ALBUM REVIEW: At The Gates, "The Nightmare of Being”

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 02/07/2021
Label: Century Media Records
 

 
“The Nightmare of Being” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Spectre Of Extinction
2. The Paradox
3. The Nightmare Of Being
4. Garden Of Cyrus
5. Touched By The White Hands Of Death
6. The Fall Into Time
7. Cult Of Salvation
8. The Abstract Enthroned
9. Cosmic Pessimism
10. Eternal Winter Of Reason
 
The Review:
 
At The Gates are now on the third record of the second act- or permanent comeback, if you will. I’ll be honest and state that although I was initially pleased that the band returned and enjoyed “At War With Reality” seven years ago... I haven't returned to it since. Witnessing the band live didn't really change my perspective on the band; they were good, tight, professional and all that but the band and the material seemed to lack something.
 
It is a damning indictment that I have not even heard “To Drink From The Night Itself”. Well, regardless of my misgivings about the band's last seven years, they are still here and they are still forging forward. I would also like to clarify that I rate “Slaughter of the Soul” as one of the best metal albums ever- not just death metal; all metal. It was and is an incredible album- made by young men in a very different time. The songs, the hooks, the production- it all coalesced into a superb record. A classic, in fact.
 
“The Nightmare of Being”, then, occupies an odd space. It is the third second-act album, so no resting on comeback goodwill is to be had. The good news is, it's different, progressive in places. The song writing is tight and focused, a 45min playing time indicates that would be the case. The loss of Anders Bjorler has left his twin Jonas remaining to do the heavy lifting with the song writing- not so much of a problem, as it turns out.
 
I loved The Haunted's albums with Marco Aro on vocals- that straightforward thrash, close to death metal, even- suited me well at the time, but it was by no means ATG pt 2 and the Bjorlers were not the main or only songwriters. “The Nightmare of Being” is not close to that band- this is philosophical in theme, gloomy in outlook and surprisingly textured. There is saxophone on “Garden of Cyrus”, there is piano elsewhere. There is even a string quartet- bizarre, but true. When Ihsahn incorporated such elements in his solo work it was a huge surprise, and to be fair it is a pretty big surprise here, all these years later.
 
Make no mistake, though, this is a death metal album at its core- from the acoustic intro to the weight elsewhere on opener “Spectre of Extinction”, to the thrashy “The Paradox” it is metal. Yes, there are of course echoes of “SotS” in the changes and tempos, but Tompa's voice has dropped down a little and is a more measured bark these days. There are moodier moments throughout the record- it's sombre and dark and the instrumental passages shimmer and ripple like a muddy pool under the moonlight.
 
At ten tracks, the length and pace is right and the sound is great. How to rate this, then? It's tough as there is nothing wrong with any of this- it is pretty bold of a band like At The Gates who could easily just rest on their 1995 laurels forever to be making fairly experimental records. As such, this is the better of the two comeback albums I have heard- by far. It's totally solid, none of the extra elements feel forced and the songs are good. This is, for me, a solid seven out of ten type album- so not flawed genius and some filler and not bubbling under what was expected either. It's just... good.
 
Whether any of this is what you want from At The Gates, only you can decide. I applaud the band for spreading their wings and this is exactly the record they need to make at this stage, I think. A surprise, in a good way.
 
“The Nightmare of Being” is available now 

Band info: facebook || Official

ALBUM REVIEW: Asphyx, "Necroceros"

By: Richard Maw

 

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 22/01/2021

Label: Century Media Records 

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

 

1. The Sole Cure is Death
2. Molten Black Earth
3. Mount Skull
4. Knights Templar Stand
5. Three Years of Famine
6. Botox Implosion
7. In Blazing Oceans
8. The Nameless Elite
9. Yield or Die
10. Necroceros

 

The Review:

 

Asphyx are back with this, another feral stab of doom-death. Van Drunen's wail is intact and as rough and ready as ever. The production is as gnarly as you might expect from these Dutch death masters. Asphyx have had a pretty solid career with a death metal classic as their debut (“The Rack”) and then “Deathhammer” being a real late period highlight. Their last outing, “Incoming Death” was good and punk infused, but this is the band back to their best.

