Moving In Dreamscapes by Dismember The Fallen (Self-released EP)

Structures was the first self-released EP by Detroit’s own Dismember The Fallen, a promising slab of metalcore that would gain the collective a good deal of notice. A commendable effort to be sure, and now their latest recording Moving In Dreamscapes slams the Motor City band towards a whole different level. A thoroughly compelling effort exuding not only skilled musicianship from all members involved, but an all-out stunning brutality and intrigue. This is the kind of sonic experience that gets bands signed! From the passionate death metal growls to the soaring clean vocals and the staggering musical interludes, Dismember The Fallen is a massive adventure well worth seeking out.

The disc begins with the shattering strains of Earthmover, where the listener is slowly catapulted into thrash mode, complete with thunderous breakdowns and otherworldly choruses. Absorption continues to relentless attack, with the keyboard underscore transforming the material into a whole state of wonder.

More Than Meaningless places the pedal to the metal, with its slamming “This is the end of everything you’ve hoped for” passage combined with even more dramatic keyboard work weaving its way through the deadly breakdowns. Aspirations furthers the assault, with tremendously impassioned vocals that launches the material into the stratosphere.

Give It Up shows Dismember The Fallen channeling the glorious melodies of European death metal, creating a pulsating artillery of intense reverberations. This is where In Flames and Underoath collide in the wilds of Detroit, creating a breathtaking composition.

Closing out Moving In Dreamscapes is the impassioned dynamics of Heart. “It is so hard to move on, when you’re still the only one I dream of” screams the refrain with a poignant sense of urgency. Showing the band at the height of their creative prowess, Heart will definitely leave you wanting to commit to even more of the Dismember The Fallen experience.

The Dismember The Fallen lineup is tighter than ever, with imaginative contributions from Nicholas Deneau on vocals, Michael Chamberlain on guitar, Jacob Matzkows on guitar and vocals, Alex Honeycutt on bass, Mark Pfromm on keys, and Nicholas Matzkows on drums. Judging by what’s heard on Moving In Dreamscapes, this just may be the last time we see Dismember The Fallen releasing their work without the assistance of a record label. Fans of truly inspiring metalcore should definitely check into the mighty sounds of Dismember The Fallen, and prepare for the devastating collision of sheer intensity and heartfelt lyrics. Consider this one a promise fulfilled!  Highly recommended!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Dismember The Fallen on Facebook

Alpha Noir / Omega White by Moonspell (Napalm Records)

Dark Metal masters Moonspell return with their ninth album Alpha Noir / Omega White. The Alpha Noir CD opens with Axis Mundi, evil Latin chanting and angry guitars clawing skin from your chest.  There’s a brief respite towards the end of the song with Fernando Ribiero’s soothing melodic crooning in English.  Moonspell know how to get your blood boiling, and keep up the energy for Lickanthrope. Moaning and animal noises merge with a sinister swinging rhythm and chugging guitars as Ribiero growls about Little Red Riding Hood and night swallowing the day followed by some truly frightening howling.

On Versus Ribiero snarls about a primal man-to-man battle at the end of times while keyboards and strings elevate the song with beauty.  After the out-there disco beat and orchestration of Versus, The title track grabs you by the throat from the get-go, Miguel Gaspar’s kick drums propel the song at a break-neck pace as the guitars squeal and chug, Ribiero layering various vocal approaches, making one long for more of his baritone crooning.  Aires Pereira’s bass pounds your skull at the start of Em Nome Do Medo, then Pedro Paixão’s choral keys soothe as Ribiero growls in Portuguese.  There’s some amazing guitar solos from Ricardo Amorim stabbing like a sword further into your heart. 

Opera Carne stays rather straightforward and unpretentious, Ribiero gruffly singing ”Our flesh burns in mysterious ways”.  Here the keyboards are quite accomplished and the melodic guitar solo is enthralling.  Sine Missione, an orchestral instrumental closes Alpha Noir on a dramatic note, sounding for all the world like the theme to a heroic epic, horns and strings begin the song creating suspense, then the band joins in with jagged guitar chugs and pulverizing percussion adding more muscle to the proceedings, rising in intensity to a climax of deep horns and wailing guitars.  Simply stunning.

