ALBUM REVIEW: Harakiri for the Sky - "Arson"

By: Brandon Green

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 16/02/2018

Label: AOP Records

“Arson” is a massive achievement for Harakiri for the Sky. They took everything that was amazing about “III: Trauma”, and turned up the intensity even higher. If you’re a fan of post-black metal, atmospheric black metal, or introspective music in general, this album is perfect for you.

“Arson” CD//DD//2LP track listing:

1). “Fire, Walk With Me”
2). “The Graves We’ve Dug”
3). “You Are The Scars”
4). “Heroin Waltz”
5). “Tomb Omnia”
6). “Stillborn”
7). “Voidgazer”
8). “Manifesto” (Graveyard Lovers cover)

The Review:  

An impressive follow-up to “III: Trauma” back in 2016, “Arson” wastes very little time throwing the listener into an aggressive, melodic, and atmospheric black metal bliss. With most of the songs clocking in over 8 minutes, Harakiri for the Sky do a wonderful job creating soundscapes that take the listener from crushingly heavy melodic sections to shoegazey piano-laden clean parts that often stick in your head for days. This album is absolutely worth spending over an hour hiking in the woods with headphones on, or staring at the ceiling. Easily contender for album of the year for me and its only February.

“Fire Walk with Me” is the first glimpse of the album. It gives the listener a medley of what we can anticipate from 2018’s “Arson”, and includes some of the best moments of what the album offers.  The track begins with an airy, beautiful keyboard intro following immediately into driving guitars.  Throughout the song there are frequent changes and pauses, which are an opportunity for us to gaze into the musical craftsmanship HKFTS want us to see. The deliberate stops in the track give the listener an opportunity to really appreciate when all of the layers merge and we experience the masterful musicianship in its entirety. Energetic guitar leads meet with passionate harsh vocals which are more of a shout than the traditional black metal scream heard in other modern black metal acts.  The vocals really give this band an extremely memorable sound in what seems to be a flooded genre these days.

“You Are the Scars” starts with a beautiful intro reminiscent of early HIM / goth rock records. Big hitting drums and guitar chords with washy shoegaze-like melodies in the background break into a beautiful clean section mid-way through the track with a “holy shit” moment as the distortion kicks back in with soaring leads and vocals. As the song builds up to its conclusion, epic blast beats push us into even more emotionally intense moments making this track one of the more special ones on “Arson”.

“Heroin Waltz” was the single I first heard before this album dropped, and it got me beyond excited for this release. As track 4 on the album, it fits perfectly. Despite the 100 times I’ve already listened to it, I couldn’t help but crank the volume again in the albums context for the 101th listen. The gorgeous clean intro with ebow guitar leads slamming into punishing blast beat drums and amazing chord structures immediately had me hooked.  The fact this song feels like a waltz with the memorable guitar melodies and 3 / 4 time signatures make this not only tragically melodic, its beyond addicting to listen to. The clean middle section and guitar leads that develop are revisited throughout song and are still constantly stuck in my head. This track really shows off what the band can do as musicians and has me coming back for more. The drumming is absolutely insane on this one.

“Tomb Omnia” was another extremely memorable track from “Arson”. As one of the shorter tracks on the album, this song does not disappoint with its heavy hitting melodic intro cutting into folky black metal blast beats and soaring screams. As another single released before the album, it’s a fantastic song placed well on the track listing. It almost feels like part 2 of “Heroin Waltz”, and this is a welcomed thing.

“Arson” is a massive achievement for Harakiri for the Sky. They took everything that was amazing about “III: Trauma”, and turned up the intensity even higher. If I were to nitpick, I would say the album does feel a little long at 1 hour and 11 minutes. Coming in around the 50-minute mark, I think “Arson” would be perfect.  Make no mistakes, the production is top notch, and the song crafting is masterful. This new release reminds me of all of the reasons I fell in love with Agalloch and Alcest separately, but combined into a powerfully emotional and personal experience. Their own interpretation of these styles fits almost too well, and they’ve invented their own sound with it that’s beyond satisfying to listen to. If you’re a fan of post-black metal, atmospheric black metal, or introspective music in general, this album is perfect for you.

