Hooded Menace / Loss - A View From The Rope Split 12" (Review)

Album Type : 12” Vinyl EP

Date Released : 7/5/2014

Label : Doomentia Records

A View From The Rope, track listing :

1). Hooded Menace – Mouuments of Misery 09:02

2). Loss – Depression’s Hammer 07:14

Review :

Hooded Menace return with nine minutes of doom/death. Monuments of Misery is their contribution to this split EP. The sound is massive here with very low vocals (is their usual approach). The tempo is slothful and the guitars work well with crashing chords of doom and some niftier melodies eked out in melancholic fashion. There is a great bass break that sets up some superb riffing and soloing after the six minute mark, as the tempo ups a little and the song takes flight. The tempo gets into the kid range and more soloing follows. The track showcases Hooded Menace at their best- it is kind of a smorgasbord of what they do, displayed over nine minutes.

Loss weigh in with Depression's Hammer Over seven minutes of exactly what you would expect from that title- morose and maudlin, the vocals are impossibly low with the instrumentation taking on distant sound, covered with reverb. Doom/sludge in the style of Moss, maybe- or similar.

For me, Hooded Menace was the main attraction here, but you would lose nothing getting hold of the EP and trying out both bands.

Words by : Richard Maw

You can get it here

For more information :

http://www.facebook.com/HoodedMenace

http://twitter.com/hooded_menace

http://loss.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/LossDoom

http://lossdoom.blogspot.co.uk/

Mayhem - Psywar (Vinyl Single) (Review)

Album Type : (Vinyl Single)

Date Released : 25/4/2014

Label : Season of Mist

Psywar Vinyl Single, track listing :

1). Psywar

2). From Beyond The Event Horizon (Non – Album Track)

Bio :

It has been seven long years since MAYHEM released their fourth and last full-length "Ordo ad Chao". Founded as early as in 1984 in Oslo, Norway by the late and legendary frontman Øystein Aarseth aka Euronymous, bassist Jørn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud, and Kjetil "Manheim" Haraldsson on drums, the band took its name from the VENOM song "Mayhem with Mercy". Continuing and renewing the Black Metal style heralded by the English trio, MAYHEM soon became the instigators of the so called second wave and were at the heart of every controversy surrounding that genre.

The suicide of misanthropic frontman Per Yngve "Dead" Ohlin. The murder of Euronymous by guest bass player "Count Grishnakh" alias the notorious Varg Vikernes. Church burnings, drugs and prison sentences, MAYHEM were always at the centre of the storm. Yet not even death could stop the Norwegians, who released one musical milestone after the other. The incredible rawness of the "Deathcrush" EP (1987) was followed by the still iconic and genre defining "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" (1994), which featured devilish drummer Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg, who had joined in 1988. The vocalist on this album was the Hungarian Attila Csihar of TORMENTOR fame, who returned later in 2004 to take over from his meantime heir, the enigmatic original singer Sven-Erik "Maniac" Kristiansen.

The latter was featured on the "Wolf's Lair Abyss" EP (1997), which was written mostly by highly talented guitarist Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen, who scored a massive success with the highly controversial "Grand Declaration Of War" (2000). Those were followed by the more classic "Chimera" (2004) and a masterpiece of utter darkness called "Ordo Ad Chao" (2007) with Attila singing again, which inspired many bands to follow in its tracks. MAYHEM had always witnessed many line-up changes due to the circumstances described above. Therefore even the loss of Blasphemer, who decided to focus on his other band AVA INFERI in 2008, did not stop the band. Activities mainly revolved around live shows, until the right balance was found again with the recruitment of Morten "Teloch" Iversen.

