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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
Album Type: EP Date
Released: 0909/2016 Label: Medusa Crush Recordings
Like
a bullet from a sniper, the opening riff from 'Lust' is delivered with pinpoint
accuracy. 'Dark Triad' opens tribal drumming before hardcore inspired sludge (a
la Love Sex Machine/Black Shape Of Nexus) gives everything a damn good
thrashing. The riffs are groovy enough to get your head nodding but are out of
the box enough to give you something to think about.'Kali', the third and final song is simply
brilliant. Thumping heavy riffs entangle with deconstructed song formats,
making this a standout track on a standout release.
‘Advorsus CS
//DD track listing:
01. Lust
02. Dark Triad
03. Kali
The Review:
Is
'Prog-doom/sludge/metal' a genre yet? If not, Kurokuma have just invented it. 'Advorsus' is the new EP from these
Sheffield based atomsmashers, and contained within it's 3 tracks are enough
weight, chops and ideas to make so called bigger bands scratch their heads and
say "why
didn't I think of that?!"
Like
a bullet from a sniper, the opening riff from 'Lust' is delivered with pinpoint accuracy. Some punishing sludge
makes way to some tribal drumming bringing to mind Sepultura's'Roots' as the band put all their distortion pedals to work. There
are so many layers to this band its unreal, the jolting bass weaves in between
the drums and the NWOBHM meets Melechesh meets Crowbar
guitar work is very impressive. 'Dark
Triad' opens with some more tribal drumming and clean guitar work before
hardcore inspired sludge (a la Love Sex Machine/Black Shape OfNexus)
gives everything a damn good thrashing. The riffs are groovy enough to get your
head nodding but are out of the box enough to give you something to think
about...and the guitar tone? Superb!
Listening
to this, it's hard to believe I'm listening to a fairly "new" band,
they sound so cohesive and fluid...but they only have a demo to their name; 'Kali', the third and final song is
simply brilliant. Thumping heavy riffs entangle with deconstructed song formats,
making this a standout track on a standout release. It's a track that has me
searching the thesaurus for adequate superlatives; it's astonishing and
corpulent.
I've
witnessed this band live and can confirm that they are every bit as loud and
heavy as they are on record. A band to keep tabs on, they'll surely be making
waves in the very near future.
‘Advorsus" will beavailable Friday 9th September here
This is the death metal equivalent of the Olympics- faster, bigger and the pinnacle of human endeavour in the chosen form.Suffice it to say that this is a superb technical/brutal death metal album of towering musicality. I am now a confirmed fan and will seek out their other records for sure. What an achievement this record is- death metal and then some.
‘What Should Not be Unearthed’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Call to Destruction (5:45)
2. Negating The Abominable Coils Of Apep (4:14)
3. Liber Stellae - Rubaeae3:48)
4. In The Name Of Amun (6:49)
5. What Should Not Be Unearthed (6:58)
6. Evil To Cast Out Evil (5:37)
7. Age Of Famine (4:11)
8. Ushabti Reanimator (1:30)
9. Rape Of The Black Earth(4:35)
10. To Walk Forth From Flames Unscathed (6:36)
Nile is:
Karl Sanders | guitars, vocals
Dallas Toler-Wade | guitars, vocals
George Kollias | drums
The Review:
Nile are one of death metal's biggest names and can justifiably be described as having progressed and even reinvigorating the genre. They play technical yet very brutal death metal- hyper fast, Egyptian themed, blasting death. All the ingredients are there. Since the late 90's to the present day they have been leading the way in their own niche and affecting the greater world of death metal as a result. So why have I never got into them?!?! I have no idea, is the short answer. I have “In Their Darkened Shrines” and while I have enjoyed it on occasion, I just never ventured further into their discography. A foolish move, as this latest opus makes perfectly clear. From the opening of ‘Call To Destruction’ it is clear that this is a band at the top of their game. My initial thoughts? Fuck. George Kollias is FAST! The songs are not catchy, exactly (ha!) but is a showcase of what the band does best; Egyptian themed death metal of impossible dexterity.
‘Negating The Abominable Coils of Apep’ does the same again- alternating between half intelligible death growls and impossibly low grunt vocals. There are so many time changes and percussive shifts that it is difficult to follow- even for someone who listens to a lot of death metal. Karl Sanders' riffs are finger breakingly complex- so many twists and turns and often combing rhythm and melody (no easy feat, I'm sure). There is also a tambourine overdub on this one- perhaps showing that Nile go for production as well as brutality.