 

The songs are pretty urgent and the band sounds focused and vicious; the riffs are stellar, the slower passages invoke Bolt Thrower at their doomiest and the whole effect is one that is really rather majestic. If you want to sample the wares here, just go for the opener, “The Sole Cure Is Death”. It's Asphys, through and through- as are the remaining nine tracks here. As usual, there are plenty of those aforementioned slower passages and, again as usual, the band don't break type by doing any silly blasting passages or trying to go for a more American sound or any such folly.

 

I've always been very fond of Asphyx because of their idiosyncratic sound; I view them as a kind of Euro-Obituary in that they stand out and stand apart from the others. “Mount Skull”, for instance, starts slow but gets up to thrash pacing with some nasty lead work and truly neck snapping riffage before... dropping back down again. There are plenty of post-five minute songs here, as well as a smattering of more urgent tracks but it's the listener who win as each song has its own characters and the band, thankfully, have gone for a finely crafted album approach rather than front loading with the most immediate songs and then just tailing off (naming no other death metal bands, of course....).

 

The subject matter, well, it's death metal. Not entirely, though. You get a song about the Knights Templar here, a little dark sci fi fantasy there- it's varied enough for a band at this stage in their career for sure. The sound, incidentally, is superb. Probably the band's best production yet in terms of clarity and ferocity. The whole band sounds like a well oiled machine (obviously a tank- what else?!) and whether it be the straightforward deathly joy of “Botox Implosion” or the more measured “Three Years of Famine”, they are never less than deadly in their delivery.

 

Of course, fifty minutes of this level of heaviness is a lot to take in but the record is varied and brings a fair amount of light and shade (or shades of black, maybe) that makes the album work as a whole. There is no way you could say that “The Nameless Elite”, say, is the same as “Yield or Die”. Asphyx have always been quirky and this record is no different.

 

The title track is epic in length and scope, allowing the beastly bass tone to be heard clearly at the start. Just like that, the record is over. The title, subject matter and delivery are all very appropriate for the current times we find ourselves stumbling through. It is hard to say where “Necroceros” will sit in their overall discography rankings, but I'm confident it will be right up there. It is certainly better than “Death... The Brutal Way” and “Incoming Death”. “Deathhammer” is a personal favourite of mine... but this has all the elements that you could possibly want from the band and has the production, vitality and songs to challenge anything they have put out. Truly, Asphyx are the band for these times.

 

“Necroceros” is available HERE

 

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Skeletal Remains, "The Entombment of Chaos"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 11/09/2020
Label: Century Media Records

“The Entombment of Chaos” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Cosmic Chasm (Intro)
2). Illusive Divinity
3). Congregation Of Flesh
4). Synthetic Impulse
5). Tombs Of Chaos
6). Enshrined In Agony
7). Dissectasy
8). Torturous Ways To Obliteration
9). Eternal Hatred
10). Unfurling The Casket

The Review:

“The Entombment of Chaos” is album number four for these Californian death metallers. It's incredible, really. It's not because of their longevity, but instead it is incredible they are not from Tampa, Florida and this is being released in 2020 and not 1992. This album is a beast. It's resolutely old school and nods to the best bands of the genre; Death, Morbid Angel, Obituary et al. The promo photo says a lot; Obituary and Grave shirts proudly on display and the band looking like they are deathly serious- which they are.

The fact that the bonus track is a Disincarnate cover- that's the James Murphy Disincarnate- shows that these guys are very interested in going for real old school fans of the genre and also that they are exactly that themselves.

Of course, this is fast, of course this is brutal, of course this is pure death metal; but it's never at the expense of riffs and attitude. It's not fast for the sake of being fast and doesn't overstep the mark into unlistenable brutality. Instead, there are plenty of melodic shifts and tasteful leads (“Synthetic Impulse” has this in spades). The atmospheric intro of “Cosmic Cavern” nods to the tech greats like Cynic, while the opener proper “Illusive Divinity” is headbanging heaven.

Elsewhere, the propulsive thrashing of “Tombs of Chaos” is very satisfying- with added blasts for seasoning. Ten tracks (eleven with the bonus track) is more than enough of this type of carnage. Just like their forbears, this is to the point and focused- just as well because if this ran to a full hour or similar it would be hard to get through. Instead, the band know that a little goes a long way and the record clocks in around the length of one side of a TDK 90 cassette (which I used to have Death albums dubbed onto).