Omega White is the companion album to Alpha Noir and is a more textured, contemplative but no less impactful album for its slower pace.  Ribiero croons and sings, the guitars are strummed and are under less distortion and the keyboards are more distinct. Because the vocals are intelligible, Ribiero’s lyrics express their meaning more directly, coupled with the cleaner performances and arrangements, the songs on Omega White are just as accessible and successful in expressing Moonspell’s strengths as anything on Alpha Noir.

(by Bret Miller)

Moonspell Official Website HERE

Griseus by Aquilus (A Sad Sadness Song/ATMF Records)

Like the most vivid and complex of dreams, Griseus by Aquilus is a thrilling collage of sound that will enchant the senses. Best described as atmospheric metal, imagine the elite black metal intensity of Emperor mixed with the cinematic inventions of legendary film composer Ennio Morricone, and you’re only beginning to conceptualize the aural adventures ahead of you. A startling work of artistry, Griseus by Aquilus simply has no compare when it comes to the imagination and intrigue involved throughout it’s lengthy yet serenely epic running time.

The disc startes off with the symphonic extreme metal assaults of Nihil, a 14-minute masterpiece that collides into a dazzling neo-classical reverie of utterly cosmic proportions. One can imagine a full symphony orchestra majestic performing its grand reprieves.

Loss is haunting and desolate, sending the listener on a melancholic journey before launching itself into an ardently sinister, melodramatic climax. Smokefall then smolders with its glorious, sweeping passages, complete with bombastic choirs and spacious progressive meanderings.

In The Land Of Ashes is 13 minutes of somber tranquility threatening to burn through your psyche with its bewildering sense of danger and unease. Latent Thistle then slams into the listener with its ultra electrifying black metal meanderings and then leaves you with a totally unpredictable conclusion consisting of a mischievousl lightness.

Aboreal Sleep is a restless composition that meshes jarring electric guitars with a lush orchestral underscore. And the The Fawn commences on a perilous trek through a thicket of impending malevolence.

Closing out the eloquent Griseus is the dark and foreboding Night Bell. Clocking in at a prodigious 17 plus minutes, this masterwork shows Aquilus at the very height of their creative prowess.

One of the most exhilarating one-man creations to ever surface from a metal label, Aquilus is the invention of Waldolf, performing all of the instruments and vocals with a commanding sense of imagination. Based out of Melbourne, Australia, the world may now be enraptured by Waldolf’s magnificent visions thanks to the folks at A Sad Sadness Song. Truly great art arrives in the most distant of places, and Griseus by Aquilus is sure to enrapture the most adventurous of musical connoisseurs. An opulent classic for the ages that you’ll want to revisit time and again.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Aquilus on Facebook
A Sad Sadness Song/ATMF Records Official Home Page

Relapse by Ministry (AFM / 13th Planet Records)

Bands call it quits and a few years later return.  This happens all the time.  Whether it is because of the money offered for live shows, contracts with labels the band just can’t get out of or even just reigniting that spark and camaraderie that was missing for a long time. 

Ministry’s Al Jourgensen put to rest his band in 2008, followed by a medical scare, released a “country” album under the moniker Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters and now we find he’s having a Relapse.

Hatred of politics, greed, tyranny, stupidity and addiction are the driving forces behind the lyrics of Ministry as well as the biggest reason Al decided to make a new Ministry album.  But this time around it sounds like he’s having a great time doing it.

Relapse is 11 hard and fast songs that remind more of late 80′s to early 90′s era material rather than their metallic later phase.  Spoken word samples are cut with Al’s hick-twang ramblings as introduction to many songs, the lyrics are anthemic, dealing with the growing dichotomy between the haves and havenots (99 Percenters, Kleptocracy); civic duty (Get Up Get Out n’Vote) and drugs (Freefall, the title track).

