ALBUM REVIEW: Amorphis, "Queen of Time"

By: Nathan Harrison

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/05/2018

Label: Nuclear Blast

it is a near perfect melding of death metal, folk, prog, hard rock, orchestral and choral music and a number of other elements which mean that no song stands still for long yet every fleeting, tiny moment of each one has impact

“Queen of Time” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. The Bee (5:30)

2. Message In The Amber (6:44)

3. Daughter Of Hate (6:20)

4. The Golden Elk (6:22)

5. Wrong Direction (5:09)

6. Heart Of The Giant (6:32)

7. We Accursed (4:59)

8. Grain Of Sand (4:44)

9. Amongst Stars (4:50)

10. Pyres On The Coast (6:19)

The Review:

From their death metal beginnings 25 years ago, Amorphis have slowly progressed further and further towards a more melodic sound, which culminated in their quite frankly stunning 2015 release “Under the Red Cloud”. That album was centred around an entirely epic feel, catchy guitar riffs and choruses that couldn’t help but elicit huge singalongs on the tour that followed. With their latest album, “Queen of Time”, this approach has been altered slightly. All of the above is intact, but it has been added into a much richer, more complex mix with a heavier focus on synths and, for the first time in the band’s history, the use of a choir and orchestra. Needless to say, all of this combined leads to an engaging and varied record which reveals more and more secrets with every listen, as any good progressive release should.

Opening the album in style is ‘The Bee’, which immediately signals the band’s desire to do something a little different to “Under the Red Cloud” – whereas the latter opened with a haunting piano refrain, this newest effort begins with heavy synths which slam into an even heavier riff. Throughout the track the synths and guitars constantly intertwine as vocalist Tomi Joutsen veers sharply from powerful, deep death growls which could tear the head off a bear, to tender mournful clean lines which show off his rich, clear tone which, cutting across even the most thunderous moments throughout the album.

‘Message in the Amber’deftly introduces sounds that wouldn’t be out of place on a Jethro Tull song, with a folky, thoroughly 70s English prog riff standing out wonderfully. ‘Daughter of Hate’ takes things in a darker but still mind-bending direction, with black metal screams and dissonant guitars somehow working exceptionally well in the same track as a saxophone solo and a spoken word section courtesy of the grizzled sounding Pekka Kainulainen, the band’s long time lyricist. His work here, as with most Amorphis releases, is based around the Finnish national epic poem, “The Kalavela”. For a non-Finnish listener, this does make some of the lyrics a tad obscure, but this does not distract from the sheer beauty and other-worldliness of the imagery which does not require context to be appreciated.

The next two tracks, ‘The Golden Elk’and ‘Wrong Direction’ dial up the melody, the former pacey and catchy, the latter an emotional and accessible centre-piece to the album which hints at a more poppy approach that Amorphis could easily and convincingly take in future (the visually stunning video for this song is also certainly worth a watch). ‘Heart of the Giant’, with its distinctly oriental main riff, demonstrates how expertly the band have used the orchestra and choir on this record – they are used sparingly and subtly throughout so that songs like this where they are brought to the fore have a lot more impact. ‘We Accursed’ makes use of soaring strings as the backing to its thundering chorus and that unmistakable 70s prog sound makes a welcome return towards the middle of the track. ‘Grain of Sand’ offers more of the fantastically effective oriental sound, combined with a soaring chorus, where Joutsen’s powerful, melodic cleans duel with his equally impressive growls before leading into a pummelling outro where the solid riffing of Esa Holopainen locks in with the powerhouse drumming of Jan Rechberger to create a compulsory head banging moment.

A very special guest crops up on ‘Amongst Stars’ in the form of Anneke Van Giersbergen of The Gathering, The Gentle Storm and Devin Townsend Project. A more perfect contrast to Joutsen’s vocals could not have been chosen – the fact that her strange, ethereal tones have not graced an Amorphisrecord before now seems rather an oversight. ‘Pyres on the Coast’ is an impressive closer, a brooding atmosphere permeating the entire track despite its ever-changing heaviness and speed.

