NECRONOCLAST - Haven CD review

NECRONOCLAST - Haven CD
Moribund Records

Scotland's Greg Edwards is the man behind the name NECRONOCLAST. He's responsible for all the guitars, vocals, and drum programming on Haven. He's also a miserable bastard who just released this excess of the Black Metal/Doom realm. It's the perfect release for when a winter ice storm hits and you're running your comfort sustaining power on batteries. Drop this dink into your CD player and watch the frost build up on the inside of your not so humble abode. What I do like about this is how Edwards doesn't try to numb you totally in soundscapes of sorrow and doom. He does hang into the misery index but is able to crank out some speed. Kinda like BURZUM in that he combines dissonant waves that also have melody running through. The vocals, if that's what you want to describe them as, are actually Black Metal rasps. Think of the harsh whispers of something lurking in that really dark corner of your home. You know that place where you can almost see eyes peering out at you from the blackness. This is perfect for late night listening when you are alone of course.

www.moribundcult.com

KILL THE CLIENT - Cleptocracy CD review

KILL THE CLIENT - Cleptocracy CD
Willowtip Records

Grindcore releases are fairly simple to review because to the music loving public you either like the genre or not. So for all of you people who hate the genre leave the room now. Next up, Cleptocracy is 18 tracks in 23 minutes of relentless grind that's just brutal for the sake of being brutal. These guys sound seriously pissed as if NAPALM DEATH screwed them over and are now chasing their tour bus down the highway on foot. Trust me they will catch them but they will be a mile ahead of them and have to double back. I mention NAPALM DEATH since KILL THE CLIENT have taken the older band's influence and ran with it, ah literally. In fact while writing this review this dink is on it's second rotation. It's insanely fast and chaotic. An intense firestorm of blasting from these Texans who I first learned about from that Grindcore compilation which came out on Relapse Records this year. Next time you're pissed off play this it just might help.

www.willowtip.com

MOSS - Sub Templum CD review

MOSS - Sub Templum CD
Rise Above Records

Grass grows faster than this second release by MOSS. Seriously this is over an hour's worth of snail's crawl Doom. Actually I think a snail is faster in the crawl even after you crushed it under your fucking boot. Speaking of which, down-tuned crushing Doom is what you get on this four song nightmare. That's right four fucking cuts of feedback laced, extended drone, brutally slow ambiance. Don't dump the coffee from this morning into the sink. You'll need the really strong stuff to stay awake for this one. In all honesty I laid down and fell asleep the first time I played this, albeit the volume was turned down low. And since I'm being all honest with you I'll let this item fly out. This thing is so fucking bleak and miserable that it makes alot of atmospheric ambient shoe-gazing Black Metal sound down right cheerful.

Seriously this is no leisurely wait for a bus while standing in a tar pit with water dripping on your head once a minute. Now that would be eventful. I actually thought something was wrong with this during the opening cut "RITUS". It's five minutes of basically nothing but then "SUBTERRANEAN" kicks in. That's speaking figural of course since nothing kicks in on here. But there's some enormous riffs which echo like thunder in the mountains. Although it's an uneasy wait between them like bouncing off the walls as you're falling down a bottomless pit. I'll credit to Dominic Finbow's ability to drag a guitar chord to it's fullest extent. And then there's the vocals ok that's a stretch. What Olly Pearson does is wail from some far off place. Remember that bottomless pit I mentioned earlier? Sub Templum is the perfect soundtrack for someone who has alot of time to kill. Like someone spending life in prison maybe? Hey dying is easy but listening to this is a sentence I wouldn't wish on anyone I didn't hate.

www.riseaboverecords.com

STORMING DARKNESS - Sin Thesis CD review

STORMING DARKNESS - Sin Thesis CD
Knightmare Recordings

Debut release from this Russian Black Metal band who are not afraid of some decent sound that's not weighted down in mud. This band takes their cues from early GORGORTH and DARKTHRONE for influence. So if you are looking for innovation you are in the wrong place. But together it all makes for a decent release worthy to stack up against other new bands of today. Personally I'll never get tired of bands who churn out powerfully cold riffs and spit venom for lyrics. Nine cuts of that convey an atmosphere of pure horror especially the non-stop blast beating drums. Although there are a few passages that let up for the weak ones amongst you to catch a breath.

The opener "V. and R./Supreme Murderer Moral" is a typical crushing number that sets things off. If you can survive this then you've got the goat's blood dripping from your sacrificial knife licked. This continues on through the next group of songs. Like walking down a long hallway with torture devices lining the walls. Each one adding more pain as you get through it's deadly assault on your senses. "Black Night of Soul/ Eschatological Hallucinations" and "Necrofaith Song / Voiceless Decadence" are two cuts which do give the listener a subtle break from this pain inducing madness. "Necrofaith Song / Voiceless Decadence" is a instrumental which embraces the listener in a cloak of dark themed abandonment.