Al’s also still pissed off at the music industry, as heard in opening salvo Ghouldiggers, an assault on the senses with the refrain “I’m not dead yet”.  Double Tap is out of the Psalm 69 songbook: distorted evil vocals, Aaron Rossi abusing his bass drums and plenty of surgically precise guitar slashes.  Sounds of gunfire are followed by a violent guitar solo courtesy of Mike Scaccia (also of RevCo and Rigor Mortis). Guitars shred on Kleptocracy, an anthem that will have you chanting along to Jourgensen’s screed against bankers and their “avarice and greed”.

Ministry know when to keep things direct and simple, as heard on 99 Percenters, melodic guitar lines and soloing back Al growling “let’s occupy Wall Street, let’s occupy Oakland, let’s occupy Chicago, let’s occupy London” backed by very Ramones-ish “hey”‘s and the chanted “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 99 percenters!”

On the title track Al gives the finger to getting healthy in the event of Doomsday at the end of 2012 yelling “my relapse, you laugh” and his answer is to smoke more marijuana.  Weekend Warriors is a workout for Scaccia and Sin Quirin with the many song sequences, the guitarists going from descending runs into low-tuned chugging and searing solos.

After the call to action of Get Up Get Out n’Vote with its super fast beat, Ministry take it down for Bloodlust, with dramatic guitars over John Bechdel’s swelling keyboards offering us a more epic side to Ministry’s songwriting.  Relapse closes with the dancey-dubby version of the title track called the Defibrillator Mix.

Relapse is one of the most blatantly socially conscious albums of Ministry’s catalogue.  Al Jourgensen still has plenty to say about the world and he’s still plenty angry.  Yet this time around the band also sounds like they’re having fun too, making the album a satisfying blend of seriousness and irreverence.

Keep up with Ministry and 13th Planet Records HERE.

(Review by Bret Miller)

Ataraxia/Taraxis EP by Pelican (Southern Lord Records)

In just four short tracks instrumental rock band Pelican take us places previously unexplored.  The EP begins with Ataraxia, a drumless number based on a repetitive bell-like keyboard riff and acoustic guitar strummings floating on a bed of bass pulses. Lathe Biosas jars you out of the pleasant state caused by the first track, this one a rock’n'roll workout with distorted electric guitar leads and a sense of urgency brought on by the quick chord changes, hard-hitting drums and bright cymbals.  A guitar melody is repeated over and over until it’s sunk into your head, then the rest of the band takes off with the melody making it even bigger and dramatic, as if one singer is joined by a chorus. 

Parasite Colony is a slower song building mystery with an unsettling guitar lead backed by chunky bass and patient percussion heavy on the cymbal splashes. As the song progresses the first guitar is joined by another, as if in a thoughtful conversation, each voicing their opinion strongly, until one takes over, growling in anger.  Taraxis again jars, this time with its subdued feel.  Acoustic guitars wind themselves together in a circular way, joined by a needling electric guitar line and a seemingly off key strum, then calming acoustic guitars return, then tension from the ugly sounding duo, then a keyboard and maracas enter, reminiscent of The Cure’s 10:15 Saturday Night, you half expect Robert Smith to start singing “and the tap drips drip drip drip.” Then a trio of very harsh guitars grab your throat, the drums get violent and somehow one guitar line rises above the clamor to lead the listener to the abrupt end.

Keep up with Pelican HERE.

(Review by Bret Miller)

Koloss by Meshuggah (Nuclear Blast Records)

Meshuggah return with another 50 minutes 0f heavy as hell corroded metal for your neck surgeon’s pleasure.

Meshuggah are one of the most refined yet extreme bands out there.  On one level you can let all your troubles fall like sweat to the mosh pit yet the band also warrant repeated listens thanks to the way they work around rhythm changes and can delve into the workings of their instruments like no other.

On I Am Colossus the extended echo of the downtuned guitar chug is just as important as anything else in creating tension and building an audio backing to Jens Kidman’s clenched throated lyrics.  Throughout the album Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström continue to do things with their guitars that are unnatural, frightening and ultimately in the service to the Meshuggah sound: drawn out whale calls, finger tapping solos that threatens to trip over themselves,  playing slowly over the fast tempo like angels of death awaiting the end of a battle, or locking into the rhythm section like a V8 engine starting up.

