Acephalix - Decreation

By Atanamar Sunyata. The killing instinct is strong in Acephalix. Decreation is a juggernaut, an instrument of inexorable devastation, a beautiful murder machine. Acephalix have upped the intricacy of their barbarous art without sacrificing an dram of savagery.

By Atanamar Sunyata.


The killing instinct is strong in Acephalix. Decreation is a juggernaut, an instrument of inexorable devastation, a beautiful murder machine. Acephalix have upped the intricacy of their barbarous art without sacrificing an dram of savagery.

The recipe here is straightforward and deadly: guitars tuned below the belt, distortion set to Sunlight in the red, drums dialed to D-beat destruction, riffs and vocals turned to fuck-all beastmode. The pitfalls to this approach are many, and flippy floppy death metal murk is the result of most bands' endeavors in this domain. Acephalix are not one of those bands.

The ever-so-thin layer of crust encasing these tracks recalls the incautious might of Bolt Thrower, a feat Acephalix have nailed since their inception. The judicious engine braking is a new feature, allowing the apparatus slow to a Symphonies of Sickness grind. It’s clear that traditional death metal tropes have been on guitarist Kyle House’s mind since he departed Vastum several years ago. All manner of fetid flourishes are splattered across the proceedings, including hammered on hemorrhages that evoke Cannibal Corpse more than a little. Chopped in half grooves feel full-on sunshine state circa 1990.

Acephalix 2011. Photos by Taylor Keahey.

If you’ve seen Acephalix live then you’ve probably tasted Daniel Butler’s sweat and his DNA is inside you and you’re definitely going to descend into bestial madness. That heart warming derangement is fully captured on these tracks, and you can’t help but join in on lunatic chants in “Suffer (Life in Fragments)” and “God is Laughing.” Just let go.

I can’t walk away without mentioning the dead sexy rhythm section. Dave Benson’s drumming is the nerve-center of the killing instinct. Without flash or mechanical enhancement, he lays down some organic and orgasmic beatings. It wraps the bloody package up all nice and tight.

“Excremental Offerings” is death metal perfection and a lock for one of the year’s best songs. Decreation is the best Acephalix album so far. Do the thing. Have a laugh. Become murder, if only for a while.

Vastum - Carnal Law

Vastum's Carnal Law is great old-school sounding Death Metal, but it is also more than that. Let's start with the music; the esteemed Full Metal Attorney tells a tale:

San Francisco, 1993: A few of guys see Autopsy play, trade bootleg Incantation tapes, and hear a rote description of My Dying Bride's As the Flower Withers (without actually hearing the album itself). They get piss-drunk, buy some time at a studio, and lay down six primitive, raw, doomy death metal tracks. After making and selling a dozen copies, they lose the master tape, and the erstwhile band just sort of fades into nonexistence ... Eighteen years later, a savvy construction worker with a Possessed tattoo finds a copy while tearing down a condemned apartment building.

The music is tightly executed, and the solos are like little sharp bursts of laser light. The dual growls of Daniel Butler and Leila Abdul-Rauf are terrific. As Cosmo Lee noted: "Vastum may have the first male-female vocal pairing that does not divide roles along gender lines."

Photo by Taylor Keahey.

The music of Vastum is deathly goodness for sure while, as the Full Metal Attorney tale also hints at, not being overly original. What does make the band stand out is the psycho sexuality of the lyrics, like this bit from "Re-Member"

Left the penis with my Father
A womb with my mom
Heart with my Mother
Exogamous laws…
Broken…

This post has been updated with the remastered version of Carnal Law. Giving me a chance to add a quote from a recent interview with Leila and Daniel - lest you think the lyrics are meant as some sort of banal provocation

Leila: In my lyrics, I’m not referring to sexual perversion per se, but perversion of societal law, and the complex and unconscious sexual dynamics of relationships in conflict, and the shame, pain or horror attached to them. These complexities weave a web of codependency and confusion that blurs, or shifts, the imbalance of power—the dichotomy between one in power and one in a place of powerlessness. In this context, there is no advantage or disadvantage to either position, just an endless war-like nightmare of cyclical emotional pain.

