#jul24 — Public Fediverse posts

Thousand Limbs – The Aurochs Review

By Dear Hollow

If any metal style has the right to be instrumental, it’s a three-way tie between djent, drone, and post-metal – and I’m guessing you’re cringing right now. While the former two are dragged across oft-unwilling ears in masturbatory guitar wizardry and booty-thick minimalist sprawls, respectively, post-metal has always felt a bit more exploratory and dynamic. Acts like Tempel and Russian Circles have crafted landscapes out of massive riffs and complex compositions, and New Zealand’s Thousand Limbs takes a similar approach with debut full-length The Aurochs. Big riffs and visceral chord progressions guide, and we are on this journey with them.

The Aurochs takes influence from the enigmatic Chinese Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, illustrations and parables from twelfth-century Zen master Kakuan Shion. Thousand Limbs’ individual ten tracks reflect each of the illustrations and their attached poetic verses respectively, through a sonic exploration of the achievement of awakening. While post-metal is clear in Isis-esque off-kilter rhythms, curious melodicisms, and lurching patterns alongside Russian Circles awe-inducing hugeness, other influences of YOB, Bongripper, and Earth also pervade. Orange haze, vintage distortion, and driving baritone riffs add a certain aggression and twist.

Beginning with “A Blessed Life to Suffer,” you’re graced with post-metal and doom’s most endearing quality: patience. Thousand Limbs is content letting its riffs grow and sprawl across its mammoth nearly hour-long runtime. Tracks like “Form,” “Fall of Body and Mind,” and closer “A Boundless Heart” exchange big sprawls, haunting leads, and fuzzy noodles seamlessly in painting enlightened pictures with broad yet gentle strokes, while the interludes “Only His Shadow,” “Evening Haze,” and “Beneath Soil and Stone” embrace the darker melodies that momentarily cut through the murk. Centerpieces “The Aurochs” and “The Aurochs – Aligned” are the best tracks here, exemplifying a two-part exploration of “Seizing the Ox” and “Taming the Ox.” First half “The Aurochs” is vicious and driving, complete with dissonant dueling arpeggios, while the second’s “Aligned” interpretation is more sunny and optimistic stoner-heavy bass-forward intertwined rhythms feel like some achievement of peace. Thousand Limbs’ careful control of its songwriting and motifs is consistently illustrated throughout, transitions between dissonance, darker minor moods, sunny melody, and brighter major chords remarkably smooth.

The fusion of post-metal and vintage doom is an intriguing premise, but Thousand Limbs suffers from its murk. Stoner doom in particular is aligned in minimalist compositions, and while guitars attempt to intertwine and compensate for The Aurochs’ voiceless trudge, it takes multiple listens to discern between the layers – especially when they exist in the same register. All the layered riffs and leads that guide “A Dim Light to Guide,” “Form,” and “A Boundless Heart” all swirl with no particular conclusion, only letting random bouts of squealing feedback cut through the bog. In this way, the careful and precise nature of post-metal is incompatible with the fuzzy wrecking ball of stoner doom, and Thousand Limbs shoots itself in the foot with its stoner doom swampy mix. Even beyond it, while the album structure favors their placement as album climax, “The Aurochs” and “The Aurochs – Aligned” are the undisputed best tracks here, putting all others in their shadow.

To their credit, Thousand Limbs has created a post-metal album that is evocative, smartly composed, and achieving a clear purpose. The problem is that The Aurochs makes no case convincing stoner doom and post-metal naysayers that it’s the best thing since Isis or Bongripper. Unless you’re prepared to analyze the hell out of it for damn near an hour, fighting uphill against a production value of dominating fuzz and denied vocals, The Aurochs is a chore. Thousand Limbs carries on the tried-and-true tradition of instrumental post-metal in a unique fusion that embraces the hallmarks of classic doom and stoner sensibilities in a tangible and realized theme. But like the walk towards enlightenment, you’ve got to struggle for it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: thousandlimbs.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thousandlimbsnz
Releases Worldwide: July 19th, 2024

#25 #2024 #Bongripper #DoomMetal #Earth #Jul24 #NewZealandMetal #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RussianCircles #SelfRelease #StonerDoomMetal #Tempel #TheAurochs #ThousandLimbs #YOB

Thousand Limbs – The Aurochs Review

By Dear Hollow

If any metal style has the right to be instrumental, it’s a three-way tie between djent, drone, and post-metal – and I’m guessing you’re cringing right now. While the former two are dragged across oft-unwilling ears in masturbatory guitar wizardry and booty-thick minimalist sprawls, respectively, post-metal has always felt a bit more exploratory and dynamic. Acts like Tempel and Russian Circles have crafted landscapes out of massive riffs and complex compositions, and New Zealand’s Thousand Limbs takes a similar approach with debut full-length The Aurochs. Big riffs and visceral chord progressions guide, and we are on this journey with them.

