Oathbreaker - Maelstrom review

The Oncoming Storm

Belgium serves as a hotspot for metalcore ever since the 1990s. While not as popular as other international scenes influenced by Scandinavia, the Slayer/Cro-Mags-infused "H8000" style ('H' standing for hateful, '8000' referring to the West Flanders post area in Belgium) was a different beast. After some touring and an EP on Thirty Days of Night Records, offspring band Oathbreaker expands with a full release on Deathwish Inc. titled "Maelstrom" (stylized as "Mælstrøm") While it sounds absolutely destructive with fast riffs infused with doom on the side, there is the notion of its unfortunate problems that luckily doesn't detract too much.

The word maelstrom is defined as a very powerful whirlpool and throughout the years has been exaggerated to give it a very destructive meaning. The bulk of Oathbreaker's latest piece puts that sense into the sound excellently. Opener 'Origin' presents itself with strong d-beat drumming, Converge-esque guitar attacks, and in your face vocals from female frontlady Caro. It also foreshadows that the future songs will be as, if not more devastating. Even if Kurt Ballou is a hit or miss on mixing, he deserves credit making the feel right in Maelstrom.

Ballou's mixing is best characterized in both parts of 'Sink Into Sin' (part 2 features Amenra vocalist Colin Eeckhout). He is able to keep it very heavy even if it's fast or slow and filled with well structured guitar layering.

Towards the end is where Maelstrom's weakness is exposed. After 20 minutes or so of consistent intensity, it seems to abruptly stop with the lacking "Glimpse of the Sun." If condensed and rewritten, it might have been a good listen. Following is the album-titled song that while is a good acoustic (with clean vocals) conclusion, it doesn't feel complimentary to the previous composition.

Fortunately, most of Maelstrom's songs are absolutely catchy and well-executed that you will probably listen to more in the future than the snag that exists on the record. If Oathbreaker can improve with a more intense and consistent followup, which Maelstrom somewhat signifies, they have a bright future ahead of them in the world of metal and hardcore music.

8/10

FULL ALBUM STREAM

Oathbreaker "Mælstrøm" CD/LP/Digital by deathwishinc

Cermemony - Rohnert Park/Trash Talk - Eyes & Nines

California Über Alles

These two northern California bands share a lot of similarities. Interesting to note that these bands are friends to one another and a member from each group contributed in the others' latest releases. Both Ceremony and Trash Talk in their previous works combined a very fast and straightforward style very reminiscent of Infest and other groups distinctive to some modern hardcore punk today. The latest releases from both bands signifies a departure from that approach. Yet different, their favor of finding a new noise still binds their musical relationship.

From the two, Ceremony takes a huge left turn in "Rohnert Park." There is a profound difference in comparison to their earlier recordings "Violence, Violence" and "Still Nothing Moves You." From hyperspeed anger to now nostalgic homage of more classic hardcore groups from the 1980s. The stylistic changes help create catchiness and variation. While some sound like a punk in the default sense, the others including 'The Doldums (Friendly City)' feel like something out of a new wave band. Beginning song 'Sick' pays respect (and jokingly disrespects) to those bands while the constant punk beat goes on and vocalist Ross Farrar goes misanthrophic about Barrack Obama, the GOP, atheists, buddhists, and other annoyances.

Lyrically, the content is strong detailing things Farrar's stints in Main County Detention Facility in Sonoma County, California ('MCDF'), his near death experience seconds after his birth ('Back In '84'), and the dullness of growing up in the city of Rohnert Park ('The Doldrums [Friendly City]'). The clarity of his storytelling always felt enjoyable and immersive while digesting. Sure it's not exactly distinctive to other suburban kid angst content but it's all about the details.

Hours east is Sacramento where Trash Talk formed and vocalist Lee Spielman still resides. His approach in "Eyes & Nines" is more centered towards many different (and sometimes abstract) themes as opposed to personal pieces. It can range from smoking pot on Wednesday ('Hash Wednesday') to pyromania ('Explode). Lyrics in Trash Talk though is not their strongest suit but rather their assaulting manner of the vocals and instruments mixing.

It's different from their earlier releases yet have a similar feeling. Trash Talk tries out a Discharge-like d-beat approach and hell it's successful. Sans the super doomy Hash Wednesday, Eyes & Nines lasts only 12 minutes long thanks to the constantly fast and seamless transitioning of songs. The bludgeoning strikes in 'I Do' immediately continues in 'Trudge' and does the same in 'On A Fix' and the titled and ultimate track. Especially at the second half of the album, it's energy-inducing and doesn't take breaks; Trash Talk still knows how to make swift and memorable strikes.

Music To Frag To! – June, 2010

(From Digital Gaudium)

This series of monthly features will talk about select songs on the latest albums from extreme music based bands (death metal, hardcore punk, powerviolence, etc.) which you should listen to when getting the nuke or capturing a flag.

