#scarsymmetry — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #scarsymmetry, aggregated by home.social.
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https://www.europesays.com/fi/309782/ Kaaos Festival kävijäennätykseen – Ensimmäiset esiintyjät vuodelle 2027 julki #BlazeBayley #Entertainment #FI #FimbulWinter #Finland #Finnish #KaaosFestival #ScarSymmetry #Suomi #TarjaTurunen #TheUnguided #viihde
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https://www.europesays.com/fi/259100/ Kaaos Festival julkaisi päiväkohtaiset aikataulut sekä viimeisen artistikiinnityksen #AlexiLaiho #AnetteOlzon #BeastInBlack #BeforeTheDawn #DeadByApril #Diabolisher #EnemiesEverywhere #Entertainment #FI #Finland #Finnish #illdisposed #InbornTendency #insomnium #KaaosFestival #MachinaeSupremacy #Misantropia #nicole #Nightwish #RottenSound #RyojiShinomoto #Ryujin #ScarSymmetry #Suomi #TheCrown #TheHaloEffect #Thyrargo #viihde #warmen #WhatLiesBeneath
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https://www.europesays.com/at/91108/ Gitarrist Henrik Danhage steigt aus #ArchitectsOfANewWeave #AT #Austria #Entertainment #Evergrey #Gitarrist #HenrikDanhage #Katatonia #Music #Musik #Österreich #SCARSYMMETRY #TomSEnglund #Unterhaltung
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You know what? If I happened to be in Munich over the 2/3 May, I’d definitely get myself along to Prog Metal Mania festival to see #ScarSymmetry headlining 😍
(Looks like fellow metalhead.club members @SOULSPLITTER are on the lineup too! 🎉)
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You know what? If I happened to be in Munich over the 2/3 May, I’d definitely get myself along to Prog Metal Mania festival to see #ScarSymmetry headlining 😍
(Looks like fellow metalhead.club members @SOULSPLITTER are on the lineup too! 🎉)
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You know what? If I happened to be in Munich over the 2/3 May, I’d definitely get myself along to Prog Metal Mania festival to see #ScarSymmetry headlining 😍
(Looks like fellow metalhead.club members @SOULSPLITTER are on the lineup too! 🎉)
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You know what? If I happened to be in Munich over the 2/3 May, I’d definitely get myself along to Prog Metal Mania festival to see #ScarSymmetry headlining 😍
(Looks like fellow metalhead.club members @SOULSPLITTER are on the lineup too! 🎉)
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You know what? If I happened to be in Munich over the 2/3 May, I’d definitely get myself along to Prog Metal Mania festival to see #ScarSymmetry headlining 😍
(Looks like fellow metalhead.club members @SOULSPLITTER are on the lineup too! 🎉)
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Buried Realm – The Dormant Darkness Review
By Owlswald
Colorado’s Buried Realm, the technical melodic death metal project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Josh Dummer, has built a steady following since 2017’s The Ichor Carcinoma. This is largely because— alongside his role as the primary writer and producer of Buried Realm’s music— Dummer is one hell of a guitarist. Additionally, he enlists a prominent cast of guest musicians for each album, adding another layer of proficiency to his progressive soundscape.1 While Dummer’s talent and networking ability are compelling, 2020’s Embodiment of the Divine received a mixed reception from AMG’s own Twelve. Since then, Dummer has made notable upgrades through the addition of drummer Heikki Saari (Fintroll, ex-Norther) and the outsourcing of post-production duties, resulting in a heavier and more polished sound on Buried Realm’s 2022 self-titled third album. With these refined elements and the promise of further evolution, I was eager to delve into The Dormant Darkness to see what I would find lurking in the shadows.
What I found was a great album. Building upon the foundation of Buried Realm, The Dormant Darkness finds Dummer taking the next step in his power-tinged melodeath assault. The opening barrage of “Bloodline Artifice,” with its relentless blasts, tremolo onslaught, and visceral screams, channels the power of tech-death giants like Allegaeon. At the same time, the album’s overall melodicism is indicative of The Living Infinite-era Soilwork. Guest appearances include the likes of Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy), who fortify tracks like “Human Code” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” with sweeps, dives, and wails galore. Saari’s intricate rhythms and colorful accents amplify Buried Realm’s dazzling riff craft. Additionally, Dummer’s Laiho-esque rasps intertwine with Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s (Soilwork) roars and Christian Älvestam’s (ex-Scar Symmetry) soaring choruses to add sophistication and depth. With a well-rounded mix that delivers plenty of punch and low-end heft, The Dormant Darkness features a concentrated and layered sound that is rich, heavy, technical, and a ton of fun.
For those who crave virtuosity, Buried Realm will not disappoint. Guitar wizardry is delivered in droves, with memorable solos, melodic leads, and powerful shredding across the record’s eight tracks. Nilsson’s dynamic fretwork at the heart of “Human Code,” Amott’s dive-bomb acrobatics within “Futuristic Hollow Nation,” and Daniel Freyberg’s (ex-Children of Bodom) blazing solo on “A Futile Endeavor” stand out as particularly jaw-dropping moments.2 Dummer and Saari’s merciless grooves— shredding and hammering with precision— strengthen the album’s star-studded guest list, constructing Buried Realm’s tech-heavy compositions. Contrasting Buried Realm’s unyielding virtuosity are Älvestam’s uplifting serenades on songs like “Jaws of the Abyss” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” which present striking melodies and refreshing hooks that draw me back again and again. Ultimately, while the constellation of guest musicians warrant attention, The Dormant Darkness is filled with highlights that will appeal to a wide audience.
With its intensity and compositional depth, The Dormant Darkness could have easily become overwhelming. Indeed, the songwriting periodically suffers from overly dense passages and abrupt transitions. The disjointed vocal exchange between Dummer and Strid before the chorus in “Human Code,” for example, is jarring, as is the song’s mid-section where a whirlwind of blasts and leads stutters and starts erratically. That said, while occasional missteps somewhat detract from the album’s pacing and flow, they are minor quibbles in a record rife with strong songwriting. Furthermore, Francesco Ferrini’s (Fleshgod Apocalypse) poignant orchestral arrangements on tracks like “Ophidian Dreams” and “Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II” provide atmospheric grandeur and emotional depth, mitigating aural fatigue and upholding sonic balance.
Overall, The Dormant Darkness is a blast. The album is the culmination of Buried Realm’s evolution and proves that Dummer’s persistence and dedication have paid off handsomely. It’s full of highlights and genuinely impressive moments, blending technical prowess with memorable melodic hooks, exceptional guest contributions, and compositional maturity. Despite the occasional minor slipup, the album’s technical and charming melodeath personality seizes my attention from the start and maintains its spectral grasp until the record’s final notes fade into the ether. With The Dormant Darkness, Buried Realm has established itself as a formidable force— one that melodeath fans won’t want to miss.
