Urfaust - 'Apparitions' EP (Review)

They are the guy that says nothing, barely tries, and still manages to screw your girlfriend.’

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 11/02/2015

Label: Van Records

Apparitions CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. The End Of Genetic Circles (06:56)
2. Apparitions (06:28)
3. The Healer (07:29)
4. The River (22:47)

Urfaust is

VRDRBR | Drums, Bass, Noise

IX | Guitars, Vocals

Review:

Urfaust have always stood out in the black metal scene. Not the type of standing out that involves worshipping Satan more than the next guys or wearing bigger spikes, I mean the kind that screams quiet confidence. They are the guy that says nothing, barely tries, and still manages to screw your girlfriend. As far as atmospheric extreme metal can be at any rate. Interestingly this aspect comes out not so much in their photo shoots and interviews, but simply through their music.

With a battlefield of a discography stretching back to their formation in 2003, Urfaust's latest release, 'Apparitions', stands alongside over a decade of splits, EPs and full lengths. 'Apparitions' is an EP in name, but lasting nearly three quarters of an hour in length is closer to a LP. It certainly feels like an EP though, as the band focus on the more ambient end of their sonic armoury, stretching the runtime out yet saying relatively little with it. This can often be the case with music of a heavily atmospheric bent that sees melody, structure and dynamics simply as means to an ambient end, completely eshewing their presence if necessary. Whether this detrimentally affects the music says more about the listener than the genre.

This EP is not a one trick pony, however, and while the identity of it may be rooted in dark ambience it nonetheless carries much diversity across its runtime. After the murky swells of the intro track comes the brilliantly understated 'Apparitions', which was put forward as the lead track of sorts for streaming purposes upon release. Truly this must be the highlight of the EP as a simple keyboard melody eternally cycles through it, slowly evolving, dimly glowing, until it is accompanied by vocalist IX's imperfectly human chants that build over the minutes, only to give way to the reverb laden melody of some stringed instrument, beautifully unsophisticated in its plucked sustain free notes.

Follow-up track 'The Healer' will certainly have its fans, with the distorted guitar, chord progression and vocal lines heralding the closest thing this EP has to a conventional metal song. In most other black metal releases it would make a solid album track, but for a band of the calibre of Urfaust comes off more lacklustre than expected.

'Apparitions' closes on a behemoth track named 'The River', an oppressive slab of subdued darkness, the black dead still surface of stagnant water that threatens the existence of life beneath. At 23 minutes in length its marathon ambience comprises fully half of the release's runtime. Any song that long will have listeners question its right to exist simply because of the investment of time needed to digest it, and as a listener myself I am no exception. When compared with colossal 20 minute songs such as ‘Metridium Fields’ by Giant Squid or ‘7(Boriginal’) by Boredoms, 'The River' fails to satisfy. True, it isn't in the much loved avant-doom or kraut-noise realms of the two aforementioned gems, but when one sees a 20+ minute track from an exceptional band such as Urfaust it conjures expectations of nothing less than sonic and emotional annihilation. On this front, Urfaust's brand of ambience and atmosphere can only deliver so much.

Taken as a whole, 'Apparitions' delivers a strange journey, and the band's decision not to put out an album catering entirely to my tastes is not indicative of the quality of the music itself. Urfaust clearly don't give a shit about external pressures, and thankfully so. Give 'Apparitions' the half dozen listens it deserves, and if you're still not feeling it then try their back catalogue, there's something in there for every metal fan with half a brain.

Words by: Jake Mazlum

‘Apparitions’ is available digitally here and LP here

For more information:

Listen: http://urfaust.bandcamp.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/urfaustofficial

Follow: https://twitter.com/urfaustofficial

Victorian Whore Dogs - 'Hobo Chic' EP (Album Review)

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 04/04/2014

Label: Hibernacula Records

‘Hobo Chic’ CD//DD track listing:

1). Gammy Sarah

2). Dead Eye

3). Kromdrom

4). Prayer of Dust

Victorian Whore Dogs is:

Danny Page | Main Vox
Adam Marrelli Crawley | Guitar/vox
Andy Nuttall | Bass/vox
Steve 'Marvel' More | Drums

Review:

Have you ever heard a vocalist make a motorboat noise on record? No, I hadn't either until I listened to the copy of ‘Hobo Chic’, the EP of Guildford sludge band Victorian Whore Dogs that I found in my possession. I'm fairly open about my lack of patience with most sludge, listening to song after tuneless song meander over 7 minutes while making my body feel like I'm coming down with a cold does little to excite me. As much as I like Eyehategod and Iron Monkey, I honestly never found a reason to love them. And yes, I'm aware of the irony in writing for a blog named 'The Sludgelord'.