STORMING DARKNESS have been around since 2001 and have released three demos, an EP and appeared on a split with fellow Russian Black Metallers Sigillum Diaboli in 2006. So what you have here is something cold and well crafted. I wouldn't be surprised if their next opus of suffering ends up on Moribund Cult or even a larger Label.


http://www.knightmarerecordings.com/

WORSE THAN BIRTH - Three Song Fall 2008 Demo CD review

WORSE THAN BIRTH - Three Song Fall 2008 Demo CD
Self Released

If Metal were McDonaldized than WORSE THAN BIRTH would probably be on the dollar menu. Faux Death Metal meets Post Groove Metalcore and what's with the Progressive guitar interlude on the first cut "Weeping Cunt"? At first I thought the song was ending with a nice sweet melody just to show that they have feelings. Actually that's not true, I thought they stole something from OPETH and spliced it in. It sounds like total shit. What's worse is that they repeat the same formula in the second cut. Their guitarist is playing this Progressive lead throughout the opening while the bass, drums and vocals are fighting it out for brutality. It all breaks down halfway through as WORSE THAN BIRTH pretend to Grind their way out to the cuts end. Third cut, same thing again. It's like vomit on the bathroom floor after a night of heavy drinking and Chinese buffet. For as much talent this band has it's unfortunate that their songs are structured like an undone puzzle. And guess what? You too will have a chance to see this all play out at this years Death Fest on Dec. 6th at Volume 11 Tavern. That's if you're lucky to be in Raleigh, NC that day. Also if you're really lucky then this band will start chucking these dinks out into the audience like Chinese throwing stars. Have a few drinks first it deadens the pain.

http://www.myspace.com/worsethanbirth

AVENGER OF BLOOD - Death Brigade CD review

AVENGER OF BLOOD - Death Brigade CD
Heavy Artillery Records

This is beautiful just fucking beautiful! When it comes to these new Thrash bands coming out of late it's not that you've heard it all before. Only jaded idiots who jack off to HARVEY MILK think that. Oh did I offend someone out there? Well good because you need to be offended to the point where you get your head out of your ass and join in on the fun. The best part of this new Thrash Revival is seeing who some of these bands are aping on their releases. Clearly this Las Vegas band worships at the alter of Slayer, Kreator and Sodom, toss in some MEGADEATH for melody and you have four aces to lay down at the table.

My first introduction to this band came from hearing them on the Heavy Artillery Records compilation CD Speed Kills Again in 2007. That comp also featured tracks by MERCILESS DEATH, TOXIC HOLOCAUST and WARBRINGER, all of whom I've kept a close eye on since first hearing them. AVENGER OF BLOOD are the epitome of devastating old style Thrash that drives old fuckers like me into thinking of jumping into a pit one more time. Which is something I don't do anymore. I leave the pummeling to the younger crowd nowadays. Although watching the youngsters try to slam dance can be more painful than being in one. If you know what I mean and I bet you do. So I now just stand in the back or off to the side. Let the music envelope me and pit in my brain. Which by the way is the most awesome pit you've ever been in or witnessed. We slam with running chainsaws.

Death Brigade is an all out retro Thrash fest which is an assault on everything that's in the band's sights. You will be won over immediately by the opening cut “Vicious Onslaught" and if not then you need to lick the floor of the hall after one of this band's gigs. "Poserslaughter" is a cut dedicated to those who can't handle it. Pump your fucking fist to the guitar solos on "Mortally Wounded" and tell me you can't hear echoes of King and Hanneman. You know that those guys along with everyone else from the original days of Thrash are smiling with pride when they hear this stuff. Especially with the song "Terminate" which I swear sounds close to having Tony Araya on guest vocals. Even the slightly low-fi production smacks of old school Thrash. It makes this dink sound like some long lost release from years ago. Like finding a rare vinyl LP from the 80s Thrash era hidden amidst alot crap at the local used record store.

I know that there are still alot of jaded losers who will say that if they wanted to hear old school Thrash then they will pull out the old records and play them. Yeah right as if they didn't sell them in order to buy some other crap. Well forget those losers because they are dead to everyone. But I know that there are plenty of old fucks like myself who go apeshit over hearing bands like AVENGER OF BLOOD. That's who this CD is for, old fucks like me and the new kids who are experiencing this for the first time.

www.heavyartillery.us

WAYLANDER - Honor Amongst Chaos CD review

WAYLANDER - Honor Amongst Chaos CD
Listenable Records

WAYLANDER has had a rich and significant history in the Pagan Folk Metal scene. The Northern Ireland band started out in 1998 and prior to this latest CD the band had two previous releases. Their first, Reawakening Pride Once Lost, is a cult favorite amongst fans of this genre. They followed that up with 2001's The Light, the Dark, and the Endless Knot which also garnered the band praise from fans. But since then WAYLANDER has been silent until now. WAYLANDER's Pagan Folk Metal sound is reminiscent of Finland's KORPIKLAANI in that they too intertwine traditional homeland folk instruments and song structures within their Metal sound. There's plenty of other bands under this genre title that just add a violin or an accordion solo to a song and call it Folk Metal. But WAYLANDER don't rely on cliched folk styles or gimmicks. Secondly they lean more toward Black Metal which is great in my book.

Honor Amongst Chaos is a release that could turn even the most jaded Anti-Folk Metal listener into a fan. Nine great tracks all longer that five minutes and each it's own mini-epic. There's a dynamic feeling behind each cut on here. Once you think you have them figured out WAYLANDER toss chaos into your midst. Insanity under control as Black Metal signatures mix with traditional Irish Folk music. Blast beats and tin whistles getting equal time together. Acoustic guitar passages morphing into traditional Metal anthems with joined in choruses. The vocals are a mix of harsh Black Metal shrieks and clean vocals. And the lyrics are more like the tales of an ancient story teller. These are things you find in the history books. All in all one of the best Pagan Folk Metal releases I've heard this year.


http://www.listenable.net/