Krisiun - 'Forged in Fury' (Album Review)

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 7/8/2015

Label: Century Media

  

‘With ‘Forged in Fury’ being the end result of the band’s longest gap between albums to date, it raises a fair question as to whether or not Krisiun has run its course. I would argue that one especially flat album isn’t enough to start making funeral arrangements.’

‘Forged in Fury’ CD//LP//DD track listing:

1. Scars of the Hatred

2. Ways of Barbarism

3. Dogma of Submission                                

4. Strength Forged in Fury                               

5. Soulless Impaler                           

6. Burning of the Heretic                 

7. The Isolated Truth         

8. Oracle of the Ungod   

9. Timeless Starvation                      

10. Milonga de la Muerte              

Krisiun is:

Alex Camargo | Vocal/Bass

Moyses Kolesne | Guitar

Max Kolesne | Drums

The Review:

To many people, Krisiun has been a band synonymous with unshakeable reliability in death metal for over twenty years. Refusing to compromise stylistically is fair enough, but Krisiun has had a couple of albums that have fallen beneath their typical standard and sadly, ‘Forged in Fury’ is one of those albums. The other most obvious example, ‘Ageless Venomous’, was almost completely ruined by an unconscionably loud and clicky kick drum sound rather than weaker material. While ‘Forged in Fury’ is certainly much easier on the ears than ‘Ageless Venomous’, it suffers equally from a lack of energy and excitement.

In taking a look at “Ways of Barbarism”, the album’s second song, we get a microcosm of ‘Forged in Fury’ as a whole. Long stretches of the song are built around redundant syncopation and uninspired blasting sections. It’s a strange thing to listen to: a band putting so much physical exertion into material that seems so half-hearted. With ‘Forged in Fury’ being the end result of the band’s longest gap between albums to date, it raises a fair question as to whether or not Krisiun has run its course. I would argue that one especially flat album isn’t enough to start making funeral arrangements. Still, even without using the rest of the Krisiun’s discography for context, ‘Forged in Fury’ is too long for the style and a chore to get through.

‘Forged in Fury’ isn’t without merit altogether, in fact even at its worst the album is boring rather than outright bad. The opening section of “Soulless Impaler” features a fun but deliberately-paced galloping rhythm that almost sounds like it’s building itself into something resembling a mid-tempo Testament song. Unfortunately, it isn’t too long before it finds itself in the same trap that hobbles most of ‘Forged in Fury’. Even so, it’s different enough from the rest of the album that it serves as a real bright spot when compared to the more or less mechanical nature of the material surrounding it. The song also reveals that it’s slower brooding riffs that seem to Krisiun’s strong suit in 2015, as weird as that sounds. That’s particularly surprising for someone like myself who was first introduced to Krisiun in the 90s with ‘Black Force Domain’. That album along with 2000’s ‘Conquerors of Armageddon’ remain the band’s best to date, and they were largely built on the strength of Deicide-style blast n’ trem, albeit faster and more vicious.

Twenty years later, the old formula has lost its lustre, and so have the rhythmic tricks that helped stretch out the length of its usefulness. There is still hope left, but it would likely require a drastic change, and that’s always a tough sell when something has worked for so long. There’s always a chance that they can coax something meaningful out of their tried-and-true methods on their next album, but ‘Forged in Fury’ plays like a case of diminishing returns. As a fan, it’s is all the more reason to root for something special the next time around.

You can pick up a digital copy here and a CD/LP copy here.

Band info: Facebook

The Sludgelord News: Daily Digest

Your rundown of the top sludge news stories of the day …

PSYCHO CALIFORNIA FESTIVAL - Festivals are all the rage in Europe, they make-up an important part of the European musical identity, but festival culture has lagged behind stateside. A number of stoner, doom and sludge related festivals have cropped up in the Eastern and Midwestern United States in recent years, but the West Coast has been sorely lacking for major festivals, until now. The PSYCHO CALIFORNIA FESTIVAL is set to take place on May 15-17, 2015 at The Observatory in Santa Ana.

