music, just a combination of artists new and old, metal and non metal that I’ve just been spinning a lot every month.

So, starting with the last CD I bought, Greek blasphemers Ravencult, who adhere to a rather more Swedish approach to their black metal than the style their country is known for released their latest offering Morbid Blood towards the end of last year on Hells Headbangers. On display here is relentless blasting and Dissection like riffing, which while not wholly original is certainly one for the traditionalists and more than an engaging listen [7]. And on the subject of Greek Black Metal, another band cropped up recently on my playlist, an act by the name of Burial Hordes whose vocalist actually used to be in Ravencult and share another member with Dead Congregation. Their sound is somewhat similar though more rooted in the first wave with bands such as Bathory et al. Vicious, spiteful and satanic if at times a touch too repetitive, Devotion to Unholy Creed is raw unforgiving brutality exemplified [7].

I’ve been listening to a lot of Black Metal this month, and this continues with Mortifera’s monolithic masterpiece and altogether wretched journey of self ruin Vastiia Tenebrd Mortifera. An album which I would rank among the best the Depressive black metal scene has ever seen, and when you have the Celestia mastermind at the reins flanked by the illustrious genius Neige then you always were going to have something special on your hands. Just listening to the middle guitar harmony on “Le Revenant” will drug you into a reverie and tear your soul to shreds. An astounding release every Black Metal fan should own [10]. So while Neige may have played a bit part role in Mortifera, his contributions in Alcest are anything but. Being Neiges musical manifestation of his supposed dreams of a fantasy fairyland from his youth, the sounds and melodies present on Les Voyages De L’Ame sound exactly like the kaleidoscopic paradise of a ten year old child. Songs like the title track and “Autre Temps” are exactly why many people consider Neige to be the best thing to happen to metal in a long time. While Alcest are no longer a metal band, hell they haven’t ever really been one, the music is phenomenal, their pulsating guitars and rhythms channel the best from the early 90’s Creation bands and together with Neige’s subtle yet mesmerizing vocals with lull you into a trance unlike any other. As good as the previous two? Very nearly, perfect is very hard to achieve 3 times in a row, but then again he is human after all....Is he [9.5]?

The Meads of Asphodel are a band any self respecting British black metaller will know. The Murder of Jesus the Jew being their 4th full length continuing their experimental Black Metal madness. It’s extremely varied and has a lot going on, their influences are derived from everywhere and have a sound very hard to pin down. Not quite as good as Damascus Steel, it’s still good by many other bands standards. Sometimes it is outright fantastic and sometimes it will leave you scratch your head thinking “What the fuck?” [6]. Metatron’s other current project The Wolves of Avalon are much better, pursuing a more traditional English folk path and employing the services of the likes of Rob Darken and Roibeard from Mael Mordha. With personnel such as that it’s hard to go wrong. Carrion Crows Over Camlan is vast, epic and sounding suspiciously like Graveland, one I’d recommend for all you Black Metal pagans out there [8]. Aorlhac are a band I have been following closely for a few years now. Their debut was sublime stuff, bombastic Emperor and Peste Noire worship with hooks and riffs more infectious than the plague. La Cite des Vents doesn’t quite straddle the same heights as the debut but it comes damn close. The sound overall is very medieval and guitar riffing and various other instrumentations reinforce this. Just try and listen to the second half of “Les Enfants des Limbes” without wanting to don your sword and shield gear and prance around like a socially awkward LARPer [7.5].

