Continuing on my path of demos that have completely impressed me, we come to Phantasmal.
Phantasmal are a black heavy metal band from the USA. The term "black heavy metal" is too perfect of a fit as there music strikes me as a combo of early Manowar and Venom with some thrash elements thrown in. Really, the members might as well have walked up to me and said, "Hey, what elements of metal music should we combine together to make you happy?" This is a pretty much perfect release with the exception of it being too short in my opinion.
The demo starts with "The Reaper's Forge" just a straight up rocking mid paced number. Things thrash up here and there but its more of a power/thrash feeling. But its hard to make this style of metal really rock out and that's what Phantasmal does while still remaining true to the 1st wave bm influences as well. "The Eternal Campaign" is next and you can feel warriors sharpening axes and swords, readying shields and ballista, and trying each other to make sure they are ready to fight for all time! I head banged so hard through this one that I thought I was going to break my neck. I couldn't stop! I was compelled by Metal! The next track, "Queen Nightshade", is also a mid paced burner that brings on the head banging. It also contains some great lead work and melodies. Its the longest song clocking in at just over five minutes adding to the epic factor.
I really can't compliment this demo enough! Someone needs to sign these guys! If i had money I would do it, but alas, I do not... Right now this demo is name your price at band camp but give them a few bucks. Apparently they are releasing this in cassette format soon, so if you don't pay for the download pick that up when it comes out! Seriously support this fantastic heavy metal band!!
https://www.facebook.com/phantasmalmetal/timeline
https://phantasmalmetal.bandcamp.com/releases
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Wreodan Healh- Laecig
I have returned!!
So these next couple of posts will be dedicated to new bands that I think deserve some more recognition. They are bands that have released maybe a demo and I feel are fantastic and I don't see get talked about a lot.
Wreodan Healh is a black metal band from the UK. They are actually not a new band. Wreodan Healh started in 2004 and then disbanded in 2006 never releasing anything to my knowledge. They reformed seven years later and here we are sitting on the first demo release.
Laecig is the band's first demo material and was released in 2014. It consists of three tracks of atmospheric black metal. I tend to hate this style. Its usually not very riffed based and really has very little metal in it.
Laecig is immediately different. It summons an older time in black metal. It is dark and at the same time epic. It resonates with what made the northern 2nd wave of black metal interesting. It does not rely on crappy trebly arpeggios, shitty shrieked vocals or "post- rock" parts. It is a revelation unto itself.
The demo is three tracks starting with "Shadowreathed" an intro that breeds ambiance by throwing in sounds of battle and a fairly excellent sample. Next is "Kingdom of Ancient Sorrow". This is the most epic track on the demo with a magnificent melody that carries the listener through ancient times to battles in ice and snow. "Towers Over Desolate Realms", the closer, is just that. It has everything a good end song should for this kind of record. It has razor sharp riffing, great epic melody lines and the vocals scream out of the forested atmosphere.
An excellent demo back to front. These guys are finishing up their first full length and I am eagerly awaiting it as any fan of 2nd wave bm should be. They put this demo up for free on their band camp but you should really get in touch and procure a cassette.
https://www.facebook.com/wreodanhealh?fref=ts
https://wreodanhealh.bandcamp.com/releases
Monday, October 13, 2014
Iron Void- Iron Void
I might as well just say it now... I think the better half of my "top releases of 2014" list is going to come from Barbarian Wrath and Witches Brew! But that was true in the past and I can't think of reason it should not be true in the present... On we plow!
Doom metal... hmmm... great traditional doom metal is hard to crystalize... Its a tight tope that many fail at and more modern bands fail more often... With notable exceptions like Reverend Bizarre, Lamp of Thoth and now Iron Void. Iron Void has been around for a bit but put out little recorded material. I don't know why that has happened but I seriously hope it ceases as this is some killer doom sliced off for ya!
The album starts sloooooowwwww(in the best way possible) with opener Tyrant's Crown. It pummels you through the heaviness of I Am War(personal favorite), The Mad Monk until Xylanthia. Each track beats you down viciously with a fantastic low end that rattles the fillings in your teeth and the studs in your walls! Xylanthia turns the heaviness down a little with a stellar acoustic performance that stops the beating for a short time to give you relief at the end of the album! A great record from start to finish!
What I really like about this record is that, while it is very much a traditional drum album, it has the power and feeling of a great proto-metal album too. It, like Lamp of Thoth, contains a timeless vibe that I believe will stand the test of time and make this record into a classic. It already is in my book! There are no highlights as all the tracks are excellent and stand out on their own! Buy or die! Remember that all Barbarian Wrath records are distributed through Witches Brew so I've left links for both below!