So who’s going to be there? The festival lineup reads like a who’s who in doom: Kylesa, OM, Earth, Russian Circles, Bedemon, Conan, Wrench, Eyehategod, Indian, Earthless, Pallbearer, Stoned Jesus, Old Man Gloom, Cave In, Acid Witch, Truckfighters, Tombs, Bang, Electric Citizen, Coffinworm, SubRosa, Eagle Twin, Mammatus, True Widow, Anciients, Bellwitch, Dead Meadow, Lord Dying, Death By Stereo, Radio Moscow, Ancient Altar, Samsara Blues Experiment, Atriarch, Elder, Mothership, The Well, Deathkings, Wo Fat, Rozamov, Destroyer of Light, Highlands, Bloodmoon, Slow Season, Goatsnake, Crypt Trip, Wrench, Lords of Beacon House, Tumbleweed Dealer, Sinister Haze, Blackout, Red Wizard, Banquet and Loom.

But the biggest news of the day came with the announcement of the festival’s headlining bands and they are eye-popping to say the least. CULT OF LUNA is set to close out the first night (May 15), SLEEP the second (May 16) and the legendary PENTAGRAM will close out the festival by performing First Daze Here in its entirety on day three (May 17).

Ticket prices for the festival range from $149.50 for a three day pass to $256.66 for a three day VIP pass.

http://psychoca.com/

https://www.facebook.com/psychocalifornia 

Source:

Speakeasy PR

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GRAVES AT SEA - After a nine year hiatus, Portland, OR band GRAVES AT SEA made a huge splash with last year's split record with Sourvein. So it comes as no great surprise that the band has struck a deal with one of the top labels in the underground metal world. Relapse Records revealed today that the label has signed the sludge veterans to a record deal. The band plans to record their first full-length record this summer at Audio Alchemy Studios in Portland, OR with producer Greg Wilkinson.

The band had this to say:

"So now this is gonna happen…We're proud to say our first full length ever is coming out on Relapse Records. Relapse has been extremely cool to work with and we think it's going to be a killer fit. Cheers. DFFD."

https://www.facebook.com/GravesAtSea

http://instagram.com/gravesatseaband

http://www.relapse.com

Source:

Relapse Records

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MAMMOTH MAMMOTH - Napalm Records released details regarding Australian retro rockers MAMMOTH MAMMOTH’s upcoming album. Aside from the gourgeous cover, worldwide release dates were also revealed. ‘Volume IV: Hammered Again’ will be released March 27 in Australia and Europe, March 30 in the U.K. and April 7 in the U.S. and Canada. A limited first edition digipack CD will include the bonus track, “Alcohol”. The album will also be available on vinyl with limited runs of gold vinyl (X100), purple vinyl (X100) and gatefold sleeve and picture disc (X500).

For More Info Visit:
www.mammothmammoth.com
www.facebook.com/mammothmammothband
www.napalmrecords.com
www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

Source:

Freeman Promotions

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CANCER BATS - Changing gears now, Canadian hardcore act CANCER BATS have announced a U.S. headlining tour to begin March 15 in Detroit, MI. The tour will take the band on nine dates through the Midwest down into Texas, then back north along the eastern seaboard, closing out at Saint Vitus bar in Brooklyn on the 28^th. The band will be showcasing new material from their upcoming ‘Searching for Zero’ album slated for a March release through Metal Blade Records. The album can be pre-ordered right now at the band’s website and through Metal Blade’s website. Cancer Bats will be sharing the stage with fellow Canadian hardcore band Exalt on the tour.

Here are the details:

3/15/2015 Magic Stick - Detroit, MI
3/16/2015 Fubar -St. Louis, MO
3/17/2015 SXSW - Austin, TX
3/23/2015 The End - Nashville, TN
3/24/2015 Strange Matter - Richmond, VA
3/25/2015 Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA
3/26/2015 Cake Shop - New York, NY
3/27/2015 Middle East - Upstairs - Cambridge, MA
3/28/2015 Saint Vitus Bar - Brooklyn, NY

See for more info:

http://www.metalblade.com/cancerbats
http://www.facebook.com/cancerbats 

Source:

Earsplit PR

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CHERUBS - Noise Rock is making a comeback. It’s been well over 30 years since Sonic Youth showed a world dominated by the rock n roll minimalism of punk rock that you don’t even need to know two chords in order to rock out. The band influenced a generation of disaffected youth, not the least of whom was Kurt Cobain, to simply pick up a guitar and wail away. But it seems the Noise Rock scene isn’t making a comeback all by itself. After 20 years away, noise rockers CHERUBS have returned to lend a helping hand to the revival.

