Autopsy - Puncturing The Grotesque

http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Death Metal

This is vintage death metal from this band. It's odd like most of their releases in what they sound like. I would say that this is worth a "B" rating. It's good musically and with the vocals not to mention the production quality. I liked this EP a lot, their newer material I'm more a fan of. The old stuff I have a hard time getting into. Maybe it's the sound of the guitars/bass that reared me away from most of their releases. I'd say that they just are an acquired taste of a band. The vocals are just weird. It's not your typical death metal band. They have their own unique vibe to them. I'd say they have had a pivotal career making their death metal.

I'm glad I got this EP because I'm able to appreciate their sound more and it's a little more modern in the sense that the recording quality is good. The music is good, too! The leads excellent as well. All of this under 30 minute release is worthy of praise. The tempos change around a lot. They are in a way "gore metal". Their sound on here is just underground. It's difficult to get into if you're looking for something fast all the time. Autopsy plays around with tempos. That doesn't make them any lesser of a band in doing this. They want to take you down to the underground sound.

The sound quality (as I've said) is good! I think that the production did them well. It's better than previous releases. I haven't totally given up on the band, I've just sort of made a terms with them and their sound. And I think the more that I'm exposed to them, the more I will appreciate them. They're definitely atypical death metal. And that's evident on this EP, entirely! I think they change things up quite a bit. It's mostly just slower rhythms as the EP progresses. They have some catchy stuff in store for you! I'm glad they seem to get good appreciation by their fans on their material.

I'd say check this EP out on YouTube or maybe Spotify if it's on there. I bought the EP because it's recent and I figured that I'd get a better sense of what I'm getting into regarding their sound. It's definitely gore based. If you want just straightforward death metal, this isn't for you. Autopsy plays around with their sound all the way through. At least that's what they did on here. If you want something that's somewhat new and fresh then this is one to get. But give it a chance because the riffs are odd. And a lot of the music is just not your typical death metal band. Check it out! (Death8699)

(Peaceville Records - 2017)
Score: 73

https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/puncturing-the-grotesque

Blood of the Wolf - I: Law of Retaliation

http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Death/Black, Angelcorpse

A lot of tremolo picking going on and kick of the double bass drum, seems unrelenting! The vocals filled with screams and deep throat by Koniglio, their frontman. This whole album is intense. I'd have to say I enjoyed the entire onslaught of death/black metal these guys dish out. Reminds me a little of Angelcorpse, Perdition Temple and Belphagor. Not everything, just similarities but Mike (ex-Rellik) is somewhat better than these, in an album's sense. This being the debut release, it simply kicks ass!! It's just so intense and the riffs are brilliant. Amazing work here from all respects.

These guys tear it up and it's amazing some of these riffs go on for minutes. I mean the tremolo picked high-end riff in addition to the main guitar. Simply flawless pieces of work. 35 minutes here isn't enough! Great cover too of Marduk's "With Satan and Victorious Weapons." One thing about the debut (which is fine by me) are the lack of lead guitar. However, I feel that they make up for that in their compositions. Most of the songs are with repeated tremolo picking. But what sets them apart from the bands that I've mentioned are the vocals and their own utterly unique sound.

The music may sound like vintage death/black metal with its own kick and juice mixed with it. There's nothing I'd change about this release. It's violent and unrelenting. What great musicianship by these guys, all of them! The double bass drum is highly needed, but can cause a slight headache upon repeated listens to! I would NOT change anything on here. In some instances, I've linked Mike's vocals to sound a bit like Glen Benton during the 'Once Upon the Cross' and 'Serpents of the Light' days, but not entirely. There's a resemblance yes, but Mike is in a league of his own.

The production quality for an independent recording is sublime. You won't find a better sound to it than on here. Everything is mixed well and all the instruments with precision. I'd say the best thing about the album is the music itself. Original, classic, technical and intense! When I heard this I though "MONUMENTAL", by far. If you download the albums I&II on Spotify, you'll get a taste of both CD's. I thought this one was stronger than their follow-up. But both are resoundingly good! Buy the album, you won't regret it! At least show support for fellow Chicago metal bands! (Death8699)

(Self - 2015)
Score: 80

https://bloodofthewolf.bandcamp.com/album/i-the-law-of-retaliation

Ars Magna Umbrae - Throne Between Worlds

#FOR FANS OF: Dissonant Black Metal

Poland has undoubtedly an impressive extreme metal scene in terms of quantity and quality. There is no need to mention all the notorious bands that almost every fan knows, but yes to spend a few minutes to carve below the surface and discover more obscure projects which may be quite interesting. The solo-project Ars Magna Umbrae is one of those musical efforts which may require our attention. This project was founded in 2017 by Petros Xolaiathyos, who had a previous experience in the scene with a black/death metal band called Cultum Interitum. In Ars Magna Umbrae Petros (aka K.M.) focuses his interest on the black metal genre and more particularly in a form of a atmospheric black metal with a certain degree of dissonance. The project has been quite active, having released three albums in the last four years.