What Victorian Whore Dogs do differently is not test the listeners patience with prolonged song writing that screams failed ambition, while actually having memorable riffs. That's not to say it doesn't have the characteristic nastiness so vital to the genre; indeed, it sounds like the feeling of finding yourself slowly becoming addicted to something unpleasant. In short, this is the sort of sludge that hits the spot for me.

Dynamics are there - the loud and quiet, the melody and atonality, the singing and screaming; as is an underlying groove to much of the aural bile. Vocals have enough range and variety to bring the music to life far more than a monotonous bark would, and the tones and changes in pace evinced in the writing suggest touches of noise rock being added to the mix.

I have always been a huge fan of EPs, finding their short runtime and condensed nature a great platform for bands to present a vignette of the world they create. Yet over four tracks the EP spans only 13 minutes, and due to the quality of the music and brief nature of the songs it almost feels cut short. It's rare I complain of this, with the length of a release usually far outstripping its hold over my attention, so frankly it's a criticism that comes from confidence in Victorian Whore Dog's ability to create a LP they can be proud of. Keep an eye on these guys.'

Words by: Jake Mazlum

‘Hobo Chic’ is available here

For more information:

Listen: https://victorianwhoredogs.bandcamp.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/VWDBAND

Bell Witch - 'Four Phantoms' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 28/04/2015

Label: Profound Lore

‘Four Phantoms’ CD//DD track listing:

1. Suffocation, A Burial: I - Awoken (Breathing Teeth)
2. Judgement, In Fire: I – Garden (Of Blooming Ash)
3. Suffocation, A Drowning: II - Somniloquy (The Distance Of Forever)
4. Judgement, In Air: II – Felled (In Howling Wind)

Bell Witch is:

Bass/Vocals | Dylan Desmond,

Drums/Vocals | Adrian Guerra

Review:

Funeral doom is a genre that is oft rooted in mourning. Archetypally doom can do a My Dying Bride and sit in a plush leather chair with a glass of red wine, its furrowed brow barely visible in the gloom as the candlelight flickers off the nearby shelves of Edgar Allan Poe books. Funeral doom takes the vital sentiment of this histrionic opera and strips off heaps of the fat, leaving a core of filthy weight, immoveable in its mass yet fundamentally raw and vulnerable.

That's right; this genre, with its glacial tempos and crusted tones, sounds like one of the hardest and most impenetrable forms of extreme music out there. Truthfully, however, beneath its superficial exoskeleton lies some of the most emotionally affective music being written today.

Here lies the strength of Bell Witch. The band is comprised of Adrian Guerra and Dylan Desmond of the great Samothrace, who make their brilliance with only bass, drums and vocals. Their last LP, 'Longing', stands to me as one of the greatest doom releases ever, where they proved that silence and space can be equally as heavy as noise and extremity. Everything from the tone to the pacing to the aesthetic of the album was near perfect for me, creating an atmosphere so heavy you could breath it. But this is not a review of 'Longing', it is about their new release titled 'Four Phantoms'. And this is not an album not about mourning, but about suffering.

As has been covered ad nauseum in articles preceding the albums's release, the four tracks here each tell a story of a different spirit trapped and tormented by one of the four elements. The unified theme between the songs suits the feel of the genre, and the concept itself combines with this to present the album as a complete whole, neither needing extra material nor burdened by it's near 67 minute running time.

Bell Witch are a creature that press through their songs at speeds akin to those of a starved prisoner on a death march. While each beat may seem like it takes heaving effort to move to the next, the songs are woven through with melody that pierces through the oppression using both bass and vocals. And it's truly great to hear the interplay between the crushing lower register notes and melancholic notes emanating from the same instrument. Indeed Bell Witch are perhaps the only metal band in history ever to have used a six-string bass well (challenges to this are appreciated).