Turn the clocks back around thirty years or so for Diamond Heads forgotten masterpiece Borrowed Time. An album any self respecting metal fan should have heard at least once in their life time, and one which has influenced almost as many bands as Yngwie has guitars. Genre breaking song writing, Purple-esque and Free like in structure yet so absolutely unique in itself, with blistering solos and songs which hark back to an era long gone. It also gets added cool points for the Elric references. One of the finest metal albums ever written, there’s so much more to them than “Am I Evil?” Thanks Metallica [10]. There’s an awful lot of French stuff being mentioned here and keeping in line with the theme is Blut Aus Nord’s latest effort 666-TheDesanctification. Follow up to the Sects album, keeping the same abstract, suffocating vision, Vindsval has created another fine album of all manner of Industrial Black Metal obscurities. It’s a consuming listen, and like much of their stuff will take time to digest. The closest comparison to hand? The musical accompaniment to the collapsing of a star. Ominous stuff [7.5]. Temnozor are a band well known throughout the NSBM scene, and not without good reason. Upon recently acquiring Folkstorm of the Azure Nights I finally got my hands on one of their releases. It’s high quality if at times slightly hamfisted Pagan Black Metal not too dissimilar to Nokturnal Mortum although with less emphasis on the Metal and more on the atmosphere. The clean vocals aren’t the greatest, but are rather endearing, and when you’ve songs as majestic as “Where the Lazure Skies Tear the Hearts Apart” you know you’re on to a winner. Their best album for sure [8].

Stielas Storhett, Mop(Not the shaggy thing you clean the floor with, a Russian word apparently) and Liholesie team up for a split release and all acts here hail from the frozen wasteland of Siberia. So you’d expect the music to reflect the area then? Correct, well for the first two anyway, who perform rather polished sounding proggy Black Metal which manages to remain constantly alluring while all the while avoiding the usual pitfalls of prog music. Colder than a polar bear’s ballsack, you’d be advised to put on your Winter woollens for Death Comes From the North. Be that death from frostbite, or from the boredom of Liholesie’s attempt at neo-folk, that’ll be for you to find out [7]. Marblebog move things to the woods with their brand of foresty atmospheric Black Metal not unlike Burzum, utilizing repetition to maximum effect. And beyond. Forestheart tends to get a little too repetitive at times, but their brand of wind shorn musings is impressive enough to pass the time, and a lot better than their ambient works [6]. Sear Bliss make the long awaited follow up to the critically acclaimed “The Arcane Odyssey” with Eternal Recurrence and is unfortunately a huge let down. The trumpets are still there, but all the sweeping guitar passages and the astral, spacey atmosphere has been forsaken for a more proggy and restrained approach. It’s as if the band are caught in two minds as to where exactly they want to go, and the result is a directionless and altogether frustrating attempt at ‘grown up’ Black Metal that I really really want to like, but just can’t bring myself to it. Big disappointment [3].

One for all the Pagan Altar and Manilla Road fans out there are Swedish fantasists Quicksand Dream, recently getting their only full length Aelin rereleased on High Roller. And what a fucking album it is. Long, meandering and immersive songs with an admittedly sub-par production which actually just adds to the experience. Just try listening to “Aelin’s Oath” and not get goosebumps. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And is that Quorthon on vocal? I thought he was dead? Oh wai... [9]. So bringing me finally to my last album that I feel the need to pass my opinion on this month is cult pre Deathspell Omega act Hirilorn and their only full length Legends of Evil and Eternal Death. Shaxul and co were vastly different back then before they morphed into the Darkthrone cast offs they were renowned for in those early DSO days. I’ll be brief; this is one of the most underrated Black Metal gems out there, sadly overlooked due to the DSO connections. Epic and sprawling songs stretched out over a foundation of Nordic BM and Iron Maiden (yep, just listen to the guitar leads)that to this day I still maintain is better than anything DSO have ever done. I’d like to think that the day the final battle arrives and Hell’s legions pour out into the living, this would be their own WWE-esque entrance music [10].

Alcest, Les Discrets, Soror Dolorosa, Falloch - Stereo, Glasgow, 20/02/12

If you’re in any way at all half interested in the Black Metal scene it will have been hard to avoid the whimsical French outfit ALCEST. From their debut opus “Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde” up to the recent release “Les Voyages de l'Âme” which they are currently touring, it’s hard to deny that Neige has been somewhat revolutionary in creating the reflective fusion of washed out shoegazing and abrasive black metal.

