The latest heavy metal album reviews, including releases from Alunah, As Light Dies, Castle Freak, Exotype, Godflesh, Gormathon, Hurtsmile, Lavatory, Lo-Pan, Mausoleum Gate, Nova, Ohhms, Pyre, Sixx:A.M., Verse Vica and Vomitile.
The ratings are on a 5 star scale.
Genre: Doom Metal
Ever wonder what Subrosa would sound like without the violins? Well, the title track from Alunah's third album Awakening the Forest is a pretty good approximation. Monolithic, thick as tar doom backing the bluesy presence of vocalist/guitarist Soph Day. But not all songs sound the same. The tunes come slow and steady, feeding off a steady diet of Black Sabbath and classic doom.
The riffs are huge and hypnotic and the psychedelics entrancing, giving off the foreboding sense that doom's best possess. Day's fluid delivery is such that her adaptability fills the mold required by the album's stylistic flow. They may not veer far from the well trod stoner/doom path but there's something bewitching about Alunah that stirs up an ache inside.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
Genre: Black/Death Metal
The Spanish band As Light Dies return with The Love Album: Volume 1, their first effort in four years. Like their previous albums, there are a lot of avant-garde and experimental moments.
The songs shift from heavy black/death metal to progressive to accessible. Tempos and intensities are constantly changing, as are the vocal styles. Mellow melodic singing gives way to aggressive growls and yells. As Light Dies are a band always taking chances and pushing the envelope, and although all their experiments don't work, enough of them do to keep the listener interested.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore
Undoubtedly named after the Full Moon production featuring Jeffrey Combs, Philly death-grind quartet Castle Freak are set to release their debut EP Still Rotting, a low-fi whirlwind of buzzing licks and devilish vocals built around a motif of cult horror films.
Be it C.H.U.D. or Return of the Living Dead, Castle Freak pay grotesque tribute to shock cinema with jagged riffs and off-color lyrics about zombies, madmen, and marijuana. While the rough production is self-inflicted, its down-and-dirty attitude adds a chiseled charm fans of Repulsion should revel in. This short EP bleeds out a little too soon, but it’d make for a rad split with Cannabis Corpse.
Rating: 3.5
(Evan Mugford)
Genre: Metalcore
On their self-titled debut album, Florida's Exotype blend metalcore with electronic elements. The songs are heavy, combining harsh vocals with melodic singing.
It's nothing original, but Exotype execute it really well, with songs that are well-written and catchy. There's plenty of diversity as well, helped by the addition of those electronic elements. The band brings aboard Chad Ruhling from For The Fallen Dreams to guest on a track, and electronic artist Rekoil lends his talents to "For Those Afraid To Speak." They're a new band well worth checking out if you're a metalcore fan.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Genre: Industrial Metal
After an absence of more than a decade, industrial metal legends Godflesh returned earlier this year with a new EP. Now they unleash the full album A World Lit Only By Fire.
The album's sound is classic Godflesh with plenty of heavy riffs and aggressiveness, but also great grooves and melody. Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green deliver industrial and mechanical soundscapes that are sometimes bleak, but never sterile sounding. The album is a great combination of early influences and modern production, creating something fresh and compelling. Godflesh fans will dig this and a whole new generation of listeners will have the chance to hear and appreciate them.
Rating: 4.5
(Chad Bowar)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Sweden’s Gormathon are back with their sophomore album Following the Beast after a three-year break between releases. Capturing the key elements of Amon Amarth and Insomnium is their calling card as they generate a lot of melody intertwined within their death metal roots. Guitar players Stefan Jonsson and Markus Albertson both shred, as there are countless mind blowing solos.
From the opening galloping guitar riff of “Remedy,” the band unleashes an endless headbanging journey. Vocalist Tony Sunnhag is remarkable, shifting between soaring melodic vocals and deep guttural death growls. “Remember” is the perfect change of pace as the tempo is considerably slower and contains an unforgettable chorus. “Celestial Warrior” and “In Benevolence” find the band at their fiercest.
Rating: 4
(Dan Drago)
Genre: Hard Rock
Retrogrenade is the second album from Hurtsmile, which features vocalist Gary Cherone (Extreme). Also in the band are his brother Mark Cherone on guitar, bassist Joe Pessia (Tantric) and drummer Dana Spellman.