The Aurochs takes influence from the enigmatic Chinese Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, illustrations and parables from twelfth-century Zen master Kakuan Shion. Thousand Limbs’ individual ten tracks reflect each of the illustrations and their attached poetic verses respectively, through a sonic exploration of the achievement of awakening. While post-metal is clear in Isis-esque off-kilter rhythms, curious melodicisms, and lurching patterns alongside Russian Circles awe-inducing hugeness, other influences of YOB, Bongripper, and Earth also pervade. Orange haze, vintage distortion, and driving baritone riffs add a certain aggression and twist.

Beginning with “A Blessed Life to Suffer,” you’re graced with post-metal and doom’s most endearing quality: patience. Thousand Limbs is content letting its riffs grow and sprawl across its mammoth nearly hour-long runtime. Tracks like “Form,” “Fall of Body and Mind,” and closer “A Boundless Heart” exchange big sprawls, haunting leads, and fuzzy noodles seamlessly in painting enlightened pictures with broad yet gentle strokes, while the interludes “Only His Shadow,” “Evening Haze,” and “Beneath Soil and Stone” embrace the darker melodies that momentarily cut through the murk. Centerpieces “The Aurochs” and “The Aurochs – Aligned” are the best tracks here, exemplifying a two-part exploration of “Seizing the Ox” and “Taming the Ox.” First half “The Aurochs” is vicious and driving, complete with dissonant dueling arpeggios, while the second’s “Aligned” interpretation is more sunny and optimistic stoner-heavy bass-forward intertwined rhythms feel like some achievement of peace. Thousand Limbs’ careful control of its songwriting and motifs is consistently illustrated throughout, transitions between dissonance, darker minor moods, sunny melody, and brighter major chords remarkably smooth.

The fusion of post-metal and vintage doom is an intriguing premise, but Thousand Limbs suffers from its murk. Stoner doom in particular is aligned in minimalist compositions, and while guitars attempt to intertwine and compensate for The Aurochs’ voiceless trudge, it takes multiple listens to discern between the layers – especially when they exist in the same register. All the layered riffs and leads that guide “A Dim Light to Guide,” “Form,” and “A Boundless Heart” all swirl with no particular conclusion, only letting random bouts of squealing feedback cut through the bog. In this way, the careful and precise nature of post-metal is incompatible with the fuzzy wrecking ball of stoner doom, and Thousand Limbs shoots itself in the foot with its stoner doom swampy mix. Even beyond it, while the album structure favors their placement as album climax, “The Aurochs” and “The Aurochs – Aligned” are the undisputed best tracks here, putting all others in their shadow.

To their credit, Thousand Limbs has created a post-metal album that is evocative, smartly composed, and achieving a clear purpose. The problem is that The Aurochs makes no case convincing stoner doom and post-metal naysayers that it’s the best thing since Isis or Bongripper. Unless you’re prepared to analyze the hell out of it for damn near an hour, fighting uphill against a production value of dominating fuzz and denied vocals, The Aurochs is a chore. Thousand Limbs carries on the tried-and-true tradition of instrumental post-metal in a unique fusion that embraces the hallmarks of classic doom and stoner sensibilities in a tangible and realized theme. But like the walk towards enlightenment, you’ve got to struggle for it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: thousandlimbs.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thousandlimbsnz
Releases Worldwide: July 19th, 2024

#25 #2024 #Bongripper #DoomMetal #Earth #Jul24 #NewZealandMetal #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RussianCircles #SelfRelease #StonerDoomMetal #Tempel #TheAurochs #ThousandLimbs #YOB