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: buriedrealm.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/buriedrealm
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025#2025 #40 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Apr25 #ArchEnemy #BuriedRealm #ChildrenOfBodom #DeathMetal #FleshgodApocalypse #MelodicDeathMetal #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeath #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #SelfReleased #Soilwork #SpaceMetal #SymphonicMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheDormantDarkness
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Buried Realm – The Dormant Darkness Review
By Owlswald
Colorado’s Buried Realm, the technical melodic death metal project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Josh Dummer, has built a steady following since 2017’s The Ichor Carcinoma. This is largely because— alongside his role as the primary writer and producer of Buried Realm’s music— Dummer is one hell of a guitarist. Additionally, he enlists a prominent cast of guest musicians for each album, adding another layer of proficiency to his progressive soundscape.1 While Dummer’s talent and networking ability are compelling, 2020’s Embodiment of the Divine received a mixed reception from AMG’s own Twelve. Since then, Dummer has made notable upgrades through the addition of drummer Heikki Saari (Fintroll, ex-Norther) and the outsourcing of post-production duties, resulting in a heavier and more polished sound on Buried Realm’s 2022 self-titled third album. With these refined elements and the promise of further evolution, I was eager to delve into The Dormant Darkness to see what I would find lurking in the shadows.
What I found was a great album. Building upon the foundation of Buried Realm, The Dormant Darkness finds Dummer taking the next step in his power-tinged melodeath assault. The opening barrage of “Bloodline Artifice,” with its relentless blasts, tremolo onslaught, and visceral screams, channels the power of tech-death giants like Allegaeon. At the same time, the album’s overall melodicism is indicative of The Living Infinite-era Soilwork. Guest appearances include the likes of Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy), who fortify tracks like “Human Code” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” with sweeps, dives, and wails galore. Saari’s intricate rhythms and colorful accents amplify Buried Realm’s dazzling riff craft. Additionally, Dummer’s Laiho-esque rasps intertwine with Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s (Soilwork) roars and Christian Älvestam’s (ex-Scar Symmetry) soaring choruses to add sophistication and depth. With a well-rounded mix that delivers plenty of punch and low-end heft, The Dormant Darkness features a concentrated and layered sound that is rich, heavy, technical, and a ton of fun.
For those who crave virtuosity, Buried Realm will not disappoint. Guitar wizardry is delivered in droves, with memorable solos, melodic leads, and powerful shredding across the record’s eight tracks. Nilsson’s dynamic fretwork at the heart of “Human Code,” Amott’s dive-bomb acrobatics within “Futuristic Hollow Nation,” and Daniel Freyberg’s (ex-Children of Bodom) blazing solo on “A Futile Endeavor” stand out as particularly jaw-dropping moments.2 Dummer and Saari’s merciless grooves— shredding and hammering with precision— strengthen the album’s star-studded guest list, constructing Buried Realm’s tech-heavy compositions. Contrasting Buried Realm’s unyielding virtuosity are Älvestam’s uplifting serenades on songs like “Jaws of the Abyss” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” which present striking melodies and refreshing hooks that draw me back again and again. Ultimately, while the constellation of guest musicians warrant attention, The Dormant Darkness is filled with highlights that will appeal to a wide audience.
With its intensity and compositional depth, The Dormant Darkness could have easily become overwhelming. Indeed, the songwriting periodically suffers from overly dense passages and abrupt transitions. The disjointed vocal exchange between Dummer and Strid before the chorus in “Human Code,” for example, is jarring, as is the song’s mid-section where a whirlwind of blasts and leads stutters and starts erratically. That said, while occasional missteps somewhat detract from the album’s pacing and flow, they are minor quibbles in a record rife with strong songwriting. Furthermore, Francesco Ferrini’s (Fleshgod Apocalypse) poignant orchestral arrangements on tracks like “Ophidian Dreams” and “Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II” provide atmospheric grandeur and emotional depth, mitigating aural fatigue and upholding sonic balance.
Overall, The Dormant Darkness is a blast. The album is the culmination of Buried Realm’s evolution and proves that Dummer’s persistence and dedication have paid off handsomely. It’s full of highlights and genuinely impressive moments, blending technical prowess with memorable melodic hooks, exceptional guest contributions, and compositional maturity. Despite the occasional minor slipup, the album’s technical and charming melodeath personality seizes my attention from the start and maintains its spectral grasp until the record’s final notes fade into the ether. With The Dormant Darkness, Buried Realm has established itself as a formidable force— one that melodeath fans won’t want to miss.
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: buriedrealm.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/buriedrealm
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025#2025 #40 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Apr25 #ArchEnemy #BuriedRealm #ChildrenOfBodom #DeathMetal #FleshgodApocalypse #MelodicDeathMetal #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeath #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #SelfReleased #Soilwork #SpaceMetal #SymphonicMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheDormantDarkness
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Buried Realm – The Dormant Darkness Review
By Owlswald
Colorado’s Buried Realm, the technical melodic death metal project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Josh Dummer, has built a steady following since 2017’s The Ichor Carcinoma. This is largely because— alongside his role as the primary writer and producer of Buried Realm’s music— Dummer is one hell of a guitarist. Additionally, he enlists a prominent cast of guest musicians for each album, adding another layer of proficiency to his progressive soundscape.1 While Dummer’s talent and networking ability are compelling, 2020’s Embodiment of the Divine received a mixed reception from AMG’s own Twelve. Since then, Dummer has made notable upgrades through the addition of drummer Heikki Saari (Fintroll, ex-Norther) and the outsourcing of post-production duties, resulting in a heavier and more polished sound on Buried Realm’s 2022 self-titled third album. With these refined elements and the promise of further evolution, I was eager to delve into The Dormant Darkness to see what I would find lurking in the shadows.
What I found was a great album. Building upon the foundation of Buried Realm, The Dormant Darkness finds Dummer taking the next step in his power-tinged melodeath assault. The opening barrage of “Bloodline Artifice,” with its relentless blasts, tremolo onslaught, and visceral screams, channels the power of tech-death giants like Allegaeon. At the same time, the album’s overall melodicism is indicative of The Living Infinite-era Soilwork. Guest appearances include the likes of Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy), who fortify tracks like “Human Code” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” with sweeps, dives, and wails galore. Saari’s intricate rhythms and colorful accents amplify Buried Realm’s dazzling riff craft. Additionally, Dummer’s Laiho-esque rasps intertwine with Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s (Soilwork) roars and Christian Älvestam’s (ex-Scar Symmetry) soaring choruses to add sophistication and depth. With a well-rounded mix that delivers plenty of punch and low-end heft, The Dormant Darkness features a concentrated and layered sound that is rich, heavy, technical, and a ton of fun.
For those who crave virtuosity, Buried Realm will not disappoint. Guitar wizardry is delivered in droves, with memorable solos, melodic leads, and powerful shredding across the record’s eight tracks. Nilsson’s dynamic fretwork at the heart of “Human Code,” Amott’s dive-bomb acrobatics within “Futuristic Hollow Nation,” and Daniel Freyberg’s (ex-Children of Bodom) blazing solo on “A Futile Endeavor” stand out as particularly jaw-dropping moments.2 Dummer and Saari’s merciless grooves— shredding and hammering with precision— strengthen the album’s star-studded guest list, constructing Buried Realm’s tech-heavy compositions. Contrasting Buried Realm’s unyielding virtuosity are Älvestam’s uplifting serenades on songs like “Jaws of the Abyss” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” which present striking melodies and refreshing hooks that draw me back again and again. Ultimately, while the constellation of guest musicians warrant attention, The Dormant Darkness is filled with highlights that will appeal to a wide audience.