Their music may be death, but lyrics are very much about life. Twisted sexual life, but life nonetheless. Death metal songs about about "bruised carnal melancholy" (again quoting Mr. Lee); it is appropriate that Vastum is latin for "empty" or "deserted"...

Music and Meaning: Revenge - Behold.Total.Rejection. and Amber Asylum - Sin Eater

By Craig Hayes. To my mind, no matter what genre we favour, we’re all aiming to satisfy the exact same desire when we listen to music. And I think you can distill that desire, and the myriad reasons why we love music, into one simple word

By Craig Hayes.

To my mind, no matter what genre we favour, we’re all aiming to satisfy the exact same desire when we listen to music. And I think you can distill that desire, and the myriad reasons why we love music, into one simple word. All any of us really want from music is to be moved.

There’s no question that music moves us and takes us places. And whatever our resulting emotional or physical states, it’s from those experiences that we find and construct meaning in our lives. For many of us, the desire to discover music that moves us often finds us searching the extremes of musical expression. We want the heaviest, most ethereal, most beautiful or bitterest music. And that quest is perfectly represented by recent albums from American neoclassical ensemble Amber Asylum, and Canadian black and death metal berserkers Revenge.

I’ll understand if you think the elegant music Amber Asylum makes doesn’t warrant comparison to the hateful and primitive noise that Revenge conjures. (Except as an example of how polar opposite styles of music appeal to a wide swath of metalheads.) Yet, no matter the stylistic gulf between the two bands, Amber Asylum and Revenge share a clear link that’s inextricably tied to music and meaning. Let me explain.


Back in the late 90s, Canadian band Conqueror released their one and only full-length LP, War Cult Supremacy, which was a defining moment for fans of bestial black and death metal––or war metal, as it’s more commonly known. James “J” Read was the drummer on that LP, and he’s been the driving force in Revenge since the band’s first bloodthirsty EP, Attack.Blood.Revenge, was released in 2001. And if there’s one thing that Revenge have become known for, it’s their obliterating sound and vision.

Like all bands in the war metal axis, Revenge play pitiless and bludgeoning music. It’s metal born from viscera-strewn battlefields, throughout time and space, and on plains of existence both real and imaged. The focus is always on intensity and overwhelming brute force, and Revenge’s latest album, Behold.Total.Rejection., the band’s first for new label Season of Mist, is a perfect example of how 10-tonne, chaotic metal moves us.

I’m fully aware that suggesting a band like Revenge “moves us” in any way sounds like a highfalutin way to describe the band’s intent or impact. But that’s what’s happening, nonetheless. Sure, that sense of being moved is delivered via a razor-storm of nihilistic noise. Which, incidentally, is something all of us need to experience. I mean, even if you’re not a fan of Revenge per se, you still need to hear Behold.Total.Rejection. Folks love to use terms like brutal and merciless to describe metal albums aplenty, and Behold.Total.Rejection. is the very definition of those terms.

Revenge 2014. Photos by Carmelo Española.

Behold.Total.Rejection. has no hooks, no handholds, and definitely no safety nets. Tracks like “Scum Defection (Outsider Neutralized)”, “Wolf Slave Protocol (Choose Your Side)” and “Mobilization Rites”, as well as every other barbaric track on the album, are maelstroms of twisted vocals, distorted guitars and blastbeat drumming. Basically, it’s the equivalent of standing in front of a mine-sweeping tank in the heat of battle. All flailing chains and reinforced armour and tracks, followed by ceaseless and decimating barrages.

