Ancient Ascendant – Echoes and Cinder

#FOR FANS OF: Black/Death, Bolt Thrower

This band’s name clearly places them toward the earliest positioning in the category of extreme metal: which is either a brilliant marketing move, or serendipitous luck. That having been said, Ancient Ascendant demonstrates some real musical chops: using Pantera-like grooves in the guitar rhythms, they don’t find it necessary to lean on the common technique of using slowly ascending patterns of rapidly double-picked single guitar notes to build tension in the music, nor do they need to rely on the indulgent solos of high-speed neo-classical sweeps along the lines of Yngwie or the finger gymnastics of Petrucci. Rather — where evident— guitar solos and bass runs are simple and melodic, yet soulful. There is a lot of ‘light and shade’ in the songs on this release, as compared to the brief soft break found in Arch Enemy’s “My Apocalypse” around roughly 2:40 into the track, as a point of comparison. I found four of the seven tracks on 'Echoes and Cinder' to be of particular note. The leading track, “Crones to the Flames”, which opens with a standard percussive dark metal a capella vocal growl-shout, caught my attention by its title. More poetic than the hysteric "Burn the Witch", the opening chord is mildly reminiscent of Sekshun 8’s "Black Winged Butterfly". I can’t help but wonder if the title of this track was somehow inspired by the Wiccan trinity of Maiden, Mother, Crone. “Patterns of Bane”, the second track on this release, demonstrates an unusual sense of dynamics for extreme metal: opening with a finger picked diminished chord — as drum accents and bass pedal-like tones shortly join in, followed by power-chord and drum roll accents, which leads us to expect the full-bore heavy part immediately next. But, no — it turns out to be essentially a deceptive cadence, as we are returned to a now-modulated finger picked chord, as a controlled-feedback fade-in leads us into a heavy, groove-oriented rhythm guitar over the top of it, with chord inversions and augmentations reminiscent of George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob). The musicianship evident here far exceeds that provided by seminal bands of the genre such as Venom and Slayer, and partly harkens back to Ozzy-era Black Sabbath, echoing "Don't Start (Too Late)", the instrumental guitar intro to "Symptom of the Universe" from the 'Sabotage' album. Yet it goes a step further — as Tony Iommi would often write and record full song softer instrumentals, such as "Laguna Sunrise" from 'Volume 4' and "Embryo" from 'Master of Reality', or softer works with vocals like "Planet Caravan" from Paranoid, and "Solitude" from 'Master of Reality'. It wasn't until the beginning of the Dio era, where we began to hear these parts becoming more integral to their songs, such as the opening/verse of "Children of the Sea" and the ending of "Heaven and Hell", both from the album 'Heaven and Hell'. In "Patterns of Bane" Ancient Ascendant takes the haunting feel of early Iommi guitar instrumentals, merges it with later post-Ozzy Sabbath guitar interludes, and uses it as a recurring bridge in the song, varying both feel and tempo throughout — making this song essentially a powerhouse of progressive-tech death metal, seamlessly merging the best elements of all in a song that draws its power equally from both the genre elements it utilizes, along with intelligent song construction and superior execution in performance and recording. The third track, “Riders” [of Woe] starts as de rigeur thrash replete with blast beat. In the middle of the bridge/breakdown at about 1:42-1:43 we hear a classic blues rock riff harmonized in fourths ending the part. At approximately 2:56, a soulful, expessive guitar solo comes in (save for the last dissonant note) a refreshing change from the high speed atonal riffery we hear in seminal bands such as Slayer courtesy of Kerry King. In the refrain, the drummer demonstrates his stamina backing up the guitars and vocals with rolling double-kicks — admittedly it's not as overdone here as it is in every song by Dragonforce: but a much more dynamic and effective use of this drum technique is demonstrated by Tommy Aldridge in the opening for Ozzy Osbourne's "Over the Mountain". Double-bass should be used sparingly for accent and dramatic effect. Otherwise, it just becomes background thumpa-thud machine-gun droning, detracting from the song. Lastly, “Embers”, is in this reviewer’s opinion easily the best song found here. It is a beautifully dark instrumental, powerfully evocative of loneliness and struggle. Against a background of gentle sounds like that of a dying fire burning inside a cave, the song begins with a finger-picked nylon-stringed acoustic, as a strumming steel-string shortly joins in. Shortly thereafter also do tambourine and bass guitar. The mix builds as a piano/bass break leads into classical acoustic guitar resounding and haunting with steely ringing strums as accompaniment. Soft mallet percussion joins in slowly like bongos. Diminished chord arpeggios — a blend of soft melodies and bright chording — swell into synth strings and vocals, as drums join in — softly but insistently building up to a swift gallop which alludes to the mysteries of the Far East. A crescendo builds into a profound swirl of sound, as we return to the lonely guitars still singing their song of woe, echoing the earlier sadness of the pianoforte's melody. Picture yourself staring into the softly crackling fire, the only light and heat available. You reflect on your past, present and future — perhaps recklessly immersing yourself fully in all three facets of this never-ending now. You lose your mind and soul to the timelessness of the flame — until it dies and you are finally released back to an uncertain and foreboding present. Even though I only truly connected with about half the songs here, those songs are powerful examples of the craft, power and emotion these musicians are capable of. 'Echoes and Cinder' is highly recommended for newcomers to extreme metal, as well as for current fans of progressive metal, who may tend to like their music just a little bit darker than standard prog-metal fare. (Bob Szekely)