Vocally 'Four Phantoms' possesses the fury of impotent misery, full of the despair that drives a creature to action that it knows is futile; or, worse yet, cannot even attempt. Lyrics are sparse, vague, unclear to the mind even when the shroud of growling is removed to clarify them to the ears. Yet who really cares to hear the words when you can simply feel the weight through their delivery.

But it's the end result that is really worth the listener's attention. Standout writing, production, tone, delivery and aesthetics all combine to create the miserable wounded beat that is 'Four Phantoms'. With it's hip Paulo Girardi artwork, Profound Lore-based credibility and evident media backing, 'Four Phantoms' is primed to be the first funeral doom album many will give their time to. And what an album it is to be introduced to the genre with too. Far from being baby's first extreme doom album to be grown out of when he discovers Khanate, this presents a high watermark in modern atmospheric metal that will remain in hearts and minds for years. Bell Witch are one of the best doom bands active today, and with 'Four Phantoms' have released one of the best doom albums of recent times. Guess that means I should be glad I don't think we've even seen the best from them yet.

Words by: Jake Mazlum

‘Four Phantoms’ is available here

For more information:

Like: https://www.facebook.com/BellWitchDoom

Official: http://bellwitchdoom.blogspot.co.uk/

Listen: https://bellwitch.bandcamp.com/

Follow: https://twitter.com/bellwitchdoom

Tribulation - 'Children of the Night' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 20/04/2015

Label: Century Media Records

‘Children of the Night’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Strange Gateways Beckon

02. Melancholia

03. In The Dreams Of The Dead

04. Winds

05. Själaflykt

06. The Motherhood Of God

07. Strains Of Horror

08. Holy Libations

09. Cauda Pavonis

10. Music From The Other

Tribulation are:

Johannes Andersson | Bass, Vocals

Adam Zaars | Guitars

Jonathan Hultén | Guitars

Jakob Ljungberg | Drums

Review:

Close to ten years of being an avid fan of obscure and extreme music has seen a lot of releases over a lot of genres come and go. Through these years of constant music you hear peaks and troughs, floods of mediocrity in-between. Through it all and despite all my listening, I cannot ever remember anticipating a death metal album as much as I have with Tribulation's latest release.

The Swedish four piece released 'Children of the Night' via Century Media to what must have been the overwhelming pressure of having it compared to their previous and sophomore release, the incredible 'The Formulas of Death'. That album turned death metal upside down, and in my mind redefined what the genre could be in much the same way as Atheist's 'Unquestionable Presence' did. The obvious and oft unfair question in such situations may then unfortunately be not to what extent the album lives up to expectations, but to how much it disappoints.

To be blunt, 'Children of the Night' was not what I was expecting. I don't know what I expected but it involved possibilities of extended esoteric death metal soundscapes more akin to Locrian than Mitochondrion, song writing dynamics that tossed the album about like a ship in fierce waters yet never going into zeuhl-esque flounderings. What I ultimately got was an album that sat easy on my ears, big choruses leaping from mid tempo verses. Gorgeous organ lines sat beneath crystal clear guitar tone production, solos sung more than screamed. Essentially a collection of solid and listenable songs written in a solid mature manner. Perhaps it is the seasoned extreme metal listener in me, but even the consistent and great harsh vocal delivery by Johannes Andersson does little to roughen up the palatable mix of sounds.

This barely qualifies as death metal, and even lacks the vital characteristics of melodeath, but it's clear this is exactly what the band intended (or perhaps more accurately didn't give a shit about). Other reviews seem to point towards the later parts of the album dragging on, losing the power that earlier parts exuded. I must disagree with this, with the album consistently delivering over its ten tracks, and if there is any truth to it then it merely reflects the gentle gradient on which the band chose to end.

Perhaps it isn't what this individual wanted but that is no reflection on the quality of the music, which will hit the spot for far more people than 'The-Formulas-of-Death-on-more-drugs' I wanted would. But that doesn't stop the album being somewhat of a letdown for me in some regards. It's like going to see a long lost friend you remember as a weirdo who never seemed to fit in yet radiated an incomparable sense of wisdom, and instead finding he had turned into a kinda fun guy you can have a great time with. Sure he no longer has an issue listening to you moan about your girlfriend, but in the process he lost a little of the very reason you valued him so much as a friend. 