What Skeletal Remains have done here is recreate the atmosphere and approach of classic early 90s Floridian death metal, and they have done so expertly. It's really good death metal, complete with a mood setting intro, a clean interlude (“Enshrined In Agony”) that kicks off the second half and all the good points of the genre rolled into one album.

There are echoes of Deicide's riffing approach in “Dissectasy” and Morbid Angel's angular musicality in “Torturous Ways To Obliteration”. Yep, for the old school death head, there is nothing to dislike here. The production is spot on, too. This is a great throwback to the g(l)ory days of death and makes me want to dig out everything from “Cause of Death” to “Altars of Madness” to “Tomb of the Mutilated” and feast upon their innards.

It's a deathly delight from start to finish. Have a listen to any one of the eight full original songs here and you are bound to agree- if you have any interest in any of the aforementioned bands. Death metal the way it was and the way it should be; loud, fast and raw with grit and guts aplenty. 

“The Entombment of Chaos” is available HERE 

Band info: facebook 

ALBUM REVIEW: Body Count, "Carnivore"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 06/03/2020

Label: Century Media Records

“Carnivore” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Carnivore

2). Point The Finger

3). Bum-Rush

4). Ace of Spades

5). Another Level

6). Colors

7). No Remorse

8). When I’m Gone

9). Thee Critical Breakdown

10). The Hate Is Real

Tbe Review:

Body Count and Ice-T are back with another full length, 2017's “Bloodlust” was a good album, as was “Manslaughter” from a year or two before that. “Carnivore” continues the metal and hardcore hybrid with, of course, the street level vibe and attitude you'd expect from a man first known as a rapper and then an actor.

The title track is hard as nails, “Point The Finger” is a Hatebreed-esque blast of nastiness directed against the police- presumably of the US. The production is once again stellar. Thick guitars and bass, drums compressed and brutal through the triggers. “Bum-Rush” is a revved up hip hop track, rhythmically, with plenty of wailing leads and political lyrics- the kind of thing Ice-T excels at, pretty much.

For a man in his 60s to still be this angry makes me wonder just what Ice thinks about the current Coronavirus pandemic and the injustice of it. Maybe the next album will tell us? At track 4 is a real curve ball... a cover of “Ace of Spades”! If “Raining Blood” on “Bloodlust” was triumphant, well this is pretty much the same. It helps that it's one of the best songs ever written- any genre- and also that Ice has a connection with Lemmy and Motorhead having appeared on a version of “Born To Raise Hell” for the Airheads soundtrack. The themes are right up Ice's street, so it works. A respectful and successful homage.

Jamey Jasta pops up for “Another Level” in a solid and different guest vocal, while the track is moody and dark- not all righteous fury. Next up is the Ice-T classic “Colors”- given a 2020 makeover. Many metalheads of the 90s will recall the Machine Head cover of this track as a bonus on “The More Things Change”- which was a straight hip hop cover. This is a metallic version of the same song. It's a hip hop classic and, much like the “Ace of Spades”, it works in any setting as it's a strong song!

The atonal and chugging “No Remorse” follows and is a more lunkheaded take on wilful self-determination than, say, Suicidal Tendencies would come up with. It's a rare weaker track. Amy Lee pops up for “When I'm Gone” after a heartfelt intro from Ice about the origins of the song. For me, this is not the style I listen to Body Count for- the riffage is again dull and chugging. Fortunately, “Thee Critical Beatdown” is much more like it- old school Body Count and values in full effect. It's a banger and sounds exactly how you want it to. The late-album lull is thus ended.

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Lorna Shore, "Immortal"

By: Thomas Gonzales

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 31/01/2020

Label: Century Media Records

“Immortal” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Immortal
2. Death Portrait
3. This Is Hell
4. Hollow Sentence
5. Warpath Of Disease
6. Misery System
7. Obsession
8. King Ov Deception
9. Darkest Spawn
10. Relentless Torment

The Review:

Lorna Shore return in full force with what may be their purest vision yet. Formed in 2010, Lorna Shore have garnered a dedicated fan base, and for well deserved reasons. With the release of “Immortal”, founding band members Adam De Micco & Austin Archery have cemented themselves amongst the elite of extreme metal. Not content with simple scene labels and contrived stylization, Lorna Shore seeks to break the mold with a blistering assault of sonic ferocity.