(Candlelight Records - 2014)
Score: 90

https://www.facebook.com/ancientascendant

Throne of Katarsis - The Three Transcendental Keys

#FOR FANS OF: Norwegian Black Metal, Immortal, early Mayhem

The fourth full-length effort from Norwegian Black Metal purists Throne of Katarsis is a dense, meaty effort of old-school Black Metal that might be one of the most epic pieces of music ever created out of the scene, not for the lasting impact it’ll have on the genre as a whole but the general weight of the record itself. Boasting only three epic, monumental tracks for just under fifty minutes combined, there’s a lot to take in on this record and it certainly evokes such warranted replays for this is a record based more on the writing of the three pieces than the actual music itself. Naturally, of a record like this the first question asked is about the writing: how does this stay interesting for the duration on an average of fifteen minutes a song? The answer is pretty good, as the evocative, dreary music does manage to make a series of occult passages seem like natural causes for the band, opting to place this as a really atmospheric record that conjures the might and cold of a snowbound forest quite effectively, with raw, blaring guitars and low-fi recording styles producing the eerie feel required to effectively capture the early '90s scene throughout, and with it comes the requisite growling and howls that have long been associated with the genre. The fact is, though, what really keeps this from moving from ‘pretty good’ to ‘amazingly’ is the fact that the songs are so simplistic in their approach it really stretches the brain as for why they’re this long. Rather than weaving through intricate layers of riffing, obscure instrumentation or other facets that would justify why you would produce such an epic-length track, the band instead sticks to reproducing the same droning patterns and tremolo-picked melodies against the same drum-patterns throughout this one’s duration, effectively making it seem like you could be anywhere within the track as it’s playing and you wouldn’t know. "The Second Transcendental Key" is really the only one of the group that sticks out for it’s more of a melodic, plodding pace at first then weaves in more atmospheric sections before settling on honing it’s mid-tempo pace throughout the remaining minutes. It’s the same basic, blaring guitar riffs over low-fi production, thumping drums and screams just in extended, epic movements which really doesn’t make for a coherent experience if attempted in one sitting. This is clearly meant for one continuous listen based on the rather profound and noteworthy methods of employing the primal atmosphere and bestial aggression that made the early Norwegian bands so fun to begin with, but when it’s the same droning patterns going on and on after fifteen minutes a pop throughout these tracks, the decision to do a record of this length does become an issue. It’s certainly good at aping the source material and the arrangements do have a frostbitten vibe that makes them stand-out from the pack nicely, but the songwriting might need a little tightening up next time around. (Don Anelli)

(Candlelight - 2013)