Speaking of the rhythms: bassist Dick Lovgren is mixed and plays to be heard in the bottom heavy mix, jazzing it up or simply banging on the instrument for a pounding sound.  Tomas Haake is a powerhouse percussionist, Meshuggah would still be an excellent band without him, but it is Haake that makes the band stand head and shoulders over many other extreme metal bands with his understanding of tempo, rhythm and dynamics.  On  Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion the oppression of the steady beat is broken up halfway through with a lighter approach on the drums as the bass thrums and the guitars go all atmospheric and etherial. On Behind the Sun the double bass drums get a workout as the track becomes even more menacing than before. And The Hurt That Finds You First is a deceptively simple hardcore snare/bass combo that takes muscle and patience to do well.

If you want a band that makes you think as well as throw a spinal disc out, Meshuggah’s Koloss is for you.

Meshuggah on Facebook

Lights and Perfections by The Burial (Facedown Records)

For a slab of sheer technical metal brilliance, Lights And Perfections by The Burial is a dynamic endeavor well worth seeking out. Fans of acts such as The Black Dahlia Murder and The Faceless are sure to be intrigued by the skillful extreme artistry The Burial unearths. The super intensive music is matched superbly with the hard hitting lyrical content. Leaving a lasting impression, Lights and Perfections is another sure fire hit from the folks at Facedown Records. Based out of South Bend, Indiana, The Burial’s thrilling musical progressions could definitely raise the dead with their sheer vibrancy.

The assault to the senses commences with the mighty Lights, sending the listener into a thrashing stratosphere of rigorous sound. “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in these bones,” the lyrics convey with a sense of urgency in Apathy and Petition, complete with a breakneck rhythm section that will leave you exhilarated and exhausted!

“Where can value by found?’ is the question on the driving Pearls; The Frailty Of Matter that comes crashing towards the listener with crucial lyrics and relentless musical precision in tow. Salt And Wrath is a standout track, showing just how diverse and empowering The Burial experience can be. Seed then launches the album into hyper overdrive, a potent ministry song that will make you want to praise as well as dive headfirst into the nearest mosh pit.

Wisdom; The Gateway of Liberty is another highlight, where the worship lyrics and brutal melodies mesh together with wondrously ferocious results. Sight And Sensation continues the machine gun dynamics of the music, followed by the mesmerizing strains of Shackle And Embers. And then driving it all home with a vengeance is the magnificent Perfections, where the lyrics exalt, “In man did we so perish, in Christ we live again.”

Lights And Perfections by The Burial is a powerful testament to faith and devotion, complete with a fiery metal soundtrack that will stun and inspire all who give a good listen. Be sure to follow the thought provoking lyrics for maximum impact. Produced with imagination and flair by Josh Schroeder at Random Awesome! Recording Studio (For Today, A Plea For Purging Battlecross), Lights And Perfections is sure to gain The Burial a massive amount of respect and recognition throughout the metal community at large. The outstanding musicianship is courtesy of Elisha Mullins on vocals and guitar, Todd Hatfield on guitar, Jake Neece on bass, and Kaleb Luebchow on drums. The always-imaginative Dave Quiggle contributes the magnificently cosmic artwork.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

The Burial in Facebook
Facedown Records Official Home Page

Urd by Borknagar (Century Media Records)

Sophisticated, immeasurably progressive and absolutely metallic, Urd by Borknagar presents an adventure of cosmic proportions that is wondrous to experience. Their ninth magnum opus to date, Urd finds Borknagar at the very height of their collective genius. Øystein G. Brun and company launches a selection of tracks that are sure to stun the senses of all who give a good listen. Combine the intricacies of Rush with the boldness of extreme metal, and you are only beginning to conceptualize the sonic journeys that Borknagar has in store for the world at large.

Epochalypse is where the timeless epic commences, a dynamic track that is sure to enthrall all who come across its intriguing dimensions. Roots continues the Urd saga, roaring into your consciousness with its technical brilliance. The Beauty Of Dead Cities follows with its rich and thunderous tapestries.