Setting that aside, I believe 'Children of the Night' to be one of the outstanding releases of the year so far and is sure to feature prominently in end-of-year lists across the board. Perhaps this album is the band's 'Black Album' after their '...And Justice For All' in terms of stylistic shift, but I have faith in Tribulation to make their 'Load' better than the entirety of Metallica's post 1991 material combined. But then again vomiting on a mic would probably have much the same effect.

Words by: Jake Mazlum

‘Children of the Night’ is available now

For more information:

Official: http://www.tribulation.se/ Like: www.facebook.com/Tribulationofficial

Opium Lord - 'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 23/2/2015

Label: Candelight Records

'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' CD/DD track listing:

1). Challenger

2). Pink Mass

3). Crystals

4). Black Libraries

5). Azazel

6). Ghost Singer

7). Krocodil

Review:

Given the city's size and formidable history in metal I often wonder why Birmingham fails to produce more touring extreme metal bands. Luckily Opium Lord have briefly allayed these concerns with the release and touring surrounding their latest release, 'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth'.

Straddling that line between doom and sludge that makes the doom nastier and psyches the sludge out, Opium Lord hit the sweet spot. Whilst obvious in theory, the reality is that it is exceedingly tricky to make this type of music that tweaks the doom to be less boring and the sludge actually aurally edible. Few bands manage it; many get mired in a half baked mix of both genres. The guitars here growl rather than fuzz or screech, the songs prowl rather than plod. The tones are weighted to being more mid and bass heavy, more mix desk worship than amplifier worship. Hell, you can hear the bass through the mix from the sheer force of its frequencies, it's crushing.

Whilst not a very long LP, the album uses it's run time well. Sludge/doom has never been one for dynamics, the tropes of the genre limiting its range of expression, but Opium Lord use this well to create an unrelenting and smothering blanket of oppression that characterises the album. Whilst certainly not lacking in the song writing department, the strengths of this album lie more in it's sound and feel; yet the production is what ultimately gives it the life it has and makes it worth repeated listens to allow the rich heaviness to soak past your ears and into your brain.

Perhaps it is the guitarist in me speaking, but whilst the drums keep well paced in the lower mid part of the mix and the vocals perform perfectly adequately, it is the huge monolith of heavy sound created by the bass and guitar that steal the show. Root notes move with the weight of continents rarely heard since 'Dopethrone'. Discordant ringing strings in the higher register abound, the high point being on closing track 'Krocodil' with it's searing guitar leads that could be mistaken for distant tortured screams.

Opium Lord has been touring the UK with Primitive Man recently, so catch them if you get chance.

Words by: Jake Mazlum

'The Calendrical Cycle: Eye of Earth' is available here

For more information:

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Occult 45 - Human Abhorrence 7" (Review)

Album Type: 7Inch

Date Released: 10/03/2015

Label: Broken Limbs

‘Human Abhorrence 7”/DD track listing:

1). Plaster Saint

2). Tyranny Stomp

3). Chainsaw Vigilante

4). PPFO

5). Wizard of Gore

6). Succubi

7). Death with Diginity

Occult 45 is:

John Hauser | vocals
Dean Sykes | guitar
Chris Kennedy | bass
Jason Dost | drums

Review:

Philadelphia has already blessed the world with cheese steaks and the Fresh Prince, but apparently this isn't enough as its gone and vomited out Occult 45 and their latest release, 'Human Abhorrence'. It's rough, it's fast, its 13 minutes long, and the musicians apparently don't know what scales are. Opening track 'Plaster Saint' churns out in a series of power chords before hurtling along at quadruple speed, finally returning to earth at a more polite bpm for its second half. The gears shift down again by the end for a beautiful mush of noise before returning to breakneck fury for 'Tyranny Stomp'. This is a band that knows the value of dynamics, as far as can be used in a genre such as grind at any rate.

It's grind with a certain degree of restraint. Not the kind of restraint that screams 'we all suffer with lack of testosterone and get excited about the property ladder', but rather the kind that makes this usually brash genre much easier to digest and enjoy. Grind is usually like a filthy dog on a chain that is constantly barking at top volume, Occult 45 make that dog shut the hell up occasionally so you can actually like it.