Check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Void/52516312832
https://www.facebook.com/BarbarianWrath666
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.eu/
Doom metal... hmmm... great traditional doom metal is hard to crystalize... Its a tight tope that many fail at and more modern bands fail more often... With notable exceptions like Reverend Bizarre, Lamp of Thoth and now Iron Void. Iron Void has been around for a bit but put out little recorded material. I don't know why that has happened but I seriously hope it ceases as this is some killer doom sliced off for ya!
The album starts sloooooowwwww(in the best way possible) with opener Tyrant's Crown. It pummels you through the heaviness of I Am War(personal favorite), The Mad Monk until Xylanthia. Each track beats you down viciously with a fantastic low end that rattles the fillings in your teeth and the studs in your walls! Xylanthia turns the heaviness down a little with a stellar acoustic performance that stops the beating for a short time to give you relief at the end of the album! A great record from start to finish!
What I really like about this record is that, while it is very much a traditional drum album, it has the power and feeling of a great proto-metal album too. It, like Lamp of Thoth, contains a timeless vibe that I believe will stand the test of time and make this record into a classic. It already is in my book! There are no highlights as all the tracks are excellent and stand out on their own! Buy or die! Remember that all Barbarian Wrath records are distributed through Witches Brew so I've left links for both below!
Check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Void/52516312832
https://www.facebook.com/BarbarianWrath666
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.eu/
Alitor- Eternal Depression
Ah, technical metal... Yeah, I'm not really a big fan... I like metal aggressive and over the top. That's something that I have found that technicality can destroy.
But I will say that this is less true in thrash... especially thrash done well. And that leads us to Alitor.
A young band from Serbia, this is their first full length after a single e.p. demo. Some might think that's awful quick but to be truthful they seem to have become a force worth reckoning with in the three years of their existence. Released by Witches Brew this summer, this record ticks all the right boxes and kicks ass up and down!
From the ripping "Realm of Grief" to the twin guitar volley of "Horror" through the excellent rerecorded "Embittered", Alitor consistently rips the listener a new one, over and over! This is maniacal and fast tech-thrash like Anacrusis or Coroner. The promo stuff you will see will also compare them to a hint of Death or Atheist and while I can see that; it is definitely Atheist and Coroner that come to mind as I am lashed by hyper fast riffing and pounded into the ground by tastefully heavy drum work until the listener feels "Drained". This is an appropriate song to put at the end of this record as it is slightly slower than the rest of the material. It still rips you a new one with razor sharp melodic riffs and you come out feeling exactly as the title suggests.
As of now this is my thrash record of the year. Forget Iron Reagan and listen to this completely awesome record. Though with the upcoming release of Acid Age, Pyoveli and Deathhammer this is going to be a great year for thrash! Highlights include: Realm of Grief, Horror and Drained... but the album is fantastic!
Check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/AlitorOfficial
https://www.facebook.com/witchesbrewthrashes?fref=nf
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.de/
But I will say that this is less true in thrash... especially thrash done well. And that leads us to Alitor.
A young band from Serbia, this is their first full length after a single e.p. demo. Some might think that's awful quick but to be truthful they seem to have become a force worth reckoning with in the three years of their existence. Released by Witches Brew this summer, this record ticks all the right boxes and kicks ass up and down!
From the ripping "Realm of Grief" to the twin guitar volley of "Horror" through the excellent rerecorded "Embittered", Alitor consistently rips the listener a new one, over and over! This is maniacal and fast tech-thrash like Anacrusis or Coroner. The promo stuff you will see will also compare them to a hint of Death or Atheist and while I can see that; it is definitely Atheist and Coroner that come to mind as I am lashed by hyper fast riffing and pounded into the ground by tastefully heavy drum work until the listener feels "Drained". This is an appropriate song to put at the end of this record as it is slightly slower than the rest of the material. It still rips you a new one with razor sharp melodic riffs and you come out feeling exactly as the title suggests.
As of now this is my thrash record of the year. Forget Iron Reagan and listen to this completely awesome record. Though with the upcoming release of Acid Age, Pyoveli and Deathhammer this is going to be a great year for thrash! Highlights include: Realm of Grief, Horror and Drained... but the album is fantastic!
Check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/AlitorOfficial
https://www.facebook.com/witchesbrewthrashes?fref=nf
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.de/
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Ogre- The Last Neanderthal
This is a release I have been waiting for for 6 years... Lets see how it measures up!
Doom metal is a strange beast these days... Its so diverse that I imagine its hard to navigate for new metal heads. Ogre occupies the classic doom/ proto-metal circle. And they are one of the best around!