Orange Goblin – Science, Not Fiction Review

By Steel Druhm

Well, look who it is! The barroom-brawling, tooth-loosening thugs in Orange Goblin are back after a 5-year hiatus to re-club you with their bruising biker/stoner doom on 10th album Science, Not Fiction. I’ve missed these uncouth characters too. Their burly blend of rock, doom, and metal always resonated with me and almost always makes me want to overindulge in low-rent spirits while making bad decisions. Much more in-your-face than most stoner music, Orange Goblin always grasped at meaner elements like the southern grit of Corrosion of Conformity and the biker bar menace of Fireball Ministry. Powered by the whiskey-rough bellows of Ben Ward and the raucous riffage of Joe Hoare, the Goblin sound has always been the confrontational poke in the chest before the punches fly, and that’s a great place to park your hog. With a new bassist in tow, will the band change gears after so long a rest, or will the brass knuckle sensibilities still rule the day?

As has long been the custom with Orange Goblin albums, they open with a killer mission statement on “The Fire at the Centre of the Earth is Mine.” It’s a major kick in the teeth with all the classic OG elements front and center. Beefy riffs come flying with bad intentions and Ben Ward sounds massive and pissed off. Imagine Clutch at their most jacked up then multiply by 10 and you get this beastly thing. It’s testosterone bisque and you’ll want seconds and thirds as the music activates the most unevolved, reptilian portions of your brain. I want a whole album of this shit to power me through this crazy year! From there however, the band demonstrates their evolving songwriting approach, mixing it up with softer and harder cuts that accent different aspects of the band’s identity. “(Not) Rocket Science” is a lighter but still plenty urgent rocker with nice use of simple piano lines to back the sludgy riffage. It’s fun and catchy but still sounds like the work of sketchy felons. A special nod must go to the very present bass rumble here by newcomer Harry Armstrong. “Ascend the Negative” is an absolute riff monster, with chunky, abrasive leads running train on your ears as Ben narrates darkly. This one is made for mass replays and the lead riff will embed deep in your melon.

Other notable moments include the thrashy, borderline death metal attack of “Cemetary Rats” which sounds far more like a Deceased song than an OG number as Ben transforms into King Fowley and spouts rage and fury over ripping guitar lines. It’s a rager and makes me wish OG pushed harder in this direction. “The Fury of a Patient Man” is a classic OG shit kicker, bold, loud, and belligerent and it sticks the landing with a memorable chorus and ace riffcraft. Closer “End of Transmission” also hits the sweet spot with a baseball bat, offering sticky sweet trilling alongside muscular riffs and hoarse bellows, all shaded with varying degrees of nuance and melodic noodling. There are some lesser contributions dotting the album too, reducing the overall experience. “False Hope Diet” is interesting and revels in loose, jammy, Clutch-esque colors but it runs too long at 7 minutes. “Gemini (Twins of Evil)” is just okay, and “The Justice Knife” is better but also a bit middle of the road by OG standards. The lyrics are often witty, cutting, and occasionally edgy, and the sound is appropriately macho and imposing.

I’ve always loved Ben Ward’s baritone bellows and he’s in high feather here, sounding as forceful and vital as ever. He’s the rare frontman that can sing/shout/roar all at once and he’s always been the lynchpin to the OG sound. He can still make good songs better and always brings a pugnacious gravitas to the material. Joe Hoare has long been a top-rate riff meister and he once again brings all sorts of goodies to the freak festival. His brawny riff style compliments Ben’s rough delivery and drives the sound forward with headbangable lines that shake and bake the listener. His side quests into thrash (“Cemetary Rats”) and jammy space rock (“End of Transmission”) are well executed, adding diversity and spice. New bassist Harry Armstrong does a great job, undergirding the riffs with an ever-present low-end rumble. The band is right as fook, it’s just the occasional writing hiccups that keep Science, Not Fiction from reaching the next level.

After so long a wait, I’d hoped to see Orange Goblin continue their long and successful run of killer releases, but despite some grand moments, Science, Not Fiction falls shy of past glories. Orange Goblin aren’t likely to ever drop a bad album, so there’s plenty of rough, ugly fun to be had, and fans will be mostly pleased. I just hoped for a touch more Goblin in the graveyard.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Peaceville
Websites: facebook.com/orangegoblinofficial | instagram.com/orangegoblinofficial
Releases Worldwide: July 19th, 2024