'Throne Between Worlds' is the third one and continues, in terms of music and lyric concept, a similar patterns of the previous ones, as this album still keeps strong ties with esoterism and occultism as it happened also in the previous efforts. The atmosphere of 'Throne Between Worlds' is particularly dark and melancholic, feelings which are maintained strong through the whole record. Pace-wise, it’s not a particularly fast album as it focuses more on developing mid-tempo structures. There are ups and downs in the pace with certain moments of relentless fury, but they never last a lot. A quite clear example of it is the opener "Into Waters of the Underworld", a mainly mid-tempo track where the faster section of the middle shows a particularly dissonant touch. As we can appreciate, the main role is shared by the rasped vocals of K.M. and the distinctive riffs that will be a trademark of this album. As said, the guitar work is quite relevant in this opus with a good dose of work behind it. The riffing is multi-layered and with an important dose of dissonance, but thankfully not as predominant as it can be found in certain experimental albums. There is also a room for more delicate chords, which try to create a mysterious ambience in the most quite sections, as it happens for example in "Consecrating the Shrine of Undoing". This attempt to always create a cryptic essence in the music is the logic consequence of the conceptual background behind the music and it is a key element to create an honest album. The contrast between the most dissonant parts and the calmest and most atmospheric sections is particularly well-done and prominent in the track "Treader on the Dreamless Path" which is actually one of my favourite songs, if not the favourite one, as the combination of elements is quite inspired and somehow works better for me than in any other song. "Metempsychosis (Transmigration of the Soul)", the longest track, closes the album and it servers as a summary of the whole record as it contains all the aforementioned characteristics. It contains mid-tempo sections, an elaborated guitar work and that touch of dissonance through the entire track. We can also hear abrupted tempo-changes with furious rages and captivating calmer sections, all mixed to create a hypnotic track that fades out in the form of a gloomy ambient outro. I believe this is the perfect example of what Ars Magna Umbra wants to offer.

All in all, this is a quite interesting album with many elements on which to put some attention and an interesting lyrical concept behind it. It’s not an outstanding piece of work, but a quite interesting and enjoyable one. (Alain González Artola)

(I, Voidhanger - 2021)
Score: 75

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/throne-between-worlds

Catalano - Into The Darkness

http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Heavy/Power

Very moving heavy/power metal in an origin of Chicago. The vibe is what moves me in this whole album. It doesn't matter which song, the music itself is truly a gem. Fighting over the rights to the name "Catalano" with another Australian made band, well THIS is Catalano! Heavy/power metal that is fill with illustrious riffs echoing out of the speakers in joyful metal that's truly impressionistic. Some of the history here is well Pat mainly worked with their ex-vocalist on these songs while his brother wrote some. It's a thing in metal where things happen and band members just seem to walk away for whatever reason.

Songs are 3-4-5 minutes in length with a classic heavy metal vibe throughout with Pat's compositions showing true metal influences. The vocals reminds me to that of Helloween just not as high end as that. A really good vocalist, ABSOLUTELY! Shiny leads too that coincide with the rhythms. They poured out their hearts in this recording with a solid tone and balls to the rhythms. It was mainly Pat with his ex-vocalist working on this and they did some phenomenal things with sounds. It was a good combination for the recording everyone seemed to contribute. But this is Pat's band killing it!

Maybe a little of this truly is never enough (to paraphrase their track) because to me, a lot isn't even enough! Of course it's coming from a long-time metalhead (me). The vocals fit perfectly with the songs and the production is solid! Pat put a lot into this recording. I'm surprised that Catalano isn't that well known to the metal arena especially in roots lying in Chicago and that darn Australian band putting them in the mud especially on streaming sources such as Spotify and YouTube. These guys do a great job with their metal. Very catchy riffs, illicit leads and vocals that are those which are GRAND!