It was Glasgow’s turn this time to experience the sonic din of Neige and co. Supported by gloomy goths SOROR DOLOROSA, LES DISCRETS and Scottish debutants FALLOCH, anyone into the lighter side that metal currently has to offer was certainly in for a special night. Which brings us to FALLOCH. In the chance you’ve been living in a dustbin the past year or so, FALLOCH recently released their critically well received debut album on Candlelight last year, and being huge ALCEST fans themselves, what better way to showcase your music than in front of a room full of like minded people? This was the only date on the tour that got FALLOCH, so it was an extra special night for some, and their brand of post rock influenced Black Metal certainly won them more than a few fans. Ok the singer may appear as if he’s just walked out of a HATEBREED gig, but disregarding such trivial matters it’s quickly apparent that their material crosses over into the live environment extremely well. It’s a pity they only got a couple of songs, but being a support band with tracks which average around ten minutes will do that to you. It’s a pity as Andy and co. were fantastic, especially remarkable given the gigs they’ve played so far you could count on one hand.

And so the French took over with SOROR DOLOROSA. Some may know the rather enigmatic front man Andy Julia from his brief dabbling in the Black Metal scene but other than that most of the crowd were rather oblivious. With what’s best described as one part Rozz Williams, one part Robert Smith and one part lunatic as he clutches at the microphone with the desperation of a nicotine starved Andrew Eldritch he howls and wails his way through the band’s self titled album and debut EP with a determination and pomposity that can only be applauded. Ok so they’re a bunch of leather clad Goths stuck in the eighties, which was visibly not to everyone’s taste, but to someone like me who adores everything black and gloomy from that period they were flat out awesome to these ears. If you’re at all a fan any of the old school goth bands from the eighties you’ll love them, as they stay true to their roots with their brand of guitar driven desperation comparable to THE CURE. Someone needs to give Andy a pound or two for a new t-shirt though, as his nigh unrecognisable excuse for a FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM t-shirt apparently worn since day one of the tour made him look like a Cathouse regular who had just wondered up onstage off the street after a fight with a tiger.

The ever cool Fursey Teyssier is up next, looking as if he’d just walked straight out of 50’s New York, he and his crew of usually restrained shoegazers throw off their chains and crank up the distortion and volume to an intensity which could only leave me open mouthed. I was always a bit passive regarding LES DISCRETS, but after watching them blow the place apart with their hugely MBV-esque wall of noise, technical hitches included, my opinion has changed completely.

Which leads only to the main attraction, ALCEST. And holy fuck did they impress or what. Previous live experiences of ALCEST consisted of only an alcohol fuelled haze from Dublin where they were also very good last September, but this time around Neige, Winterhalter, Indria and Zero were utterly astounding, on a completely different plane altogether. Preffering the material off their last two albums they frequently spun the audience into a trance with their huge noisy waves of pulsating distortion and effervescent picking. Neige’s vocals were hard to pick up, but apparently that’s the way he prefers them when performing live, buried beneath everything else. Among the highlights were the vibrant “Là Où Naissent les Couleurs Nouvelles” and the beautifully delicate “Sur L'Ocean Couleur de Fer”. “Ciel Errant” and "Percées de Lumière" closed a performance which could only be described as nothing short of spellbinding. Until you’ve witnessed them in the live environment, you haven’t experienced the full grandiose majesty and beauty of ALCEST. It’s very rare I ever walk out of a gig totally mesmerized by what I’ve just seen, but they achieved that tonight. For those who have yet to see them, you’re sorely missing out.