The Earthling is an absolute standout, haunting and mystical in scope, sure to be an all time Borknagar classic. An instrumental interlude entitled The Plains Of Memories is up next, a blissful reverie that will inspire mysterious and impenetrable thoughts of the past. Mount Regency is dazzling with its dramatic vocals and enigmatic soundscapes.

Frostrite is an shimmering collage of icy visages that should chill the senses with its sub-degree aesthetics. The Winter Eclipse is an eight-plus minute magnum opus, sweeping and cinematic, with Borknagar at their most compelling and ambitious. And then on the regular editions of Urd, In A Deeper World closes the album out on a somber yet mesmerizing note.

The bonus tracks contained on Urd are well worth seeking out. Age Of Creation is staggering and profound, with its heroic melodies and majestic sense of urgency. And then Borknagar does Metallica with a fearless verve. The classic My Friend Of Misery is sure to leave an indelible impression on even the most ardent of Metallica fanatic.

The 2012 Borknagar lineup is an intoxicating meeting of the minds, led with skilled precision by guitarist and founding member Øystein G. Brun. Vintersorg presents harsh and clean vocals, demonstrating once again why he is one of the most underrated yet sought after performers on the world metal arena today. ICS Vortex has made a thunderous return to Borknagar, contributing clean vocals and bass to the proceedings. Lars A. Nedland of Solefald supplies the atmospheric keyboard work while Jens F. Ryland unleashes a colossal fury on lead guitar. The drums on Urd were performed with earth shattering steadfastness by David Kinkade of the legendary Soulfly.

Nothing short of a masterwork, Urd by Borknagar is sure to be remembered by all music aficionados as the definitive progressive metal album of 2012. Here’s hoping this Norwegian based band tours the States this time around!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Borknagar on Facebook

Mark My Words by Adverse (Self-released EP)

The Los Angeles area continues to be a place to find the very best in local music, thriving with bands ready to take it on the road and go national. Nowadays, all that is required is talent, good songs, and a constant Internet presence – record label representation is completely optional.

Adverse is a new band from the City Of Angels who are beginning to gain a good deal of attention, and their recent independent release Mark My Words is a powerful effort sure to leave an indelible impression. Mixing technical metalcore with impressively catchy choruses, Adverse is sure to make their mark with fans such acts as August Burns Red and The Color Morale.

Mark My Words commences with a short Introduction piece, immediately demonstrating the creative dueling guitar work that will weave its sonic magic throughout the entire recording. Title track Mark My Words then slams everything into high gear, with dazzling metallic breakdowns, harsh, venomous growls and some rather impression clean vocals. One notices instantly the solid musicianship Adverse possesses, as well as their genre crossing potential. “You’re not at all what I dreamed of,” goes the chorus with a fierce sense of conviction, following by astonishing guitar solos.

The Skeptic wanders in next, a driving slab of heaviness once again displaying an intriguing sense of musical dynamics. Save Yourself starts off with a hypnotic guitar interlude and spiraling clean vocals, conveying an explosive sense of urgency when the heavy parts kick in with a full on force.

Overcome is a burst of technical energy that is sure to see some heavy pit action when performed live. And then Eulogy closes everything out with a mighty kick in the head, containing the rock solid rhythm section in overdrive as well as some ferocious vocals.

Although a fairly new band, Adverse surely has the ambition and creativity to take it all to even greater heights. The musically compelling Adverse lineup consists of Mike Wolford on vocals, Logan Dunn on lead guitar and vocals, Collin Wolford on rhythm guitar, and Shane Csiszar on drums. Very much on par with anything Rise Records is committing to disc these days, Mark My Words by Adverse is a stunning prologue for a band whose future looks packed with striking accolades. Stay tuned…

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Adverse on Facebook

Machine Head at the Avalon, February 17, 2012

Fans got the most metal for their money at the Avalon this February Friday.  The show started at the very un-metal time of 6pm with opening bands Darkest Hour and Suicide Silence and Machine Head on at 8:20.  I made it in time for the headliners and the small club was packed back to the doorway to the foyer.  The stage had a drum riser and many light stands signifying the size of venues and stages the band has been on in the past several years since The Blackening.  They’ve been all over the world many times with bands that influenced them as well as their peers and brought that energy and epic feel to this little place in Hollywood that turns into a dance club at 11pm.