With its intensity and compositional depth, The Dormant Darkness could have easily become overwhelming. Indeed, the songwriting periodically suffers from overly dense passages and abrupt transitions. The disjointed vocal exchange between Dummer and Strid before the chorus in “Human Code,” for example, is jarring, as is the song’s mid-section where a whirlwind of blasts and leads stutters and starts erratically. That said, while occasional missteps somewhat detract from the album’s pacing and flow, they are minor quibbles in a record rife with strong songwriting. Furthermore, Francesco Ferrini’s (Fleshgod Apocalypse) poignant orchestral arrangements on tracks like “Ophidian Dreams” and “Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II” provide atmospheric grandeur and emotional depth, mitigating aural fatigue and upholding sonic balance.
Overall, The Dormant Darkness is a blast. The album is the culmination of Buried Realm’s evolution and proves that Dummer’s persistence and dedication have paid off handsomely. It’s full of highlights and genuinely impressive moments, blending technical prowess with memorable melodic hooks, exceptional guest contributions, and compositional maturity. Despite the occasional minor slipup, the album’s technical and charming melodeath personality seizes my attention from the start and maintains its spectral grasp until the record’s final notes fade into the ether. With The Dormant Darkness, Buried Realm has established itself as a formidable force— one that melodeath fans won’t want to miss.
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: buriedrealm.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/buriedrealm
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025#2025 #40 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Apr25 #ArchEnemy #BuriedRealm #ChildrenOfBodom #DeathMetal #FleshgodApocalypse #MelodicDeathMetal #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeath #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #SelfReleased #Soilwork #SpaceMetal #SymphonicMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheDormantDarkness
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Buried Realm – The Dormant Darkness Review
By Owlswald
Colorado’s Buried Realm, the technical melodic death metal project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Josh Dummer, has built a steady following since 2017’s The Ichor Carcinoma. This is largely because— alongside his role as the primary writer and producer of Buried Realm’s music— Dummer is one hell of a guitarist. Additionally, he enlists a prominent cast of guest musicians for each album, adding another layer of proficiency to his progressive soundscape.1 While Dummer’s talent and networking ability are compelling, 2020’s Embodiment of the Divine received a mixed reception from AMG’s own Twelve. Since then, Dummer has made notable upgrades through the addition of drummer Heikki Saari (Fintroll, ex-Norther) and the outsourcing of post-production duties, resulting in a heavier and more polished sound on Buried Realm’s 2022 self-titled third album. With these refined elements and the promise of further evolution, I was eager to delve into The Dormant Darkness to see what I would find lurking in the shadows.
What I found was a great album. Building upon the foundation of Buried Realm, The Dormant Darkness finds Dummer taking the next step in his power-tinged melodeath assault. The opening barrage of “Bloodline Artifice,” with its relentless blasts, tremolo onslaught, and visceral screams, channels the power of tech-death giants like Allegaeon. At the same time, the album’s overall melodicism is indicative of The Living Infinite-era Soilwork. Guest appearances include the likes of Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy), who fortify tracks like “Human Code” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” with sweeps, dives, and wails galore. Saari’s intricate rhythms and colorful accents amplify Buried Realm’s dazzling riff craft. Additionally, Dummer’s Laiho-esque rasps intertwine with Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s (Soilwork) roars and Christian Älvestam’s (ex-Scar Symmetry) soaring choruses to add sophistication and depth. With a well-rounded mix that delivers plenty of punch and low-end heft, The Dormant Darkness features a concentrated and layered sound that is rich, heavy, technical, and a ton of fun.
For those who crave virtuosity, Buried Realm will not disappoint. Guitar wizardry is delivered in droves, with memorable solos, melodic leads, and powerful shredding across the record’s eight tracks. Nilsson’s dynamic fretwork at the heart of “Human Code,” Amott’s dive-bomb acrobatics within “Futuristic Hollow Nation,” and Daniel Freyberg’s (ex-Children of Bodom) blazing solo on “A Futile Endeavor” stand out as particularly jaw-dropping moments.2 Dummer and Saari’s merciless grooves— shredding and hammering with precision— strengthen the album’s star-studded guest list, constructing Buried Realm’s tech-heavy compositions. Contrasting Buried Realm’s unyielding virtuosity are Älvestam’s uplifting serenades on songs like “Jaws of the Abyss” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” which present striking melodies and refreshing hooks that draw me back again and again. Ultimately, while the constellation of guest musicians warrant attention, The Dormant Darkness is filled with highlights that will appeal to a wide audience.
With its intensity and compositional depth, The Dormant Darkness could have easily become overwhelming. Indeed, the songwriting periodically suffers from overly dense passages and abrupt transitions. The disjointed vocal exchange between Dummer and Strid before the chorus in “Human Code,” for example, is jarring, as is the song’s mid-section where a whirlwind of blasts and leads stutters and starts erratically. That said, while occasional missteps somewhat detract from the album’s pacing and flow, they are minor quibbles in a record rife with strong songwriting. Furthermore, Francesco Ferrini’s (Fleshgod Apocalypse) poignant orchestral arrangements on tracks like “Ophidian Dreams” and “Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II” provide atmospheric grandeur and emotional depth, mitigating aural fatigue and upholding sonic balance.
Overall, The Dormant Darkness is a blast. The album is the culmination of Buried Realm’s evolution and proves that Dummer’s persistence and dedication have paid off handsomely. It’s full of highlights and genuinely impressive moments, blending technical prowess with memorable melodic hooks, exceptional guest contributions, and compositional maturity. Despite the occasional minor slipup, the album’s technical and charming melodeath personality seizes my attention from the start and maintains its spectral grasp until the record’s final notes fade into the ether. With The Dormant Darkness, Buried Realm has established itself as a formidable force— one that melodeath fans won’t want to miss.
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: buriedrealm.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/buriedrealm
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025#2025 #40 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Apr25 #ArchEnemy #BuriedRealm #ChildrenOfBodom #DeathMetal #FleshgodApocalypse #MelodicDeathMetal #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeath #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #SelfReleased #Soilwork #SpaceMetal #SymphonicMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheDormantDarkness
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Please don't make us wait another 9 years for the next album. #music #metal #ScarSymmetry
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Please don't make us wait another 9 years for the next album. #music #metal #ScarSymmetry
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Please don't make us wait another 9 years for the next album. #music #metal #ScarSymmetry
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Please don't make us wait another 9 years for the next album. #music #metal #ScarSymmetry
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Please don't make us wait another 9 years for the next album. #music #metal #ScarSymmetry
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I forgot HOW freakin great #scarsymmetry is!