It is this last song that neatly sums up what Amorphis have done with this record and how it relates to their entire career to date – it is a near perfect melding of death metal, folk, prog, hard rock, orchestral and choral music and a number of other elements which mean that no song stands still for long yet every fleeting, tiny moment of each one has impact, is meaningful and shows just how talented a band Amorphis are to bring so many diverse sounds into a cohesive and highly enjoyable whole.

“Queen of Time” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Boss Keloid, "Melted on the Inch"

By: John Reppion

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 27/04/2018

Label: Holy Roar Records

Melted on the Inch" is going to be huge, and deservedly so.

“Melted on the Inch“” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Chronosiam

2. Tarku Shavel

3. Peykruve

4. Jromalih

5. Lokannok

6. Griffonbrass

The Review:

It's April 2018, Wigan's very own Prog Sludgers Boss Keloid are back with album number four, "Melted on the Inch", and it might just be "the big one". Do heavy bands cross over into mainstream success in the twenty-teens? If so, what does that even look like? I have no idea, but whatever form that takes, that's surely what's about to happen to Boss Keloid. Where reviewers of previous outings have drawn comparisons to the likes of Iron Monkey, Clutch, and Mastodon, "Melted on the Inch" has much more of a straight-up rock influence, with a dynamic range to match.

“Chronosiam”’s gentle proggy intro breaks into a super-chunky riff,  with Alex Hurst's powerful vocals pushed to the fore (as they are throughout the record). By turns triumphant, heavy, melodic, and atmospheric, it's the perfect opener.

In the next track we get our first bit of newest member Matt Milne’s keyboards – a subtle touch of 60s inspired prog organ-work.“Tarku Shovel” starts out with more than a hint of the 90s about it, seeming at first like a kind of Soundgarden meets Down type affair, with Hurst going full Anselmo for the sludgified chorus. The song’s final two minute movement though – too long to be just an outro – is the first real taste of the different territory Boss Keloid are venturing into with "Melted on the Inch", sounding not unlike a more laid back Baroness.

“Peycruve”’s sneaky, cheeky, almost jazzy beginnings would not sound out of place on Crime in Choir's 2004 album "The Hoop"; Arands and (Adam) Swarbrick’s rhythm section locked in as tight as anything, and with some fantastic guitar work from Paul Swarbrick throughout. Again we get the light and darkness – the contrast between the heaviness of one passage and the mildness of the next. The oft cited King Crimson influence comes to the fore at a pivotal moment, only to be swallowed by a wave of heaviness once again.

From Tribal Tiki Lounge percussive beginnings “Jromalih" becomes one of the more straight forward, verse/chorus/verse, tracks on the album. It also has some of the biggest riffs, however, and works very, very well indeed. "Lokannok"'s wonky synth intro leads us into a track with a pretty similar arrangement (albeit with more prominent and intrinsic keyboards), but which is no less effective. If I say that, at times, it (and other parts of the album) sounds a bit like Neurosis doing a Pearl Jam cover that might put people off. So I probably shouldn’t say that.

Finally, “Griffonbrass” feels like the perfect counterpart to the album opener, so that the pair bookend the record nicely. This latter showcasing more or less the full range of styles and influences covered across "Melted on the Inch".

"Melted on the Inch" is a really polished sounding record and, if I’m perfectly honest, then I think it might be a little bit too polished. The way the very dry vocals are pushed right to the front of the mix, and the keyboards pushed to the very back doesn’t quite sound right to me. I don’t feel like it sounds as massive as it could or should. But who gives a fuck what I think? Kerrang and Metal Hammer already love Boss Keloid, and they’re currently in The Guardian’s Top 40 Tracks for April playlist. "Melted on the Inch" is going to be huge, and deservedly so.

“Melted on the Inch”is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Dead Empires, "Designed to Disappear"

By: Mark Ambrose


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released:23/02/2018

Label: Silent Pendulum Records

 

“Witnessed live and through my speakers, “Designed to Disappear” is a juggernaut of a record – one that hops easily between genres while remaining the work of a distinct, remarkable quartet.  I’m onboard for whatever challenging, inspiring output they have in store.”