Score: 70

https://myspace.com/throneofkatarsis

Shrapnel - The Virus Conspires

#FOR FANS OF: Modern Thrash, Blood Tsunami, Demonica

With all the hoopla over the retro-sounding thrash acts coming out nowadays, sometimes it’s nice to be able to just sit down with an act that doesn’t try to ape the sound of 1986-era thrash. The UK-based act bearing the name Shrapnel is part of this movement with perhaps no denying the fact that there’s more than enough acts reminiscent of that time period, it’s about the here-and-now in terms of thrash, and the intensity bristling through these eleven tracks certainly bears that attitude with absolute precision. Armed with a slew of vicious, intense riffing that bear the tell-tale stamp of modernity through their crystal-clear production, thumping omnipresent bass-lines, triggered patterns and technical precision rather than the more loose and energetic thrash of the glory days which seems somewhat inspired through Metalcore, as well as doing so through the vocals which feature the hoarse screaming/shouting tactic employed by such bands. Somewhat surprising for a modern band is the ability to dip into the melodic realm with their soloing to offer up a much-needed sense of relief from the storming chaos outside, which is the main goal here with the majority of the songs here content to rattle along at the bristling up-tempo pace they clearly enjoy and offer up plenty of high-speed tunes throughout. The real down-side to this is the fact that the band manages to fall in love with a singular pattern for attack and manages to incorporate that into nearly every track on here, resulting in a decided lack of distinction between the tracks. Drop this anywhere and it’s pretty tough to spot a singular note or pattern to distinguish where you are or what song’s playing for they all tend to sound pretty similar with the band in constant “attack-now” mode which does leave this to grow tired as well when looking for a bit or variety throughout which can also lose some points here. Intro "Kingdom Come" pretty much sets the stage for what to expect here, with barreling drum beats, razor-edged riffing and relentless paces that are forged by the screaming/shouting vocals that undoubtedly sound far more modern than old-school. "Titan" offers up some tripping backing vocals and a stuttering pace to keep things barely contained as the pace threatens to rattle out of control throughout the blistering drumming featured throughout, while the barreling "Brain Dead" offers up some highly melodic solo leads during the intense stages. Ironically, it’s not until the title track where it really starts getting really original with a rather vicious set of riffs sprinkled throughout the raging tempo and manages to strike itself as an album highlight that offers hints that the band might be able to glom onto for future releases for its blend of intensity, technicality and sense of variation within the guitars where it’s not just set to the same pattern throughout. Beyond these, really only "Red Terror" manages to really evoke a response with its barreling performance, tight riffing and pounding drumming working along a rather stylish pattern, even though "The Watchers," "Pseudocommando" and "Poison the Mind" all have the markings of being vicious, energetic thrashers. It’s all just too similar to each other to really stand-out, even though it’s pretty clear the band is good at this form of intense thrash and that youthful exhurberance makes for a few extra points. (Don Anelli)

(Candlelight Records - 2014)

Score: 75

https://www.facebook.com/ShrapnelOfficial

The Wounded Kings - Consolamentum

#FOR FANS OF: Psychedelia Doom, Black Sabbath, Electric Wizards, Cathedral

Like a crushing monolith edging across the landscape, the weight of this fourth effort from fast-rising English doomsters Wounded Kings is utterly oppressive and searing. Slow, dragged-out melodies with thunderous rhythm sections plodding along at a snail-like pace while lyrically dynamic efforts exposing the horror of the occult and the mysterious, this release really stands up with the heavyweights in the genre with Sabbath and Cathedral marking the biggest originators of this chosen style as both seem to provide the band’s blueprint for the majority of this effort. The Doom staples of extended, drawn-out passages riddled with endless repetition of riffs played at a sluggish, heavy-handed pace with fuzz-laden guitar tones, varying moods reflected throughout the dynamic variations and enough choking atmospheres to handle an elephant are all pretty much present here and ably demonstrated by the epic 13-minute opener "Gnosis" which is reflective off all these attributes and sets the tone for the album as a whole. The biggest difference between this and other bands of this ilk are the sonorous female vocals of Sharie Neyland, who imparts as much droning atmosphere as anybody in the game and lifts this above the mire with her dry, wispy tone making for even more oppressive atmospheres on "Lost Bride," the title track or "The Silence" where the feedback-laden vibes, ambient keyboards and droning pace of the rest of the music match the effective vocals extraordinarily well and make for an even better experience through the cohesive package presented. With the exception of the two brief interludes "Elige Magistratum" and "Space Conqueror," this is all a pretty much cut-and-dried album without much in the way of differences, surprises or variation, though, so it’s well-played for what it is but sticks to the formula pretty exclusively so it does drop a bit due to this as it really leaves the album with only five proper tracks and that seems a little light even with the extended running time, but as an example of the genre’s style and performance those areas provide enough to keep this one solidly afloat and enjoyable. (Don Anelli)