The Texas trio’s new album ‘2 Ynfynyty’ will be available March 3 on Brutal Panda Records. You can stream the first single, ‘Crashing the Ride’ at Noisey. Fans of Whores will want to take a listen. Cassette and vinyl pre-orders are available here, while digital pre-orders can be taken right here.

www.facebook.com/CherubsTX 
Brutal Panda Records on Facebook
Brutal Panda Records Official Site

Source:

Brutal Panda Records

***************************************************

DARK FUNERAL - Do you like grease paint and burning down churches? Do you feel the utter desolation and futility of existence? If you do, chances are, despite how you feel, you’re not alone and Century Media’s got a place for you to congregate, with a new preacher to boot. The theater of worship is youtube and the subject is Swedish Black Metal band DARK FUNERAL’s new single ‘Nail Them To The Cross’.

The single features the debut of the band’s new vocalist Heljarmadr and will be available from February 23 on 7” vinyl and digitally. There will be 1000 vinyl copies, 500 black and 500 blue and they will be hand-numbered. You can grab yourself a copy through CM Distro and at live shows (see dates below). The label will start taking pre-orders January 26.

You can watch the “Nail Them To The Cross” video here.

Catch DARK FUNERAL live:
23.01.2015 Meh Suff! Winterfestival - Zürich CH
20.02.2015 Blastfest - Bergen, NO
15.05.2015 Steelfest - Hyvinkaa, FIN (Special TSOTBA set)
19.06.2015 Nummirock - Nummijarvi, FIN
04.07.2015 In Flammen Open Air - Torgau, DE
22.08.2015 Kaltenbach Open Air - Spital am Semmering, Austria

DARK FUNERAL online:
https://www.darkfuneral.se
https://wwwfacebook.com/darkfuneral
https://www.youtube.com/darkfuneral
https://www.twitter.com/darkfuneral
https://www.instagram.com/darkfuneralofficial
www.instagram.com/lordahrimanofficial

Century Media Records online:
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.myspace.com/centurymediaeurope
http://www.youtube.com/centurymedia
www.twitter.com/centurymediaeu
www.facebook.com/centurymedia
http://gplus.to/centurymedia

Century Media webshop:
www.cmdistro.com

Source:

The Noise Cartel

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MORGOTH  - And finally, in keeping with the day’s theme of bands returning after a lengthy hiatus, German death metal band MORGOTH will return with a new studio album after a 19 year absence, Century Media revealed.

The 11-track album, ‘Ungod’ will be released March 30 in Europe and April 7 in the U.S. and Canada. You can stream the new single, “Black Enemy” right here on soundcloud.

“After 18 years we can finally present a first glimpse at our new full length album “Ungod”!” the band said in a press release. “We started with the songwriting in January 2013 and finished the recording process by the end of December 2014. It was an awesome experience to go through the sometimes very complex and challenging process of writing and recording an album again.

“Our goal was to present some real Morgoth-style Death Metal, which closes the gap between “Cursed” and “Odium”. We hope that we have achieved this goal and our supporters and friends will like the final outcome.

“The idea behind the song “Black Enemy” is that this evil force rests within all of us and all we can do is trying to keep that beast under control. The “Black Enemy” represents the dark and destroying part inside of us and the lyrics deal with someone who is not able to control it anymore, committing a murder in the end”.

According to the comments on Soundcloud, reaction to the new song has been enthusiastic. You can catch Morgoth live throughout the year at the following dates and places:

MORGOTH Live 2015:
17.01.               GER       Pretzschendorf / Dresden       Break The Silence Festival
20.02.               NOR       Bergen                                  Blastfest       
26.03.               GER       Hamburg                               Bambi Galore *
27.03.               GER       Berlin                                     Cassiopeia *
28.03.               GER       Würzburg                               Cafe Cairo *
29.03.               GER       Wermelskirchen                      AJZ Bahndamm  *
19.06.               DEN       Copenhagen                          Copenhell Festival
20.06.               BEL        Dessel                                   Graspop Metal Meeting
21.06.               FRA       Clisson                                   Hellfest      
26.-28.06.         GER       Protzen                                  Protzen Open Air   
30.07.-01.08.     GER      Wacken                                 Wacken Open Air     
13.-15.08.         GER       Dinkelsbühl                            Summer Breeze Open Air
* “Ungod” release shows with DESERTED FEAR as main support