“Designed to Disappear” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing

1. Spectacular Ruin

2. The Form

3. Slay Rider

4. Reverse Speak

5. A Summertime Song

6. Ones and Zeros

7. Ergot (feat. John Carbone)

8. Designed to Disappear

The Review:        

The term “progressive” gets thrown around pretty egregiously in metal – most often you’re left thinking of bands like Dream Theater or Iced Earth, and even then thinking in terms of scale, length, or concept albums.  Far too frequently, it’s easy to forget how the genuine first wave of “prog” artists, from King Crimson and Santanato Yesand Rush, embraced weirdly abstruse musical styles.  While a ton of modern prog enthusiasts will point to the longform arena rock epics like “2112”, there aren’t many who hold up the 80s pop experimentation of Yes as key progressive cornerstones.  Yet with the supremacy of total oddball artists like Mike Patton and his onetime collaborators in the dearly departed Dillinger Escape Plan in the 1990s and 2000s metal/math/whatevercore scenes, there is growing appreciation for boundary-free heavy music.  New York state’s Dead Empires, formerly an instrumental trio, have all the hallmarks of these monumentally talented virtuosos with a healthy injection of pop sensibility to match. 

Intro track “Spectacular Ruin” displays the muscular guitar- focused energy at the heart of Dead Empires winning formula, allowing John Bryan space to lay down harmonized, rousing leads that will please the Thin Lizzy fanatics out there.  “The Form” unleashes vocalist Jason “PRKR” Sherman for the first time – his monstrously distorted vocals and noisy manipulations are all the more exciting when his melodic strengths come to the foreground later.  The rhythm dynamic of Phil Bartsch and DJ Scully is monumental – heavy as the heart of a neutron star.  And Bryan’s apt countering of chugging rhythm and shrieking high end melodic guitar work sounds like the best Mars Voltaleads we never got. 

“Slay Rider”, a thrashy two minute blast of galloping drums and blast beat choruses, is a great example of the Dead Empires’ bold disregard for genre conventions – they could have forged on with the noisy, experimental math rock of the first two tracks and had a pretty solid record, instead, they go full on groove-thrash attack before the heady, jazz grind freakout of “Reverse Speak.”   And that’s only the first two minutes of the track, before a beautifully salsa infused guitar and piano (guest Jason Volpe) tradeoff, pounding double bass drumming of Bartsch, or the magnificently melodic bridge vocals.  Just when you think you have Dead Empires’ formula pegged they drop into a spaced out dub metal (is that even a thing?) track like “A Summertime Song”.  Like a 311song if they could just muster the grit to be HEAVY, “A Summertime Song” is the unlikeliest, weirdest 7 minutes I’ve heard on an album this year that actually works as a pop single.  DJ Scully’s gnarly bass gets some time to shine here and it’s easy to see why he’s an in demand multi-genre bassist – dude has some serious tone and chops.

The instrumental “Ones and Zeros” is a bit of a palate cleanser after the consistent tonal changeups of the record so far, recalling the meat and potatoes harmonies of “Spectacular Ruin”, with some moments that recall Big Country(maybe the most overlooked non-metal guitar group of the 80s), and others that once again have me thinking of Phil Lynott and company.  “Ergot”may be the most “conventional” post-metal/metalcore piece of the whole record, if a punishing metal song in the midst of all this post-rock beauty, featuring a spoken word coda courtesy of Moon Tooth’s John Carbone, can be called conventional at all.  The epic, titular finale is a 12 minute, anthemic journey through regret and mortality that is cinematic, rewarding, and ultimately uplifting, even with lyrics like “death, the great equalizer / everything will end one day / that’s the hard truth we go to bed with everyday, / designed to disappear we all go away”.  Somehow it’s far more inspiring than you’d imagine, with moments of seriously dissonant brutality.  More than any other track, I could see this as full on arena rock – it deserves an audience of thousands to truly appreciate its massive scale.