“Arson” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Myrkur - "Mareridt"

By: Ernesto Aguilar


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 15/09/2019

Label: Relapse Records

 

Rarely does a recording embody the dynamism of heavy music, while being legitimately artful and musically resplendent, "Mareridt," just happens to be one such album and with it, all your expectations will be exceeded.

"Mareridt" CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Mareridt

2. Måneblôt

3. The Serpent

4. Crown

5. Elleskudt

6. De Tre Piker

7. Funeral (featuring Chelsea Wolfe)

8. Ulvinde

9. Gladiatrix

10. Kætteren

11. Børnehjem

The Review:

What metal fan hasn't had the talk with a friend, partner or acquaintance? You know the talk? It is that moment of judgment. It is at once an inquiry of a sound as it is a question about you are as a person. What attracts you to this howling? Implicitly, because it is less polite, is the query: what in you is broken that prompts you to listen to this?

It is a thematic inquiry too of course. Extreme music's foreboding images and confrontational sound are disquieting for listeners of many other styles of music. Like the ghosts in our stories, the specter of Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center hangs heavy. For every genuinely curious question, there are three value-laden ones, which probe scarring of listeners to such noxious aural assaults.

Without a doubt, plenty of metal is proudly noxious. The music is by its very definition bellicose. So, when a recording appears that embodies the dynamism of heavy music, while being legitimately artful and musically resplendent, it is singular. Such is the case with the return of Myrkur's new release, "Mareridt."

The one-woman project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Amalie Bruun, Myrkur has specialized in the classic sound of black metal with folkloric as well as orchestral flourishes. Bruum's 2014 debut drew much praise for its virtuosity. "M," the 2015 follow-up, saw assists from members of Mayhem, Arch Enemy and Ndingr and received international awards. Buoyed by a live record last year, interest in Myrkur has only grown since "M."

You will have every high expectation exceeded with "Mareridt," Myrkur's latest. Its title is Danish for "nightmare." It is anything but.

With the title track opening the new record, tinges of folk metal with its waves of ceremony and menace wash over your mind. In addition to being a fantastic start to the many moods you catch across 11 tracks; it is simply an impeccably composed song. Outstanding vocals and exemplary instrumentation make it a great beginning, lolling into crisp guitar work of the fast but understated second wave of black metal. Like some other cuts on the recording, such as "Gladiatrix" and "De Tre Piker," the title track sets a blueprint for a blend of metal snarling and otherworldly singing. Many artists have employed this mode of attack over the years. Myrkur just happens to do it exceedingly well.

Back to the talk. To many people, this style of metal is unexpected. For a mainstream that associates most metal with volume and corpse paint, the variants like this will challenge opinions. Most labels and more observant fans recognize the potential for music like this is break boundaries and attract new audiences. Consider the regard for French act Alcest when it surged to prominence in the mid-2000s with a black metal style that engulfed shoegaze and pop strands at points. Having a sound that is at once bold yet divergent is a blessing and a curse, certainly. By "The Serpent," your internal conversation may be quite active, as you may ponder if there is no limit, in truth. It and the following track, "Crown," are easily the most accessible on the album. Both are appreciable for their artistry. They're also unlikely to be considered metal by American hardcore fans or the mainstream. Regardless these cuts, and several other moments, are sure to make you step back, beyond extreme music, and appreciate their creativity and fearlessness.

Myrkur deserves much praise for presenting a fully imagined release, one that goes from gauzy to portent in the blink of an eye. From the efficaciously strong "Funeral," with singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, or the closer, "Børnehjem," a supernatural first-person tale, Bruun is sure to prompt you, and the friends wanting to have the talk, to think about extreme music in a renewed way.