Overall, this band doesn't do anything surprising to heavy metal except blow it up in their own way with great music! I love the clean tones as well, especially on "Sirens" and "Runnin With The Wind." Some epic tracks! I think that they have their own sound with influences. Definitely a great project. They're now working with a female vocalist hopefully on new material. I think every song on here is KING. They didn't miss anything here and I hope that they'll get more press for their releases. They deserve it! This band just rocks and has a unique sound overall worth your while to listen to! (Death8699)

(Self - 2013)
Score: 78

https://catalano.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-darkness

Hazards of Swimming Naked - Our Lines are Down

#PER CHI AMA: Post Rock

Siamo ormai agli sgoccioli con le ristampe dell'australiana Bird's Robe Records a festeggiare il proprio compleanno. La scelta di quest'oggi ricade sugli Hazards of Swimming Naked, band strumentale di Brisbane che abbiamo avuto già modo di conoscere nel 2018, in occasione dell'uscita del loro secondo 'Take Great Joy'. L'album di oggi, 'Our Lines are Down', va molto più indietro nel tempo, riportandoci al 2009, quando appunto uscì questo debut album. Pur essendo più vecchio di 'Take Great Joy' di ben nove anni, questa release mi sembra decisamente migliore, miscelando robusti suoni post rock (e l'iniziale "Requiem" conferma questa mia affermazione) di scuola Mono con sonorità più cinematiche, delicate e sensuali che ammiccano ai Godspeed You! Black Emperor. In questo caso, è la lunga e vellutata "I'm a Friend of Edward J Stevens" a corroborare la mia tesi con una proposta onirica, votata completamente al post rock tra delay, riverberi e lunghe fughe melodiche, dove tutto è al posto giusto, e a mancare è al solito, una bella voce che faccia da Cicerone al nostro ascolto. L'intero lavoro si muove lungo queste coordinate anche nei successivi pezzi, dove evidenzierei l'inquietudine che si respira in "Sparks Fly", che prova a infilare nel loro flusso musicale anche un che di math rock. Se "Sveta Pače" è più un interludio ambient tra due brani che vede però la partecipazione di Berndt Vandervelt e Karin Gislasdottir, ho trovato "...And a Whole Assortment of Uppers and Downers" molto più godibile nelle sue lisergiche trovate strumentali e anche più varia, forse per la presenza di una voce parlata a spezzare la monoliticità dei suoni. Ideare dischi privi di un vocalist non è infatti cosa semplice e rischiare di annoiarsi è una delle possibilità più facili in cui incorrere. Il quintetto australiano è però abile nel saper tenere la barra sempre alta, con una prova maiuscola ed elegante. Ovviamente non sempre ci si riesce, e forse la noiosetta "Dreams Don't Come True, That's Why We Dream" ne è la prova concreta. Tuttavia i nostri ci provano in tutti i modi a catturare l'attenzione, addirittura nella scelta dei titoli dei brani: "Don't Cry for Me, Dario Argento" mi tiene infatti incollato allo stereo semplicemente perchè curioso di cogliere se c'è un qualche tributo al nostro visionario regista dell'horror e volendo, lo si può immaginare in una ricerca di sonorità un po' più orrorifiche e inquietanti. Gli Hazards of Swimming Naked alla fine non inventano niente di nuovo e non aggiungono nulla al genere, ma da ottimi strumentisti quali sono, fanno di tutto per tenerci incollati ai loro pezzi, quasi siano vogliano compiere una magia all'interno del loro flusso musicale che però mai si avvererà. Le ultime due citazioni del disco vanno alla più roboante "Aabar Dakhe Habe", un pezzo molto solido che sembra prendere le distanze dagli altri e l'intimista "Kip Keino", una sorta di cortometraggio in bianco e nero, tributo all'ex mezzofondista e siepista keniota Kipchoge Keino. Insomma, 'Our Lines are Down' è un lavoro che merita di trovare un posto nello scaffale di ogni amante del post rock. (Francesco Scarci)

(Bird's Robe Records - 2009/2021)
Voto: 75

https://hazardsofswimmingnaked.com.au/album/our-lines-are-down

The Pit Tips

Francesco Scarci

Slice the Cake - Odyssey to the West
Dusk in Silence - Beneath the Great Sky of Solitude
Windfaerer - Breaths of Elder Dawns

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Death8699

Exodus - Persona Non Grata
Lutharo - Hiraeth
The Ruins of Beverast - The Thule Grimoires

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Alain González Artola

Sickle of Dust - Where the Sun Glare Danced
Diabolical Fullmoon - The Pagan Wolves Rise Again
Arcana Existence - Colossus