Behold.Total.Rejection. does what war metal does best––it destroys. But inherent in all the destruction is that sense of being moved. Sure, it’s not wistful emotionality you’re feeling, but you are swept up in the turmoil, and there’s obvious catharsis in having the endless annoyances that drag you down demolished.

In essence, Behold.Total.Rejection. kills. But not your spirit. The album moves us to feel at one with annihilation. It moves us to embrace chaos. To accept that life is a war of all against all––all the fucking time. It’s the experience of ruthless negation and pitiless cruelty, never to be forgotten.

Now, whether any there’s truth to the particular worldview that Revenge seeks to share on Behold.Total.Rejection. is obviously up to you to judge. But everything that’s feral, ferocious and inhuman about the album is perfectly counterpointed by the haunting elegance of Amber Asylum’s latest album, Sin Eater.

Sin Eater marks the 20th anniversary of the San-francisco-based chamber doom band founded by multi-instrumentalist and soprano vocalist Kris Force. Yet, two decades down the line, Sin Eater happens to feature some of most moving and soul-stirring music from Amber Asylum yet. Tracks such as “Perfect Calm”, “Beast Star” and “Harvester” weave post-rock, dark ambient, and neoclassical influences around lush string arrangements and poignant vocals. All of which is shrouded in Amber Asylum’s gothic elegance.

Amber Asylum 2011. Photos by Taylor Keahey.

Sin Eater evokes the solemnity and ritual of the ‘sin eating’ process itself. But what the album also does is take the gravity of that process and render it into a heartbreakingly beautiful experience. Even at its darkest and most ominous, such as on the grim post-metal landscape of “Executioner”, Sin Eater still feels alive. Where Behold.Total.Rejection. is a barbaric challenge that negates life with a pitch-black wall of noise, Sin Eater opens its arms wide open. Yes, the music therein is often dark. But Sin Eater welcomes all into its darkness.

Behold.Total.Rejection. and Sin Eater vividly illustrate that polar opposite types of music often move us in entirely comparable ways. The two albums are clearly yin and yang, yet both speak to us deeply. The former by means of an uncompromisingly nihilistic vision; the latter by inviting us in to experience the beauty in haunting sadness and ceremony. Our desires are stated by music’s ability to take us to places. Some are utterly grotesque. Others are wholly gorgeous. But always, and forever, music remains our lifeblood. Taking us on journeys so that we can find meaning in our lives.

Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

By Aaron Sullivan. Fifteen years after the release of their last full length Goatsnake returns with Black Age Blues. While it may have been a little over a decade since any new material. Black Age Blues just picks up where they left off. Almost literally. The opening track is called "Another River to Cross"

By Aaron Sullivan.


Fifteen years after the release of their last full length Goatsnake returns with Black Age Blues. While it may have been a little over a decade since any new material. Black Age Blues just picks up where they left off. Almost literally. The opening track is called "Another River to Cross" and begins with a slow fade in of the ending of the last track on Flower of Disease called "The River". Before fading into the new song. See the connection?

Goatsnake 2010. Photo by Taylor Keahey.

Goatsnake are no frills, meat and potatoes DOOM. It’s all about the almighty riff. Something Mr. Anderson has plenty of. Using his Sunn O))) amps to deliver the thick riffs. Combining with Greg Rodgers and new bassist Scott Renner holding down the rhythm and madman singer Pete Stahl's bluesy vocals to make for one potent slab of a heavy, down tuned, DOOM-fest. A song like "Coffee & Whiskey" starts as this great blues based butt shaker but ends with a riff so heavy Mr. Iommi himself would be proud. This is an album that begs to turned up to 11. I recently had the pleasure of seeing them live and perform many of the songs off this album. They are as good if not better live than they are on the album. Plain and simple this album just rocks. It will have you playing air guitar, banging your head, while singing at the top of your lungs. Honestly if this album doesn’t get you going, you may want to check your pulse.

Goatsnake 2010. Photo by Taylor Keahey.