Sometimes when I play games like “Call of Duty” or “Halo,” I get a bit irritated of those moments of silence. It became an annoyance when I played the “Lost Planet 2″ multiplayer demo where distant sounds sounded too far and near proximity effects fade too quickly. I put on some fast grindcore which in result turned out excellent. The immediate assaulting songs worked in context of the game and would work in others too.

For this month I will showcase music from the first half of 2010. For the coming months, it will regularly be based on releases during a particular month while I might do some special entries on occasion.

NOTICE: Music on this edition will be removed by next feature of this series. Labels, if you request a track removal during this period, contact staff@digitalgaudium.com and we will happily remove the file.

1. Kverlertak - 'Mjød' (self-titled)
In extreme music, Norway is the capital of its significant black metal scene. Murders, church burning and even a bizarre suicide situation. The ideology is dangerous but the music is intense and mysterious.

The atmospheric energy from the sound is blended with Kvelertak's love for party time rock and roll. Sort of like a mix of Turbonegro, Emperor and Refused. Their latest album is perfect for those casual play sessions with friends where good clean fun is more important than winning. Kvelertak's self-title album is currently streaming here.

2. Celeste - 'Ces belles de rêve aux verres embués' ("Morte(s) Nee(s)")
Most of the time I hear people put their microphones near their music speakers on Xbox Live; it's pretty much badly done hip-hop music with the bass frequency of the beat pattern repeatedly coming on. French quartet Celeste also focuses on constant rapid repetition but for their case it works.

Hypnotizing black metal-like guitars and bass fill the left and right channels, drums stays and a pummeling rhythm, and vocals contribute to the chaotic approach. The production is intentionally overpowered to match the constant bombastic and bludgeoning terror the album encompasses. Would sound great for the upcoming "Splatterhouse" reimagining. An intensely violent game with intensely violent music; there will be blood. The album along with their previous two is officially available for free here.

3. Extortion - 'Regrets' ("Loose Screws")
FAST! FASTER!! FASTEST!!! High speed intensity represents this powerviolence band from Perth, Australia. It's immature and punk but that's the point. They play it very straightforward in every release they had. Great for those tactical knife sprinting runs on Modern Warfare 2.







4. Ceremony - 'Sick' ("Rohnert Park")
Ceremony is too after two album of fastness. Rohnert Part takes it back to the early 1980s where bands like Black Flag and Bad Brains were emerging from their own scenes. The song "Sick" best represents that feeling.

Staying on a pacing tempo, Ceremony vocalist Ross Farrar goes all out nihilistic about hating everything. If you have that same mood and won't care if you are playing adversarial or team modes, you hate everyone and it's time to kill them (in game of course).



5. Trash Talk - Tracks 1-3 and 5-10 ("Eyes & Nines")
Removing the fourth slow track 'Hash Wednesday,' Eyes & Nines from this Sacramento, California quartet is just about 12 minutes long. But hell those 12 minutes go out fast like a bullet. A big player count Halo match should be enough for these nine songs. The minutes will be blissful chaos during melee combat and constant ballistic urgency.






6. Integrity - 'Learn To Love The Lie' ("The Blackest Curse")
Cleavland, Ohio metalcore masters debuts a full length (ever since 2001) with more "Holy Terror."

Remember when Slayer's 'Angel of Death' was in almost every skateboarding game? Even a great thrash song can get tiring. If there was an alternative, I will take this song or others from Integrity's The Blackest Curse." They match the rage that Slayer perfected in "Reign In Blood" and makes it more in key with hardcore punk. It's still angry.



7. "This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 2"
It's 74 tracks of aural violence in one CD! The compilation soundtrack to utter chaos for any intense multiplayer game. Enough said. Here are two tracks from the massive grindhouse of sound. DON'T PRESS PAUSE.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis (review)

It's Mathcore Madness!

It has been more than a decade since the release of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s acclaimed 1999 progressive metalcore debut “Calculating Infinity.” The group continues with their latest release doing what they do best: providing catchy unpredictable aural assaults while trying to experiment with new sounds and styles.

The first track “Farewell, Mona Lisa” foreshadows what’s to become of the band’s longest album to date. The first part features their signature burst of chaos exemplified by guitarist Ben Weinman and newly recruited drummer Billy Rymer.

Almost two minutes in, the song displays an ebb and flow effect where vocalist Greg Puicato shines in his dynamic vocal range following a tremendous band-central climax.

Although not as apparent, it’s great to hear that their characteristic hypersonic and discordant style is not forgotten in this record.
“Good Neighbor” features many dissonant yet enticing guitar runs by Weinman while Rymer can hit multiple time signatures without error. It has a lot of energy which when translated live, can entice large scale moshes.