Ogre left us with the superior "Plague of the Planet". This was an album that I was sure would not be topped. I'm not sure Ogre topped it here but they released a great doom/ proto metal effort here. This record starts of with the intro Shadow Earth and blasts off from there. "Nine princes" is an excellent mid paced rocker and sets the tone for the record.
About the middle you get "Soulless Woman", which is a cover from a 70's rock band called, in fact, Ogre. I went looking for this band and they are very obscure, apparently. But the cover is excellent and fits right in with the rest of the album. The album ends on the doom epic "The Hermit", a slow and monstrous heavy metal song the plods along gloriously until the final notes are strummed and nightfall blankets the stage. I can say that after waiting 6 years for this album I am so happy to have it in my hot little hands!
If you are a fan of doom, proto-metal or just great heavy as balls rock n roll, you need this album. Its definitely on my top ten for this year. Highlights: Nine Princes in Amber, Son of Sisyphus and the Hermit.
Check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/Rockogre
Doom metal is a strange beast these days... Its so diverse that I imagine its hard to navigate for new metal heads. Ogre occupies the classic doom/ proto-metal circle. And they are one of the best around!
Ogre left us with the superior "Plague of the Planet". This was an album that I was sure would not be topped. I'm not sure Ogre topped it here but they released a great doom/ proto metal effort here. This record starts of with the intro Shadow Earth and blasts off from there. "Nine princes" is an excellent mid paced rocker and sets the tone for the record.
About the middle you get "Soulless Woman", which is a cover from a 70's rock band called, in fact, Ogre. I went looking for this band and they are very obscure, apparently. But the cover is excellent and fits right in with the rest of the album. The album ends on the doom epic "The Hermit", a slow and monstrous heavy metal song the plods along gloriously until the final notes are strummed and nightfall blankets the stage. I can say that after waiting 6 years for this album I am so happy to have it in my hot little hands!
If you are a fan of doom, proto-metal or just great heavy as balls rock n roll, you need this album. Its definitely on my top ten for this year. Highlights: Nine Princes in Amber, Son of Sisyphus and the Hermit.
Check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/Rockogre
Countess- Ancient Lies and Battle Cries
So, Countess, you have returned. And the rite can begin...
I really don't like much black metal. You see, kids, when (Norwegian [i.e. 2nd generation]) black metal started it was about bringing metal back to a time of rawness, spikes, leather and total over-the-topness that existed in metal in the early 80's. I had already been exposed to Bathory, Venom and Hellhammer among others. By the early 90's thrash was waning and death metal was becoming "normal". Black metal was a breath of fresh air in this quagmire and that's how I discovered it.
In the last 10 years, this has changed. Now, every black metal band just rips off Burzum or Darkthrone while occasionally adding some "progressive" elements so they can claim they are "pushing boundaries". That is clear bullshit to anyone with brain who chooses to look. Countess is an example of stalwart and cantankerous integrity as well as an ability to adopt and add different ideas and yet still remain true to a complete vision
"Ancient lies..." is Countess at its most epic and its most influenced by Early American metal. Oh, the Manilla Road and Manowar influences were there hiding underneath the pallid demon voice and the raw as hell production. All of that is still there. The production is earthy and still raw. Orlok shrieks with wild abandon over the proceedings. But this is the most METAL record Countess has ever released. Every track drips with heavy metal goodness and headbanging glory! This is heavy metal influenced by Manilla Road, early Manowar and Bathory!
If you didn't like Orlok's voice before, you won't like it now. I personally love it. Every track on here is amazing and this should be a modern classic. Ah, well, I'll just spin it a few thousand times myself! Stand out tracks: By Hammer and Blood, Confessions of a Polytheist and Burn the Throne.
Go check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Countess/115228541872165
https://www.facebook.com/BarbarianWrath666
Hey, guys also remember that its distributed by Witches Brew! Go give these labels a look!
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.eu/
I really don't like much black metal. You see, kids, when (Norwegian [i.e. 2nd generation]) black metal started it was about bringing metal back to a time of rawness, spikes, leather and total over-the-topness that existed in metal in the early 80's. I had already been exposed to Bathory, Venom and Hellhammer among others. By the early 90's thrash was waning and death metal was becoming "normal". Black metal was a breath of fresh air in this quagmire and that's how I discovered it.
In the last 10 years, this has changed. Now, every black metal band just rips off Burzum or Darkthrone while occasionally adding some "progressive" elements so they can claim they are "pushing boundaries". That is clear bullshit to anyone with brain who chooses to look. Countess is an example of stalwart and cantankerous integrity as well as an ability to adopt and add different ideas and yet still remain true to a complete vision
"Ancient lies..." is Countess at its most epic and its most influenced by Early American metal. Oh, the Manilla Road and Manowar influences were there hiding underneath the pallid demon voice and the raw as hell production. All of that is still there. The production is earthy and still raw. Orlok shrieks with wild abandon over the proceedings. But this is the most METAL record Countess has ever released. Every track drips with heavy metal goodness and headbanging glory! This is heavy metal influenced by Manilla Road, early Manowar and Bathory!