#2024 #30 #AEulogyForTheDamned #BackFromTheAbyss #Clutch #CorrosionOfConformity #DoomMetal #FireballMinistry #HeavyMetal #Jul24 #Motörhead #NotFiction #OrangeGoblin #Review #Reviews #Science #StonerMetal #TheNecromancers #TheWolfBitesBack #UKMetal

Orden Ogan – The Order of Fear Review

By Steel Druhm

I’ve always been a sucker for the style of Euro-power that Orden Ogan bring to the War Council. They fly in the same sky as Blind Guardian and seek the same kind of over-the-top bombast and epical scope, but they take all BG’s frills, hoopla, jiggery-pokery, and opera house shenanigans and boil them down to a reduction sauce that tastes way more direct and hooky. Albums like To The End and Ravenhead were jam-packed with memorable moments of unusual size, yet by borrowing from acts like Iron Savior, they wisely kept things heavy and chonky enough to feel dangerous rather than frilly and show tuney. 2021s Final Days used the same family recipe to deliver delightfully oversized, cheddar-forward cuts that somehow felt serious as fook despite the goofy subject matter. Now comes 8th album The Order of Fear and Orden Ogan try their hand at darker themes without overhauling their trademark style. Will a grim, gritty basecoat accent their glossy take on grandiose power? Let’s do a trial membership in The Order of Fear and see.

The album begins with a sudden jolt as “Kings of the Underworld” erupts out of nothing in full Euro-gallop and proceeds to run roughshod over your ears like a thoroughbred stallion that got into the trainer’s bathtub meth. It’s fast, furious, and anthemic with gang chants of “In union we stand.”1 It flies by in a heartbeat and it’s good, clean fun. Things get darker and heavier on the mid-tempo fist-pumping title track which has the classic Orden chorus loaded with pomp nuggets. It has a big anthemic vibe and it’s catchy on the first spin. “Moon Fire” is another brightly burning selection, balancing epic ambition with direct writing. A youthful version of Blind Guardian pulses through the song’s core but the Orden style guide keeps it easy to digest. It’s this album’s version of “F.E.V.E.R.” and it’s easy to get stuck on.

Every song through the album’s first two-thirds offers quality power metal moments with hooks. “Conquest” feels like something off To the End and it’s another rabble-rousing specimen with an epic sheen making it feel bigger than Cyber Jesus. That chorus is hot tar on fresh flypaper and good luck peeling it off your grey matter. Even uber dramatic power ballad “My Worst Enemy” is a win, with Seeb Levermann totally nailing the emo but earnest vocals and using illegal chorus sorcery to make you love it. It actually pisses me off how much I like this song and it pisses Madam X off too, because she is mighty tired of it. Despite all these successes, things get bogged down in the final stanza. “Anthem to the Darkside” is solid but runs too long at 7-plus-minutes, and then you’re immediately plundered by 8-plus-minute closer “The Long Darkness,” which is better, but it runs out of steam several minutes before the end. The album’s 48-minute length is reasonable on its face, but that last 16 minutes feels extra-stretched out, which makes the whole album feel that way, unfortunately.

As ever, Seeb’s big-time vocals make the material go down like a cold pilsner on a hot day. His Hansi Kürsche-esque delivery is a big weapon in the band’s arsenal and he brings gravitas to even the cheesiest moments. He’s one of the best power metal singers and he elevates everything he touches. He never oversings, though it would be so easy to do so on these kinds of tunes, and I commend him for his restraint. Niels Löffler and Patrick Sperling once again find that happy medium between Euro-wank and traditional metal crunch, keeping things from devolving into a colorful Broadway soundtrack. The beefy riffage is a boon and the solos are grand but always tasteful. The big success as usual is the writing, which serves up one memorable moment after another. Eight of the ten songs are going to stick to one degree or another and things only go sideways when they try too hard to pen longer-form epics.

Orden Ogan know where their power bread is buttered and by and large, they stick to their strengths on The Order of Fear. There are 32 minutes of killer Euro-power here that will please fans and newcomers alike, and even the less amazing stuff isn’t bad, it’s just not as thrilling. As far as successful Euro-power goes in this day and age, Orden Ogan are near the top of the food chain. That means you can join The Order of Fear without too much fear. Sun’s out, Ogan’s out!