The instrumental capabilities of Weinman and Rymer are best heard in “Endless Endings.” The majority of the track sounded like a much harder version of experimental jazz band Naked City. Weinman’s fast solos and chords sound like an altered interpretation of many different cultures of music and Rymer does his best to the point that it’s reminiscent of former DEP drummer Chris Pennie.

Some select songs from previous albums “Miss Machine” and “Ire Works” featured DEP experimenting with a pop music approach in mind, much different from their heavier pieces. “Option Paralysis” takes what made those songs great and adds a fitting metal edge, which makes the overall sound more cohesive.

“Gold Teeth On A Bum” best displays their new approach. Taking notes from former collaborator Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Puicato uses various vocal styles throughout.

From whispering, to screeching and then to singing, Puicato knows which style is perfect for each section. The band aids him resulting in a more tenacious unit instead of one particular member standing out.

“Widower” is another great example of the band’s experimentation in the album. Enrolling pianist Mike Garson, the song evolves from being very isolating and later on deconstructing.

Although being the longest album compared to the others for the band with only three songs falling below three minutes, there are still intense songs that justify its length.

“Room Full Of Eyes” still sounds like DEP but halfway in is a very pummeling doom dirge where everybody can headbang to.

Each album sounds like a logical progression in which “Option Paralysis” follows what made best with their previous work. With four albums and multiple member changes, The Dillinger Escape Plan excels at what they do and always tries to tread new ground, while not compromising who they are.

Extortion - Loose Screws (review)

FAULTY WIRING

To reasonably respect the fast pace nature of Loose Screws from Perth, Australia's violence group let's do this:

A fast fucking intense piece of adrenaline assault of extreme music that improves upon their infectious Sick. With some pieces lasting up to 2 minutes, all of the songs don't compromise ferocity. Catchy and more addicting than Sick. It's like falling off a skyscraper; just like the album artwork presents.

If Napalm Death's Barney Greenway intimidating guest vocal on the appropriately titled "Grind To A Halt" doesn't attract you, the repetitive nature of "Faulty Wiring" will be stuck in your head.

FUCK.

9/10

Blacklisted - Eccentrichine (review)

Lost In An Illusion

It was a bit questionable of what Blacklisted done on the much experimental No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me. No problem for me to like new distances and although I did like the album, there seemed to be an annoying vibe of that it sounds more of a solo album by singer George Hirsch than an actual Blacklisted album. Shortly after the record's stealthy release onto Deathwish Inc., a companion EP recently came about which in result makes question its purpose and makes me appreciate No One even more.

With only four songs, Eccentrichine features two new songs recorded from the No One session. That album lasted less than 30 minutes and the revealed pieces are conventional song length? "Stones Throw" could have been added no problem because it sounds like a song from the album while the title track could have been hidden or Japan only. The title track strays away to what we expect from them and goes all alternative rock. It does fall though into good concept/bad execution though; it fits here on an EP that's weak.

The other two songs fall under the same issue where the more electric "The P.I.G." is very exciting while an acoustic version of "Wish" lacks any energy. With only standing half way, Eccentrichine more of an optional piece for non-hardcore fans of Blacklisted.

5/10

My Top Three Favorite Records of 2009

I don't need to explain them. These are my favorite albums I heard this year. It's four not three but Converge has to be in the spot but Altar of Plagues stole my heart this year because it felt so lively while still being very heavy and dark. I can feel many emotions while listening to it which I haven't felt in a long time.

3. Coalesce - Ox/Converge - Axe To Fall (TIE)
2. Baroness - Blue Record
1. Altar of Plagues - White Tomb

Other stuff of the second half of 2009 which I thought were great too.

• Liturgy - Renihilation
• Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough
• Portal - Swarth
• Katatonia - Night Is The New Day
• Blacklisted - No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me
• Iron Age - The Sleeping Eye
• Gaza - He Is Never Coming Back
  
• Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong
• Rise & Fall - Our Circle Is Vicious
• Marduk - Wormwood
• Between The Buried & Me - The Great Misdirect
• the_network - Bishop Kent Manning
• A Storm of Light - Forgive Us Our Tresspasses
  

Blacklisted - No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me (review)

Happy birthday kid

Being the lone wolves of hardcore can be a challenging case for Blacklisted. The struggle to defy the common usage is constant and if followed, the band would have to put steps ahead of the derivatives to stand out while still trying to sound excellent. Once trying to make a name for themselves with their Cro-Mags influenced mosh fests like ...The Beat Goes On (2005) and later initiating a lonely strike of individuality on Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God (2008) which garnered acclaim throughout the extreme music industry, a year later as a very stealthy release where only the people who care will know a new album rose and would try to expand their repertoire. Notice I said try.