MORGOTH Online:
www.facebook.com/MorgothOfficial
www.morgoth-band.org

Century Media Records Online:
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.myspace.com/centurymediaeurope
http://www.youtube.com/centurymedia
http://www.twitter.com/centurymediaeu
http://www.facebook.com/centurymedia

Century Media Webshop:
http://www.cmdistro.com

Source:

The Noise Cartel

Enabler - La Fin Absolue Du Monde (European Version) (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 8/12/2014

Label: Century Media

‘La Fin Absolue Du Monde’(European Version)  CD/DD/LP track list

1. Close My Eyes (02:27)

2. New Life (02:39)

3. Neglect (02:38)

4. I've Got A Bad Feeling About This (02:27)

5. Information Overload (01:23)

6. Balance Of Terror (02:57)

7. World Sterilization (01:28)

8. The Exiles (01:23)

9. Prey (01:06)

10. Sickened By the Wake (02:38)

11. Rain Darkness (02:40)

12. Felony (05:45)

13. Linear Existence (02:43)

14. Consequence (03:52)

15. Live Low (02:13)

16. Mortal Enemy (02:30)

17. Seekers of The Truth (03:59)*Cro-Mags Cover

Bio:

“Led by front man, songwriter and guitarist Jeff Lohrber, ENABLER stands as one of the most honest, pissed off and heartfelt metallic hardcore bands around today. The band's sound, which is a unique mixture of thrash, death metal, punk rock and hardcore, has made an impact all over the world since their debut EP "Eden Sank to Grief" was first released on Andy Hurley's (Fall Out Boy, Raicetrator) FC Records in 2010. Two full length albums, three EPs and multiple split and compilation appearances have been released on various labels since then including the

critically acclaimed 2012 break-through album “All Hail the Void” on Southern Lord Records.

In 2014, the band released their 2nd full length LP „La Fin Absolue Du Monde” on Creator Destructor/Earsplit Compound. The album title is based off of the John Carpenter movie „Cigarette Burns”. Recording was done in December of 2013 by

engineer Shane Hotchstetler at Howl Street Recordings (Expire, Northless) in Milwaukee and it was mastered by Steve Austin of Today Is The Day at Austin Enterprise (Lamb Of God, Converge, Deadguy). The amazing artwork was

finished by Chris Smith at Gray Aria design.

The album was performed by Lohrber on guitar and vocals, Amanda Daniels playing bass and providing backing vocals and Ringworm touring member Ryan Steigerwald on drums. ENABLER played Century Media’s 2012 SXSW showscase (with The Atlas Moth, Young And In The Way and more) and kept in close contact with the label. Following the release of „La Fin Absolue Du Monde”, the label offered them a deal and shortly after plans were made to reissue that album through Europe. Lohrber went back to Howl Street to record a few bonus tracks and on December 8th, the album with three additional tracks will be released throughout Europe.

Enabler is:

Jeffrey Lohrber | guitars, vocals

Amanda Daniels | bass, backing vocals

Ryan Steigerwald | drums

Review:

To get it out of the way, yes, Enabler did count the drummer from Fall Out Boy as part of their line-up for some time, but putting that to one side, they're an great band deserving of being mentioned in the same breath as their peers in The Secret and the previously reviewed Martyrdod (and on a more respectable note, frontman Jeff Lohrber also plays drums in noise-metallers Today Is The Day). Like these two bands, Enabler combines the energy and fury of hardcore with that largely indefinable brilliance of metal that makes us love the genre. Their latest release with 'La Fin Absolue Du Monde', now reissued with 3 bonus tracks by Century Media, is their second full length LP that follows a string of low key peripheral releases.

The record sounds like it could pass for a well recorded demo, which is meant in the best possible way and lends character to the record just as much as the 'webcam mic in the corner' sound did to second wave black metal. In essence the recording is raw and just seems to shine from all the bullshit that has been stripped from it. That guitar tone, raw and rich without substituting warmth, comes alive in single string melodies. The drums especially are defined by the production, reminiscent of Cynic's pre-Focus demos, basically exposing every ubiqitous tech metal drum trigger blast beat for the fraud it is. Finally vocals, and what do you expect from them in a band like this? They're shouted in a way that can only be done when you mean every damn word, and while Jeff Lohrber does not have most power or distinctive punch to his delivery, anyone expecting Black Breath levels of harsh vocal prowess will always be disappointed.