Maybe this is the reason the band, for all their speed and sandpaper textured sound, don't sound pissed off like so many of their peers do. Their stumbling violence sounds more like a drunken wild night than vitriol against the latest social ill to blame the world's problems on. It's straight up fun. It's basically the soundtrack to the coolest, crustiest party you've ever been to, where the only partner you're likely to wake up next to the following day is a severed goat's head. If you think that sounds appealing then give 'Human Abhorrence' a spin. I mean if that's the case you should probably seek help, but at least I'll be right there with you.'

Words by: Jake Mazlum

‘Human Abhorrence’ is available here

Fore more information:

FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP

Ramlord - 'Ramlord' EP (Review)

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 10/3/2015

Label: Broken Limbs

‘Ramlord’ 7inch track listing:

1). 'The Breached Sanctum'

2). 'The Fog of Neglect'

Ramlord is:

Jann | void wailing riffhunter
Benn | knuckle grinding blastmage
Mikke  | seismic barbarian

Review:

'Self-titled releases always make me second guess a band's intentions. Is this a defining statement of the band's core sound? Is it some sort of manifesto? Did they just have no other good ideas for titles? I'm not familiar with Ramlord's previous output so, besides speculation, it's a pretty moot point. Adorned with the grimmest of astral/occult/morbid cover art, Ramlord spew forth their latest and self-titled two track EP.

Complete with the personality only competently unpolished production provides, Ramlord ease into the 'The Breached Sanctum' with clean arpeggiated guitar lines before launching into the blackened crusty riffstorms that sound way more fun than the cover art should allow. Keeping satisfyingly at perfect headbanging tempos for most of the song, riff follows riff as the dual harsh vocals play to each member's strength. Hell, this is a really well-written song.

'The Fog of Neglect' composes the second half of the EP, propelled by the drums that include toms and a kick that are so warm they can only be described as 'fluffy'. For a power trio the guitar is curiously subservient to the bass in the low to low-mid range, which makes a nice change from the wallflower bass tones and mixing so common to the genre. So the bass may not exactly compare in power to Joey DeMaio's sound (honestly though, I'm pretty sure only God could compete with that), but the bass on this EP is diiiirty. It sounds like I'd imagine a rotting manatee to look (just did a Google image search, I was right). Filthy.

At times the EP conjours up the thought of what Coffinworm would sound like if they injected more rock n' roll into their brilliantly miserable sound. It's great, and makes me wish I was around in the 80's tape trading days when my ignorance of that era makes me think I could expect to come across something that sounds as raw and powerful as this. '

Words by: Jake Mazlum

‘Ramlord’ is available here

For more information:

BROKEN LIMBS:
WEBSITE | STORE | BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Ramlord:
FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP

Corrections House - Writing History in Advance (Live Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 02/12/2014

Label: War Crime Recordings

‘Writing History in Advance’ CD//DD track listing:

1). Side A (16:29)

2). Side B (21:08)

3). Side C (20:25)

4). Side D (15:54)

Review:

'Corrections House come the closest underground metal has to offer in terms of a genuinely exciting super group line-up. No doubt Scott Kelly (Neurosis, The Road Home), Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod), Bruce Lamont (Yakuza) and Sanford Parker (Minsk) don't see themselves that way. Labelling yourself a super group must require ego and pretention far beyond the possession of artists of this calibre, and the remarkably cohesive output of music here bears none of the hallmarks of creative arrogance. Indeed the artists' decision to implement a sort of uniform and ubiquitous image in all their material is testament to this - the product stands for itself, its creators simply being vessels through which it comes to be.

'Writing History in Advance' is a live recording of Corrections House performing in Los Angeles, and is remarkably good quality. The record stands as proof of the band's ability thanks to a well thought out recording system and mostly great live sound. It also stands as a sad reminder of the difficulties underground artists face as the rare break in the music is met with subdued applause from what sounds like a crowd numbering only in the dozens.

The set itself starts off with a full four and a half minutes of garbled maniacal mumblings over gentle synth drones before the band's characteristic mechanical percussion inserts itself with a sledgehammer blow of emotionless force.