No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me follows Blacklisted into experimental territory where like Heavier Than Heaven, this differentiates itself from its predecessor. But for this case, the changes seem odd. If you enjoyed the the quick minute bursts in the previous album, it's nonexistent here. It's not fucking angry anymore. You have George instead of just doing scary shouts, he does the Southern-esque howling experimented on the Peace On Earth, War On Stage (2007) and Heavier Than Heaven but to a fuller extent (aka 100% of the record). It shows George's capabilities as a vocalist when he tells his stories of loneliness and trust. When you listen to the music though, some of the songs including "The Problem Is G.(eorge)" and "I'm Trying To Disappear" feel like they should have been suited for a solo album instead of a Blacklisted album.

As I said, Blacklisted dwells forward into experimental territory. The songs are slower and more thought out to create some separation from other groups. By listening, there is a sense of more metallic influences present (especially some prog sounds) while sticking to its hardcore and experimental sensibilities. It makes up something solid yet doesn't have that pure lygreat energy that I loved in their 2008 masterpiece. It's a really good grower.

7/10

Portal - Swarth (review)

South of Heaven

I never knew that the down under was really down under. When the country of Australia who recently released a censored version of Left 4 Dead 2 with all the visceral visual elements mostly nonexistant, you would think they would be all goody two shoes on trying to censor more things like death metal. Luckily it hasn't happened and might never at all. It's appreciative that there are bands oceans apart from their big continent counterparts who love the craft. Portal being the most common recently with just providing a sound that feels like the fantasy iteration of Satan arrived on Earth and is fucking dirty and sludgy.

In a simplistic sense, it's death metal. Beyond the understanding of what they are trying to show the listener of what they want to do, it's what they actually do in Swarth which is the most intriguing. Someone who even just listens to Cannibal Corpse at the least will think of this as noise due to it's almost early Bolt Thrower sound that seems to be intentionally clouded to the max. If you listen to a minute of a song through a computer speaker and hate it, then there is a problem. Just get a good set of headphones and try to pay attention to how it's structured and the unity of the group's playstyle. It becomes easier at that point.

There is no clarity but there is subtlty to the songs. Guitars buzz with no signs of compression but excells in creating many fast and heavy grooves that can make the legends jealous. It feels like a constant wall of noise to where only the people who want to digest will appreciate it. The rhythm of both guitarists and the bassist's styles have no bounds and will devise any type of weird yet cool riff to create pure cacaphony. This is complimented by the drums which further make the evil sound more terryfying. Blast beats galore on the title track but it's unpredictable to which type of move will Ignis Fatuus will do next. The vocal delivery by The Curator completes the haunting circle with distanced growl of words that only himself can make sense of.

To be honest, this is my first record from Portal and was more or less a forced listen. It started to be an annoyance but would later become very likeable within more replays. I tried to describe as best as I could but the issue that there is so much content that it challenges the listener's orthodox approach to listening where it's about experiencing it than reading a review like this. It's a very difficult record to decipher yet if you want to dwell into a territory like this, Swarth is the excellent package. Portal solved the problem of that you don't need avant-garde sounding electronics or orchertra to create an apocalypse or Silent Hill.

9/10

Swarth is now available on Profound Lore records!

Gaza - He Is Never Coming Back (review)

Did He Move Or Something?

West or East, there are prominent bands within those scenes; hardcore, metal, whatever. But the central zones are of lesser prominence. But within this decade, bands like Colorado's Cephalic Carnage and Cobalt have created sounds that are characteristic from their seabourne conterparts. Another one from Salt Lake City, Utah has some popularity especially in playing at every Dudefest. Gaza brings influences from everywhere and create cacaphonous chaos brought about by their debut I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die. Now coming back with their sophomore, it's been anticipated (especially at the Deibel magazine forums) that He Is Never Coming Back would surpass the Coalesce death metal infused barrage of noise from their first.

The common trait of Gaza is inconsistency, putting whatever into the plate while still trying to make something enjoyable. This album brings forward some of the opposite and making an their established sound streamlined. "The Kicking Legs" has beats of progressive metal, sludge, and grindcore; the whole song though feels like it has structure of what it's trying to be. There is no obvious blatant "we wanna sound like that at this part" section as this second outing is more subtle in presentation. The full songs are supported by cleaner progressive interludes that help give breathing room for the listener who might have been blown by the insanity and the rants about Jesus.

The song dynamics and the craziness that fills the record is assisted by a unique simple production style. Like When I Die, Never Coming Back tries to defy modern extreme music production by making it feel flat yet gritty and dirty. This though follows the format to a larger extent but lacking any punch or clarity for this case can make the listener sleepy instead of engaged. But acknowledging that it's meant to be this sort of fashion, you can actually get used to it like no problem as it's all about the songs.