🤟 🔊 😲
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I forgot HOW freakin great #scarsymmetry is!
🤟 🔊 😲
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I forgot HOW freakin great #scarsymmetry is!
🤟 🔊 😲
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I forgot HOW freakin great #scarsymmetry is!
🤟 🔊 😲
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I forgot HOW freakin great #scarsymmetry is!
🤟 🔊 😲
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Charting the course to 2025: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2024 Artist Spotlight: Scar Symmetry:
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Charting the course to 2025: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2024 Artist Spotlight: Scar Symmetry:
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Deliver the Galaxy – Bury Your Gods Review
By Steel Druhm
Written by: Nameless_N00b_85
It turns out space really is the final frontier. While topics like the nothingness of death, religion, and romantic predilections of the cadaverific kind will always be reliable tropes, space has long revealed itself to be the most tonally diverse of the metal fixations, with music to celebrate its infinite beauties as much as its unknowable (and very knowable) horrors. German melodeath outfit Deliver the Galaxy is poised to drop their third offering, Bury Your Gods, to expound on the “exciting idea that humanity is not alone in the universe.” By the time all is finished, will we have set our phasers for fun, or will we be nuking them from orbit?
After an over-the-top cinematic intro, the band comes out swinging with the title track. Featuring chunky and funky grooves, a healthy dose of Hypocrisy atmosphere, and a bombastic, amphitheater-friendly mix, it’s clear that the band dreams of big things. Choruses are catchy, and tones shift between the weight of black holes collapsing and the gentle colors of passing nebulae. “Unsterblich” is a real highlight, wringing an impressive amount of melancholy from its bridge, and a constant barrage of pit-inciting chugs turning into another earworm of a chorus. The entire package is sleek, immediate, accessible, and reliable.
However, that reliability quickly turns to banality, and a mere handful of songs in, the cracks begin to show. Deliver the Galaxy’s approach to catchiness isn’t rooted in clever vocal phrasing or compositionally clever hooks, but in rote repetition, where each verse seems to serve to get to the chorus as quickly as possible. The choruses themselves also rely on the literal song title being played in a loop. “Get Down” is a particularly egregious offender, repeating the phrase 31 times in its sub-three-minute run time (yes, really) while tacked on to music with a cheesy bop that We Butter the Bread With Butter had the sense to leave on the cutting room floor. The lyrical obnoxiousness is unfortunate, as vocalist Matthias has genuine flair, delivering his lines with a feral sense of conviction and an admirable amount of enunciation, but in the long run, these skills only betray the basic nature of the material.
The compositions themselves fare no better, as the few attempts at experimentation are ghastly. “Shadows” makes a shameless attempt at your local radio rock station with mediocre cleans and a big build-up let down by the even more mediocre chorus. The strange decision is made to end the album with a meandering piano outro, meant to serve as a cathartic release to an album that never earned it. But the biggest offenders are the solos–each is positioned exactly where you’d expect them to be, and each of which bores, stalls, and goes absolutely nowhere. Not every melodeath band needs to bring Scar Symmetry levels of shred, but when your leads are objectively outperforming your solos in both technical heft and emotional resonance, something has gone terribly wrong in the songwriting department.
Still, this album will undoubtedly find an audience, and they’re called “normies”—people who enjoy huge shows where they’re commanded to “let me hear you” or “let me see those hands.” Aesthetically, I like what the band is peddling here, and the enthusiasm with which they deliver the material is palpable. But mediocre songwriting will drag down even the nicest sounding of projects, and this album is high on melody and low on death. A commitment to overly formulaic song structures and a pop radio approach to choruses reduce the listening experience to empty calories for the ears or a space suit with low oxygen in the tank. Hopefully on the next outing the band Deliver the Goods—I’m certainly rooting for them to do so.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: WAV | Format Reviewed: WAVY
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: deliverthegalaxy.com | facebook.com/deliverthegalaxy
Releases Worldwide: August 30, 2024#20 #2024 #Aug24 #BuryYourGods #DeliverTheGalaxy #GermanMetal #Hypocrisy #MassacreRecords #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #WeButterTheBreadWithButter
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Deliver the Galaxy – Bury Your Gods Review
By Steel Druhm
Written by: Nameless_N00b_85
It turns out space really is the final frontier. While topics like the nothingness of death, religion, and romantic predilections of the cadaverific kind will always be reliable tropes, space has long revealed itself to be the most tonally diverse of the metal fixations, with music to celebrate its infinite beauties as much as its unknowable (and very knowable) horrors. German melodeath outfit Deliver the Galaxy is poised to drop their third offering, Bury Your Gods, to expound on the “exciting idea that humanity is not alone in the universe.” By the time all is finished, will we have set our phasers for fun, or will we be nuking them from orbit?
After an over-the-top cinematic intro, the band comes out swinging with the title track. Featuring chunky and funky grooves, a healthy dose of Hypocrisy atmosphere, and a bombastic, amphitheater-friendly mix, it’s clear that the band dreams of big things. Choruses are catchy, and tones shift between the weight of black holes collapsing and the gentle colors of passing nebulae. “Unsterblich” is a real highlight, wringing an impressive amount of melancholy from its bridge, and a constant barrage of pit-inciting chugs turning into another earworm of a chorus. The entire package is sleek, immediate, accessible, and reliable.
However, that reliability quickly turns to banality, and a mere handful of songs in, the cracks begin to show. Deliver the Galaxy’s approach to catchiness isn’t rooted in clever vocal phrasing or compositionally clever hooks, but in rote repetition, where each verse seems to serve to get to the chorus as quickly as possible. The choruses themselves also rely on the literal song title being played in a loop. “Get Down” is a particularly egregious offender, repeating the phrase 31 times in its sub-three-minute run time (yes, really) while tacked on to music with a cheesy bop that We Butter the Bread With Butter had the sense to leave on the cutting room floor. The lyrical obnoxiousness is unfortunate, as vocalist Matthias has genuine flair, delivering his lines with a feral sense of conviction and an admirable amount of enunciation, but in the long run, these skills only betray the basic nature of the material.
The compositions themselves fare no better, as the few attempts at experimentation are ghastly. “Shadows” makes a shameless attempt at your local radio rock station with mediocre cleans and a big build-up let down by the even more mediocre chorus. The strange decision is made to end the album with a meandering piano outro, meant to serve as a cathartic release to an album that never earned it. But the biggest offenders are the solos–each is positioned exactly where you’d expect them to be, and each of which bores, stalls, and goes absolutely nowhere. Not every melodeath band needs to bring Scar Symmetry levels of shred, but when your leads are objectively outperforming your solos in both technical heft and emotional resonance, something has gone terribly wrong in the songwriting department.