As of late Southern Lord has been more of a label used by Mr. Anderson to go back and release some of his favorite old hardcore bands, new hardcore bands, and re-issues of some of the labels most popular albums. I say this not as judgement. It’s his label and he is welcome to do with it as he pleases. It’s just nice as a long time fan of this label to see it return to more of it’s roots. With maybe the exception of Sunn O))), no other band embodies Southern Lord more the mighty Goatsnake, and with Black Age Blues they continue to show why they are among the labels favorites.

Sundays of Misfortune 3: The August Engine

By Andy Osborn. There are a handful of albums that are really special to me. Albums that transcend the descriptor of “great music” and represent something more meaningful. I will always remember exactly what I was doing when I first heard The August Engine.

By Andy Osborn.

Early this year Hammers of Misfortune made their discography available on Bandcamp (everything except for 2011's 17th Street). In the Sundays of Misfortune series Andy Osborn takes a look at each of the albums, continuing here with 2003's The August Engine.

Cover drawing by John Cobbett

There are a handful of albums that are really special to me. Albums that transcend the descriptor of “great music” and represent something more meaningful. I will always remember exactly what I was doing when I first heard The August Engine. Setting up a tent during a camping trip on the Olympic Peninsula, I felt like listening to something new and exciting, hoping it would strike a chord. I had just graduated from college and landed my first real job; the sun was shining, the beer flowing, and I hit play. So many chords were hit that I will never forget that moment, one of the rare occurrences where the music you’re hearing describes your thoughts and emotions better than any other medium ever could. It’s what music was meant to do: act as a translation of the human experience.

The experiences begins with the fiery “The August Engine Pt. I,” the ultimate in epic instrumental intros. Where most metal bands will throw something together with a couple synth effects half-baked orchestrations, Hammers lay the foundation for the entire sound of the album over the next five minutes. They tease out the melodies and ideas that are going to be explored en masse throughout the rest of the work. Keep in mind what you hear, because it’s coming back when you least expect it. This taste is captivating and fun with it’s buttery smooth chugging riffs and flowing tempo changes. It even ends perfectly as a transition into “Rainfall” where acoustic guitars take charge to mimic the pattern of the song’s title.

John Cobbet 2011. Photo by Taylor Keahey.

The band is playing with longer, more epic tracks than on The Bastard and they’re hitting their stride. Their cross-genre experimentation is in full effect but they never hide their love of NWOBHM in their tasty licks and dazzling vocal harmonies. Scalzi and Cobbett’s leads are world class, endlessly building atop each other to create a fucking majestic attack. The first album with Sigrid Sheie, her subtle piano is the perfect addition to this crisply produced classic. But it’s not just the individual performances that astound, it’s the effect of a perfect group of musicians firing on all cylinders from every direction that pushes The August Engine into the realm of revelation.

Sigrid Sheie 2011. Photo by Taylor Keahey.

Aforementioned patterns become more clear on “The August Engine Part II” with its entrancing second half, another block of dizzying instrumental play. “Insect” as a single track is the best representation of the album as a whole. Every singer is contributing their voice over another beautiful acoustic ballad that then explodes into a familiar chug that’s one of the most satisfying transitions in metaldom. Finally, “The Trial and the Grave” sees the two women again contributing their vocal skills on a slower track, but this one is more heavy than playful, an experiment in somber doom that provides a perfect end to a perfect album.

When I first heard it, The August Engine clicked with me in a way I still can’t adequately describe. I was at once excited, anxious, prone to reckless experimentation. And without even diving into the lyrics I knew, deep in my bones, that this is what this album represents, despite what its true intent may be. And after all these years it evokes the same flood of emotions. I long to call this a masterpiece, but that’s just too ineffective a term; one simply cannot categorize a work of art this transcendental.

Hazzard's Cure - The Ugly

Written by Justin C.