Anarcheon - Scary Tale

#PER CHI AMA: Alternative/Death Metal

Interessante il mix proposto dagli Anarcheon, quartetto originario di Vancouver che in sei anni di vita, ha confezionato un demo e un paio di EP, incluso il qui presente 'Scary Tale'. Un po' pochino ma i contenuti non si discutono visto un sound che, sin dall'iniziale "Translydrainya" (song da cui è stato anche estratto un video di scuola Cradle of Filth), miscela sonorità stile primi In Flames con rimandi di carcassiana memoria, il tutto unito alle ultime cose dei The Agonist (qui con meno piglio sinfonico), per una proposta un po' più fuori dagli schemi. Sono i Carcass tuttavia a rappresentare l'influenza primaria dei nostri, visto un riffing mid-tempo su cui si muovono la voce abrasiva (ma anche in veste pulita) della frontwoman Kaija Kinney (un Jeff Walker in erba) e di sottofondo il basso da applausi di Sylvain Maltais. Il pezzo è piacevole anche se manca in realtà quello spunto in grado di renderlo davvero (con)vincente. Ci si prova con la successiva "Vlad To The Bone" e la sua ritmica serrata e compatta, con linee melodiche sghembe interrotte da un break atmosferico in cui Kaija dà nuovamente prova delle sue qualità vocali nel pulito. Si riparte poi con un death articolato, nelle cui parti più grooveggianti la brava vocalist si diverte a modulare la propria voce con diverse tonalità. La conclusiva title track parte lenta e minacciosa con la voce della cantante ancora in una versione clean e francamente più personale e accattivante, anche quando fa stridere le sue corde vocali. Certo, nella prima parte del brano siamo più su di un versante alt rock, ma poi i nostri decidono di pestare sull'acceleratore, tornano death e perdono quel quid caratterizzante che sembrava renderli un po' più diversi da quel milione di band che popola l'underground musicale. Sono confuso, visto che trovo la band canadese ben più particolare nei frangenti alternativi. Date un ascolto anche voi e fatemi sapere qual è il lato che preferite maggiormente degli Anarcheon. (Francesco Scarci)

(Self - 2021)
Voto: 70

https://www.facebook.com/anarcheonband/

Dying Hydra - Of Lowly Origin

#PER CHI AMA: Sludge/Post Metal, Neurosis

Adoro la mitologia greca e qui sembra essercene parecchia visti i riferimenti all'Idra nel moniker dei nostri, citando il mostro leggendario dal corpo di serpente in grado di uccidere un uomo con il solo respiro, con il suo sangue o al solo contatto con le sue orme. Alla stregua di quella creatura infernale, il sound dei danesi Dying Hydra sembra in realtà più affine a quello di un serpente costrittore alla luce dei contenuti sludgy di questo 'Of Lowly Origin', opera prima sulla lunga distanza, per il terzetto di Copenaghen, che deve essere cresciuto a botte di pane e Neurosis. Si perchè l'opener del side A del vinile (una versione in cd non esiste ancora), "Earliest Root", mette in mostra le qualità del combo danese che si muove appunto tra gli anfratti oscuri a cavallo tra sludge e post metal. Aspettatevi quindi dei pachidermici chitarroni su cui poggiano le vocals roche dei due cantanti, Lars Pontoppidan e Patrick Fragtrup, peraltro anche le due asce della band. La proposta, come ovvio che sia, è melmosa quanto basta nel suo incedere monolitico, con una buona dose di melodia che si esprime attraverso ricercati break atmosferici che spezzano quei riffoni caustici che popolano il disco. Il lato A della release è interessante in tutti e tre i suoi pezzi, in particolar modo però mi soffermerei sulla lunga "Rootborn" che per nove minuti abbondanti si difende con un sound possente attraverso un mid-tempo che, dove riesce, prova a rallentare il suo ritmo riducendo la densità delle note e contestualmente aumentando un senso di inquietudine interiore, soprattutto quando si palesa un parlato pulito. Il side B del vinile ci regala qualche altro spunto degno di interesse: la flemmatica ma intensa "Species Adrift" con quel suo drumming ossessivo, quasi paranoico, stabilizzato da un paio di break strumentali. "Ashed Eyes" continua sulla medesima falsariga ritmica con una continuità musicale che desta qualche difficoltà a percepire lo stacco tra il primo e il secondo brano. Ecco, forse qui qualcosa inizia a scricchiolare, perchè sembra che il terzetto arrivi verso il fondo in apnea, con la sensazione quasi di aver terminato le idee. "Undergrowth" prova a riprendersi la mia fiducia con una maggior ricercatezza sonora e con più spazio concesso alla parte strumentale dei nostri tra litaniche melodie orientaleggiante, roboanti giri di chitarra e frangenti più claustrofobici. La versione digitale del disco include infine una bonus track, "Cry of the Colossus" che ci consegna altri sei giri di orologio di sonorità oscure che chiamano in causa i maestri di sempre del genere. La release alla fine è interessante, ma c'è ancora parecchio da lavorare per emergere da quel calderone sempre più stipato da band che vogliono emulare Scott Kelly e compagni. (Francesco Scarci)

(Black Grain Records - 2021)
Voto: 70

https://virkelighedsfjern.bandcamp.com/album/of-lowly-origin