The guitarist had already made a name for himself with NIDINGR, which is highly regarded amongst black metal enthusiasts yet remained mostly an underground phenomenon. Now his first compositional work with MAYHEM is unleashed and demonstrates how perfectly Teloch has captured the essence and spirit of the Norwegian legend by linking the band back to its roots, while at the same time taking a step forward into the spearhead position of the genre instead of dwelling in nostalgia. The A-side, "Psywar" comes with a different mastering than the album version. The B-side is a rare track taken from the much rumoured Budapest Recording Sessions, which the band decided to scratch. Tremble world, MAYHEM are back with a vengeance

The Band :

Attila Csihar | Vocals
Teloch | Guitars
Necrobutcher | Bass
Hellhammer | Drums

Review :

Mayhem, a controversial and very well known presence in the black metal scene, return. Attila is back on vocals (Maniac has long since left), with the rhythm section of Hellhammer on drums with Necrobutcher on bass present.  Blasphemer is long gone from the band, and Euronymous really couldn't be on here either. So, Charles Hedger and Teloch now make up the axe attack of the band. I haven't heard anything from the band since "Chimera" (now longer ago than I would like to think about) so was very interested to hear this taster prior to the new album later this year.

Psywar is fast and furious- old school black metal in production and approach. Hellhammer remains one of the best black metal drummers out there and the effect of the track is as nasty and necro as I wanted it to be. Slow moving melodies picked out fast on the guitar remain the order of the day and the song has a spooky vibe to it, totally in keeping with their earlier work.

From Beyond The Event Horizon rounds out the single with a more progressive offering- slow to start and then builds up effectively towards an all out assault.

If you have an interest in Mayhem then get hold of this- if you are a full time fan, then you will want it, if you just dabble with black metal then learn from the greats and stick this on your turntable. Music to mutilate a severed pig's head to, for sure.

Words by : Richard Maw

You can get it here

For more information :

www.facebook.com/mayhemofficial
www.thetruemayhem.com

Black Anvil - Hail Death (Album Review)

Album Type : Full Length

Date Released : 23/5/2014

Label : Relapse Records

Hail! Death, track listing :

1). Still Reborn 09:09

2). Redemption Through Blood 06:44

3). Eventide 06:43

4). Seven Stars Unseen 07:50

5). G.N.O.N. 05:56

6). Until The End 07:11

7). My Hate Is Pure 05:02

8). N 06:50

9). Next Level Black 11:39

10). Under The Rose (Kiss Cover) (Bonus) 04:39

Bio :

New York City’s titans of metal BLACK ANVIL return with their third album ‘Hail Death’, a truly epic masterpiece of blackened death metal.  Having spent the bulk of the last 4 years touring and playing shows with the likes of Watain, Marduk, Inquisition and more, BLACK ANVIL returned to the studio last summer with legendary producer J Robbins (Clutch, Against Me!, Coliseum and many many more) to record ‘Hail Death’.  The results are nothing short of spectacular---a record that both pays homage to the classics of the genre while at the same time pushing the boundaries of technicality and songcraft to create a record that is very fresh and relevant.  ‘Hail Death’ is an instant classic of blackened death metal!

The Band :

Paul Delaney | Bass/Vocals
Raeph Glicken | Drums/Vocals
Gary Bennett | Guitar/Vocals
Sos | Guitar

Review :

Black Anvil initially started out mixing in more of a hardcore flavor to the black metal on offer, no doubt owing to the their past in Kill Your Idols, a hardcore band also based out of New York City. It was a good start, to be sure. Their second album, ‘Triumvirate’, left a lot of the hardcore elements behind in favor of a more straight-forward melodic black metal approach, relying a lot more on the sort of writing you’d hear out of a band like Dissection, Sacramentum or Lord Belial. Now, we have ‘Hail Death’, an album which finds Black Anvil throwing all of it together and adding new elements to boot. It’s their best album to date from just about every angle I can come up with.

While still being firmly rooted in the melodic black metal of ‘Triumvirate’, ‘Hail Death’ is a much more varied album. Whether it’s the clean vocals and gang vocals (!) that are all over “Redemption through Blood” or just a greater attention to mixing up tempos and drum beat choices, there’s a lot more to chew on here. The riffs here also feel a lot freer. I’m not sure that they were holding back before, but when the moment seems to call for it, they’ll conjure anything from Dissection to Witchery to Neurosis and there’s some 90s Florida death metal and 80s heavy metal thrown in as well. Hell, there’s a moment in “Eventide” that sounds like it might belong on a more recent Enslaved album. The key is that nothing sounds out of place; it comes together beautifully.