Following not one, but TWO lineup changes since “Flesh Coffin”, “Immortal” almost didn't see the light of day, however, through dedication to their craft, Lorna Shore's remaining members were adamant about exposing their art to the masses. For anyone who followed the band's social media accounts, you may well be aware of the effort behind this album, and the sincerity expressed in its composition.

Founding member Tom Barber split from the band for Chelsea Grin in 2018, and was replaced by CJ McCreery of Signs of the Swarm fame in 2019, bringing with him his destructive style of deathcore vocalization. McCreery was later fired at the end of 2019. Often times sounding like he's gargling a mouthful of skulls, McCreery is an excellent accent to the already fluid sound of Lorna Shore. It’ll be a shame not to have him in future releases, but be confident that there is enough talent at the heart of the band to more than continue the legacy.

Bending Metal sub-genres at every opportunity, Lorna Shore manages to expand beyond their fan bestowed classification of Deathcore, and instead craft a dynamic assimilation of styles…resistance is futile. Drawing inspiration from such categories as Blackened & Melodic Death Metal, and Slam, the group manages to craft a spellbinding and hauntingly dark soundscape, without sacrificing the brutality they’ve become known for in the extreme metal world. Machine gun bass kicks and screaming lead guitars overlay epic swelling synths, and choral arrangements, while bestial scream and growls utterly eradicate the listener into a state of wicked ecstasy. It’s these dramatic shifts that really separates “Immortal” from Lorna Shore's previous works.

“Immortal” is a release that almost wasn’t, one that had to overcome doubt and adversity to see the light of day, and the world is damn lucky it did. There is a lot of complex and intuitive song writing to be appreciated on this release, and it would be no surprise to see it wind up on many year end Metal lists. If you haven’t been listening, this is the time to give them a shot, don’t let the useless labels deter you, Lorna Shore is so much more than just another Deathcore Band, and “Immortal” is far too savage to be ignored.

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Entombed AD, "Bowels of Earth"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/08/2019

Label: Century Media Records

“Bowels of Earth” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1.Torment Remains
2.Elimination
3.Hell Is My Home
4.Bowels Of Earth
5.Bourbon Nightmare
6.Fit For A King
7.Worlds Apart
8.Through The Eyes Of The Gods
9.I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
10.To Eternal Night

The Review:

Three years on from “Dead Dawn” and Entombed AD have returned. As noted at the time, “Dead Dawn” was much better and heavier than “Back to the Front”, which in itself was OK- but little more. Pleasingly, “Bowels of Earth” is heavier and more ferocious again! Thankfully the band seem to perhaps be repeating the trajectory of the original Entombed in the late 90s into the 2000; from the feeble “Same Difference”, through the aggressive “Uprising” and on to the excellent “Morning Star”.

“Torment Remains” is aggressive and heavy, a great opener and “Elimination” is also aggressive and heavy. The production and mix is better this time around, too- the bass rumbles, the guitars grate like a chainsaw, the leads cut through and LG Petrov's trademark bark is firmly in place.

The pace continues into “Hell Is My Home” and I was left thinking, on first listen, that this is everything that “Back to the Front” should have been, but never was: aggressive, fast, feral and hard rocking. The pace change down the back stretch feels great, the riff excellent. The band are firing on all cylinders. The title track rolls out of the speakers full of swagger and is another winner. At this point, the album is really shaping up to be a return to Petrov's glory days of two decades ago.

“Bourbon Nightmare” ratchets up the death and roll factor nicely- pure Motorhead worship and it works really well. AT the halfway point it can be finally said that Entombed AD have ARRIVED. This is leagues ahead of their debut and has built on the much improved “Dead Dawn” with vigour.

The second half of the record is just as good. “Fit For A King” opens things up with a breakneck thrashing pace and straight-ahead riffing. Entombed AD keep things tight and lean with song lengths not going too far beyond what is necessary. That breakneck pace is continued through “Worlds Apart” while one of the best tracks on the album is delivered in “Through The Eyes of The Gods”- which is a real throwback to Entombed's early work and “Wolverine Blues”. It's nasty and mean and would be a great track to pick out if you wanted to hear a snapshot of what the album has to offer.