Artwork by Lukas Krieg

Hazzard's Cure self-describes their music as "epic blackened stoner thrash." I'm usually dubious of these kinds of label mash-ups, but if Ulla's recent review of buioingola has taught me anything, it's that sometimes these multiple-genre descriptions can make a surprising amount of sense.

The breadth of Hazaard's Cure's influence is a bit easier to discern on their self-titled full length, but their EP The Ugly nicely shows off the mix, too. The first two tracks on the EP are firmly rooted in stoner metal. The vocals are delivered in a raspy holler reminiscent of High on Fire and Baroness. The bass playing is a highlight, prominent in the mix and straddling the line between melody and rhythm. The drums easily shift between quiet shuffle and blasting, and the guitar pulls a similar trick, from tremolo riffs, to quiet atmosphere, to even a little Santana-style soloing in near the end of the title track. It's a classic rock foundation that doesn't sound dated, but one that's been angered up to a much heavier level.

Photo by Taylor Keahey.

If there's any question about the "blackened" part of the description, it's nicely resolved by the third track, "The Body Amorphous," which features lead vocals from Laurie Sue Shanaman of the late, great Ludicra. With her unmistakable ferocity over blackened, winding guitar lines, you suddenly get an idea of what would have happened if Jefferson Airplane, instead of morphing into the poppy Jefferson Starship, had instead invented black metal and became Jefferson Plague. That probably sounds like I'm making fun, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jefferson Plague is something I didn't know I needed in my life until I heard this track. I would have loved more of this, but as it is, this EP is a great introduction to the band for anyone who likes their stoner metal with a hefty dose of rage.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Wolvserpent - Perigea Antahkarana

Review by Aaron Sullivan.


When one thinks of hot beds of American metal Boise, Idaho isn’t exactly first on the list. But with the latest from Wolvserpent that all might change.

I was originally introduced to them in 2008 when they were called Pussygut with the song She Hid Behind Her Veil… . Admittedly, the band name was all that left an impression. By 2010 they had ditched the Pussygut name in favor of Wolvserpent. But up until seeing them live a few days ago I had paid them no mind. Not really sure why I even decided to go see them since I had not even heard any of their material since my first encounter. But I hadn’t been to a show in some time and figured why not. Man am I glad I did.

Photo by Taylor Keahey.

Wolvserpent is a two person band consisting of Blake Green on guitars/vocals and Brittany McConnell on drums/vocals/violin. They play what would be described as Drone/DOOM. Along with that are hints of Post-Rock, Ambient, Black Metal, and enough atmosphere to paint a picture by. Think Sunn O))) meets Godspeed while living in the woods with Wolves in the Throne Room. The drumming is bassy. Her toms are almost as big as her bass drum. They are played like rhythmic chants rather than keeping time. Blake’s guitar can go from post rockish drones to DOOM crushing riffs all in one song. What I love is that his heavy guitars are never overly distorted or distract from the atmosphere of the songs. Never trading one for the other but instead always keeping a balance. Vocals are shared. Brittany’s being clean and ethereal. Blake’s are anything but. A mix of throaty growls and blackened hisses.

Photo by Taylor Keahey.

This a two CD/L.P. album that is about total immersion. The atmospheres created within are all encompassing for the listener. With songs well over the 15 minute mark that is no easy task. But they pull it off masterfully. Since buying the album at the show it has been on a constant rotation. There is no doubt this will be on my year end list.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Vastum - Patricidal Lust

MOBILE PREVIEW

By Andy Osborn.

Artwork by Paolo Girardi

Vastum are a revelation. The crust-tinged, mid-tempo death metal they play sounds only mildly interesting when described on paper, but the way they package and present their form of crushing aural chaos is nothing short of brilliant. Back-and-forth male to female vocals is something normally reserved for cheesy gothic bands but the Bay Area filth-mongers use it to add a dynamic normally not seen in the genre. The odd solo or bridge coax out the melody hidden beneath the band's thick trill-filled riffs, pulling them out of the gutter just long enough to cleanse your palate of the toxic fumes. Songs pound and stomp ever-forward, beating all in their path mercilessly into pulp and beyond. And while these characteristics were evident on their 2011 debut, Carnal Law, every aspect has been honed and improved upon in Patricidal Lust.