If you didn't like Orlok's voice before, you won't like it now. I personally love it. Every track on here is amazing and this should be a modern classic. Ah, well, I'll just spin it a few thousand times myself! Stand out tracks: By Hammer and Blood, Confessions of a Polytheist and Burn the Throne.
Go check 'em out:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Countess/115228541872165
https://www.facebook.com/BarbarianWrath666
Hey, guys also remember that its distributed by Witches Brew! Go give these labels a look!
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.eu/
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Blood Storm- The Stellar Exorcism
Aaaaaaaaaand I'm back again!
So black/thrash... yeah...
I have issues with some of you whippersnappers classifying certain bands as black/thrash. Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: VENOM ARE NOT BLACK/THRASH!!!!! To say this is historical revisionism which, by the way, I hate. Neither are Midnight by the way. /end rant/
When we talk about black/thrash we are talking about Aura Noir, Nocturnal Breed, mid period Absu and, of course, Blood Storm. If you don't know Blood Storm, then I am sorry for you. Your experience in extreme metal has been empty of an amazingly creative and brilliant band. Blood Storm has been cranking out quality black/ thrash since 1994 and, in that time, has released 5 magnificent records that have somehow been completely overlooked despite outclassing many of their peers.
The Stellar Exorcism is the latest of their albums and continues their path of destruction. It rips through your speakers straight to your ears. The guitars are searing and blazingly fast with exceptional leads bursting froth from the chaos on occasion. Even in midpaced parts, they tear through the song with abandon. I really have to compliment the tone. It eschews the down tuned nature of death metal in the last twenty years without sounding like someone's skinning a cat, like almost all modern black metal. The drums are well played and fast with some tasty rolls thrown in for effect. It is just really executed metal for anyone into real underground metal!
The whole record has a classic feel and you can hear the influences from classic black metal (that's Venom, Bathory, Mercyful fate if you kids are playing the home game) and classic death metal (Slaughter[Canada], Necrovore, early Morbid Angel), and the of course thrash influences (mostly German and the heavier end of American thrash).
Highlights, for me, are The Howling Void, Disease Falls From the Stars, and Venom Elementals but really the whole album is bursting with highlights... Truthfully barring a new release by Megiddo or Obsequiae this is my album of the year right here, folks, so go check them out here-
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.eu/shop/
https://www.facebook.com/bloodstormcult?ref=br_tf
And while you're at Witches Brew buy some other great metal too!
So black/thrash... yeah...
I have issues with some of you whippersnappers classifying certain bands as black/thrash. Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: VENOM ARE NOT BLACK/THRASH!!!!! To say this is historical revisionism which, by the way, I hate. Neither are Midnight by the way. /end rant/
When we talk about black/thrash we are talking about Aura Noir, Nocturnal Breed, mid period Absu and, of course, Blood Storm. If you don't know Blood Storm, then I am sorry for you. Your experience in extreme metal has been empty of an amazingly creative and brilliant band. Blood Storm has been cranking out quality black/ thrash since 1994 and, in that time, has released 5 magnificent records that have somehow been completely overlooked despite outclassing many of their peers.
The Stellar Exorcism is the latest of their albums and continues their path of destruction. It rips through your speakers straight to your ears. The guitars are searing and blazingly fast with exceptional leads bursting froth from the chaos on occasion. Even in midpaced parts, they tear through the song with abandon. I really have to compliment the tone. It eschews the down tuned nature of death metal in the last twenty years without sounding like someone's skinning a cat, like almost all modern black metal. The drums are well played and fast with some tasty rolls thrown in for effect. It is just really executed metal for anyone into real underground metal!
The whole record has a classic feel and you can hear the influences from classic black metal (that's Venom, Bathory, Mercyful fate if you kids are playing the home game) and classic death metal (Slaughter[Canada], Necrovore, early Morbid Angel), and the of course thrash influences (mostly German and the heavier end of American thrash).
Highlights, for me, are The Howling Void, Disease Falls From the Stars, and Venom Elementals but really the whole album is bursting with highlights... Truthfully barring a new release by Megiddo or Obsequiae this is my album of the year right here, folks, so go check them out here-
http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.eu/shop/
https://www.facebook.com/bloodstormcult?ref=br_tf
And while you're at Witches Brew buy some other great metal too!
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