The two minutes of “I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive” is a rollicking rocker that acts as the last burst of speed before the band delivers a doom laden epic in the form of “To Eternal Night”. Over the course of the ten tracks it is an absolute pleasure to hear the band rev their engines and play like they mean it. This is light years ahead of Entombed AD's first album and much better than their sophomore effort as well. This is most likely the best Entombed related record since the aforementioned “Morning Star”. It is better than “Inferno” (which was good) and certainly better than “Serpent Saints” as well. Of course, Entombed AD are not Entombed- but this album is a cracker and one that would fit right into Entombed's discography with no issues whatsoever. Recommended.

“Bowels of Earth” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Malevolent Creation. "The 13th Beast"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/01/2019

Label: Century Media Records

Resolutely traditional, old school Florida death metal with a modern production, iIn other words, for fans of the genre and band it is an absolute winner

“The 13^th Beast” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. End The Torture
2. Mandatory Butchery
3. Agony For The Chosen
4. Canvas Of Flesh

5. Born Of Pain
6. The Beast Awakened
7. Decimated
8. Bleed Us Free
9. Knife At Hand
10. Trapped Inside
11. Release The Soul

The Review:

Malevolent Creation are certainly one of death metal's old school elite and even with powerhouse vocalist Brett Hoffman gone, the band (Phil Fasciana and able cohorts) press forward. Lee Wollenschlaeger is a fine death metal vocalist, as is demonstrated by his opening growl on “End The Torture”- and he brings an almost NYHC aggression to his delivery. Once again, the sound is razor sharp, the production suitably brutal, the sound is timelessly death metal.

As is standard (now and then) the drums are triggered and thus audible in their intricacy. The sound is pro-toolsed and the performances are spot on. These days, you would be hard pressed to find the endearing amateur aggression present on some of the biggest bands' debut recordings, but what you get instead is machine like precision born of experience.

There are blasts aplenty (“Agony For The Chosen”), some very thrashy moments (“Mandatory Butchery”), plenty of shifting tempos (“Canvas of Flesh”) and all of these elements rearing their heads at various times in most tracks. Over the course of eleven tracks there is no real relaxation time- just straight ahead death metal. This is, though, so what did you expect?!

Try out “The Beast Awakened” if you want a flavour of the best elements of the record in one track (it slays!), but if you like Malevolent Creation you are pretty much guaranteed to like this album. Is it their best? To some listeners it will be, to some it will be “another” good MC album. That the band are keeping quality control high and are still putting out impressive records is highly commendable and something that cannot be said of many old-school bands.

That there is nothing new here goes without saying- “Decimated” would fit on any of their albums past or present- but death metal is a taste you develop and if the bug has bitten you in the past, suffice it to say that this album will satisfy all death metal needs and wants you may have.

As the album progresses through “Knife at Hand”, “Trapped Inside” and “Release The Soul” you will know exactly what kind of album this is: resolutely traditional, old school Florida death metal with a modern production. In other words, for fans of the genre and band it is an absolute winner. Enjoy.

“The 13^th Beast” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Ultha, "The Inextricable Wandering"

By: Elliot Paisley

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 05/10/2018

Label: Century Media Records

On “The Inextricable Wandering”, Ultha have shown both potential for the future and a mastery of what they have already achieved.

“The Inextricable Wandering” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. The Avarist (Eyes Of A Tragedy)
2. With Knives To The Throat And Hell In Your Heart

3. There Is No Love, High Up In The Gallows
4. Cyanide Lips
5. We Only Speak In Darkness
6. I’m Afraid To Follow You There

The Review: 

While having a well-renowned pedigree for producing exceptional heavy metal, Germany has scarcely produced a black metal outfit who can compete with their Scandinavian and North American competition. It’s a curious blemish; thrash metal, power metal, classic heavy metal and even death metal all have Teutonic titans. Yet, there isn’t a German black metal band who can be held in the same regard as Wolves In The Throne Room or Altar Of Plagues, much less Burzum, Bathory and Emperor. However, while Ultha are still in what is, comparably, the embryonic of their career (having only formed in 2014), the potential displayed on their 3^rd studio effort “The Inextricable Wandering” more than makes them worthy of attention.