Musically the record far from disappoints - it's basically punk music done right in this day and age, with enough mid tempo head banging passages to hook you in. The band inject enough variation to keep the mouth breathing 'oi' factor endemic in so much punk to a minimum, and you get the impression these guys can play with a lot more technical proficiency than is actually recorded, apparently having made the conscious decision to substitute fatty embellishments for lean performances with passion.

The band understands the importance of variation too. The anthemic chants of 'I've Got A Bad Feeling About This' evoke the best punk has to offer vocally, with the lyrics 'no future, no fate, there’s nothing but the lives we make', being a simple and profound manifesto from a hard working band that will always be doing it DIY for nothing more than love of the music. The track 'Mortal Enemy' is essentially a death metal song, with only the lack of someone making Satan noises keeping it in the same genre as the rest of the album. Additonally, unsettling vocal flourishes on 'Balance of Terror' and guitar harmonics on 'Linear Existence' serve to give the album more atmospheric flavour. For all it's fury and relentlessness, the lack of dynamics and one track assault characteristic of the genre can often prove limiting to the lasting power of the album as a whole. Enabler thankfully shed this mantle with well thought out diversions from the onslaught.

Reading around for material it became apparent some have stuck the 'metalcore' label on the band, yet my associations with the term are too closely linked to Kerrang's idea of respectable music for comfort. Lump them in with Converge et al if it makes you feel better, I'm just going to spin 'La Fin Absolue Du Monde' once more and bang my fucking head.

Words by: Jake Mazlum

You can pick up a copy here and read our original review of this record here

For more information:

Bandcamp | Official | Facebook

The Haunted - Exit Wounds (Album Review)

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 25/8/2014

Label: Century Media Records

‘Exit Wounds’ CD/DD/LP track listing:

01. 317 (1:31)

02. Cutting Teeth (3:24)

03. My Salvation (4:02)

04. Psychonaut (3:24)

05. Eye Of The Storm (3:49)

06. Trend Killer (3:12)

07. Time (Will Not Heal) (3:41)

08. All I Have (3:04)

09. Temptation (3:17)

10. My Enemy (1:00)

11. Kill The Light (4:08)

12. This War (2:28)

13. Infiltrator (3:32)

14. Ghost In The Machine (3:36)

The Band:

Marco Aro | vocals

Jensen | guitars

Ola Englund | guitars & solo guitars

Jonas Björler | bass guitar

Adrian Erlandsson | drums

Review:

To this particular metal head writing this article, there are different bands I will listen to in order accentuate my mood.  If I’m feeling down, I’ll play Down; if I’m feeling happy, I’ll play Motorhead; if I’m feeling like I need to don robes and shake a church to its foundations, then Sunn O))) is probably the band that will be fuelling my mind.  Today, however, is all about thrills.  And the most thrill seeking, riff-reeking rock-a-coaster album slammed right into my ears when I needed it the most.  I’m talking about ‘Exit Wounds’, the new album from Gothenburg rampagers The Haunted. 

Hyperbole aside, this riotous new album is a frenzy-fest of sick riffs and sicker lyrics, spat out at you through your speakers with a cobra’s venomous intent.  Following on from their EP release earlier in the year and also 2011’s ‘Unseen’, ‘Exit Wounds’ makes a crashing impact into your listening world; and, at 14 tracks long, it’s a mighty blast of metal bang for your buck. 

This new album is laced with Lamb of God rage, Slayer thrash, and a tincture of Pantera groove.  If it’s full-on aural carnage you’re after, then look no further.  Tracks like ‘Psychonaut’ and ‘Kill the Light’ pound like a battering ram against your eardrums and resonate inside your head long after the songs have finished; and ‘Time (Will Not Heal)’ had me banging my head in joyous abandon with its rolling, buoyant waves of riffs. 

However, ‘All I Have’ made me stand up and take notice.  It has this Black Label Society quality to it: brash, stomping riffs and Zakk Wylde pinch harmonics snapped off like rounds from a Magnum.  However, it also has this real gravitas, a sense of bitterness which vocalist Marco Aro brings to raw life with his lyrics and seething vocals.  The music is bold, the lyrics are bleak, and it’s this subtle contrast that made me come back to this song again and again. 

The Haunted have been through a baptism of fire: having changed their lineup after having three members leave, things can sometimes be a bit sketchy for a band that has suffered such a major change to their formation.  However, this Swedish quintet have returned, galvanized and focused on their primary goal, and that is to make your speakers and your ears their bitch.  And, trust me, with ‘Exit Wounds’, they have done just that.  Get ready to sit up and beg for The Haunted. 