Still, this album will undoubtedly find an audience, and they’re called “normies”—people who enjoy huge shows where they’re commanded to “let me hear you” or “let me see those hands.” Aesthetically, I like what the band is peddling here, and the enthusiasm with which they deliver the material is palpable. But mediocre songwriting will drag down even the nicest sounding of projects, and this album is high on melody and low on death. A commitment to overly formulaic song structures and a pop radio approach to choruses reduce the listening experience to empty calories for the ears or a space suit with low oxygen in the tank. Hopefully on the next outing the band Deliver the Goods—I’m certainly rooting for them to do so.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: WAV | Format Reviewed: WAVY
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: deliverthegalaxy.com | facebook.com/deliverthegalaxy
Releases Worldwide: August 30, 2024#20 #2024 #Aug24 #BuryYourGods #DeliverTheGalaxy #GermanMetal #Hypocrisy #MassacreRecords #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #WeButterTheBreadWithButter
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Deliver the Galaxy – Bury Your Gods Review
By Steel Druhm
Written by: Nameless_N00b_85
It turns out space really is the final frontier. While topics like the nothingness of death, religion, and romantic predilections of the cadaverific kind will always be reliable tropes, space has long revealed itself to be the most tonally diverse of the metal fixations, with music to celebrate its infinite beauties as much as its unknowable (and very knowable) horrors. German melodeath outfit Deliver the Galaxy is poised to drop their third offering, Bury Your Gods, to expound on the “exciting idea that humanity is not alone in the universe.” By the time all is finished, will we have set our phasers for fun, or will we be nuking them from orbit?
After an over-the-top cinematic intro, the band comes out swinging with the title track. Featuring chunky and funky grooves, a healthy dose of Hypocrisy atmosphere, and a bombastic, amphitheater-friendly mix, it’s clear that the band dreams of big things. Choruses are catchy, and tones shift between the weight of black holes collapsing and the gentle colors of passing nebulae. “Unsterblich” is a real highlight, wringing an impressive amount of melancholy from its bridge, and a constant barrage of pit-inciting chugs turning into another earworm of a chorus. The entire package is sleek, immediate, accessible, and reliable.
However, that reliability quickly turns to banality, and a mere handful of songs in, the cracks begin to show. Deliver the Galaxy’s approach to catchiness isn’t rooted in clever vocal phrasing or compositionally clever hooks, but in rote repetition, where each verse seems to serve to get to the chorus as quickly as possible. The choruses themselves also rely on the literal song title being played in a loop. “Get Down” is a particularly egregious offender, repeating the phrase 31 times in its sub-three-minute run time (yes, really) while tacked on to music with a cheesy bop that We Butter the Bread With Butter had the sense to leave on the cutting room floor. The lyrical obnoxiousness is unfortunate, as vocalist Matthias has genuine flair, delivering his lines with a feral sense of conviction and an admirable amount of enunciation, but in the long run, these skills only betray the basic nature of the material.
The compositions themselves fare no better, as the few attempts at experimentation are ghastly. “Shadows” makes a shameless attempt at your local radio rock station with mediocre cleans and a big build-up let down by the even more mediocre chorus. The strange decision is made to end the album with a meandering piano outro, meant to serve as a cathartic release to an album that never earned it. But the biggest offenders are the solos–each is positioned exactly where you’d expect them to be, and each of which bores, stalls, and goes absolutely nowhere. Not every melodeath band needs to bring Scar Symmetry levels of shred, but when your leads are objectively outperforming your solos in both technical heft and emotional resonance, something has gone terribly wrong in the songwriting department.
Still, this album will undoubtedly find an audience, and they’re called “normies”—people who enjoy huge shows where they’re commanded to “let me hear you” or “let me see those hands.” Aesthetically, I like what the band is peddling here, and the enthusiasm with which they deliver the material is palpable. But mediocre songwriting will drag down even the nicest sounding of projects, and this album is high on melody and low on death. A commitment to overly formulaic song structures and a pop radio approach to choruses reduce the listening experience to empty calories for the ears or a space suit with low oxygen in the tank. Hopefully on the next outing the band Deliver the Goods—I’m certainly rooting for them to do so.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: WAV | Format Reviewed: WAVY
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: deliverthegalaxy.com | facebook.com/deliverthegalaxy
Releases Worldwide: August 30, 2024#20 #2024 #Aug24 #BuryYourGods #DeliverTheGalaxy #GermanMetal #Hypocrisy #MassacreRecords #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #WeButterTheBreadWithButter
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Members Of BLIND GUARDIAN, DARK TRANQUILLITY, SCAR SYMMETRY & More Featured In 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise Official Theme Song -
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Pitch Black Progress
The IllusionistYouTube Search:
https://youtube.com/results?search_query=Scar+Symmetry+Pitch+Black+Progress+The+IllusionistSongwhip:
https://songwhip.com/Scar-Symmetry/The-IllusionistLyrics:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85h5KYI0bHULastFM:
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Pitch Black Progress
The IllusionistYouTube Search:
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https://songwhip.com/Scar-Symmetry/The-IllusionistLyrics:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85h5KYI0bHULastFM:
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Pitch Black Progress
The IllusionistYouTube Search:
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https://songwhip.com/Scar-Symmetry/The-IllusionistLyrics:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85h5KYI0bHULastFM:
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Pitch Black Progress
The IllusionistYouTube Search:
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https://songwhip.com/Scar-Symmetry/The-IllusionistLyrics:
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Pitch Black Progress
The IllusionistYouTube Search:
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https://songwhip.com/Scar-Symmetry/The-IllusionistLyrics:
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Metal Mixer: Three recent lineup updates – Skid Row, Anthrax & Scar Symmetry:
#TourUpdates #LineupUpdates #MetalMixer #SkidRow #LzzyHale #Anthrax #ScarSymmetry
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Metal Mixer: Three recent lineup updates – Skid Row, Anthrax & Scar Symmetry:
#TourUpdates #LineupUpdates #MetalMixer #SkidRow #LzzyHale #Anthrax #ScarSymmetry
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Metal Mixer: Three recent lineup updates – Skid Row, Anthrax & Scar Symmetry:
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The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)
Scorched QuadrantYouTube Search:
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The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)
Scorched QuadrantYouTube Search:
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The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)
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The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)
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The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9yi6jDmezcLastFM:
https://www.last.fm/music/Scar+Symmetry/_/Scorched+Quadrant -
Stuck in the Filter – September’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
Fall is upon us at last. Here at my station, located far far away from AMG HQ due to my various injustices against the Score Counter, taste, and metal credibility over the past five years of writership, I monitor our minions’ progress scouring the headquarters’ overtaxed filtration system. As the leaves and cool mists infiltrate the guts of the machine to mingle with the stagnant refuse which lines the chutes and coats our poor, unfortunate laborers, I use my remote-controlled cattle-prod-equipped drone to motivate and maintain pace. We have a deadline to reach after all!
Ah, who am I kidding?! Deadlines are for poseurs, and we are well-known specialists of the late post. I just like torturing my subjects until they cough up the goods. And cough up they always do! So now, please, sit, and enjoy the spoils of not my labor, the best of the pretty good from September 2023!