Vastum 2010. Photo by Taylor Keahey.

The clarified production makes the album slightly less filthy than its predecessor, that is, until you look at the album art or lyrics. The band spews forth tales of sexual perversion and the mental anguish that goes with it, a much more serious approach than the comically gore-splattered works found in the book of USDM cliches. And such abject reading material requires an appropriately toxic soundtrack, and Vastum deliver with this deadly serious piece of mind-fuckery.

Vastum 2010. Photo by Taylor Keahey.

Albums that remain at more or less the same tempo can make for tough listening, but Vastum end the ritual before any hint of monotony; each track is perfectly placed and adds a new twist on their unique, defined sound. They know what they want to create, and they create the hell out of it. Battling line-up changes and tragedy - producer Jeff Davis was killed in a motorcycle accident halfway through recording - it’s lucky the band even managed to keep alive this piece depravity worship. But the gods of the gutter were smiling upon them, and with their blessing present us with one of 2013’s finest slabs of death metal.

A Storm of Light - Nations to Flames

Written by Red.


I remember reading interviews with bands in the mid to late 90's. Usually, the topic of discussion was their newest full-length. There would be remarks about how different it was and how troubled they were at the prospect of repeating themselves. They were also confident that they had done something new and transcended their past work.

My argument was always something like this: don't worry about replicating the results exactly, just try to match the feel. In other words, get the vibe right and let things flow from there. Whether or not a record is "good" will always come down to the riffs. But usually, there is a palpable sense (from the listener's side) that the band was feeling something, whether it's motivation, anger, other emotion, etc.

To me, A Storm of Light has captured the sound and energy of early Mastodon. It starts with the theme of Nations to Flames . Fire imbues this record from front to back, even to the cover art. It is referenced in the lyrics. It is ever-present and inescapable in the instrumentation.

Photo by Taylor Keahey

The band is categorized as doom metal/post-rock. Generally, there was a specific type of ambiance that was present in the band's music prior to this record. They pursued a sound somewhat similar to Pelican and bands of their ilk. Now, that ambiance has been excised. What we have here are 11 tracks that go for the throat (with maybe two exceptions at most) from beginning to end.

A Storm of Light also has the benefit of surprise on their side. Can anyone say they expected the band to drop the atmospheric part of their sound and produce a record like Nations to Flames? I doubt it. I wouldn't have bet on such a thing. And that surprise is integral to the record's impact. Surprise and directness make a good combination.

Though the songs are penned by the band, they have a couple guests on guitar, Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) and Will Lindsay (Indian, ex-Nachtmystium). Since there are a number of tracks they appear on, it is safe to say that they have an influence on the direction of the record, whereas on previous albums the guest parts might not have taken it to another place. "All the Shining Lies", for example, uses a riff that betrays heavy Thayil influence.

From Josh Graham art exhibition. Photo by Taylor Keahey

Band guitarist Josh Graham was known for his involvement with Neurosis as visual artist. He has created an intriguing and evocative set of artwork to go with the album, which is available as a PDF with the digital download. The lyrics appear to be hastily scrawled, along with a miniature manifesto describing human greed and other failings. The cover itself shows a cadre of "true believers" burning the American flag. Within the rest of the liner notes, these people are shown in various positions against a background of fire. And the last page shows the eyes of one particular true believer, hooded and masked.

Nations to Flames is consistent in theme and attack; its directness and revolutionary-leaning rhetoric make it a resonant album in turbulent times.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Eagle Twin - The Feather Tipped The Serpent's Scale

Review by Aaron Sullivan.


Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah comes the Sludgy behemoth known as Eagle Twin. My first exposure to this band was when they opened for Sunn O))) on their Grimmrobe Anniversary Tour in 2008. At that time I knew nothing of them and their first album was still a year away from coming out. This two piece consisting of guitar and drum took the stage and jaws dropped. I know many walked away, just as I did, anticipating an album from Eagle Twin. When The Unkindness of Crows came out it blew me away. The Feather That Tipped The Serpent’s Scale did the same completely avoiding the sophomore slump.

Photo by Taylor Keahey

A little background to the first album as it ties into the second. The first album dealt with crows as creatures of myth and power. Inspired by the book Crow from author Ted Hughes. And as it says on their Bandcamp page,

In this installment the crows documented in the first album have battled the sun and were burned back down to earth as black snakes, the concept of the album continuing mainly on the snake and its various mythic and symbolic incarnations. Ultimately the great ancestral snake is transformed from its lowly beginnings back into a bird soaring upon the thermals.

Pretty heady stuff for a Sludge band. But they pull it off brilliantly.

If forced to fit Eagle Twin into a genre Sludge works best. But elements of DOOM and Drone make their presence known throughout the record. Guitars are overbearing in tone and sloth like in pace. The drums are not just there to keep a beat. They also serve to fill in a lot of the open spaces left when only having two instruments. The vocals are also something that set them apart, at least from other Sludge. Gentry’s vocals are very reminiscent of Tom Waits with his gravelly delivery that fit the music so well. Overall there’s a spiritual or ritualistic feel to Eagle Twins music, much in the same way OM’s albums feel. Perhaps a bit darker though.

Photo by Taylor Keahey

As said before. I was blown away by them the first time I heard them and have been with each release. A band that touches on all things I enjoy, not only about Metal, but music in general. If this is something you enjoy I highly recommend getting their first album as well. And since Southern Lord for some reason has not put it on their Bandcamp. Do your due diligence and email Mr. Anderson and beg, plead, and otherwise annoy him until it is on Bandcamp.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Grayceon - Pearl and the End of Days

Art by David D’Andrea

Grayceon's new EP Pearl and the End of Days is a lesson in a making a good thing better. Known for their unique brand of cello driven progressive metal, their last full-length All We Destroy was filled with long, heavy and ponderous tracks. After the intro, you immediately notice that the first song Pearl is faster and rockier, in fact it is goddamn catchy. The same goes for the progressive epic End of Days; the dirgey parts, an integral part of All We Destroy, are here mostly kept to song intros. This is an album made with a lighter heart.

Photos by Taylor Keahey

Another notable difference is that the three instruments of Grayceon are on more equal footing here. Zack Farwell's guitars are heavier, and with a much beefier sound. Max Doyle delivers one wicked drumm fill after another. The cello of Jackie Perez Gratz no longer leads as much, this is true trio music. There's so much playing; the ultimate example would be the last part of End of Days. Listen to 14:15 onwards, and rejoice at the musical skills on display.

Photos by Taylor Keahey

Jackie Perez Gratz' smoky voice is often harmonized to great effect, her harsh vocals are utilized less than on previous albums. Let me close by saying that Grayceon has made an EP filled with emotion, musicianship, and dynamic songwriting. You don't get to say this often about something metal related, but Pearl and the End of Days is just plain lovely.

Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit

Review by Aaron Sullivan.

Artwork By Mark Thompson

In the span of three full lengths and multiple E.P.’s Agalloch have established themselves in the metal community. Their unique way of combining Black Metal, Post-Rock, Neo-Folk, DOOM, and multitude of other influences have set them apart. They have done what so many bands try and do and that is create their own sound. As soon as you hear them you know who it is. Their influence so big they already have countless clones. But never content to stand still, Agalloch grow with each new release. Marrow of the Spirit is no different and again shows the band shedding the past and moving forward.