‘Liber Stellae- Rubaeae’ sees Kollias blasting at a speed most won't reach and the riffs both chugging and screaming away. This is the death metal equivalent of the Olympics- faster, bigger and the pinnacle of human endeavour in the chosen form. Ironically, I suppose this is akin to death metal on steroids. The rolling groove comes into play here as Sanders intones “I feel nothing because I am nothing”. It is intense stuff.
‘In The Name of Amun’ starts atmospherically and really brings the Middle Eastern vibe. It is a creepy and cold start to what becomes a frenzied hurricane of blasts and riffs. Again, the drums are incredibly quick. Even twenty years ago, the speeds reached (comfortably) here would be unthinkable. I really cannot praise Kollias enough for his abilities. Remember, in 1980, Motorhead were the fastest band in the world. In 1983, Metallica were. Slayer kicked things up a few notches before Napalm Death hovered into view and then blasts became fairly de rigeur for many death and grindcore bands. Black metal did not push that envelope any further, really, with the exception of the very speedy Hellhammer in Mayhem. With Kollias, though, there is a drummer that can make even Pete Sandoval's 90's pacing appear pedestrian- and Pete “The Feet” was considered pretty untouchable at the time.
‘What Should Not Be Unearthed’ takes us to the half way point- the songs range from the approximately four minute mark to around the seven minute mark, so ten tracks will not be short changing you. Such is the bewildering nature of the material here, that a little goes a very long way indeed.
‘Evil to Cast Out Evil’ features a great pace to start and nice line in riffing too. This is one of my favourite tracks on the album- being as it is a little easier to follow and rings the changes. Naturally, the pace picks up just shy of the two minute mark. There is a lovely time shift again before three minutes rolls around and the strong refrain from earlier in the track is repeated. This is cracking stuff and really ushers in the second half of the album superbly.
‘Age of Famine’ has a creepingly evil feel to it- really slow and nasty and again this change marks its card as a stand out and keeps the listener interested as the album progresses. Again, I really liked this one as it has all the ingredients of great death metal. ‘Ushabti Reanimator’is a one and a half minute instrumental piece featuring lush acoustic sounds and eerie atmospherics. Again, the album starts to mark itself out as a record of two personalities; impossible speed and dexterity showcased alongside atmospherics and time changes. Naturally, after the preceding experimentation, ‘Rape of The Black Earth’pins its colours to the mast with speed, aggression and brutality.
‘To Walk Forth From Flames Unscathed’ is a six and a half minute closer and showcase of the band's formidable skills. It will get your head banging that is for sure, as well as confounding you with time changes. The track twists, turns and rolls as it progresses. The closing one minute plus is a superb outro as well- rolling pit orientated neck snapping stuff! It is an interesting undertaking to review this record- as I have only heard one other Nile album, I have no idea how it stacks up against the rest of their discography. Suffice it to say that this is a superb technical/brutal death metal album of towering musicality. I am now a confirmed fan and will seek out their other records for sure. What an achievement this record is- death metal and then some.
Album
number six from these Assyrian authors of Mesopotamian metal. There are middle
eastern inflections aplenty in this stellar production. ‘Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged’ sets a
furious pace with spoken word sections and rhythmical ride work over the blast
beats. The track settles into more palatable tempos. The vocals take on the
traditional black metal screech for most of the track after the swirling intro.
This is superior stuff. Much like Winterfylleth make a virtue and feature of
Englishness, Melechesh use their heritage and conjure up perfectly desert
sounds, and the swirling nature of sand storms and so on. This is black metal,
but with more weighty riffs and some real heft to some of the passages- it goes
far beyond fast picked noise.
‘The Pendulum Speaks’ has a lovely guitar
interplay opening with more imaginative cymbal work abounding too- great sound.