The excitement built as the lights went down and the Latin chants of I Am Hell (Sonata in C#) floated through the air. In a wash of blood- red lights Robb Flynn and band entered the stage and began chugging away, drummer Dave McClain  pounding an ominous beat. Flynn looked like he was possessed, hair and beard making him even more barbaric looking.  When the song kicked into high gear, McClain switching to hardcore tempo, the floor opened up and and kids began to mosh.  Bassist Adam Duce was already sweating profusedly, such was his intensity.  As bodies flew over the barrier, myself and the other photographers were told to exit and it was out to my car to drop off my camera.

Stuck out by the relative safety of the back left bar, I could see the floor was packed, the venue oversold by several hundred metalheads.  This show could easily have taken place at the Palladium but at least the sound and sight lines were excellent at the Avalon and the intimacy was welcome for such a huge band.  The pit got going strong as Flynn yelled “Fuck You All!” to begin Beautiful Mourning, the brutality of the song tempered by the melodically sang refrain “How do I close thine eyes of murder staring into me?“.  Machine Head are one of the most dynamic metal bands out there and their high chart debut proves that they have wide ranging appeal.  The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears  followed, from 1999′s  Burn in Red.  Robb’s breathlessly chanted lyrics were accompanied by gritty guitars and a sometimes groovy drum beat.  Flynn’s Robert-Smith-like guitar opened Locust, the rest of the band joining in like a well-oiled machine, moderating buzzing guitars and militant beat with the intensity of a downhill charge in a muscle car.  Phil Demmel and Flynn’s dual guitars were amazing, as were their various solos, ramping up the energy and dazzling our ears.

Letting the rest of the band towel off Flynn returned to the stage to testify about Dimebag Darrell and how the religious right used his death for their own ends before he was even buried.  Flynn recounted good times spent in Dimebag’s company inciting chants of “Dimebag” and generous applause for a beloved musician taken in a tragic shooting while playing on stage.  Aesthetics of Hate is all about this time and Flynn’s rage about the hypocrites in the “right”.  McClain’s hardcore drum beat introduced one of Machine Head’s most driving songs, Flynn rasping such lines as ” You branded us pathetic for our respect/ But he made us driven, deep reverence far beyond the rest,” and “May the hands of God strike you down.”  Demmel and Flynn’s fleet-fingered leads honored Dimebag’s passing beautifully.  The band then tore into Old, from their first album Burn My Eyes, all buzzing guitars and thrumming bass.  After Darkness Within, the next couple songs were from their Nu-Metal days, the reek of Korn still there, but Machine Head owned these songs and the fans responded with enthusiasm.

Black and white pictures of people with song lyrics written on their arms were projected on the screen to the opening children’s chorus on Who We Are,  the band joining in double time, Flynn’s lyrics supporting the underdogs of the world, the fans singing along with enthusiasm.  As the good vibes of those many incredible guitar solos rose over the audience, the main set ended with more pictures, this time of fans holding up signs and showing tattoos testifying their love for Machine Head and how the band got them through times good and bad.

But we weren’t done with the band yet, and Machine Head encored with the uplifting Halo, another song about questioning religion and fighting intolerance set to a progressive, dynamic arrangement of styles and speeds and flashy melodic guitar leads and a brutal breakdown to close the song.  After Davidian completely wiped the floor with us the band applauded us as we gathered our wits, the members tossing out guitar picks and McClain throwing out drum sticks and flying drum heads far out into the crowd.  Machine Head showed their talent and love of metal by performing almost two hours at an intimate venue.  Here’s to hoping they headline more shows like this in the future and their next album doesn’t take over three years to come out.  Machine Head should be headlining larger places real soon.

(Review and Photos by Bret Miller)