The band's sound is sometimes driving hard rock, other times mellower mainstream/classic rock, but always extremely melodic and catchy. Tracks like "Big Government" hearken back to Extreme's funk metal beginnings. Cherone's voice still sounds great and there's some excellent guitar work on this diverse and enjoyable album.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Genre: Death Metal
Lavatory’s unpolished death metal is what holds together this audacious full-length. Though their band name could be twisted around to make enough bathroom jokes to take up a full page, the music is grim and serious. Terror, mayhem, and selfish destruction echo through each shouted word, and the raw guitar tones reaffirm the anarchic elements.
It’s clear the Malaysian band looks to the past for inspiration, culling their sound from the forefathers of the genre. Lavatory bring a youthful spark to their interpretation of death metal, though Morbid Terror lacks memorable qualities apart from a few catchy choruses.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Genre: Hard Rock
Colossus, the fourth album from riff rockers Lo-Pan, sounds pretty much as you'd expect a band on Small Stone to sound. Their working man, no frills approach to the power of the riff appeals to a wide range of listeners who appreciate it when a band just wants to rock out.
Said riffs are of the tasty stoner variety, greased up from road-doggin' so they slide right into that sweet spot where groove dominates. Given the vocals, I can't see why Lo-Pan couldn't light up rock radio phone lines. The “Three Days Grace being introduced to Silverchair by The Music's Robert Harvey” delivery has accessibility written all over it. With enough hooks to drain a lake and energy to spare, I bet Lo-Pan put on a great party.
Rating: 3
(Matt Hinch)
Genre: NWOBHM
Finland’s Mausoleum Gate are treading the waters of the NWOBHM circa 1975 or so on their self titled debut full-length album. Employing a rather weak, analog production, Mausoleum Gate are definitely showing their influences with songs seemingly lifted from Judas Priest albums released before British Steel. The riffs are rather simple with a bit of a pop-oriented sound, and the vocals from V-P Varpula are melodic and high-pitched.
The approach doesn’t work very well, though, as the musicianship is merely adequate and the songs are not very interesting. But, deeper in, the album gets more progressive with the introduction of keyboards as, all of a sudden, Mausoleum Gate sound as if they’re coming from Deep Purple more than anything else. These moments do work well, and rescue this album from a rather dismal score.
Rating: 3
(Dave Schalek)
The ratings are on a 5 star scale.
Alunah – 'Awakening the Forest' (Napalm)
Genre: Doom Metal
Ever wonder what Subrosa would sound like without the violins? Well, the title track from Alunah's third album Awakening the Forest is a pretty good approximation. Monolithic, thick as tar doom backing the bluesy presence of vocalist/guitarist Soph Day. But not all songs sound the same. The tunes come slow and steady, feeding off a steady diet of Black Sabbath and classic doom.
The riffs are huge and hypnotic and the psychedelics entrancing, giving off the foreboding sense that doom's best possess. Day's fluid delivery is such that her adaptability fills the mold required by the album's stylistic flow. They may not veer far from the well trod stoner/doom path but there's something bewitching about Alunah that stirs up an ache inside.
Rating: 3.5
(Matt Hinch)
As Light Dies - 'The Love Album: Volume 1' (Maa)
Genre: Black/Death Metal
The Spanish band As Light Dies return with The Love Album: Volume 1, their first effort in four years. Like their previous albums, there are a lot of avant-garde and experimental moments.
The songs shift from heavy black/death metal to progressive to accessible. Tempos and intensities are constantly changing, as are the vocal styles. Mellow melodic singing gives way to aggressive growls and yells. As Light Dies are a band always taking chances and pushing the envelope, and although all their experiments don't work, enough of them do to keep the listener interested.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Castle Freak – ‘Still Rotting’ (Tridroid)
Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore
Undoubtedly named after the Full Moon production featuring Jeffrey Combs, Philly death-grind quartet Castle Freak are set to release their debut EP Still Rotting, a low-fi whirlwind of buzzing licks and devilish vocals built around a motif of cult horror films.
Be it C.H.U.D. or Return of the Living Dead, Castle Freak pay grotesque tribute to shock cinema with jagged riffs and off-color lyrics about zombies, madmen, and marijuana. While the rough production is self-inflicted, its down-and-dirty attitude adds a chiseled charm fans of Repulsion should revel in. This short EP bleeds out a little too soon, but it’d make for a rad split with Cannabis Corpse.
Rating: 3.5
(Evan Mugford)
Exotype - 'Exotype' (Rise)
Genre: Metalcore
On their self-titled debut album, Florida's Exotype blend metalcore with electronic elements. The songs are heavy, combining harsh vocals with melodic singing.
It's nothing original, but Exotype execute it really well, with songs that are well-written and catchy. There's plenty of diversity as well, helped by the addition of those electronic elements. The band brings aboard Chad Ruhling from For The Fallen Dreams to guest on a track, and electronic artist Rekoil lends his talents to "For Those Afraid To Speak." They're a new band well worth checking out if you're a metalcore fan.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Godflesh - 'A World Lit Only By Fire' (Avalanche)
Genre: Industrial Metal
After an absence of more than a decade, industrial metal legends Godflesh returned earlier this year with a new EP. Now they unleash the full album A World Lit Only By Fire.
The album's sound is classic Godflesh with plenty of heavy riffs and aggressiveness, but also great grooves and melody. Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green deliver industrial and mechanical soundscapes that are sometimes bleak, but never sterile sounding. The album is a great combination of early influences and modern production, creating something fresh and compelling. Godflesh fans will dig this and a whole new generation of listeners will have the chance to hear and appreciate them.
Rating: 4.5
(Chad Bowar)
Gormathon – ‘Following the Beast’ (Napalm)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Sweden’s Gormathon are back with their sophomore album Following the Beast after a three-year break between releases. Capturing the key elements of Amon Amarth and Insomnium is their calling card as they generate a lot of melody intertwined within their death metal roots. Guitar players Stefan Jonsson and Markus Albertson both shred, as there are countless mind blowing solos.
From the opening galloping guitar riff of “Remedy,” the band unleashes an endless headbanging journey. Vocalist Tony Sunnhag is remarkable, shifting between soaring melodic vocals and deep guttural death growls. “Remember” is the perfect change of pace as the tempo is considerably slower and contains an unforgettable chorus. “Celestial Warrior” and “In Benevolence” find the band at their fiercest.
Rating: 4
(Dan Drago)
Hurtsmile - 'Retrogrenade' (Slipkid)
Genre: Hard Rock
Retrogrenade is the second album from Hurtsmile, which features vocalist Gary Cherone (Extreme). Also in the band are his brother Mark Cherone on guitar, bassist Joe Pessia (Tantric) and drummer Dana Spellman.
The band's sound is sometimes driving hard rock, other times mellower mainstream/classic rock, but always extremely melodic and catchy. Tracks like "Big Government" hearken back to Extreme's funk metal beginnings. Cherone's voice still sounds great and there's some excellent guitar work on this diverse and enjoyable album.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Lavatory – ‘Morbid Terror’ (Pulverised)
Genre: Death Metal
Lavatory’s unpolished death metal is what holds together this audacious full-length. Though their band name could be twisted around to make enough bathroom jokes to take up a full page, the music is grim and serious. Terror, mayhem, and selfish destruction echo through each shouted word, and the raw guitar tones reaffirm the anarchic elements.
It’s clear the Malaysian band looks to the past for inspiration, culling their sound from the forefathers of the genre. Lavatory bring a youthful spark to their interpretation of death metal, though Morbid Terror lacks memorable qualities apart from a few catchy choruses.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Lo-Pan – 'Colossus' (Small Stone)
Genre: Hard Rock
Colossus, the fourth album from riff rockers Lo-Pan, sounds pretty much as you'd expect a band on Small Stone to sound. Their working man, no frills approach to the power of the riff appeals to a wide range of listeners who appreciate it when a band just wants to rock out.
Said riffs are of the tasty stoner variety, greased up from road-doggin' so they slide right into that sweet spot where groove dominates. Given the vocals, I can't see why Lo-Pan couldn't light up rock radio phone lines. The “Three Days Grace being introduced to Silverchair by The Music's Robert Harvey” delivery has accessibility written all over it. With enough hooks to drain a lake and energy to spare, I bet Lo-Pan put on a great party.
Rating: 3
(Matt Hinch)
Mausoleum Gate – ‘Mausoleum Gate’ (Cruz Del Sur)
Genre: NWOBHM
Finland’s Mausoleum Gate are treading the waters of the NWOBHM circa 1975 or so on their self titled debut full-length album. Employing a rather weak, analog production, Mausoleum Gate are definitely showing their influences with songs seemingly lifted from Judas Priest albums released before British Steel. The riffs are rather simple with a bit of a pop-oriented sound, and the vocals from V-P Varpula are melodic and high-pitched.
The approach doesn’t work very well, though, as the musicianship is merely adequate and the songs are not very interesting. But, deeper in, the album gets more progressive with the introduction of keyboards as, all of a sudden, Mausoleum Gate sound as if they’re coming from Deep Purple more than anything else. These moments do work well, and rescue this album from a rather dismal score.
Rating: 3
(Dave Schalek)
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