I mentioned drumming choices earlier; Raeph Glicken’s performance on ‘Hail Death’ is

outstanding. He’s constantly keeping things interesting, using a wide array of unique beats and putting forth a deep groove at all times. His performance sounds human, which is an enormously refreshing change of pace given modern metal’s love affair with clinical drum performance. You can even make out the accents during double kick runs; it’s an utter joy to listen to at all times. His performance is dynamic, and thanks to smart production choices, you can hear everything he’s doing in a way that keeps the lifeblood flowing in each and every song.

The same praise goes for everyone in Black Anvil. They’ve greatly improved as song writers; they’ve learned to make the most out of little nuances that turn basic transitions into moments you look forward to hearing over again. They’ve embraced some elements that are new to their sound, coming from some of the best parts of metal’s history. They’ve “matured” without becoming a less metal band, which is of particular interest to me since that’s become a pet peeve of mine in my old age. They didn’t need to become a prog rock band. They didn’t need to ape Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine and they sure as shit didn’t need to add any palm muting syncopated with kick drums ala Meshuggah and Fear Factory. Black Anvil proves that you can achieve huge growth as a band, still be recognizable from one album to the next and do so without resorting to meeting the expectations of conventional wisdom.

All of this is to say that ‘Hail Death’ comes with my highest recommendation. It’s one of the best of the year so far.

Words by : Daniel Jackson

You can get it here

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For more information :

Black Anvil on Facebook
Black Anvil on Twitter
Black Anvil on Bandcamp

Killer Be Killed - S/T (Album Review)

Album Type : Full Length

Date Released : 13/5/2014

Label : Nuclear Blast

Killer Be Killed, track listing :

01. Wings of Feather And Wax

02. Face Down

03. Melting Of My Marrow

04. Snakes of Jehova

05. Curb Crusher

06. Save The Robots

07. Fire To Your Flag

08. I.E.D.

09. Dust Into Darkness

10. Twelve Labors

11. Forbidden Fire

BONUS TRACK:

12. Ghosts Of Chernobyl (vinyl only)

The Band

Greg Puciato | Vocals/Guitar

Max Cavalera | Vocals/Guitar

Troy Sanders | Vocals/Bass

Dave Elitch | Drums/Percussion

Review :  

Killer Be Killed sound exactly like you imagined this collaborative project to sound like. It’s as if each member takes it in turns to pummel your eardrums and kick your arse with their own unique brand of skull crushing metal. The different sounds, feels and flavours that make up this collage of an album could only have been born from these four individual and innovative minds: From the dark, intimidating assault of Max Cavalera, to the progressive ambience and heavy grooves that Troy Sanders brings to the table, with Dave Elitch stretching their sonic tonalities with moments of light and shade. The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato meanwhile, offers the off-the-wall, bat-shit-craziness that have helped propel his band proper to a headline slot at this year’s Download festival.

The term ‘supergroup’ so often comes coupled with the cursed and crippling weight of expectation, not to mention the potentially explosive – in both positive and negative senses of the word – reaction the combined personnel and egos can have on a band of this calibre. But Killer Be Killed deserves to be viewed with the same perception as any new band. This is an experiment, a playful fugacious project that is designed solely for the fun of its counterparts. Their fun consequently rubs off, quite infectiously, on you. For that’s all this record is: brutal, yes, carefully crafted, yes, but above all else, it is fun. There are no egos here.

From the instant opener ‘Wings of Feather And Wax’ roars into life, like a runaway freight train, there is nothing you can do but get sucked in for the ride. Its chorus, a gigantean, anthemic and utterly superb piece of music, hits you like a sucker punch. Once you’ve heard it, you won’t forget it.   

‘Melting Of My Marrow’ packs another dastardly catchy chorus, pumped with aggression and leaning more towards Puciato’s sound, while a searing breakdown keeps things fresh. ‘Curb Crusher’, although you could argue its case for having one too many choruses, it is a wham-bam-thank-you-mam of a track that hits you hard and fast before disappearing into the night.