Though there are only eight tracks on their newest record, Dead Empires’ offer lightning fast jaunts through multiple genres, embodying the bold heart of progressive music’s infinite potential.  While their forebears like Dillinger Escape Plan have retired, or Mike Patton has stopped only occasionally to focus on projects that exist as more than one-off experiments, Dead Empireshas the potential to continue as a band to watch, as every move seems to take you to new, unforeseen destinations.  It’s really amazing to see it replicated live, as I had to pleasure to experience this autumn, and hear so MUCH coming from a stripped down quartet.  If you have a chance to see them during the upcoming tour, I’d absolutely recommend it, as the pure intensity and prowess is somehow just as monumental, even in a small venue.  Witnessed live and through my speakers, “Designed to Disappear” is a juggernaut of a record – one that hops easily between genres while remaining the work of a distinct, remarkable quartet.  I’m onboard for whatever challenging, inspiring output they have in store.

“Designed to Disappear” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Path of Might - "Hallowed Gate Style"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/11/ 2017

Label: Encapsulated Records

With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace to the punishing might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as an act who, in time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.

“Hallowed Gate Style” CD//DD track listing

1. Hallowed Gate Style

2. Locust Fugue

3. Infernal Orchards

4. House of Rain

5. Mega Magicka

6. Tea and Oranges

7. Locust Storm

8. Chapels to the West

The Review:

               

Path of Might’s 2015 self-titled debut drew a lot of comparisons to other sludge masters: Mastodon, Neurosis, and Baroness, to name a few.  Like these modern legends, Path of Might infuses sludge with prog flourish, and adds some Appalachian folk for good measure.  If that tidy half hour of power was just a taste, “Hallowed Gate Style”is a veritable smorgasbord of sludge.  Over the course of eight tracks, guitarist Spencer Medley, bassist Derek Rife, and drummer Adam Lucz pay homage to their forebears in metal and prog alike, while crafting a cinematic journey through time and space that invokes images of Kurosawa and Leone, by way of Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley.

               

First and foremost, Path of Mightare a highly skilled power trio, who lock into steady grooves without feeling stiff or mechanical.  There’s considerable production, with some distinct separation between guitar tracks for a nice, well rounded listen overall, but the organic tempo shifts and ineffable chemistry shines on the loose, jammy “Infernal Orchards”, or the swaggering, retro “Tea and Oranges”.  Spencer’s vocals push past the guttural barks of their self-titled album to move into melodies that are sometimes reminiscent of Pink Floyd, or, conversely, a younger Matt Pike.  While the lyrics are often subsumed by the heavy reverb or “chants field recorded in caves” qualities, it still works considering the hallucinogenic dynamics of Path of Might’s overall aesthetic.

               

The prog sludge infusions really cement the record as a serious step forward.  Even the interludes of “Locust Fugue” and “Locust Storm” incorporate American folk and vaguely “far eastern” qualities, even if they’re just cinematic flourishes.  The acoustic bridge of the title track, in particular, qualifies as its own little mystical journey.  For each of the progressive elements, there are lots of passages where the men of Path of Might reveal their classic rock hearts: “Infernal Orchards” feels like Nazareth, if they went full stoner metal, while the finale of “Mega Magicka” has a definite Thin Lizzy vibe.  The utterly savage “House of Rain” is the most indebted to Mastodon, with its rapid hammer-on, pull-off guitar riffing… but damn, Spencer manages to rip it up just as effectively as Brent Hinds & co.

For all the references to other artists, however, Path of Might is more than pastiche.  With their first album, they showed considerable instrumental prowess and fierce delivery.  In slightly more than two years, they’ve incorporated diverse elements without losing a bit of aggression, and battle hardened their sludge alchemy.  With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace to the punishing might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as an act who, in time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.