It's a possible annoyance that a new listener can have the feeling that it's enhanced white noise. This is their own set of chaos with what they want to perform, not what what others bands or people expect. We cannot never try to taint their objective or else we will destroy the individuality of what Gaza is trying to deliver.

9/10

Rise & Fall - Our Circle Is Vicious

Live The Storm

During the last years of World War II, the United States Army and the German Third Reich fought against each other in the cold woods of Bastogne, Belgium. It was a breaking point as it shown the last stand for the German army before their downfall months just after with their moustached chancellor commiting suicide in the country capital of Berlin. Besides Belgium holding what would become an important event in the European theater, the country contains a hardcore band that brings in the chaos to the rest of their world thanks to Jacob Bannon's Deathwish Inc. label. Rise & Fall's Our Circle Is Vicious has been in development for more than a year after their touring in 2008. Being in isolation in their rehersal house in the forest of Chimay to their full production in Kurt Ballou's Godcity Studio at Boston, Massachusettes, it would seem that they are trying to make it awesome as they can. Well it is so.

If you keep on hearing about Rise & Fall but never had the chance to listen to their previous work including Into Oblivion (2007), this new outing is the one you will hear. Being still based on their hardcore roots, they know how to execute their attack throughout no matter the tempo and the approach. Starting from chord strikes and chorus hooks on "Soul Slayer" and the almost chase scene like "Built On Graves" with higher string presence, it goes gutter sludgy with "Harm's Way" and "In Circles." The breakdown elements in the slower songs that help change tempo in the faster songs compliment the dynamics and the varied approaches Rise & Fall go. With the quick bursts on energy it's needed.

You deserve to listen to this because these cats are what will bring modern hardcore forward while still looking back at what made them build the beast. It will grow and grow.

8/10

Our Circle Is Vicious is available now on Deathwish Inc.!

Official MySpace

Converge - Axe To Fall

This time they are built for war

Being active since the 1990s but gaining prominence not just from the hardcore scenes but the metal scenes all around the world during the new millennium with 2001's mathcore monster Jane Doe, Converge knows what they want in a new record and we all love it every time. The only thing we can do about it when we wait is just never expect anything and enjoy everything during initial listen. It's been the case when Converge signed on to Epitaph Records where mostly constructed of punk. With You Fail Me (2004) and No Heroes (2006), they treaded different grounds with left turns including the AmRep/NeurIsis induced You Fail Me title track and the doom and thrashtastic "To The Lions" from No Heroes.

Seven albums later and almost two decades long of intensity and traveling the world, Converge has something new out for us to drool over. A recent case just weeks before the release (or the full stream at the band's own MySpace) the review watermarked copy of Axe To Fall was leaked onto the internet for a lot of people to keelhaul over. Even if downloaded by the masses, Converge finally made something that not only make the owning of the album well worth it but made the most engaging record I have heard this year.

Official music video, probably NSFW

I can safely say that if you have listened to past Converge albums, you can say it's an amalgamation of them and then some. Combining the technicality and unpredictability of Jane Doe, the ferocity of You Fail Me, and the extreme metal tendencies of No Heroes (along with nuances of 1998's When Forever Come Crashing), they wisely balanced their use of what they have learned in the past to make an effective product while still following their of tradition of following experimental paths. Odd that some of these songs sound similar to songs on their previous two albums. The benefit of this is that these songs feel more developed than their older pieces. It includes the out-slayered Slayer-esque "Cutter" ("Vengeance","No Heroes" and "Black Cloud"), the grooved up "Slave Driver" ("Lonewolves"), and the fast "Losing Battle" ("Heartless").

Besides some great familiarities, the album continues to take different directions outside the main sound spectrum. If you have listened to the stronger bands on singer Jacob Bannon's Deathwish Inc. label, you can hear some pure influences of Disfear and label alumni Trap Them on "Wishing Well;" death' n' roll more bastardized. Apparently enough the differed songs consists of the more slower tempoed epic tracks than usual to balance out the overall heaviness to create a more varied and open album. "Cruel Bloom" brings a folkpocalypse sound with seemingly distanced brooding/depressing piano and acoustic guitar while providing an almost ethreal like feeling with the guest vocals including Neurosis' Steve Von Till. The finale "Wretched World" tries to set the listener on a ethreal (it even sound like a credits song to an epic RPG that was cut for not being overcompressed J-Pop or some obvious reason) journey of layers upon layers of drums, vocals, and guitar helped by members of Genghis Tron, The Red Chord, and Cave In.

The most intriguing thing about Axe To Fall is the high amount of guests that contributed to the album. They range from just doing backing vocals for one line (Himsa's John Pettibone on "Cutter") to almost full contribution to writing the song (ex. 3/4 of Cave In on "Effigy"). Besides people of metal/hardcore bands such as Tim Cohen of 108 and Blacklisted's George Hirsch, Converge brings in members of indie rock groups including Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and lone female anagramed musician "The Rodeo" which even if unexpected is exciting that Converge will try someone else that doesn't shout for once.