(Candlelight Records - 2014)
Score: 80

https://www.facebook.com/thewoundedkings

Ihsahn - Das Seelenbrechen

#FOR FANS OF: Progressive, Experimental

What can be said about Ihsahn, that hasn't already been said? His body of work speaks for itself. Emperor's 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk' still remains as one of the top five metal albums ever released, to these ears anyway. Sixteen years after it's release the "anthems" still ring out each and every time it's spun and is still one of the few albums in my collection that actually grows stronger with time. 2010's epic 'After' showcased the diversity of this man's musical ability. Ihsahn has never, and will never conform to the limitations that any label would put on him. He consistently challenges his listeners with each release. 'Das Seelenbrechen' is Ihsahn's fifth solo release and his most expansive work to date. If 2012's 'Eremita' pushed the proverbial envelope, then 'Das Seelenbrechen' tears it up, stomps on it and then sets it on fire. Ihsahn's latest opus definitely focuses more on the progressive side of his work. Almost all of the black metal elements have been stripped away. This is the type of release that could divide his fan base. For the record. let me state, that I am on the "love it" side of the fence. The album starts off in familiar territory with opener "Hiber". The song starts off with him screaming between the three chords that ring out. It then moves forward with a creepy little keyboard passage underneath the distorted heavy guitar riff. The crushing heavy tune to start the album has become a staple in his solo work. However, after the opening track this album takes a turn towards the more mellow side of things over the next three tracks. This comes to a head with the amazing "Pulse". This song is my personal favorite on the album and shows how experimental Ihsahn is on this release. It starts off with an electronica feel, which it maintains throughout most of the song, and the vocals here are clean and simply some of the best he has ever done. At the songs close, the guitars have such rich tones and his vocals soar repeating the words "Incompatible, with myself". The next two tracks "Tacit 2" and "Tacit", in that order, are dark, eerie songs where the main focus is pounding drums and Ihsahn's harsh vocal style. These two tracks appear in the middle and act as a transition from the first half to the second half of the album. "M" which starts out sounding like it could be a lost track from 'Perdition City' era Ulver, with a spoken word passage that adds to the already dark, foreboding atmosphere, then climaxes into a melancholy rock sound that is very Pink Floydish. That vibe is furthered by what is the best guitar solo on the album, a cleaner sounding bluesy solo with lots of bends that are, no doubt, a salute to David Gilmore. "See" closes out the album with more of the experimental sounds that Ihsahn seems to be working with on this release. Another track that sees him going off and doing things outside of what the norm is for Ihsahn. 'Das Seelenbrechen' is a complete album and should be listened to as such. There is a definite flow happening here. This album harkens back to the 1970's experimental phases of King Crimson or Van Der Graaf Generator. However, this is not retro sounding in anyway. I am drawing those comparisons soley based on the experimental nature of the release. Ihsahn has stated that this release was going to be different and away from his more metal sounding stuff. I can only hope that he decides to build off this release and continues to further experiment with different sounds. (Brian Grebenz)