"Mareridt" is available here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Ghost Bath - "Starmourner"

 By: Josh Nichols

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/04/2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

From the gentle piano intro of “Astral” to the vibrant and triumphant radiance of “Seraphic”, the tone of the album is pushed ever outward to match the theme of an infinite dream. It’s a theme that weaves its way through the whole album. There are certainly tracks that dive back into blast beats and hyper tremolo picking such as “Ambrosial” and “Elysian”, but the theme always returns to shimmering and heroic major chords.

“Starmourner” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Astral (3:20)

2. Seraphic (5:50)

3. Ambrosial (8:30)

4. Ethereal (6:54)

5. Celestial (8:14)

6. Angelic (5:23)

7. Luminescence (6:08)

8. Thrones (6:20)

9. Elysian (5:22)

10. Cherubim (4:26)

11. Principalities (6:14)

12. Ode (4:28)

The Review:

On the April 7th, Ghost Bath released “Starmourner”, their much anticipated follow up to “Moonlover”, via Nuclear Blast.  If you thought their last record caused division in the black metal ranks, get ready for more vitriolic gnashing of teeth. With “Starmourner”, Ghost Bath reach heights of triumphant exuberance unheard of in the post black metal or “blackgaze” genre. The level of ebullience they surpass has only been hinted at by their oft mentioned contemporaries Deafheaven and Alcest. Going a great leap further into throwing out the cvlt playbook, Ghost Bath are opting instead to realize their vision without the constraints of genre limitations inherent with any label we can slap on them.

If you’re already familiar with their work, then you know that Ghost Bath had little regard for what black metal is “supposed” to sound like to begin with.  “Starmourner” stakes their claim to the vanguard of a growing metal subset that is reimagining heavy metal without boundaries or definitions. Where labels are unnecessary and genres again become what they were meant to be, simple guide posts for the listener, not artistic rules to live and die by.  If this sounds a little too much like Neo at the end of the Matrix, just remember that he wasn’t prepared for the red pill either.

It just can’t be overstated, that coming from their previous effort, “Starmourner” is strikingly different. Even fans of Ghost Bath and other bands from the new wave of post black metal will be caught off guard.  From the gentle piano intro of “Astral” to the vibrant and triumphant radiance of “Seraphic”, the tone of the album is pushed ever outward to match the theme of an infinite dream. It’s a theme that weaves its way through the whole album. There are certainly tracks that dive back into blast beats and hyper tremolo picking such as “Ambrosial” and “Elysian”, but the theme always returns to shimmering and heroic major chords. The best example of this is “Celestial”. The leads are so bright and soaring that they could have been used for a Top Gun promo. The now familiar vocals, part screaming eagle, part howling banshee, lend themselves to the ethereal quality of the music.

The pastoral interlude “Angelic” acts as a kind of reset in the middle of the album. The lovely and lilting plucking may serve as a pallet cleansing to those listeners struggling with the effervescent motif being built in their blackened ears. The OSBM sacrilege continues however, with the driving and anthemic “Luminescence”. Not surprisingly, this track shares qualities that their tour mates Astronoid have in spades.  Having caught their Portland, Or. Tour stop, I can tell you the bands complement each other very well. Ghost Bath really underscores all of the joyful elements found throughout “Starmourner”, while the live setting allows them to highlight their more furious and blistering dark side.  No track on the new album is more blistering than “Thrones”. Finding itself caught between the sweeping major theme and a tortured and guttural vocal delivery, it gives way to the crushing despair that’s been hiding in the shadows of the entire album.

The back half is easily the more caustic and aggressive half of “Starmourner”, still flirting with the airy theatrical qualities found earlier, but with more marked departures into brooding blackened rampages and intensified vocal cacophonies.  “Cherubim” comes on almost rock and roll before detouring into the dark abyss beneath the surface, and “Principalities” feels almost frustrated and subdued in relation to the larger body of work.  The lengthy album winds to a close with “Ode”, another gentle piano number that I find very reminiscent of the closing theme to the old Incredible Hulk TV show.  A lonely David Banner walking away once more, no hope and no end in sight.  “Starmourner“is going to leave some listeners exhilarated and some scratching their head. Either is fine.  Ghost Bath don’t seem concerned with the reception they are given. If you find yourself having trouble reconciling what you’re hearing with your hard wired preconceptions (and many of us will) take a look at recent interview with Locust Leaves (here), where the topic is discussed much more thoroughly.