It is closer to a “traditional song structure” clocking in at four and a bit
minutes. ‘Lost Tribes’ follows
with all the drama that the title implies. The band is positively rocking on
this one- heads will bang, that's for sure. The riffs are full of twists and
turns, but they still manage to be easy to follow too. There are some
Maiden-esque passages here and there along with much weightier fare. This is a
ripper of a track and very, very metal. It is refreshing to hear a unique band
with their own take on a sub-genre. I have not heard Melechesh before, but I
guarantee that I will be listening to this a lot over the next year. Their back
catalogue will most likely get explored too. The riffs are very heavy, the
musicianship is advanced and the whole productions screams quality. The time
changes come thick and fast on this one, add in some nifty lead breaks in the
latter third and you have a complete metal package.
‘Multiple Truths’ starts with a purposeful
groove instead of relying on blasting extremity. The band mixes sub-genres well
throughout the record. It is undoubtedly black metal, but there are many
elements of thrash, trad and death metal present here too.
‘Enki Divine Nature Awoken’ follows with an
Eastern intro (very well mixed) that is then taken over by a tension building
section before returning before the track gets going with odd time signatures.
The vocals use some good production tricks (the high/low double track etc) to
add texture, while the track progresses with layering of guitars and some
memorable riffing. My knowledge of Sumerian mythology is negligible, so I rely
on Wikipedia to tell me that Enki is one of the Sumerian gods- of water and
other things. Enki was later known as Ea. Is this anything to do with the “Ea”
of “Ea- Lord of The Depths” from
Burzum's fist record? Quite possibly, but that requires more internet research
than I have time for at the moment. That said, I like my history and mythology,
so will delve into that later. Again- this is a plus point for me as the record
has depth to its content and rather unique selling point. Excellent!
‘Metatron and Man’ features some speedy riffing
sections and blasting which makes for more traditionally recognisable black
metal. There are some great changes here and a lovely frantic riff section
before the two minute mark (good use of hi-hat syncopation!). The blasting does
not stay in place for long and does not overwhelm the record either- it is
measured and never needlessly extreme. Again, the strong riffs shine through on
this- something that not all black metal bands can claim.
‘The Palm The Eye and Lapis Lazuli’. Reviewing
this is becoming a history/mythology research project at this point! Well, this
one takes in precious stone amongst other things and is most definitely
something to explore further. I think the subject matter here warrants a
physical purchase of this record to get the full benefit- CD or vinyl... but I
hope it has a lyric sheet. This track is fantastic- great riffs and leads,
lovely drumming. A stand out.
‘Doorways to Irkala’ is eight minutes of middle
eastern atmosphere. I don't know what instruments are on there (beyond
percussion!) but it is totally in keeping with the rest of the record and sets
the stage perfectly for the close to thirteen minutes of ‘The Outsiders’ which closes out this
impressively self assured record. The track starts with a mid paced groove and
bass slides but then takes you on a real journey. The music builds up towards
the verses through a couple of changes. The pace is steady for much of the
track as the band makes use of dynamics, different percussive approaches and
riff changes to progress the track, while keeping a central theme. Things
change in the final third as things ultimately release in a cathartic blast of
manic energy. Things slow right down for the brief outro. With that the record
is over.
I
have to say, this is one of the most impressive and unusual albums I have heard
in while. Black metal with a twist and this is essential listening for those
that like the genre and are open to bands who are not from Norway. Expect a
year end list appearance from this one. A superb album of depth and power.
Pioneers of Sumerian thrashing black metal MELECHESH are
streaming their new album in full over on YouTube! Listen to 'Enki' here: http://youtu.be/SlJxwlk4vhA
The
follow-up to 2010's masterpiece ‘The Epigenesis’ marks the
band's sixth full-length album and features iconic guests Max
Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, KILLER BE
KILLED), Sakis Tolis (ROTTING CHRIST) and Rob
Caggiano (VOLBEAT, ex-ANTHRAX).
Ashmedi commented: "I am flattered and honoured to
have esteemed guests appear on this multifaceted album. ‘Enki’
solicited different approaches and new experiences. Max is a lion - I love his
voice and the tribal and historic parallels of our lives are uncanny, he did an
amazing job on 'Lost Tribes'. Sakis is an old friend and we toured together in
the past. His voice added another dimension of mysticism on our 'Enki - Divine
Nature Awoken'. Rob and I always wanted to collaborate and he is an agile and
excellent guitar player so the lead he did on 'The Palm, the Eye and Lapis
Lazuli' was perfect , it rocks and serves the track well. They all did an
outstanding job and went above and beyond to make it happen despite their busy
schedules. MELECHESH is more than a band - it is a society!"
And it seems Caggiano and Cavalera are just
as honoured to be involved in the project, with both musicians commenting:
"I've been a fan of MELECHESH for a while now and it was an honour for
me to play a solo on their new album!! These guys sound like nothing else out
there!" - Caggiano
"I was very honoured that MELECHESH asked me to sing on their new
album! I'm a big fan and I think ‘The Epigenesis’ is one of the greatest
extreme metal records ever done! I love the fact that they come from a
different part of the world like me. So our worlds finally collide! Long live
MELECHESH!" - Cavalera
ROTTING CHRIST's Sakis Tolis gushed further: "When I
was told that our brother band MELECHESH would record their upcoming album in
my hometown, I immediately picked up the phone and called Ashmedi to
participate somehow. Ashmedi responded positively so I was ready to raise some
serious hell... It is very interesting since we are sharing the same
Mediterranean mentality as individuals. I believe this new album is one of the
most unique and atmospheric metal albums I have heard the last years. Ashmedi
took me to their majestic oriental path and showed me the way to the new
Babylon. I am definitely proud working with the Kings of Fire and I really
recommend to check the new MELECHESH album - it is really good!"
Enki features 12 string electric guitars aside from the 6 string
played on the entire album, for a heavier and subtly richer harmonic sound. The
band also tuned their instruments to the pitch perfect 432 Hz frequency, rather
than the standardized 440 Hz one, for a deeper sonic experience within the
human psyche and in accordance to the vibrations of the universe. The majority
of the album was recorded in Greece and was mixed & mastered at Black
Lounge Studio in Sweden by Jonas Kjellgren.
The tracklist reads as follows:
01. Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged
02. The Pendulum Speaks
03. Lost Tribes (featuring Max Cavalera)
04. Multiple Truths
05. Enki - Divine Nature Awoken (featuring Sakis Tolis)
06. Metatron And Man
07. The Palm The Eye And Lapis Lazuli (featuring Rob Caggiano)
08. Doorways To Irkala
09. The Outsiders
Pioneers of Sumerian thrashing black metal, MELECHESH, are set to release their new album Enki on March the 2nd but who isEnki and why did the band decide to name their album after him? Well, wonder no further! The band has just posted the first trailer documenting the new release and today's clip sees frontman Ashmedi explaining the origin of the album title. Watch the trailer over on YouTube: http://youtu.be/UEiRjCUfmjI
The follow-up to 2010's masterpiece ‘The Epigenesis’ marks the band's sixth full-length album and will feature iconic guests Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, KILLER BE KILLED), Sakis Tolis (ROTTING CHRIST) and Rob Caggiano (VOLBEAT, ex-ANTHRAX).
Ashmedi commented: "I am flattered and honoured to have esteemed guests appear on this multifaceted album. ‘Enki’ solicited different approaches and new experiences. Max is a lion - I love his voice and the tribal and historic parallels of our lives are uncanny, he did an amazing job on 'Lost Tribes'. Sakis is an old friend and we toured together in the past. His voice added another dimension of mysticism on our 'Enki - Divine Nature Awoken'. Rob and I always wanted to collaborate and he is an agile and excellent guitar player so the lead he did on 'The Palm, the Eye and Lapis Lazuli' was perfect , it rocks and serves the track well. They all did an outstanding job and went above and beyond to make it happen despite their busy schedules. MELECHESH is more than a band - it is a society!"
Enki features 12 string electric guitars aside from the 6 string played on the entire album, for a heavier and subtly richer harmonic sound. The band also tuned their instruments to the pitch perfect 432 Hz frequency, rather than the standardized 440 Hz one, for a deeper sonic experience within the human psyche and in accordance to the vibrations of the universe. The majority of the album was recorded in Greece and was mixed & mastered at Black Lounge Studio in Sweden by Jonas Kjellgren.
The tracklist reads as follows:
01. Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged 02. The Pendulum Speaks 03. Lost Tribes (featuring Max Cavalera) 04. Multiple Truths 05. Enki - Divine Nature Awoken (featuring Sakis Tolis) 06. Metatron And Man 07. The Palm The Eye And Lapis Lazuli (featuring Rob Caggiano) 08. Doorways To Irkala 09. The Outsiders