Kenstrosity’s Mildewed Masses
King’s Rot // At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness [September 22nd, 2023 – Hypnotic Dirge Records]
It’s been a fairly mediocre year for standard black metal in the House ov Ken. Most of the time, the good stuff hybridized with other things like death metal (Úlfúð), psychedelia (DHG), or power metal (Moonlight Sorcery). Alberta, Canada’s King’s Rot doesn’t quite change that, but they make a valiant effort of it with their sophomore outing, At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness. Its production marks a good start, perfectly straddling the fence between murky rawness and sparkling clarity. This in turn bolsters the quality of the music, which straddles the fence between melodicism and wretchedness. I’m most engaged whenever King’s Rot kick into high gear, evoking bands like Vimur and Imperialist, except this material prefers to revel in the hellish flames of the underworld rather than the coronas of distant stars (“Blazing Winds of Torment,” “At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness,” “Last Dance for the Eternal Flame”). However, they could use more of that perilous verve and swagger in those areas where the band take their sweet time building up to a blistering fury (as with the Cloak-esque “Twilight Breath Incantation” and “Obscure Awakenings”) in order to keep my interest rabid from start to finish. In sum, you could do much worse than At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness for your fiery, but chilling black metal fix.
Aortha // Monolit [September 8th, 2023 – Self Release]
How many vocalists is too many vocalists? International supergroup Aortha bring a new scope and scale to the question with their groovy heavy/thrash/power metal project by employing six individuals for mic duty (Exhorder‘s Kyle Thomas, Adamantia’s Diego Valdez, Voivod‘s Denis Belanger Snake, ex-Temperance’s Alessia Scolletti, Laurenne/Louhimo’s Netta Laurenne, ex-Scar Symmetry‘s Christian Älvestam). Supported by Jacob Umansky on bass, Hannes Grossman on drums, and Predrag Glogovac on guitars, Aortha’s debut LP Monolit boasts insane levels of groove, hook, and swagger. Bangers like “Those That Should Not Exist,” “Last of Our Kind,” “Forging the Locus” and “Divine Future” are guaranteed to kick your ass and take your lunch money, while every vocalist gets their chance to spit in your face (although it can be difficult to pick out who is who with 100% accuracy). It’s nearly impossible not to bob my head along with these tunes, as transitions constantly reveal a new trick up the group’s sleeve, whether that be another ripping verse hook (“Keep the Dream”), a sharp riff that has no business being as fun or interesting as it is (“Last of Our Kind”), or some fancy percussive work that one would expect from the world’s most sought-after drummer. It might be cheesy in places, ESL is everywhere, and some songs can feel a little long after repeat spins (“When All Around You is Madness”), but Monolit remains one of my most fun, compelling, and deceivingly cohesive surprises this year. You owe it to yourselves to try it!
Dolphin Whisperer’s Trench Treasures
SATSURIKU ROBOT // NO THRASH METAL, NO LIFE! [September 8th, 2023 – WormHoleDeath]
No Thrash Metal, No Life!—demanding and straightforward. It’s easy to imagine that the untested Japanese act would have constructed this outing as an homage to the blue-collar hammer-on, hammer-off tunes we all love so dearly.1 And to a certain extent the opening riffs to the Slayer-touched “THRASH NEVER DIE” and the Sodom-grooving “MAD THRASHER” have a normalcy to them. However, that basic appearance dissolves rapidly against a cranked-out, clangy-ass snare and a vocalist who’s channeling both a cat in heat and a pig greased for the chase. Honestly, I have no idea what the fuck he’s doing. On tracks like “殺戮ロボット – SATSURIKU ROBOT ” and “CARRY ON” he drops character for brief moments while channeling a punky bellow akin to fellow countrymen SEX MACHINEGUNS, which gives a little respite to his madness. For the most part though, he squirts and squeals with a rabid conviction while his bandmates do their best to churn out solid sing-along gang shouts amidst mighty solos (“ROBOT IN THE PANDEMIC,” “NO THRASH METAL, NO LIFE!”). Similar to the out-of-place nature of the hokey, nursery rhyme infusions you hear in a Macabre album, much of what SATSURIKU ROBOT accomplishes throughout this thoughtful mess of a debut should not work, but it does and it’s catchy as hell. Though I don’t think these folks could pull it off twice with as much shock value, but that matters little when you can enjoy this sneakily not-thrash ode to thrash. So what’re you waiting for? NO THRASH METAL, NO LIFE!!!
Vibora // Zaldi Beltza [September 29th, 2023 – Zegema Beach Records]
Anthemic, throat-ripping, cathartic as a cold bath with the curtains drawn—Zaldi Beltza (The Black Horse) is the skramz you need in your life. With a bass overdriven for noise rock and a scrapped mic that reminds me of regionally-adjacent sadbois Tenue or ragers Crossed,2 Vibora’s brand of screeching metalcore comes with highlights that swing effortlessly between tough guy throw-downs and major swing crescendos (“Eraikin Zurie,” “Le Fleur”). Though Vibora drops tempo for a few melancholy post-hardcore romps (“DANA,” “La Casa, 20”), the burn through Zaldi Beltza’s nine tracks in twenty-three minutes never feels too long drawn on its less aggressive elements. Appropriate levels of hissing amp feedback and nut-shaking bass (“La Casa, 8,” “Ez Ziguten Maitatzen Irakatsi”) ensure that these Basque core-kiddies never stray too far from a forward-moving path. I gotta level with you though, this is true screamo, and if you’re not accustomed to the fuzz-filtered, nasally, digging yelp that typically accompanies this world, Vibora doesn’t do anything to change that. But Zaldi Beltza, in its close-to-roots expression of bright-chord Daïtro-flavored post-hardcore with extra hardcore delivers a modern sad-ggression that’s building a movement of its own.
Thus Spoke’s Tarnished Trinkets
Ash Prison // Future Torn [September 22nd 2023 – Sentient Ruin Laboratories]
Ash Prison are basically everything you want blackened industrial music to be—or at least they’re everything I want it to be. This weird, warpy, wacky work sees resonant, electrified bass wrap around jittery tempos, accompanied by echoing, snarling croaks, and a plethora of other strange sounds. You’ve taken the pill the shifty guy by the club toilets gave you, that you probably shouldn’t have, and now the gothic electronica is warping around you, and the walls are starting to melt. The come up was a bit aggressive (“Archangel”), but at the same time, incredibly, weirdly danceable, in a jagged sort of way, as is much of Future Torn. And the way groovy, boppy beats slide in out of the noise (“Death Reborn,” “No Return,” “Collapse”) is almost as unsettling as the heavier, actually scary stuff. This mood swing happens whiplash from song to song, “Voidhead,” “Black Horizon,” and “Weep in my Shadow” each smash onto the scene with fast, clipped tempos and a lot of static and distortion. And then there’s “Scorn,” whose skipping, echoing voice sample and scarily low hum create a spine-chillingly powerful sense of dread before the beat picks up to turn it into a mad, unhinged bop. This album terrifies me, and I love it. Why not give it a try?