‘Save The Robots’ sees the psychedelic aesthetics emphasized alongside stampeding riffs and a standout performance from Dave Elitch. Elsewhere, ‘Dust Into Darkness’ boats one of the record’s most magnificent bits of fretwork on the album in its thrashy, gutsy verse all the while maintaining a seriously strong melody to it. 

There just seems to be an undeniably prickling chemistry between the members and they all twist and pull the songs into a myriad of directions, leaving you with mouth agape. A Cavelera verse and a Sanders chorus all pivoting on a Puciato riff? Just devastating. It’s an orgy of innovation that transcends sub-genres and pigeon holes that can only properly be described as the audio equivalent of an earth-flattening tsunami.  

The result of this fleeting adventure can only be one of benefit to their full time exponents. If Cavalera’s work had never grabbed you before for instance, you may find yourself scrawling through his back catalogue once more after this most convincing of re-introductions.

A serious contender for album of the year, Killer Be Killed has slain the rest of the trailing pack. 

Words by : Phil Weller

You can get it here

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/KillerBeKilledMusic

http://www.killerbekilled.com/

Stoneburner - Life Drawing (Album Review)

Album Type : Full Length

Date Released : 15/4/2014

Label : Neurot Recordings

Life Drawing, track listing :

1). Some Can 05:38

2). Caged Bird 10:20

3). Drift 01:29

4). An Apology to a Friend in Need 08:04

5). Pales New Eyes 10:36

6). Giver of Birth 01:08

7). Done 07:36

8). You Are the Worst 03:47

9). The Phoenix 17:53

Bio :

STONEBURNER is one of the mainstays of the Portland, Oregon underground scene. Formed in early 2008, the bands’ familial roots reach back twenty years. Drummer Jesse McKinnon (ex-Buried Blood) and guitarist Jason Depew (Buried At Sea) have rocked together in many incarnations. Their other bands had similarly earth-choked names (a stone burner is a subterranean weapon from the novel Dune), but it gets even more incestuous — Jesse went to school with bassist Damon (Heathen Shrine) Kelly’s step-mother. Years later, Jesse’s father would be Damon’s high school government teacher. Today most of the band shares a house and a musical outlet for their worldly frustrations.

To describe Stoneburner’s music one need only look to the list of bands with whom they’ve shared the stage: Yob, Sleep, EYEHATEGOD, Neurosis, Buzzov-en, Weedeater, Saint Vitus, Watain, Tragedy, Noothgrush, Graves At Sea, Lord Dying, Drop Dead, Whitehorse, Wind Hand, Bastard Noise and etc. It’s all about domination through amplification and soul-cleansing catharsis. Stoneburner does not put on airs for anyone. The shows are not "rituals". According to guitarist Eli Boland, playing in Stoneburner “…takes care of the thing inside us that would otherwise lead to serial murder. It cleanses my soul, eases my demons, and fills my heart in a way that keeps me high for a good long while.”

Life Drawing is the band’s second album and third overall release following closely in the tradition of 2012’s Sickness Will Pass (Seventh Rule). All players are the same and Damon has now had ample time to gel with the band. Once again the tracking was done at Haywire under producer Fester “the fifth Burner’s” watchful ear and red-rimmed eyes. The same mastering engineer and cover artist were similarly re-employed. What’s new is the Neurot logo on the spine and a handful of close friends on guest vocals including: Benjamin Caragol (Burials/Hang the Old Year), Joshua Greene (Bastard Feast, Ephemeros), and Krysta Martinez (Transient/Landmine Marathon).

Two difficult years have passed. A basement provided the outlet. The band considers it therapy. The fruition is Life Drawing

The Band :

Elijah Boland | Guitar
Jason Depew | Guitar
Damon Kelly | Bass/Vox
Jesse McKinnon | Drums/Vox

Review :

It’s a sunny and warm day here in Dayton, OH.  The type of day that one might dig into classic rock vibes or something upbeat and funky, but not this fella.  Today I have the privilege of giving you a break down on Portland, Oregon’s Stoneburner and their follow up to the 2012 release “Sickness Will Pass”. aptly titled “Life Drawing”.