“Hallowed Gate Style”is available hereand physical copies here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

FOR THOSE ABOOT TO ROCK: Riffs of Canada with Thantifaxath (Toronto, Ontario)

By: Mark Tremblay

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/11/2017

Label: Dark Descent Records

“Void Masquerading as Matter” reaches far beyond the realm of black metal, and into a sound truly of its own. For anyone looking for black metal moving in a progressive direction, this record is a must.

“Void Masquerading as Matter” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Oceans of Screaming Spheres

2). Self Devouring – Womb

3). Cursed Numbers

4). Void Masquerading as Matter

The Review:

Toronto’s secretive black metal super group re-emerge with a 35 minute dissent into dizzying madness. Thantifaxath’s new record, “Void Masquerading as Matter”, takes the foundation of black metal, and pushes it into the furthest reaches of the genre. For those looking for innovation in the black metal genre, look no further than this record.  Taking off right where “Sacred White Noise” left off, Thantifaxath come barrelling out of the gate with blast beats and tremolo picking on “Oceans of Screaming Spheres”.  After a minute and half, however, is where Thantifaxath come into form. Most of the songs start out as a form of black metal, and then morph into another form of experimental dark music. Whether it’s the use of piano on “Oceans of Screaming Spheres”, static noise and strings on “Self Devouring - Womb”, or chamber vocals on “Void Masquerading as Matter”, there is always an element of Thantifaxath pushing the envelope forward.

The music has what is best described as a “slippery” quality to it. With constant ascending and descending pitch and scales, nothing feels stationary on this record. This gives the music a living and organic quality rarely found on today’s robotically precise production methods. “Cursed Numbers” is the best example of this. This song contains the most un-black metal feature possible; a guitar-tapping sequence. This sequence is fluid, and yet never finds the down beat of one. The melody of the song creates an illusion that it is constantly ascending without ever having to come down. “Void Masquerading as Matter” reaches far beyond the realm of black metal, and into a sound truly of its own. For anyone looking for black metal moving in a progressive direction, this record is a must.

“Void Masquerading as Matter”is available  here

Band info: bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Nomasta - "House of the Tiger King"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full length

Date Released:03/11/2017

Label: Independent

Nomasta keeps its debut highly listenable by balancing artistry with barbarism. It is those moments of elegant song writing counterbalanced by ruthless arrangements that are just timeless metal. "House Of The Tiger King" gets you hyped for whatever chapter two becomes.

"House of the Tiger King" DD track listing:

1. Death Rattles

2. The Book Burners

3. Sir Impaler

4. Alchematic

5. House Of The Tiger King              

6. This Trail Got The Best Of Us

7. At The Mercy Of Sleep

8. Hard As A Coffin Nail

9. Dawnbreaker

The Review:

Everyone says they can merge lots of styles. Far too much of the time, it is super awkward business or feels inferential. Many groups suggest they can make their many inspirations work as well as a Mastodon or Converge do. Nope. They end up sounding like Mastodonor Convergecover bands doing original music of vacillating quality instead. No need to name names. You can fill in the blanks there.

A new Leeds trio, Nomasta have had several iterations in its life. Formed from the ashes of Canaya, with Owen Wilson on guitars and vocals and Andy Richards (formerly of alternative metal act Nerve Engine) on drums, Canaya’sdissolution saw the entry of Kris Allen on bass. With that, Nomastawas born. It steps into the pocket of many sounds. The young three-piece does so with an aptitude beyond its years.

Billed as a thrash band with doom elements, you will most likely catch hardcore, progressive and sludge influences throughout "House of the Tiger King," the band's debut album. And what a journey it is.

The recording begins with "Death Rattles," which is a perfect introduction to a distinctive sound. Solid thrash synthesized with psychedelic and progressive essentials make this a worthy representation of Nomasta's vision. Though only two minutes, the cut's napalm spray of guitars and vocals are searing. It is a ferocious scene setter for "The Book Burners," which rips through with melodic thrash. The riffs are withering. The vocals are coarse. And here is where Nomasta also proves impressive: track selection comes in with a high musical IQ. "Sir Impaler" continues the onslaught, while introducing dashes of prog and hardcore, which flow exceedingly well into "Alchematic" one of the proggier cuts. It goes on more of a thrash jag two minutes in, but remains steady in that early tone, carried throughout.