With each Converge album, production gets better and better. Maybe No Heroes is a bit less just with the weird inaudibility of guitars and bass in places but it's good that Converge learned their lesson with this new outing. Being produced, engineered, and mixed by guitarist Kurt Ballou at his own studio, he makes the album powerful and as well as dirty. Guitars are now audible with cutting riffs and shiny leads, bass can give hope to conventional metal production that the instrument still matters and the drums have a very loud scooped feel while steps back in terms of giving the other instruments a chance. Vocals are just harsh as usual with Jacob's incomprehensible barks of destruction which says to any new listener that it's not about trying to understand what he is saying but to understand the feeling of his performance. Mastered by Alan Douches give a good amount of loudness to the intense album but at occasion passes the distortion mark which makes me question his skills.

Although with a minor fault, it's very small when compared to the larger than life sound that fills this album. I can say indeed that Converge's Axe To Fall is one of the albums to listen to of 2009. Fun for everybody because it's plain awesome. Don't waste your time downloading it from a blogspot, go freaking buy it!

10/10

Axe To Fall is available now!

Official Converge Website
Official Converge MySpace

Baroness - Blue Record

Color Me Blue

The Georgian sludge metal scene has gained some prominence within extreme metal. Built up from the NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) influences of Eyehategod, England's doomy Black Sabbath and even New York's Swans, the Georgian scene has turned into a characteristic entity while still praising the evil yet Southern rock grooves. Throughout the second half of the decade, there were lauded releases from bands like Atlanta's Withered (Foile Circulare, 2008), Savannah's Kylesa (Static Tensions, 2009), and most notably Atlanta's Mastodon (Crack the Skye, 2009). It's though not all perfect in the world of downtuned drugged bastard music. Some including me thought Mastodon's over-ambition for an almost pure progressive sound has caused them to stray away from their roots too obviously (which I felt made the record good yet very underwhelming). Is it because of their rise to major labels (Relapse Records to Reprise Records) to appeal to less metal nurtured audiences or just want to separate from being pidgeonholed in a scene? Who knows?

One band who recently had some press in magazines such as Spin and most commonly being the cover story on US extreme metal mag Decibel (November 2009) is Savannah's Baroness. Rising to prominence with their First (2004) and Second (2005) EPs and as well as a split album with Unpersons (2007) and being praised with the debut LP Red Album (2007). Their mix of progressive rock and sludge metal can make a first time listener question Mastodon clone but by multiple listens of their previous work and their latest LP Blue Record, Baroness makes excellent strides in creating what they are.

Jake Leg

With a gaze of the beautiful cover art by guitarist/vocalist John Dyer Baizley, you can expect a great and wondrous journey. Starting from the beginning of "Bullhead's Psalm" to the end of "Bullhead's Lament," they deliver their A game to the best of their ability with every song. For fans of the group, Blue can be considered simply a very well refined Red Album; although not a reiteration of their 2007 debut. The most obvious difference from the previous work is how Baroness keeps momentum on making hook after hook after hook throughout the 45 minutes without droning out on being boring. They provide a sound that can be appreciated to a larger audience but they do it so well and effectively that the "sold out" issue is nonexistent.

Guitarist/vocalist Pete Adams replaced former guitarist Brian Bickle a couple of months back and I questioned if Baroness can still do it without it's former lead guitarist. By listen of Blue Album, I had my question answered with a yes. Pete contributes so much harmony vocals especially in "The Sweetest Curse" and the folk acoustic "Steel That Sleeps The Eye" where it's better to have both John and Pete sing/shout at the same time instead of just having one doing the responsibilities. Besides his voice, he can make very good clashes with John on twin leads with very noticeable support by bassist Summer Welch and drummer of Brian Bickle, Allen. When the album is best as is when all the elements are crunched up into one five or so minute song. The spectacular results are well established in the "The Birthing"-esque "Jake Leg" and the mid-paced galloping rhythms of "A Horse Name Golgotha."

A Horse Called Golgotha

Even with an outro, the penultimate song (The Gnashing) truly ends the album with great build up to the climax with elegant melodies, rhythm shifts, and well thought out patterns. Everything felt engaging and well made and nothing felt like filler. Is it best metal album ever? Probably not but I can say Baroness' Blue Record is one of the best metal (if not general) records of 2009.

10/10

Blue Record out now on Relapse Records!

Official Baroness MySpace (features Blue Record stream)
Official John Baizley MySpace

Coalesce - "Wild Ox Moan" Dissected

Lasting for more than a week even if I have discovered this recently, Coalesce has issued a contest where anybody can win prizes for having the best remix and/or rearrangement of their OX song "Wild Ox Moan." Although great to win crap including a special LP version of OX, I feel that people including me who are trying to get into music production, specifically extreme metal, can understand how can we make a good sounding track with this song as good reference.