(Candlelight Records - 2013)
Score: 85

http://www.ihsahn.com/

Crown - Psychurgy

#PER CHI AMA: Drone, Post, Sludge, Industrial

Ecco una new sensation che uscita dal nulla nel febbraio del 2012, in poco più di un anno è entrata di diritto nella schiera di band di cui attendevo con grande trepidazione il full lenght, dopo l’EP d’esordio “The One” e lo split EP in compagnia degli STValley. I francesi Crown sono tornati più in forma che mai, freschi di un contratto importante per la sempre più potente Candlelight Records e un album veramente strepitoso, che porta avanti il discorso iniziato con “The One”. Con “Psychurgy” mi trovo catapultato all’interno di un tunnel, di quelli alpini, lunghi decine e decine di km. Il senso di claustrofobia è già forte sin dal brano introduttivo che ci introduce ad “Abyss”. Il senso di angoscia inizia minaccioso ad affiorare, mentre percorro quella galleria di cemento armato che sorregge migliaia di tonnellate di terra e roccia pura. E la robustezza di quel cemento armato potrebbe essere equiparato alle chitarre del duo formato da Stephane Azam e Pascal Guth, mentre la matematica drum machine assume più i connotati del regolare alternarsi delle luci all’interno della galleria. Le vocals si alternano tra il cibernetico e un magnifico growling industriale, mentre il sound si espande e comprime come un buco nero che ingoia materia oscura. “Blood Runs” è un capolavoro di musica che tra sonorità post, doom, drone, sludge e industrial, sublima la proposta di questo magnifico ensemble transalpino. Ancora una volta, mi ritrovo estasiato di fronte agli incombenti suoni prodotti dai Crown, a quel flusso emozionale, a quel mare di lava sinuoso e a quell’autentico muro sonoro, già descritto nell’incipit della precedente recensione. I Crown nel loro gelido incedere marziale, risultano stranamente caldi, con delle melodie al limite del malinconico che mi fanno rabbrividire. Mostruosi, non so che altro dire. Fenomenali, anche perché nonostante le lunghe durate dei brani, non trovo un momento di empasse che faccia calare la mia attenzione. Sono sempre concentrato infatti nel percorrere quel famoso tunnel iniziale, ipnotizzato dalle luci per aria, e focalizzato con l’orecchio anche al rumore prodotto dall’attrito delle gomme della mia auto sull’asfalto. Tutti i rumori e i suoni si enfatizzano nel mio cervello cosi come all’ascolto di “Empress: Hierophant”, dove la mia mente è totalmente rapita dall’effettistica di fondo che popola il sound del duo francese. Menzione finale per “Alpha: Omega” che sembra più un pezzo fregato ad una band black old school che al cibernetico suono dell’act di Colmar. Lisergici, oscuri, psichici, malati, ossessivi, paranoici, criptici, deliranti, ritualistici, scioccanti, apocalittici, pachidermici, mistici: sono solo alcuni degli aggettivi che ho trovato per definire le coordinate stilistiche di “Psychurgy”, che si colloca fin d’ora tra i miei album preferiti di questo 2013. (Francesco Scarci)

(Candlelight Records)
Voto: 85

http://crownritual.bandcamp.com/album/psychurgy

Falloch - Where Distant Spirits Remain

#PER CHI AMA: Shoegaze, Epic, Folk, Alcest, Agalloch

Talvolta scrivere una recensione è la cosa più facile che ci sia al mondo: ci sono band infatti che consentono alle dita di battere sulla tastiera alla velocità della luce ciò che la musica ha da trasmettere. Credo che gli scozzesi Falloch (nome che si rifà alle cascate omonime di Crianlarich) siano una di queste: mi è bastato infatti premere il tasto play e lasciarmi immediatamente conquistare dall’avvolgente musicalità della band di Glasgow e dalla raffinata furiosa delicatezza dei propri suoni. Come al solito, vi avrò disorientato, ma con mio sommo piacere, preferisco non farvi capire nulla per instillare nel vostro animo, la curiosità ad andare avanti nella lettura della recensione. I Falloch sono una band con tutte le carte in regola per sfondare nel mondo della musica metal: miscelando infatti lo shoegaze dei transalpini Alcest con la spiritualità, l’epicità e la furia del sound degli statunitensi Agalloch, il duo, formato da Andy Marshall e Scott Mclean, ha sfoderato una prova eccezionale, tanto da spingermi a definire “Where Distant Spirits Remain”, il mio album del mese. Dall’iniziale “We are Gathering Dust” dove forte è il richiamo agli Alcest, passando attraverso le prove di “Beyond Embers and the Earth” dove invece più marcata è l’influenza della band di Seattle del periodo “The Mantle”, con sfuriate tipicamente black che si alternano a passaggi più onirici o di derivazione “Pink Floydiana“, l’ensemble ci accompagna con somma maestria attraverso un malinconico viaggio nel cuore della tradizione celtica. Ne è testimonianza “Horizons” con quel suo forte flavour folk, neppure fosse uscito dal film “Braveheart”. L’epicità sgorga a tonnellate anche nella successiva “Where We Believe”, la song forse più selvaggia, vuoi anche per l’uso di vocals più aggressive che si contrappongono con quelle estremamente pacate che si ritrovano nel corso di tutto l’album. Mi piace, mi piace e mi piace, non sapete voi quanto: parti acustiche, ambientazioni autunnali, sfuriate black interrotte da break autunnali pregni, stragonfi di malinconia e dolcezza (complice anche la presenza di una voce femminile). Le chitarre affrescano con assoluta semplicità paesaggi molto più vicini a quelli del nord est degli USA o del Canada, piuttosto che ricordare le desolanti colline scozzesi. Colori caldi infatti riscaldano il nostro animo, ascoltando questo esagerato lavoro, che ha preso posto nel mio stereo e non vuole assolutamente abbandonarlo. Non so che altro dire a proposito di un album che si candida ad essere seriamente tra i miei top dell’anno. Magico e poetico! (Francesco Scarci)