It is vocally where the album stands out in its more defiant form. The stereotypical vocal employed in black-metal has, over the decades, developed into a fairly limiting art form. With seemingly either a banshee-wail or a demonic rasp being the two options one can employ, it is wildly refreshing when bands strive into unexplored territory. The vocals present on this album, while sparse, provide a more guttural, avant-garde counterpart to the chilling instrumentation. With a duelling vocal dynamic that owes more to both Douglas Pearce and Nick Holmes than to Ihsahn and Cronos, the band explore peculiar frontiers, and makes for a welcome, refreshing listen. Black metal, to those who care less for it, is often described as a limiting art form. While it is true that there are key tropes commonly adopted by countless black metal outfits, this can also be part of the charm. Like fans of slasher films, those who worship this style of music often enjoy the rules and boundaries, seeing them as guidance rather than restrictions. While there is something to be said about tunnel-vision allegiance to the rules of a bygone era, it is far more refreshing to hear deviation, especially of such a high standard.

Musically, admittedly, there isn’t a great deal to report; Ultha play atmospheric black metal, a genre which has suffered from overpopulation, but it is performed to a standard of brilliance. While the genre has indeed grown saturated and many dedicated black-metal fans have accused it of expiration, it is performed with quality and conviction that it is impossible to resist. It provides a stark, monochrome backdrop to the superb vocal performances, and allows the songs to breathe in the way they warrant.

The production job on this album is also something to behold. In the last decade, it has become more acceptable for black metal artists to opt for more professional production. Both major-label players like Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth as well as cult icons such as Forteresse and Agalloch have encouraged the presence of clean, lavish instrumentation, and that effect can be felt on this album. “The Inextricable Wandering” would not be half the album it is if the material was quashed with a sub-par production, and this is the finest Ultha have sounded so far. On past albums, they’ve shown ambition in this regard but failed to do justice to their capabilities but now, perhaps with the backing of Century Media, they have the tools available and the know-how needed to improve their art and it’s made all the more tremendous for it.

Ultha are still new to the world; they’ve not even been a band for five years. Yet, on “The Inextricable Wandering”, they have shown both potential for the future and a mastery of what they have already achieved. With three albums now under their belt, it is clear that they have progressed at an extraordinary rate, and they’ve finally released an album that justifies their talents. It’s exciting to ponder at where this band may go next. All we know for sure is that we can trust them.

“The Inextricable Wandering” is available HERE

 

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Marduk, "Viktoria"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 22/06/2018

Label: Century Media Records

Black metal continues to be one of the most divisive and politically charged of metal's sub genre's, but there is also fantastic music to be found from the genre's biggest and best players. Marduk are amongst the elite.

“Viktoria” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Werwolf

02. June 44
03. Equestrian Bloodlust
04. Tiger I
05. Narva
06. The Last Fallen
07. Viktoria
08. The Devil's Song
09. Silent Night

The Review:

Sweden's premier WW2 obsessed black metallers are back with a vicious counter attack against the controversy that the band have faced in recent years. A more underground proposition than Watain, Marduk has always been amongst the best in their chosen genre. Opener “Werwolf” is truly venomous and makes use of an extremely well suited production. As I am always at great pains to point out, I am no expert on the world of black metal (or anything, for that matter!) but I know what I like and this is one such record.

Nine tracks of 3-4 minutes each; varied in tempo and approach is what you get. I think this even outstrips the fantastic “Frontschwein” of a couple of years back; it's feral and exciting stuff. This is how lack metal is supposed to sound: raw, uncompromising and very, very cold.

If you are a fan of Marduk, much like any band, you probably have your favourite album (“Panzer Division Marduk” seems to always feature on such lists- as it does for me), but this one may well be up there for old and newer fans alike. It's dramatic- hear “Equestrian Bloodlust” for proof- not afraid to slow down when necessary and offers up some seriously impenetrable blast sections as well. As the best black metal often does, it also retains an almost punk like approach to the writing and the sound; rough and ready (but not “Transylvanian Hunger” rough!) and features some interesting stops and starts via slow cymbal counts- a cool trick.

Picking out highlights is tough, as the quality is uniformly high, but if you want an example of where Marduk are at this time around, then try out “The Last Fallen” or the title track- both are reliably vicious, albeit in different ways.