The title track leads you into the second half of "House of the Tiger King." Here, the music picks up the pace with a driving rhythm section and vocals riding the crest of big riffs. The band's players have much experience beyond Canaya, and that experience seems evident as the mood cascades from heavy chords, into more smooth musical transitions. "This Trail Got The Best Of Us" sees Nomastaget darker and even denser in its thrash, while songs like "Mercy of Sleep" and "Hard As A Coffin Nail" rain down hell in the form of demonic percussion and forceful lyricism.

Nomasta keeps its debut highly listenable by balancing artistry with barbarism. It is those moments of elegant songwriting counterbalanced by ruthless arrangements that are just timeless metal. "House Of The Tiger King" gets you hyped for whatever chapter two becomes.

"House of the Tiger King"is available here:

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Enslaved - ‘E’

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type:Full-length

Date Released: 13/10/2017

Label:Nuclear Blast

‘E’ could very well be the foundation for yet another great era in a discography that is already ludicrously loaded with top-tier albums.  It is a  shift made with finesse and the second half of “Storm Son” could be the basis for a whole new era of Enslaved on its own.

‘E’CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Storm Son

2. The River’s Mouth

3. Sacred Horse

4. Axis of the Worlds

5. Feathers of Eolh

6. Hiindsiight

The Review:

Just about anyone reading this should be well-acquainted with Enslaved by now. If you aren’t, stop reading this immediately and begin your journey at the beginning, with their debut LP, ‘Vikingligr Veldi’. It’s important to know where Enslaved comes from because, despite being drastically different in 2017 than they were in 1994, there are still faint traces of their black metal roots present in the music they make today.

2015’s ‘In Times’ was exactly what I wanted from Enslavedat the time. The previous album, ‘RIITIIR’, had taken a step too far into a style of prog that came and went without eliciting any real emotional response. It didn’t pull me in, or excite or affect me in any way. It just existed, and then faded from memory without leaving any positive impression. ‘In Times’ was nearly the opposite, having a deep emotional resonance and songs that rivaled some of their best work historically. The album was much closer to what made Enslaved so great following their early black metal years: blending progressive elements into a black metal context, while always sounding genuinely themselves.

That brings us to ‘E’. It’s Enslaved’sfourteenth full length album. Interestingly, this album feels like it has a lot of the same creative aims that ‘RIITIIR’had at the time, but here the band are exponentially more successful with what they’re seeking to accomplish. There isn’t much black metal at all here, or at least nothing close to the musical space “Thurisaz Dreaming” occupied for ‘In Times’. There are sections that flirt with black metal guitar structure, but really, ‘E’ is a progressive metal album in which black metal plays a truly marginal role. And yet, despite my long-standing belief that Enslaved is at their best when taking a “best of both worlds” approach to their sound, this album succeeds largely on its merits in the prog domain.

That isn’t to say that ‘E’ isn’t an album without issues. The prolonged mellow section at the beginning of “Storm Son” is unnecessary, or at the very least could stand to be shorter, as it’s the sort of relaxed, breezy, lite-jam that’s probably a lot more fun for the musicians to play than it is for listeners to sit through. The same could be said for most of “Feathers of Eolh”, a song that seems content to just noodle away and let the weird notes and chords carry the burden of being interesting for long periods of time. Thankfully, the soaring middle section of the song keeps things lively and engaging between its less-inspired bookends.

While the album does have its flaws, those flaws are more than made up for with some truly admirable creativity throughout the majority of the album. The second half of “Storm Son” could be the basis for a whole new era of Enslaved on its own, bolstered by some excellent vocal work from Håkon Vinje, who fills the role vacated by previous keyboardist and singer Herbrand Larsen. His vocals have a smoother, natural feel to them, so much so that he might be an even better fit than Larsen was. His harmonies have something of a late 60s psychedelic character to them, which sits comfortably with the album’s overall direction. I’d love to hear what he sounds like on previous material too.