A fuzzed slab of guitar dooms its way in after a few measures and vocals, full of delay and grit, rant their way through the mix. This is Corrections House, a strange exercise in how much four hugely talented underground musicians can adapt to create a cohesive noise that both fails to be the sum of its parts yet transcends expectations imposed by the members' main projects.

Indeed the music feels like it effortlessly escapes the obvious grasps of listeners wishing to identify it as being one part Neurosis, one part Eyehategod etc. Around two thirds of the way through the set the electronic percussive battery dies away, giving room for plaintive guitar and spoken word verses that drip with melancholy, before the horror resumes in full force.

Thematically, Corrections House utilise dystopian imagery and lyrics that fits the industrial sound that lies at the heart of their material. More '1984' than 'The Handmaid's Tale', the world of Corrections House is mechanised and brutal, macrocosmic rather than introspective. Initially a turn off for me, this image seemed lacking in the obtuse mystique I had come to expect from the band members. In the context of this project, however, it fits like a glove.

Around half an hour in Mike IX sincerely thanks the paltry audience for actually applauding and attending something 'a little different'. I had the privilege of seeing Corrections House at Roadburn Festival 2014 and can attest to the passion the band play with. These are men approaching middle age, having played extreme music for decades, and all still brimming with creativity and love for the fantastic chaos they create. They are behind such incredible albums as 'The Ritual Fires of Abandonment' and 'Samsara', and frankly seeing them together onstage struck me as deserving of reverence.

Outside of Youth Code or Author & Punishment, I can think of little industrial metal that gets attention from the respectable side of the extreme music press. Mike IX sums up the experience of Corrections House well, when he ends the set by again thanking the audience, saying, 'Thanks for being open minded and checking out something different, y'know. Cos some people don't fucking get it, they don't know what to do. They get all scared and weirded out..'. And he's right, most people will reject the abrasive and aurally obscene, unable to find the beauty in the horror. Poor bastards.'

Words by: Jake Mazlum

You can pick up the DD here and CD here

For more information:

https://warcrimerecordings.bandcamp.com/ | http://warcrimerecordings.bigcartel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WarCrimeRecordings | https://www.facebook.com/CorrectionsHouse

Inquisition - Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult (1998) Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan (2002) (Reissues)



Album Type: Reissues

Date Released: 26/1/2015, 23/2/2015

Label: Season of Mist

‘Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult’ (1998) CD//LP//DD track listing:

1). Unholy Magic Attack (05:49)
2). Those of the Night (05:30)
3). The Initiation (05:33)
4). Empire of Luciferian Race (06:16)
5). Summoned by Ancient Wizards under a Black Moon (09:14)
6). Journey to Infernukeorreka (04:46)
7). Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult (05:21)
8). Mighty Wargod of the Templars (Hail Baphomet) (06:19)
9). Solitary Death in the Nocturnal Woodlands (09:04)
10). Hail the Cult (08:14)

Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan (2002) CD//LP//DD track listing:

1). Embraced by the Unholy Powers of Death and Destruction (04:23)
2). Enshrouded by Cryptic Temples of the Cult (04:39)
3). Kill with Hate (03:02)
4). Rituals of Human Sacrifice for Lord Baal (05:59)
5). Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan (05:34)
6). Hail the King of All Heathens (05:20)
7). The Realm of Shadows Shall Forever Reign (05:30)
8). For Lucifer My Blood (04:41)
9). Imperial Hymn for Our Master Satan (06:11)

Inquisition is:

Dagon | Guitars, vocals
Incubus | Drums

Review:

'Starting in 1988 as a thrash outfit, Inquisition adopted the moniker we know in 1989, leaving behind their thrash roots to adopt their signature black metal sound in the mid nineties. That's a band as old as this writer is, playing a niche style for over two decades, so you'd expect them to be good at it by now. In contrast to so many other genres, metal artists will often age like wine, making yet more progressive, original, fresh, fantastically written material as time goes on. Look at Enslaved, or Carcass, for example.

Last year Inquisition blew away their existing fan base and a host of new fans with their brilliant 'Obscure Verses for the Multiverse'. The metal press salivated over it, as did I to a lesser degree, and doubtlessly sparked interest from a new generation and audience into what Inquisition were all about. Doubtless, 'Verses...' put Inquisition on the radar for many people, and when such a thing occurs after so many years of prior material it is natural that a revived interest in the band's discography should arise. This is only my educated presumption into the source of Inquisition's 1998 and 2002 records, 'Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan' and 'Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult' respectively, being reissued by Season of Mist with fresh sepulchral artwork by Paolo Girardi.