It's great that engineer Ed Rose dissected the main elements of the song (guitars, vocals, effects, etc.) for us to understand in a technical manner. Notable elements include the panned bass guitar, the room and close drum mics, and the use of vocals with how having either just the main vocals or the backing vocals can affect the performance especially in the 02:38-02:58 section.

I am trying to understand extreme metal production and trying to make my own sound. Thank goodness someone would break down a song or else most of us would be overproducing/underproducing which can respectively lead to constant clipping or inaudibility. Most of us recording music in a DIY fashion might not sound good as OX but at least it's a stepping stone for success in the future.

Official Rules

Indaba: Remix Page

Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive

Doom, Gloom, and Rock & Roll?

Aside from the very metallic hardcore tendencies, Converge's Nate Newton has a primary side project when Converge is not playing a show. Doomriders contains the bassman on guitars as well as Cave In drummer J.R. Connors playing very fun and catchy death 'n' roll and punk influenced stoner rock ever since their 2005 debut Black Thunder on Jacob Bannon's Deathwish Inc. Four years later with occasional live performances and splits with Coliseum and Swedish d-beat kings Disfear, Nate and the riders finally have time to record new attractive material before their holds on their main bands and their own new pieces.

Darkness Come Alive in terms of how it's recorded differs from Black Thunder as the latter was recorded live with all instruments present and playing simultaneously while Darkness followed conventional tracking. Although it feels like the fun and jam factor disappeared, it resulted with songs having more detail and attention resulting with a good amount of focus. The first half of the seventeen songs have good hooks especially in the harmony chorus in "Come Alive" but the second half is where the riders step up in their riffing game. "Jealous God" stays doomed up yet has a melody that can encourage the crowd to flood the group sing along and "Mercy" as well as "Bloodsucker" adds the Black Flag esque hardcore element to the stoner fuzzed grooves. Thank goodness those grooves are audible as I thank Kurt Ballou for having clarity and dynamics instead of density and intensity.

Good thing Nate actually pursued Doomriders as he deserves some prominence when doing his work on Converge and even in Old Man Gloom. Show your glory!

8/10

the_Network - Bishop Kent Manning

No LAN support in this network

It's intriguing to listen to bands that I never heard before especially with cool sounding names (except for badly vaguely named metalcore bands). The_Network has a cool sounding and looking name albeit they are a metalcore band. Good thing that they sound pretty good for following a Botch/Converge attack with a essence of individuality. Already established in Blackmarket Activities with 2007's This Is Your Pig's Portrait and the split EP with UK band Throats, the_Network comes back with a Kurt Ballou production of a conce... excuse me a narrative journey.

Starring a man on a destructive path from his manipulative lead of an evangelical church to his goal for self realization and redemption, t_N provides an facsinating lyrical story where it flows through with anger and rage from vocalist Mike McGee. He does what he has to do while knows he cannot flood the rest of the sounds surrounding the album. Following the aformentioned influences, t_N takes some left turns with influences of post-hardcore and post-metal; most notably evident on "Corpse Paint" where it contains an Isis like buildup and goes to a almost poppy melodic like chorus to immediate doomy verses. Most of the time, it's constant math influenced chaos. To differentiate from their older peers, very metal riffing is added to the hardcore sensibilities in songs like "Easter Just Stopped Showing" where it almost sounds like a death metal song with the notion of how deathcore should sound like instead of what Suicide Silence deafens.

They do what they want to do and it seems to be working. Is it sophomore album of the year? Hell no! It doesn't break any modern mold in the musically department yet it's awesome though to listen to something imaginative lyrically such as Bishop Kent Manning. In the name of Jesus and Satan, do listen!

8/10

Gnaw Their Tongues - All The Dread Magnificence Of Perversity

Jesu For Strange Cats

One of the intriguing things about uncomfortable music is that it can get the listener (if open-minded) to get sucked in and try to digest the universe that is composed in a song. Can range from just simplistic ambient noise to the recent soothing yet cacophonous hits of Tilt and The Drift by Scott Walker. People who doesn't listen to extreme music would commonly call the the various genres in the umbrella term as unpleasant; likely because the closest thing that they would consider extreme would be something out of Disturbed. More known in Europe, the amalgamation of the sounds are presented in such bands like The Axis Of Perdition and recently Gnaw Their Tongues with its latest full length monster of a machine.