Enslavedfind themselves—for at least the third time in their career—in musical transition on ‘E’. While there’s a deep-rooted part of me that hopes they aren’t ready to leave black metal behind completely just yet, it’s hard to argue that they haven’t found a compelling way to do exactly that. They’re a band in the process of truly severing themselves from the rage and darkness of their past, and doing so with much more grace and style than certain other major bands (i.e.Opeth) who’ve done the same recently.

‘E’isn’t the sort of radical departure that ‘Mardraum’was following ‘Blodhemn’, even if it does have some of that albums wild-eyed quirkiness, as in “Axis of the Worlds”. Instead, this is a shift made with finesse and done at a time when any reasonable person could envision the top of an hourglass running out of sand for a style Enslaved have explored for nearly fifteen years. ‘E’ could very well be the foundation for yet another great era in a discography that is already ludicrously loaded with top-tier albums.

“E”is available digitally hereand on CD/LP here. 

Band info: Facebook || Twitter || YouTube

ALBUM REVIEW: Arkaik - "Nemethia"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/09/2017

Label: Unique Leader Records

There are riffs, leads, changes, orchestral flourishes, contrasting vocals, epics, face melters and so on. This is not as immediate a record as “Lucid Dawn”, but it is more ambitious and I suspect that it will reveal depths that Arkaik's previous releases have not reached. A stunning effort.

“Nemethia “CD//DD track listing:

1). Occultivation

2). Of Violence And Pestilence Born

3). Order Of The Hierogon

4). Dweller On The Threshold

5). Futile State

6). The Eupnean Relic

7). Lifting Amnesia

8). Telegnosis

9). Nexion Stargate

The Review:

Arkaik return with another slice of state of the art tech-death. After the excellent “Lucid Dawn” almost exactly two years ago, the band have not rested on their laurels and have once again come up with an album's worth of shredding beastly metal. As I noted last time around, the dedication to their chosen craft is absolutely admirable. In 2015 I injected a little humour into the review, along with praise, but that humour may have done the band a disservice- “Lucid Dawn”is still in semi regular rotation for me to this day which proves that these guys may be practising in the garage every spare hour, but it is not for nothing by any means- they made a fantastic slab of metal two years ago. With that in mind, I was really looking forward to this record.

There are more detours this time around- classical-esque sections here and there to offer light and shade, plus a thick and muscular sound which is different enough to previous records to mark the album out, but clear enough to display the talents of those involved. This is impressive stuff, of that there is no doubt. Opener “Occultivation” is a dynamic track of violence and force with suitably widdly leads.

The synth/mock orchestral intro for “Of Violence and Pestilence Born” leads into a maelstrom of time changes, growled and Shrieked vocals and blasting. Heavy stuff- and hard to follow, too. There are surprises- the 9.34 of “Order of Hierogon” takes in choral effects, piano, orchestral synths and brutally efficient death metal. To keep this up for close to ten minutes is pretty sensational. Easy listening this is most certainly not, though and as a listener this album demands attention and will tax you.

In amongst the nine tracks, there are synth/ambient and instrumental pieces such as “Dweller On The Threshold” and “Listing Amnesia” and they fit rather nicely with the more straightforward likes of “Futile State”. Please note that straightforward does not mean easy! There is also serpentine riffing in “Telegnosis”as well as brutal blasting. There are enough twists and turns in that track alone for an average metal band's full album, but Arkaikmake it sound easy.

The line up changes seem to have not affected the band one jot- this stuff is as technical and as brutal as it gets. By the time of closer “Nexion Stargate”, there will have been more than enough of all aspects to satisfy the most pedantic of listeners. There are riffs, leads, changes, orchestral flourishes, contrasting vocals, epics, face melters and so on. This is not as immediate a record as “Lucid Dawn”, but it is more ambitious and I suspect that it will reveal depths that Arkaik's previous releases have not reached. A stunning effort.

“Nementhia” is available here

Band info: facebook