Before listening to Inquisition it should be remembered that this is just two guys making all this noise, guitar and drums, and they recreate this stuff live competently. Plus they formed in Colombia, which as far as grim and frostbitten goes, it kinda isn't. Their brand of black metal is primed to make classic records in the right hands - as melodic as Satanic Warmaster in parts, as furious as Marduk in others, with extended riff sections to evoke that drifting feeling of Burzum's 'Filosofem'.

Having not listened to the original pressings of either of these two reissues, I cannot comment on how this recent run has altered from the originals. However, knowing the poor financial resources of most metal bands and limited or expensive technology available at the millennial turning point, it would not surprise me if the fresh production efforts that manage to make these reissues sound modern and simultaneously big yet sharp serve as a stark contrast to the sound of the originals. This could be a problem for fans of the initial mixes, who have probably placed value in the cold atmosphere created by the (most likely) primitive original recordings.

As for the music, the more I think about it the more odd it seems. By all accounts the setup of the band should not work as well as it ultimately does. As anyone who has tried to operate as a two piece band knows, that stuff is hard to do, at least successfully anyway, with many bands resorting to punky two minute blasts to accommodate the lack of options their setup presents. The component parts of Inquisition are as meat and potatoes as it gets, just a guitar and drummer playing with vocals mixed in; the band don't extensively rely on samplers, two necked guitars, big effects pedals or guest musicians. The way they succeed is through a barrage of riff after riff combined with smart writing and great tone. And damn these are great riffs, arpeggiated melodic lines interspersed with evil power chord progressions, punctuated with unconventional time signatures that all come together finely. It bears repeating though, this is well written black metal from experts in their craft, and this is how they manage to fantastically create not just nine minute songs, but whole fantastic albums out of just two instruments.

It's not all roses though, Dagon's vocal delivery has always been a talking point, immovably sitting in the middle register and sounding something of a mix between a grumbling elderly homeless man and an unfriendly Muppet character. While it markedly improves for 'Into the Infernal Region of the Ancient Cult', both albums could be said to suffer from the vocal lack of strength or character. Alongside this is that despite the dynamic and rhythmic shifts the band adeptly insert into their formula, the formula is itself still very narrow and many will find the homogeneity of tones on the albums to get tiresome. This is more criticism of the genre at its most orthodox rather than Inquisition in particular, but if you don't want an album full of buzzsaw guitars, croaked vocals and drums from hell then you probably should be wary of black metal in the first place.

Lyrically? Well they kinda like Satan a lot. And magic, and ritual. And/or death. You get the picture. From what I know of the band they seem to take this stuff fairly seriously, if not practicing it in their personal lives then certainly being knowledgeable of the arcane and symbolic. This deserves a degree of respect mere shock value does not warrant and even if, like me, you find the themes cartoonish, you gotta give them props for consistency and knowing their shit. Indeed, I often think the band would be repulsed by someone simultaneously enjoying their music yet finding their lyrical themes an entertaining joke.

If you've never listened to Inquisition before then now is the perfect time to get started on their discography. If you've never listened to black metal before then go for it, Inquisition could well be the perfect starting point.'

Words by: Jake Mazlum

You can pick up a CD/LP copy here.

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Battleroar - Blood of Legend (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 6/5/2014

Label: Cruz Del Sur Music

‘Blood of Legend’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Stormgiven (03:52)
2). The Swords are Drawn (05:26)
3). Poisoned Well (07:14)
4). Blood of Legends (05:41)
5). Immortal Chariot (07:21)
6). The Curse of Medea (05:34)
7). Valkyries Above (08:48)
8). Chivalry (Noble Armor) (04:45)
9). Exile Eternal (07:57)
10). Relentless Waves (03:04)

Battleroar is:

Alex Papadiamantis | Violin

Nick Papadopoulos | Drums

Kostas Tzortzis | Guitars

Andreas Sotiropoulos | Guitars

Stavros Aivaliotis | Bass

Gerrit Mutz | Vocals

Review:

'Anyone with real experience of the Greeks outside Anglosphere diasporas and all inclusive holidays will know they do things different to us Brits.

This is a land with one foot in the past. Their elite position in antiquity notwithstanding, the Greeks are largely a people of tradition, with family taking centre stage, gender expectations still firm, and cultural norms preserved. They value the past and are loathe to forget it - from the great wars, wisdom and myths of millennia past to the German/Turkish foreign subjugation and territorial disputes in Cyprus and FYROM of more recent decades.

Putting this into perspective helps one understand how the Greeks have also managed to hold onto something we as a nation seem to have shed - passion. Love, rage, despair, jealousy, all came roaring from their manifestations in mythology to the present day, passed down generation to generation like genes. This translates to a sense of shameless expression, whether that is joy or grief or everything in-between that would be considered histrionic by north Europeans.

Interesting, sure, and also crucial to the understanding of Battleroar as a band. On their fourth full-length, 'Blood of Legends', Athens' Battleroar continue their brand of epic heavy metal after two poorly produced initial albums and 2008's excellent (and incredibly well produced) 'To Death and Beyond...'. Complete with album artwork so bad it wouldn't even be seen in a 1992 issue of White Dwarf, to overlook this gem of an album would be leaving fans of old school true metal all the poorer.

Musically the aforementioned shameless expression is in full swing for Battleroar as they embrace every trope and cliche of heavy metal with fervour, reaching fever pitch with the chanting of 'Warriors, waaaarriors!' of 'Poisoned Well' that leads into a screaming guitar line so perfect it serves at a litmus test of just how much you love metal. Drums are big and straight, fist pumping stuff totally. Guitar parts are chugged, squealed and sung in true heavy metal style, and damn!! Will some of those riffs get stuck in your head (I had one from 'To Death and Beyond...' repeating in my sleep for about three hours one night).

Vocals, like guitar, are exactly what you would expect - competent infectious melodic lines coming thick and fast, regardless of it being a verse or chorus. Just try and not sing along (again, if you don't you ain’t metal). And the bass, well it follows the chord progression and, as is common in the genre, serves as a necessary presence more than a distinct entity. Writing-wise, Battleroar really hit their stride when writing their metal epics, with four of the ten songs breaking the 7 minute mark and being all the richer for it.

Returning to the archetypal Greek traits previously described, Battleroar's music begins to take on a new inflection. While in the UK true metal is kept at a safe distance lest it infect you with its severe lack of coolness, these Greeks embrace it's every outdated idiosyncrasy. At its core, heavy metal is power, brotherhood, and living life on your own terms, and these traits run parallel to the Greek character to a spectacular degree.

Modern Greek history is characterised by its struggle for independence - from the Turks, from the European Union, and from preying foreign powers in the wake of its economic miseries. Likewise, metal is about freedom from the status quo and pressures of a society that tells you to cut your hair, fit in and stop buying black t-shirts. Central to their culture is also the concept of 'xenia', brutally simplified to English as meaning warm hospitality, which can be seen in the inclusiveness and brotherhood of metal heads across the world. We metal heads can spot each other a mile off and all good ones take great pleasure in accommodating one another and welcoming you to the larger group. Really, in what other genre could a band get away with the line 'I walked inside so I could hear, and the guy beside me gave me a beer' (Manowar - Die For Metal)?

Finally is the sense of identity and connection to your land and history that both share. Greeks are understandably proud of their ancestors' achievements and feel a deep attachment to their land and heritage; just as Iron Maiden did with songs such as 'Aces High' or even as the second wave black metallers did when they were burning down churches. History, pride and nationalism, for better or worse, go hand in hand with so much of Greek identity and the metal experience.

Despite the seeming severity of much of the aforementioned, your average Greek metal head just want to be with those they love and have fun, and Battleroar deliver the latter in spades. From the big choruses to the endless head banging riffs, 'Blood of Legends' for all it's minor key basis will leave you smiling. Still not feeling the point of this review? Just watch the film adaptation of Nikos Kazantzaki's 'Zorba the Greek' and tell me that guy wouldn't be wearing a Kiss t-shirt if he was born 50 years later.'

Words by: Jake Mazlum

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

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