Words by: Chris Markwell

You can pick up a copy here

For more information:

www.the-haunted.com

www.facebook.com/hauntedofficial

Live Review: "None Heavier". Crowbar, Gothic Theater Denver, CO. 23/9/2014

"NONE HEAVIER." Written across the back of one of the many Crowbar shirts for sale Wednesday night at the Gothic Theater in Denver, CO and this sentence sums up the sonic heft of the long-running NOLA doom legends rather nicely. It takes a certain level of confidence in your band's power to make that sort of claim at all, much less back it up. If anything, the phrase is an understatement of what Crowbar is.

I arrived at the venue just after 9:30 with every intention of showing up just in time for Crowbar. I mean no disrespect to their tourmates, but deathcore and technical thrash/death just aren't my bag -- if you're reading this piece at the Sludgelord, there's a decent chance the same is true for you. That said, I wound up seeing the entire set from Revocation, and the juxtaposition of their lightning-fast, highly-technical approach to metal with Crowbar's skull-crushing, melodic simplicity really highlighted how strange the entire tour package was. To be clear, I'm a huge fan of diverse line-ups, and I'm sure there were people there who were thrilled by all five bands. That said, something about it all struck me as strange (more on that later). Those thoughts were pushed from my mind the moment that Kirk and company fired up their rigs.

"This is Crowbahhh from fackin' New Orleans!" and with that, they launched into "Cemetery Angels," a powerful opener whose chug-heavy ending got the small-but-excitable crowd violently slamming into each other. I've seen lots of bands live, but the ones who have consistently had the rowdiest crowd reactions have been the NOLA vanguard: EHG, Crowbar, Soilent Green, and even Goatwhore. Their set list spanned their entire discography, including new tracks "Walk with Knowledge Wisely" and "Symmetry in White" alongside classics like "High Rate Extinction" and "Planets Collide." The two highlights for me were Tommy Buckley's rendition of the intro to "Hot for Teacher" while technical issues were being sorted out, and the ultra-slow rendition of my personal favorite "The Lasting Dose." Something about the reduced tempo made the song feel heavy in a way that no amount of palm-muting or vocal-chord-destroying hollering could accomplish on its own.

From the catchy-yet-punishing riffs, rather than any sort of guitar pyrotechnics, to Kirk's friendly banter with the crowd -- ragging on the Seattle Seahawks, got the crowd as fired up as the intro to "High Rate Extinction" -- to hanging out and taking pictures with fans rather than retreating backstage after the set, Crowbar oozes a workingman's ethos that is approachable and comforting while also capable of bringing out impressive violence in the pit area. When Kirk thanked the crowd between songs, it was impossible not to feel that it was genuine in a way that isn't true for all metal bands. There were no strobe lights, no synchronized stage moves, no calls to "fuck shit up in the pit," no ambient samples between songs. Crowbar is a doom metal band for the people.

It's that point that leaves me wondering, then, why Crowbar's crowd was so much smaller than one would expect in a venue the size of the Gothic (~1,100). By my estimation, there were no more than 2-300 people at the show. That's not a laughable number, but there was a noticeable amount of unfilled space in the venue. Maybe it was the tour package. Maybe it was the weekday show, though in my years living in Colorado, I've seen a ton of weekday shows with seemingly-less popular bands have a bigger draw. Maybe it was a combination of all of these factors and more. I do know that something feels wrong about a band with this sort of legacy, one that now includes being cited as a direct influence to metal/hardcore bands like Xibalba and Twitching Tongues, playing to anything shy of a packed house.

In a just world, Crowbar sells that all-ages venue out on a Wednesday, and all of the teenagers who dragged their parents along for a taste of something heavy would catch a glimpse of the bearded riff wizard Kirk Windstein as he offers a clinic on heaviness. All the same, I like to think that a few of those youngins woke up today, put on their brand new band shirt, and went to school announcing to the world that when it comes to sludge and doom, there are NONE HEAVIER than Crowbar from fuckin' New Orleans.

Words by: Ben Hutcherson

Entombed A.D. - Back To The Front (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 4/8/2014

Label: Century Media

‘Back To The Front’ CD/DD/LP track listing

01. Kill To Live (04:43)

02. Bedlam Attack (04:44)

03. Pandemic Rage (04:02)

04. Second To None (04:27)

05. Bait And Bleed (04:37)

06. Waiting For Death (02:57)

07. Eternal Woe (05:08)

08. Digitus Medius (06:00)

09. Vulture And The Traitor (04:45)

10. The Underminer (02:57)

11. Soldier Of No Fortune (06:48)

12. Gospel Of The Horns (04:34)*

* Bonus Track available on Limited Edition Mediabook

The Band:

L-G Petrov | Vocals

Nico Elgstrand | Guitars

Olle Dahlstedt | Drums

Victor Brandt | Bass

Review:

Entombed are, without a doubt, one of the most important bands in extreme metal. Anyone who has ever heard ‘Left Hand Path’ or ‘Wolverine Blues’ will tell you that is the truth. They created Death and Roll, defined a genre's guitar sound and rocked harder than anyone this side of Motorhead for most of their records. Conversely, they have also confounded fans with albums such as “Same Difference”, nearly made it very big in the mid 90's with a major label deal and- more recently- lost all their members barring iron throated front man LG Petrov. It is with some interest and consternation that I approach this album, then. With no Alex Hellid and no one else you would recognise from the glory days, this is a different band. Let's make it clear this is NOT Entombed- it is Entombed AD and I will treat it as such; kind of an extension to the original form. Comparisons are, however, inevitable.

‘Kill To Live’ opens things. Not death metal, certainly- this is more akin to Entombed mid to late 90's work and sets us up for what follows. ‘Bedlam Attack’ is again not exactly ferocious but is well structured and stomps out of the speakers with some purpose and some speedy bits here and there. If you were disappointed with Entombed's return to more death-y territory on Serpent Saints, this album may satisfy your craving To Ride, Shoot straight and so on.

‘Pandemic Rage’ opens with violins and guitar (not like Rhapsody or something- it's an intro!). The band then swaggers for the first time. That swinging groove is present until the thrash beats kick in. The best track so far, on first listen- compete with leads! ‘Second To None’ features a half stepping riff- a little like ‘Say it in Slugs’ (what a track that is!) and again swaggers and grooves like it is roughly 1995. Good stuff.

‘Bait and Bleed’ features a pretty cool title, a clean strummed intro and then a slower burning track than you might expect. The pace does pick up, of course, but it marks a more unusual side to the band. Petrov's voice remains intact and is as beastly as ever. Great front man and in possession of a unique voice- being as it is both brutal and clear at the same time.  ‘Waiting for Death’ pushes the record over the half way point with a track of more straightforward thrash/death. Again, though, it is not warp speed and not overly brutal. The chorus will stick in your head- good writing- and lifts the track above other bands who do this kind of thing.  Short and sharp this is a good song and perhaps one to listen to if you were unsure about whether to check the record out.

‘Eternal Woe’ has the guitar sound and tone to the riff that we know and love and allows the band to chug along like a diesel engine while ‘Digitus Medius’ throws in a rather death metal intro before the song lays down a rumbling groove reminiscent of Entombed's work on the “Inferno” album. The riffing is good here and makes the track something of a stand out- along with some memorable lyrics, too. ‘Vulture and The Traitor’ echoes the rhythms found on “Wolverine Blues” to an extent, but it doesn't have the bite of the songs contained on that record- that is not to say it's a bad thing; just different.

‘The Underminer’ puts the pedal to the metal with some blast beat action (!) and quick picking to boot. Again, it is short and sharp and one of the more aggressive tracks on offer here. Despite an acoustic guitar overdub (listen out) this is thunderous stuff! ‘Soldier of No Fortune’ actually features an acoustic guitar to open and a piano (not unprecedented on Entombed's albums) and is a slow burner of nearly seven minutes playing time. It features a triplet groove that works well for the main riff sections and the band again display good groove.

The verdict? This is a good album. It is not “Left Hand Path” or “Clandestine”, by any means, but neither is it “Same Difference.” I am enjoying it more than Serpent Saints (if that is of any contextual help, which I doubt). Entombed A.D. are essentially a more polite version of the Entombed of 15-20 years ago. If you enjoy Petrov's vocals and mid to late period Entombed, there is much to love here. If you want pure Swedish death metal, this is not the album for you. Get hold of Dismember's latter day releases instead. A light still burns here, but not as intensely as it once did.

Words by: Richard Maw

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