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: reigningphoenixmusic.com
Websites: ordenogan.de | facebook.com/ordenogan
Releases Worldwide: July 12th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlindGuardian #FinalDays #GermanMetal #Jul24 #OrdenOgan #PowerMetal #ReigningPhoenixMusic #Review #Reviews #TheOrderOfFear

Orden Ogan – The Order of Fear Review

By Steel Druhm

I’ve always been a sucker for the style of Euro-power that Orden Ogan bring to the War Council. They fly in the same sky as Blind Guardian and seek the same kind of over-the-top bombast and epical scope, but they take all BG’s frills, hoopla, jiggery-pokery, and opera house shenanigans and boil them down to a reduction sauce that tastes way more direct and hooky. Albums like To The End and Ravenhead were jam-packed with memorable moments of unusual size, yet by borrowing from acts like Iron Savior, they wisely kept things heavy and chonky enough to feel dangerous rather than frilly and show tuney. 2021s Final Days used the same family recipe to deliver delightfully oversized, cheddar-forward cuts that somehow felt serious as fook despite the goofy subject matter. Now comes 8th album The Order of Fear and Orden Ogan try their hand at darker themes without overhauling their trademark style. Will a grim, gritty basecoat accent their glossy take on grandiose power? Let’s do a trial membership in The Order of Fear and see.

The album begins with a sudden jolt as “Kings of the Underworld” erupts out of nothing in full Euro-gallop and proceeds to run roughshod over your ears like a thoroughbred stallion that got into the trainer’s bathtub meth. It’s fast, furious, and anthemic with gang chants of “In union we stand.”1 It flies by in a heartbeat and it’s good, clean fun. Things get darker and heavier on the mid-tempo fist-pumping title track which has the classic Orden chorus loaded with pomp nuggets. It has a big anthemic vibe and it’s catchy on the first spin. “Moon Fire” is another brightly burning selection, balancing epic ambition with direct writing. A youthful version of Blind Guardian pulses through the song’s core but the Orden style guide keeps it easy to digest. It’s this album’s version of “F.E.V.E.R.” and it’s easy to get stuck on.

Every song through the album’s first two-thirds offers quality power metal moments with hooks. “Conquest” feels like something off To the End and it’s another rabble-rousing specimen with an epic sheen making it feel bigger than Cyber Jesus. That chorus is hot tar on fresh flypaper and good luck peeling it off your grey matter. Even uber dramatic power ballad “My Worst Enemy” is a win, with Seeb Levermann totally nailing the emo but earnest vocals and using illegal chorus sorcery to make you love it. It actually pisses me off how much I like this song and it pisses Madam X off too, because she is mighty tired of it. Despite all these successes, things get bogged down in the final stanza. “Anthem to the Darkside” is solid but runs too long at 7-plus-minutes, and then you’re immediately plundered by 8-plus-minute closer “The Long Darkness,” which is better, but it runs out of steam several minutes before the end. The album’s 48-minute length is reasonable on its face, but that last 16 minutes feels extra-stretched out, which makes the whole album feel that way, unfortunately.

As ever, Seeb’s big-time vocals make the material go down like a cold pilsner on a hot day. His Hansi Kürsche-esque delivery is a big weapon in the band’s arsenal and he brings gravitas to even the cheesiest moments. He’s one of the best power metal singers and he elevates everything he touches. He never oversings, though it would be so easy to do so on these kinds of tunes, and I commend him for his restraint. Niels Löffler and Patrick Sperling once again find that happy medium between Euro-wank and traditional metal crunch, keeping things from devolving into a colorful Broadway soundtrack. The beefy riffage is a boon and the solos are grand but always tasteful. The big success as usual is the writing, which serves up one memorable moment after another. Eight of the ten songs are going to stick to one degree or another and things only go sideways when they try too hard to pen longer-form epics.

Orden Ogan know where their power bread is buttered and by and large, they stick to their strengths on The Order of Fear. There are 32 minutes of killer Euro-power here that will please fans and newcomers alike, and even the less amazing stuff isn’t bad, it’s just not as thrilling. As far as successful Euro-power goes in this day and age, Orden Ogan are near the top of the food chain. That means you can join The Order of Fear without too much fear. Sun’s out, Ogan’s out!

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: reigningphoenixmusic.com
Websites: ordenogan.de | facebook.com/ordenogan
Releases Worldwide: July 12th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlindGuardian #FinalDays #GermanMetal #Jul24 #OrdenOgan #PowerMetal #ReigningPhoenixMusic #Review #Reviews #TheOrderOfFear