Consisting of Dutch lone wolf Mories who takes extreme to another level with his arsenal of everything hard and destructive, he wants the listener to visualize the enviroments and what can create the dynamic wall of noise. "Broken Fingers Point Up In Vain" imagines a doomy symphonic end of the world scenario where everything built by man is collapsing down to the ground. The first song when popping the disc in creates a strong and hollow Silent Hill like mood if the very bloody and dreary environments filled with surrounding industrial scream existed. Although some spoken word it doesn't have lyrics but for this case, it's beneficial as it's about listening to every little detail from the agonizing cries to the subtle drum patterns.

If there is a flaw then it has to be the songs simply put. Dread is great and terrifying, it wants to be really cacophonous albeit it's so likeable that it drains the "I am fucking freaking out and going fucking insane" scary factor. It's more like being the cameraman to a well thought out horror movie as opposed to waking up in what could be hell on earth (minus the Cyberdemon). Also the song names sounding cool also feels silly and vague ("Gazing At Me Through The Tears Of Urine, WTF?!). Nonetheless if you wanna love shitting bricks on music, All The Dread Magnificence Of Perversity is still extreme beyond extreme and evil beyond evil.

8/10

Weekend Nachos - Unforgivable

UURRGH MAN!

Once low key yet strong fanbase in the Eastern hardcore scene but recently had wider appreciation with Relapse Records' Scott Hull modern powerviolence/grind collection known as This Comp. Kills Facists, Weekend Nachos I hope is enjoying the larger reception. Even with finishing songs for the compilation, it didn't stop their 2009 Spazz-y attack as they begun making a "full length" of traditional yet still intense grind and powerviolence known as Unforgivable.

As I said, this album is traditional filling up the usual guidelines influenced by the early U.S. grind bands both musically and artistically. So expect a grotesque black & white Vietnam photo to start off. When initially listening to it you can expect the fast, slow, and blast tempos to fill up almost every song when the creamy smooth guitars and bass flow with the still goofy vocals. Every other band does the same thing but why should you or me care about this band Besides powerviolence being less common than grindcore obviously, they have some chops to deliver excting stuff which is highlighted in standouts like "Pain Over Acceptance" and the 2 minute epic "Nights".

Nothing special or bad, the Nachos made a nonetheless enjoyable Relapse debut album which by small doses can be kept in grind enthusiasts' LP player, CD player, or iPod. Give it a go you might like it.

7/10

Trash Talk - East Of Eden

Insta-fucking-gratification

Hardcore punk is fast and devastating just like all extreme genres but instead of having dominant thrash riffs or super progressive double bass drum patterns, it's all about a purely unified attack of d-beats, heavily distorted chords, and in your face shouts where it can match with the most kvlt of music. Sacramento's Trash Talk has been a down-low band while being infamous for aggressive hardcore/powerviolence/grind releaseswith drugged up terror of sludge lasting less than an full EPs worth (S/T only last less than 15 minutes). Releasing a single song into the public is a bit expected but the extremeties present in East of Eden's "East Of Eden/Son Of A Bitch" is well worth listening because it feels sort of reminiscent of the first two releases Walking Disease and Plagues while having the DIY cloudy tones of the S/T; think of Napalm Death's Scum but slightly refined yet still fucking dirty. Blast beats, doom sounds, and traditional necessities feel cohesive and powerful even if it lasts 2 minutes.

8/10

Burnt By The Sun - Heart Of Darkness

Always bet on Dave!

Drummer Dave Witte and vocalist Mike Olender quit Burnt By The Sun for a short time but returned to record one last ditch effort with the band before ending it once and for all. It's the swan songs for this act but I cannot say Dave=good music no matter fucking what even if his contribution to whatever band his takes part of is good. Heart of Darkness by Burnt By The Sun is great because it's great in what it delivers without being placed in a template of mainstream metalcore; although they almost reached that particular stage. For a couple of dynamic moments into the first song "Inner Station" you wouldn't be even thinking of metalcore anymore, you will think of awesome.

They are excellent in playing each of their respected instruments but what makes this final effort so heavy is the well placed hooks from all departments. Ranging from Coalesce to Discordance Axis (Dave was there!), they know how to make something catchy with the grooved up fuck you riffs on "There Will Be Blood" to the sweet short bursts of grind-y vocal and drumming on "Beacon". This reason alone garners an 8 but another important factor is the unpredictability as influences come all across while staying consistent and extreme. Every listen feels like I encountered something new which I might have missed before.

If I can find the song that sums up Heart is the first written track "Goliath" where it's follows fast and slow tempos with the multiple notions of good breakdowns with signs of AmRep noise rock followed by sludge and thrash with technical death metal tendencies within 3 minutes. If they can make so much brutality within that time frame while not sounding messy and filled with too much sounds everywhere, I know there is hope for newer bands doing the same.

The review might get you interested but it's all about the listen and BBTS's final album will destroy your ears; the non Metallica way.

FULL ALBUM STREAM - http://www.heartofdarkness.info/

9/10