“Starmourner” is available here



Band info: facebook



ALBUM REVIEW: Fen - "Winter"

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 10/03/2017
Label: Code666 Records

When this album is on fire, which is often, it’s absolutely some of the best atmospheric black metal you’ll hear this year. While the build to those big moments can be over-stretched, the payoff is absolutely worth the wait.  But even when accounting for its biggest flaw, I believe that ‘Winter’ will end up as one of the year's best albums. There’s simply too much fantastic material here to be denied.  

‘Winter’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. I (Pathway)

2. II (Penance)

3. III (Fear)

4. IV (Interment)

5. V (Death)

6. VI (Sight)

The Review:

I hate to start on a dour note for an album I really enjoy, but let’s get this out of the way: 75 minutes is too long for an album by any artist. That goes for my favorite bands of all time too. You can say that opinion owes to a lack of an attention span, or that I don’t respect the album format or whatever you’d like. But even a band like Enslaved, who work in a similar soundscape in balancing progressive and black metal components, generally keep their albums between 50 and 60 minutes. I would go so far as to say that there hasn’t ever been an album this long that wouldn’t be well-served by being made shorter.

With all of that said, while there is definitely some filler here, the majority of ‘Winter’ is made up of stunning, vital, and beautiful music. That the album is hurt slightly by its runtime shouldn’t dissuade you from giving it a fair shot as it does more than earn it. When this album is on fire, which is often, it’s absolutely some of the best atmospheric black metal you’ll hear this year. While the build to those big moments can be over-stretched, the payoff is absolutely worth the wait.

In what is something of a funny coincidence, the most well-paced song on the album may be the 17 minute opening track; the longest on the album. The longer build works here at the introduction, with reverb-drenched guitars building to beautiful clean guitar work and dreary but well-suited singing. Finally the song gets its first proper big moment as the guitars explode and the toms are pounded thunderously setting the tone for the next several minutes. Over time, the song ebbs and flows between heavy atmosphere, reserved and tasteful technical displays and bleaker delicate moments. ‘Winter’ is an album of emotional peaks and valleys, and Fen excels on both of those levels.

This brings us to another point worth exploring: Fen’s use of prog elements throughout the album. This is a difficult mix to pull off in an extreme metal context, or at least it’s difficult to do in an interesting way. All too frequently, bands will throw those elements into a song without considering the emotional tone of the rest of the music, which means there can be a major disconnect during those prog-centric moments. Fen does this better than anyone outside of maybe Enslaved on “Mardraum”, and even then it’s close. The band have such a firm sense of self and musical identity that their need to explore new sounds never comes at the cost of consistency.

While I do believe Fen have indulged themselves a bit too much here, and I believe the album would benefit from a harsher editing process, there’s no denying that Fen are at their absolute best on ‘Winter’. There is no such thing as a flawless album, and this one is no exception. But even when accounting for its biggest flaw, I believe that ‘Winter’ will end up as one of the year's best albums. There’s simply too much fantastic material here to be denied.

“Winter” is available on CD/LP copy here and digitally here

FFO: Agalloch, Alcest, Altar of Plagues, Drudkh

Band info: Facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Ånd - ‘Aeternus’

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 04/11/2016

Label: This Charming Man Records

This is only the band’s debut but there is a ton of promise here, they present an  engrossing style, smart arrangements, and excellent production, but as good as this is, I only see them getting better from here.