[ALBUM REVIEW] Desaster - The Arts of Destruction

Genre - Black/Thrash Metal
1. Intro
2. The Arts of Destruction
3. Lacerate with Hands of Doom
4. Splendour of the Idols
5. Phantom Funeral
6. Queens of Sodomy
7. At Hell's Horizon
8. Troops of Heathens – Graves of Saint
9. Possessed and Defiled
10. Beyond Your Grace
11. Outro

So German Black/Thrash titans Desaster finally return with the long awaited follow up to 2007’s “Satan’s Soldiers Syndicate”, which was a glorious return to form after the uneven “Anglewhore”. I had extremely high aspirations for this release, as the previous was so blindingly brilliant I was hesitant they’d have lost that spark somewhere along the road. All apprehensions were soon put to the sword though as soon as the last track ended; winding my jaw up off the floor after being thoroughly drained of all thought due to the sheer overwhelming power that is “The Arts of Destruction”, they haven’t just followed “Satan’s Soldiers Syndicate” up with an equal album, they’ve arguably created what is their most accomplished and awe inspiring release yet. “The Arts of Destruction” is a totem of the Black/Thrash genre, a glimpse at what so many other bands can only dream of achieving.

For a band who have been around for as long as these veterans to constantly keep releasing quality albums and hit such a high at this period in their career is nothing short of remarkable. Only a handful of bands contain that fire which puts them on another level altogether from the rest, DESASTER along with the comparably awesome DESTROYER 666 have both now effectively come close to perfecting this genre. “The Arts of Destruction” is wall to wall venom, with vocals which appear dredged from the abyss of hell itself and a guitar tone and drumming which will grind your bones to dust, and it’s hard to see how this can be bettered.

So anyway, enough with the gushing praise, straight from the eponymous title track right through to ‘Beyond Your Grace”, the album is a sweeping behemoth of riffing that will get every static head in the room banging. Infernal’s guitar tone is and always has been the back-bone to Desaster, the huge crushing riffs and ripping solo’s have been a mainstay since their inception and is none more evident than here. Choice cuts would either be the DESTRUCTION-esque main riff during “Phantom Funeral” and the unequivocally epic “Teutonic Steel”-esque lead work in “Possessed and Defiled”. Sataniac’s vocals are just as impressive, stronger than ever and that underlying Cavalera like sneer still present. The vocals slash and tear through the everything like a feral dog, ranging from an almost Death like guttural to higher pitched Black screams delivered in such a way it sounds as if he’s delivering a hate filled sermon rather than a mere Black metal song. The drumming is similarly impressive, fast paced and earth shakingly intense yet always thoroughly varied hammering the riffs straight into your neck.

The production present here is magnificent, a flawless mix and clarity which does its best to complement every single riff and every single vocal line without ever sounding ‘modern’. A special shout must go to the duo of “At Hell’s Horizon” and “Possessed and Defiled”, the former being a four minute hellstorm of blasphemy with a central section violent enough to turn even the most reserved metal head into a fist clenching swagger, the latter an eight minute epic along the lines of “Teutonic Steel” and “Conqueror Supremacy” with the pace take down a notch or two and a grandeur of evil like that from early BATHORY. It’s songs like the aforementioned and “Metalized Blood” etc that are why Desaster are held in such high regard, their ability to write such enthralling Black/Thrash is matched at the minute only by that of DESTROYER 666.

All the usual influences are present, from early SEPULTURA to BATHORY to the Teutonic German scene of the 80’s, and even a bit of hard-core punk the form of “Queens of Sodomy”, so in the chance that you haven’t heard DESASTER before and your music taste is somewhat along those lines then “The Arts of Destruction” will be right up your alley and is as good a place to start as any with them. If there was ever any doubt as to their position, then this album has completely blown them off the map, because “The Arts of Destruction” is one of the finest militant Blackened Thrash releases yet. Every so often an album will come along and completely floor me and reaffirm just why exactly I listen to metal in the first place, why I persevere through all the shit and one which keeps blowing me away every single time I listen to it, and for an album to do that to me is rare. A rare full marks from me.

10/10

Orignally written for The Metal Observer