While as of late Portland is more associated with Fred Armisen & Carrie Brownstein, don’t be fooled into thinking that there aren’t some fantastic doom jams there to destroy, ‘the hipster at Starbucks day.’

Feedback rips open the record into the opening track “Some Can” before smashing you in the face with a wall of fuzz and grime. There is no shortage of gloomy riffs on display here and whilst not typical for the genre, some excellent licks too.  The release has moments of pure psychedelia, doom & sludge.  Influences such as Eyehategod, Neurosis, Mastodon & Yob all have a place here, whilst still retaining something unique for the genre itself.

The bass guitar certainly has much more presence in my opinion than most doom/sludge bands these days and there is vibe of Geezer Butler present on the record, which you can’t be mad about?    The track “Caged Bird” is a prime example of this.

“Pale New Eyes” is a standout track and presents every layer of how this record sounds,

Heavy, slow, brooding and at times beautifully creepy.   With tracks varying in time length from 5-17 minutes on average, you have to immerse yourself in this record to truly get the feel of it but do yourself the favour, sit down and really take this release in.  

If you’re fan of sludge/doom, then you will definitely find something appealing on this record.  With repeated listens, like I have this past week, there is always something new to enjoy.

Words by : Stephen T. Barton

You can get it here

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/Stoneburner.PDX/timeline

http://stoneburner.bandcamp.com/album/life-drawing

Sir Hobo - Absolutely Accurate - Album Review and Stream

Album Type: Album

Date Released: 15^th July 2014

Label: Pink Tank Records

Absolutely Accurate - track listing:

SIDE A:

01 Awaking

02 Informing

03 Calking

04 Doing

05 Standing

SIDE B:

01 Motivating

02 Knowing

03 Believing

04 Seeing

05 Arriving

06 Ending

Bio:

The Legend of Bartholomew Bum:

The first recorded sightings of Bartholomew Bum recount his sermons on the streets of Benares, where he preached the connection of body and soul by playing music. He perceived poverty as sacred and his views soon bestowed him with a large following. The word spread, and as musicians, mathematicians, philosophers and scientists across the globe studied his teachings, it was soon proven that poverty could indeed be deemed holy and that spiritual wealth was directly linked to the abdication of material goods. In an act of disavowal of the world ís reigning kings, Bartholomew awarded a knighthood to himself, choosing the title Sir Hobo. To ensure their sustainability beyond his demise, his teachings were recorded by humankind in a book generally known as "The Cardboard Box", which simultaneously stood symbol for "The House of the Prophet".

Some people view Sir Hobo as an alchemist capable of turning manure into gold. Others perceive him to be a loser, too idiotic to gain riches. Yet others see a human being. And some consider his actions to be an intangible hunt for an intangible prey, an emotion ñ a worthy emotion, an emotion deemed unworthy by rich people, an emotion of selflessness, a good emotion. Sir Hobo did not so much seek as he did find, leaving it to the big scheme of things to destine where his sandals would carry him.

Understanding the subjectivity of personal experience and the limitations of perspective, he never imparted his own tales, nor did he take on those of his pilgrims. It was by the negation of that which is not love that he found love in its true form. In the form of music. Music that is available to all and for all to partake

The Band Members

Does it really matter....

Review:

My good friend Jan at Pink Tank Records kindly given me an advanced promo copy to review for Sir Hobo's majestic Psychedelic Stoner/Space Rock album – Absolutely Accurate.

A 45 minute haunting journey into the dangerous psyche of one highly talented individual. Absolutely Accurate has a nightmarish feel to it as nothing is as it seems. Haunting Space Rock vibes come and go to take you on a twisted and beautifully haunting musical odyssey. Is it Space Rock, Instrumental Rock or Stoner Rock. I am not quite sure as I am still trying to work that out myself.