‘Aeternus’ CD//LP track listing:

1. Auferstehung

2. Verstoßene

3. Niedertracht

4. Illusion

5. Dämmerung

6. Schatten

7. Heimkehr

The Review:

Try as we might, it’s impossible to catch every worthwhile release in a year, even for someone with a pretty limited musical taste, like myself. With that in mind, Ånd’s debut album ‘Aeternus’ was released a couple of months ago, and it is absolutely worth your time. There’s plenty to dig into here, despite the album’s extra-lean running time.

Post-black metal has been around as a subgenre, in some form, for more than ten years now. To this point, the term has largely been reserved for a couple of key stylistic groups. The first would be bands in the Alcest or Deafheaven vein; black metal and shoegaze hybrids. The second group occupies a heavier space, focusing on sludge or grind and hardcore as musical counterpoints. While much closer to that second group than the first, Ånd doesn’t truly fit into either mould.

Over the course of the album’s twenty-six minutes, the band showcases a sound built upon a contrast between slowly picked black metal melody and deep resonant chords for added heaviness. This gives the songs a full, layered sound, and it’s easy to get swept up in the moment as the album goes on. This leads to a very cohesive overall sound for a first album, though stopping well short of ever feeling repetitive, even as the songs are often variations on a similar musical theme. “Schatten” stands out for being speedier than the vast majority of the album, but even then it’s reserved compared to most other black metal.

Another key point to consider about Ånd is their inclination to remain concise. None of the songs on the album breach the five minute mark, which is quite the rarity for a black metal band, a reliance on building mood and atmosphere. It speaks to the band having a strong grasp of what their sound is and should be, and to their strength as songwriters. This is only the band’s debut but there is a ton of promise here: the engrossing style, smart arrangements, and excellent production. As good as this is, I only see them getting better from here.

‘Aeternus’ CD/LP is available here.

Band info: Facebook

2016 ALBUMS IN BRIEF: Alcest- “Kodama”, Cobalt- “Slow Forever” & Mortichnia- “Heir to Scoria and Ash”

By: TJ Kleibhan

Alcest- “Kodama”

Shoegaze-Metal pioneers Alcest were back this year with “Kodama”, an album that found lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Neige electing to implement more vocal harmony rather than his usual black metal screeches. “Kodama” has frequently been compared to Alcest’s debut, “Souvenirs d'un autre monde” by way of the new album’s fierce guitar riffs drenched beneath swirling delay effects. Also similar to the debut is the way “Kodama” bounces between moods which ranges from uplifting to dark and personal. Neige frequently stated he was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke during the album’s creation. “Kodama” is every bit as lush and blissful as a Miyazaki film, but also includes the harrowing darkness that Miyazaki’s protagonists typically overcome. This is one of Alcest’s strongest releases and should come especially welcome to fans clamoring for a record closer to black metal than Alcest’s past two efforts.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Cobalt- “Slow Forever”

After a seven year hiatus, Colorado black and prog metal act Cobalt returned with “Slow Forever. The album was created during the most tumultuous time in Cobalt’s history. While creating their first double album, lead singer Phil McSorley was replaced with ex-Lord Mantis vocalist Charlie Fell. Multi-Instrumentalist Erik Wunder did not miss a beat during the whole process. “Slow Forever” features twelve tracks, most of which eclipse the 6 minute mark, that showcase massive riffs, creative drum fills, and aggressive melodies that all feature an influence of Cormac McCarthy-like western wilderness blues. Fell’s vocal performances are varied, but every note he screeches and roars works effectively. Rarely does a band replace their lead singer and get better, but “Slow Forever” could be the peak in Cobalt’s oeuvre.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Mortichnia- “Heir to Scoria and Ash”

Mortichnia come from Ireland and they’re here to crush all the happiness out of your life. Produced and recorded by Altar of Plagues’ James Kelly, the black/doom metal five-piece’s debut record is perhaps the most punishing release of 2016. The atmosphere of “Heir to Scoria and Ash” is sickening and claustrophobic. Even when the well-crafted riffs are not punishing the listener, there is seemingly no way to escape the droning, the harsh vocals, or the pounding double bass drum kick. Gluttons for punishment in their metal releases look no further.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook