ALBUM REVIEW: Nile, “The Underworld Awaits Us All”

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released:23^rd August, 2024
Label: Napalm Records
 

 
“The Underworld Awaits Us All” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1    Stelae of Vultures
2    Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes
3    To Strike with Secret Fang
4    Naqada II Enter the Golden Age
5    The Pentagrammathion of Nephren-Ka
6    Overlords of the Black Earth
7    Under the Curse of the One God
8    Doctrine of Last Things
9    True Gods of the Desert
10    The Underworld Awaits us All
11    Lament for the Destruction of Time
 
The Review:  

Five years after “Vile Nilotic Rites”, Karl Sanders (and George Kollias et. al.) blast back with this capable and muscled offering. “Stelae of Vultures” may start slowly, but it soon blasts off- or down- into the underworld which apparently awaits all who listen to this album. The vocals are impossibly low, the drums impossibly fast, the solos impossibly fluid the album overall is… improbably good. It’s over twenty years since “In Their Darkened Shrines” and thirty since Nile started out, but their mix of brutal death metal, Egyptian themes and middle eastern musical motifs is still as irresistible as ever.
 
“Vile Nilotic Rites” was a fairly immediate listen- and so is “The Underworld Awaits Us All”. It’s both familiar territory and wide enough in scope so as to bring the listener in. Truthfully, I loved this one as soon as I heard it. It’s sonic carnage in its most precise form and I still marvel at the musicianship on EVERY Nile album. It’s simply astonishing how far the boundaries of death metal have been pushed since the likes of “Seven Churches” or “Scream Bloody Gore” first dropped jaws in the metal world.
 
“Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down On A Stake In The Underworld and Made To Eat Faeces  By The Four Apes” not only pads out this review’s length, but is also both a ridiculous song title and an excellent track- lightning fast and with some hooks in the riffage. Elsewhere, there is not much let up-“The Pentagrammathion of Nephran Ka” may be a lovely instrumental interlude (echoing some of Sanders’ solo work) but as soon as “Overlords of the Black Earth” kicks in, the band simply lays waste to the listener. It’s fast, brutal and effective, with a creeping slowness introduced after the frenetic first act.
 
The dissonance of “Under The Curse of the One God” is different again, with excellent time changes between very slow and hyper fast, plus a female backing vocal on the chorus and a kind of middle eastern acoustic outro. I like the fact that Nile broaden their sound out on each album, it brings unexpected moments and provides an aural break to the metallic brutality. At 53 minutes in length, it’s not like this is an easy listen, exactly, but it’s so uniformly good, that the playing time flies by. “Doctrine of Last Things” may be buried in the track list running order, but it’s strong- with experimental vocals and percussion- and as such represents another worthwhile entry into the band’s catalogue.
 
The album manages to keep my attention all the way through- “True Gods of the Desert” is just superb; a slithering viper of a track that mixes clean vocals with slow tempos to excellent effect. It’s only at the penultimate point of the record that the title track is deployed and it is worthy of the honour bestowed upon it. Epic in length, while musically, it displays most of what Nile can do- the insane speeds, the crazy time changes and the excellent riffs. The production and mix, I note, are excellent. Tight and punchy, crystal clear- exactly what music of this pedigree deserves.
 
By the time the album finishes with the morose and atmospheric “Lament For The Destruction of Time”, Nile have assuredly done what they set out to do- they’ve made another excellent technical and brutal death metal album; another classy entry into their discography. With Karl Sanders now 60 years of age, how much longer this can continue is anyone’s guess, but on this evidence, the band are not ready to be interred into the pyramids yet. Essential for all fans of the band and genre.
 
