THE SHORT STACK: November 2020

 THE SHORT STACK

Short reviews by some famous releases that don't need any fanfare from yours truly

BENEDICTION - Scriptures

Nuclear Blast

OK so the big news going on with this one is the return of Dave Ingram on vocals. For me that's cool since I've been digging his recent work with Rogga Johansson in DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN. For me personally I wasn't into the Dave Hunt on vocals years. That last album, 2008's Killing Music, made me think the band was just on automatic. Sure it sounded good but it's suppose to.

Scriptures is not a return to Transcend the Rubicon or even Grind Bastard. Honestly you don't wanna hear that anyway. Basically it's a death metal release by a band who's older members feel hungry again. Ingram has never lost a bit of his deep bellow vocal style. Guitarists Peter Rew and Darren Brookes are damm heavy handed with the riffs. The new guys in the rhythm section are solid. It's a flawless death metal album.

https://www.nuclearblast.de/en/shop/index.html

ENSLAVED - Utgard

Nuclear Blast

It's been ten years since I bothered listening to an ENSLAVED release. I figured after all of that time I'd give em a chance listen to see if they've become interesting again. Well no, they're still a full on prog metal act. Sure they'll insert a kernel of past black metal essence into a song or two. The track "Jettegryta" is as close as it gets. And that one even goes the way of modern day DIMMU BORGIR meets a Nordic version of 90's YES. I'll stick with their first three albums.

https://www.nuclearblast.de/en/shop/index.html

BURZUM - Thulean Mysteries 2xCD

Byelobog Productions

Yeah this double CD release needs a warning sticker and not for what you would think. If you've kept up with Varg over the years, like on his now deleted Youtube channel (he's on Bitchute by the way), or as a fan of BURZUM. Then you know he's not into metal anymore. Varg has been doing the whole dark ambient music style for quite some time. This 23 song release is much less a musical opus (aka: a new BURZUM album) but more of a soundtrack to his MYFAROG role playing game.

Now just the thought of Varg coming up with a D&D style game is enough to bring a sadistic grin as well as an eye roll from me. But I'm dealing with the music here. Varg utilizes plenty of synth, acoustic guitar, tribal instruments, he sings a bit and speaks but this is primarily an instrumental release. And with all of that said, it's horrible unless you need some boring background music to play some fuckin board game. 

http://byelobog-productions.burzum.org/

WARBRINGER - Weapons of Tomorrow

Napalm Records

This was one of the promising acts from the mid 2000's thrash revival. I saw em back then, picked up their releases and then gave up on em about a decade ago with their third release. Back then they were on Century Media Records but in 2017 they came out with their fifth full length Woe to the Vanquished on Napalm Records. Weapons of Tomorrow is their sixth full length and second for the label where all bands go to die.

Actually this is not a bad release. The line-up has only two original members, they don't sound like used SLAYER anymore. They're still thrash but with a character of their own and maybe some power metal influence. This is definitely better than all their past stuff.

https://label.napalmrecords.com/

Floating in the Mainstream

Floating in the Mainstream
Short takes on what the mainstream thinks is cool, LAUGHS!!!!!

PRIMITIVE MAN - Caustic

Relapse Records

This is the most boring piece of over-hyped horseshit I've heard this year. It's basically a more sludgey version of SUNN O))) (who are just as boring by the way) with blackened death vocals. Or better yet, put on a PORTAL album and play it with a quarter on top of the needle. PRIMITIVE MAN are a three piece act from denver and have been around for a few years now. In 2013 they released their debut full length, Scorn, which got em notoriety, why I'll never know. This is their second full length but hey first on Relapse. A waste of seventy five minutes.

https://store.relapse.com/


DYING FETUS - Wrong One to Fuck With

Relapse Records

Full disclosure, I never was a huge fan of tech death but honestly over the years I've heard some incredible bands that fully deserve honor. DYING FETUS ain't one of em. Except for the various staccato turrets freak-outs they're basically MORTICIAN on coke. And ya know that's not brutal, that's stupid.

https://store.relapse.com/

WARBRINGER - Woe to the Vanquished

Napalm Records

I've said it so many times but I'll repeat it. When the thrash revival came about in the late 80s I was on board at the beggining. Like any other musical revival it was simply a younger generation recreating something from the past because they loved it as well as rejecting the modern norms. Unfortunately the modern norms (aka: the mainstream metal media) were against it at first until major labels started signing these bands and then (because of advertising dollars) they suddenly liked it. 
Be that truth as it may, I liked WARBRINGER on the Speed Kills Again comp. I saw em twice and liked their debut full length, War Without End. But then the decline happened. Seriously you can only do so much with recycled Bay Area thrash riffs and song structures. Since this is on Napalm Records then obviously their three album deal with Century Media came to an end. As far as this goes hey when they recycle SLAYER stuff I'm kinda offended because it's worse than new SLAYER.

http://label.napalmrecords.com/


EXHUMED - Death Revenge

Relapse Records

At this point in the game do you really think there's gonna be something different or better yet explosive in this band's sound? Duh? Seriously I thought 2011's All Guts, No Glory and 2013's Necrocracy were decent but they don't hold a candle to Slaughtercult or Gore Metal for obvious reasons. We're use to that death grind sound by now and EXHUMED's status as being America's CARCASS is set in stone.
This album is boring tripe. EXHUMED does better at selling t-shirts at shows because they're a nostalgic act for kids who were not around years ago but certainly have cash today, to buy t-shirts. Yeah the band is great live but......and there you go.

https://store.relapse.com/


ENTRAILS - World Inferno 

Metal Blade Records


Ya know that feeling when a band you like gets too repetitive? I was an early fan of ENTRAILS. They were part of cadre of acts who revived the old school Swedish death metal sound. Albeit the band originally started out in 1990 with no avail. In fact I called their The Tomb Awaits release one of the best albums of 2011. Since signing up with Metal Blade their sound has matured to a more modern DM sound which is fine. They put out two decent albums in the past couple of years. But with a new line-up, leaving just Jimmy Lundqvist as the sole remaining original, this new one seems average. There's a few good cuts but the rest sounds like 2013's Raging Death Part Three. 


http://www.metalblade.com/us/