If you like black metal of a certain type (Scandinavian, classic, trve etc) then this is absolutely a record to hear and own. If you have ever liked what Marduk did in the past, you'll like this. If you are more into modern post-black metal... leave the hall. Black metal continues to be one of the most divisive and politically charged of metal's sub genre's, but there is also fantastic music to be found from the genre's biggest and best players. Marduk are amongst the elite.

“Viktoria” is available here



Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: At The Gates, ‘To Drink From The Night Itself’

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/05/2018

Label: Century Media Records

 The omnipresent malevolence that coats the majority of the album gives it a different feel from the rest of the band’s catalog. At The Gates do their best to get the best of both worlds: acting as an agent of fan service and staying in their own lane, while also using broad strokes to give the old sound a new context. 

‘To Drink From the Night Itself’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Der Widerstand

2. To Drink from the Night Itself

3. A Stare Bound in Stone

4. Palace of Lepers

5. Daggers of Black Haze

6. The Chasm

7. In Nameless Sleep

8. The Colours of the Beast

9. A Labyrinth of Tombs

10. Seas of Starvation

11. In Death They Shall Burn

12. The Mirror Black

The Review:

At The Gates, being in the At The Gates nostalgia business, have returned to be really good at being a version of At The Gates that you’d like to hear, as a fan of At The Gates. I know how that read just now, and I don’t care: it’s fucking accurate. They’re a band intent on crafting the best nostalgia album they can, and they’ve done a exceptional job of meeting those goals here. They’ve taken the moody atmosphere of ‘With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness’, gussied it up with a modern studio production, a touch of added darkness, and plugged it into the “Slaughter of The Soul 5000”, their patented nostalgia refinement machine.

The end result is ‘To Drink From The Night Itself’: the album morose death metal folks of a certain age are sure to enjoy enough to spend money on. And bless them for it too! The last thing we need is Jonas Björler getting some wild “got to keep up with the times” hair up his ass, like his other band The Haunted did, and you might remember how long it took them to right that ship once they set sail upon that sea.

The formula for this album is pretty straightforward: you’ve got your slower, melodic parts that range from mournful twin harmonies to murky atmospheric darkness. And then you’ve got your uptempo Slayer beat stuff, which I affectionately referred to as the “Slaughter of the Soul 5000” machine earlier. That’s the stuff meant to get your “Blinded By Fear” glands salivating, like Pavlov’s dog whenever Pavlov entered the room. It’s all very comfortable, like a warm sweater and a cup of hot cocoa at the start of winter.

Here’s the fucked up thing: At The Gates nostalgia baiting us for forty-five minutes still makes for one of the finer death metal albums of the year, and they sound like they’re barely trying. The band are an inexorable monolith of “remember the good old days” emotions here, and all we can do is continue to be fascinated and entranced by it. We’re powerless to resist the charm of familiarity, and really why would we want to? There’s no harm in it.

While that “warm sweater of fond melodeath remembrance” I mentioned earlier is certainly a huge part of why ‘To Drink From The Night Itself’ works so well, it would be unfair to say that the album doesn’t have its own character. They’re especially fond of using those deep, resonant chords for building atmosphere on this album, which gives the album a more menacing feeling altogether. In fact, you could call this At The Gates’ darkest album to date, and have a solid case for that belief. ‘With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness’ was more gloomy than outright ominous, and this album is firmly planted on that second word’s side of things.

For all of my needling the album for playing it safe, ‘To Drink From The Night Itself’ is a big improvement over ‘At War With Reality’. The parts of the album meant to give you a cozy trip down memory lane do so remarkably. The omnipresent malevolence that coats the majority of the album gives it a different feel from the rest of the band’s catalog. At The Gates do their best to get the best of both worlds: acting as an agent of fan service and staying in their own lane, while also using broad strokes to give the old sound a new context. This album is the musical equivalent of reuniting with old friends at your favorite old hangout spot and having a great time, even if the place doesn’t look quite like it did before. An occasion like that is virtually guaranteed to be a joy for you because it was the safest choice to bring you that joy in the first place. Does that really diminish the experience any for you? It didn’t for me.

‘To Drink From the Night Itself’ is available digitally here and on CD/LP here.

Band info: Facebook