“The Underworld Awaits Us All” is available HERE

Band info: facebook 

ALBUM REVIEW: Orange Goblin, "Science, Not Fiction"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: July 17^th, 2024
Label: Peaceville Records

“Science, Not Fiction” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. The Fire At The Centre Of The Earth Is Mine
2. (not) Rocket Science
3. Ascend The Negative
4. False Hope Diet
5. Cemetary Rats
6. The Fury Of A Patient Man
7. Gemini (Twins Of Evil)
8. The Justice Knife
9. End Of Transmission
10. Eye Of The Minotaur (Bonus Track)
 
The Review:

Orange Goblin return, after a lengthy few years between albums and once again prove why they have become- effectively- the Motorhead of their chosen genre. Each album delivers what you want, but, unlike the mighty ‘Head the breaks between records make each Orange Goblin album an “EVENT” and not just ‘another’ album.
 
Founding bassist Martyn Millard has departed- some years ago- and has been replaced by Harry Armstrong (Blind River), elsewhere Joe Hoare, Chris Turner and Ben Ward are as solid, dependable and recognisable as ever. The band sounds so strong here and the enthusiasm and care put into this album really comes through in the songs.
 
From the opening bass riff of “The Fire at The Centre Of The Earth Is Mine” to the closing “End of Transmission”, the band is rocket propelled, jet fuelled, firing on all cylinders and burnin’ up the atmosphere. It’s an assured set of performances and songs.
 
In between the opener and closer, the band don’t put a foot wrong. This is a very strong record from front to back, advance track “(Not) Rocket Science” is brilliant, “Ascend The Negative” is superb, “Cemetery Rats” is speedy and shows the punk side of the band, The Justice Knife is dark and harrowing and the aforementioned “End of Transmission” is as good an epitaph for the band as any they have ever written.
 
Throughout, Joe Hoare puts in a man of the match performance (again) with tasteful and song-serving playing. Ben Ward, a man reborn, is on gruff and powerful form. Ben’s battles with alcohol, depression and his health have been documented by the big man himself on social media, but now he is lean and mean, counting his calories and training hard. Truly, he has become a man remade and his muscled appearance matches the strength of his vocals here.
 
The band’s recent performance at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds for the album launch was one of the best times I’ve seen the band; they were on top form and dealt out a set of new and old tracks which displayed their experience. It showed that the band are at the top of their game.
 
The mix of stoner, heavy rock, punk, Motorhead infused swagger and darker influences from more extreme genres on this album works beautifully. Hopefully, the band won’t wait so long until the next album- but if this is to be the last one, or even the last one for a few years, the band can and should be very proud of what they’ve achieved here. It’s a rare band that has no bad albums in their catalogue, but Orange Goblin join Motorhead, Overkill, Death, Bolt Thrower and a handful of others who can make that claim.  A must listen.
 
“Science, Not Fiction” is available HERE

Band info: facebook 

ALBUM REVIEW: Fu Manchu, "The Return of Tomorrow"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 14/06/2024
Label: At The Dojo Records

 
“The Return of Tomorrow” track listing
 
1. Dehumanize
2. Loch Ness Wrecking Machine
3. Hands Of The Zodiac
4. Haze The Hides
5. Roads Of The Lowly
6. (Time Is) Pulling You Under
7. Destroyin’ Light
8. Lifetime Waiting
9. Solar Baptized
10. What I Need
11. The Return Of Tomorrow
12. Liquify
13. High Tide
 
The Review:

Fu Manchu have been putting out records, steadily, for thirty years now. These doyens of Californian fuzz have seen it and done it all. So, why continue? Most agree, apparently, that they peaked somewhere around “In Search Of…” or “King of the Road” or perhaps “California Crossing”. I don’t really share this view; those records are all excellent, but the band haven’t made a bad one yet.
 
Not only that, each Fu album has its own character. Whether it be “Signs of Infinite Power” or “Clone of The Universe”, the latter day work has a lot going for it. The themes remain muscle cars, sci fi, skate/surf and so on… and that’s both what I want AND expect.
 
If “Clone of the Universe” was better than “Gigantoid”, then “The Return of Tomorrow” is better again. This is ostensibly a double album- one half is revved up, the other half cruises along nicely. However, at only 49 minutes, is this really a double album or do the thirteen tracks just represent two halves?
 
“Dehumanize” kicks things off at a fast clip, burning rubber and fuzzing out. Up next is a real Fu classic: “Loch Ness Wrecking Machine”. It’s got the sci fi theme, the slow builds and dynamics that the band use and a simple and catchy hook. Scott Hill still has that laid back Cali delivery and Scott Reeder’s drums are as crushing as ever. This is a groovesome beast.
 
“Hands of The Zodiac” is just as good- wonderful grooves and riffs. “Haze The Hides” slows things down, uses a killer bass tone and shows why the band are often aligned with the stoner/doom genre- without being a part of it at all. It’s clear at this point that the band are displaying their different sides- or the different facets- of their heavier sounds. “Roads of the Lowly” has heavy riffs and panned guitars, with a somewhat repetitive hook that is characteristic of the band; heavy on the riffs and rhythms, light on the melody and with Hill’s voice mixed inside the music, not on top of it.
 
With things speeding up for “(Time Is) Pulling You Under”, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the record was a kind of cousin to “Start The Machine” or “We Must Obey”; non-stop action. However, once you are at the half way mark, things shift gear and then coast towards the line. “Destroyin’ Light” is relaxed but heavy with a quiet/loud arrangement. The drum sound is excellent, as is the guitar sound and the production is perfect with just the right level of grit and polish to showcase what the band can do.
 
I miss records which sound like bands playing live; I’m disillusioned with sound replacements and the ultra-processed sound of a lot of modern metal. Pro tools, click tracks sound replacements etc. all have their place (certainly within the extreme metal genres, where precision is demanded these days) and it’s fantastic to hear that Fu Manchu sound here like they do in a live setting. Simply put, it sounds like a band playing. In these strange days, I can’t ask for more than that.
 
The mellower approach continues with “Lifetime Waiting”, and more successfully with “Solar Baptized”- which is excellent. It has a kind of bluesy swagger and an almost sinister, threatening feel. Wonderful stuff. From here, it’s a similar approach with varying results. “What I Need” is a more contemplative track, mellow vibes abound, while the title track is a real standout with the groove hitting solidly but the pedal someway off the metal. “Liquify” is a big riff-with-space and works very nicely- the refrain is not dissimilar to the Leafhound track “Freelance Fiend” (for an obscure reference) and this works really well with the percussion ensuring that things freewheel along pleasurably.
 
“High Tide” closes things with an almost jazzy approach. These beach dwellers know how to chill you down, as well as get you running out for the next wave. All told, this is a very strong record and one that sits comfortably with anything else the band has done. Even if not every track is a bullseye, there are enough direct hits here to make this album extremely impressive. The band’s willingness to do something a little different is to be commended as, crucially, this hangs together as a cohesive collection of songs.
 
“The Return of Tomorrow” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Fractal Generator, "Convergence"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 07/06/2024
Label: Everlasting Spew Records

 
“Convergence” CS//CD/DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Cryogenian
2. Convergence
3. Askesis
4. Ancient Civilizations
5. Obelisk
6. Ciphertext
7. Xiphoid
8. Algorithmic Pathways
9. Encephalon
 
 
The Review:

Fractal Generator return for a blackened tech death encounter of the third kind here. Much like the first two albums, this is of the sci-fi themed variety of the genre. The Canadian members, known only by binary code, have created a concept piece about new planets arriving in the current solar system and the album explores this idea.
 
There are some quirky elements here- choral vocals on “Ancient Civilizations”, synths here, there and everywhere- but there are also the expected elements; death growls, warp speed drums and a distinctly dystopian atmosphere. Since Pestilence introduced atmospheric instrumental link pieces, other bands in the death metal genre have followed suit with mixed results- but things are done very well here.
There are no separate instrumental tracks, but the band does set the tone for each track with interesting intros and a surprisingly lush palette of sounds features across the songs- as mentioned.

“Cryogenian” sets the tone- fast and furious, all other tracks offer sinister creeping dread, along with  the blasting- such as “Obelisk”. The passages of riffs in “Ciphertext” are sublime and elsewhere on the album, things are just as impressive. Once again, Fractal Generator have delivered an excellently written, played and produced example of how this type of extreme metal should be done.

This is for fans of the genre- of course- but is strongly recommended because of this fact. You won’t hear better this year.

“Convergence” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Deicide, "Banished By Sin"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 26/04/2024
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music

 
“Banished By Sin” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. From Unknown Heights You Shall Fall
2. Doomed To Die
3. Sever The Tongue
4. Faithless
5. Bury The Cross…With Your Christ
6. Woke From God
7. Ritual Defied
8. Failures Of Your Dying Lord
9. Banished By Sin
10. A Trinity Of None
11. I Am I…A Curse Of Death
12. The Light Defeated
 
The Review:

Deicide are, undeniably, one of the classic bands of the death metal genre. Even though their lyrical themes don’t really concern death, usually, and are instead often blasphemous tracts against him upstairs and his son.
 
Having made an absolute classic debut, followed it with three further classics in a row and then… seen out their Roadrunner Records contract (!), the band were rejuvenated briefly twenty years ago with “Scars of the Crucifix”, prior to the departure of the hulking Hoffman brothers. The band has then seen different line ups come and go, some great records (“Stench of Redemption”) some passable ones (“To Hell With God”, “Til Death Do Us Part”) and on a general level, has kept going. We are nearly 35 years into recorded output at this point. I remember Motorhead’s 25^th anniversary and that, at the time, was almost unthinkable.
 
Does the world need another Deicide album? Does Glen Benton have anything left to say? Does Steve Asheim still want to write full length death metal albums in between going to the shooting range, smoking weed and lifting weights?!
 
Well, regardless of the answers to those questions, we have another Deicide album. The AI infused artwork may have caused some controversy, but it looks fine to me (I know, I know, I said that about the Pestilence art as well, so… art is in the eye of the beholder, or something). Firstly, the sound: it’s polished, machined, clear, slick… nothing like the debut. Not as individualistic as “Once Upon The Cross”. It sounds thoroughly modern- your views will be your own in that regard.
 
From “Unknown Heights You Shall Fall” sounds like Deicide circa 2024- everything professional, slick and in the right place. Benton still does the low and high double tracking, the instrumentation chugs and churns along. “Doomed To Die” offers more of the same, slick pacing and hooks. Across the forty minutes here, it really is business as usual. At 12 tracks, it’s two tracks too long, but that’s churlish talk.
 
My main issue with “Banished By Sin” is that it is perhaps a little too safe, a little too familiar. Deicide have nothing new to say- they haven’t since 1997- but they have occasionally found better ways to say them. Some of their albums are better than others, some are more fiery, some less committed to the cause and so on. I found myself enjoying the atmospheric riffage intro of “Faithless” a lot more than the more run of the mill songs contained here, that’s for sure.
 
Yes, “Bury The Cross With Your Christ” is absolutely what you want from the band, while “Woke From God” offers up an excellent song title and excellent lead work- but you may have heard this all before.
 
The title track is great; classic rolling feel, lovely lead work, headbanging opportunities aplenty!
I suppose the album could be summed up by saying that if you have never heard Deicide but like death metal (?!) then you will like this. If you are a fully paid up Deicide fan, you’ll like this. If you are a fan of a few albums here and there- perhaps of the old school variety, you may be a little less sure. I’m in the latter camp, and to be clear there is absolutely nothing wrong with this record: all parts are present and correct.  They may never top “O.U.T.C.” in my eyes, but they are still ferocious and kicking against the Christians with bile. The fact that this album didn’t fully do it for me is my problem. Deicide, it’s not you- it’s me!
 

Band info: official || facebook || instagram

ALBUM REVIEW: Pestilence, "Levels of Perception"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length (Re-Recordings)

Date Released:26/04/2024
Label: Agonia Records

“Levels of Perception” track listing:

1. Horror Detox (re-recording)
2. Mvlti Dimensional (re-recording)
3. Mobvs Propagationem (re-recording)
4. Sinister (re-recording)
5. Dehydrated (re-recording)
6. Dominatvi Svbmissa (re-recording)
7. Land Of Tears (re-recording)
8. Necromorph (re-recording)
9. Deificvs (re-recording)
10. Twisted Truth (re-recording)
11. Sempiternvs (re-recording)
12. Ovt of the Body (re-recording)

The Review: 

Pestilence are one of the greatest death metal bands ever. The greatest death metal band from mainland Europe, certainly. They were progressive before others. They embraced the melding of genres when others wouldn’t or couldn’t. In Patrick Mameli, there exists a contradictory and bullish figure. A man capable of extreme music and music of extreme complexity and beauty. The martial arts enthusiast looks and lives like his music sounds; uncompromising, full on and intense. Make no mistake, Mameli is Pestilence in the same way that Lemmy was Motorhead or Dave Mustaine is Megadeth.

Re-recordings by bands of older materials are usually done for one or a couple of several reasons. It can be that the band was screwed by their label(s) and need to reclaim their own material. It can be to improve on the sonic quality- or lack thereof- of the original. It can be to re-work/re-imagine the songs and give a fresh reading to the fans.

Or it can be, simply, unclear. Much like the production and mix deployed across this set of 12 excellent pieces of music. While the Cavalera brothers can easily point to the lo-fi production values for their reasons to re-record “Morbid Visions” (fair enough) and Testament can put out “First Strike Still Deadly” as a kind of updated-smorgasboard of their earlier work, the fact is that Pestilence albums have always sounded, for the most part, excellent (criticisms for “Doctrine”s tuning and use of eight string guitars aside). “Consuming Impulse” still sounds raging to me. “Testimony of the Ancients” sounded great. “Hadeon”, decades later, is just crystal clear and beastly.

Mameli has served this up as a kind of re-recorded best of and as a compilation, I can’t fault the song choice.

Their latter-day work is expertly produced and written. Patrick Mameli is a musical visionary, no doubt. He is an innovator in the death metal genre and can be seen as a musical genius without living peer in the tech/prog/fusion-metal world. It’s only with the benefit of hindsight that “Spheres” has been understood as a brilliant melding of death metal and jazz. Similarly, albums like “Hadeon” and “Exitivm” are just incredible; vicious, dissonant, atonal, strangely memorable and featuring inhuman dexterity from the musicians involved.

Let’s look to the music first: a version of “Dehydrated” from “Consuming Impulse” is here! Versions of “Land of Tears” and “Twisted Truth” from “Testimony…” are here. “Necromorph” from “Obsideo” is here… the track listing is eclectic and career spanning. A strong start.

“Horror Detox” from “Resurrection Macabre” kicks things off and is a vicious burst of death metal. “Sinister” from “Doctrine” is a real rager, as well. “Multi Dimensional” from “Hadeon” and “Mobvs Propogationem” from “Exitivm” are both really strong tracks. In fact, the song selection is great- I mean, all Pestilence albums are at the least good. Some are simply incredible.

I can confidently state this: the songs are excellent. The musicianship is jaw dropping at times. Some of the passages in tracks like “Land of Tears” blow my mind, thirty years plus after I first heard them. However, and this is a big however; the sound of this record does not compare- in any way- to the sound on any album I have mentioned so far.

When I first listened to the version of “Horror Detox” here, I thought it was a demo. It’s weirdly muffled and boxy. Through headphones, it sounds like everything is competing with everything else in the centre of your head. It almost has a mono like quality to the sound. This is at its most glaring when listening to it next to any competently produced/mixed/mastered album of the metal genre. I’d been listening back through the back catalogue prior to listening to this and when I finished “Hadeon”, I pressed play on this and… wow. It’s a huge step down and a real lo-fi shock to the system. It sounds like it hasn’t been mastered at all, such is the lack of brightness and lack of listenable sheen. It’s also quiet. Really quiet.

It really is the strangest thing, you get world class musicianship and material paired with the production values of an incompetent death metal band in the mid 90s- and I should know; I was in one.