First track – Awaking – as it's aptly named for awaking your senses for a sensory overload of noises, riffs, vibes and far out experimentation. It gives you a brief glimpse on what to expect for the next 45 mins or so. A twisted and uncompromising vision that will send cold as hell chills for you to chew on.

This is all the work of one man – Sir Hobo – who only himself knows what this album means. The song titles give you a good clue what moods and environments your whole body will be going through on every song. It's not an easy listen as this isn't a straight forward conventional album. As tracks such as Informing, Calking, Motivating, Seeing and Arriving have a unique darkness to them all. There are riffs to be found but Sir Hobo makes you work hard before you find you're musical reward. Nobody said that music had to be easy to listen to.

It's best to listen to this album in one full go as it's mean to be heard as one overall experience. It will take you on such an emotional roller-coaster that you will begin to question what is real or not. Sir Hobo deserves credit for blending the different noises and effects that sound so very different compared to other artists and bands. It's mainly instrumental rock but Sir Hobo adds voice effects here and there. Maybe to inform you what the hell is going on.

Anyway. I don't want to spoil any more as you can find this out for yourself as Jan at Pink Tank Records has allowed Sludgelord to hold an exclusive album stream of this excellent album

Brilliant and Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Jan at Pink Tank Records for sending me a promo to review. The advanced album stream. Much appreciated dude. Absolutely Accurate will be available to buy from Pink Tank Records on DD/Vinyl from July 15^th 2014.

Check The Band From Links Below

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Written by Steve Howe

Paganizer - Cadaver Casket (On A Gurney To Hell) EP (Review)

Album Type : EP

Date Released : 4/4/2014

Label : Cyclone Empire

Cadaver Casket (On a gurney to hell), track listing:

A:
1. On A Gurney To Hell
2. Rot
3. Deranged World (Bonustrack)

B:
4. Souls For Sale
5. Afterlife Burner
6. It Came From The Graveyard

Bio :

In 1994 Terminal Grip was started. Four years and two demos later the band was transformed into Paganizer, a beast that steadily started to spew forth thrashing death metal the oldschool way. During the late 90s and the 00s several releases was released on several labels, albums like ‘Deadbanger’, ‘Promoting Total Death’, ‘Dead Unburied’, ‘Murder Death Kill’, ‘No Divine Rapture’ and ‘Carnage Junkie’ solidified their brand of ugly brutal yet catchy death metal. After a European tour through Spain and Portugal the band reformed after a short break and signed to Cyclone Empire who released the ‘Scandinavian Warmachine’ album as well as the highly recommended ‘Into The Catacombs ‘ (2011).

In 2013 the time was right to expand the filth and spew forth the new album ‘World Lobotomy’ with another 12 songs, all ranging from oldschool Swedish death metal to crusty grinding attacks and more epic massive beasts.

Now be ready for the next blast of this undeniable death-machine, that celebrates its 20th birthday in 2014!

The Band :

Rogga Johansson | Guitars, Vocals
Dennis Blomberg | Lead Guitars
Matte Fiebig | Drums

Review :

Paganizer. Swedish. Death. Metal. I could leave the review there... but I will expand. This is a cracking EP from a prolific death metal band who are every inch the real deal.

Sad about Dismember's demise? Upset over Entombed's current farcical state? Neither of those emotional states are very death metal are they? Time to forget about those issues, break out the camo trousers, lace up the 12 eyelet boots and get down the gym (preferably at your own home/garage so you don't have to see anyone who thinks that having a “haircut” is important) or maybe practise blast beats on a double bass drum (double pedal?! Never!) kit with multiple toms or... do whatever is the most DM thing you can think of is.

Paganizer supply the perfect noise: it's brutal, noisy and has all elements present and correct. Buzz-saw guitars, live sounding drums, feral vocals and six tracks of death metal perfection are what you get. From On A Gurney To Hell through to It Came From The Graveyard there is no let up and no compromise. For fans of the two aforementioned bands and others such as Entrails and Grave. Real death metal for those brave enough to try it. Please do- it's great.

Words : Richard Maw

You can get it here

For more information :

www.facebook.com/paganizersweden