(Candlelight Records)
Voto: 90

http://www.falloch.com/

Impaled - The Last Gasp

Tornano i deathsters statunitensi Impaled con un nuovo malvagio lavoro. Non cambiando più di tanto dai precedenti album (resta tuttavia inarrivabile “Mondo Medicale” del 2002), il combo americano prosegue imperterrito nel proprio percorso di distruzione del mondo. “The Last Gasp” fondamentalmente è un album senza grosse pretese, indicato per chi è un fan della band o chi è in cerca di un sound all'insegna dello splatter-gore (lo si deduca anche da una copertina che presto cadrà vittima della censura). Il quartetto d'oltreoceano comunque, nonostante un avvio violentissimo, disegna insospettabili melodie nella terza “The Visible Man”, song che sembra pescare largamente dagli esordi dei britannici Carcass. Dalla successiva “You are the Dead”, i “patologi” di St. Julien tornano a far male con un sound più truce e in linea col passato, un death-grind dalle vaghe tinte punk-hardcore, con la solita doppia voce, lo screaming di Sean Mcgrath e le vocals gutturali di Ross Sewage. I brani scorrono via anche piacevolmente alternando mid-tempos in pieno stile “carcassiano” con qualche venatura rock (“Masters of Ordure” e “Right to Die”, per esempio), alle classiche sfuriate brutal. Un gradito ritorno dopo qualche anno d'assenza delle scene... (Francesco Scarci)

(Candlelight)
Voto: 65

October Tide - A Thin Shell

#PER CHI AMA: Death Doom, primi Katatonia

Quando ormai pensavo le speranze fossero finite, ecco vedermi recapitato a casa un pacchetto anonimo con dentro il nuovo, terzo capitolo degli svedesi October Tide. Erano ben 11 anni che attendevo con trepidazione l’uscita di quello che era il side project di J.Renske e F.Norman dei Katatonia, autore di 2 ottimi album di death doom. Oggi la band, orfana di J.Renske, ha assoldato tra le sue fila Tobias Netzell voce degli In Mourning e Robin Bergh (Amaran) dietro le pelli e sfodera un’altra, l’ennesima prova di quanto si può essere ancora maledettamente decadenti nel 2010. La dipartita del vocalist dei Katatonia non ha per nulla intaccato l’integrità del sound degli October Tide, forti sempre dell’apporto in chiave ritmica dell’ormai ex chitarrista dei gods svedesi, che da sempre ama creare un contrasto tra chitarre pesanti, distorte ma sempre estremamente melodiche (vero marchio di fabbrica degli October Tide) coniugate ad ambientazioni malinconiche e meditative grazie all’utilizzo di parti acustiche veramente interessanti che si insinuano nella nostra mente portandoci alla disperazione (basti ascoltare le prime due songs, “The Custodian of Science” e “Deplorable Request” per capire). Se avete amato i Katatonia di “Brave Murder Day”, non potrete fare a meno anche degli October Tide e del loro nuovo lavoro, che continua il filone iniziato con quel capolavoro di ormai 14 anni fa, mai dimenticato. Le songs, sette, rinverdiscono i fasti di un tempo, regalandoci più di 40 minuti di musica emozionale, criptica, disperata e talvolta anche originale (“A Nighttime Project” è una vera sorpresa per quel suo essere cosi tribale): questi, gli ingredienti che sapranno restituirci una creatura che per molto tempo ho creduto fosse persa. “A Thin Shell” non è un album geniale, ma è la naturale evoluzione di “Grey Dawn” che farà la gioia per tutti gli amanti di sonorità death-doom. Ben tornati October Tide, vi stavo aspettando! (Francesco Scarci)

(Candlelight Records)
Voto: 75