The genesis of this album has been a troubled one- the controversy over the original AI art (I thought it was a cool cover, to be honest, but I appreciate the arguments for and against) and then the collective head-scratching as to why this exists. On a more positive note, once you are a few tracks in and have adjusted to the sound/mix/production, this is a very strong collection of songs.

Honestly, I can’t find fault. It’s not possible for me to pick a kind of ‘best of’ Pestilence comp, but I can’t really argue with the choices here. It’s 12 lessons in death metal mastery in just under 45minutes. No issues there. For a death metaller who has never heard Pestilence? I mean, they could start here- but they probably shouldn’t. Just stick on… any studio album. You’ll get quality all the way.

Here, you get great music, great playing and awful production- which is a gripe I feel almost churlish for making. Take “…AJFA” by Metallica as the most obvious example of this issue- a flawed experiment, a classic album, a terrible mix. BUT, that was an album that stood alone and had no peer. The material on “Levels of Perception” does have a peer- every song has been recorded, released and heard before and they are all excellent in their original form.

Maybe there is an over-arching concept here that I’m missing. Maybe Patrick is planning something, I just don’t know. As always though, don’t take my word for it. Have a listen for yourself.

If you do start here, I urge you to listen to the music and take the compositions on their own merits- forget the production and enjoy a masterclass in progressive death metal from a unique band. No other band sounds like Pestilence, they are a unique proposition. Let’s hope the forthcoming studio album of original material (“Portals”) gets everything right- not just the songs and playing. In conclusion, I recommend all Pestilence albums and advise anyone who has never heard the band to listen to them all. If you are a long-term fan, by all means pick this one up as well- but expect differences that you may not appreciate.

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Black Tusk, "The Way Forward"

 By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 26^th April 2024
Label: Season of Mist

“The Way Forward” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1). Out Of Grasp
2). Brushfire
3). Harness (The Alchemist)
4). Lessons Through Deception
5). Breath Of Life
6). Dance On Your Grave
7). Against The Undertow
8). Lift Yourself
9). Ocean Of Obsidian
10). Flee From Dawn
11). The Way Forward
 
 
The Review:

Black Tusk are back with another very noisy 35 minutes of punky, sludgy, speedy goodness. These Savannah veterans have been around for some time now and have even survived the tragic death of original bassist/vocalist Jonathan Athon.
 
Since Athon’s last appearance on the “Pillars of Ash” record, we have had a new line-up put forth “Taking Care of Business”, a b-sides comp and now “The Way Forward”. Black Tusk are best compared to an early Mastodon with prevalent punk influences or a punk Baroness without dynamics or texture. If that sounds like your thing- and you’ve never heard the band- you’ll love this.
 
The sound is raw, loud, fast and in your face. The songs are short and to the point; eleven tracks and the first three blaze by with “Harness (The Alchemist)” being my pick of the opening trio with its Motorhead pacing and attitude. Having solidified as a four piece line up, the guitars do more- more interplay and more weight. The drums and bass rumble and thrash very convincingly and the whole effect is gnarly, noisy and absolutely over the top.
 
As the album goes on, the band is taking care of business in the way they know best: as usual. There are no great surprises, no huge changes of direction. While the riffage of “Breath of Life” may reference Fu Manchu, Black Tusk are a much more frenetic kind of beast; revved up and turbo charged.
 
There’s nothing weak here, nothing wasted either. It is exactly what you expect it to be and it is what it is when you first hear it. Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay here is that “The Way Forward” is real! What you hear is what was played. It sounds live and reckless and full of energy. No sound replacements or overproduction- just a tight band playing as hard as they can- kind of like a modern spin on Black Flag mixed up with any of the bands previously mentioned.
 
Truthfully, you can press play on any track here and know EXACTLY what the band is about. “Dance On Your Grave” is great and full on, but I could say that about “Against The Undertow” or “Lift Yourself” or.. any song.
 
Yep, Black Tusk have done it again- they continue to produce noisy and totally committed music in the most unfussy and direct fashion. With the way things are going, we need Black Tusk more than ever. Essential.
 
“The Way Forward” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook