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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
This album is all about the groove, mixing swampy simplicity
with killer vocal hooks. The production is modern and clear, but without
sounding overproduced. The guitars are nicely fuzzed out, the bass is growling,
and the drums sound crisp and natural.Creepy keyboards and psychedelic sound effects weave in the background,
tying the album together and never letting you forget that these are songs
inspired by one thing:horror.Overall I would go so far as to say “Danza
Macabra” is a contender for the Sludgelord list of top Doom releases of 2016
“Danza Macabra” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Dread Ritual
2. Arcane XIII
3. Land
of Revenge
4. Oblivion
Mushroom
5. Intermezzo
(Bonus track for limited vinyl)
6. Suspiria (Goblin
cover)
7. Blackmaster
8. The Holy Cult
of Suicide
9. Hell Behind You
The Review:
When I heard about
a new band from Italy that were
inspired by classic Horror films and featured a Goblin cover on their debut
album, I expected to hear creepy, all-instrumental progressive rock with insane
technical wizardry, influenced by bands like classic Yes and King Crimson. I was wrong. Dead
wrong. Instead, I got what could be a contender for the Sludgelord list of top Doom
releases of 2016. Instead of proggy technical instrumentation, Arcana 13
delivers crushing riffs. Instead of the mind-bending arrangements and bizarre
time signatures that we usually get with prog rock, Arcana 13 keeps it simple and brings
us a classic Occult Doom album that is masterfully put together.
Titled “Danza Macabra”, the album is inspired
by legendary horror classics by Dario Argento and Mario Bava (among others),
such as “Inferno”, “Suspiria”, and “Mask of Satan”. Sealing the deal, they enlisted classic horror
poster artist Enzo Sciotti to paint the album cover, of which he commented, “This
is my masterpiece…perhaps the best horror ever!” It is truly a
beautiful album cover.
What is
interesting about this album is that, while paying tribute to the classic Doom
masters such as Sabbath
and Pentagram,
the band have clearly been doing their homework and staying in touch with what
is current in the Doom scene. I hear tributes to bands like Ghost,
Sleep,
Witchcraft,
and Church of
Misery, but without sounding like overt plagiarism, more like love
and respect for these great bands. The vocals are clean with some fantastic
harmonies; the only screaming you’ll hear is from the various horror movie
samples that meander throughout the songs. The production is modern and clear,
but without sounding overproduced. The guitars are nicely fuzzed out, the bass
is growling, and the drums sound crisp and natural.Creepy keyboards and psychedelic sound effects
weave in the background, tying the album together and never letting you forget
that these are songs inspired by one thing:horror.
Their cover of Goblin’s Suspiria
theme is a super cool rendition, taking the song in a groovy hard rock
direction that is sure to make your head nod. If you’re looking for insane
double bass blasts or technical guitar shred, you won’t get that here. This
album is all about the groove, mixing swampy simplicity with killer vocal
hooks. “Danza Macabra” is a great
rock album, a great Doom album, and its infused with the band’s clear love for
classic horror. Give Arcana 13 a listen and turn it way up. You
might want to pick up one of their limited edition red blood spatter vinyls, if
they haven’t already sold them all!
Welcome, all lovers of the riff, you know the
deal by now, however for those of you that do not, let us recap. Each
month, you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of
the month, covering all genres of metal, but predominately the best the
doom, sludge, stoner-psychedelic genres have to offer. Is it not a chart,
in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite
music, but simply, the ‘Sour
16’ are the records you guys (readers) have been most
interested in over the last month and checking out on this page.
So here is the The Sludgelord’s‘Sour 16’for
October 2015, the 16 records you’re most looking forward too or are currently
checking out. Dig in, spread the word and perhaps revisit some records
you may have overlooked. The results are compiled based on page views
alone and calibrated into the list below. So without further ado,
enjoy the ‘Sour
16’. Roll up, kick back, chug a beer and Hail the riff! For
more info click on the artwork. (Total views at the time of
publication highlighted in red)
16). Zillah – ‘Serpentine Halo’ (210)
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying that ‘Serpentine Halo’ is easily the band’s most accomplished work to this point. If forced to give an easy reference point, I’d say that this is a blend of ‘Whisper Supremacy’-era Cryptopsy along with very early Mastodon and a dash of Gorguts at their most disjointed and jarring. If that sounds as appealing for you as it does me, you should be in good hands with this album.
15). Seahag – ‘The RX Epidemic’ (220)
Metal never sounded so good and I’m
glad these dudes woke from their slumber to produce this powerful and chaotic
release. So many elements woven together with immaculate structure creating an
intense ride that keeps this in constant rotation for me.
14). Suma – ‘Ashes’ (233)
It's a masterpiece of post metal
tinged doom. The riffs are straightforward but able to smash through concrete
with the volume and vehemence of which they're played. The guitars are layered
heavily to allow them to invade your consciousness and claim your brain. If
you're reading this and have yet to listen to this album, stop wasting your
time and listen at full volume!
13).Great Falls – ‘The Fever Shed’ (236)
Right
from the first note of “Dressing the Saints”, there is nowhere to hide as the
band assault the listener with an abrasive opening salvo of shards of metallic
noise. Even when the volume dips during sparse minimal sections, there is
always a taut menace to proceedings which feels like it could give way to chaos
at any second.
12). Goblin Rebirth – ‘Goblin Rebirth’ (235)
If you want something that is out
there, entertaining, and from a legendary band, look no further than Goblin
Rebirth's self titled debut. Bend your mind, but only to the best of beats with
these Italian masters of the reptilian beat!
11). Ravens Creed – ‘Ravens Krieg’ (239)
Once again, it is all about the riffs-
Steve Watson managing to accurately mimic the sound of tanks rolling through
your town and laying waste to it. What you get is thirteen tracks of
spiteful fury as the riffs and songs rage by. If you like metal, you
really should like Ravens Creed, being as they present the genre in its purest
form: riffs, aggression, adrenaline and pace all combine to make a satanic
racket of biblical (ha!) proportions. Uncompromising, extreme music
from an island of festering resentment. Hail The ‘Creed
10). Drowning Horse – ‘Sheltering Sky’ (246)
I am
brought back to why I listen to this kind of dirge: it taps into the static,
that universal thrum, and serves as a meditation, a reprieve from the chaos and
noise surrounding us. A job extremely well done and I’ll have my eye
on Perth’s Drowning Horse going forward, hoping that they continue to
churn out the catharsis
9) = Graveyard – ‘Innocence & Decadence’ (247)
All in all, “Innocence and Decadence”
could be viewed as a polarizing record. Graveyard may lose fans, or they could
very well gain them. They’ll probably always have older fans pissing and
moaning over “the good old days,” but it’s also likely that, regardless of the
extreme reactions people may have against this album, Graveyard will remain one
of the most top notch bands around today.
9) = Hyne – ‘MMXV’ (247)
They show off groove without being
flashy, talent without being full of themselves, and honestly which puts many
bigger bands to shame. If we can see more of this, I am going to have to get
more hours in my day! And listen for that little Sabbathian charm!
7). Bastard Grave – ‘What Lies Beyond’ (255)
From the opening of ‘From The Depths’,
you know exactly what you are getting; feral death with a punk sensibility.
This continues right the way through the album, I am pleased to say. Each song
fits nicely with all the others. No melodies here; straight forward
Entombed/Dismember/Grave worship- chainsaw guitars, meaty but rough and ready
drums and that bass sound you love are all present and correct. For
fans of all the bands noted along with Entrails and any other sons of Northern
darkness you care to name. Ripping stuff!
6). Grim Van Doom – ‘Grim Love’ (273)
I can tell from the off that run of
the mill stoner/doom this most definitely is not.
'Goddamn This Love' has your doomy qualities but with an Unsane edge to it
(without being too obvious an influence). Vocally I'm reminded of Stephane Azam
from French avant-sludge troupe CROWN, and Fade Kainer from Batillus. 'Snowfields'
is straight from the Abominable Iron Sloth/Will Haven school of riff writing,
jagged and angular but at the same time, round and smooth. This band has set a
high standard for whatever they follow this up with, can they do it? I'll be
waiting to find out
5) Terzij de Horde – ‘Self’ (283)
As someone who has been listening to
black metal for nearly twenty years, I’m thankful that there are bands out
there like Terzij de Horde challenging black metal’s standards, to keep it from
losing what made it special to me in the first place. Beyond being one of this year’s
finest albums, ‘Self’ is important because the beliefs and mindset that gave
this album life are as purely black metal as it gets.
4). Clutch – ‘Psychic Warfare’ (311)
It’s the precise interplay in each of
these songs that make “Psychic Warfare” – dare I say it – a competitor for
album of the year. Be it the way Maines bridges Gasters swing with
Sult’s stiff blues in “Quick Death in Texas,” or how the chorus in
“Firebirds” only works because of the foundation provided by the verses,
“Psychic Warfare” is a mature, well-written album.
3). All Them Witches – ‘Dying Surfer Meets His Maker’
(320)
Groovy and slow like the rocking back
and forth of a fishing boat on a quiet lake seems to be the state of mind, but
it’s not a lazy album. The free falling jams are certainly laid back and the
songs are no different, such as the case with “Open Passageways,” a prime cut
that tells a bizarre story while being guided by a wonderful string section
that takes this song to a whole new level.
2). Girra – ‘Girra’ (329)
Girra plays a gothic form of blackened
doom, and they play it effectively. Their tones, bleak and unflinching, wash
like a tide with their almost clanging rhythms, over a very melancholic flat
sounding drum beat. It sounds like the beating of a rotted gourd made into an
instrument.
1). Horrendous – ‘Anareta’ (439)
There’s so much to enjoy and unpack as
I listen to this album again and again, because every song offers a new wrinkle
to the formula or another compositional element that most bands wouldn’t think
to use. It’s so fucking rich and dense. To put a finer point on things,
‘Anareta’ is the sort of album that lifts death metal as a genre up. It’s
everything I could ask of a death metal album in 2015 and there’s virtually
nothing in metal as a whole that’s in Horrendous’ league right now
The
‘Sour 16’ features reviews by, Chris Bull, Eric Crowe, Hunter
Young, Dan Jackson, Richard Maw, Mike
Wilcox, Victor Van Ommen, Charlie Butler & Eric
Sugg
If you want something that is out there, entertaining, and from a legendary band, look no further than Goblin Rebirth's self titled debut. Bend your mind, but only to the best of beats with these Italian masters of the reptilian beat!
‘Goblin Rebirth’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Requiem For X 2. Back in 74 3. Book of Skulls 4. Mysterium 5. Evil In The Machine 6. Forest 7. Bolero 8. Rebirth
Hailing from the golden age of horror cinema soundtracks, Goblin Rebirth rises like a gore soaked phoenix from the on/off again ashes of (Giallo soundtrack legends) Goblin! Soaked in scintillating synth, rocking with raw riffage, and completely jamming with retro vibes, the self titled Goblin Rebirth has it all for those looking for pure musical ecstasy.
Honestly sounding like a homage to themselves, ‘Goblin Rebirth’ is an ode to a time for movies when a sick, memorable soundtrack was almost a physical character in a movie. Like Wes Craven (RIP) and a slew of current projects (Gatekeeper, Oscillotron, Espectrostatic, et al.), they sound as if they made the album for a funk movie ranging from gore, to Giallo, to exploitation, to just damn fun(ky). They are all over the place, befitting a progressive rock band from the 70s, and they are the European instrumental version of Chicago, Yes, or King Crimson, who in themselves are huge band for fans of synth and atmosphere, just saying.
The album plays like a selection of experimental rock from guys who know what the hell they are doing. No part of this is sloppy, or going to leave you wondering why they did this or that; it's a solid offering from a more weird rock place. To really enjoy this, darken the lights, get your favourite repast on a table next to you, some snacks, a good selection of drink, and just jam out! Some of it is a bit slow, like ‘Book of Skulls’, but it resolves itself well, and the playing is top notch. They riff, ramble, jam, and scorch their fret boards in time with your soul, and have no singer to take you out of the experience. ‘Book of Skulls’ is also one of the more movie-esque selections, of which they kind of all are, but you can make up a movie in your mind to certain ones more than others. For a solid pick, musically, ‘Evil in the Machine’ is raucous and jubilant, with sinister tones and a rare spot of digitized vocals to hammer home that circuit that may carry more than just electricity.
If you want something that is out there, entertaining, and from a legendary band, look no further than Goblin Rebirth's self titled debut. Bend your mind, but only to the best of beats with these Italian masters of the reptilian beat!