Steel Druhm’s Seasonal Slashing:
Lord of Shadows // Echoes of Yore [September 1st, 2023 – Meuse Music Records]
Lord of Shadows is the work of one Mike Lamb, and on the debut full-length Echoes of Yore, the multi-instrumentalist tackles the Peaceville sound made famous in the 90s by My Dying Bride and Anathema. And to make sure you know he’s deadly serious about his passion project, he recruited none other than My Dying Bride’s Aaron Stainthorpe to handle vocals for him, alongside Heike Langhans (Remina, Light Field Reverie, ex-Draconian). Over 42 minutes, Lamb and guests paint the night pitch black with effective Gothic doom loaded with drama, pathos, and despondency. The man knows his chosen genre well and appoints it with a captivating array of forlorn riffs, weeping pianos, ethereal female vocals, and booming death croaks. The songsmithing is above average and the lengthy compositions keep you in thrall as they suck all the joy from your downtrodden soul. Cuts like “Faith of Thy Beloved” and “At the End of Our Eclipse” will win you over to the morose cause, and the nine-minute “Through Memories, I Gave Her Life” will carry you off to sadboi glory. Is it derivative of its source material? Naturally, but the adroit blend of My Dying Bride and female-forward Gothic doom like Draconian works well. With Winter banging at the door, this is the optimal time of year for what Lord of Shadows are selling, so stock up now! DOOM!
#2023 #Adamantia #Aortha #AshPrison #AtTheGatesOfAdversarialDarkness #BlackMetal #CanadianMetal #Cloak #Crossed #Daïtro #DHG #EchoesOfYore #Exhorder #FutureTorn #HeavyMetal #HypnoticDirgeRecords #Imperialist #Industrial #IndustrialMetal #KingSRot #LaurenneLouhimo #LordOfShadows #Macabre #MelodicBlackMetal #Metalcore #Monolit #MoonlightSorcery #NoThrashMetalNoLife #PowerMetal #SatsurikuRobot #ScarSymmetry #Screamo #SelfReleased #SentientRuinLaboratories #Sep23 #Slayer #Sodom #StuckInTheFilter #Temperance #Tenue #ThrashMetal #Úlfúð #VIbora #Vimur #Voivod #WormHoleDeath #ZaldiBeltza #ZegemaBeachRecords
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Stuck in the Filter – September’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
Fall is upon us at last. Here at my station, located far far away from AMG HQ due to my various injustices against the Score Counter, taste, and metal credibility over the past five years of writership, I monitor our minions’ progress scouring the headquarters’ overtaxed filtration system. As the leaves and cool mists infiltrate the guts of the machine to mingle with the stagnant refuse which lines the chutes and coats our poor, unfortunate laborers, I use my remote-controlled cattle-prod-equipped drone to motivate and maintain pace. We have a deadline to reach after all!
Ah, who am I kidding?! Deadlines are for poseurs, and we are well-known specialists of the late post. I just like torturing my subjects until they cough up the goods. And cough up they always do! So now, please, sit, and enjoy the spoils of not my labor, the best of the pretty good from September 2023!
Kenstrosity’s Mildewed Masses
King’s Rot // At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness [September 22nd, 2023 – Hypnotic Dirge Records]
It’s been a fairly mediocre year for standard black metal in the House ov Ken. Most of the time, the good stuff hybridized with other things like death metal (Úlfúð), psychedelia (DHG), or power metal (Moonlight Sorcery). Alberta, Canada’s King’s Rot doesn’t quite change that, but they make a valiant effort of it with their sophomore outing, At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness. Its production marks a good start, perfectly straddling the fence between murky rawness and sparkling clarity. This in turn bolsters the quality of the music, which straddles the fence between melodicism and wretchedness. I’m most engaged whenever King’s Rot kick into high gear, evoking bands like Vimur and Imperialist, except this material prefers to revel in the hellish flames of the underworld rather than the coronas of distant stars (“Blazing Winds of Torment,” “At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness,” “Last Dance for the Eternal Flame”). However, they could use more of that perilous verve and swagger in those areas where the band take their sweet time building up to a blistering fury (as with the Cloak-esque “Twilight Breath Incantation” and “Obscure Awakenings”) in order to keep my interest rabid from start to finish. In sum, you could do much worse than At the Gates of Adversarial Darkness for your fiery, but chilling black metal fix.
Aortha // Monolit [September 8th, 2023 – Self Release]
How many vocalists is too many vocalists? International supergroup Aortha bring a new scope and scale to the question with their groovy heavy/thrash/power metal project by employing six individuals for mic duty (Exhorder‘s Kyle Thomas, Adamantia’s Diego Valdez, Voivod‘s Denis Belanger Snake, ex-Temperance’s Alessia Scolletti, Laurenne/Louhimo’s Netta Laurenne, ex-Scar Symmetry‘s Christian Älvestam). Supported by Jacob Umansky on bass, Hannes Grossman on drums, and Predrag Glogovac on guitars, Aortha’s debut LP Monolit boasts insane levels of groove, hook, and swagger. Bangers like “Those That Should Not Exist,” “Last of Our Kind,” “Forging the Locus” and “Divine Future” are guaranteed to kick your ass and take your lunch money, while every vocalist gets their chance to spit in your face (although it can be difficult to pick out who is who with 100% accuracy). It’s nearly impossible not to bob my head along with these tunes, as transitions constantly reveal a new trick up the group’s sleeve, whether that be another ripping verse hook (“Keep the Dream”), a sharp riff that has no business being as fun or interesting as it is (“Last of Our Kind”), or some fancy percussive work that one would expect from the world’s most sought-after drummer. It might be cheesy in places, ESL is everywhere, and some songs can feel a little long after repeat spins (“When All Around You is Madness”), but Monolit remains one of my most fun, compelling, and deceivingly cohesive surprises this year. You owe it to yourselves to try it!
Dolphin Whisperer’s Trench Treasures
SATSURIKU ROBOT // NO THRASH METAL, NO LIFE! [September 8th, 2023 – WormHoleDeath]
No Thrash Metal, No Life!—demanding and straightforward. It’s easy to imagine that the untested Japanese act would have constructed this outing as an homage to the blue-collar hammer-on, hammer-off tunes we all love so dearly.1 And to a certain extent the opening riffs to the Slayer-touched “THRASH NEVER DIE” and the Sodom-grooving “MAD THRASHER” have a normalcy to them. However, that basic appearance dissolves rapidly against a cranked-out, clangy-ass snare and a vocalist who’s channeling both a cat in heat and a pig greased for the chase. Honestly, I have no idea what the fuck he’s doing. On tracks like “殺戮ロボット – SATSURIKU ROBOT ” and “CARRY ON” he drops character for brief moments while channeling a punky bellow akin to fellow countrymen SEX MACHINEGUNS, which gives a little respite to his madness. For the most part though, he squirts and squeals with a rabid conviction while his bandmates do their best to churn out solid sing-along gang shouts amidst mighty solos (“ROBOT IN THE PANDEMIC,” “NO THRASH METAL, NO LIFE!”). Similar to the out-of-place nature of the hokey, nursery rhyme infusions you hear in a Macabre album, much of what SATSURIKU ROBOT accomplishes throughout this thoughtful mess of a debut should not work, but it does and it’s catchy as hell. Though I don’t think these folks could pull it off twice with as much shock value, but that matters little when you can enjoy this sneakily not-thrash ode to thrash. So what’re you waiting for? NO THRASH METAL, NO LIFE!!!
Vibora // Zaldi Beltza [September 29th, 2023 – Zegema Beach Records]
Anthemic, throat-ripping, cathartic as a cold bath with the curtains drawn—Zaldi Beltza (The Black Horse) is the skramz you need in your life. With a bass overdriven for noise rock and a scrapped mic that reminds me of regionally-adjacent sadbois Tenue or ragers Crossed,2 Vibora’s brand of screeching metalcore comes with highlights that swing effortlessly between tough guy throw-downs and major swing crescendos (“Eraikin Zurie,” “Le Fleur”). Though Vibora drops tempo for a few melancholy post-hardcore romps (“DANA,” “La Casa, 20”), the burn through Zaldi Beltza’s nine tracks in twenty-three minutes never feels too long drawn on its less aggressive elements. Appropriate levels of hissing amp feedback and nut-shaking bass (“La Casa, 8,” “Ez Ziguten Maitatzen Irakatsi”) ensure that these Basque core-kiddies never stray too far from a forward-moving path. I gotta level with you though, this is true screamo, and if you’re not accustomed to the fuzz-filtered, nasally, digging yelp that typically accompanies this world, Vibora doesn’t do anything to change that. But Zaldi Beltza, in its close-to-roots expression of bright-chord Daïtro-flavored post-hardcore with extra hardcore delivers a modern sad-ggression that’s building a movement of its own.
Thus Spoke’s Tarnished Trinkets
Ash Prison // Future Torn [September 22nd 2023 – Sentient Ruin Laboratories]
Ash Prison are basically everything you want blackened industrial music to be—or at least they’re everything I want it to be. This weird, warpy, wacky work sees resonant, electrified bass wrap around jittery tempos, accompanied by echoing, snarling croaks, and a plethora of other strange sounds. You’ve taken the pill the shifty guy by the club toilets gave you, that you probably shouldn’t have, and now the gothic electronica is warping around you, and the walls are starting to melt. The come up was a bit aggressive (“Archangel”), but at the same time, incredibly, weirdly danceable, in a jagged sort of way, as is much of Future Torn. And the way groovy, boppy beats slide in out of the noise (“Death Reborn,” “No Return,” “Collapse”) is almost as unsettling as the heavier, actually scary stuff. This mood swing happens whiplash from song to song, “Voidhead,” “Black Horizon,” and “Weep in my Shadow” each smash onto the scene with fast, clipped tempos and a lot of static and distortion. And then there’s “Scorn,” whose skipping, echoing voice sample and scarily low hum create a spine-chillingly powerful sense of dread before the beat picks up to turn it into a mad, unhinged bop. This album terrifies me, and I love it. Why not give it a try?
Steel Druhm’s Seasonal Slashing:
Lord of Shadows // Echoes of Yore [September 1st, 2023 – Meuse Music Records]
Lord of Shadows is the work of one Mike Lamb, and on the debut full-length Echoes of Yore, the multi-instrumentalist tackles the Peaceville sound made famous in the 90s by My Dying Bride and Anathema. And to make sure you know he’s deadly serious about his passion project, he recruited none other than My Dying Bride’s Aaron Stainthorpe to handle vocals for him, alongside Heike Langhans (Remina, Light Field Reverie, ex-Draconian). Over 42 minutes, Lamb and guests paint the night pitch black with effective Gothic doom loaded with drama, pathos, and despondency. The man knows his chosen genre well and appoints it with a captivating array of forlorn riffs, weeping pianos, ethereal female vocals, and booming death croaks. The songsmithing is above average and the lengthy compositions keep you in thrall as they suck all the joy from your downtrodden soul. Cuts like “Faith of Thy Beloved” and “At the End of Our Eclipse” will win you over to the morose cause, and the nine-minute “Through Memories, I Gave Her Life” will carry you off to sadboi glory. Is it derivative of its source material? Naturally, but the adroit blend of My Dying Bride and female-forward Gothic doom like Draconian works well. With Winter banging at the door, this is the optimal time of year for what Lord of Shadows are selling, so stock up now! DOOM!
#2023 #Adamantia #Aortha #AshPrison #AtTheGatesOfAdversarialDarkness #BlackMetal #CanadianMetal #Cloak #Crossed #Daïtro #DHG #EchoesOfYore #Exhorder #FutureTorn #HeavyMetal #HypnoticDirgeRecords #Imperialist #Industrial #IndustrialMetal #KingSRot #LaurenneLouhimo #LordOfShadows #Macabre #MelodicBlackMetal #Metalcore #Monolit #MoonlightSorcery #NoThrashMetalNoLife #PowerMetal #SatsurikuRobot #ScarSymmetry #Screamo #SelfReleased #SentientRuinLaboratories #Sep23 #Slayer #Sodom #StuckInTheFilter #Temperance #Tenue #ThrashMetal #Úlfúð #VIbora #Vimur #Voivod #WormHoleDeath #ZaldiBeltza #ZegemaBeachRecords
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DÅÅTH Recruits SCAR SYMMETRY's PER NILSSON For New Song "The Silent Foray"
They've also got a new guitarist. -
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DÅÅTH Recruits SCAR SYMMETRY's PER NILSSON For New Song "The Silent Foray"
They've also got a new guitarist. -
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DÅÅTH Recruits SCAR SYMMETRY's PER NILSSON For New Song "The Silent Foray"
They've also got a new guitarist. -
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DÅÅTH Recruits SCAR SYMMETRY's PER NILSSON For New Song "The Silent Foray"
They've also got a new guitarist. -
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DÅÅTH Recruits SCAR SYMMETRY's PER NILSSON For New Song "The Silent Foray"
They've also got a new guitarist. -
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Scorched Quadrant
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Scorched Quadrant
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Scorched Quadrant
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Scorched Quadrant
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Scorched Quadrant
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SCAR SYMMETRY RELEASE VIDEO FOR "SCORCHED QUADRANT"
PRESS RELEASE: Nine years since the first installment of 'The Singularity Trilogy', virtuosic progressive metallers SCAR SYMMETRY, who rec..https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2023/04/scar-symmetry-release-video-for.html
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SCAR SYMMETRY RELEASE VIDEO FOR "SCORCHED QUADRANT"
PRESS RELEASE: Nine years since the first installment of 'The Singularity Trilogy', virtuosic progressive metallers SCAR SYMMETRY, who rec..https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2023/04/scar-symmetry-release-video-for.html
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SCAR SYMMETRY RELEASE VIDEO FOR "SCORCHED QUADRANT"
PRESS RELEASE: Nine years since the first installment of 'The Singularity Trilogy', virtuosic progressive metallers SCAR SYMMETRY, who rec..https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2023/04/scar-symmetry-release-video-for.html
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