Photo by Taylor Keahey

They set the mood right away with the instrumental “They Escaped The Weight of Darkness” Lush cello over the sound of a babbling brook and accompanied by chirping birds. Then the pounding of Aesop’s drums take you out of the sublime and “Into the Painted Gray”. Hearing this live was amazing. It was like an explosion of energy. Right away you get the feeling there is more of an emphasis on their Black Metal influences over the Post-Rock influence that was heavy on Ashes. The other thing you notice is what a great addition Aesop’s drumming is to the band’s sound(this being his first album to contain his drumming on it even though his being in the band since 2007). The crown jewel for many with this album is Black Lake Niðstång. Epic and emotional best describe this song. At seventeen and half minutes long it is the longest track on the album. But the beauty is it never lags or bores. Instead the seventeen minutes give the listener plenty to hear and keeps their attention(it also contains piano and field recordings courtesy of Jeffrey Neblock of a fantastic Ambient band called Vindensång). But for me, my favorite track is “Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires”. This song grabbed me the moment I heard it. The opening guitar line has a bit of an 80’s era U2 feel to it. Another track I am lucky to have heard live and it does not disappoint.

Photo by Taylor Keahey

Once again Agalloch have put forth an album that expands on what they have established in their almost 20 years as a band without repeating what had come before. In all honesty this album took a few listens to for me to really appreciate it. But I find that some of my all time favorite albums start that way.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Ludicra - Hollow Psalms

By Justin C. Ludicra disbanded in 2011, but luckily for us all, they've just recently started posting their earlier work on Bandcamp as pay-what-you-choose downloads. This includes their excellent first full-length, Hollow Psalms.

By Justin C.

Cover by Aesop

Ludicra disbanded in 2011, but luckily for us all, they've just recently started posting their earlier work on Bandcamp as pay-what-you-choose downloads. This includes their excellent first full-length, Hollow Psalms.

Photo by Taylor Keahey.

As with most of their work, Ludicra brings a lot of different elements to their black metal base on Hollow Psalms. Besides the blast beats, tremolo picking, and vocal roar you'd expect, you'll also find radical tempo shifts, chant-like clean vocals, acoustic guitar, and even the occasional flute. None of this is new to black metal, but Ludicra's brilliance was in combining all of these seamlessly. The opening track, "Tomorow held in Scorn," opens in full fury, but it's not long before the song shifts to a slower tempo and slips into a quiet, almost jazzy interlude before going back on the attack. The title track opens with an acoustic guitar accompanying a mournful flute line, but this isn't pretty filler. The acoustic guitar is played with a heavy attack, almost as if the guitarist is trying to pull the strings off the guitar. It may be quiet, but it perfectly sets the mood before the rage starts. "Heaped Upon Impassive Floors" alternates between full-band blasts and an eerie, clean electric guitar line. If all of this sounds a bit schizophrenic, it's not. All of these different sounds aren't thrown in for their own sake--they serve the music.

Photo by Taylor Keahey.

The production is clean and precise without sounding slick. One of the results is that beast so unusual in black metal: an audible bass line. Ross Sewage's fluid bass lines act as a true complement to the guitars instead of simply doubling them and disappearing in the mix. The combination of the bass and Aesop's drumming make for a rhythm section that's worth listening to in its own right.

As of this writing, the band has also posted their self-titled EP and the full album Fex Urbis Lex Orbis. All three of these are "deluxe" packages, including CD liner notes, poster art, and even some videos with the downloads. If you're like me and found out about this band only after they'd broken up, you'd do well to pick up everything you can. According to the band's Facebook page, they see this as a non-profit activity, with any donations being used to fund the free download option. Go download all of this, kick in some cash if you can, and enjoy this amazing band's legacy.



[Note: since this review was published all of the releases on the Ludicra Bandcamp have been set to streaming only. Right now the only Ludicra album available on Bandcamp is The Tenant released by Profound Lore Records.]